A Machine for Printing, Checking and Issuing Railway and other Tickets.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Printing, Checking and Issuing Railway and other
Tickets.
I, EMILE MÉDÉRIC BOSSUET, of 3, Place de la Madeleine, Paris, France, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
This invention relates to a machine for printing, checking, and issuing railway
and other tickets. By this machine the variable and invariable matter is printed
on the ticket simultaneously. At the upper part (which is invariable for each
issuing station whatever may be the place of destination) is printed the name of the
issuing station, the number of the office of issue, the date, class, and whether a
whole, half, or quarter ticket, this part of the ticket being printed by stationary
printing mechanism and upon the lower half of the ticket (which varies for each
place of destination) the name of the station, the fare to and number of such station,
and a serial number, is printed by means of movable printing mechanisms
(corresponding in number to that of the stations on the line) arranged upon a drum.
Every time that a ticket is issued for any station the number wheels of the printing
mechanism corresponding to said station are shifted so that the serial number
always indicates the number of tickets which have been issued for that station.
To check the number of tickets issued for each station, there is printed upon a band
within the apparatus, by means of the movable printing mechanism at each issue
of tickets, the name of the destination station, the price of the ticket, and the serial
number. Thus by means of this check strip the number of tickets issued for each
station may be seen at a glance. The tickets after being printed are cut to the
desired length and distributed. The apparatus comprises as many groups
of
mechanisms as there are classes of carriages.
The apparatus is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings
wherein Figure 1 represents a vertical section on line 1-2 Figure 2, and Figure 2
an end view of the apparatus partly in section. Figure 3 is a plan with the drums
which carry the movable printing mechanisms removed. Figure 4 is a section
on line 3-4 Figure 2. Figure 5 is a detail shewing one of the movable printing
mechanisms in elevation and section. Figure 6 represents a specimen of a single
ticket, and Figure 7 a specimen of a return ticket. Figure 8 represents the check
strip. The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
:
The apparatus is constructed as follows:-Upon a shaft à are keyed a number of
drums corresponding to the different classes of carriages; three drums being
shewn in the drawings for first, second, and third class tickets respectively. The
mechanisms for printing, checking, and issuing the tickets are similar for each
class and I will therefore describe but one viz. that relating to first class tickets.
Each drum b carries on its periphery printing mechanisms c corresponding to
each of the stations served by the line, which mechanisms are mounted to slide
in radial slots d in the two cheeks of the drum and are normally retracted by spiral
springs e. These movable printing. mechanisms print upon the lower part of the

page_text: ticket (Figure 6) the name of the destination station, the fare, the number of said
station, and a serial number. The upper part of the ticket (which bears the name
of the issuing station,) the number of the office of issue, the date, class, and other
invariable matter) is printed by means of a stationary printing mechanism f
carried by a support g. upon the table h. This stationary printing mechanism
has immovable type for permanent matter and movable type wheels for changeable
matter such as the date. Each movable printing mechanism comprises two sets
of fixed type, the one for printing the tickets and the other for printing the check
strip, and also movable type for printing the serial number, both on the tickets and
on the check strip.
Each printing mechanism has its own serial number which should be advanced
one unit every time a ticket is printed by that mechanism. For this purpose
the spindle i of the type wheels carries a ratchet wheel j (Figure 5) upon which acts
a paul k carried by an arm loose upon the type wheel spindle. The arm / carries
a pin m which when the movable printing mechanism moves down strikes a fixed
abutment n so that at each printing of a ticket, the arm & rocks and causes paul k to
move ratchet j and the units wheel, which in turn moves the tens wheel and the
latter the hundreds wheel, and so on. The ticket printing table
is carried by
a vertical rod p.sliding in a guide o and is caused to apply the ticket strip of
pasteboard against the printing mechanism by said rod being jointed to a
lever r pivoted at s and engaged by a stud and friction roller in the groove of a
camt forming one face of a gear wheel u (Figure 1). The printing table is also
guided in its vertical movement by a rod v. The cam receives rotary motion
through a pinion & and wheel u from the main shaft w which may be turned by
hand or from a shaft y driven by a motor. In this case the pinion is loose and is
coupled with shaft w by a clutch as shewn in Figure 2. To each class of ticket
corresponds a printing mechanism of which the clutch is operated by a key
lever z.
The opposite face of gear wheel u carries a cam 1 which through rods 2 brings
down the movable printing mechanisms to the level of the stationary ones by
hooks on rods 2 engaging with gudgeons 3 (Figure 2) at each side of the movable
printing mechanisms, the rods being jointed to a lever 4 pivotted at 5 and
engaging by a stud and friction roller in the groove of cam 1 (see Figure 4). The
cardboard strip from which the tickets are to be cut is wound upon a spindle 6 and
between guide cheeks 7 and passes, over a drum 8 upon which it is pressed by a
roller 9 and thence to the printing table upon which it is retained by a guide 10.
The feeding of the strip of cardboard is produced by the rotation of drum 8 which
is provided for this purpose with a pawl 11 actuated by a three-toothed ratchet 12
formed in one with a toothed wheel 13 (Figures 1 and 4) which gears with a toothed
segment 14 on the end of a lever 15 which oscillates on a centre 16 carried by the
printing table q, the movement of said segment being produced by two lugs 17, 18,
carried on bracket g in such way that on the ascent of the printing table the
lever 15 will not strike the lower lug 17 but only the upper one 18 whereby said
lever is oscillated so as to cause the toothed segment 14 to rotate wheel 13 and bring
the next tooth of ratchet 12 into engagement with pawl 11. On the descent of the 4
printing table the lever 15 strikes the lower lug 17 and is oscillated in the reverse
direction so that the toothed segment 14 rotates wheel 13 so as to cause ratchet 12
to carry round with it the pawl 11 together with feed drum 8, which being turned
a third of a revolution feeds the strip of cardboard a distance equal to the length
of a ticket; after which the ticket is severed from the strip. For this purpose
the printing table q is provided with a bed cutter 19, and a movable cutter 20,
pivoted at 21 and having a tail piece 22 engaged in a slot 23 in bracket 9 in such
manner that the cutter opened when the table rises and closed when the table
descends. The ticket after being severed from the strip drops through an
opening 24.
Upon shaft a is keyed a drum A bearing upon its periphery the names of the
different stations served and respectively. corresponding to the movable printing
5
5

page_text: mechanisms mounted on drums 6 so that the movable printing mechanism
corresponding to the station for which the ticket is to be issued may be brought
quickly into position to print along with the stationary printing mechanism.
The issue of each ticket is registered on a check strip by the following
mechanism:-At either side of each drum b loose on shaft a are radius arms 25
carrying (1) a spindle 26 on which is wound the check strip; (2) an axis 27 on.
which is free to oscillate a two-armed lever 28 carrying on one of its ends a roller 29
of india-rubber or other elastic material over which the check strip passes and by
which the strip is pressed against the movable printing mechanism; the other arm
of lever 28 carrying drum 30 upon which the strip is wound after being printed;
(3) an axis 31 on which is mounted a two-armed lever 32 which carries an inking
roller 33 at its end. The winding of the check strip is effected by the action of a
pawl 34 carried by the radius arm 25 on a ratchet 35 fast on drum 30; 36 is a check
pawl carried by lever 28. The frame 25 is connected to the printing table 7 by a
connecting rod 37 in such manner that the whole of the mechanism connected
with the check strip is moved out of the way when the table g rises to allow of the
printing of the tickets.
as
The following is the action of the apparatus:-Supposing it is desired to issue a
second-class ticket, the booking clerk rotates shaft a so as to bring into operative
position the movable printing mechanism c corresponding to the station for which
the ticket is to be issued; he then presses the key lever z of the clutch corresponding
to second class tickets whereupon the entire mechanism is set in motion
follows: The movable printing mechanism c in question is brought by the
hooked rods 2 to the same level as the fixed printing mechanism f, the printing
table then rises forcing to one side by means of rod 37 the mechanism for printing
the check strip, and presses the strip of cardboard against the type of the fixed and
movable printing mechanisms which print respectively upon the upper and lower
parts of the ticket the indications specified and shown in Figure 6. During the
downward movement the pin m of the movable printing mechanism strikes stud n
and causes pawl k to advance the ratchet ; one tooth so that the serial number
printed will be increased one unit. The upward movement of the printing table
oscillates the lever 15 and brings the pawl 11 into engagement with the next tooth
of ratchet 12 and raises the cutter 20. After the impression the printing table
descends and oscillates lever 15 in the opposite direction thereby causing pawl 11
and ratchet 12 to rotate the drum 8 one third of a revolution so as to feed the
cardboard strip a distance equal to the length of a ticket whereupon the cutter 20
severs the ticket which drops through the opening 24. The printing table in
descending returns the check strip mechanism to position for printing, at the
same time that the rods 2 are moved upwards by cam 1 allowing the movable printing
mechanism c to be returned to its normal position by spring e the rods 2 during
their upward movement striking the studs 28¹ and oscillating lever 28 so as to cause
roller 29 to press the check strip against the corresponding portion of the movable
printing mechanism for printing. thereon the serial number of the destination
station, the serial number of the tickets issued thereto, and also the fare. The
fixed and movable printing mechanisms f and c are inked by the inking roller 33
passing over the same on the backward movement of radius arm 25. On the
lever 28 returning to its original position the ratchet wheel 35 in meeting the
pawl 34 carried by the radius arm 25 is caused to turn one tooth and feed the check
strip forward after it has been printed on.
The apparatus may be adapted for printing return railway tickets of the form
represented in Figure 7, by providing the fixed and movable printing mechanisms
with two sets of printing characters corresponding to the outward and return halves
of the ticket, means being also provided for marking the line of separation..
This improved apparatus may be varied in form and modified in its accessory
arrangements, and the nature and arrangement of the matter printed thereon also
be varied to suit the purpose for which the tickets are intended.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A machine for printing, checking, and issuing railway and other tickets,
consisting essentially in the combination of a stationary printing device for printing
the invariable matter at the upper part of the ticket; movable printing devices
corresponding in number to that of the stations and capable of being brought into
printing relation with the fixed printing device; a printing table receiving vertical
movement and serving to press the cardboard strip against the fixed and movable
printing devices; a radius arm carrying a check strip and adapted to be brought
into position after the ticket has been printed, for causing the printing of the check
strip to be effected by a roller pressing the check strip against a corresponding part
of the movable printing device all as herein before described.
2. In a machine of the kind specified in the preceding claim the feed mechanism
for the cardboard strip consisting of a lever and toothed segment gearing with a
toothed wheel acting through a ratchet and pawl on the feed drum, said lever being
mounted on the printing, table and oscillated in opposite directions when the
printing table rises and falls, by contact with fixed abutments as specified.
3. In a machine of the kind specified in the preceding claims the mechanism
consisting of a pair of radius arms carrying the check strip spool; a lever carrying
a roller which presses the check strip against the movable printing device and a
roller for winding up the strip after it has been printed, said roller being fast with
a ratchet engaged by a pawl carried by the radius arm; and a lever carrying an
inking roller, all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
drawings for the purpose specified.
Dated September 20th 1897.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.