Improved Register or Tell-tale Check Ticket for Trams, Railways, and other purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1898
Improved Register or Tell-tale Check Ticket for Trams, Railways,
and other purposes.
I, GEORGE HOOKE, of No. 45, Cliff Street, South Yarra, in the Colony of Victoria,
Australia, Tram Conductor, 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 :-
on tram-cars,
This invention has been devised to provide a ticket for use
omnibuses or the like conveyances and is also adaptable for other purposes where
a check ticket is required to register the journeys fares paid &c., of
passengers and also to insure the integrity of the conductor or officer issuing
same.
In order that my invention may be the better understood reference may be made
to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan view of the full ticket whilst
Figure 2 shows the ticket when folded for nipping.
It will be seen from these drawings that the ticket is made preferably in the shape
of a parallelogram and of sufficiently flexible material to permit of its being doubled
back to back at its centre line "B," that is to say, that it may be so doubled back to
back, as to form a ticket half its size as Figure 2. The first or left handed face "C"
contains a certain arrangement of figures and instructions around its edge and down
its central dividing line "B" said spaces being for the purpose of nipping when the
ticket is folded by any approved appliance, such for instance as is generally used for
nipping railway tickets and the like.
Exactly opposite that is to say upon the right handed half "E" of the ticket
a corresponding arrangement of figures and instructions to that last described is
provided the figures being set in marginal spaces "F" so that when the right
hand "E" and the left hand "C" are doubled back to back and the snips applied to
any one of the spaces at "D" or "F" before mentioned, the part nipped out thereby
will bear the same number and be in the corresponding space upon each of the two
halves of the ticket.
I would have it understood that both halves "C" and "E" are numbered to agree
with one another as shown and as above described and that one half "E" of the
double ticket is torn off at the centre line "B" and handed to the passenger who will
keep same as a check or register of his having paid the fare to the conductor. The
official retains the other half "C" and will thus possess a certain check upon the
passenger. Where my invention is used upon a tramway for instance I prefer to
place the number of the ticket upon the centre of each half as illustrated-one part
being marked "Passengers receipt"
"the other "Conductors proof." The end
margins "G" and "H" of each half and the similar margins "G₁" "H" down the
centre line consist of spaces marked "Section numbers down" and "Section numbers
up" respectively each of the spaces being numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 &c., so as to represent
The two side portions
the sections of the journey or line where the ticket is used.
of the ticket on each face are marked with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 &c., to represent the
trips taken by the car during that day or other space of time these are marked "Trip
numbers up" and "Trip numbers down" respectively.

page_text: By the use of my tell-tale ticket the exact number of trips, passengers by such
trips, the fares taken therefor and the section which they rode respectively are
registered in such a manner as to check the passenger, shoul! he dispute his fare, or
distance travelled, with the conductor, or upon the said conductor who may dishonestly
or carelessly demand more than what is due from the passenger; and at the same
time the ticket forms a tell-tale against the conductor should he be dishonestly
inclined towards his employers.
I do not confine myself to any arbitrary number of spaces for nipping purposes nor
to the wording of the printed matter upon the tickets, as I may vary same to suit the
class of conveyance or other purpose for which my ticket is to be used without
departing from the nature of my invention, nor do I confine myself to any very
particular material in the construction of the said ticket, but would say that by
experiment I have found thick paper or thin paste board to be suitable for the
purpose. It will he seen that by the employment of my check ticket the use of
the present expensive bell-punches with their attendant cost of maintenance is
entirely obviated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A ticket capable of being folded at its centre line and bearing marginal and
central numbers which correspond on each half of the ticket when same is folded
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A ticket capable of being folded and having marginal side numbers marked
"Trip numbers up" and "Trip numbers down" respectively and end marginal spaces
and central marginal spaces marked "Section numbers down" and "Section numbers
up" respectively so arranged that when folded the correspondingly marked parts will
lie together so as to permit same to be nipped simultaneously substantially as and for
the purposes described.
3. The special arrangement of parts consisting essentially of side spaces marked
with the up and down trip numbers and end and central spaces marked with the up
and down section numbers the centre being provided with a perforated line to permit
the ticket to be subdivided so that one half may be handed to passenger and the other
half retained by conductor substantially as described.
4. A ticket capable of being folded and subdivided and having spaces, figures and
letterings substantially as herein described and as illustrated on the accompanying
sheet of drawings.