IMPROVEMENTS IN OMNIBUSES TRAM-CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES PARTS OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR CHECKING THE FARES PAID THEREIN.
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Herbert William Hart at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th January 1882.
HERBERT WILLIAM HART of Mansion House Chambers Queen Victoria Street
in the City of London Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN OMNIBUSES TRAM-CARS AND
OTHER VEHICLES PARTS OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE FOR CHECKING
THE FARES PAID THEREIN.'
"
My Invention relates to improvements in omnibuses, tram-cars and other vehicles,
parts of such improvements having for their object the checking of all fares paid by
the passengers therein. My Invention consists firstly in arranging the seats in the
centre of the omnibus or tram-car both inside and out diagonally zigzag or
otherwise obliquely so as to ensure a separate seat for each passenger with greater
comfort and leg room than is obtained by any other arrangement at the same time
preventing the possibility of one passenger occupying undue space.
Or I may arrange the rows of inside seats back to back, and place them along
the centre of the omnibus; the admission to these rows of seats is obtained through
separate doors at the end of the omnibus.
If preferred one of these doors may be used for entrance only, and the other for
exit only, a transverse passage at about the centre of the omnibus allowing the
passengers to pass from one side to the other. The body of the omnibus I propose
shall be much nearer the ground than usual, and to enable me to obtain this result
I use cranked axles for the hind wheels, the springs supporting the body to be
connected by link rods. The reduction in the height from the ground will
necessitate a change in the position of the fore carriage which instead of being
under the body as at present will be arranged in front of it.
This arrangement will give me an opportunity of providing if desired an
additional seat on either side of the omnibus, the passenger occupying such seats
facing in the direction of the doors.
In order however that the distance between the wheels shall be as nearly as
possible the same as in omnibuses at present in use, I advance the hind wheels so
as to bring the body nearly in equilibrum on the hind axle. The inside of the
vehicle will be reached by one step which will take the contour of the back of the
body, and will be provided with suitable handrails.
The omnibuses will in general remain open at the ends, but sliding doors will

page_text: be provided for use when required, and hand rails will be placed along the sides of
the vehicle for the convenience of passengers passing to or from their seats.
The means for getting on to the roof will consist of a light iron ladder, provided
with suitable hand rails, and which will project slightly from the rear of the vehicle
to leave room underneath for the conductor to stand.
_One or
The ventilation of the vehicle will be effected in the following manner :-
more trumpet shaped mouths will be placed outside the front of the body to
catch and collect the currents of air. These mouths will communicate with an
internal diffusion chamber containing means for dividing up the currents of air
before they enter the vehicle.
In order to carry off the vitiated air displaced by the fresh air a collecting
chamber communicating with the outside will be provided at the rear of the
vehicle. Tubes connected with the diffusing chamber may also convey air under
the inside seats.
The arrangement of the omnibus here described will allow of the better lighting
than at present, as the light can be fixed to the body of the omnibus instead
of swinging backwards and forwards with the door. Provision will also be
made at the back and front to signal to the public the fact of the omnibus being
full.
The vehicle will be provided with a break arrangement of any approved
construction which will be actuated by the driver in any convenient manner.
I also propose to form the pole and splinter bar in one, and to connect the pole
of the fore carriage by a vertical bolt, which will be connected in any convenient
manner to a hand lever within reach of the driver, so that should either of the
horses fall, the pole and splinter bar can be readily released from the omnibus by
the driver rocking the hand lever, and thus the difficulty at present experienced in
releasing the traces and breast chains to allow the fallen horse to rise will be over-
come in a simple manner. If desired, stays between the splinter bar and the axle
of the front wheels may be provided.
It will be obvious that the arrangements for ventilation may be adapted to other
kinds of carriages, whether for road or rail, and the pole arrangement or its
equivalent can be rendered applicable with but slight modifications to four wheeled
carriages and other vehicles both for single and two horses.
Secondly my Invention consists in means for assuring to the proprietors of any
omnibus, tram-car, cab or other vehicle the due receipt of any money paid by any
passenger. To effect this object I fix opposite euch seat in an omnibus or tram-car
a small box fitted with glass windows or faces and bearing a number corresponding
with the seat opposite. This box is slotted behind the glass front for the
reception of coin and has a false or moveable bottom bottom. Each passenger will
be requested to put the amount of his fare through the slot and on doing so the
conductor will give a ticket being a receipt for the amount of the fare, whether it
be one penny or more, and as soon as the conductor has delivered the receipts for
the fares paid he turns a lever (or its equivalent) by means of a special key in his
possession which causes the money to fall into an inclined channel V shaped or
otherwise down which the money slides into a drawer (fastened with a safety lock)
at the end of each side of the omnibus and to which none but an authorized
servant of the proprietors can have access the same arrangement being applied to
the framework of the outside or top of each omnibus or tram car.
The total sum collected from the boxes at the end of the journey should
correspond with the number of tickets given by the conductor to the passengers in
transit.
Each passenger retains the ticket received from the conductor until he leaves
the vehicle and in case any passenger should ride past the distance for which he
has paid his fare he will have to pay the excess into the box and receive another
ticket from the conductor for its amount the conductor to be furnished with
sufficient change which may be kept in a lock up box provided for the purpose
beneath his own seat.

page_text: Thirdly For ensuring increased comfort to outside passengers during inclement
weather, I may fix to each side of the omnibus on the outside spring rollers
attached to which will be an apron or aprons of oil cloth or other suitable material
to be drawn over the knees at pleasure. This spring roller system for keeping the
oil cloth always ready for use inay be extended over the heads of the passengers
by fixing two roller blinds on a suitable frame down the centre of the top of ths
omnibus. These blinds may be drawn out at a moment's notice in case of rain or
snow.
Fourthly For causing the vehicle to ride smoothly I suspend it from three
points only on its springs or on compensating beams which I may interpose between
the said springs and the body of the vehicle.
If desired my Invention as far as applicable to the checking of money may be
used for any purposes where money is received by subordinates.