Omnibus Register

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F. O. Deschamps, of Philadelphia, Pa., ha taken measures to secure a patent for im provements in the above. The machine, a its name imports, is an apparatus for register ing the fares paid by passengers in omnibuses Its mechanism is contained entirely within i case having in front the exterior dial plate behind which are three revolving dials. 0 these the first is upon the same axis as the ex. ternal pointer, and is divided like the onte: dial, which latter _as three apertures, so tha when a secret slide is withdrawn, it is possl ble to see one number on each of the thre concealed dials, and the sum of these three numbers denotes the amount of passengers since the commencement ot the registering Between the outer dial and the inner ones is the secret slide, whose office has just beende- noted, this rests upon the axles ot the ccn-cealed dials, and is attached to the bolt of a lock so that it cannot be moved unless by a suitable key. The axle of the first inner dial and the external pointer, receive motion to re gister the fares, and a hammer strikes a bell previously to each registration, which process is effected in a manner indicated in a former patent, but further improved in this, so that to operate the apparatus, it is merely necessa ry tor the driver to pull a handle. The se cond interior dial moves one division for each revolution of the first, and to do this prompt ly is a desideratum ; it is effected by a verti cal rod acted on by a stud connected to the first dial, and its action is rendered instanta neous and certain by springs and pawls. The third dial is moved by attaching to it a wheel having a series of notches, in which gears the single tooth that is in the periphery of the wheel pertaining to the second dial. The dif ficulty of successfully tampering with the ap paratus is increased by the following check, which serves to register the revolutions ot the first dial. A number of balls are placed in a pipe, which are successively allowed to de scend into a drawer in accordance with the revolutions of the dial. The machine is ren dered inoperative (whenever the secret slide is withdrawn) by a slide bar, which is at tached to the lock-bolt, coming in contact with the teeth of the driving wheel.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 33This article was published with the title “Omnibus Register” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 33 (), p. 260
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican04301853-260

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