An Old-time Taximeter.
Page 19
Page 20
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
As many of our readers will be aware, a new regulation comes into force, on the 1st of July next, which renders compulsory the fitting to all motorc.abs of an automatic methoct of indicating to the passenger and driver, the amount payable for any given distance or time. This class of instrument is now known as the " Taximeter."
It is to be hoped that our London cab-drivers will cheerfully face the inevitable, and at the same time realise that, with the advent of motorcabs, the old practice of demanding a fare which has little proportion to the distance covered, must give place to something more satisfactory to hirers, and the public will not be slow to avail itself of such a ready means of getting from place to place, as the motorcab offers, when the usual altercation as to the correct fare for any journey is avoided by having the figures put before one in a consistent manner. A large number of motorcabs, fitted with these instruments, are now plying for hire in the London streets, and whenever one stops to put down or take up a passenger, it is the centre of interest of a small crowd of spectators.
It will probably be news to many of our readers, that the taximeter was introduced to the London streets sixty years ago, although the name then given to it was " The Patent Mile-Index." It was invented by Mr. II. von Ulster, of the College for Civil Engineers, Putney, and was patented by him on the 2nd tif December, 5846. The number of the specification is 11,232. Briefly, this was an appliance for indicating on a dial inside the body Of the cab, and visible to the passenger, the distance travelled by the vehicle. The indicator consisted of a clockwork train, concealed within the panels of the body, and had two pointers, or hands, which passed over a dial which was divided as an ordinary clock-face. Each hour represented one mile ; the minute hand indicatin5, the fractions. A small circle within the dial or face, with a pointer answering to the seconds hand of a watch, enabled the owner of the carriage to satisfy himself as to the total number of miles the vehicle had travelled in any given period. The appliance, as .fitted to a cab, was illustrated and briefly described in " The Illustrated London News " in its issue of the .6th February, t84.7. One of these illustrations we reproduce by the cour tesy of the publishers, but, as it does not convey any idea of its .mechanism, we have had prepared a line drawing which clearly shows this. Figure I, shows a plan of the back axle and wheel naves, and Figure 2, is a view looking from the back of the vehicle. The operation of the recorder was as follows :—On the inner face of the off-side nave, there was a " snail " or scroll (A), similar to that on a self-centering chuck, and the toothed wheel (B) was rotated by this means. The bevel pinion (C) was fixed on the same spindle as the wheel (B), and, of course, was rotated with it, and drove the bevel wheel (D), and universal couplings .(E, Cr), through the universalshaft (F). A worm Was turned on the Same spindle as G, • and drove a small worm-wheel (H), Which in turn transmitted the motion to the shaft (J), and the bevels (K, L, M, N), and, thence, to . the indicating dial, through a train of wheels,similar to a clock, in order that the total number of miles, each mite, and fractions: of a mile, might be correctly indicated. The clock had two faces or dials, one inside, for the use of the passenger, and one outside, for both driver and passenger to refer to at thie commencement and termination of the hiring. All the transmission gear was fully enclosed to prevent its being tampered with, and the parts which were within the body, were concealed between the panels.