A Practical and Efficient
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Conductor's Ticket Machine
FOR some years past inventors and designers have been busily engaged . in an endeavour to produce a really satisfactory form of ticket-issuing machine which could be carried by the conductor of a public-service vehicle. Such a device, if developed to a high degree of reliability, easy to operate and capable of providing an accurate record of the tickets issued and their value, would result in the saving of much time and labour, not only to the conductor, but to the staff at the office where the machine and cash are received, and the journeys analysed.
In the Clayton-Harris Verometer, invented by Mr. W. P. Harris, and made by the Clayton Dewandre Co., Ltd., Titanic Works, Lincoln, we found a ma,chiue which appears to us to have countered almost all possible objections. lt is a printing, issuing and cash-recording mechanism of a clever and not un duly complicated design, substantially constructed both in its major and minor parts, and perfected in detail after many months of testing.
It is being built in two models ; the smaller issues tickets giving up to 10 classes, 20 stages, and 11ni. in value, whilst the second gives the same number of classes, but 100 stages (if the 00 be included), and single tickets to the maximum value of 10s. 11d. Other models will he produced if the need arises.
The general appearance and dimensions can be seen from the illustrations. The weight is approximately 5 lb., which, considering the number of tune B26 tions performed, is not excessive, and causes no inconvenience to the operator.
The tickets are inserted as neat rolls of plain paper. Three rolls make up approximately 1,000, and it is a matter of seconds to replace a roll. To effect this operation, the machine is swivelled around on its carrier, when a "gravity stop" comes into action and the operating lever is thrown over to this. The cover of the roll carrier is released by unscrewing a thumb nut on a swivel bolt, the end of the used roll withdrawn and the beginning of the new roll fed into the machine until it comes against a stop ; the operating lever is then thrown back to its normal position, when the paper Is loeked ready for printing. Towards the end of each roll are two red warning marks. After the first appears, the operator will he aware that only eight to nine more tickets can be printed off.
Printing is effected by letters and figures carried en small, die-cast aluminium-alloy wheels ; these register with slots in a plate, which prints what may be termed the permanent lettering, and a roller presses the paper on to the ink ribbon, and the plate with its type wheels. The actual printing and issuing of the ticket are performed by a single lever under the main body of the machine. Moving the lever to the
left does the printing, whilst returning it to its full extent causes grips to seize the paper and pull it forward, and then releases. a guillotine blade which severs all but a small portion, so that the ticket does not drop, but can be pulled off.
The one occasional trouble that has been experienced has been jamming of the paper, owing to the stroke of the lever. not being completed by the operator, but this has been entirely overeome. • New, if a ticket be only half issued, it can be pulled the renaainder of the distance, thus continuing to operate the machine; and is cut off perfectly.
Thousands of tickets can be printed from one inking ribbon, because of the inclusion of a most ingenious device. At each printing, the ribbon is moved forward * in., and as the length is 16 yards, this means that over 3,000 tickets can be -printed off at one travel of the ribbon, but, following This, the Operator merely utilizes a small key and winds back the ribbon.. He cannot break it because the drive is by friction, and if he fails to rewind, the printing of the ticket merely becomes fainter and thus warns him. A new ribbon costs is., and it can be safely run through at least 10 times, representing 30,000 to 50,000 tickets. Incidentally, the Paper costs only slid. per 1,000 tickets. The setting of the machine is simple. Three printing wheels are hand-set in the office to indicate the day of the year. On the top of the machine are, at the left, four keys which indicate the value and these can be depressed one or more times, as required, up to the limit imposed. Next, is a small throw-over lever operating the " class" printing wheel; finally, a further pressbutton controls the stage number, which is not only printed, but is shown by an indicator on the top of the device. Shifting this button to one side or the other gives ascending or descending stages. Forward stages are indicated by two dots on the ticket, so that the conductor can tell at once in which direction a return ticket should be used.
It is impossible to issue a blank ticket, because the operating lever and other mechanism are locked until a value is set up, and once the lever is thrown over to print, all the mechanism is locked so that the value cannot be changed.
As each fare button is pushed, it turns the corresponding printing wheel a certain distance, which cannot be exceeded because of a definite stop. The button then returns, and the same button or another pushes the fare wheel to the extent corresponding to the amount specified—in other words— definite amounts of travel are given to the same wheel by the respective keys, and the wheel is moved against a locking pawl.
The operating lever works on a ratchet in each direction, so that it is impossible to make a half stroke and then return the lever.
One of the most valuable parts is the analysis. This gives the total of ordinary tickets issued and the total of exchange tickets, whilst the total value of each is shown separately, so that the conductor must give up cash for the ordinary tickets, and exchange tickets to the corresponding-values indicated.
The recording mechanism is brought into gear only when the ticket is actually printed, so that the operation of the keys without printing has no effect upon the counters.
The names and figures on the front of the machine are shown upside down, thus the conductor can see them in the proper manner when he tips the machine up towards him.
All the bushes are of phosphor bronze, whilst the gears are machine cut from high-tensile steel and hardened ; all other wearing parts are of casehardened steel. In the production models much use is made of aluminiumalloy die-castings, although the main casting is of Elektron.
Public-service vehicle operators have been quick to appreciate the striking capabilities of the Clayton-Harris Verometer, and it is being tried out by many important operators. In our opinion, this machine, at I18 for the low-fare model, is most reasonable. Its sphere is by no means limited to road transport, and other interesting possibilities have already arisen.