US2137915A - Ticket printing and issuing machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov; 22, 1938. D. H. KINNARD ET AL ,1

TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE Filed June 9, 1937 5 Sheets-Shget 1 H FENCE SHILLINGS fig 2 CHECK I w 5:2 M\c sTAce- 'gg FARE I p, 2 3; w 6 A A54 Q E 5;; 3: 37 3 g \0 ammo PAiD l INVENTORS l I I 96 42 J5 J5 DUDLEY H. KINNARD HAROLD F0 FORD ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1938.

D. H. KINNARD at AL TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING" MACHINE I Filed June 9, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS DUDLEY H KIMIARD HAROLD F. FORD By I ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1938. D.IH. KINNARD ET AL 2,137,915

TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE Filed June 9, 193'? 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS DUDLEY H. KINNARD HAROLD F. FORD ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Dudley Henry Kinnard, London, and Harold Francis Ford, Wallington, England, assignors to T. I. M. (Ticket- London, England Issue Machines) Limited,

Application June 9, 1937, Serial No. 147,340 In Great Britain April 3, 1936 2 Claims.

This invention relates to ticket printing and issuing machines suitable for use on tramcars and omnibuses and of the type in which the tickets are printed and issued by a rotary print- 5 .ing drum carrying adjustable dies for printing variable markings such as value, fare stage and class markings.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine of this kind and in particular to provide improvements which will enable a very large range of value markings to be printed and registered without making the machine unduly bulky or heavy.

According to one aspect, the invention comprises a machine of the kind referred to wherein two value setting mechanisms are provided by which two independently variable value markings can be set up, means being provided for registering the values marked at each operation of 20 the machine.

According to another aspect of the invention the machine is provided with two adjustable marking devices controlled by external setting members through the medium of sliding members mounted to rotate with the printing drum and to slide axially relatively thereto for the purpose of setting registering mechanism by which the values marked are registered during the rotation of the drum in combination with a third .30 setting mechanism provided to adjust a third variable marking device and comprising a slidable spindle adapted to be moved into engagement with an adjusting member on the drum for the purpose of adjusting the marking device and to be moved out of engagement therewith for the purpose of permitting rotation of the printing drum.

According to another aspect, the invention comprises a machine of the kind referred to 40 wherein three independently operable setting mechanisms are provided for adjusting three separate variable marking devices for the purpose of enabling any combination of three variable markings to be obtained.

According to one form of the invention the machine is provided with one value setting mechanism (e. g. a pence value mechanism) adjusted by an external finger operated dial plate through the medium of a sliding setting member mounted to rotate with the drum, a second value setting mechanism (e. g. a shilling mechanism) operable by an external adjusting element. through the medium of a sliding setting member mounted to rotate with the drum and a class marking setting mechanism comprising an adjusting spindle carrying a clutch member movable axially into engagement with a clutch member on the printing drum for the purpose of adjusting the class marking die and capable of being disengaged therefrom for the purpose of permitting rotation of the drum.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the machine constructed according to one form of the invention,

Figure 2 is a view of the cover plate of the machine,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine showing the end opposite that shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a top plan view,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 6,

Figure 6 is a rear elevation, the cover plate being removed to reveal the mechanism and certain parts being shown in section,

Figure 7 is an end view similar to that of Figure 1 but with the end frame plate removed to show the mechanism,

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view with the cover plate (illustrated in Fig. 2) removed and with certain parts of the mechanism shown in section,

Figure 9 is a representation of a ticket as issued by the machine, and

Figure 10 is a cross section taken on the line ll0 of Fig.6.

The casing of the machine shown in the drawings comprises a bed plate I, two end frame plates 2 and 3 projecting downwardly from the ends of the plate I and a removable cover plate 4. The bed plate I also carries a ticket strip magazine or casing fixed to the upper side of the bed plate near one end thereof and having an open front fitted with a hinged cover 6. The casing is provided with lugs la for attachment to shoulder straps for supporting the machine upon the person of the conductor in such a way that the machine can be operated and the hinged cover 6 opened for replenishment of the ticket magazine while the machine is supported on the shoulder straps.

The cover 6 is held in the closed position by means of a pair of hooked levers 1 (see especially Figs. 3 and 6) pivoted to the side walls of the cover 6 and united by a bar 8 which extends across the front of the cover and is provided with a finger piece 9 by which the levers I can be operated simultaneously. Springs acting on t e levers I tend to hold the hooked ends of the levers in engagement with lugs II fixed to the bed plate I as shown clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings, the arrangement being such that an upward pressure on the finger 9 in a direction to open the cover 6 rocks the levers I against the action of the springs I so as to release the hooked ends of the levers from the lugs I I. The hooked ends of the levers are preferably shaped so that they will ride over the lugs II when the cover 6 is closed and snap into the fastened position automatically. 7

The tickets are printed on a strip taken from a roll I2 which is inserted into the casing as shown in Figure 5, so that it rests upon the bed plate I. The roll I2 is held in place by a wire frame or arm I3 which is hinged to the casing 5 at I4 so that it can be swung forward to permit of the insertion or removal of a ticket strip roll. A leaf spring I6 fixed to the hinged cover 6 is arranged as shown in Fig. 5, so that when the cover 6 is closed the spring I6 limits the movement of the frame or arm I3 in such a way as to prevent the escape of the ticket roll from the space between the frame or arm I6 and the back of the casing 5.

The bed plate I is formed with an opening I! round which is fixed a ticket strip guide plate I8 consisting of a rectangular frame formed with upstanding flanges I9 by which the ticket strip is guided in its passage over the bed plate I to the exterior of the machine. The hinged cover carries a spring loaded pressure roller which engages the upper surface of the ticket strip when the cover 6 is closed so as to press the ticket strip against the guide plate I8 in the manner shown in Figure 5. The pressure roller is carried between the arms of a U-shaped frame 21 which is pivoted on a spindle 22 fixed to the side walls of the cover 5 and is controlled by a spring 23 tending to rock the frame in a direction to move the roller 20 towards the opening I2, this movement being limited by a suitable stop 24. The stop 24 is so arranged that when the cover is closed the frame 2i is pushed away from the stop by the engagement of the ticket strip guide plate I8 with the roller 20,so,that the ticket strip'is pressed firmly against the ticket strip guide plate.

The machine is provided with a printing drum indicated generally at 25 mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis'beneath t'lie'bed plate I and is provided with a printing surface which is arranged to print upon the underside of the ticket strip through the opening I! and to feed the ticket strip forward so as to eject the printed ticket from the machine.

The printing drum is fixed to a shaft 26 which extends horizontally across the machine beneath the bed plate I and is supported at its end remote from the printing drum by means of a ball bearing 21 (Figures 6 and 8) carried by the frame plate 3. The end of the shaft 25 projects outside the frame plate 3 and carries a crank handle 28 by which the printing drum is rotated. The printing drum is supported at the end remote from the bearing 2'! by means of a bearing 29 located in a recess 39 in the frame plate 2, the printing drum being supported from this bearing through the intermediary of a hollow sleeve or casing 3i fixed to the printing drum by means of a flange 32.

The main printing surface of the drum which is indicated generally at 33 in Figure 5, comprises a number of fixed dies adapted to print the frame or border 34 (Figure 9) and other invariable parts of the ticket illustrated in Figure 9 and a number of adjustable dies for printing on the ticket the value markings, a class marking the consecutive number of the ticket, the fare stage, service number and date of issue.

The rotatable dies 35 for printing the service number and the rotatable dies 35 for printing the date of issue are adjustable directly by hand, these dies being accessible when the printing drum is in the rest position shown in the drawings through an opening in the cover plate 4 normally closed by a sliding door 3'! (Figure 2) which the conductor can open for the purpose of setting the dies to print the required service number and date of issue without removing the cover 4 from the machine. In Figure 9, the service or route number is shown at 33 and the date of issue at 39. The fare stage dies are carried by a pair of rotary die holders 4!] and 4| (Figure 5) which are journalled upon a common spindle within the printing drum and are adjustable to print any one of a series of numbers from 1 to 99 representing the fare stages as indicated at 42 in Figure 9. The die holder prints the units digit, while the die holder 4| prints the tens digit and is coupled to the die holder 40 by suitable gearing (not shown) so as to move forward through one step at the end of each rotation of the die holder 40.

The adjustment of the fare stage dies (see Figs. 5, 6 and 8) is effected by means of an adjusting spindle 43 which is mounted coaxially with the printing drum so as to be rotatable relatively thereto and is geared to the spindle 44 (to which the die holder 48 is attached) through the medium of a pair of bevel wheels 45 and a series of toothed wheels 46 carried by the printing drum.

The fare stage adjusting spindle 43 is supported near its inner end by means of a bearing 41 carried by the printing drum and projects at its outer end through the frame plate 2. An external adjusting wheel 48 is fixed to the projecting end of the spindle 43 so that the spindle can be rotated for the purpose of adjusting the fare stage printing dies.

In order to provide an inchcation of the fare stage to which the fare stage printing dies are adjusted, a pair of number wheels 49 and 50 fitted with suitable carrier mechanism (not shown) are supported within the sleeve 3I by means of bearing plates 5| fixed by screws to the end of the sleeve and a suitable driving lug (not shown) fixed to the spindle and engaging a units number wheel so as to adjust the number of wheels synchronously with the adjustment of the fare stage printing dies. The relevant numbers on the wheels 49 and 50 are visible through an opening 52 in the sleeve 3I, the end plate 3a being formed with a corresponding opening 53 which registers with the opening 52 when the drum is in the normal or rest position shown in the drawings.

The machine is provided with a series of pence value dies for printing the pence value on the ticket as indicated at 54 in Figure 9, these dies being carried on a rotary disc or die holder 55 which is carried by a fixed spindle 56 mounted in the printing drum and is controlled by a sliding rack 51 (see Figs. 5 and 8) which is guided in a bracket 58 fixed to the printing drum and meshes with a pinion 59 fixed to the die holder 55 and rotatable therewith on the spindle 53. The rack 51 is fixed at its end remote from the printing drum to a bracket 60 fixed to a yoke ring BI which is mounted to slide on a square portion of the shaft 26. The yoke ring 6I is located and controlled as regards its sliding movement on the shaft 26 by means of a yoke 62 carried by the sliding rack 63 which is guided in spindle 66 supported by the bed plate I.

brackets 64 fixed to the bed plate I and which meshes with a toothed pinion 65 carried by a The spindle 66 projects through the bed plate I and carries at its upper end a dial plate 61 (Figure 4) formed with a series of finger holes 68 each one of which corresponds to one of the series of pence values to which the machine can be adjusted. The dial plate 61 is normally held in the position shown by means of a spring 69 10- oated between the spindle 66 and a boss or housing 10 fixed to the bed plate I. The conductor can adjust the dial plate to any one of a number of positions corresponding to the different positions to which the yoke ring BI is adjustable for printing different pence fare values by placing his finger in one of the holes 68 and rotating the plate 61 until his finger is arrested by a finger stop H disposed above the plate 61. The finger stop H is carried at one end of a two-armed lever 12 pivoted at '12 and formed with a pawl 13 which cooperates with a ratchet wheel 14 fixed to' the spindle 66, the arrangement being such that the pressure of the finger on the stop II when the dial plate 67 is adjusted as described above causes the pawl 13 to engage one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 14 for the purpose of holding the dial plate 5'! in its adjusted position against the action of the spring 69. Indication ticket values 75 are marked on the dial plate adjacent the finger holes as shown in Figure 4. The indication against each hole corresponding to the pence value to which the machine will be adjusted by placing the finger in that hole and rotating the dial plate until the finger is arrested by the stop H.

The machine is provided with dies for printing shillings values additional to those for printing the pence values. The shillings value printing dies are carried by a rotary disc or die holder 16 which is mounted side by side with the die holder 55 on the spindle 56 and is controlled by a sliding rack 11 similar to the rack 51 and is similarly guided in the bracket 58. The rack 11 meshes with a pinion l8 fixed to the die holder 16. The rack 11 is attached at its end remote from the printing drum to a yoke ring 19 mounted to slide on the square portion of the shaft 26. This ring 19 is located-between the drum and the ring BI and is provided with an opening to accommodate the rack 51 which passes from the drum through the yoke ring 19 to the bracket 60 on the yoke ring 6|. The ring 19 is controlled as regards its sliding movements on the shaft 26 by means of a yoke 86 carried by a sliding rack B! which is guided in the brackets 64 fixed to the bed plate I and meshes with a toothed pinion 82 carried by a spindle 83 supported by the bed plate 5. The spindle 83 projects through the bed plate I in front of the spindle 66 and beneath the dial plate 6! and carries an external lever arm 84 which can be rotated by hand for the purpose of imparting sliding movement of the yoke ring 19 and adjusting the shillings value printing dies 16. Indications of the value to which the shillings printing dies can be adjusted are marked on the bed plate I in the path of the end of the lever arm 84 as shown at 85 in Figure 4 so as to indicate the adjustment of the machine. order to provide for issuing a ticket of d. value the printing wheel 16 carries in addition to a number of shillings value dies a A d. value die. The marking shown at 86 on the plate I indicates the position to which the arm 84 must be adjusted in order to print a d. value.

. The machine is provided with a number of registering counters 81a, 81b 81c mounted on spindles 88 disposed parallel to the shaft 26, the counters being arranged in such a way that they can be read through openings formed in the cover 4 as shown in Figure 2. These spindles are attached at their ends to metal plates 89, 90, so that the spindles 88 of the counters and plates 89, 98, constitute a self-supporting skeleton frame so that the whole of the counters can be detached from the machine as a unit. Access to the interior of the machine for reading the counters is unnecessary, however, as the various records are all visible through openings in the cover 4 (see Figure 2) without unsealing the machine. The counter We which is adapted to register the total pence value, i. e., the total value printed by the pence die holder 55 after being adjusted to the required amount by operation of the wheel 61 is operated by a series of mutilated gear wheels or toothed discs 9| mounted side by side on a sleeve 52 fixed to the disc 6| and adapted to slide as a whole on the shaft 26.

The counterBle is provided with a toothed wheel 93 adapted to be driven by the teeth on the discs 9| when the spindle 26 is rotated by the handle 28 for printing and issuing a ticket.

The teeth on the discs 9| are arranged in progressive order starting with one tooth on the first disc, i. e., that shown at the extreme right in Fig. 6 to eleven teeth or any number corresponding to the pence value markings 15 on the dial plate 61.

When the machine is adjusted to print a penny ticket the discs are moved along the shaft 26.

through the medium of yoke 62, and rack 63, to a position wherein the disc carrying one tooth is brought in alignment with the toothed wheel 53 on the counter 81c so that a single rotation of the shaft 26 will cause the counter 81a to be advanced by the amount corresponding to one penny. Further rotation of the dial plate 61 to set the machine at a higher pence value causes the discs 9! to be moved bodily to the right so that successive discs are brought into line with the toothed wheel 93. Thus each disc 9! corresponds to a particular pence value and the number of teeth on each disc is chosen to accord with the pence value to which it corresponds. It is convenient to take a 1d. as the unit of value so that the counter will be advanced through one unit for every. 1d. of unit of value printed.

The total value of shillings is registered on a counter which is operated by a series of mutilated gear wheels or tooth discs 94 similar to the discs 96 and which are adapted to be moved along the shaft 26 by the yoke 86 attached to the shillings adjustment rack 8i. There are four toothed discs 94 corresponding to the four adjustments of the arm 84 and another toothed disc 95 is provided for recording the number of d values on a counter (not shown). Each of these toothed discs is provided with an ap propriate number of teeth so that whenthe arm 8 is adjusted to print a particular value the particular toothed disc through the medium of pinion 82, rack 8i, and yoke 86 is brought into line with the driving wheel on the shilling counter and upon rotation of the shaft 25 the amount corresponding to the number of shillings printed is registered. Similarly when the arm 84 is placed at /2d. the toothed disc 95 is brought into line with its corresponding counter and is registered in the same way.

The die holder I5 has a blank portion which can be brought into the printing position by moving the arm 84 to the position marked blank in Fig. 4, so as to prevent any value from being printed in the shillings and /2d. position when not required. In this position of the arm 84, all the discs 94 and 95 are moved out of line with the driving wheels of their respective counters so that the counters are unaffected by the rotation of the shaft 26. The mechanism is so arranged that when the discs 94 are in the position just described the sleeve on which they are mounted acts as a stop limiting the movement of the discs 9i towards the left as seen in Fig. 8, and preventing the finger dial returning to its normal blank position as seen in Fig. 4.

When the finger pawl 13 is released, the discs 9| are moved automatically to the left under the action of the spring 69 acting on the dial plate 61. In order to prevent inadvertent displacement of the discs 94 under the action of the spring 69, a spring loaded latch 96 is provided for holding the arm 84 in the blank position. When the latch 96 is fastened the dial plate 6'! and the die holder 55 cannot be moved to the blank position. Movement of the arm 84 to the /2d. value or to any of the shilling values, however, causes the discs 94 to move to the left as seen in Fig. 8 and frees the discs 9I for movement towards the left sufficiently to bring a blank part of the variable die holder 55 into the printing position.

The corresponding movement of the discs 6| brings all the toothed discs 9I clear of the driving wheel of the counter 8'Ie so that nothing is registered on the total pence value counter.

The class dies for printing the class indicaions as shown at 96 in Fig. 9 are carried by a rotary die holder 91 mounted on the printing drum 25 as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 8. This holder is adjustable by means of an adjusting spindle 99 slidably and rotatably mounted in a framework 99 fixed to the bed plate I of the machine and projecting at one end through the frame plate 3, an external finger disc I being mounted on the projecting end of the spindle as shown.

The spindle IN on which the die holder is mounted carries a clutch member I02 and is controlled by a spring I03 which normally urges the spindle to the right as seen in Figure 8 so as to hold the clutch member I02 in engagement with a clutch member I04 fixed to the drum 25 and adapted to lock the die holder 91 in any one of its printing positions. The adjusting spindle 98 carries a pin I adapted to engage any one of a ring of holes I06 formed in the framework 99 of the machine and is controlled by a spring I01 which normally urges the spindle 98 to the right as seen in Figure 8 so as to hold the pin I05 in engagement with one of the holes I06 and lock the spindle in any one of a number of angular positions corresponding to those of the spindle IOI. The spindle 98 is mounted so as to be in alignment with the spindle I 0| when the drum is in the normal or rest position shown in the drawings and a clutch member I08 provided on one end of the spindle 98 is adapted to engage a clutch member I09 provided on the spindle IOI so that the adjustment spindle 98 can be coupled to the spindle IN by movement of the spindle 98 to the left as seen in Figure 8 for the purpose of adjusting the class die holder. The parts are so constructed that disengagement of the clutch members I02 and I04 cannot occur until both the clutch members I08 and I09 are in engagement and the pin I 05 is disengaged from the holes I06 in the framework 99 by moving the spindle 98 to the left,

In the machine shown in the drawings, the adjustable die holder 91 is adapted to print any one of six different class markings, e. g. "midday, childs, ordinary workmens, "workmens returns and ordinary returns.

In order to provide a registration of the total number of tickets of a particular class or group of classes, a pawl or tappet member I I0 mounted to rock about a pivot III on the drum 25 is formed with a projection II2 which can be moved into or out of line with a driving wheel of the counter 81a mounted adjacent the drum. The tappet member H0 has a pin or projection II3 adapted to engage any one of a series of recesses in the die holder 91. A spring IIIa tends to rock the member I I0 to the left as seen in Figure 6 so as to withdraw the projection II2 from the operative position at the same time causing the projection II3 to enter one of the recesses in the die holder 91. The recesses in the die holder are so arranged that when the die holder is adjusted to print a class marking which is not to be registered on the counter 81a the pin enters one of the recesses so that the tappet member I I0 is inoperative. When the die holder 91 is adjusted to other positions, however, the pin I I3 is forced out of the hole and rides on the wall of the die holder 91 so that the tappet member is held in the operative position against the action of the spring IIIa and upon rotation of the drum 25 the projection II2 engages with the driving wheel of the counter 81a to advance the counter one step for each rotation of the printing drum.

The machine shown in the drawings is provided with check counters 81c and 81d driven synchronously with the pence and shillings counters. The shillings check counter 810 is driven by the toothed discs 94 and the pence check counter 81d is driven by the toothed discs 9| in the manner previously described. These check counters serve to reveal any errors due to faults in the mechanism of the counters.

A further registering counter 81d for registering the total number of rotations of the drum is provided and this counter is actuated by a projection I I4 provided on the shaft 26 which advances the counter one unit for each rotation of the handle 28. The printing of the consecutive number of the ticket indicated at I I5 in Figure 9 is effected by a set of numbering wheels I I6 carried by the printing drum 25 (see Figure 8) and adapted to be advanced one step every time the printing drum is rotated. The numbering wheels are actuated by a fixed cam plate II'I (see Figures 5, 6 and 8) having a circular edge engaging between the teeth of a gear wheel II8 meshing with another gear wheel II9 mounted on the spindle of the numbering wheels I I6. The cam plate has a part I20 which is turned radially inwards as shown in Figure 5 so that as the drum 25 rotates the part I20 of the cam turns the wheel II8 through the space of one tooth and advances the numbering wheel one unit and brings a successive tooth into engagement with the inner edge of the cam plate I I1. Some part of the edge of the cam plate I I1 is always engaged between two teeth of the wheel II8, so that this wheel is positively controlled at all times and accidental displacement thereof is prevented.

The machine is fitted with an inking device consisting of an inked froller 'I2I mounted one frame or bracket I22 which is supported on a spindle I23 fixed to the frame of the machine'and is pressed towards the printing drum by two springs I24 Whose movement is limited by a stop I25. The ink supply roller I26 carried by the frame I2! is pressed against the inking roller by springs I28. The ink supply roller I26 is located adjacent the door 31 in the cover plate 4 through which the service number and date of issue printing wheels are adjusted, the door opening being adapted also to provide access to the inking supply roller for the purpose of replenishing it with ink.

The frame 2I carrying the pressure roller 29 carries a serrated knife edge I29 located close to the surface of the bed plate I at a point where the ticket issues from the machine so that the ticket can be torn off against this knife edge by hand. The portion of the ticket strip indicated at x in Figure 5 extending between the pressure roller and the knife edge is printed upon by a portion of the fixed surface of the printing face 33 and when a ticket is torn ofi against the knife edge 29 the part a: of the ticket strip remains behind and forms. a part of the next ticket strip. The part :c of the ticket therefore forms part of the next ticket issued and must consequently constitute one of the invariable parts of the ticket. In the machine shown in the drawings the surface 33 prints a notice as indicated at I39 in Figure 9.

In order to prevent the drum from being rotated when either of the value die adjusting devices are incorrectly adjusted and also to prevent movement of the value die adjusting devices after the drum has been moved away from its normal or rest position, a toothed bar or comb I3! is fixed in the machine as shown in Figures 6 and 8 in such a way that the edges of the discs 94 and 9| are engaged between the teeth of the comb I 8I in any one of the several positions to which the discs maybe adjusted. Each of the discs 94 and 9i is provided with a recess I32 which registers with the comb I3I when the drum is in the normal or rest position so as to permit axial movement of the discs 94 and SI for the purpose of adjusting the fare value, while the drum is in the normal or rest position.

In order to prevent reverse rotation of the drum the spindle 26 carries a ratchet wheel I33 which is located in the end plate 3 and is engaged by a pggvl I34 which is held in position by a leaf spring Mounted on the outside of the frame plate 3 is a lever I36 carrying a pin I31 which projects through an opening in the end plate and is engaged by a leaf spring I38 which normally holds the lever in the position shown so that a lug I39 formed on this lever lies in the path of a pin I40 carried by the crank handle 28. The engagement of the lug I39 with the pin I49 arrests the handle 28 when the drum 25 is in the normal or rest position shown in the drawings, thereby preventing accidental rotation of the crank handle beyond this position. The lever I36 has a projection I4I which is located in a position convenient to the hand of the operator and permits the lever to be moved against the action of the leaf spring I38 into a position in which the lug I39 is clear of the path of the pin I40 so that the crank handle 28 can be rotated when required.

In the use of the machine the conductor adjusts the fare stage by rotating the wheel 48 backwards or forwards until the numbering wheels 49 and 50 indicate through window I44 the required fare stage. The conductor will usually adjust the fare stage marking device in this way as the vehicle enters the successive stages, but in the event of a passenger being carried beyond the stage at which he boarded the Vehicle before the conductor issued his ticket, the fare printing device can easily be adjusted prior to the issue of that passengers ticket to indicate the correct stage at which the vehicle was boarded by the passenger.

The conductor adjusts the spindle 98 in accordance with the class of ticket which is to be issuedby pushing the spindle-98 inwards against the action of thespringIIl'I and rotating the wheel I00 until the indicating disc I42 shows the required class marking through the window I43 and then allows the spindle 98 to return to its normal position under the influence ofthe spring III'I.

If a ticket of any value from id. to 11d. is to be issued the arm 84 is adjusted to the blank position and the finger dial 6'! is then adjusted to thevalue of ticket required. The conductor then releases the stop lever I36 and rotates the crank handle 28 through one revolution. The consequent rotation of the printing drum prints and issues a ticket marked with the fare stage, class and value markings to which the machine is adjusted and registers the issue of this ticket on the total counter 8Tb, the total pence counter B'Ie and if required further indication of the class of ticket'issued on the counter 81a.

For the purpose of issuing a ticket of a value not provided for by the value setting mechanism controlled by the finger dial 61, i. e., a ticket having a value of more than 11d., the conductor adjusts the arm 84 to the required value and then the finger dial 6'I to the required number of pence and operates the machine in the same Way, the shillings value being recorded on its respective counter.

If the conductor is required toissue a ticket of a value not specifically provided for by the dies in the machine, he can make up the required value by two operations of the printing drum, stopping after the first revolution to adjust the finger dial 61 and arm 84, and then proceeding to issue a double ticket before severing the printed portion on the knife edge I29.

When the ticket roll I2 is exhausted the conductor opens the cover 6 by exerting an upward pressure on the finger piece 9 and releasing the arm 1 from the lugs II, and inserting a new ticket roll.

In order to give the conductor warning when the ticket roll is nearly exhausted, the ticket strip may be marked with a colored line or other indication for a sufficient distance from the end of the strip. Alternatively, the magazine cover 6 may be provided with a window through which an indicator preferably in the form of a red colored disc or plate becomes visible when the ticket roll is nearing exhaustion. This indicator may be mounted on an arm bearing against the roll or an element movable therewith and maintained in such engagement by means of a spring so that when the roll is reduced to a predetermined diameter the indicator appears beneath the window to warn the conductor that the magazine will shortly require replenishing.

The machine described with reference to the accompanying drawings is a portable machine adapted for use on tramcars, motor buses and the like vehicles but the machine may be adapted without material alterations in its construction to operate at a fixed point as for issuing railway or other tickets at a booking oilice or other fixed station. Moreover a non-portable machine substantially similar in construction and operation to that described with reference to the accompanying drawings may be associated with an electric motor for rotating the printing drum shaft, suitable clutch mechanism being provided for the purpose of obtaining a single rotation of the printing drum shaft at every operation of a switch or other control.

We claim:

1. A ticket printing and issuing machine of the class described comprising a printing drum having two independently adjustable printing devices for printing variable value markings, registering devices for said printing devices, a shaft fixed to the printing drum, actuating devices for the registering devices, a separate external setting member for each of said printing devices, and an adjusting member coupled to ,each of said printing and actuating devices and to the respective setting member and mounted to slide on and rotate with said shaft, each of said adjustable value printing devices being adjustable to a blank position in which it prints no value marking, and said adjusting members being arranged so that the movement of either of said members resulting from adjustment of the corresponding value printing device to the blank position causes the other value printing device to be adjusted to a value printing position, thereby preventing simultaneous adjustment of both adjustable value printing devices to blank positions.

2. A ticket printing and issuing machine of the class described comprising a printing drum having two independently adjustable printing devices for printing variable value markings, registering devices for said printing devices and a separate external setting member for each of said printing devices, each of said adjustable value printing devices being adjustable to a blank position in which it prints no value marking, and means operative by movement of either of said setting members to adjust the corresponding value printing device to the blank position to move the other value printing device to a value printing position.

DUDLEY HENRY KINNARD. HAROLD FRANCIS FORD.

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