US235243A - Edwaed l - Google Patents

Description

` luren/$02" l Il;

E. L. HOWARD. Railroad Ticket.

Patented Dec. 7,1880.

ma @MMM/6 @M f3/2M@ N. PETERS, PHDTOMTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTDN. D C

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. HOWARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT A. DIMMICK, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-TICKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,243, dated December '7, 1880.

Application filed August 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD L. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Tickets, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains 1o to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters or igures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The accompanying drawing represents an enlarged face View of my improved railroadticket, which, for convenience of illustration and description, is made to cover the route from Washington, D. C., to Ney York city,

though the ticket is intended and adapted for 2o use on all railroads.

The main objects of my invention are, first, to prevent what is known as scalping, or the resale of tickets; second, to compel local travelers to pay local rates.

My invention consists of a railroad-ticket having a passengers voucher or coupon, and a coupon or coupons for each division of railroad to be traveled over. The passengers voucher or coupon shows the starting-point, 3o but not the destination, of the ticket, and each of the succeeding or conductors coupons shows the whole route over which the ticket is good, and also the particular division of road covered by said coupon. The passengers 3 5 voucher and each of the succeeding coupons are provided with a catch-mark or sign, by which they may be identied as belonging to the same ticket.

My railroad-ticket, as represen ted in the ac- 4o companying drawing, contains four parts or sections, as A, B, C, and D, all having thereon printed directions, which need not be here repeated in detail, but the important features thereof will be described.

First, the most important feature of my iinproved railroad ticket is the passengers Voucher D, designating the class and name of office or place from which the voucher and coupons are issued, but with the destination 5o blank, together with the naine of the general passenger or general ticket agent of the railroad issuing the ticket, also, the necessary instructions to the passenger for stopping over and drawing' rebate, all under a catch-mark applied to the voucher and series of coupons attached. This voucher is absolutely new as far as I am aware.

Second, a coupon, C, specifying the class, the starting and terminal point, giving the initials of the railroad issuing the ticket, a 6o notification to the passengers that the ticket is good only for a continuous ride, instructions to conductor for collection of the ticket; also. attached thereto and detachable therefrom, a guide-check, E, stating the name of the con necting railroad which the passenger is to take at the terminal point of the railroad or section of road issuing the ticket, all under a catch-mark corresponding to that ou the passengers. voucher. 7o

Third, a coupon, B, specifying the starting and terminal points of the whole route, the class, and the initial and terminal points of the railroad or section of road covered by the coupon, together with the initials of said railroad; also, instructions to conductor and ticketagents in case of the passenger stopping over at any intermediate point, and the initials of the railroad issuing the ticket; also, attached thereto and detachable therefrom, a guide- 8o check, E, stating the name of the connecting railroad which the passenger is to take at the terminal point of the railroad or section of railroad covered by the coupon, all under a catch-mark corresponding to that on the pas- 8 5 sengers voucher and the coupon C.

Fourth, a coupon, A, specifying the starting and terminal points of the whole route, the class, and the initial and terminal points of the railroad covered by the coupon, together 9o with the initials of said railroad; also, giving instructions to conductors and ticket-agents in case ofthe passenger stopping over at any intermediate point, and the initials of the railroad issuing the ticket, all under a catch-mark corresponding to that on the passen gers voucher D, and the coupons B and C.

An agents stub in the usual form may be attached, as in the ordinary ticket.

Use: The passeugers voucher D is to be roo retained by him to the end of his route, and the first conductor detaches all the coupons marked A, B, and (j, keeping' the part C as his coupon or voucher for the first section ot' the road from 'ashington to Baltimore. lt' this first conductor leaves the train at Baltimore, he transfers the coupons A and l to the next conductor, who retains the coupon B as his voucher for the section ot' road from Baltimore to Philadelphia; and it' this second conductor leaves the train at Philadelphia, he gives the transfer-coupon A to the conductor from Philadelphia to New York, as one of the vouchers for the last section ot' road, and this last conductor also collects the passenges voucher D before reachingr New York, as the second and necessary voucher in settling,r with the railroad company issuing;r the ticket at Washington. Thus the passenger and the three sections of the railroad are all replesented by the four parts of the ticket, and all are secure, While the passenger is prevented from selling his voucher, as will yet be more fully explained.

Should the passenger wish to stop oli' at an)v intermediate station, he so notities the conductor, as per instructions on his voucher, who punches the passenger-'s voucher l), and then transfers all the coupons vet in his possession t0 the ticket-agent at the stop-oil' station, Where the passenger presents his punched voucher and receives the ditierencobetween the amount which he paid for his ticket. and the fare to the stopover station. lf the pns Senger should stop ofi' without this notice to the conductor the coupons corresponding,r to the passengers voucher would pass on in the hands of the conductor, and the passenger in such case can only get his draw-back by corresponding with the general otiiee ot' the company. It will thus be seen that this ticket is only good for a continuous ride at; through rates. It' used for a local ride it must be at local rates.

My improved ticket serves the same pur. poses as the ordinary ticket, and, in addition thereto, the sale or transfer of the ticket is rendered impossible, as the passengers voucher does not show the point of destination, and an intending purchaser has no security as to its true value. Conductors cannot resell the ticket, because the detaching of the passengers vouchers renders the ticket worthless.

The ticket above described simply shows the route between Washington and New York, and the specification describes the method of using it over that route. It is, however, equally applicablel to any other rollte, and is intended for general use over all railroads, the method of' using heilig in every case Substantiall)v the same as described in the specitication.

Having' thus described my improvement, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States- The above-described railroad-ticket, consisting ot' thc transfer and conductors couponsections, on which are expressed the starting and destination points, and the passengers voucher-section, on which is expressed the starting-point but not the destination, all of the sections having a similar catch-mark by which they are identitied as parts of the same ticket and the destination ascertained.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

EDWARD L. HOWARD.

Witnesses G. E. HARRIS, J oHN 1. ONEILL.

Images