US2589432A - Counting and recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 18, 1952 T. T. REMBUSCH ET AL 5 Sheets-Sheet l III I/ III III/ N X J R I mg TC 1 N IN V EN TOR.

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COUNTING AND RECORDING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 50, 1944 '5 Sheets-Sheet 2 E a Ni TYqQmqrT R R mm NW\\\ mb w L C W m 0 J M l L W March 18, 1952 T. T. REMBUSCH ET AL COUNTING AND RECORDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Original Filed Aug. 30, 1944 V NTOR. Themqv in bm By Han mi? W March 18, 1952 T. T. REMBUSCH ET AL 2,589,432

COUNTING AND RECORDING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 30, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 3 N w m M 1' I I J h INVENTOR. Wu-e Imam a/mbusch BY H vw ban 6 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR TmemanTR y Han 1s YA d T. T. REMBUSCH ET AL COUNTING AND RECORDING APPARATUS NNm WW- March 18, 1952 Original Filed Aug. 50, 1944 Patented Mar. 18, 1952 COUNTING AND RECORDING APPARATUS,

Trueman T. Rembusch, Indianapolis, Ind., and Harris P. Wolfberg, Denver, 0010.

Original application August 30, 1944, Serial No.

551,876, now Patent No. 2,540,911, dated February 6, 1951.

Divided and this application July 8, 1947, Serial No. 759,642

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to systems and apparatus for counting and recording the number of tickets issued and ticket stubs deposited in theaters or other places of amusement or recreation, this present application being a division of an application bearing Serial Number 551,876, and filing date of August 30, 1944, now Patent No. 2,540,911, dated February 6, 1951.

An object of the invention is the provision of an improved counting and recording system for automatically counting and recording the total number of tickets issued and ticket stubs deposited in theaters and other places of amusement or recreation, in order to provide a comprehensive record of the ticket sales and to check the honesty of the employees charged with the duty of selling and collecting tickets.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved system and apparatus for automatically counting and making periodic photographic records of the number of tickets issued and ticket stubs deposited.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ticket counting and recording apparatus comprising a camera and photo-flood illuminating means controlled by a timing mechanism for automatically taking photograph records at periodic intervals of ticket I totaling registers and a time clock.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ticket counting and recording system comprising totalizing means for registering the number of tickets issued and ticket stubs deposited, a time clock, and a camera and illuminating means controlled by a timing device for periodically taking photographs of the ticket issue registers and the ticket stub registers and said clock.

Another object of the invention is the provision of improved ticket registering and recording apparatus wherein the total number of tickets issued by a ticket machine are registered at a remote location and a photographic record as periodically made of the remote ticket register device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ticket stub collecting device comprising a rotatable ticket-stub hopper having a plurality of removable hopper sections and means for periodically actuating the hopper to successively move the hopper sections beneath a ticket stub deposit slot.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved electromagnetic actuating mechanism for actuating the rotatable ticket stub hopper.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved ticket stub collecting and counting device comprising a ticket stub collecting hopper and a photoelectric cell and eXciter lamp interposed between the ticket stub deposit slot and the hopper for controlling an electric relay arranged to operate a ticket stub totalizing register at a remote location.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to structure and mode of operation, together with other objects and advantages'thereof, will be understood from the following detailed description of several embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the upper portion of a ticket machine equipped with ticket-totalizing registers, a time clock and photographic recording apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the ticket registers, the ticket stub register, portions of the tickets, and the time clock as viewed through the lens of the camera.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the ticket stub collecting and counting device.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the ticket stub collecting and counting device with parts broken away to show the photoelectric cell unit and portions of the sectional hopper.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view, partly in section, showing the actuating mechanism of the multiple-section hopper.

Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly in section, of the mounting discs of the electromagnetic actuating means shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6a is a plan view of the lower mounting discs.

Fig. '7 is a front elevational view of the timing disc which controls the photo-flood lamps.

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the timing disc which controls the operation of the camera.

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view of the timing disc which controls the hopper actuating electromagnet.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail view of the photoelectric cell and exciter unit.

Fig. 11 is a Schematic view of the ticket counting and recording apparatus including a wiring diagram of the electrical circuits.

Fig. '12 is a schematic view of a modification of the invention wherein the registering and recording apparatus are mounted in a cabinet at a location remote from the ticket machine and ticket booth, and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the ticket ejecting machine with parts broken away to show a sprocket of one of the ticket ejecting mechanisms and the switch actuated thereby for operating a ticket register.

As briefly mentioned above, the purpose of the invention is the provision of improved counting and recording apparatus for automatically counting and recording the total number of tickets issued and ticket stubs deposited in a theater or other place of amusement or recreation, in order to provide a means whereby the owner or manager may check the honesty of employees charged with the sale and collection of tickets and also to provide a comprehensive record of the ticket sales and attendance at any given time or periods of time.

' Briefly, the'invention comprisesthe provision of one or more ticket totalizing registers, a ticket stub register controlled by a photoelectric cell unit and relay for indicating the total number of ticket stubs deposited, a time clock adjacent the registers, photographic apparatus comprising a camera having means for taking a plurality of photographic records of the registers and clock, and electric means including a timing mechanism having electrical switch means for periodically energizing the operating electromagnet of the camera and photo-flood illuminating lamps. Further, in accordance with the lilvell- 'tion, the ticket stub collecting device is provided with a rotatable hopper having a plurality of removably mounted hopper sections adapted to be moved successively at timed intervals beneath the ticket stub slot by means of improved electromagnetic actuating means which is controlled by an additional switch means associated with the above mentioned timing mechanism.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the reference numeral 2i generally designates a ticket issuing machine containing a mechanism (not shown) of any standard construction for automatically ejecting tickets 23, 25 and 2? of various denominations in response to operation of manual push buttons (not shown). A part of the housing of the machine is shown at 23.

Mounted on a vertical wall 33 in a compartment beneath the top of the ticket machine housing are a plurality of totalizing registers 35, 37 and 39 of conventional constructuion for visibly indicating the total number of tickets of each denomination issued by the ticket machine. An-

other totalizing register ll is mounted on the wall '33 in proximity to the other registers, and this type.

Mounted on the wall of the compartment oppo- :site the wall 33 and facing the registers is a camera 45. The camera 5 may be of any suitable construction, but is preferably of a standard 8 or 16 millimeter type having conventional film receiving and advancing mechanism; a shutter mechanism and a wide angle adjustable lens.

The camera is provided with an operating lever i? arranged to operate the camera shutter mechanism during the initial part of the movement of the lever and to thereafter operate the film sprock G9 to advance the film 5! one frame during the remaining portion of the throw of the lever. An electric solenoid 53 mounted at the side of the camera has its movable coil 55 connected to the free end of the operating lever for effecting operation of the camera each time the solenoid. winding is energized. A biasing spring (not shown) returns the operating lever and solenoid core to normal position upon deenergization of the solenoid. The connections between the operating lever 41 and the sprockets es, and also between the operating lever 4'! and the camera shutter mechanism, may be of any well known type such that the operating lever actuates the sprocket and the shutter mechanism only during its movement in one direction and not during the return or retrieving movement.

One or more illuminating lamps 59 of the photo-flood type are mounted at the side of the camera 45 so as to project the necessary amount of light on the registers and clock at times when the camera is being operated to photograph these elements.

The camera and photo-flood lamps are controlled by means hereinafter described so as to take a plurality of photographs of the registers and clock at predetermined intervals of time.

The operating electro-magnets of the ticket totalizing registers 35, 31 and 39 are shown schematically at El, 63 and 65, respectively, in diagrammatic Figure 11. Each ticket register electromagnet is controlled by a separate switch 61 associated with a part of the corresponding one of the ticket ejecting mechanisms of the ticket machine. Referring to Fig. 13, which shows part of one of the ticket ejecting mechanisms, one of the switches 61 is shown associated with the ticket ejecting sprocket 69. The switch is mounted on an insulating base H and comprises a stationary contact 13, and a cooperating movable contact 15 mounted on the intermediate portion of a leaf spring arm 1'! which is pivotally mounted at one end on the base H by means of a pivot pin 79. The contact arm 11 is biased to a contact open position by a spring 81 connected to the arm and anchored to the base. In its normal open position the contact arm rests against a stop 83. The free end of the contact arm El has an insulating block 78 secured thereto, the end of which is disposed in the path of movement of the arms of the sprocket 69. Each time the sprocket moves during a ticket ejecting operation one of the sprocket arms wipes by the end of the contact arm 11, thereby momentarily closing the contacts I3 and 15 of the switch 61. Closure of the switch 61 completes a circuit for energizing the corresponding ticket register electromagnet to effect a single actuation of the ticket register.

The actuating electromagnet of the ticket stub register it is shown schematically at B5, and this electromagnet is adapted to be energized to effect operation of the register 4| each time a ticket stub is deposited in the ticket stub receiving device.

The ticket stub receiving device is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and comprises a housing 81, in the top Hil of which is provided a slot 89 for receiving ticket stubs deposited in the receiver by an attendant.

In order to efiect operation of the ticket stub register electromagnet 85 each time a ticket stub is deposited in the receiver, the circuit of the electromagnet 65 for the register II is arranged to be controlled by an electric relay 9I (Fig. 11) which is in turn controlled by a photoelectric cell 93 on which a beam of light is projected through a condenser lens unit 95 by an exciter lamp 91.

The photoelectric cell 93, condenser lens unit 95 and exciter lamp 91 are mounted on the upper end plate 99 of the receiver housing beneath the dome-shaped top IOI, with the photo-electric cell and the exciter lamp and lens arranged on opposite sides of a tube I03 through which the ticket stubs fall into the hopper Within the receiver. The tube I03 is provided with a small opening I04 (Fig. 10) through which the light beam is projected on the photoelectric cell.

The photoelectric cell 93 is electrically coupled through a standard amplifier unit I to the coil of the relay 9I as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 11. The line terminals of the amplifier are connected to the 110 volt alternating current supply lines I01--I09. The low voltage exciter lamp 91 is preferably energized from the above mentioned supply lines through a voltage reducing transformer III. The amplifier unit I05 may be mounted in the lower portion of the receiver housing 81, as shown in Fig. 3.

As long as the light beam from the exciter lamp falls on the photoelectric cell, the relay 9I remains energized and holds its contacts open. Each time a ticket stub falls through the tube I03, the light beam is intercepted by the passage of the ticket stub across the opening I04, whereupon the flow of current to the relay coil is momentarily interrupted, thereby causing the relay 9I to be momentarily deenergized and close its contacts to complete the energizing circuit for the electromagnet 85 of the ticket stub register 4!. In this manner the ticket stub register is operated each time a ticket stub is deposited in the receiver, so that the register visibly indicates at all times the total number of ticket stubs that have been deposited.

The ticket stub receiver 81 (Figs. 3 and 4) has a plural section hopper II5 rotatably mounted therein for receiving the ticket stubs. The hopper comprises a cylindrical rack consisting of a tube I I1 having a cylindrical pan II9 secured to the lower end thereof and a plurality of radially extending partitions I2I which form compartments for receiving removable hopper sections. The tube H1 and pan H9 are rigidly secured to a central shaft I23 which is rotatably mounted at its upper and lower ends in bearings I25 and I21. Removably mounted in the compartments on the rack are a plurality of segment-shaped hopper sections or containers I29. The hopper sections or containers I29 are closed at their lower ends and open at the top, and these sections are retained in mounted position on the pan II9 by the peripheral flange of the pan. A resilient ring or wire clamp I3I is slipped over and around the upper ends of the hopper sections I29 to hold I them in mounted position.

: partly rotated by steps at timed intervals to successively position the hopper sections beneath the ticket stub slot and tube so that the ticket stubs are collected for one interval of time in one of the hopper sections I29 and during the following intervals of time they are collected sucessively in the other hopper sections. At the end of the day the hopper sections are removed and their contents emptied and sacked separately for examination along with the photographic records of the registers. Any large difference between the proper sequence of numbers printed on the ticket stubs and those shown on the photographic record of the registers, which are the same numbers as the ticket stubs, will show definitely that there has been dishonesty on the part of the employees charged with the sale and collection of tickets.

Step by step periodic rotation of the hopper H5 is eifected by an electromagnetic actuating device indicated generally at I35 (Figs. 3 and 5). Rigidly secured on the lower end of the shaft I23 is a ratchet disc I31, the teeth of which are adapted to be engaged by a spring biased retaining means comprising a roller I39 carried by a rod I4I which is slidably supported in a tubular support I43 which is mounted on the plate I45 in the housing. The plate I45 forms the mounting support for the shaft I 23 and hopper II5. A spring I41 biases the rod and roller I39 into engagement with the teeth of the ratchet so as to hold the hopper against rotation during the intervals when the electromagnet is deenergized. The roller also functions to limit movement of the ratchet to one step at a time and to eliminate any back movement and any over travel of the ratchet and hopper.

The electromagnetic actuating means I35 for periodically imparting step by step rotation of the ratchet I31 and hopper II5. comprises a. solenoid having a stationary laminated magnetic core structure I5I and a cooperating movable plunger I53 of magnetic material slidably mounted centrally within the core structure. An energizing winding I55 is disposed within the open frame core structure and surrounds the plunger. Attached to one end of "the plunger are a pair of spaced extending arms I51 (Figs. 3 and 5), the free ends of which carry a cross pin I59 adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet I31.

The entire solenoid assembly is mounted for limited pivotal movement on a circular base plate I5I (Figs. 5 and 6) so that the solenoid assembly may pivot a limited amount as the plunger is moved axially to advance the ratchet I31 and hopper II5. This is necessary because the cross pin I59 must move in an arcuate path as the ratchet is moved by the solenoid. Referring to Fig. 6, the mounting plate I6I has a pair of studs I63 projecting upwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the center of the plate. A cylindrical plate I55 is rotatably mounted on the base plate I6i by means of pivot screw I 61 which screws into a central opening in the base plate. The rotatable plate I 65 has a pair of arcuate slots therein thru which the stop studs I93 extend to limit rotation of the plate. The plate I65 is also provided with a pair of short projecting studs I69. A pair of helical tension springs I1I connect the studs I69 to the studs I83 so as to bias the rotatable plate and solenoid assembly to the normal inactive position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The solenoid assembly comprising the core structure is mounted on the rotatable plate I65 by means of a plurality of screws I13.

aissaesz When the solenoid is-energized the plunger is projected thereby and the cross pin I59 advances the ratchet wheel I31 one step, thereby advancing the hopper II to present a new section I29 beneath the ticket slot. During this movement the solenoid assembly pivots slightly on the pivot screw I61. When the solenoid is deenergized a spring (not shown) retrieves the plunger. During retrieving the cross pin I59 slides over the teeth of the ratchet and the solenoid assembly pivots to permit this movement.

The solenoid is adapted to be momentarily energized at predetermined intervals of time, for example, every half hour, by the switch I81 operated by the disc I19. in order to advance the I hopper I I5.

Referring now to Fig. 11, energization of the photo-flood lamps 59, the camera electromagnet 53 and the hopper actuating solenoid I35 is controlled automatically by a timing mechanism shown schematically at I15 comprising a clock motor H! which drives three switch actuating timing discs I19, I 8i and I93. The clock motor is preferably an electrically operated motor which is energized from the 60 cycle A. C. supply lines I91--l89, and this thru suitable reduction gears drives a shaft I85 on which the timing discs are adjustably mounted.

The timing disc I19 controls a switch I8? which is connected in series in the energizing circuit I89 of the hopper actuating solenoid I35. The shaft I85 is driven at a predetermined speed by the clock motor, for example, at a speed such that each of the timing discs makes one complete revolution every thirty minutes. As shown in Fig. 9, the disc I19 hasa single notch I9I formed in its periphery, and the extending spring arm of the switch I81 (Fig. 11) engages the edge of the disc and is arranged so that the contacts are normally held open by the disc except when the spring arm drops down into the notch. When this occurs the contacts of the switch I81 close and efiect energization of the hopper solenoid I35. Thusevery half hour the solenoid I35 is energized momentarily to cause a single advance movement of the rotatable hopper I I5.

The timing disc I83 cooperates with a switch I 93 which is connected in series in the energizing circuit I95 of the electromagnet 53 which effects operation of the camera 45. The extending spring arm of the switch I93 engages the peripheral edge of the disc I83 and is normally held open by the disc. As shown in Fig. 8, the disc I83 is provided with a series of spaced notches I91 in the peripheral edge so as to permit closing of the switch each time the spring arm drops into any of the notches. This causes the electromagnet 53 to be periodically energized to effect operation of the camera at predetermined time intervals. The notches I91 are preferably such that the switch I93 is closed to effect operation of the camera at relatively short intervals of time, for example, every five minutes, altho the intervals could, of course, be longer or shorter, if desired.

The disc I8I (Fig. 7) has associated therewith a switch I93 which is electrically connected in series in the energizing circuit 29I of the photoflood lamps 59. The extending spring arm of this switch engages the peripheral edge of the disc and the switch is normally held open except when the switch arm drops into any of the series of notches 293 formed in the edge of the disc, whereupon the switch closes momentarily to cause -illumi-nation of the photo-flood lamps. The disc I8I has the same number of notches as the camera controlling disc I83 and are substantially located in the same position as the notches of the camera disc so that the photo-flood lamps will be illuminated during each time the camera shutter is operated. The notches 203, however, are somewhat longer than the notches in the camera disc so that the flood-lamps will be on a short time and before and after the camera shutter is operated.

The circuit I95 for the camera electromagnet 53 is connected thru the switch I33 to the supply line I93 and the other terminal of this electromagnet is connected thru a common return conductor 291 to the other supply conductor I91. Similarly, the circuit conductor 29I for the floodlamps 59 is connected thru the switch I99 to conductor I99,- the other terminals of the lamps being connected to the line I91 thru the conductor 291. One terminal of the hopper solenoid is connected to the line I91 and its other terminal is connected thru conductor I89 and switch I91 to the supply line I99.

Each of the ticket register electromagnets BI, 53 and 55 has one terminal connected to the supply conductor I91 by conductor 291. The other terminal of each of these electromagnets is connected thru a corresponding one of the ticket ejecting mechanism switches 61 and conductor 299 to the supply line I99.

A circuit 2H for energizing the ticket stub register electromagnet extends thru the normally open contacts of the relay 9i to the supply line I99, the other terminal of the electromagnet being connected thru the conductor 291 to the supply line I91.

Th operation of the apparatus is briefly as follows: Assuming that the main control switch 2 I 5 is closed, the photoelectric cell 93 and exciter lamp 91 will be energized and the clock motor I11 operated to drive the timing discs I19, ISI and I83. Each time a ticket 23, 25 or 21 is ejected by the ticket machine (Figs. 1 and 2), the corresponding switch 81 will close momentarily and effect operation of the corresponding ticket register electromagnet GI, 53 or 65 and hence the ticket register 35, 31 or 39. Each time a ticket stub is deposited in the receiver 81 (Figs. 3 and 4) the light beam projected on the photoelectric cell 93 is interrupted, thereby causing the relay 9| to momentarily close its contacts and effect an operation of the ticket stub register electromagnet 85 and actuation of the ticket stub register 4 I Every five minutes the timing discs I8! and I83 will cause momentary closure of the switches I99 and I93, thereby causing the photo-flood lamps 59 and the camera operating electromagnet 53 to be energized so that a photographic record is taken of the time clock 43 and the ticket registers 35, 31, 39 and ticket stub register 4|.

Every thirty minutes the timing disc I19 causes momentary closure of the switch I81 to efiect momentary energization of the hopper actuating solenoid I35, thereby causing a new hopper section I29 to be moved under the ticket stub slot.

At the end of the day the film records are removed and the hopper sections removed and the contents thereof sacked separately for comparison and checking.

Any large discrepancies between the numbers printed on the tickets in the various hopper sections when compared with the photographic records of the registers will indicate that there may have been dishonesty on the part of the employees charged with the sale and collection of tickets. The records also provide a comprehensive record of the sales and attendance at any given time or for any given periods of time.

In accordance with a modification of the invention, the ticket registers, ticket stub register, clock, camera and photo-flood lamps may be mounted in a cabinet at a location remote from the ticket machine and booth, for example, the manager's ofiice, as shown schematically in Fig. 12. The above mentioned elements in this modification are identified by the same reference characters with a prime mark added as the corresponding elements shown in the original embodiment. The cabinet for housing the registers, clock, lamps and camera is indicated by the reference numeral 225. The cabinet has a hinged door 22'! to provide access to the elements. The structure, mode of operation and electrical connections for the elements in this modification are identical to those of the original embodiment.

While the invention has been disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the structural details thereof and in the combinations and arrangement of elements without departing from some of the essential features of the invention. It is desired, therefore, that the appended claim be given as reasonably broad interpretation as its language will permit.

What is claimed is:

In an article counting system, an article receiving device having a rotatable receptacle, comprising a base plate concentric to the device, a plate rotatably mounted on said base plate having at least one elongated slot therein and an anchor projection for a biasing spring, a projection fixed to said base plate and extending thru said slot, a helical biasing spring having its ends connected to said projections, an electric solenoid mounted on said rotatably mounted plate having a movable core provided with means for engaging and moving in a step-by-step manner and successively stopping said rotatable receptacle :1 determined distance for article reception thereby. L

TRUEMAN T. REMBUSCH. HARRIS P. WOLFBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 486,399 Garnett et a1. Nov. 15, 1892 1,380,929 Ruebsamen June '7, 1921 1,403,767 Golf Jan. 17, 1922 1,513,299 Volkers Oct. 28, 1924 2,142,490 Budd Jan. 3, 1939

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