The Invention
The patent, US402035A, granted to Arnold Romain of New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 23, 1889, is for an “automatic” passenger or fare-register. The invention is a mechanical system designed to count the number of passengers entering and exiting a vehicle, such as a streetcar, without requiring a conductor to manually operate the device.
Key Features:
- Pressure-Activated Trap: The system is triggered by a trap (C) in the car floor near the door. When a passenger steps on this trap, it depresses, activating the counting mechanism.
- Mechanical Linkage: The trap is connected to a series of levers, a wheel (I), and a cord (K). As the trap is depressed, it pulls the lever, which turns the wheel and winds the cord.
- Tilting Table and Balls: The cord is connected to a weighted, tilting table (O) at the top of the register’s case (B). When the cord is pulled, the table tilts, causing a ball (T) from a hopper to roll down a groove (V) and drop into a chute.
- Visible Counter: The ball then travels through a “zigzag” chute (W) into a glass-faced passage (X), where it is briefly visible to the conductor or passengers. From there, it falls into a final receptacle (a).
- Automatic Reset: When the passenger steps off the trap, a spring returns the trap and lever to their original positions. A weight (R) on the tilting table then pulls the table back to its normal position, ready for the next passenger.
- Operation: Romain states that the system counts a passenger on entry and on exit, so at the end of a trip, “the number of balls in the receiver should be double that of the fares collected.” This provides a simple way to audit the number of passengers who rode the car.
Significance of the Invention and Inventor
Arnold Romain’s passenger register is a great example of an inventor using clever mechanical design to solve a common problem in the emerging field of public transit.
- Solving a Practical Problem: In the 19th century, fare collection on public transit was a major issue. Conductors had to manually count passengers and collect fares, which was prone to human error and dishonesty. Romain’s “automatic” system offered a way to accurately and automatically track passenger numbers, providing a reliable check on revenue.
- Precursor to Automation: While the invention is purely mechanical and would be considered primitive by today’s standards, it is a precursor to modern automated fare collection and passenger counting systems. It demonstrates the early desire to use technology to improve the efficiency and honesty of business operations.
- The “Everyday” Inventor: Arnold Romain, from New Orleans, was likely an individual inventor rather than a major industrialist. His patent is a record of his ingenuity and his attempt to contribute to the growing transportation industry. It shows how the patent system allowed people from all walks of life to propose and protect their ideas, even for seemingly simple devices.
