PUSHBUTTON TAMPER PROOF TAXI-METER

• US 3,809,312 A
• Filed: 05/23/1973
• Issued: 05/07/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: M&FC Holding, LLC (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dennis R. Hammerle, Edward C. Warrick, Leo M. Walch Jr
• Inventors: Warrick, Edward C., Walch, Leo M. Jr., Hammerle, Dennis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tomsky, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US05/363,131
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 235/3R,3A,45
• US Class Current: 235/30.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 13/00 Taximeters measuring distance travelled G01C; measuring time G04

Abstract

A taximeter in which the metering apparatus and a control circuit for the metering apparatus are enclosed in a tamperproof housing, in which the control circuit is switch operated to selectively condition the metering apparatus to prevent and provide for the registration of a fare, in which tampering with circuit connections between the taxicab'"'"''"'"'s battery and the control circuit and/or with circuit connections between one or more optional passenger detecting switch devices and the control circuit causes a shutter to conceal one or more of the taximeter'"'"''"'"'s registers, in which the passenger detecting switch devices are effective, upon detecting the presence of a passenger, to render the control circuit effective to place the metering apparatus in a hired condition for registering a fare in the event that the driver fails to initiate operation of the meter upon accepting a passenger, in which the control circuit is switch operated for each hired setting to enable the driver to incrementally dispense a preset amount of free waiting time which is not charged to the passenger when the taxicab is held up by traffic or other conditions, and in which the clock or time drive of the meter is utilized to time the free waiting time period.

Claims

1. In a taximeter, first means having a plurality of registers and an electrical switch-operated control circuit for selectively preventing and providing for the registration of a fare, a housing enclosing said first means, second means including electrical conductor means extending exteriorly of said housing for connecting said control circuit to an electrical current source, and third means enclosed by said housing and rendered effective upon disruption of the connection provided by said conductor means to conceal at least one of said registers, said third means, upon effecting the concealment of said one of said registers, being manually restorable to a register-exposing condition only by entry into said housing.

2. The taximeter defined in claim 1 comprising means for rendering said housing tamperproof.

3. The taximeter defined in claim 1 comprising means disposed exteriorly of said housing for detecting the presence of a passenger in a vehicle equipped with said taximeter, means connecting said passenger detecting means to said control circuit and including electrical conductors extending exteriorly of said housing, said passenger detecting means being effective to condition said first means to provide for the registration of a fare following the detection of the presence of a passenger, and said second means being rendered effective upon disruption of one or more of the circuit connections provided by at least one of said conductors to conceal said one of said registers.

4. The taximeter defined in claim 3 comprising means for rendering said housing tamperproof.

5. The taximeter defined in claim 1 wherein said one of said registers is a mileage-indicating register and wherein another of said plurality of registers provides for the registration of the fare.

6. The taximeter defined in claim 1 wherein said third means comprising a shutter movable between a first position where it exposes said one of said registers and a second position where it conceals said one of said registers, and electrically operated means effective when energized to maintain said shutter in said first position, said electrically operated means being energized by current flow through said conductor means and being effective upon deenergization to enable said shutter to move from said first position to said second position.

7. The taximeter defined in claim 6 comprising a latCh assembly enclosed by said housing and being selectively conditionable to cooperate with said electrically operated means for releasably holding said shutter in said first position when said electrically operated means is deenergized, and means effective upon conditioning said first means to register a fare to release said latch assembly, said shutter being maintained in said first position upon release of said latch assembly only by energization of said electrically operated means.

8. In a taximeter, first means having a plurality of registers and an electrical control circuit for selectively preventing and providing for the registration of a fare, a housing enclosing said first means, second means disposed exteriorly of said housing for detecting the presence of a passenger in a vehicle equipped with said first means, third means connecting said passenger detecting means to said control circuit and including at least one electrical conductor extending exteriorly of said housing, said second means being effective following the detection of a passenger to condition said first means for registering a fare, and fourth means enclosed by said housing and effective upon disruption of the connection provided by said at least one conductor to conceal at least one of said registers, said fourth means, upon effecting the concealment of said one of said registers, being manually restorable to a register-exposing condition only by detectable entry into said housing.

9. In a taximeter, means having at least first and second registers and selectively actuatable switch means for selectively preventing and providing for registration of a fare on said first register, a shutter for at least one of said registers, said shutter being movable between a first position where it exposes said one of said register and a second position where it conceals said one of said registers, a solenoid latch assembly having a solenoid for maintaining said shutter in said first position when said solenoid is energized and being effective upon deenergization of said solenoid to enable said shutter to move from said first position to said second position, and means for maintaining said solenoid energized independently of actuation of said switch means, said assembly having means for unlatching said solenoid from said shutter upon deenergization of said solenoid to prevent said shutter from being moved from said second position to said first position upon reenergization of said solenoid.

10. In a taximeter, an apparatus having a plurality of registers and effective to prevent the registration of a fare when in a for hire condition and to provide for the registration of a fare when in a hired condition, an electrical control circuit associated with said apparatus and having selectively actuatable switch means for selectively placing said apparatus in said for hire and hired conditions, a shutter for at least one of said registers, said shutter being movable between a first position where it exposes said one of said register and a second position where it conceals said one of said registers, holding means including an electrically operated device for maintaining said shutter in said first position when said electrically operated device is energized, said holding means being effective upon deenergization of said electrically operated device to enable said shutter to move from said first position to said second position, and means adapted to connect said electrically operated device to an electrical current source for maintaining said electrically operated device energized regardless of the condition in which said apparatus is placed by actuation of said switch means and independently of the actuation of said switch means.

11. The taximeter defined in claim 10 wherein said holding means further includes a manually resettable means which upon deenergization of said electrically operated device requires manual resetting before said holding means can be restored to a condition for maintaining said shutter iN said first position, said taximeter further comprising a housing enclosing said apparatus, said control circuit, said shutter and said holding means, and said manually resettable means being accessible for resetting only by detectable entry into said housing.

12. The taximeter defined in claim 10 wherein said means for maintaining said electrically operated device energized comprises a first circuit, said taximeter further comprising a second circuit for detecting the presence of a passenger in a vehicle that is equipped with said apparatus and for rendering said control circuit effective following the detection of a passenger to place said apparatus in its hired condition, said first and second circuits having a common portion which when interrupted is effective to deenergize said electrically operated device.

13. In a taximeter, an apparatus having first registers providing information other than fare and a fare recording register, said apparatus being effective to prevent the registration of a fare when in a for hire condition and to provide for the registration of a fare on said fare register when in a hired condition, an electrical control circuit associated with said apparatus and having selectively actuatable switch means for selectively placing said apparatus in said for hire and hired conditions, a shutter for at least one of said first registers, said shutter being movable between a first position where it exposes said one of said first register and a second position where it conceals said one of said first registers, a solenoid, means releasably connecting said solenoid to said shutter to render said solenoid effective to maintain said shutter in said first position when said solenoid is energized, said connecting means being effective to release said shutter from said solenoid upon deenergization of said solenoid, and said shutter being effective upon being released to move from said first position to said second position, the release of said shutter from said solenoid upon deenergization of said solenoid rendering said solenoid ineffective to restore said shutter to said first position, a tamperproof housing enclosing said apparatus, said shutter, said solenoid, said control circuit and said connecting means, and ungrounded conductor means extending exteriorly of said house to provide for the electrical connection of said control circuit and said solenoid to an exterior electrical current source, said conductor means providing for the supply of energizing current to both said solenoid and said control circuit, the interruption or grounding of said conductor means being effective to deenergize said solenoid.

14. A taximeter for use with a vehicle and comprising a fare recording register, a time drive effective to drive said register at a pre-selected rate during periods when the vehicle is stopped, and means for selectively preventing said time drive from driving said register for only a preset time period that is timed by said time drive.

15. A taximeter for use with a vehicle and comprising a register for recording fares, first means for advancing said register in accordance with mileage travelled by said vehicle, second means effective when said vehicle is stopped to advance said register at a pre-selected rate, and third means for rendering said second means ineffective to advance said register for only a timed, pre-selected period of time for each fare.

16. In a taximeter having selectable operative and inoperative meter registering conditions, fare indicating means, time responsive means, mileage responsive means, said time responsive means and said mileage responsive means being effective to operate said fare indicating means during the operative meter registering condition to provide for the registration of a fare, and means for selectively preventing only said time responsive means from operating said fare indicating means during registration of a fare for only a preselected period of time.

17. In a taximeter, a register for recording fares, first means including time and mileage drives for said register, second means for selectively placing said first means in a fare-registering condition in which said time and mileage drives are effective to operate said register, and third means cooperating with said second means for selectively preventing said time drive, but not said mileage drive, from operating said register during the registration of a fare for only a pre-selected period of time that is timed by said time drive, said third means being rendered ineffective upon expiration of said time period during registration of a given fare to prevent said time drive from operating said register.

18. In a taximeter, a register for recording fares, first means including mileage and time drives for said register, control means for said first means, said control means being selectively actuatable to render said time and mileage drives effective to operate said register, said time drive including a motor and a gear train, said gear train being shiftable between first and second positions by selective actuation of said control means, said gear train being effective upon being shifted to said first position to operatively connect said motor to said register, and said gear train being effective upon being shifted to said second position to operatively disconnect said motor from said register, a solenoid under the control of said control means and being energized by selectively actuating of said control means to shift said gear train to a third position during the registration of a fare, said motor being operatively disconnected from said register when said gear train is in said third position, and means operatively connected to said motor by said gear train when said gear train is in said third position for effecting deenergization of said solenoid upon the expiration of a pre-selected period of time and for preventing reenergization of said solenoid upon subsequent actuation of said control means for a given fare, and said gear train being effective upon the deenergization of said solenoid to return to said first position for again rendering said time drive effective to operate said register.

19. In a taximeter, a fare recording register, drive means effective to operate said register upon being operatively connected to said register, a cam shaft assembly, a motor for rotating said cam shaft assembly, control means for selectively energizing said motor to provide for rotation of said cam shaft assembly from a first position to a second position, first cam means forming a part of said assembly for operatively disconnecting said drive means from said register when said assembly is in said first position and for operatively connecting said drive means to said register when said assembly is in said second position, said control means including a selectively actuatable switch for completing a first energizing circuit for said motor, second cam means forming a part of said assembly, switch means forming a part of said control means and cooperating with said second cam means (a) to complete a holding circuit for maintaining said motor energized upon initial rotation of said assembly from said first position toward said second position, (b) to interrupt said first energizing circuit upon completing said holding circuit, and (c) to interrupt said holding circuit when said assembly reaches said second position to thereby deenergize said motor for stopping said assembly at said second position and preventing reenergization of said motor except by reactuation of said switch.