HODSDON'S PATENT TOTALISATOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 53

HODSDON'S PATENT TOTALISATOR.

The following description of Hodsdon's patent totalisator, by "Ribbloden," of the Austfalasian, may prove interesting. ''Ribbleden" witnessed the machine at work during the recent Queensland race meeting. The machine can issue 600 tickets a minute, and, says "Ribbledcn," it is as great an advancement upon the ordinary tote as the linotype is upon the man with the ijticfc and rule which it has superseded. In the perfecting of his invention Mr Hpdsclon hascalled in the aid of gravitation, in addition, to both automatic machinery and electricity. Considering its intricacy,- the amount of manual labour exercised is extremely small. The operator merely turns a handle ; the machine does the rest. To the right and left of each pigeon-hole (or ticket window) are vertical columns of tickets stacked in tin compartments (exactly like the tickets in a railway booking otiice), each compartment being numbered and containing the particular coloured ticket (about l£in by £:n by l-16in), with the numbers corresponding, and having at the bottom a small crank handle. Over the heads of the operators, and running the whole length of the pigeonholes, is a sort of staging, carrying magazines full of brass marbles, kept filled by a man wlic walks round, taking care that the Supply docs not run short. These marbles are in grooves on an inclined plane, each of which leads to a separate copper pipe, having at the lower end a slip of metal, connected with the crank bundle, and blocking further progress. When the handle is turned, however, the way is opened, and as the ticket falls out on to the table one marble drops through, and travels down another pipe, along a grooved ineliije of wood, and drops on to a cog-wheel, the ratchet cf which stops further progi'e&s for "in instant. In that instant, however, the olectricil and automatic machinery is set in motion. So far, the Eatable has travelled niamly under the o&a*

trol of gra7itatioH, just as the "change balls" travel in a large, retail shop. When it reaches the "scoring board" at the end of the totalisator house, the intricate part of tlie evolutions begin. The ratchet wheel upon 'which the marble is caught is at one end of an iron axle, carrying on the other a large-toothed wheel, exactly like the sprocket wheel of a bicycle. Round the large sprocket wheel runs what looks like an. endless bicycle chain. This chaiD runs upward close to the outside wall, and at the top of it? ellipse passes round another sprocket wheel connected with the numbering i&eebanism. There are three discs, each v.'itb a dial of numbers from 1 to 10. These act and react on one another aa they register the number of tickets issued. Each of the upper sprocket wheels — and there is, of course, one for each "window" on the scoring board — has a drum on its axle, round which is a wire rope running thence through pulleys, and having at its other end a heavy weight. Thk rope, before the totalisator is_jopened for betting, is wound up tightly on its drum, and the machine is ready for action. As soon as the marble touches the ratchet wheel at one end of its copper pipe, it completes an electrical circuit. The current travels front the dynamo along the iron, axle to a magnet. The charging of this magnet attractß a flat piece of iron lying along the top of its two coils, and the movement releases a trigger, leaving the lower sprocket wheel and its attachments of endless chain, etc., free. The weight on the upper sprocket drags it round one tooth, the numbering mechanism registering one more at the game time, and the chain carries that motive power down to the lower wheel The latter, with its axle, goes through thr* eame_ part of a revolution, the ratchet wheel holding the marble moves a trifle, the marble drops through, and the circuit is broken. The marble, again under the intlueiice of gravitation, runs into mother copper pipe along another inclined groove, drops upon another ratchet wheel, acts in motion a similar mechanism as has been described, the electrical" force is again aalled into requisition, the. addition of one is registered on the grand total, and the marble, its journey done, falls into a box, to be conveyed back to- the magazine, to go through the same operation on anoth*er occasion. Theadvantages of the Hodsdon invention over the ordinary totalisator are many, and, I might say, remarkable. Foi instance, if a backer wishes to back a certain horse on other "totes" he has to go to a certain window to make his investments. But with Hocisdon'a patent a. backer can bock any horse he likes a* arty window ! That is, ight backers can back the same horse at eight different* places simultaneoiisly (those two sentences ought to be italicised, emphasised), so that no matter how a favourite may be rushed, the- backers can always be accommodated without crushing or inconvenience. Then, again, if % backer on some totes wants to- know what odds the horse he desire? to back is likely to pay, he has to go the round of the various windows and make a laborious calculation before he can obtain the required information. He has to add up the amounts on the several horses. There is nothing of that sort at Eagle Farm. All that the backer has -o do is to observe the number of tickets on his fancy, and divide the grand total by it — a very simple tU'ithmetical exercise. Another advantage — and a grea 4 - advantage tills — is that all the betting is done secretly. Indeed, the backpr may be likened to a tradesman who doe* not advertise, or a~an kissing a pretty girl in the dark — he knows what he's doing, but nobody else does. In reality, it is a "blind totalisator." While the tickets are issued at the side of the house, the numbers are put up on the scoring-board "round the corner," at the end of the house, beyond the ken of the investors. Again,, there in no necessity to consult the race card, or book, for the number of the horse you wish to back. The index facing the investor contains not only the number but the name of the horse. The number is in gold, with the name printed in black underneath. AH you have to do is to ask for the gilt number, and, in the words of the immortal Glenfield, see that you get it. The machine, which was thought out and put together in less than 12 months, is patented in. every part of the world, and is floated into a company. The Queensland Turf Club takes 10 per cent, of the receipts, besides all fractions, and pays Mr Hodsdon 2 per cent, for working the machine, which, when in full swing, employs 16 persons. The grand total is a great convenience in making calculations, »nd the dividend is declared in less than a minute. There is not a spring in the whole machine : hence it is not liable to get out of order. Even if it does sret out of order, it can be aasily and quickly repaired, the numbers being, worked eepaxatelv and inderendentV of each other. ATready thero are five machines in use — at Kaglp Farm, Albion Park. Wooloongabba, Rockhampton, and Ipswich, with many inquiries from other ■foarts of Australia. Tlie invention does- Mr Hodsdon immense credit, and, as ite fame spreads, lie will, I doubt not. receive the reward his genius and- enterprise merit.