THE "LIGHTNING" TOTALISATOR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14451, 25 May 1911, Page 6

THE "LIGHTNING" TOTALISATOR.

— : » A SYDNEY INVENTION. . In tlio "Lightning Totalisalor" Messrs Guut antl Ward, of Sydney, have produced n intiehiiic wliicu, tho

."Sun'' says, is liar in advance of any other in use- in Australasia. It is simple, infallible, uud incorruptible.. Tho principle is much the sumo as that of tho linotype in use in all printing establishments. A backer walks up to tho window and asks for a ticket on a particular horse. An operator to-jehos the button corresponding with the nuiijbor of the horse asked fox, and tho more touch nb once produces a. ticket and releases a marble from a reservoir on top of the indicating board, and the wagor is immediately registered to tho amount invested on the horse, and tho total invested on the rape. The man who looks'after the indicator board need know nothing of tho raoo or the horses engaged, and if he did he could not possibly manipulate it. WJicn a ticket is purchased the marble falls into one of a number of tubes, and can be seen by the employee, who touches a small lever and releases the marble. The placo wuerc the tickets are xmrchascd need not be near the indicating board, and, in fact, there can be a number of them all over the ground. Each is supplied with au electrically worked box, which is fitted with discs corresponding with those on the indicating board, and it. is these boxes which issue the tickets to backers on the touch of a button by tho operators. Therefore, there is no necessity to have an excited, struggling crowd in a congested area, because there may bo as many small kiosks as desired on all parts of the course, grand stand, leger, and flat, and wherever a ticket might ho purchased it is registered on the indicating board with the speed of the electric current, wliic.li is the l'fe of tho whole thing. " Therefore the same pri'v* rules sill over the course.

Tlio system of checks is admirable. If one of the Keys in un issuing box gets out of gear, no tickets .011 the corresponding horse can he issued so far as that particular box is concerned, until repair is effected, although other boxes not so deranged roar keep on issuing. Further, there is no chance of a ticket being issued after the field lias started, because the totalisator steward has merely to press a button the instant the barrier rises and the- whole of the lx."xej and indicating board ai'o immedi* atsly locked, That button can be in tlio judge's box, tho starting nest, or official . stand or anywhere. Except the paying out, which may be done at as many windows and in as many places as desired, no business can he transacted until the totalisator steward goes round- and unlocks the boxes for tho commencement of operations on the next race. Besides the central indicating board,-which stands at considerable height fvoui the ground, there may be. auxiliary boards in different parts of .the- course, and each chronicles tho same results. By the employment of moving discs, if a field of, say, twenty, be reduced by the scratching pen to, say, six, the names and numbers of the starters can. be placed on the" board in one line, so that ( the position of tho market may he seen at a glance. The rapidity with which tho machine works can bo seen from the fact that ft can register about 1000 bets a 'minute. If required, £lO and £5 boxes can be supplied for the larger -investors, and the macliino does its Work with the same accuracy, so long as the'amourit invested is the multiple of the price of a single ticket.

The main points of the machine are that it'is worked by the mere pressing of electric keys, that every investment is at once registered for the public infbrnlatmn, thai an official of the club, not at all connected with the operators of the totalisator, has practically full control,' and that every convenience can bo supplied the pubUc, even to the paying out in town next day, if necessary: A machine made for 21 horses is on view at 163 George. Street, and was submitted to severe tests, which it admirably answered. Mr Levcin M.L.A., .who has the Totalisator Bill in hand, was present,' and remarked: "I've just inspected the machines in use in New Zealand, and this is an easy first. There can bo no '-quabbles v.'ith this over Moorilla and AVirilla, as with the books.'?.

••■ The machine is purely a Sjdney invention, and is the result of the experience of Messrs Gaut and Ward. Of course the machine can le built to accommodate a field of any size.