Bell Punch Ultimate Fare System 5 way Transport Liverpool Bus Ticket Machine In Its Original Metal Carry Case

On offer today is a Bell Punch Ultimate Fare System 5 way Transport Liverpool Bus Ticket Machine In Its Original Metal Carry Case. Made in London by the Bell Punch Company Limited, founded in 1878.

It comes with five Merseyside Transport Ltd Bell Punch ticket rolls, issued post-decimalisation in 1971. They have been partially used but are vibrant and intact in denominations of 6p, 9p, 10p, 15p and 40p. 

The ticket machine is in fairly good cosmetic and working condition, with some surface scratches/blemishes commensurate with age and use. The metal square carry box, with the 'clipper number' 534, has a few more bashes, bumps and scratches as you might expect from a working case.

Approximate Size (WHD)

• Ticket Machine: 22 x 16 x 10cm
• Metal Carry Case: 28 x 11.4 x 27 cm excluding the metal handle

Some machines were supplied with an all over hammered paint finish whereas others had a painted top plate but unpainted aluminium body.  This is one of the latter and is quite striking and handsome, (and pretty heavy).

These ticket machines were used by many bus / tram / ferry services, and even car parks or deckchair attendants, and were the mainstay of ticket machines from the late 1950s until the late 1980s.   

Mode of Use:

The 5-way machine was capable of issuing 10 denominations; 5 as single and 5 as double. The double tickets were issued by holding in the small button as the lever is pressed to push out the ticket. 

A double ticket is distinguished from two single tickets by having the fare stage printed on the top ticket only. The fare stage is set using the knob on the side of the machine. This can be pulled out or pushed in to select one of the three positions to print the fare stage on the ticket. In the examples here they are single, child and return.

Ticket records are taken from the numbers on the tickets rather than from the machine counters.  On this machine, (LH front view), the end counter is used to count the total tickets issued and indexes 1 digit when any of the other ticket levers are depressed whereas the ticket lever counters do not index.  Using the double ticket button, the end counter indexes by two digits and the pressed ticket lever counter indexes by one digit.

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