The record-union., 1895-06-28
PREVENTS THEFHS.
Wonderful Machine in Operation in
New York.
Keeps Bank Accounts and is an Abso-
lute Check Against Error
or Dishonesty.

y
that more than S25, 900. 900 was embezzled
in this country In 1894 you can see what
it means to banks and big money con-
Germs to be insured against dishonest
paying-telle and receivers.
The Union Dime Savings Bank of this
city has got machine that does it.
An almost human mechanical device of
polished steel and brass, which never
makes mistakes, cannot run away, never
robs, does not have to be bonded, but
does simultaneously and unerringly the
work of bank teller and bookkeeper,
would appear to be an impossi bility, even
in these days Of wonderful inventions,
but sucn machine has been perfected
and Is in daily use. The name OF this
machine is the "Arithmologautotyp
bookkeeping by machinery" is an ap-
propriate name for its processes. 1t is
regarded as infallible in preventing er-
rors, accidental or Intentional, among
bank employees. 1t has been often said
that no device can make a man honest,
but dishonesty can be made mighty dam
gerOus by proper safeguards.
The "Arlthmologautotyp while not
entirely dispensing with the services OF
the regular bank teller, resolves The tel
ler's duties into simple handling OF a
customers passbOOk 10 the machine,
turning crank and handing the book
back to the customer again. The machine
does the rest. With the mechanical tel
Ter any intelligent young man or woman
can do the work as we'll as thefmost eX-
pert bank emplOye.
THE ARITMOLOGAUTOTYPE
The story of the Arithmologautotype is
~ o.
chanical devices brought to material
shape and use. 1t is the creation of Pres
ident Charles Il. Sprague of the Union
Dime Savings Bank OF Thirty second
street and Broadway. The new machine
has had a practical test in that bank and
met all expectations. 1t was taken out
last week 10 allow room for permanent
connections to be put in, and as soon as
these are ready, probably in ten or twelve
days, TWO Arithmologautotyp will be
fixtures in the Union Dime Bank, one at
the receiving and one at the paying tel
ler's window.
The Arithmologautotype was origi-
nally conceived by me years ago as the
basis for what newspaper men would
term fake story" said President
oprague to a JVortd reporter, who saw
him in his Office at the mon Dime Saw
ings Bank last week.
getting away with big lot of money by
altering passbooks and the banks books,
and as l sat thinking about the case /
imagined a contrlvance that would be
proof against such manipulation of ac-
counts. | conceived a machine that
would do all the work of the teller: that
would show at any hour OF the day just
how the bank stood; that would be a
practical and constant balance sheet. OF
.,lt iS v
"At that time l was associate editor of a
fortnightly paper devoted to book-keep-
ing interests, and needing an article for
the next Issue l put my imaginings into
the shape of description OF my myth
ical machine. giving it the name of the
Arithm mologautotype
PERFECTLY FEASIBLE.
1.-THE account was published in our
magazine, and the matter soon passed
from my mind. Some years later friend
OF mine, Leicester Allen, read the story
had written, and remarked to me that it
was pretty good thing. | replied that it
" as pretty good for a 'Iake.' Fake y re-
piled he, There is no fake about it; the
whole idea is feasible, and | could max e
machine just as you have described
that will do the very things you have at
tributed to this onen
"My friend Allen is a fine mechanician
and inventor, and as | was at that time
looking about for some system of pre-
venting mistakes in making entries in
bank books, l told him To go ahead and
make our bank such machine.
Mr.. Allen did so. adding some i'm
provements of his own, and couple OF
weeks ago the perfected machine was
brought into the bank and put to work at
the receiving teller's window. This week
we took it out to ease up some OF the
bearings and to do some work here
which is necessary TO the permanent use
of the machine. While L conceived the
Arilhmologautotype Mr.. Allen is the
inventor Of it.
"Our reason for putting the machine
in our bank is desire 10 have an up-to-
date and ut the same time simple and
correct system OF keeping accounts with
out unnecessarily consuming the time OF
depOsltOrs.
"Our employees, who are long in our
service and perfectly in the confidence OF
! the banks officers, are glad to have the
new machine, as it insureS them against
any clerical errors"
A LOOK AT ITS MECHANISM.
The Arithmologautotype, which the
reporter examined at the bank, consists
of an elaborate mechanism inclosed in a
polished steel box about three feet
square by two deep. On the LETT side OF
this steel box is a steel cylinder Of
about twelve inches diameter, inclosing
series OF wheels, on the tires or edges
of which are the letters of the alphabet
and the numerals.
on the bottom of this cylinder are
I openings through which the letters and
| figures on the wheels appear when the
cylinder is a slide on which the pass
book Is placed, open, SO that when the
slide is pushed in the figures and letters
Oh the wheels within the cylinder Will
make an Impression of the exact amount
! deposited on the page of the book.
The front elevation OF the large steel
! box has a longitudinal opening which
shows the edges OF the tires OF a set 0i
wheels on each OF which are the numer-
opening showing similar set OF wheels.
These openings are just large enough to
show one figure on each wheel.
In front OF the square box, and extend
ing outward at its base, is largo key
board containing l20 keys similar to but
considerably larger than those of th e
ordinary typeWriting machine.
The whole apparatus weighs about SOC
pounds and stands on a steel frame al
about the hight of the average bank
counter. The box is securely lock Ell
with Yale locks, and there is no getting at
the works inside by anyone except the
President or Cashier of the bank, who
have the keys. \ crank on the right
hand side OF the machine is the means by
which it is worked.
THE MACHINE IN OPERATION.
The method OF operation is as follows:
The machine. located AT the receiving
/ teller's window, is set at blank before the
opening OF business each morning. The
opening in front and on the top shows
simply row of ciphers. a customer ap-
| pears 10 deposit, say Sl25 80. The pass
! book, together with the deposit slip ana
the deposit, is handed to the teller. The
latter compares the slip with the items;
/ then places the pass-book open on the
side under the cylinder on the LETT of the
machine. lie quickly presses the proper