A New and Improved Safety Cash Drawer for Shop Counters.
Year: 1890

page_text: A New and Improved Safety Cash Drawer for Shop Counters.
I, PAUL WESTPHAL, of the Town of Potsdam, near Berlin, Germany, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved
cash drawer.
Figure 2 is a top view with the cover removed and on an enlarged scale.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross section, and
Figure 4 a vertical longitudinal section shewing the side wall of the drawer.
My invention relates to an improved safety cash drawer or till for shop counters,
and consists of a casing A, B, Figure 1. The compartment A contains the drawer or
till a for receiving the cash, the compartment B the control mechanism. A thin
metal or other plate bis countersunk into the cover of the compartment B so as to
leave a slot free, or the plate can be omitted.
The control mechanism consists of two rollers d and e, Figures 2, 3, and 4, which
rest with their journals in the bearings and are connected to each other by the
endless cord 9. A strip of paper runs from the rear roller d to the roller c, where
the same is clamped by a suitable device.
The strip of paper is divided by cross lines into 15 m/m broad divisions or spaces.
On the axis of the front roller is a ratchet wheel k, into the toothing of which a
pawl m attached to the wall of the drawer gears, and which, at each drawing out of
the drawer, will turn the ratchet wheel one tooth, and thus move the roller and also
the strip of paper. The arrangement of the teeth of the ratchet wheel is such
that the strip of paper moved 15 at each operation of the drawer. A small
stop n is applied to the side wall above the pawl so as to prevent the same from
leaving its place. When the drawer is pushed in, the pawl glides over the teeth of
the ratchet wheel.
Under the slot of the cover and beneath the strip of paper is a rising and falling
table i, to the foot of which a lever q.is movably attached and has its fulcrum in the
support r. At the other end of the lever is a nose s, which, when the end of the lever
is depressed, lies against the stop on the side wall of the drawer, and thus prevents
the same from being drawn out. If now the table is depressed, the nose of the lever
will take the position represented in dotted lines in Figure 3, so that the stop can
glide beneath the same in opening the drawer.
A movable arm u is attached to the side wall above the stop t, the inclined surface
of which will on the return movement again press the nose of the lever down in front
of the stop t and prevent the drawer from being drawn out. At the upper end of
the arm is a small stop for preventing the same from moving too far. In drawing
out the drawer the arm will move into the position above the lever nose. In order to
prevent the premature sinking of the table two spring pins wo are arranged at the
feet of the same in a suitable guide, said pins gearing into appropriate recesses
for holding the table in raised position. A sliding weight on the lever serves to
balance the parts. The side walls of the drawer are guided by the guide rails y.
The mechanism operates as follows:-
If the shop assistant has laid the cash received in the drawer and closed the same,
the drawer will be shut. In order to again release the same, the assistant must write
the amount on the strip of paper through the open slot in the lid. Through the
pressure exerted on the table in writing, the nose of the lever is raised and the drawer
released. If, however, the assistant omits to enter the amount received, the drawer
will remain shut and cannot be opened for depositing a second payment until the
foregoing payment has been noted on the strip of paper. In this manner the

page_text: omission of entries for cash receipts, which so often occurs in all kinds of shops
and thus gives the main cause for the irregularities in the cash, is entirely
prevented.
The increased protection against the dishonesty of an assistant therein, that if he
or she has been dishonest; the person cannot make use of the customary excuse of
forgetfulness, as the fact of the drawer remaining shut will at once call the attention
to the missing entry, and also the use of my improved safety cash drawer makes it
more difficult for the assistant to conceal his or her dishonesty.
If, for instance, the assistant were simply to pocket an amount received and not
open the cash drawer at all, this would very soon call the attention of the other
salesmen or owner of the business, but if he or she were to draw the drawer
out as a blind, the assistant would have to make a false entry on the strip of
paper, the cash would not agree with the entries and the falsification would soon be
discovered.
In order to prevent the assistant leaving the drawer or till open, a small stop
can be so applied to the same that a bell will be sounded each time the drawer is
opened. If the bell does not ring it will at once signify that the drawer was not
closed after the insertion of the previous payment. If, however, the assistant were
to depress the table with a pencil or the like without making any entry, the space on
the paper would be moved from under the slot and remain blank, so that in both
cases the principal or manager would have his attention called to the fact that an
irregularity had occurred.
The only possibility now remaining would be for the assistant to retain a part of
the receipts and enter the rest on the paper and put the curtailed amount into the tili,
but this would also be readily detected in the event of any purchaser bringing back
the goods purchased to exchange same, as the entry would have to be referred to
and the falsification would accordingly be made evident. In order to ascertain which
of the assistants is guilty, each assistant can be provided with a pencil of different
color. The paper lengths are of various dimensions for each day, and are carefully
preserved.
My improved safety till is of the very greatest importance and more especially
adapted for shops where no special cashier is employed, the cash being received by
the attendants, although it will be evident that the same can be used to great
advantage even in the largest businesses, as it would prove a great saving of time
when each assistant has his or her own till for the cash received for the goods sold,
and it will also be evident that the construction of the parts can be modified in various
ways without in any way departing from the nature of my invention. If desired,
the drawer or till can be made to close automatically by applying suitable springs.
If a greater length of paper is required, four or more rollers can be employed instead
of two as shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
· 1. A cash drawer or till provided with a strip of paper running over two rollers
and beneath an opening in the counter or table or the lid to the drawer, arranged
so that the drawer or till can only then be opened for depositing money received
when the catch to the same is previously released by depressing a plate or table
on entering the amount received on control strip of paper, substantially as specified
and shown.
2. My improved safety cash drawer or till, substantially as specified in the foregoing
specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
This 10th day of In 1900
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.