AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR KEEPING A RECORD OF BILLS, RECEIPTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ROBERT BARLOW of Norfolk House, Albion Road, Dalston in the County of
Middlesex, Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR KEEPING A RECORD OF BILLS, RECEIPTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to enable a copy or record of any document to be
mechanically made and filed for subsequent reference; and this I effect by means
of a mechanical Recorder as follows;—
It is customary in making out bills in warehouses, shops, etc, to use a sheet of
prepared carbonised material between two sheets of paper so that when the bill is
written out on the upper sheet a copy is simultaneously produced on the lower
sheet. In carrying out my method the sheet of copying material which I interpose
is prepared on both sides so that in addition to the ordinary duplicate of the bill
I obtain a reverse impression on the back of the bill itself. This reverse impression
is, in its turn, capable of producing a second copy or duplicate of the bill when
subjected to pressure against another sheet of paper. For this purpose I provide
a suitable pad beneath an opening in a closed box or frame, and by means of rollers
from and on which a ribbon or sheet of paper is respectively unwound and wound
I cause the said ribbon or sheet to travel over the surface of the pad. The motion
is preferably caused by means of a lever stamp pivoted on the axis of one of the
actuating rollers and provided with a pawl which engages in a ratchet wheel fixed
to the end of the roller in such a way that when the lever is raised the portion of
the ribbon or paper previously exposed is wound on the receiving roller inside the
box or frame and a fresh surface is exposed to the action of the stamp. The roiler
is retained in position by a second pawl fixed to the box or frame-work of the
apparatus, and no motion of revolution in a reverse direction can therefore take
place when the lever and its attached pawl descend.
The receiving sheet, when desired, I rule with cash columns and I so adjust the
apparatus that each bill, cheque or other document when brought to my Recorder
to be dated stamped or marked prints off its amount and the initials of the clerk
by whom it is issued or any other particulars in columnar order with the preceding

page_text: and succeeding records. My Recorder may thus be made to act as an Automatic
Cash-book or Register continuously posted with mechanical accuracy; and the
receiving sheet or ribbon when withdrawn from the apparatus may serve as the
formal record of the business transacted.
I may place a window in any convenient part of the box or frame so that the
last record at any time may be inspected and the efficient action of the apparatus
and due copying of the amounts may be thereby indicated. A damping reel or
sponge may also be added so that the receiving paper may, if desired, be damped
previously to receiving the impression from the document to be copied.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, ROBERT BARLOW of Norfolk House, Albion Road, Dalston in the County of
Middlesex Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR KEEPING A RECORD OF BILLS, RECEIPTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of my invention is to enable a copy or record of any document to be
mechanically made and filed for subsequent reference and this I effect by means of a
mechanical Recorder as follows:-
It is customary in making out bills in warehouses, shops, etc. to use a sheet of
prepared carbonised material between two sheets of paper so that when the bill is
written out on the upper sheet a copy is simultaneously produced on the lower
sheet. In carrying out my method the sheet of copying material which I interpose
is prepared on both sides so that in addition to the ordinary duplicate of the bill
I obtain a reverse impression on the back of the bill itself. This reverse impression'
is in its turn capable of producing a second copy or duplicate of the bill when
subjected to pressure against another sheet of paper. For this purpose I provide a
suitable pad beneath an opening in a closed box or frame and by means of rollers
from and on which a ribbon or sheet of paper is respectively unwound and wound
I cause the said ribbon or sheet to travel over the surface of the pad. The motion
is preferably caused by means of a lever stamp pivoted on the axis of one of the
actuating rollers and provided with a pawl which engages in a ratchet wheel fixed
to the end of the roller in such a way that when the lever is raised the portion of
the ribbon or paper previously exposed is wound on the receiving roller inside the
box or frame and a fresh surface is exposed to the action of the stamp. The roller
is retained in position by a second pawl fixed to the box or framework of the
apparatus and no motion of revolution in a reverse direction can therefore take
place when the lever and its attached pawl descend,
The receiving sheet when desired I rule with cash columns and I so adjust the
apparatus that each bill cheque or other document when brought to my Recorder
to be dated stamped or marked prints off its amount and the initials of the clerk by
whom it is issued or any other particulars in columnar order with the preceding
and succeeding records. My Recorder may thus be made to act as an automatio
cash-book or register continuosly posted with mechanical accuracy; and the
receiving sheet or ribbon when withdrawn from the apparatus may serve as the
formal record of the business transacted.
I may place a window in any convenient part of the box or frame so that the
last record may at any time be inspected and the efficient action of the apparatus
and due copying of the amounts may be thereby indicated. A damping roll or
sponge may also be added so that the receiving paper may if desired be damped
previously to receiving the impressions from the documents to be copied.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
-
1. The construction of an apparatus for mechanically keeping a record of bills,
or other documents-substantially as specified shewn and described.
2. The employment of a negative impression on the back of a document as a
means of obtaining a positive copy thereof, substantially as specified shewn and
described. "
Dated this third day of Annil 100%