A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR RECEIVING COMMUNICATIONS, ORDERS, MESSAGES, AND APPOINT- MENTS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Drake, of Huddersfield, in the County of
York, Solicitor, for the Invention of "A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO BE
EMPLOYED FOR RECEIVING COMMUNICATIONS, ORDERS, MESSAGES, AND APPOINT-
MENTS."
Sealed the 27th November 1868, and dated the 28th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Drake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th May 1868.
I, THOMAS DRAKE, of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Solicitor,
.do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A MACHINE OR
APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR RECEIVING COMMUNICATIONS, ORDERS, MESSAGES,
AND APPOINTMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a box in form of a writing desk containing
two rollers or drums, and upon one of which is wound a strip of paper
of any convenient length. An aperture is formed in the lid of the desk

page_text: the width of the strip of paper, so that the paper may pass through it and
over a small table or platform fixed to the bottom part of the box pro-
jecting through the aperture in the lid and even with its surfaces as a
support to the paper, which thence passes and is attached to the other
roller, by the turning of which the strip of paper may be wound off one
roller upon the other, and in passing over the table may be written upon
by different parties in succession, and such writing may be carried
forward out of sight of aftercomers by each party turning the taking-up
roller, which is prevented from being turned back or the wrong way by
a ratchet wheel fixed thereon and a catch taking into it. When
required to be turned back for reading the records or writings thereon
the desk or box being locked when in use must be opened and the catch
taken out of gear with the ratchet wheel, the paper supply roller or
first-named roller may then be turned the reverse way so as to unwind
the strip from the taking-up roller upon the said supply roller.
The object of this Invention is to supply the place- of a clerk by
placing the machine at the door or entrance of an office, warehouse, or
other place of business.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the "conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Drake in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
DRAKE, of Huddersfield, in the County of York, Solicitor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the. Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Drake, Her special
licence that I, the said Thomas Drake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Drake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and 'no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain

page_text: and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A MACHINE OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED FOR RECEIVING COMMUNICATIONS,
ORDERS; MESSAGES, AND APPOINTMENTS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Drake, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar.
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Drake, 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 and accompanying Sheet of Drawings (that is
to say):
This Invention consists of a box in form of a writing desk containing
two rollers or drums, and upon one of which is wound a strip of paper
of any convenient length. An aperture is formed in the lid of the desk
the width of the strip of paper, so that the paper may pass through it
and over a small table or platform fixed to the bottom part of the box
projecting through the aperture in the lid and even with its surfaces as
a support to the paper, which thence passes and is attached to the other
roller, by the turning of which the strip of paper may be wound off one
roller upon the other, and in passing over the table may be written upon
by different parties in succession, and such writing may be carried forward
out of sight of aftercomers by each party turning the taking-up roller,
which is prevented from being turned back or the wrong way by a ratchet
wheel fixed thereon and a catch taking into it. When required to be
turned back for reading the records in writing thereon the desk or box
being locked when in use must be opened and the catch taken out of
gear with the ratchet wheel, and paper supply roller or first-named
roller may then be turned the reverse way so as to unwind the strip
from the taking-up roller upon the said supply roller.
The object of this Invention is to supply the place of a clerk by
placing the machine at the door or entrance of an office, warehouse, or
other place of business.
In order that this Invention may be clearly understood, I herein give
reference to an accompanying Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan or top view of the machine or apparatus, and Fig. 2 is
a vertical section thereof shewing the interior construction and arrange-
ment of the parts.
It will be observed that it is in form of a writing desk and may open
either at the dotted line A, B, seen in Fig. 2, or the sloped part of
the lid only may open, as found most desirable. C and D are the
two rollers mounted in framework E, which is fixed to the bottom of
the box. A friction pulley G is fixed on one end end of each roller, and
a spring H is placed thereon and pressed by a screw pin I to adjust
the tension of the paper as required. J is a ratchet wheel fixed on the
roller D, and K is a catch hinged to the frame which takes into
the said ratchet to prevent the roller being turned back or in the
wrong direction when the apparatus is in use; M is the small table
which is fixed to the frame E, and projects through an opening formed
in the lid about flush or even with its surface; N is a strip of paper
of suitable width, according to the opening in the lid, which is also
equal to the length of the rollers C and D upon which the said paper is
to be wound.
The manner of using this machine is as follows, viz. :-The strip.
of paper is first wound upon the roller C, and then the out end
passed behind the friction roller P and over the table M, then under the
friction roller R to the roller D, to which it is attached. Then by
turning the handle S the paper may be unwound from the roller C
and wound upon the roller D by any person wishing to leave a
message in writing on the paper so as to remove it out of sight of
the next comer, who cannot turn it back on account of the catch K
which takes into the ratchet wheel. The top of the machine is provided
with a series of dates and figures, any of which may be either exposed
or covered with small lids hinged thereto to shew the day and hour
when the proprietor will return. A frame T is hinged at one end
so as to fold down upon the lid, and having a spring catch at the
other end locks in the inside of the box, which secures the dates and
figures in any set state until the return of the proprietor, when he can
open the box, take the catch out of the ratchet wheel, and with another
bandle applied to the roller C can turn the paper back and read off the
several messages that may have been recorded on the paper in his

page_text: absence. The desk is also provided with pen, ink, and pencil for the
use of parties having communications, orders, messages, or appointments
to record on the paper.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Drake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the
within-named Thomas Drake in
the presence of
ARTHUR B. CROSSLEY,
Clerk to William Tasker,
Patent Agent,
THOS. DRAKE. (L.S.)
Halifax & Bradford.