IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF SURFACES FOR DISPOSING AND PICKING UP COIN
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Murray, of Whitehall Place, in the County
of Middlesex, Solicitor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF SURFACES FOR DISPOSING AND PICKING
UP COIN.”
Sealed the 5th January 1867; and dated the 7th July 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Murray at the
Office of, the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1866.
I, JOHN MURRAY, of Whitehall Place, in the County of Middlesex, Solicitor,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF SURFACES FOR DISPOSING AND PICKING UP COIN,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in surfaces from which to pick up
coin, especially small change, or pieces of money, which when placed aș
usual on a counter or hard surface are difficult to pick up, hence great in-
convenience arises to persons receiving cash at bank counters, railway ticket
offices, and other counters or places; besides which the receiver occupies the
counter to the exclusion of others a longer time than would be required if
greater facilities were provided for picking up coin.
The improved surface I propose is equally applicable for all retail-shop-

page_text: counters, such as linendrapers, for instance, where ladies pick up coin with
gloves on their hands, which renders it still more inconvenient.
My improved surface, on which coin is to be laid, I either form in a frame
and fix it in the counter, or in other position, or else inlay it therein. It
consists of a stuffed surface, rendered more or less springy by the nature of
the stuffing employed. This surface should at the same time be level, and
for the purpose I find that one or two thicknesses of Brussels or other carpet
placed on a suitable backing, and having a surface of fine cloth stretched over
it answers the purpose extremely well; other kinds of soft material may be
used as the stuffing, or the surface itself might be of a sufficiently soft nature
to answer the purpose; however, I think it better to stretch and strain a
thickness of cloth or other material over a soft padding or stuffing. For the
better class of counters, such as in linendraper's shops, cloth, silk, or other
woven fabric may be best suited for the covering surface, while for commoner
purposes the covering membrane may be of thin leather, india-rubber,
pilcloth, or other like but thin material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th January 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MURRAY, of Whitehall Place, in the County of Middlesex, Solicitor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Murray, Her special licence that I, the said John
Murray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Murray, 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 and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PREPARATION AND APPLICATION OF SURFACES FOR
DISPOSING AND PICKING UP COIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said John Murray, 'my executors or administrators, by an instru-

page_text: ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 John Murray, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention relates to improvements in surfaces from which to pick up
coin, especially small change or pieces of money, which when placed as usual
on a counter or hard surface are difficult to pick up, hence great inconvenience
arises at bank counters, railway stations, and other places to parties receiving
money, besides which the receiver occupies the counter to the exclusion of
others a longer time than would be required if greater facilities were provided
for picking up coins.
The improved surface I propose is equally applicable for shop counters,
such as linendrapers, for instance, where ladies pick up coin with gloves on
their hands, which renders the operation still more inconvenient.
My improved.surface on which coin is to be laid I either form in a frame
and fix it on the counter, or in other position, or else inlay it therein. It
consists of a stuffed surface, rendered more or less springy by the nature of
the stuffing employed. This surface should at the same time be level, and for
the purpose I find that one or two thicknesses of Brussels or other carpet
placed on a suitable backing, and having a surface of fine cloth stretched over
it answers the purpose extremely well; other kinds of soft material may be
used as the stuffing, or the surface itself might be of a sufficiently soft nature
to answer the purpose; however, I think it better to stretch and strain a
thickness of cloth or other material over a soft padding or stuffing. For the
better class of counters, such as in linendraper's shops, cloth, silk, or other
woven fabric.may be best suited for the covering surface, while for commoner
purposes the covering membrane may be better of thin leather, india-rubber,
vilcloth, or similar but thin material.

page_text: in itself, and may be fixed on a counter, or in any desired position, whereas if
desired the tablet may be formed in the counter or other surface, and so
arranged as to be sunk below the surface, or it may be flush therewith, but I
prefer it below the surface, as seen in vertical section, Figure 3. It may
further be round, or of any other form instead of square, as shown in Figure 1,
or of any other form desired.
a, a, Figures 1 and 2, is a frame with backing b in the form of a tray, in
which the elastic tablet surface c, c, is disposed; this simply consists of a
backing board d, on which I place two or three thicknesses of Brussels or
other soft carpeting e, e, e; other soft substance or substances may be used in
lieu of the carpet; over the whole I stretch by preference a piece of fine black
cloth c, c, which is fastened by tacks under board d, as seen. The same
description will apply to Figure 3, excepting that their is no frame a, a, the
substance of the counter f, f, answering the purpose.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application
of surfaces or tablets, prepared as herein-before described, for disposing on
and picking up therefrom metallic money or coin.
. In witness whereof, I, the said John Murray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
.Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
JOHN MURRAY. (L.S.)