Improvements in Pocket Cheque-punches.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1899 -Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pocket Cheque-punches.
I, JOSEPH HAMPSON BURTON, of Kingston, County of Ulster, State of New York,
U.S.A., Treasurer of Manufacturing Company, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to novel improvements in pocket cheque-punches; and
the object is to simplify the construction, increase the efficiency, and produce an
inexpensive, effective, and practical device for this purpose.
To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrange-
ment of the several parts of the device, as will be hereinafter more fully des-
cribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.
The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now known
to me;
but many changes in the details might be made within the skill of a
good mechanic without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth
in the claims at the end of this specification.
The same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention in the
several views.
Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved pocket cheque-punch. Fig. 2 is a
longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the male die.
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the female die. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the
outer ends of a pair of the die-arms; and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of a modified
form of the male die arms.
1 denotes the male die, and it consists of a spring-metal plate formed with
a series of equidistant integral radial arms 22, the outer ends of which terminate
in the integral disks 3 3, and on the under face of each disk is fixed a solid
character-die 4, and on the upper face of each disk appears a visual character 5,
corresponding to the punch-die on the opposite side.
6 denotes a washer, and 7 8 represent two parallel counterpart guide-plates
provided with a central orifice 9. and a segmental orifice 10, arranged concentric
with said central orifice. These plates are formed with plane parallel edges the
ends of which are folded back upon the plates to form the clamp-jaws 12 13.
14 represents a second washer, and 15 denotes the female die, which is a facsimile
of and is aligned with the male die, (heretofore described) with the exception
that the disks 16 on the ends of the radial arms 17 are formed with character
orifices 18, corresponding to the solid character 4 on the disk above it. The top
and bottom dies and the two washers are each provided with the equilaterally-
arranged bolt-holes, as shown, to receive the machine-screws 19, which pass
through the central orifice 9 in the guide-plates 7 and 8 and firmly bind the dies

page_text: together so as to move in unison above and below the guide-plates, and thus
permit the proper characters to be brought in line with the segmental orifice 10.
The cheque to be punched is inserted the proper distance between the plates 7
and 8 and the jaws 12. 13 pressed together to hold it in place between them.
The upper and lower die-plates are then simultaneously rotated until the proper
character usually the pound sterling (£) mark, appears in the left hand end of
said segmental orifice 10, the proper character and its position being readily
located by means of the corresponding indicator characters on the upper face of
the male die. By means of the thumb and index finger of the right hand the
upper and lower pound sterling mark disks are brought together and the corre-
sponding character punched through the paper. The proper figure characters
representing the face value of the cheque are then brought into proper position
and manipulated, as in the first instance, and at the end of the last figure the
spear-point or a similar character may be punched, as is usually done by cheque-
punches.
Instead of the male dies being formed with solid punch characters, as shown,
a series of pins or needles arranged to represent the characters may be employed,
and the figure or character will then be perforated in the paper instead of
punched out, as in the present instance.
In Fig. 5, I have shown the male and female die arms provided with thumb-
buttons 20 21, the button 20 being formed with a concave recess 22 to receive
the ball of the thumb and the lower face of the button 21 with a similar recess 23
for the ball of the finger. This last mentioned button 21 is hollow to form a
pocket 24 for the reception of the waste paper cut from the cheque in punching it.
In Fig. 6, I have shown the male-die arms 25 radially mounted in the female-
die plate 26, the inner end of each arm 25 being turned upwardly to form a toe 27,
which engages the lower end of a spiral spring 28, encompassing an axial stud-
post 29, fixed in the female die plate 26.
30 denotes a circular washer fixed on the stud-post 29 to form a bearing for
the upper end of the spring and also to act as a limit guard for the pivoted lever
arms.
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. A pocket cheque-punch comprising a spring sheet-metal plate having a series
of integral male-die characters concentrically arranged on one of its faces and a
series of equivalent indicator characters superimposed on its opposite face in
combination with a counterpart spring sheet-metal die-plate axially fixed to said
male die plate and provided with a series of correspondingly-aligned integral
female-die characters, and the orificed guide-plates 7 and 8 interposed between
said die-plates and adapted to clamp the cheque in place between said male and
female die-plates, as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A pocket cheque-punch comprising a spring-metal die-plate having a series
of male die characters concentrically arranged on one of its faces and a series of
equivalent indicator characters superimposed on its opposite face in combination
with a counterpart spring-metal die-plate axially fixed to said male die-plate and
provided with a series of correspondingly aligned female die-characters, and
the guide-plates 7 and 8 centrally pivoted between said male and female die-plates
and provided with the concentric segmental orifices 10 aligned with the oppositely-
arranged male and female characters, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. A pocket cheque-punch comprising a spring-metal die-plate having a series
of male die-characters concentrically arranged on one of its faces and a series of
equivalent indicator characters superimposed on its opposite face, in combination
with a counterpart spring-metal dic-plate axially fixed to said male die-plate and
provided with a series of correspondingly-aligned female-die characters, and the
guide-plates 6 and 8 centrally pivoted between said die-plates so as to rotate

page_text: parallel therewith and provided with the concentric segmental orifices 10 aligned
with the die-characters and formed with the oppositely-disposed parallel clamp-
ing-jaws 12 and 13, as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this fith dor of Hamh 1900
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.