Improvements in Check-books and Analogous Collections of Papers Representing Values and in the Method of Copying therein.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Check-books and Analogous Collections of Papers
Representing Values and in the Method of Copying therein.
We, ALEXANDER CARMIOHAEL manufacturer, and SAMUEL DUNSTER TOWNSEND,
agent, both of Westerley, in the County of Washington and State of Rhode Island,
United States of America, 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:-
The invention applies to Check Books and Note-Books and other
papers representing
values. The ordinary memorandum copies or stubs "
"which remain attached after
the removal of the check or note is liable to be erroneous through accident or design.
We provide for keeping an exact copy of the whole or preferably only the written
parts so as to determine at any later period the manner of writing. We havo
discovered that it is possible to press-copy checks, notes and the like, and to retain
in convenient books exact copies of a part or the whole of each check. But there
are serious difficulties in the way. We have given much attention to the question
and believe that we have surmounted them, and have successfully reduced to practice
the press copying of checks and the convenient retention of copies in books for
reference.
The chief difficulties of which we are aware lie in the unequal thickness of different
parts of the book owing to the retention of the stubs and the removal of the checks,
an inequality which increases as the checks are removed. But this inequality is
always in the part of the book from which the checks have been removed; it does
not exist in the book at first; it does not obtain in the last part of the book when
the checks have been half used, assuming that the checks are, as usual, removed
in practically regular succession from the beginning to the middle and so on to
the end.
The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and represent what
we consider the best means of carrying out our invention.
Figure 1 is an edge view showing a check-book before any of the checks have been
removed. It is in the closed condition.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the book in the partially opened condition.
Fig. 2 is an edge view showing the book after a portion of the checks have been
removed. The book is in the open condition. The portion at the left includes all
the leaves from which no checks have been removed. This is in the act of being
compressed in the copying press. The portion at the right includes all that part
from which the checks have been removed. This part is allowed to lie unaffected,
extending out horizontally from the press.

page_text: The remaining figures show a modification. Both are edge views showing the
book in closed condition. With this form of the invention the book may be treated
in the press in the closed condition.
Fig. 3 shows the book before any checks are removed, and
Fig. 4 shows the same after nearly all the checks have been removed.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures where they
occur.
A is the stub, that portion of the thick writing paper which remains permanently
bound in the book. It lies adjacent to the back of the book. A' is that portion of
the thick writing paper which is to serve as a check. It is connected weakly with A
along a line a, the weakening being caused by a line of perforations or in
any other
convenient manner to serve the usual ends. The paper A and A¹ is printed to
facilitate the production of checks and of the ordinary memorandum thereof. The
printing is in copying ink. The writing which fills out the check A¹ and the
memorandum on the stub A should be done in good copying ink.
B are sheets of thin paper of a proper quality for letter press copying, alternated
between the thick sheets A A¹. The sheets B are transparent, and are strongly and
permanently bound in the book.
When a check is filled out and a memorandum made on the stub A, as usual, the
adjacent sheet B is dampened if not already in condition for copying, and, on a
applying the sheets properly together, which is done by allowing them to come
together, as they naturally will in cousequence of both being bound together by one
edge, the book in its open condition is introduced in the ordinary copy-press and the
press is operated to take a copy.
The sheets must be applied together in the position to press the two sheets in
question together with the sheets which succoed them in the book. These sheets
must not be pressed with those sheets which precede them, because they, the
preceding sheets,-have been mutilated by the removal of some or all the checks A¹
which precede the one in question, and that portion of the book occupied by the
checks A is thinner than that part A which is occupied by the stubs. The amount
of difference in the thickness depends on several circumstances :-one is the obvious
one, the removal of the checks by tearing them out and using them while the stubs
remain. In time the part of the book containing the checks becomes very much
thinner than that containing the stubs.
In order to overcome the difficulty due to the gradually increasing difference in
thickness of the two parts of the book, we prefer to introduce the book into the press
in the open condition, arranging the leaves to be treated so that as above stated they
shall be pressed with the leaves which have been retained completo in the last part
of the book. A portion of the book which has been mutilated and is consequently of
irregular thickness is allowed to extend idly out of the press in front or in rear as
convenience may dictate.
The copying may be proceeded with in other respects in the ordinary manner.
There is paper which, with suitable ink, will take good copies without wetting. In
case such paper is not used, ordinary thin unsized transparent paper may be prepared
by dampening with a brush or by the introduction of a wet blotter, or by other
dampening means, and taking care to have the wetting slight and uniform, and
to provide a sheet of common newspaper or other sheet to prevent the copying ink from
possibly striking through into a sheet beyond, we effect the compression for a few
seconds as usual in the press then relax the pressure, take out the open book, remove
the covering pad if one has been employed, turn over the freshly copied impression,
tear off the original check, and use it.
When there are three or other considerable number of blanks on each page of the
book, adapting the book to make a corresponding number of checks per page, there
should be a piece of waste paper or a nicely fitted piece of paper or other material
introduced to cover any checks which are not to be copied. An advantage, very
important under some circumstances is derived from our invention from the fact that
a press copy of the stub is also produced at the same operation so that we can, if any

page_text: question arises, remove from the book and send away not only the check A¹ but also
the stub A and still retain a facsimile of each.
Modifications can be made in the apparatus and in the treatment without departing
from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. We can dispense
with the stubs and depend on the press-copies retained on the sheets B alone for
a knowledge of the several checks made and removed. We prefer to have all
the security due to our invention without losing any of the security due to the stubs,
and esteem the trouble of making the stubs amply paid for by the convenience they
afford. Our invention gives another and different security which may be used alone
or with the stubs, as preferred.
The printing of the printed portion of the checks may be done by letter-types,
stereoty pos, lithography, plates, or in any suitable way. It may be done in a
printing ink which will copy, and thus the press-copy will be a complete check. It
may be safer to use common insoluble printing ink for the printed portion and let the
press-copy show only the written part of each check.
If preferred we can equip the book with a flexible cover C which is thick, as at C¹,
over the part A¹ of each leaf and is thin over the part A. Figures 3 and 4 show such
a modification. The difference in the thickness of the different parts of the cover is
as great as the difference in thickness in the corresponding parts of the mass of paper
enclosed between, even when the last of the checks are being copied. The difference
being in the reverse direction, the cover being thick over the part A¹ and the body
of the book being at first of uniform thickness throughout and afterwards successively
thinner and thinner in the part A¹, as the checks are removed the thick portions of the
cover will always more than compensate for the difference in thickness of the
respective parts of the body and the press will exert a uniform pressure on all parts
of the several checks and will press but slightly upon the thicker portion of the book
occupied by the stubs.
When no stubs are retained there will still remain a thick portion of the book
at and near the edge where the sheets are joined. The same method applios in
the same manner to obtaining and preserving copies under such conditions. We
prefer to retain stubs A of .considerable width as shown in accordance with general
practice for the reason amongst others that the broad stubs give a wide margin for
the placing of the open book irregularly and carelessly in the press without involving
difficulty. If the book is narrow and the division line a close to the binding, and if
in addition the writing of the checks is carried as it is liable under such circumstances
to be, close to the binding or the bound and thick edge of the book, then the book
when open in the press must be placed exactly. It must have its weak line a about in
the edge af the press. But when a wide stub A¹ is left it is immaterial whether the
whole or any part of the stub is in or out of the press.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The method herein described of preserving proof of checks and analogous papers
by press copying in books and allowing for the diminution of the thickness so as
to produce complete copies throughout, substantially as herein specified.
2. The herein described check book having the checks printed and comprising
a number of leaves weakened at a, and forming stubs A and checks A¹, and a number
of sheets of press-copying paper B, alternated between said leaves and of equal
size therewith, as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 11th dow of Anril 1888
ALEXANDER CARMICHAEL.
SAMUEL DUNSTER TOWNSEND.