IMPROVE- MENTS IN BLANK FORMS OF CHEQUES OR DRAFTS ON BANKERS, PAYABLE ON DEMAND
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Achille Victor Pinta, of 63, King William Street, in
the City of London, Foreign Law Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN BLANK FORMS OF CHEQUES OR DRAFTS ON BANKERS, PAYABLE ON
DEMAND
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Achille Victor Pinta at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 18th August 1858, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ACHILLE
VICTOR PINTA, of 68, King William Street, in the City of London, Foreign
Law Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BLANK FORMS OF CHEQUES OR DRAFTS ON BANKERS, PAYABLE ON DEMAND, RELATING
TO THE CROSSING OF SUCH CHEQUES OR DRAPTS," and have petitioned Her Majesty
to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn declaration that I verily
believe myself to be the true and first Inventor thereof:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Achille Victor Pinta, do hereby declare
that the following Complete Specification under my hand and seal fully describes
and ascertains the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the

page_text: same is to be performed, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say:-
1. If it is desired to provide means for indicating only that such cheque or
draft has been crossed in some way, that is to say, without marking whether
it has been crossed without or with the name of a banker, it is effected by
putting on the blank form of such cheque or draft the following instruction:-
"If you cross this cheque, cut or tear off this at the samo time," or words to
the same effect.
2. If it is desired to provide means for indicating that such cheque or draft
has been crossed, and whether it has been crossed without or with the name
of a banker, it is effected by putting on the blank form of such cheque or
draft, in the way herein-after described, the following double instruction :-"If
"
you cross this cheque without a banker's name, cut or tear off this ;" and "if
you cross this cheque with a banker's name, cut or tear off this," or words
to the same effect; and the words "at the same time" might be added if
wanted, and the 2nd part might end by "all this."
3. If it is desired to provide means for indicating only that such cheque or
draft has been crossed in some way, it can likewise be effected by putting on
the blank form of such cheque or draft an indication in the following manner,
viz., by encompassing or indicating by means of lines, points, or other marks
some special part of the blank form of such cheque or draft, so as to point at
the said part, and mark it, under an understanding to that effect between the
parties concerned therein, as being to be cut or torn off such cheque or draft,
on its being crossed in any way; (see Figure 5.)
The said single instruction, or the said double instruction, as the case may
be, can be put upon any conspicuous part of such blank form of cheque or
draft as might conveniently be cut or torn off such cheque or draft when com-
plete, and also can be or not be encompassed within lines, points, or other
marks. But, for the sake of regularity, which in such matter is of paramount
importance, I prefer to place the said single or double instructions on the
vacant space usually left on such blank forms between the number and the
date of the cheque or draft at the superior edge thereof, and to encompass the
same within lines, that is to say, in case of the single instruction only being
used, to encompass it within two lines, forming with the edge of such blank
form a triangle, each side of which is about 12 to 14 lines long (see Fig. 1);
and in case of the double instruction being used, to encompass one part
thereof, viz., that which relates to a cheque or draft crossed without a banker's
name within two lines, forming with the edge of such blank form a triangle
with sides about 10 to 12 lines long, and the other part thereof, viz., that which

page_text: relates to a cheque or draft crossed with a banker's name, within two additional
lines drawn parallel to the two first lines, and inclosing them in a similar but
larger triangle (see Fig. 3).
Likewise, the said single instruction might be encompassed on the same
space or about within lines or marks, forming with the edge of the blank form
a square of equal or unequal sides (see Fig. 2); and also, the two parts of the
said double instruction might be encompassed in the same manner, one under
the other (see Fig. 4). Moreover, the lower part or side of the square form
might be slightly rounded or semicircular.
The said single instruction, or the said double instruction, or the said indica-
tion, as the case may be, can be put on such blank forms of cheques or drafts
by means of writing, printing, engraving, stamping, lithography, autography, or
otherwise, and in coloured or in ordinary ink, and either before, at the same
time, or after such blank forms are printed or engraved, or otherwise made.
If such blank forms are already printed or engraved, or otherwise made, I
prefer to put thereon the said instruction or instructions or indication by
means of a stamp, and in colored ink. If such blank forms are yet to be
printed or engraved, or otherwise made, I prefer to put thereon the said
instruction or instructions or indication by adding the same either to the types
or on the plate or other matrix, from which such blank forms are made, so as
to print or engrave, or otherwise put the said instruction or instructions or
indication on such blank form simultaneously with the other usual component
parts of such blank forms of cheques or drafts.
When a banker has delivered to his customer, and his customer has accepted
from him such blank forms of cheques or drafts so provided with the said
single instruction, or with the said double instruction, or with the said indica-
tion, as the case may be, thus entering into an implied agreement to act up to
the same, if a cheque or draft after being filled up from such a blank form is
crossed either without or with the name of a banker by the drawer or any suc-
cessive holder thereof, such drawer or holder can at the same time, and merely,
by following the said single instruction or double instruction or indication, (viz.,
by cutting or tearing off with his fingers or with any instrument, such part of
the cheque or draft as is, by the said single instruction or double instruction
or indication, as the case may be, pointed at, and marked as being to be thus
cut or torn off,) indicate to the banker on whom such cheque or draft is drawn
by an indefeasible mark inherent to the cheque or draft itself, that such
cheque or draft has been crossed in some way, or even whether it has been
crossed without or with the name of a banker, as the case may be (see
Figure 6).

page_text: As the great object for bankers and the public is to prevent that such
cheque or draft after having been crossed in some way, should the crossing being
first fraudently obliterated, be presented to and paid by the banker on whom
it is drawn as an uncrossed cheque or draft, the above single instruction
(No. 1), or the above indication (No. 3), may, perhaps, by some persons be 5
deemed sufficient for that purpose; but either of the aforesaid single instruction
or double instruction or indication can be made use of at option.
In the hereunto annexed Drawings (made of natural size, viz., on a scale
of one inch to an inch,) Figure 1 shows a blank form of cheque or draft on
bankers provided with the single instruction (No. 1), herein-before mentioned
disposed in a triangular form, and encompassed within lines, showing that
a part, and which part thereof is to be cut or torn off the cheque or
draft when complete, on the drawer or holder of the same crossing it in
any way.
Figure 2 shows a similar blank form, provided with the said single instruc- 1
tion (No. 1) otherwise disposed thereon, and with points indicating a variation
of design.
Figure 3 shows a similar blank form, provided with the double instruction
(No. 2), herein-before mentioned, disposed in a triangular form, and encom-
passed within lines.
Figure 4 shows a similar blank form provided with the said double instruc-
tion (No. 2) otherwise disposed thereon, and with points indicating a variation
of design.
Figure 5 shows a similar blank form, provided with the indication (No. 3),
herein-before mentioned, showing how a part of such blank form can be
marked with lines or points, or other marks to indicate (under some previous
understanding between the parties concerned therein) that such part is to be cut
or torn off the cheque or draft when complete on its being crossed in any way.
Figure 6 shows a cheque or draft on its being presented for payment; it is
supposed that it has been filled up from blank form of Figure 1, then crossed
with a banker's name, and that thereupon the triangular part containing the
single instruction (No. 1) has been cut or torn off such cheque or draft to
indicate that it has been crossed in some way, thus indenting the superior
edge. Moreover Figure 6 gives a sufficient idea of what can be done respec-
tively to cheques or drafts filled up from blank forms of Fig. 2, 3, 4, and 5,
by following the instruction or instructions or indication put on the same
respectively.
Though I have herein-before used certain words to frame the said single
nstruction and the said double instruction, and otherwise indicated in which
9

page_text: way I prefer to carry my said Invention into execution, I do not limit myself
to use only either the said single instruction or the said double instruction, or
the said indication; nor to any special words to frame any of such instructions,
provided the same sense or meaning be expressed; nor to any particular part
of the blank forms of cheques or drafts on which to put such instructions or
indication, or either of them; nor to any particular form or design of the
same, or of the lines or marks encompassing the same; but I fully reserve to
myself the use for carrying my said Invention into execution of all such
details or arrangements as will fairly fall within the range of or appurtain to
my said Invention, though not herein mentioned.
What I claim expressly is, the Invention of giving to the drawer or holder
of a cheque or draft on a banker plain and easy means to indicate to the banker
on whom such cheque or draft is drawn that it has been crossed in some way,
or even, if desired, whether it has been crossed with or without the name of a
banker simply by, at the time of crossing such cheque or draft, slightly and
harmlessly mutilating the same in a conspicuous but otherwise unimportant part
thereof, according to some instruction or instructions or indication to the pur-
pose previously put on such blank form of such cheque or draft, as is usually
delivered by bankers to their customers; which Invention is carried into
regular and uniform execution by providing ordinary blank forms of cheques
or drafts on bankers with an instruction or instructions or an indication put
by means of writing, printing, engraving, stamping, lithography, autography,
or otherwise, on some conspicuous part of such blank form, so that under the
implied agreement entered into by the banker delivering and his customer
accepting such blank forms so provided, the drawer or the holder of a cheque or
draft drawn upon one of such blank forms, so provided with an instruction or
instructions, or an indication, as aforesaid, can, by merely following the same
(that is to say, by cutting or tearing off at the time he crosses such cheque or
draft without or with the name of a banker, such part of such cheque or draft
as is so pointed at and marked as being to be cut or torn off in such case)
indicate to the banker on whom is drawn such cheque or draft, and that by a
visible, tangible, and indefeasible mark inherent to the cheque or draft itself,
that such cheque or draft has been crossed in some way, or even, if desired,
whether it has been crossed without or with the name of a banker, and, more-
5 over, without in any way impairing the efficiency of such cheque or draft.
And, lastly, in case any new or improved or altered blank forms of cheques
or drafts differing from those used at present should come into use, I claim
the exclusive use in such case of my said Invention, whenever the said Inven-

page_text: tion is or shall be or can be adapted to such new or improved or altered
blank forms.
In witness whereof, I, the said Achille Victor Pinta, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
ACHILLE VICTOR PINTA. (L.S.)