Improvements in Automatic Indicating Money Savings or Con- tribution Boxes and in the Arrangement of Mechanism therefor.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 1st Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 31st Dec, 188
Improvements in Automatic Indicating Money Savings or Con-
tribution Boxes and in the Arrangement of Mechanism
therefor.
I JOHN THOMAS MEDLICOTT BURGESS, of Hunters Lane, Aston near Birmingham,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
money boxes for savings or contributions, and primarily such as are used by children
to save their money, and consists of a new or improved contrivance or arrangement of
mechanism and parts, whereby the total number or amount of coins deposited, are
automatically indicated to view from time to time as the deposits are made.
These boxes may be made to receive any given number of kinds of coins, and may
further be capable of registering to any given amount, but generally for childrens use,
it would assume the form of a money box in which may be deposited pennies, and
halfpennies, and indicate such deposits say to the amount of five shillings.
The details of the arrangement may be varied in several particulars, but generally I
should proceed somewhat as follows:-A suitable box is provided which may vary in
form to suit taste or design. Upon a centre or pivot, or its equivalent, attached to
the interior side of the box is a moving indicating disc, having near its outer edge upon
its face next the side of the box, figures denoting amounts of money, as for instance,
1, 1, 2, 21, 3, 3, and so on. These figures occupying spaces equidistant around the
face of the disc. At a suitable place in the side of the box an opening is made, so that
the indicating figures opposite thereto may be read off, from the outside.
Also connected to this disc is a ratchet wheel, having a corresponding number of
teeth to the indications upon the disc, which would in this case be twenty four, inasmuch
as there are twentyfour half pennies in a shilling.
Upon the aforesaid centre is carried an arm, which carries a pawl engaging with the
teeth of the said ratchet; and thence extending near to the slit or opening through
which the coin is inserted.

page_text: This arm terminating with a groove or gutter piece, on to which the coin is pressed.
This extending arm is held up to the slit by means of a spring or weight. The disc,
and ratchet wheel are prevented from moving except when operated by the aforesaid
pawl, by means of a brake, or back resisting spring pawl.
Again. Upon the dise, or upon the ratchet wheel as may be most convenient, a
projection is made which once in every complete revolution, acts upon a second disc,
having upon its face other figures denoting shillings, say for instance five; so that
when the first dise has registered a complete shilling, its next move would cause the
second disc to indicate one, and so on, a suitable indicator opening being made through
the side of the box for the second dise similar as for the first.
Thus, upon inserting a halfpenny through the slit, the said coin would push forward
the arm a given distance, which would drive forward the ratchet wheel one tooth and
the dise one division, indicating the amount.
Should the insertion however being a penny, the difference in the diameter of the
coin, would when pushed through the slit into the box, move the arm a sufficient
distance to drive the ratchet wheel two teeth forwards, and consequently carry
forward the disc two divisions, indicating thereby the increased amount of deposits.
As before intimated, when the deposits have reached a shilling the projection upon
the dise or ratchet wheel would move the second disc one division, representing a
shilling, while the first disc would proceed again from nil forward.
By adding a third disc in this manner, pence, shillings and pounds may be
indicated.
If desired I may provide more than one such arrangement in the same box, each
arrangement, having its separate slit, for certain coins of different diameters; thus
one may be for coppers, one for silver, and one for gold.
As before intimated the details may be varied to produce the same result, as for
instance, the circular dises and ratchet wheel or wheels may be substituted by a slide
or slides.
Dated this 24th day of Angust 1888.
CHARLES T. POWELL,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Indicating Money Savings or Con-.
Boxes and in the Arrangement of Mechanism
tribution
therefor.
I JOHN THOMAS MEDLICOTT BURGESS, of Hunters Lane, Aston, near Birmingham,
Merchant, 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 stateinent :-
-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
money boxes, for savings or contributions, and primarily such as are used by children
to save their money, and consists of a new or improved contrivance or arrangement of
mechanism and parts, whereby the total number or amount of coins deposited, are
automatically indicated to view, from time to time as the deposits are made.
These boxes may be made to receive any given number of kinds of coins, and may
further be capable of registering to any given amount, but generally for childrens use,
it would assume the form of a money box in which may be deposited pennies, and half-
pennies, and indicate such deposits, say to the amount of ten shillings.
The details of the arrangement may be varied in several particulars, but generally I
should proceed somewhat as follows A suitable box is provided which may vary in
form to suit taste or design. Upon a centre or pivot, or its equivalent, attached to the
interior side of the box, is a moving indicating disc, having near its outer edge upon
its face, next the side of the box, figures denoting amounts of money, as for instance,
1, 1, 2, 21, 3, 3, and so on. These figures occupying spaces equidistant around the
face of the disc. At a suitable place in the side of the box, an opening is made, so that
the indicating figures opposite thereto may be read off, from the outside.
Also connected to this disc is a ratchet wheel, baving a corresponding number of
teeth to the indications upon the disc, which would in this case be twentyfour,
inasmuch as there are twentyfour halfpennies in a shilling.
Upon the aforesaid centre is carried an arm, which carries a pawl engaging with the
teeth of the said ratchet; and thence extending near to the slit or opening through
which the coin is inserted this arm terminating with a groove or gutter piece, on to which
the coin is pressed. This extending arm is held up to the slit by means of a spring
or weight. The disc, and ratchet wheel, are prevented from moving except when
operated by the aforesaid pawl, by means of a brake.
Again. Upon the disc, as may be most convenient, a projection is made which
once in every complete revolution, acts upon a second disc, having upon its face other
figures denoting shillings, say for instance ten; so that when the first disc has received
or is receiving the amount of a shilling, its move would cause the second dise to
indicate one, at the same time that the first disc registers nil, and so on, a suitable
indicator opening being made through the side of the box for the second disc similar
as for the first.

page_text: Thus, upon inserting a halfpenny through the slit, the said com would push forward
the arm a given distance, which would drive forward the ratchet wheel one tooth, and
the disc one division, indicating the amount.
Should the insertion however be a penny, the difference in the diameter of the coin,
would when pushed through the slit into the box, move the arm a sufficient distance to
drive the ratchet wheel two teeth forwards, and consequently carry forward the disc
two divisions, indicating thereby the increased amount of deposits..
As before intimated, when the deposits have reached a shilling, the projection upon
the disc or ratchet wheel would move the second disc one division, representing a
shilling, while the first disc would proceed again from nil forward.
By adding a third disc in this manner, pence, shillings and pounds may be
indicated.
If desired I may provide more than one such arrangement in the same box, each
arrangement, having its separate slit, for certain coins of different diameters; thus
one may be for coppers, one for silver, and one for gold.
As before intimated the details may be varied to produce the same result, by
substantially the same means.
Having now described the nature of this my invention I will proceed to more
particularly explain how it may be carried into effect, for which purpose I have
hereunto annexed an illustrative sheet of drawings, upon which are figures and letters
of reference; similar letters throughout the several views referring to the same thing
or part.
Fig. 1, is a front view of a money savings box constructed according to this my
invention, indicating for instance shillings, and pence, say to the amount of ten
shillings.
Fig. 2, is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, is a front view of the mechanism, with the front plate or board of the
box removed.
Fig. 4, is a sectional plan of Fig. 2.
•
Fig. 5, is a view in elevation of the mechanism from the rear side of the box, as
indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2.
Fig. 6, is an edge view in detail of the operating lever, pawl &c.
Fig. 7, is a side elevation of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8, is a sectional elevation in detail of a brake hereinafter explained.
Fig. 9, is a part view in rear elevation showing the position and function of parts,
when a coin &c. is being passed into the box.
Fig. 10, is an elevation of a modification of this my invention, as arranged to be
operated at will.
Fig. 11, is a sectional plan detail of Fig. 10.
a, is the box, which of course may be of any required shape or construction; having
a hinged door, lock and key, or other suitable opening or fastening, whereby the
contents may be extracted when desirable.
Upon the centre or pivot, is mounted the revolving indicating disc e, having near
its outer edge upon its the next the box, figures denoting amounts of money from a
halfpenny to eleven pence halfpenny. dis an aperture made in the side of the box,
through which the figure at that point may be read off from the outside. is a ratchet
wheel which in this case is shown as being formed in one with the dise, but may be
made separate. The number of teeth in this ratchet wheel corresponds to the number
of divisions or figures upon the disc e., is an arm or lever, carried upon the pivot b,
to which is attached the pawl, which engages with the teeth in the ratchet wheel e,
and is kept in contact therewith by the spring h. This lever at its upper end is
formed into a groove i, to receive the coin. This arm is held up to its normal
position as seen in Figs. 3 & 5, by the spring k, or its equivalent; fastened in the fixed
pivot b, and pressing against the peg 7. m is a brake acting upon the disc c, and also
upon the second disc n o is a projection or escapement tooth upon the disc c, which
once in every complete revolution, acts successively upon the teeth of the second disc n,
before referred to, which has upon its face numbers corresponding to its teeth, denoting

page_text: shillings. Thus when the first disc has made a revolution, and is passing nil before
the aperture, the second disc would indicate one, and so on, up to ten.
As arranged the mechanism is devised to receive and indicate pennies and half-
pennies only, the ratchet teeth, and the length and position of the lever arranged in
combination therewith in such a manner, that the difference in diameter of the two
coins shall be equal in the motion of the pawl to one tooth. Hence a halfpenny would
cause the disc to advance one division, while the insertion of a penny would cause it
to advance two divisions, or two halfpennies.
By giving the second disc twenty teeth representing twenty shillings, and providing
a third indicating disc, having any given number of teeth operated upon by a
projection or escapement tooth upon the second disc, that is, repeating the arrangement
of the first and second disc, upon the second and third, it will be readily seen that the
amount in pounds, shillings, and pence would be indicated.
It will be obvious that this invention may be used for purposes other than indicating
the contributions of money, as it may be used equally well to indicate the number of
cheques or blanks passed through a slit, the figures being modified accordingly.
In Figs. 10 & 11, I have illustrated in a simple form, suitable for a cheap produc-
tion, a part automatic arrangement of indicating money savings box, the primary.
operating of the disc e being done by hand by turning the knob or handle p the
required distance, when a deposit is made, the escapement tooth o, however,
automatically acting upon the second disc &c. as before. The indication here,
representing deposits to the amount of two shillings and ten pence.
The moving parts may be suitably protected by partition or otherwise, from damage
or collision of the deposits.
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. In a money savings or contribution box, the uso and adaptation of revolving
dise indicators, having escapement teoth whereby the second or subsequent dises
are intermittently operated, and also having thereon numbers or figures which
appear through an aperture in the said box, the said indicator or indicators being
operated automatically or at will, substantially as herein described and illustrated
upon the drawings, and for the purposes specified.
2. In a money savings or other contribution box, the use of an arm or lever,
against which the coin &c. is pressed into the box, and whereby the indicator is
moved forward a given distance according to the amount of coin &c. inserted,
substantially as herein described and illustrated upon the drawings.
3. The general combination and arrangement of mechanism constituting an
automatic registering or indicating money or contribution box, substantially as
herein described & illustrated in Figs. to inclusive.
4. The general combination and arrangement of parts whereby the amount of
insertions is registered at will, as herein described and illustrated upon the drawings
in Figs. 10 & 11.
בד
1 1. 011 t of Ontahan 1988
CHARLES T. POWELL,
12, Cherry Street, Birmingham,
Applicant's Agent.