AN IMPROVED MONEY TILL
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry George Hill at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st January 1878.
HENRY GEORGE HILL, of High Street, Islington, in the County of Middlesex.
"AN IMPROVED MONEY TILL."
This Invention relates to the construction of an improved money till, the object
of which is to afford a check upon persons whose duty it is to receive money in
places of business, especially those of publicans, and thus to tend to prevent fraud.
The central part of the till consists of a rectangular box constructed of wood or
any other suitable material, the interior thereof being divided into two or more
compartments. When it is constructed with three compartments, that in the centre
is what may be termed the "general till," the other two being respectively for the
reception of shillings and sixpences. Slits are provided in the upper part of the
rectangular box, through which the coins are passed, and in each of those portions
of the box which are intended for the reception of shillings and sixpences, is fixed
a bell upon which the coins strike as they descend after being passed through the
slits. Bells capable of emitting different tones are employed, so as to indicate by
the sound thereof the value of the coins which strike thereon. On one side of the
rectangular box is fixed a rack having any given number of perforations or circular
apertures therein, capable of allowing glass or other tubes which are open at the
upper end to be passed through the same, the upper ends of the tubes being held by
the rack, and the lower ends by suitable recesses, of which recesses a sufficient
number are formed in a projection attached to the box, so as to correspond with the
circular apertures in the rack above the same. The tubes are formed of such a
length and diameter as to contain a given number of pence, which as taken are
passed through a hopper, having an aperture at the bottom thereof of such a size as
to allow the pence to pass through the same into the tubes, and which hopper is"
arranged to slide along the exterior of the box, and is provided on that side next to
the latter with a spring tooth or catch which gears into a rack on the side of the
box in order to prevent any backward movement.
When the tube over which the
hopper is placed becomes full, a slide is passed into grooves provided for that pur-
pose at the lower part of the hopper, and passing immediately over the upper end
TD 071
•

page_text: of the tube, closes the aperture at the lower part of the hopper which is then shifted
and placed into gear with the next tube; the slide is then removed, and any coins
remaining in the hopper fall into the tube. Moveable stops are provided at suitable
distances to prevent the hopper being slid too far.
When the last of the series of tubes has been filled, the person in charge unlocks
the bar at the end of the rack, slides off the hopper, and replaces it into gear with
the first of the series of tubes. As the tubes are respectively emptied, the pence
contained therein are changed for coins of greater value, which are passed into the
general till.
On the other side of the rectangular box is a similar arrangement of
tubes for the reception of halfpence, with regard to which the same course is pur-
sued as in the case of pence.
The receptacle for shillings and sixpences when full; or whenever desired, are
emptied, the silver changed for other coins of greater value, which are then passed
into the general till. The receptacles for shillings and sixpences, and also the
general till, are provided with doors or openings, through which the money con-
tained therein can be removed, or they may form portions of the same.
It will be well understood that the apparatus for the reception of pence, as herein-
before described, may be applied to, and used in combination with tills of other
construction than that herein-before described, or the said apparatus may be
employed alone.