Improvement in a Rule for Indicating and Checking Cost of Commodities.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in a Rule for Indicating and Checking Cost of
Commodities.
I ROBERT WILCOX of 10 Derby Street Kings Cross in the County of
Middlesex Engineer 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 :-
This invention relates to a convenient rule to be called "The Checker" for
immediately ascertaining the cost of commodities bought and sold by avoirdupois
weight in pounds and ounces such as food and other articles which generally range
in price from about three pence to eighteen pence per pound. The object of my
invention is to secure expedition and correctness in arriving at the total amount
of money that should be charged for the number of pounds and ounces that the
price of the article is bought and sold at, thereby avoiding calculations.
The manner and means by which I accomplish the object I now describe and
specify to be as follows:-
I make a rule Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 which is the reverse side, from suitable material
preferably from wood, of any convenient length, width and thickness one end
having a hole through it to hang it up by if necessary. I then have two slips of
paper or other suitable material made about three quarters of an inch less than the
length of the rule so as not to cover the hole in the end as described and their
width about the same as the rule.
On these slips are lines figures and symbols drawn printed or lithographed in
different colors the outer lines are in the direction of length near the margin one
at the top and one at the bottom, then about an eighth of an inch from the top
line another similar line is placed, another similar line is placed below that one so
that two longitudinal spaces are along the top.
Vertical lines or divisional spaces about three quarters of an inch apart are then
placed, their ends touching the top and bottom marginal lines described, in the centre
of the top spaces, prices per pound (lb.) are placed, indicating the prices from about
three pence increasing by half pence per pound (lb.) up to about one shilling and
six pence per pound. The next spaces below have lb. and oz. placed at nearly
each end of them and over the columns of figures to be hereinafter described. In
the centre of the next spaces below between the lower top line and the bottom
marginal line are vertical columns of figures numbering from 1 to 16 representing
pounds and ounces (lbs. and oz.) as the case may be, on the left hand of the vertical
columns last mentioned and underneath the pound (lb.) in the spaces above are
other vertical columns of figures showing the cost of the number of pounds (lbs.)
opposite to the num er in the column used. On the right hand of the vertical
columns from 1 to 16 and underneath the oz. in the spaces above are other vertical
columns of figures showing the cost of the ounces (oz.) opposite the number in the
column used on the left.
The figures and symbols may be in different colors so that their different functions
may be readily distinguished.
These prepared slips are then mounted on the rule and neatly varnished, one
half of the figures and symbols being on one side of the rule and the other half on
the other side.
In order to show the use of the rule by way of example and the rule being
white or light colored and the lines described as being red, the prices in the top
spaces also being red the lb. and oz. may be black, the vertical columns from 1
to 16 being red and the columns each side of the red colun:ns indicating the cost in
pounds (lbs.) and ☑ces (oz.) being black.

page_text: Then on buying or selling anything that weighs say :-9 lbs. 11 oz. at 9d. per lb.,
look for 94d. in red in the top spaces, below that price in the same divisional space
look down the red column for 9 and in the black column on the left opposite 9
is 7s. 1. being the cost for 9 lbs. ; then look further down in the same red column
for 11 and opposite in the black column on the right is 6d. which gives the total
amount of 7s. 8d. to be paid for the commodity.
In this invention I do not claim the mounting of the slips on the rule or the
neatly varnishing of them as described as that part is old and well known.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and the manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A rule having divisional lines and spaces upon it in the manner specified.
2nd. Having prices shown in the top divisional spaces as specified.
3rd. Having Ib. and oz. shown in the next divisional spaces below as specified.
4th. Having vertical columns of figures numbering from 1 to 16 in the centre of
the lower divisional spaces also with columns of figures indicating the cost in
pounds (lbs.) on the left and columns of figures indicating the cost of ounces (oz.)
on the right according to the price in the top space within the same divisional
lines.
5th. Having the divisional lines figures and symbols in distinctive colors to show
their different functions.
6th. A rule having the combinations as substantially described.
Dated this Eleventh day of October 1892.
ROBERT WILCOX.

page_text: 3d
3d
lb. oz. ib.
31314
/627 21
193 12015
4d
02 15
4id
Oz. 1b.
5d
Sid
Oz. 1
14 14
/4 1
18 21
19 2710
6d 6d
oz tb. Oz. lb. oz. b.
1/5111 611 761 11
1/2 2 1/1 21
75
Tid
83
Ba
9d
id
17 32
1/13 3 1/3
1/4 1/2 1
1/4 41
1/3 5 1
US 5 1
1/8 5 1/10
1/6 4 1
1/6 41
5 2
1/8
1/8
66
14 i
9 6 2 6
2/3 6 1
1/97
2071 2/4 1 12
2/7 12 2/1 1 2
2
1 2
2/8
2/4 12/8 5 2
58 2/4 8 2
3/8
8 22
12
2/39 292 92
3
92: 399 3
4/11
2/6 10 2 2/11 10 2
3/4 10 2
3/9 10 3 42 10 3
4/1
2/911 232 11.2
8 11 24
3/12
3/ 12 24 36
12 21
123
4/1 11 34/3
4/6 12 3
50
11 36
12 3
5/6
12 4
6
12 4
3/3 13 21 39
13 3
4/4 13 34/10
13 3
5/5 13 4
3/111 13 4
6/6 13 42
3/6
S6 14 21 41
5/915 344
4/16 3 4/8
14 34
4/8 14 35/3
14 4
5/10 14 4
6/5 14 41
/ 14 52
7/7 14 5
8/2 14 6
15 38
5 15 32
5/1 15 4
6/3 15 41
6/10 15 3/6
15 51
8/1 15 6
8/9 15 61
16 3
5/4 16 4
6/ 164
6/16 4
6/6 16 5
6/6 16 5
7/4 16 5
by 16 6
8/8 16 6
4 16 7
Dr. 16.
02 16.
ozb 2.
77 1 177 L 7811811 1912 191401% 10 11
12/11 1 2
122 1 1/3 21 1/4 2 1/5 2 1 1/6 2 1 1/1 214 1/02 1 19 1
31 1463144719 310 31 25 12/1312 2/3 3 1 24 52 2/6.3 2 21 32
40 41
10 4 1 2 4 1 2/2 41 2/4 4 12 2/6 42
2/12/2 4 1 2/4 4 12 2/6 4 2 2/8 42 2/10 4 24 32 32 42 3/4 4 21 36 421
5 1 2/3; 5 12 76 52 281 5 2 2 5 2 5/ 52 3/4 5 2 3/6 5 2 3/9 533 55 4/2 5 31 44 5 5
2/6 6 2 2/9 62 62 3/3 6 2 3/6 6 2 19 63 46 4/3 6 3 4/6 6 3 419 6 3 5 6 3 53 64
3
3/6 71 397 34/17 344 34/8 7 34 4/11 7 33 5/374 5/6 T45/10 146 14
38 18
483 4/4 6 31 48 8835/4 8 4 5/8 8 4 6 6 4 614 84 6/8 8 5 7 8 52
9 34/6 9354/14.9 3 539 34 9 4 6 9 4 649 9 69 9 57/195 1/6 9 571096
to 3 5 10 3 5/5 10 4310 to 46/3 10 12 6/8 10 5 1/1 10 5 1/6 10 5/11 10 6 8/4 10 6489 10 63
1142 5/1146/5 416011 5: 1/4 11:51/9 11 6 8/3 H 6: 8/8 11 69/2 11 19
6/6 12 5 7 12 5 16 12 5 8 12 6 8/6 12 61 9 12 6 96 12 7 10/ 12 10 6 12 8.
704 15 57/7 15 51
8/8 15 61 22 13 7/9 13 7 103 13 10/10 13 8114 13 8
14 6 5/4 14 79/14 14 10/6 14 8 1/1 14 BiH/6 14 812 3 14 94
10 15 710/115 85 15 8 to 15 912/6 15 95 1510)
10/8 16 6 11/4 16 8 12/ 16 9 12/8 16 915/4 16 10 14 16 10
Tb. 02 lb. oz b.
ozb
100
8/1
13 6
8
10
15 7
16 7