A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS OF MONIES IN SHOPS AND OTHER SIMILAR PLACES, AND FOR THE DETECTION OF NEGLIGENCE, ERRORS, AND THEFTS IN SUCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS."
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ezra Lofts, of Cambridge, in the County of
Cambridge, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CHECKING THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS OF MONIES IN SHOPS AND OTHER
SIMILAR PLACES, AND FOR THE DETECTION OF NEGLIGENCE, ERRORS, AND
THEFTS IN SUCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ezra Lofts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th June 1875.
I, EZRA LOFTS, of Cambridge, in the County of Cambridge, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
APPARATUS POR CHECKING THE RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS OF MONIES IN SHOPS
AND OTHER SIMILAR PLACES, AND FOR THE DETECTION OF NEGLIGENCE, ERRORS, AND
THEFTS IN SUCH RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS," to be as follows:-
:-
My present Invention has for its object to check the amounts of
monies received and paid by assistants and others in shops and the like
places of business; also to shew or detect cases of negligence, error, and

page_text: theft by the person or persons receiving or paying such monies of
charge thereof.
This arrangement or apparatus is especially suited to retail trades.
My improved apparatus with the money till or tills is enclosed in a
box or case, and is intended to be placed upon the shop counter or other
convenient place so that the customers and others paying or receiving
money may see the amount thereof correctly recorded.
The said box or case is formed to suit the size of the apparatus, and
may be of any convenient shape, generally a parallelopiped, with a lid
on the top, by preference sloping or partly sloping, so that it may bo
used to write upon. The back portion of this lid is glazed in order that
the record of receipts and payments may be exposed to view. At the
front edge of this glass is an opening across the rim or hoop, and about
a quarter of an inch wide, to allow the shopman or other person to
record the amounts of the monics received or paid. This lid is secured
by a lock, fixed by preference inside the till.
bc
In the front part of the box is a cupboard or till, which may pro-
vided with fixed recesses for holding money, or fitted with shelves or
framing whercon to place moveable dishes or boxes for the same purpose.
This cupboard or till is closed by a door in front.
Inside the said box I mount a toothed wheel, which carrics alongsido
it a plain metal rim or hoop of about the same diameter as the said
wheel, and from one to two inches broad; the periphery of this rim is
turned true. In the said rim three or more transverse slots are formed,
their distance apart being generally about the length of a sheet of
foolscap paper. Each of these slots is provided with a holdfast for the
purpose of securing strips of paper therein, as herein-after described.
The said toothed wheel and rim are operated as follows: In tho
lower or other convenient part of the box I mount in suitable bearings a
metal shaft, one end of which shaft projects in front of the till door.
Upon the said shaft is fitted or fixed a screw, so as to fit into the teeth
of the said wheel and operate it. The said projecting end of the axle is
provided with a handle or crank by which the shaft and apparatus are
operated. At the same time the action of the said handle liberates or
secures the door of the till. Upon the said axle and inside the box I
fix a ratchet wheel, between the teeth of which a pawl drops as the

page_text: wheel turns so as to prevent the apparatus from being turned backwards.
I also fit on the said axle and within the box a notched disc, which
operates a bell therein.
In using my improved apparatus I place on the said rim a number of
strips of writing paper (varying according to circumstances), which are
secured in place by inserting their ends under the holdfasts in the slots
formed in the said rim, which holdfasts aro held tightly down by a screw,
spring, or wedge. The amount of cash put into the till for change or
payments is recorded on the upper end or head of the first strip of paper,
and directly under the opening in the lid. The lid is now locked or
otherwise securely fastened down, then the door of the till is closed and
secured by turning the handle of the shaft, which operation passes the
figures marked upon the paper under the glass of the lid, and thus places
them out of the power of any one to alter or deface them. The
apparatus is now in working order.
Suppose the first transaction to be the receipt of five shillings by a
shopman, he first enters that amount on the strip of paper through the
opening in the lid; he then opens the door of the till by partially
turning the shaft, which action also rings the bell inside the box, and
carries the figures just recorded on the strip of paper partly under the
glass; the till door is then closed (the five shillings having been depo-
sited in the till), and the handle of the shaft turned so as to secure the
said door, which operation moves the said figures completely under the
glass, and thus terminates the operation.
All other receipts are dealt with in the same way. Payments aro
similarly treated, except that they are indicated by a mark, signature, or
other prearranged sign.
I have stated herein the width of the circular rim and consequently
the paper strips to be from one to two inches wide, but when desired
the rim and papers may be of any suitable width, so as to shew the
names of customers, signatures, the description of the goods sold or paid
for, or be used for any other suitable purpose.
ams of the advantages of musi

page_text: Secondly. In cases of negligence, such as the omission to record the
amount received, the process of opening and closing the till would pass
the paper the regular distance under the glass, and shew a blank spaco
where such amount should have been recorded, which blank space
cannot be returned without first opening the box.
Thirdly. Errors in recording amounts of monies received or paid aro
open to detection by the customers, employers, fellow-shopmen, or
others.
Fourthly. Cases of theft are also similarly exposed to detection; in
addition to which the ringing of the bell is intended to call the attention
of the master or others to the fact that a monetary transaction is taking
place. If the money or any portion thereof is not put into the till the
total amount registered, on being compared with the cash in the till, will
shew the amount of money thus withheld.
Should any one open the till for the purpose of abstracting money
therefrom an alarm is at once given by the bell, and if the sound of the
bell is not heard or noticed the position of the register will show that the
till has been opened.
Generally, my improved apparatus will tend to induce in shopmen and
similar employés habits of order, care, and honesty in money matters,
and prevent them being subjected to those serious temptations which are
now but too frequent, especially in retail shops.
!
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ezra Lofts in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EZRA
LOFTS, of Cambridge, in the County of Cambridge, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Ezra Lofts, Her special
license that I, the said Ezra Lofts, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: Figure 2 is a toothed wheel pivotted to one side of the box.
Figure 3 is a rim or hoop for carrying strips of paper on which are
recorded the amounts of money received or paid.
Figure 4 shows the axle and worm which operate the said toothed
wheel; also other details.
Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the holdfasts for securing the
said strips of paper in place.
Figure 6 is an enlarged elevation of the brackets by which the said
rim is secured to the said toothed wheel.
Figure 7 shows my arrangement for operating an alarm bell.
The box a is formed to suit the size of the apparatus, and may bc
of any convenient shape, generally a parallelopiped, with a lid a' on the
top, by preference partly sloping, as at a², so that it may be used as a
desk to write upon. This lid is hinged at the back to the box, and
secured by a lock to the partition a' or other suitable place. The back
portion of the lid a¹ is glazed at a³ in order that the record of receipts
and payments may be seen and read. At the front edge of this glass I
form an opening. b, extending across the rim or hoop c, and about a
quarter of an inch wide, to allow the shopman or other person to record
the amounts of monics as received or paid by him.
In the front or other convenient part of the box I place a cupboard or
money till d, which may be formed with fixed recesses, as shown, for
holding money, or be fitted with shelves or framing whereon to place
moveable dishes or boxes for the same purpose. This till is closed in
. front by a door, as shown in Figure 1.
Inside the box a I mount on a short projecting axle at or about e',
Figure 1, fixed in one side of the said box, the toothed wheel e, which
carries alongside it the rim or hoop c, of about the same diameter as the
said wheel, and from one to two inches broad, as required; this rim is
secured to the wheel by the brackets and rivets ', as shown in
Figure 6, so that both rim and wheel revolve together. The periphery
of tlic rim c is turned truc or smooth. In this rim three or more trans-
verse sunk recesses or slots are formed at c', their distance apart being
generally about the length of a sheet of foolscap paper. Each of these

page_text: slots is provided with a holdfast g for the purpose of securing the ends
of the strips of paper therein, as herein-after described.
The wheel e and rim c are operated as follows:-In the lower or other
convenient part of the box I mount in suitable bearings h¹ the shaft h,
one end of which projects in front of the till door, see Figures 1 and 4.
Upon the said shaft is fitted or fixed the screw i, so as to fit into the
teeth of the wheel e and operate it. The said projecting end of the
axle is provided with a handle or crank j, by which the shaft h and
the apparatus are operated. At the same time the said handle secures
the door of the till when in the position shewn in Figure 1, and liberates
the said door when turned half round or in line with the slit in the
door, as shewn in Figure 4. Upon the axle and inside the box I fix
the ratchet wheel and pawl k, of the usual kind, to prevent the apparatus
being turned backwards. I also fix on the said axle h and within the
box the notched disc or tumbler 7, which operates the apparatus m, and
causes the hammer m² thereof to strike the bell n each time the till door
is opened or liberated.
In using my improved apparatus I place on the rim ca number of
strips of writing paper, cut to the required length and width, which will
vary according to the diameter and width of the said rim. These strips
of paper are secured in place on the rim c by inserting their ends under
the upper bar of the holdfasts g in the slots c³, and upon the flange of
the rim, which holdfasts are drawn and held down tightly by the
screws g', or by a spring or wedge. When it is required to perform this
operation or to remove the upper layer of paper strips I move the
wheel e clear of the worm i, and when ready replace the said wheel on
the pivot e', so that the commencement of the clear layer of paper strips
is under or partly under the opening b. The amount of cash put into
the till for change or payments is recorded at the said commencement of
the paper strip. The box lid a¹ is now locked, and the door of the till
closed and secured by turning the handle j of the shaft / into the
position shewn in Figure 1, which turning of the shaft / passes the said
recorded figures under the glass a³, and thus places them beyond the
power of any one to alter or deface them. The apparatus is now in
working order.
Sunnoce the fuck troncestion
be the meaning of Geen Will
1

page_text: under the opening b; he then opens the till door by turning the handle j
of the shaft in line with the opening j¹ in the door, when the said door
is forced open by a spring placed within the till. The said turning of the
shaft at the same time causes the hammer m¹ to strike the bell n, and
also carries the figures last recorded on the strip of paper partly under
the glass a; the till door is then closed, the five shillings having been
deposited in the till, and the handle; of the shaft & is again turned to
the position shewn in Figure 1, which secures the said door and also
moves the said figures (5s. Od.) completely under the glass a³, and thus
terminates the operation.
All other receipts are dealt with in the same way.
Payments arc
similarly treated, except that they are indicated by a special mark or
signature, or by some other prearranged sign.
These operations are repeated until the upper layer of paper strips is
filled, when the said layer is removed and the wheel and rim replaced, as
herein before described.
The width of the rim c now shown and the paper strips are 14 inches
wide, but when desired both rim and papers may be of any suitable
width, so as to shew the names of customers, signatures, the description
of goods sold or paid for, or for any other suitable purpose.
Some of the advantages of my improved apparatus are,-
Firstly. Expedition, the whole operation consisting simply in recording
the amount received and opening and closing the till.
Secondly. In cases of negligence, such as the omission to record tho
amount of money received, the process of opening and closing the till
door passes the paper strip the regular distance under the glass, and
thus leaves a blank space where such amount should have been recorded,
and which blank space cannot be brought back without first opening the
box and dismounting the wheel and rim.
Thirdly. Errors in recording the amounts of monies received or paid
are open to detection by the customers, employers, fellow shopmen, or
others.
Fourthly. Cases of theft are similarly exposed to detection, and by
comparing the total amount recorded with the amount of cash in the
till; in addition to which the sound of the bell is intendad to call the

page_text: attention of the master, chief assistant, or others to the fact that a
monetary transaction is taking place.
Should any one open the till for the purpose of abstracting money
therefrom an alarm is given by the bell, and if the sound of the bell is
not heard or noticed the position of the register will shew that the till
has been opened.
Generally, my improved apparatus will tend to induce in shopmen and
similar employees habits of order, care, and honesty in money matters,
and prevent such persons being subjected to those serious temptations
which are now but too frequent, especially in retail shops.
.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the method of performing the same, without confining
myself to the size of the machine or apparatus, or to the dimensions of
the several details now illustrated, which are capable of considerable
variation, as herein explained in part, I claim as my Invention and
desire to secure by the before-mentioned in part recited Letters Patent,
the machinery or apparatus for checking the receipts and payments of
monies, substantially as hercin described and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ezra Lofts, havę liereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five..