Year: 1888

page_text: We RALPH KEMSLEY DAY of The Crown Tavern 7 Essex Street Strand Licensed
Victualler and ROLAND HORATIO WARD of 37 Walbrook in the City of London
Solicitor 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 :-
Our invention has for its object an improved construction of till whereby fraud is
rendered impracticable.
The following is a description of such improved till
The bottom of the till is fitted with wells wherein the copper coinage is placed
and also with drawers to receive the takings in the ordinary way-The sides of the
well are made sloping while in the bottom of each well is an aperture immediately
under which is a gong bell mounted on a cross bar-When a coin is placed in the well
it slides down and drops through the aperture therein and in so doing strikes the
gong thus giving an alarm The aperture is made of a convenient size to allow
the coins to readily drop through but not so large as to permit the hand to pass
through Mounted centrally on the bottom of the till is a casing fitted on each
side with a series of shelves for change in the ordinary way This casing is divided
into three compartments by vertical divisions the central compartment being hollow
so as to allow the coins to be visible when placed in the till-The top of the casing
is fitted with a hinged lid having two slots formed therein placed one behind the
other and protected externally by a brass mount furnished with a guard to prevent
the coins entering the wrong slot An aperture is also formed in such lid to receive
the handle of a lever presently mentioned while the inside of such lid is recessed
so as to allow a shifting frame fitted in the casing to work to and fro therein―
Such shifting frame consists of two uprights connected at the top by a horizontal
slotted cross plate Each upright is furnished with a corresponding number of hori-
zontal arms fixed on the inside thereof at suitable distances apart and placed alternately
at the front and back of the upright so as to form a series of front and back
ledges thereon-Thus assuming each upright to carry six horizontal arms the 1st,

page_text: 3rd and 5th arms on one upright would form the front while the 2nd, 4th, and
6th arms would form the back ledges thereon and the arms on the opposite upright
would be so placed that the 1st, 3rd, and 5th arms would form the back series and
the 2nd, 4th, and 6th, arms the front series of ledges thereon Each upright is fitted
at top and bottom with rollers working over curved bridge pieces which are fixed
between the casing and the divisions These curved bridge pieces impart a rising
and falling motion to the travel of the shifting frame which motion dislodges any
coin or coins that may have adhered to either of the glass slides presently mentioned
as frequently occurs owing to the coins becoming clammy by being placed on the
counter The frame is fitted on the right hand side with a levor the top of which
projects through the before mentioned aperture and is furnished with a suitable handle
whereby it is operated to and fro thus throwing the frame backwards and forwards
The divisions have suitable apertures formed therein to allow the arms to pass to and
fro when the lever is operated while grooves are formed on their inner sides to receive
three glass slides. The 1st and 3rd of these slides form front and back guard plates
to the before mentioned hollow central compartment in the casing to prevent the coins
falling out while the central slide forms a division plate between the two series of
front and back ledges and likewise a guide plate to prevent the coins scattering as
they descend from the top to the bottom ledges The slot in the cross plate is of a
crooked form so that as the shifting frame is operated the front or back of such slot
will be under the front or back money slot in the lid of the casing to allow the coin
to drop through on to the arm immediately beneath As the frame works to and fro
it operates a spring or arm fixed at the bottom on one side thereof and causes the
same to strike a gong bell thus giving an alarm when the till is used A sliding face
plate having a central opening therein and working in suitable grooves formed in the
sides of the casing fits over the front thereof and serves to conceal and protect the
mechanism and coins contained therein--The lid of the casing and also the drawers in
the bottom of the till are locked so as to prevent unauthorised access to the till.
The operation of our invention is as follows Assume that the top back right hand
ledge is beneath the back money slot and that a coin has been dropped through and
lodged on such ledge where it remains visible through the glass slides When it is
required to place a second coin in the till the lever is operated thus sounding the gong
and throwing the shifting frame over to the left side This simultaneously brings the
top left front ledge beneath the front money slot and causes the coin resting on the
top right back ledge to drop on to the first left back ledge A. second coin is then
dropped through the front money slot on to the top left front lodge which is now
beneath such front slot Both coins remain visible through the glass slides. When
desired to place a third coin in the till the lever is again operated thus again throwing
the shifting frame over to the right side This simultaneously causes the first coin to
drop on to the second right back ledge while the second coin falls from the top left
front ledge on to the first front ledge of the opposite series A third coin is then
dropped through the back slot on to the top back right ledge and all three coins
remain visible through the glass slides---The same operation is repeated whenever it is
desired to place another coin in the till and when a coin has lodged on the bottom
ledge of either series upon the lever being again operated such coin falls through
into the drawer or other receptacle in the bottom of the till Should the attendant
operate the lever without placing the coin in the till a vacant ledge will remain visible
until the bottom is reached thus clearly shewing that an oversight or a fraud has
been committed.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of one of the uprights of the shifting frame
with the horizontal arms fixed on the inner side thereof in the manner herein before
described.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of one of such uprights fitted with rollers and cross
plate.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the top of the lid to casing shewing the two money slots
and the slot for lever handle to work in.
Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation of the face plate to casing with central opening
therein.
In these several figures a is the casing b, c, d the three compartments therein
formed by the division pieces e-f the shifting frame carrying horizontal arms f¹ and
mounted on rollers g working over curved bridge pieces h and fitted with slotted cross
plate is the operating lever with handle working in slot a in lid a¹-a³, a³ are
the two money slots in lid fitted externally with brass mount furnished with a division
guard bar aa is the recessed portion on the inside of lid-1. 2. 3. are the glass
slides fitted in casing the 1st and 3rd forming front and back face plates to the central
opening therein while the central one forms a division plate and also a guard to
prevent the coins scattering in the manner hereinbefore described.
Fig. 7 shews an external elevation of the till-In this view the improved con-
struction of the wells fitted in the bottom of the till as hereinbefore described is shewn
7 are the wells-m the sloping sides thereof-n the apertures therein-o the gong
bells-p the cross bars carrying same- the drawers.
In this view likewise the spring or arms and the gong t fitted to the upper part of
the till are shown.
If desired the till may be fitted with our improved check apparatus for which
Letters Patent No. 10689 dated 24th July 1888 have been granted to us.
This mechanism is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7 The advantage of fitting the
till therewith is that the money takings during any given hour can be accurately
checked.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. Fitting a till with a shifting frame working over curved bridge pieces and
otherwise constructed arranged combined and fitted all substantially in the manner
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn.
2. Actuating such shifting frame by a suitable hand lever substantially as herein-
before described and shewn.
3. Fitting a till with one two or more money wells constructed arranged combined
and fitted all substantially in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and shewn.
4. The improved construction of till as a whole constructed arranged combined and
fitted all substantially as herein before described and shewn and used either separately
or in combination with our improved check apparatus as described in the Specification
of Letters Patent No. 10,689/88 hereinbefore mentioned.
Dated this 25th day of July 1888.
Dated this 25th day of July 1888.
ELT & Co.,
33, Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London,
Agents for the Applicants.