Drafts, Bills, and other Documents.
Year: 1888

page_text: Drafts, Bills, and other Documents.
I WILLIAM WILLOTT POPPLEWELL of the firm of Popplewell Colton & Co. of
17 & 18 Southampton Buildings London W.C. in the County of Middlesex Patent
Agents (a communication to me from abroad by William Daniel Elger Merchant, of
Stewart Buildings Broadway City, County and State of New York U.S.A.) 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:
The object of this invention is to provido a new or improved machine for
punching or cutting the face value of cheques drafts and other papers of value on
said papers for the purpose of preventing fraud by altering the denomination or value
of said instruments.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top view of an improved machine for
punching or cutting cheques and drafts, parts being broken out.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line x, z, Figure 1: Figure 4 is a
detail rear sectional view on the line y, y, Figure 1 showing the feed operating
mechanism.
Figure 5 represents a part of the punched cheque or draft.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
The base plate A is provided with two standards A¹; supporting the segmental
plate B on which the numbers or marks that can be produced by the machine are
provided in a segmental row. Adjacent to each mark or number are two upright
pins or posts B which serve as guides for the finger lever that will be described
later.
At the centre on which the segmental plate B is formed, the post C is provided on
the base plate A, on which post the sleeve D¹ of the swinging frame D is mounted to
rock on its vertical axis, said frame being approximately sector shaped. The frame D
is composed of the three plates E, E, E², projecting horizontally from the sleeve D¹.
Adjacent to the segmental rim of the plates E and E' as many punches or cutters F
are mounted to slide vertically in suitable guide apertures in the plates E and E¹, as
there are marks on the segmental plate B each punch being provided at its uppèr end

page_text: with a check-pin F¹ to prevent it from descending too far. Each punch provided
with a spring F2 one end of which is secured to the plate E' and the other end to the
punch for the purpose of pressing the punch upwards. The upper ends of the springs
being secured to the punches prevent the punches being pressed up too high by the
springs.
The lower end of each punch is shaped according to the desired figure or numeral
to be punched out.
In the bottom plate E' of the frame D, a die G is provided below each punch of the
corresponding shape and below said dies the apertures G³ are provided, through which
the parts cut out can drop.
When the punches are raised their lower ends are a short distance above
the dies.
A selecting and actuating lever H is pivotted to the upper end of the sleeve D¹ and
is provided with a transverse arm H' that can act on a lug I projecting upwards from
a lever I pivotted to one of the standards A' the swinging end of said lever being
pressed upwards by a spring J secured to the segmental plate B. The lever I is also
provided with an arm J projecting towards the front as far as the segmental row of
punches, so that when the lever I is forced down the arm J' can press down that
punch over which it rosts. The lever I is also provided with an arm K projecting
towards the rear, and to said arm the connecting rod K' is pivotted, the lower end of
which is connected to a lever N pivotted to a short standard M. of the base plate A.
The opposite end of the lever N is provided with a spring pawl O¹ that engages a
ratchet wheel O, mounted on a shaft 02 placed a short distance above the base in
suitable lugs.
A spring pawl P engages the ratchet wheel O.
A spring P¹ secured to a lug of the base presses upward that end of the lever N
opposite the one provided with the spring pawl 01. The cheque piece 1" on the
standard M prevents the lever N being pressed downward too far. A plate is secured
on the lugs Q¹ and on the base plate A, and its top is in the same plane as the tops of
the dies.
On the front end of the shaft 02 a rubber feed roller W is mounted the highest
point of which is in the same plane with the plate Q and the dies."
One standard A is provided with the arm R, on the end of which a lever R¹ is
pivotted one end of which is forked and carries a milled roller S directly above the
feed roller W upon which it is pressed by the spring S¹.
To the standards M and M' a semi-circular plate T is secured and is provided with
a spring arm U, projecting towards the front, at the centre of the base of the machine,
said arm extending over the dies G and plate Q and serving to hold the draft or
cheque in place on the dies and prevent it from being raised by the punches as they
pass upward, V is an adjustable spring arm at the right hand side of the plate Q
which also serves for the purpose of holding the cheque or draft in place. W¹ is a
cheque-pin to prevent swinging the frame D too far to the left. When the frame D
is swung to the right as far as possible it strikes against the pivotted end of the lever I
and is thus checked.
The operation is as follows:-The roller S is raised by depressing the handle end of
the lever R, and the cheque is placed upon the plate Q and roller W, and under the
spring arms G and V, and brought into such position that the part to be punched, is
below the front end of the arm J₁ of the lever I and then the lever R is released so
as to permit the spring S¹ to press the roller S upon the cheque, and the cheque upon
the feed roller W. The selecting and actuating lever H is then shifted until it extends
over the star or the dollar sign on the segmental plate B. By shifting the lever H to
bring it into the desired position the frame D is also swung to the right or left with
said lever, and that punch or die that makes the perforation corresponding to the sign
or mark upon the plate B over which the hand lever H extends will then be below the
front end of the arm J of the lever I. If the hand lever H is then pressed down its
arm Hacting on the lug I of the lever I forces said lever and its arm J' downwards,
whereby the corresponding punch F is forced down through the paper and into the

page_text: die, and the corresponding letter or mark is punched out of the cheque or draft, the
spring F on the corresponding punch being compressed.
The lever H is then released, the spring H2 forces the punch upwards, and the
spring J which has also been compressed raises the swinging end of the lever I. Then
the lever H is shifted again until it extends over the desired number, whereby the
frame D is also shifted to bring another punch under the end of the arm J', and the
lever H is again depressed and so on.
Every time the lever H is pressed down that end of the lever N, connected by the
connecting rod K' with the arm K on the lever 1 is lowered and the opposite end
raised.
When the lever I is raised by the spring J, that end of the lever N carrying the
pawl is lowered and rotates the ratchet-wheel O, shaft 0 and feed wheel W in the
direction of the arrow a² Figure 2, whereby the cheque is shifted a short distance in
the direction of the arrow a Figure 2, so that the numbers will be punched adjacent
to each other. A star denotes Pounds, Francs, Marks, Roubles &c. according to the
monetary unit of the country to which the cheque or draft is sent. On a draft that
is sent to England it would denote Pounds, on a draft sent to France, Italy, or
Switzerland it would denote francs.
To punch the cheque as shown in Figure 5 the selecting and actuating lever is first
moved to the star and pressed down, then to 5 and pressed down, then to 2 and pressed
down and then to 0 and pressed down and then to the star and pressed down, whereby
the two stars, and the numerals 520 between them are punched out of the cheque in
the manner shown. It is evident that different guide devices may be used in place of
the pins B. The segmental plate B may be lowered and the feed wheel may he
operated in a different manner from the lever that forces down the punches, without
in any way affecting the invention. In place of the star, the pounds mark, or mark
for florins, francs, marks &c. may be produced, or by increasing the size of the
machine a number of additional punches and corresponding marks on the plate B may
be provided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First The combination of a moveable frame the cutters, punches and dies carried
by the same, a single selecting and actuating lever, mounted upon and moving with
the moveable frame, and a single lever interposed between the punches or cutters,
and the single selecting and actuating lever, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Second-The combination of a moveable frame carrying the punches and dies, a
punch selecting and actuating lever mounted on and moving with the frame, paper feed
devices and a swinging lever for operating the feed devices interposed between the
punches and the punch selecting lever, and depressed by the latter to operate the
punches, substantially as described.
Third-The combination, of a moveable frame carrying the punches and dies, a
punch selecting and depressing lever, mounted on and carried by the swinging frame,
a moveable lever having an arm projecting forward beneath the punch selecting
lever, the rock shaft carrying the pawl and connected with the armed lever, the
feed-wheel, the ratchet wheel and the yielding friction roller substantially as
described.
y 1888.
POPPLEWELL, COLTON & Co.,
17 & 18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.