IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHECKING THE RECEIPT OF MONEY TAKEN AT BARS AND, OTHER PLACES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Ernest Elliott, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHECKING
THE RECEIPT OF MONEY TAKEN AT BARS AND, OTHER PLACES."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Ernest Elliott at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th May 1880.
HENRY ERNEST ELLIOTT, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex.
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHECKING THE RECEIPT OF MONEY TAKEN
AT BARS AND OTHER PLACES."
My Invention has for its object to furnish apparatus designed chiefly for the use
of publicans, whereby the receipt of money taken by the attendant at the bar may
be checked, and to this end my Invention consists in the application and employ-
ment in connection with means hereafter described of an electrical indicator placed
either in proximity to the money till or arranged in the room at the back of the
bar, or in any other convenient situation.
The apparatus is preferably made in the form of an ordinary standard till, that
is to say, consisting of a case or frame having a locked drawer for the reception of
the money, and on the top the usual money bowls and shelves.
The batteries for
operating the mechanism are placed in any convenient position, and the indicator
is mounted in a bracket rising from the back of the case or frame. The indicator I
employ is similar to those in use for electric call bells, and consist of a tablet having
a series of openings marked with words, numbers, or signs, through which openings
discs are exhibited when money is put in the till.
These discs are mounted on
pivoted wire or other supports, to each of which are fixed independent permanent
magnets, and the discs, which in their normal position are hidden behind the frame,
are operated by a current sent through electro-magnets attached to the indicator
when a coin is put in the till in such manner that one of the discs only at a time is
brought opposite an opening in the tablet, said disc remaining in view until
another coin is put in.
The coins, when inserted in the slit or aperture of the till, fall onto an inclined
shoot or slide having at one side a raised metallic ledge connected with the battery
and at the other a strip of ebonite or other non-conducting material so attached to

page_text: the slide as to form a wedge' shaped opening for the coins to pass through, and
furnished with a number of contact pieces, each separately connected by wire with
one of the electro-magnets of the indicator, and so arranged that the money is
caught between its appropriate contact piece and the metal ledge, thereby completing
the circuit and bringing one of the indicator discs opposite its opening in the tablet,
at same time sounding a bell which is placed in the circuit. To release the coin
from the slide, and enable it to drop into the locked drawer, the movable ledge is
depressed by a push or pull piece. The discs are withdrawn as each coin is put
in by means of a small pivoted plate or circuit closer, against which the coin strikes
before it passes into the slide and moves so as to complete a circuit with the battery
and temporarily magnetise an electro magnet placed in the circuit. A sliding bar
having projections which engage with the wire supports of the discs is mounted in
guides at the back of the indicator, and this bar is connected with the armature of
the electro-magnet, and operated each time the circuit is closed so as to throw the
discs over.
The circuit closer is so poised as to fall to its original position
immediately the coin has passed, thus breaking the circuit and leaving the discs
free to indicate the valve of the coin put in. The plate may, if desired, entirely
close the aperture to prevent the possibility of money being accidentally dropped in,
in which case it would have a handle for putting it aside to allow of the introduc-
tion of the money. Instead of the wedge shaped slide I may employ a series of
balances so arranged that when a coin is dropped in its appropriate balance it will
bring the counterpoise into connection and complete the circuit with one of the
electro-magnets of the indicator, and at same time allow the coin to fall into the
locked drawer.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Ernest Elliott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th November 1880.
HENRY ERNEST ELLIOTT, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR USE IN CHECKING THE RECEIPT OF MONEY TAKEN
AT BARS AND OTHER PLACES."
My Invention relates to an electric till whereby the values of coins received are
automatically shown upon an indicator placed either in proximity to the money
till, or in a private room, or other convenient situation for checking the honesty of
the attendant, and the Invention consists in the means hereafter described whereby
coins of different values, and consequently of different sizes or weights, are made to
close different electrical circuits in connection with the different parts of the
indicating mechanism. It also consists in the means whereby the indication of the
coin previously inserted must be effaced before another can be inserted. The till
has a locked receptacle for the money and the usual money bowls and shelves at
top. The indicator is similar to those in use for electric call bells, and consists of a
tablet having openings, at which discs are exhibited. Each disc is carried by an
arm mounted on an axis, to which is also fixed a small horseshoe magnet with its
poles at either side of the core of a small electro-magnet. In the normal position
the discs are withdrawn from the openings, and the one pole of the horseshoe
magnet rests near the cores of the electro-magnets; but when the circuit through
any one of the latter is closed the other pole of the horseshoe magnet is attracted,
and the disc is thrown in front of its opening.
The circuits through the different electro magnets are closed by coins of different
values, the closure of the appropriate circuit by each coin being ensured by the
following means :-Beneath the slit or aperture at which the coins are inserted is
an inclined wedge shaped shoot, one side of which is formed by a movable metallic
ledge connected with a pole of the battery, and the other side by a strip or pieces of
ebonite or other nonconducting material, the shoot being gradually contracted in
width towards the lower end, so that coins of different sizes will be arrested at
different points of the shoot. At these several points metallic contacts are fixed
in the insulating material, these contacts being severally connected with the
respective electro-magnets of the indicator, which are connected with the other
pole of the battery, so that ou a coin sliding down the shoot being caught between
its appropriate contact and the metal ledge at the opposite side of the shoot the
circuit is completed through the corresponding electro-magnet, thereby bringing
the corresponding indicator disc opposite its opening in the tablet, and at same
time sounding a bell placed in the circuit. The bell continues to sound until the
circuit is broken by the coin being released and let drop into the locked receptacle,
which is done by depressing the movable ledge so as to let the coin slide off
over it.
The disc which remains exhibited is withdrawn when, or before the next coin is
introduced by the closing of a circuit passing through an electro-magnet, whose
armature being attracted moves a sliding bar which returns any one of the discs
that may be exhibited to its normal position. This is effected by a contact arm
attached to a pivoted plate or guide that closes the aperture at which the coins are
introduced, so that before another coin can be introduced this plate must be moved
out of the way, the circuit closed, and the disc previously indicated withdrawn ;
or it may be effected by the act of inserting the coin by making the latter pass
under and raise a plate which carries the contact arm.,
By breaking the circuit, which may be done privately immediately after a test
coin has been taken in payment and put in the till, the disc thereupon exhibited
cannot be withdrawn but remains in evidence against the attendant.

page_text: the mucator, and av samme now the cold to fan into the rocked receptacle.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a till, partly broken away to show the interior;
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the indicator with the back removed to show the
mechanism; Figure 3 is a cross section of the till looking towards the front, and
showing the shoot and electrical contacts for coins of different diameters; Figure 4 is
a side view of the shoot, showing the contact maker for closing the circuit through
the electro-magnet by which the discs are withdrawn; Figure 5 is a full size view
of the opposite side of the shoot to Figure 4, showing the movable ledge; Figure 6
is a vertical section of the shoot, and Figures 7 and 8 show the balance arrangement.
The till represented is an ordinary standard till, but my Invention is equally
applicable to a drawer till, or any other till. A is the drawer or locked receptacle
for the coins; B is the battery which may be of any suitable kind, and placed in
any convenient position. I find that a series of three No. 1 Leclanché cells answers
well.
C is the inclined shoot in which coins of different diameters complete
different circuits, and thus cause different indications to be given corresponding to
the different values of the coins. This shoot has a surface C of wood, ebonite, or
other nonconducting material, down which the coin slides flatwise when dropped
through the money slit in the top of the till. This shoot is inclined, as shown in
Figure 4, and one side of it may be in a vertical plane, as shown in Figure 3, and
provided with a rising flange D, hereafter described, whilst the other side is formed
by a strip of ebonite or other insulating material, inclined towards the flange D at
the opposite side, so as to gradually narrow the width of the shoot towards the
lower end, the shoot being rather wider at the upper end than the diameter of the
largest, and rather narrower at the lower end than the diameter of the smallest
coin to be indicated, or both sides may be inclined towards one another, V-wise.
At the different points in this inclined insulating surface where coins of different
diameters would be arrested between it and the flange D, at the opposite side are
fixed contact pieces c, c', c², ca of platinum or other wire, which cross the inclined
insulating surface, so that coins rolling down the latter in descending the shoot
would necessarily come in contact with them. These contact pieces are respectively
attached to the binding studs shown, which are by wires 1, 2, 3, 4, respectively
connected with the spools of the small electro-magnets E, E', E2, E3 of the indicator.
The flange or ledge D is a metal plate held against the side of the shoot C by a
spring d, and is movable so as to be capable of being depressed below the level of
the surface C to permit the coin, after being arrested and making contact as
aforesaid, to continue its descent and fall off at the side of the shoot into the
receptacle beneath. This plate D has slots d' working on guide studs ², and is
kept in the raised position shown in Figure 5, in readiness to arrest a coin in the
shoot by the tension of a spiral spring d³. d is an arm pressed upon by a push
piece in the till top by which this flange is depressed (to the dotted position
shown in Figure 5) below the level of shoot C, so that a coin will clear it in falling
This movable flange D is in electrical contact with a metal plate D' passing
beneath the insulating surface C of the shoot and connected by line wire 5 with,
say, the carbon pole of the battery. This wire 5 may be carried through a private
room and have a switch F in it for breaking the circuit if desired when a test coin
has been paid in. G is a small tubular guide or shoot made of metal and working
on a horizontal pivot at g. This guide is held by a spring g' in the position shown in
Figure 4, in which position a small flange or shutter g2 at its upper end closes the
money slit, immediately beneath which this pivoted guide G works. To insert a
coin it is necessary to throw back the shutter g by depressing a push picce g³ that
over.

page_text: presses on an arm g¹ and oscillates the guide G, bringing it to the position shown
on a larger scale in Figure 6. The lower end of guide G is now closed by the top
end of shoot C, so that a coin dropped through the money slit can descend no
further until the oscillating guide G is allowed to return to the position Figure 4,
thus closing the money slit. This guide G is in electrical connection with the
flange D, and carries a spring arm or contact maker h, which when the guide G is
oscillated to permit the insertion of a coin, makes contact with a plate H connected
by a wire 6 with one end of a strong electro magnet I in the indicator, whose other
end is by a wire 7 connected with the zinc pole of the battery, so that on contact
being thus made between and H, the circuit is closed through said magnet I,
which being excited attracts its armature and withdraws the indicator discs as
hereafter described. Thus before any coin can be dropped in the till, any disc that
may have been previously exhibited on the indicator must be automatically
withdrawn.
The electrical indicator, shown in Figure 2, is of well known construction, and I do
not limit myself thereto, as any suitable construction of indicator may be used.
The small bar electro-magnets E, E¹, E, E³, the one ends of which are connected
by wires 1, 2, 3, 4, with contacts c, c', c², c³, as aforesaid, are all connected at their
other ends with the metal plate K, which is by a wire 8 connected with the terminal
9 of an electric bell mechanism L, whose other terminal 10 is connected by wire 11
with wire 7 attached to the zinc pole of the battery. M are the indicator discs,
each carried on a wire arm fixed to an axis or pivot m, to which is also attached a
small permanent horse magnet m¹, having between its poles the core of the corre-
sponding electro-magnet E. M' are the apertures at which the discs M are exhibited.
In their normal position the inagnets magnets m¹ rest with one pole against the core
of the corresponding electro-magnet, but on the circuit between 5, D¹, D, and wire 8,
being completed by a coin through any one of c, c², c², or c³, and its corresponding
electro magnet E, E, E³, or Es, the other pole of the corresponding permanent
magnet will be attracted, the disc exhibited at its opening, and the bell L, which is
in the circuit of wire 8, sounded.
To the armuture of electro magnet I is attached an arm i, which is loosely con-
nected to a longitudinally sliding bar J fitted in guides having pins ; projecting
near the disc arms, whereby when the bar J is moved to the right in Figure 2 by the
magnet I attracting its armature, any disc that may be exhibited is withdrawn.
This occurs on the contact of h with H when shoot G is oscillated to uncover the
money slit, as above described. The circuit is then completed through wire 5,
flange D, pivoted shoot G, contacts and H, wire 6, electro-magnet I, and wire 7.
As the electric bell L, although connected to wire 7, is not now in the circuit, it is
not sounded.
Instead of the money slit being closed by a shutter g³ the slit may be always
open, and instead of a pivoted shoot G, I may use a plate pivoted at its upper edge,
and whose lower edge rests lightly on the shoot C (which in that case would start
immediately beneath the money slit) so that the coin must pass beneath and raise
said plate in descending the shoot. The pivoted plate would carry a spring arm h
as before, which, when the plate is so raised, would make contact with plate H
fixed in a suitable position accordingly.
Figures 7 and 8 are two views representing the balance arrangement, whereby
the completion of the different circuits depends upon the weight instead of the size
of the coins. In this case there is a separate money slit for each denomination of
coin, only just large enough to admit a coin of that value, and beneath each is a
small V shaped trough N, forming the horizontal arm of a bent lever balance.
The different money slits and troughs are separated by division plates o, which
prevent the coins falling out of the balance, except by rolling out at the end of the
V trough N in which the coin is detained until the V trough has descended far
enough to ensure the making of the electrical contact hereafter mentioned. The
counterpoise ann of each balance is by a coin of the proper weight placed in the
V trough of the balance, raised into contact with an insulated contact q.
These

page_text: several contacts q are respectively connected with the small electro-magnets E of
the indicator, whilst all the balances are electrically connected by their bearings with
one pole of the battery. The means for causing the withdrawal of the discs may
be similar to that before described, a pivoted plate being provided beneath each slit
and operating contact arm as before.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The combination of means, substantially as herein described and shown in
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawings, whereby coins of different diameters are
caused to complete different electrical circuits, as and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The combination of an electric indicator, such as that described, and of the
means herein shown and described, whereby coins of different diameters are caused
to complete different electrical circuits, the said circuits being connected respectively
with the electro-magnets of the indicator, and the whole placed in the circuit of a
battery, substantially as specified.
3rd. The combination of an insulated shoot, a movable metallic flange forming
one side of the shoot, and a series of insulated contacts forming the other side
of the shoot and fixed successively nearer to the opposite side of the shoot, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose shown and described.
4th. The combination with the insulated shoot and series of electrical contacts
fixed on an inclined insulating strip, forming one side of the shoot, of a metallic
plate forming the other side of the shoot, and made movable to permit the escape of
the coin over it, substantially as shown and described.
5th. The combination with the wedge-shaped circuit-completing shoot, sub-
stantially as herein described, of a pivoted plate or guide, furnished with a contact
arm for closing the circuit through the large disc, withdrawing electro-magnets,
substantially as shown and described, said plate or guide being operated either by
hand before the coin is inserted, or by the coin itself in passing under, as specified.
6th. The combination of means, substantially as described and shown in Figures
7 and 8, for effecting the closing of different electrical circuits by coins of different
weights, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Ernest Elliott, have hereunto set my
hand and seal. this Twenty fourth day of November, A.D. 1880.