AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THE SURREPTITIOUS EXTRACTION OF COINS AND OTHER ARTICLES FROM MONEY BOXES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS WHETSTONE of 186 Fleet Street in the City of London Contractor
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR PREVENTING THE SURREPTITIOUS EXTRACTION OF COINS AND OTHER ARTICLES
FROM MONEY BOXES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to prevent the surreptitious extraction of coins
and other articles such as letters and the like from money boxes and other
receptacles which extraction is generally attempted to be effected by way of the
slit or slot in the top or upper part of the receptacle through which the coins or.
other articles are placed in the said receptacle. The methods by which this
extraction is generally attempted are either the insertion through the slit of a rod
or other appliance with some adhesive material on its end whereby a letter or other
article may
be lifted up to and through the slit or when the box is not a fixture
the reversing of the said box upside down or thereabouts and with the blade of a
knife or other thin flat instrument trying to make the coins or other articles fall
through the said slit or slot.
To carry out this object and to render these aforesaid or other methods of
extraction impracticable and impossible of accomplishment I place round the slit
or slot in the top or upper part of the receptacle on the inner side thereof a guard
of a suitable size and shape preferably somewhat of a funnel shape. This guard
I make of a number of metal rings so interlaced together in any convenient
manner as to form a broad endless band of a kind of chain mail. One side of this
band and if the said band is of a funnel shape preferably the larger side thereof is
firmly secured to the inner side of the top or upper part of the receptacle round the
slit or slot therein and thus when the said receptacle is placed or held in its right
and proper position the guard of chain mail hangs straight down or as nearly so as
the shape of the said receptacle will allow and no impediment is, offered to the
downward passage of a coin or a letter or other article through and from the said
slit or slot into the said receptacle but when a rod or other appliance is inserted the
chain mail hangs closely round the same and if the said rod or other appliance does
lift up any letter or other article the said chain mail will prevent the said article
being lifted through the guard up to the slit or slot or extracted therethrough or
when the box or receptacle is a movable one and is inverted or inclined the guard
of chain mail falls down over the slit or slot and thereby prevents the extraction of
the coin or other article by that method.

page_text: 1 THOMAS WHETSTONE of 186 Fleet Street in the City of London Contractor
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR PREVENTING THE SURREPTITIOUS EXTRACTION OF COINS AND OTHER ARTICLES
FROM MONEY BOXES AND OTHER RECEPTACLES 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 my invention is to prevent the surreptitious extraction of coins
and other articles such for example as letters and the like from money boxes and
other receptacles which extraction is generally attempted to be effected by way of
the slit or slot in the top or upper part of the receptacle through which the coins
or other articles are placed in the said receptacle. The methods by which the
extraction aforesaid is generally attempted are either the insertion through the slit
or slot of a rod or other appliance with some adhesive material on its end whereby
a letter or other article may be lifted up to and through the said slit or slot or
when the box or receptacle is not a fixture the said box. or receptacle, is reversed
upside down or thereabouts and with the blade of a knife or other thin flat
instrument the attempting to make the coins or other articles fall through the said
slit or slot. Now by this my invention I frustrate these aforesaid methods as well
as any others that may be tried..
To carry out this my object and to render these aforesaid or other methods of
extraction impracticable and impossible of accomplishment I place round the slit
or slot in the top or upper part of the receptacle and on the inner side thereof
inside the said receptacle a guard of a suitable size and shape preferably somewhat
of a funnel shape. This guard I make of a number of rings preferably of metal so
interlaced together in any suitable and convenient manner as to form a broad
endless band of a kind of chain mail. I prefer to make this band of rings as
aforesaid but I do not limit myself to round rings as I may make the chain mail
required of separate pieces-of-material-of-any-convenient shape which will produce
the flexible band desired. This band may be lined with cloth or washleather or
other similar and suitable material if I should so desire to prevent any noise from
the shaking of the chain mail or other inconveniences. One side of this band and
if the said band is of a funnel shape preferably the larger side thereof is firmly and
strongly secured in any convenient manner and by any suitable appliances to the
inner side of the top or upper part of the box or receptacle entirely round the slit
or slot therein and thus when the said box or receptacle is placed or held in its right
and proper position the guard of chain mail hangs straight down or as nearly so as
the shape of the said box or receptacle will allow and no impediment is offered to
the downward passage of a coin or a letter or other article through and from the
Baid slit or slot into the said box or receptacle but when a rod or other appliance is
inserted the chain mail before described hangs closely round the same and if the
said rod or other appliance does lift up any letter or other article the said chain

page_text: mail will prevent the said letter or other article being lifted up through the said
guard to the slit or slot or being extracted therethrough as is desired or when the
box or receptacle to which this my apparatus is applied is not a fixture but is
movable and is inverted or inclined the aforesaid guard of chain mail falls down
over the said slit or slot and thereby prevents the extraction of the coin or other
article by that method as also is desired. In some receptacles the slit or slot is a
large and broad one and to prevent the guard of chain mail being drawn out
therethrough which might be possible in some instances I can secure any suitable
contrivance or appliance such for example as a small rod on the outer side of the
band in the proper position transversely to the length of the said slit or slot or
I can secure the guard itself or connect in any suitable manner the said guard to
the proper position on the inside of the said receptacle and thus render the
drawing of the guard of chain mail through the said slit or slot impossible of
accomplishment as is desired.
In the accompanying drawing I shew an ordinary money box as fitted with this
my guard.
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the money box and of the guard. Figure 2 is
a plan of the inner side of the top of the box shewing a convenient manner of
securing the guard thereto.
A is the money box round the slit or slot B whereof is secured the broad endless
band of chain mail C which forms and constitutes the guard required as is
herein before described and declared. Two rods D are passed through the upper
row of the rings of this band C and the ends of the said rods D are secured to the
top of the box in the proper positions by the sides of the slit or slot B therein by
the transverse pieces E and if required further fastenings may be provided therefor
in the centres of their lengths by the eyebolts or staples F and thus the
band C is firmly and strongly secured entirely round the said slit or slot B as
is desired.
This my invention as hereinbefore described is obviously applicable in the same
or a similar manner to all receptacles that are fitted with slits or slots for the
insertion of the articles the said receptacles are formed to receive and retain and
according to this my method of fitting the same with the apparatus hereinbefore
described the surreptitious extraction of the said articles fromthe said receptacles
is entirely prevented..
Having now
described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The guard consisting of an endless band of chain mail placed round the slit or
slot of a receptacle substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described and
declared.