Improvements in and relating to Cash Tills.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1893-Accepted, 24th June, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Cash Tills.
I, JOHN MCHUGH, of "The White Swan" 36 Great Alie Street, Whitechapel,
London E., Licensed Victualler 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 my invention is to provide an apparatus to be fixed upon counters
and similar places where retail trade is carried on, for-Firstly-preventing or
guarding against attempted fraud on the part of customers, through an assertion by
them made, that a coin or coins were tendered of greater value than that actually
received, and Secondly of a system operating in connection with the said apparatus
for preventing or guarding against fraud on the part of the employes exercised
against either the customer or the employer, or both.
The apparatus above referred to consists of a glass receptacle, having a slotted
aperture therein, into which the actual value in coin or coins received, is or are
placed in full view of the customer, and which may be there retained until such
time has elapsed, beyond which a customer could not reasonably expect, that an
error, if made, could or should be rectified, and from which the coin or coins therein
placed cannot be removed until certain mechanism, mounted upon and within the
frame in which the said glass receptacle is fitted, is operated by the attendant or
employe in charge thereof, when the whole of the coins therein are thereby caused
or allowed to fall into a till or drawer situated beneath the counter.
In the presence and use of this apparatus, a customer would hesitate before, and
be deterred from asserting, that a coin had been given of larger value than that
actually paid, since the coin would be before them in the glass receiver, and the
attendant or employe would be prevented from surreptitiously appropriating to his
own use any portion of the actual value received, for the reason that such fraud
would be open to detection, and be denounced by, the customer from which the
said value or amount was received.
In large establishments, where a number of assistants are employed at one long
counter, it is usual to allot to each assistant a certain portion of said counter, his
duty being to wait upon and serve, all the customers that may apply at such
portion, which, for instance, may be, the glove, tie or shirt portion of a drapers
counter, or certain lounges or private departments of a licensed victuallers bar, and
in such cases, one of the said apparatus would be under the control of each
assistant, individually, who would be held responsible for a certain amount of cash
as small change, which would be allotted to him, by the manager or other person,
at the commencement of the days business, or at the commencement of the term at
which the assistant would be at work, such change consisting of a plentiful supply
of coppers, and a sufficient number of sixpences, shillings etc., and if a coin was
tendered by a customer of larger value than the article or articles purchased, it
would be the duty of the attendant to place such coin with his said change, and
take therefrom its value in smaller coins, so that he could return the proper change
to the customer, and place the value of the purchase in the said glass receptacle,
and if, say, a two shilling piece had been tendered by the customer who afterwards
asserted it was half a crown, the fraud could be proved by the attendant counting
his stock of change, when, if such assertion be true, he would be sixpence over, and
in either case the fraud or error could be thereby detected, and on the other hand,
should the attendant by error give change of half a crown when only two shillings
had been received, he would eventually find he was sixpence short in his small
change.
The till or draw into which the coins released from the receiver would fall, may

page_text: be divided by a partition into two compartments, the one for receiving the fallen
coins (which may be the back portion) being under the control of the cashier,
manager or other responsible person, who alone would have access thereto, for
periodically removing the cash received in the course of trade, the other or front
portion or compartment being provided with bowls, recesses or other suitable
spaces or divisions for receiving and holding the before mentioned small change,
.this portion being under the control of the said assistant, who, as before stated
would be responsible therefor. Or a suitable array of receptacles for the said
small change may be arranged at the back or other part of the assistants domain,
but still under his control and responsibility.
In order that my invention and the manner of the operation of the said
apparatus may be fully understood 1 have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings,
in which,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a glass block, having a longitudinal vertical slot
formed therein, which constitutes the said glass receiver for the coins.
Fig. 2 is a cross, sectional view of same.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a metal frame which receives and holds Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a second or oscillating frame, which is pivotted upon the inside of Fig. 3,
but outside Fig. 1.
Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate the movements of Fig. 4 when in use, and which will be
hereinafter fully explained.
Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section of an entire apparatus, and a portion of
a counter upon which it would be fitted, with a till or drawer beneath.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of part of a counter and till, with the apparatus in
position thereon.
Similar letters of reference are used to indicate the same or like parts in all the
views.
I carry my invention into effect by constructing of any suitable metal or
metalloid, a frame, preferably, but not imperatively of the design shewn by Fig. 3,
and which may be plated and otherwise elaborated in any desired manner; and
consists of a top plate A, supported by standards B and B, connected at or about
mid way of their length by a counter plate C. A second metallic frame Fig. 4, is
arranged to occupy a position within Fig. 3 in such a manner that the standards
thereof D and D, pass through slots a and b in the plate C, and are pivotally
mounted upon B and B by the means of studs or pins c thereon engaging with
holes d in D and D'. The upper ends of D D' are connected by a slotted plate E,
to which is connected or formed integrally therewith, and at a suitable angle
thereto, a projecting plate or extension E, while the lower ends of D D¹ are
connected by a solid plate F, which occupies a position below the plate C, when
Fig. 4 is mounted as stated within Fig. 3.
I cast or otherwise provide of crystal glass, a block G, preferably of the shape
shewn in Fig. 1, in which is formed during its manufacture, a horizontal slot G',
which extends vertically therethrough, and of such a width as to easily receive and
pass a penny piece, and preferably of such a length as to be capable of holding
twelve such coins when placed therein as at Fig. 7. The said block G, if provided
with a flange e, would be passed upwardly through an aperture H in C of the frame
Fig. 3, a recess being provided in the under surface of C for the reception of e, but
when said flange does not exist, G would be seated in the aperture H, and in either
case, G would be retained in position by means of the studs or pins c engaging with
recesses in the ends thereof, and when so fixed, the upper orifice of the slot G',
would be immediately beneath a corresponding size slot I in the plate A, the slot in
the intervening plate E being preferably wider, as shewn at Fig. 4.
The lower end of the standard D of Fig. 4, is provided with a lug g, to which is
connected one end of a spiral spring h, the opposite end abutting against a lug i on
the standard B, the tension of h tending to force the lower end of D from left to
right of Fig. 5, but is prevented from doing so by a stop k on D, which abuts
against the side of B, therefore, g, hi and k collectively operate to keep D in a

page_text: vertical position, when at rest as at Fig. 5, and when in this position the plate F
would be immediately below, and almost in touch with, the lower orifice of G' in G,
so that when coins were dropped therein, these would be prevented from falling
through by F, but if the lug g be pushed from right to left of Fig. 5, so as to
compress the spring h, and deflect the standards D D₁ as at Fig. 6, the plate F
would be removed from under the lower orifice of G¹ and permit the coins therein
to fall through into a till or drawer beneath, and at the same time the angular
plate E would be brought immediately between the slot I in A, and the upper
orifice of G, and so prevent any more coins being dropped into G', until the
pressure upon g was released, and D D' and F restored to their normal position by
the tension of h, thus preventing the possibility of the attendant, at this time,
receiving two coins from a customer and passing only one through G¹, and
fraudulently appropriating the other as would be possible if at any time there was
a clear passage from the upper orifice of G' into P. The functions of the inner
frame Fig. 4 will now be fully understood.
The thus constructed apparatus would be placed upon a counter or bar L, in the
position shewn by Fig. 8, in which had previously been made a suitable aperture
for the reception thereof, and which may be secured in position by means of the
feet m and n on B and B', being screwed to the under surface of L as at Fig. 7,
or in lieu of this method of fastening, or in addition thereto, the apparatus may be
secured by means of screws passing through the sides of the plate C into Las at
Fig. 8.
In Figs. 5 and 6 I show a method of deflecting the standards D D', by the means
of a rod M and knob N, the former of which may be arranged to pass through the
counter top L as at Fig. 8, but I do not confine myself to this method but may
employ a bell crank or its equivalent located below L, and arrange that this may
operate to push the lug g and collapse the spring h, by the depression of a knob
upon the upper surface of L, and I may arrange that the depression of said knob,
or the pushing in of M and N, may, by mechanical, electrical or pneumatic means,
agitate a sonorous signal, so as to audibly announce the emptying of the glass
receiver in the manner stated.
The till or receptacle for the coins that pass through G, and in some cases, for
holding the stock of small change previously described, is shewn in position by P
in Figs. 7 and 8.
By the employment of the said apparatus in the manner stated, in conjunction
with the system of periodically alloting a given value of small change, fraud on the
part of the customer, or dishonestly on the part of the employe is entirely
prevented.
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.
1st. The construction and use of the herein described improved apparatus for the
reception of coins tendered in payment, and the employment of the herein described
system operating in conjunction therewith, for the prevention or detection of fraud,
substantially as herein set forth.
2nd. In an improved apparatus for the reception of coins tendered in payment,
the construction and use of a metallic frame, Fig. 3, consisting of standards B B',
connected at their upper ends by a slotted plate A, and midway by a counter
plate C, having an aperture H, for receiving and holding a crystal glass block G,
with slotted aperture G¹, and slots a and b for the reception of standards D D' of
an inner frame Fig. 4, connected at their upper ends by a slotted plate E, with
angular extension E', and at their lower ends by a solid plate F, and pivotted upon
studs or pins c on B B', the whole connected as described and fixed upon a
counter L; the manner of retaining the coins placed in G', by the plate F, kept in
position by the agency of a spring h, stop k, lug g, and projection i, the manner of
simultaneously releasing said coins, depositing them in P, and closing the upper

page_text: aperture of G', by the pressure of a knob N, or its equivalent, with or without
operating a sonorous signal mechanically, electrically or mechanically, the whole
combined and operating substantially as and for the purposes herein described and
shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of May 1893.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.