Improvements in Cheques, Drafts, or other Money Orders or Instruments.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 14th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cheques, Drafts, or other Money Orders or
Instruments.
I, WILLIAM TOAN DOREMUS of Fenimore Street, Flatbush, in the County of
Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, Inventor, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in cheques, drafts, or other money orders
or instruments in which a sum of money is directed to be paid and requires the
signature of a person, which instrument may also be used for indicating the amount
or quantity of something other than money which is to be transferred from one party
to another.
The invention relates, particularly, to improvements i blank cheques, drafts, or
similar instruments in which spaces, numerals, and words are arranged so that when
the instrument is properly filled up it cannot be changed or altered, which spaces,
numerals, and words may also be arranged in duplicate so that one set of spaces,
numerals, or words will act as a check on the other and make alteration, without
detection impossible.
The object of this invention is to render a cheque of this class so simple, that it
may be easily, quickly, and correctly filled up, and as easily read or understood,
and also to accomplish this result without diminishing its efficiency as a means of
preventing changing or alteration.
To this end, my invention consists in a blank cheque, draft, money order, or
similar instrument, having spaces, numerals, and words arranged thereon in a
manner to prevent altering or raising of the instrument, said arrangement being
substantially as hereinafter shewn and described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming a portion of this
Specification, which represents a face view of a bank cheque embodying my invention
and filled up in a manner to illustrate its use and in a way to pievent altering or
raising.
The cheque 10 is provided with the usual space 11 in which the name of the
payee is written, the space 12 for the date, the space 13 for the number, and
the space 14 in which the amount of the cheque is written in words, this space
The cheque, as shown in
extending longitudinally of the cheque in the usual way.
the drawing, is also provided with the usual printed matter indicating the place of
issue, the name of the bank, etc., but this may be dispensed with or any other
suitable printed matter substituted. Beneath the space 14 and extending longi-
tudinally of the cheque are parallel lines 15 forming a space between them in one
end and in fact through a greater part of which are produced in consecutive
numerical oriler, reading from left to right, the figures from zero to 19, these
figures representing pounds, pence, or shillings, as the case may be, and the use of
which figures will be hereinafter described. Beneath the lines 15 and extending
longitudinally of the cheque are lines 16, forming spaces in which the name of the
maker may be written and repeated, and these spaces may correspond in number to
the highest number of numerical denomination for which the cheque can be written,
that is to say if the cheque is to be used for numbers containing more than five
figures there may be five spaces and the cheque may be used for any number con-
taining less than five figures but if the cheque is for greater numbers it may have
more or less spaces, as desired. As shown in the drawing, the cheque is adapted
for use in connection with numbers representing not more than three denominations
and consequently there are three of these spaces and three lines 16. The middle

page_text: and left hand portion of the cheque is provided with parallel cross lines 17 which
traverse the lines 16 and 15 and extend above the latter line and these transverse
lines in connection with the intersecting lines 15 and 16 form a plurality of rect-
angular spaces and the lines assist in the easy filling up of the cheque, as the
necessary letters and numerals may be easily placed in a vertical column as will be
hereinafter described. Where the lines 17 extend above the upper line 15 they
form a plurality of spaces 18 and these coincide with the several numerals in the
space between the lines 15 and with certain spaces below, and serve as guides to
enable the written amount of the cheque to be commenced at the right place. At
the left hand of the several lines 15 and 16 are spaces 19 and 20, produced between
parallel or transverse lines, the space 19 being marked "Remain" or with a similar
word which will indicate that this part of the cheque is not to be detached, and
above this space is the numeral 1 and above this the word "Units." Above the
word "Units" in the space 19 is a space formed by oblique lines 21 and in this
space is written the word "Pence." The space 20 is marked "Detach to indicate
that it must be detached when the cheque is to be written for an amount representing
less than ten in pence and above the word "Detach" is the denominational mark
"Tens" and above the tens mark is the word "Pence" written in one of the
oblique spaces formed between the lines 21. A space 22 is formed parallel with
the space 20 and between transverse or vertical lines and in this space is written
"Detach for less amount," above this is the denominational mark "Units" and in
the space above the units mark is the word "Shillings" produced in a space 23
above the word "Units," this space being formed by oblique lines, the lines
registering with the transverse or vertical lines forming the space 22. Parallel
with the space 22 is another space 24 also formed by vertical or transverse lines
and in this is written the words "Detach for less amount" and above these words
is the tens mark, which is produced in a space where it may be distinctly
seen.
"
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Above this tens mark and in a space 25 formed by parallel or oblique lines is the
words "Shillings,' indicating that, when the spaces 24 and 25 are left upon the
cheque, the cheque cannot express a denomination greater than shillings, or an
amount greater than tens. At the left of the shillings spaces or coupons 24 and 25,
is a coupon 26 in which is written "Detach this unit pound coupon for less amount
or words of similar import and this will indicate that when the coupon is detached
the cheque cannot express an amount greater than can be expressed in shillings,
that is an amount less than a pound. Above the words on the coupon 26 and
forming a part of the coupon is the units mark and above this in a space 27 is the
pounds sign £. The cheque may be separated from its counterfoil 29 by a
perforated line 28 which enables it to be easily detached and, as shown in the
drawing, it will be seen that the cheque cannot be written for a sum greater than
nine pounds, nineteen shillings, and eleven pence. The cheque or similar draft or
money order may, however, be arranged so that any desired amounts may be
expressed by it, and in this case all that is necessary is to have additional
detachable coupons similar to the coupon 26 and to make these coupons
represent tens, hundreds, thousands, etc., so that when the cheque is detached
the coupon at the left will indicate that the highest number numerically
expressed in the cheque cannot exceed the numerical denomination expressed in
the left hand coupon.
The cheque is used in the following way, and, in describing its use, the manner
in which altering is prevented, and the position of the words made to indicate the
numerical denomination of the numbers of the cheque, will also be understood.
As shown, the cheque is written for nine pounds, nineteen shillings, and eleven
pence. In this case the cheque is dated numbered and made payable to the order
of a certain person in the usual way and the written words of the amount are
produced in the space 14 the first letter of the first word being written directly
above the numeral in the space between the lines 15 which represents the sum of
the highest denomination expressed in the cheque. In this case the first word of

page_text: "
the written amount is nine, and consequently the "N' is placed above the
numeral 9. The signature is also begun in the same manner, that is, in this case,
the first letter of the signature being "S" it is produced in a vertical line with the
letter "N" of the numerical amount and the numeral 9. This guards against the
alteration of the cheque, as, if the numeral were changed, the letters "S" and
66 N"
would still be in the 9 column and would indicate that the highest numerical
number of the denomination expressed could not exceed 9. To prevent alteration
of the next amount, the signature is repeated in the next space below the first
signature but as shown in the cheque the signature is supposed to be made by the
postmaster by his acting attorney, and consequently the word "By serves as
a repetition of the signature and this is begun in the column representing the
amount of shillings to be paid, which in the present case is nineteen, so that
the repeated signature or the word " By, as in the present case, serves as a
check to prevent the alteration of this amount, as it would be necessary to
change both the words, or all the first line of the repeated signature, and also
the numeral 19. To prevent changing the pence or the smallest numerical deno-
mination of the cheque, the signature may be again repeated, but in this case the
repetition is represented by the name of the attorney and the first letter of the
line repeated, or of the attorney's name, as the case may be, is produced in
the column of the pence amount, which in the present case is 11, and hence to
change the amount it is necessary to change the signature as well as the numerals
indicating the sum of the denomination expressed. In practice it is not necessary
to make so many repetitions and guard against the changing of the minute amounts
of the cheque, as such changes are not usually attempted, but the drawing and
description illustrates the use of the cheque in this way and it will be understood
that these repetitions and the arrangement of the letters and numerals may be
applied to larger ariounts, as for instance to thousands and tens of thousands of
pounds as well as to units of pounds, shillings, and pence. A still further check
against altering or changing is produced by the arrangement of the coupons and
spaces at the left hand end of the cheque. For instance, the cheque as written
would be torn off at the perforated line 28 and it would therefore appear at
once that the cheque could not express legally a greater amount in pounds than
9 pounds and, consequently, if a person succeeded in making the changes in the
body of the cheque, this end coupon would prevent him from successfully carrying
out the alteration. If the cheque is written for an amount less than pounds the
coupon 26 would be torn off; if for an amount less than tens of shillings, the
coupon represented by the space 24 would be torn off; if for an amount less than
shillings, the coupon represented by the space 22 would be torn off'; and if for
an amount less than tens of pence, the coupon represented by the space 20 would
be torn off, so that the space or coupon at the left hand end of the cheque will
always represent the highest numerical denomination of the cheque and as the
signatures and the written amount may be arranged as specified so as to tally with
the numerals of the cheque, it follows that it is an utter impossibility to change or
alter the cheque without detection.
From the foregoing description, it will be seen that in filling up the cheque
everything is done in effect in duplicate although it may be done by writing the
usual amount of matter, or a little more than the usual amount, all that is necessary
being to arrange the signatures and the written amount in the manner specified so
that they will register with the numerals and indicate the highest orders, or the
several orders numerically, of the amount expressed by the cheque in units, tens,
hundreds, and upwards. As before remarked, the frequent repetition of the
signatures may be dispensed with, unless it is desired to express by the several
signatures the exact numerical amount of the cheque, as by simply writing
the signature once and placing the first letter beneath the highest numerical
figure of the cheque, it will prevent this figure from being changed and
if large amounts are used it is not usually necessary to repeat the signature
more than once as a person will not run the risk of losing the whole amount

page_text: of a large cheque for the sake of changing some of the lower denominations of
the cheque.
It will be noticed by reference to the drawing that in the units shillings space 22
or above the space is the numeral 9 so that, in case this space appeared at the end
of the cheque, the cheque could not be made for a greater amount than nine
shillings, and the same arrangement is adopted in the pounds coupon, but if desired
these numerals may be dispensed with and the coupons made to indicate simply
that the cheque may not express more than shillings or pounds as the case
may be.
Any instrument indicating that money is to be paid, may be made in the manner
above described, and it will be understood that orders for corn, wheat, lumber, or
any other commodity, may be arranged in exactly the same way except that the
amounts to be delivered will be expressed in something other than pounds shillings,
and pence, and blank receipts and requisitions may be made in substantially the
manner described, and certificates of stock may also be filled up in the same way,
and altering or raising thus 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-
1. A blank cheque, draft, money order, or similar instrument, having on its face
longitudinal lines or spaces with consecutive numbers between a portion of them
and cross lines traversing the longitudinal lines and extending above the same,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. A blank cheque, draft, money order or similar instrument, having longitudinal
lines upon its face with consecutive numbers between a portion of them and one or
more coupons arranged at one end of the cheque and expressing in regular order
the numerical denomination of the cheque, substantially as described.
3. A blank cheque draft, money order, or similar instrument, having longi-
tudinal lines upon its face with consecutive numbers produced between a portion
of them, a plurality of detachable coupons arranged at one end of the cheque and
indicating characters in numerals and words to distinguish the numerical and
money denomination of the coupons and cheque, substantially as described.
4. A blank cheque, draft, or money order, having longitudinal lines upon its
face with consecutive numbers arranged between a portion of them, one or more
coupons produced at one end of the cheque, denominational marks or words
arranged upon the coupons to indicate their highest amount, and words or similar
signs arranged upon or adjacent to the coupons, to indicate their money character,
substantially as described.
5. A blank cheque, draft, money order, or similar instrument having lines
coupons, and numerals arranged thereon, substantially as shewn in the accompanying
drawing and described in the foregoing Specification.
Натов This izın day of April 1892.
Larco LAS IZMI UHV 01 ADIU LONZ
W. T. DOREMUS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.