Year: 1898

page_text: I, WILLIAM SNELGROVE, of Sheldon, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with cash tills, and
its primary object is to arrange and adapt such mechanism in conjunction with
electrical apparatus, so that the amount deposited or dealt with shall from
time to time be illuminated or indicated by means of such electrical apparatus;
also improved means of checking and recording the amounts registered from
time to time &c.
According to this my invention the cash drawer and its mechanism is much
as usual. A number of finger pressure levers are mounted above the drawer,
whose finger pressure plates are marked with given values after the ordinary
manner. The drawer is held in its locked position by means of a spring or
catch, which is released upon the depression of a lever, which is carried beneath
the finger levers, so that when striking either of the latter, the drawer is un-
locked and flies open.
At the inner end of each of these levers is placed a switch which, when the
lever is depressed, puts a current of electricity into circuit. At a suitable
place, a glass or other suitable plate or the like is arranged with divisions,
apertures or the like, having similar amounts displayed, to those upon the
lever keys. This may consist for instance of a sheet of glass upon which divi-
sions are arranged, having the various stated amounts indicated thereon. Behind
each such division is an electrical lamp which is thrown into circuit by the
switch at the end of the particular lever which corresponds to it in indicated
value, such illumination continuing so long of course as the switch is in con-
tact.
It is sometimes desirable that the illumination shall continue for some time
after the deposit has been made, until the next deposit is made. This I may
effect by forming the switch by means of a sliding cone or wedge like piece,
which may slide or otherwise move upon or from the end of the lever, so that
when pushed upwards into contact, it shall sufficiently wedge itself to hold
therein so that the lever may return without it. Upon the opening of the
drawer, or upon the striking of a key for the next deposit however, such switch
is released, and the contact piece falls into its proper position upon its lever.
In some cases I may arrange that such illumination may be made to cease
upon the closing of the drawer, that is, the closing movement of the drawer
shall break contact; hence should the illumination continue for an unreason-
able length of time, it would arrest attention that the drawer was possibly
being tampered with.
The source of electricity may be any of the usual means, either by batteries
or from a main current from dynamo &c.

page_text: In conjunction with the lever mechanism, I may employ any of the usual
recording mechanisın, which are usually operated by ratchet wheel or the like.
I further provide in combination with each of the aforesaid finger levers
a pricker which under depression shall pierce and mark a record sheet of paper.
Such sheet of paper is preferably mounted upon a roller beneath the said
prickers, to which a slight forward movement is given each time the drawer is
opened and closed. This paper is preferably divided off into columns which
are headed as to value of the key lever under which such column will lie when
upon the roll. Hence upon every depression of a lever the paper will be
pricked or marked at that given spot, or of course more than one of such prick-
ings will be made in the same horizontal line should it require more than one
lever to register the amount. More than one sheet of paper may if desired be
pierced at the same time. Such sheets when removed will furnish an indispu-
table record which may be inspected at any convenient time.
More than one of the illuminating parts of the apparatus may be used if
desired and operated by the same fingering and drawer mechanism, as for
instance, there may be a duplicate indication, in any place other than where
the till is located, where a duplication of wires can be laid to set up simulta-
neous currents.
Dated this 11th day of November 1898
WILLIAM SNELGROVE, of Sheldon, in the County of Warwick, Engineer, 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 fol-
lowing statement:
This invention relates to improvements in or connected with cash tills having
registering or like mechanism, my object being to adapt and arrange such
mechanism in effective and reliable combination with electrical illuminating
apparatus, so that the amount deposited or dealt with at the till shall be auto-
matically displayed in a conspicuous position for ready inspection by the pur-
chaser.
In order that my invention may be the more readily understood I append
hereunto three sheets of explanatory drawings to be hereinafter referred to.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 is a sectional side elevation of a registering cash till
as arranged in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is an elevation and Figure 2 an end view showing separately (in
diagram form) the electric circuit breaking device.
Figure 3 is an isometric view, showing, to a larger scale, the cash drawer
catch bolt.
Figure 4 (Sheet 2) is an elevation of the rear or back end of the till, showing
the electrical connections.
Figure 5 (Sheet 3) is an elevation, and Figure 6 a sectional plan, of the dis-
play frame.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
The mechanism of the cash till is arranged for operation by the various finger
keys in the ordinary manner, such keys being marked to represent different
values.

page_text: The drawer is held in its closed position by drop catch bolts as A, the release
of such bolts to permit of the opening of the drawer being effected by the de-
pression of any one of the keys; each of the keys is mounted upon levers as B,
the depression of the key 6 at one end of the said lever causing the opposite
end to be raised and thus act upon the cross bar C, (extending completely across
the machine) and connected at its ends with the levers C¹ and C² respectively.
By such action the said levers C' and C are raised and upon abutting against
lateral projections as a from the catch bolts as A, the latter are lifted out of
engagement with the notched edges as D of the drawer, which then flies open
under the action of the spring E. A catch bolt as A with its projections a is
arranged on each side of the machine adjacent to the levers C₁ and C3 respec-
tively.
At the inner end of each of the levers as B I arrange a switch or connection,
which, when the outer end of one of the levers is depressed, completes the cir-
cuit for permitting the electric current to pass through to the particular lamp
governed or controlled by such lever. The lamps (of the electric incandescent
type) are arranged in a display frame as F (Figures 5 and 6) fixed in a suitably
conspicuous place and at any distance from the machine. The display frame
has a ground glass or other suitable front and is divided into a number of sepa-
rate compartments, each compartment containing a lamp. The complete num-
ber of lamps and compartments of the display frame corresponds with the com-
plete number of keys on the cash till, and at the front of each compartment,
immediately behind the glass front I place an opaque plate or sheet suitably
perforated to represent a value corresponding with the value indicated on one
of the keys of the till. Thus, for example, the opaque plate G is so perforated
that the light from the lamp at the back of same will display a figure or symbol
representing one penny.
The electric current for the lamps, which is obtained from a public supply
main or otherwise, passes from one of the main terminals as H to the bar or
conductor J which extends completely across the machine but is insulated
therefrom. From such bar the connection with the display frame F is formed
only through the switches controlled by the levers B. Each of the said switches
comprises spring or clip like contact plates or strips as K arranged on opposite
sides of an insulating bar L, and a movable part consisting of a bar as M having
its upper portion reduced to pass within the hollow centre of the said insulat-
ing bar L which serves as a guide. The bar M is insulated from the operating
parts beneath it and from the complete machine itself, by a suitable insulating
piece m. The stalk M₁ beneath and insulated from the bar M has two lateral
projections as m² and m², the projection m¹ being arranged for engagement by
the lever B (on the depression of the key end), and the projection m³ for retain-
ing the switch in circuit. On the elevation of the inner end of the lever B
(when the key is depressed) the bar M is raised and pushed between the spring
like contact strips and thus an effective electric connection is made with the
particular lamp controlled by the switch. The connection is maintained and
the illumination from the lamp continued, by the engagement (shown in dotted
lines) of the projection m² with the catch plate N¹ on the pivotted frame N,
until, on the next use of the machine the elevation of the inner end of another
of the levers B operates the levers C¹ and C³, as hereinbefore described, By
such operation the descent of the ends of the levers C¹ and C adjacent to the
pivotted frame N, pushes aside or rocks the upper end of the said frame and
thus releases the catch plate N1 from engagement with the projection m³. On
such release the bar M is withdrawn (by the action of the spring 0) from the
contact strips K and the electrical connection is broken.
Instead of arranging for a continued illumination on the display frame as
herein before described, I sometimes arrange a spring switch as P (Figure 2)
in combination with the inner end D¹ of the cash drawer, so that when the
drawer is completely closed the switch is operated, against the action of the

page_text: spring, and thus a break is made in the portion of the circuit between the cross
bar or conductor J and the terminal H. With this arrangement an illumina-
tion of the display frame can occur only when the drawer is not completely
closed, and hence the continuance of the illumination for an unreasonable time
would arrest attention and suggest that the drawer was possibly being tampered
with.
I further provide in combination with each of the levers as B a pricker as 61,
which, on the depression of the key b will pierce a record sheet of paper which
is intermittently drawn from one roller as Q on to another roller as Q by the
opening and closing movement of the drawer. The paper is preferably divided
or ruled with value columns which are arranged to fall in alignment with the
prickers of the levers representing corresponding values. Hence upon every
depression of a lever the paper will be pricked or marked in the proper column.
More than one sheet of paper may if desired be pierced at the same time, and
such sheets when removed will furnish an indisputable record.
The cash till can be arranged to simultaneously operate two or more display
or illuminating frames fixed in different positions.
Having now particularly 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:
1. In registering cash tills having electrically illuminated display frames in
conjunction therewith, the arrangement and combination of each of the keys or
operating levers as B of the cash till, with a switch comprised by a bar M insu-
lated from the machine and from the lever connecting and sustaining mecha-
nism or devices through which it is forced and retained between the insulated
spring or clip like contact pieces K for completing the electric circuit, sub-
stantially as described and as illustrated.
2. In registering cash tills having electrically illuminated display frames in
conjunction therewith, the arrangement and combination of a switch as P with
the drawer of the cash till and in the main electric circuit, whereby such cir-
cuit is broken on the closing of the said drawer, substantially as described and
illustrated.
3. The improved arrangement and combination of a registering cash till with
a display frame and electrical fittings and connections, substantially as and
for the purpose described and as illustrated.
1
1
100
1
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, & 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.