Improvements in Check Tills.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Dec.. 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
Improvements in Check Tills.
We, FRANK RANDOLPH MULLINGS PHELPS, of 86 Caroline Street,
Birmingham, Manufacturer, and FREDERICK JAMES COMMIN, of. 7 Bedford
Circus, Exeter, in the County of Devon, Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to check tills, and its object is to simplify and cheapen the
construction of check tills, while maintaining and increasing their efficiency.
Our invention consists in a method of operating check tills, and in mechanism
for producing the effects desired.
In one method of carrying our invention into effect, we arrange a till or drawer
in combination with a revolving desk in such a manner that when each payment is
made, the desk is turned towards the clerk in charge, who is then able to enter the
amount upon a registering slip presented at an opening in the desk; the desk is
then rotated and the entry so made presented for the inspection of the customer.
The act of revolving towards the customer, however, passes the entry under a glass
protecting plate so that it cannot be tampered with from the customers outside.
At the same time the mechanism is so arranged that one revolution of the desk
must be made for each opening and closing of the till, and that the desk must
always be turned in one direction in order to allow of the opening of the till. By
this method of operating a registering strip is travelled through one division at
each rotation of the desk and the clerk marks the sum put into the till on each
division. Should a division be found to be blank at the end of the day, then it
proves that the clerk has opened the till without cause, or without entering the
amount placed into it. The rotating desk is locked up so as to prevent tampering
with the registering strip. This strip may be rotated on rollers or any well-known
device may be adopted to present a series of writing surfaces at an aperture to
enable entries to be made. In one mechanical construction designed to carry our
invention iuto effect we arrange as follows:-
Above the counter we mount a rotating desk which desk carries within it a feed
roll or cylinder of paper and a cylinder on which the paper is rolled from the feed
roll. The first cylinder we shall term the feed cylinder and the second the
receiving cylinder. Both cylinders are mounted on an axis carried in a convenient
frame and the paper is guided over a flat surface preferably inclined like a desk
and guiding rollers are provided. The receiving cylinder is sufficiently rotated
once for each revolution of the desk at the proper time by a wheel placed on its
axis carrying a series of pins or teeth which pins or teeth engage with a projecting
stop attached to the counter so that the receiving cylinder is moved round one
division at each rotation of the desk. The paper is thus moved at equal steps from
the feed to the receiving cylinder and it passes an opening in the desk one half of
which is covered with glass. While the division is opposite the uncovered part
the clerk enters the payment and on rotating the desk the entry passes under the
glass to allow of the customers inspection and cannot be further interfered with.
To ensure the accurate movement of the receiving cylinder through equal divisions
a star wheel is mounted on its spindle and a V shaped projection is forced in by a
spring, tooth by tooth, so that the cylinder settles after equal movements. To
maintain the tension of the paper strip the feed cylinder is fitted with a friction
spring of some kind to maintain the paper taut.

page_text: The desk is constructed in any convenient way to allow it to be locked up, but
we preferably make it in enamelled cast malleable iron and arrange it as a lid with
projections at one end fitting in apertures and a lock at the other end. It may be
made in stamped metal or wood if desired.
The rotating desk is mounted on a strong spindle passing through the counter
behind the end of the drawer and this spindle carries a wheel or wheels or one
wheel or disc arranged to perform the various functions.
The upper part of one of the discs has an upturned edge preferably bevelled
from the outside and undercut or tapering to an edge on the inside. A hook lever
is attached to the end of the drawer and when the drawer is pushed in, the hook
lever rises over the upturned edge of the disc and falling into it, hooks the drawer
firmly, so that it cannot be opened. A gap is cut in this upturned edge at the
desired position, and so the drawer cannot be opened unless the desk is rotated to
bring the gap in position to allow the hook to pass through.
The edge of the upper disc carries at one portion of its circumference projecting
pegs or teeth which at the proper time engage with corresponding teeth of a rack
which is attached to the end of the drawer.
This rack serves to rotate the desk by the act of opening the drawer.
The rotating spindle carries in addition two ratchet wheels, one wheel having
ratchet teeth all round the circumference, the other wheel having teeth for only a
part of its circumference. The ratchet wheel having part of its circumference
with teeth, has its teeth set in the opposite direction to the complete ratchet wheel.
The spring click or pawl of the complete ratchet wheel is always in gear so that
the desk can be rotated in one direction only while the other spring click or
pawl is disengaged by a projection from the end of the drawer when the drawer is
pushed in.
The action of the whole arrangements is as follows:-When the customer has
inspected the entry, the clerk closes the drawer and the hook at the back falls into
the upturned edge of the upper disc and holds the drawer closed.
When the next
customer makes payment, the clerk turns the desk round to himself by hand and
makes the entry; the gap has now come opposite to the hook and the drawer may
be opened. The clerk opens the drawer and on doing so the rack teeth engage the
teeth in the disc and so pulls the desk round till the spring pawl of the partially
toothed ratchet wheel falls into its teeth and stops the rotation with the desk
opposite the customer. This part of the rotation of the desk moves the feed
cylinder and places the entry made by the clerk opposite to the glass plate for
inspection. The desk cannot now be moved in either direction till the clerk closes
the drawer and so causes the projection to open the spring pawl.
In this arrangement the desk is rotated after closing the drawer by hand and it
cannot be rotated further than half a revolution till the clerk has again made an
entry and opened the drawer.
In a modification double racks are arranged so that both closing and opening the
drawer rotates the desk. In this case an added partial toothed or pin wheel is
arranged to engage another rack.
In some cases to ensure that the drawer is opened sufficiently to perform the
whole of the required operation we cover the front part by a lid or plate, to
prevent cash being put in or taken out till sufficient stroke is made.
To prevent the projecting pins from the receiving cylinder from being tampered
with without revolving the desk we surround the lower part which is circular with
a projecting ring which effectually closes it or we sink the circular part into a
recess in the counter.
Instead of arranging the connection between the drawer and spindle of the
revolving desk by rack and toothed or partially toothed wheels, we may operate by
forming a crank upon the said vertical spindle, which crank we couple to the
drawer by a connecting rod; on the spindle we place a disc and arrange the edge
of the disc partly as a ratchet wheel with pawl which allows of rotation in one
direction only and partly as a star wheel or cam wheel with projections or recesses

page_text: I
operated by a spring pressed roller or curved piece. This spring pressed rollersor
curved piece presses the crank round so as to leave it in a position off the.centre
and this enables the drawer to be opened or closed. By this arrangement the
desk is rotated round the whole circle by the opening and closing of the drawer.
Sometimes we provide a spring or other bolt to bolt the drawer arranging a
connecting piece so that each opening of the bolt makes a mark on the strip of
paper in order to register the number of the openings.
By our invention the sums put into the drawer or till are found by taking out
the registering strip, and adding up the entries made by the clerk.
It is to be distinctly understood that the invention may be carried into effect
by other mechanical means or modified means, differing from those hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 11th day of March 1895
MARKS & CLERK,
18 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.
improvements in Check
11113.
.
We,
FRANK RANDOLPH MULLINGS PHELPS, of 86 Caroline Street, in, the
City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, and FREDERICK JAMES COMMIN, of
7, Bedford Circus, Exeter, in the County of Devon, Surveyor, 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:
Our invention relates to check tills, and its object is to simplify and cheapen the
construction of check tills, while maintaining and increasing their efficiency
Our invention consists in a method of operating check tills, and in mechanism
producing the effects desired.
for
In the two accompanying sheets of explanatory drawings to be bereinafter
referred to-
Figure 1 on Sheet. 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 a sectional elevation representing
one convenient form of our improved check till.
Figure 3 is a plan of the revolving disc with the top plate removed.
!.
On Sheet 2 Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 an elevation with part in section
representing a modified form of rotating mechanism.
Figure 6 is a plan of a further modification of the rotating mechanism.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
In one method of carrying our invention into effect as illustrated on Sheet 1 we
arrange upon the counter A a till or drawer A³ in combination with a roxolving
desk B in such a manner that when each payment is maile the desk is turned
towards the clerk in charge, who is then able to enter the amount upon a registering
slip C, presented at an opening A' in 'the desk; the desk is then rotated, and the
entry so made presented for the inspection of the customer. The act of revolving
towards the customer however, passes the entry under a glass protecting plate D,
so that it cannot be tampered with. At the same time the mechanism is so
arranged that one revolution of the desk must be made for each opening and closing
of the till, and that the desk must always be turned in one direction in order to
allow-of the opening of the till. By this method of operating a registering strip.
is travelled through one division at each rotation of the desk, and the clerk marks
the sum put into the till on each division. Should a division be found to be blank
at the end of the day, then it proves that the clerk has opened the till without

page_text: cause, or without entering the amount placed into it. The rotating desk B is
locked up so as to prevent tampering with the registering strip C. This strip may
be rotated on rollers or any well-known device may be adopted to present a series
of writing surfaces at an aperture to enable entries to be made.
The till A' is mounted upon the shop counter, or in any convenient position.
The desk B is mounted upon the spindle B¹ which has a crank B³ secured to its
lower end causing the rotation of the spindle with the attached desk in the manner
hereinafter described.
Within the attached rotating desk we fix a roll or cylinder of paper or like
registering strip C on the spindle E, and a barrel F on which the paper is rolled
from the feed roll or spindle E. The spindle E we shall term the feed spindle,
and the barrel F the receiving barrel. The spindle E and the spindle F1 of the
barrel F are both mounted on a convenient frame G, and the paper on strip C is
guided over a flat surface G¹ of the top plate or frame G, such surface being
inclined to correspond with the indication of the top of the desk, guiding rollers
being provided, to lead the paper in the required direction. The receiving barrel
is sufficiently rotated on its own axis at the proper time at each revolution of the
desk by means of a wheel H, placed on the barrel axis F¹, having teeth which
engage with a projecting stop H₁ attached to the counter or to the top of the
till A, so that the receiving barrel is carried round one division at each rotation of
the desk B. The paper or strip C is thus moved at equal steps from the feed to
the receiving barrel, and it passes an opening A¹ in the desk one half of which is
covered with the glass D. While the division or part of the strip is opposite the
uncovered part D the clerk enters the payment, and on rotating the desk the
entry passes under the glass D to allow of the customer's inspection, and cannot be
further, interfered with.
The desk is constructed in any convenient way to allow it to be locked up, but
we preferably make it in enamelled cast malleable iron and arrange it as a lid with
projections such as B³ at one end fitting in apertures and a lock Bat the other end.
t may be made in stamped metal or wood if desired.
The rotating desk is mounted on a strong spindle B' passing through the
counter A behind the end of the drawer A2 and this spindle carries the crank arm
or disc B³ arranged to perform the various functions.
"To rotate the desk B, the catch lever J attached to the desk, is released,
_permitting of rotation and of the opening of the drawer. The drawer cannot be
opened without a rotating movement of the desk, as the two parts are connected
together by the rod K as illustrated. The ratchet teeth, such as B³ with; the
-catch B are provided to prevent back movement of the desk, thus causing it to be
rotated in one direction only as indicated by the arrow at Figure 1.
. The action of the appliance is as follows:-
After the amount of the purchase has been entered upon the slip C at the
opening A¹ by the clerk or assistant, the catch lever Jis released, the drawer A
opened, and the desk B rotated. When the drawer has been opened to its full
extent; the desk will have rotated through one half of a revolution, and thus the
strip of paper with the figures inserted thereon will be brought opposite to the
purchaser for inspection. During this first half revolution one of the teeth of
the wheel H is brought into contact with the fixed stop H', thus causing a rotation
of the wheel H and the receiving barrel F to a sufficient extent to draw the portion
or division of the slip containing the entry under the glass plate D. On closing
the drawer after insertion of the coin, the desk is rotated through the second half
revolution, and thus the opening A¹ is brought back opposite to the clerk or
assistant ready for the next insertion and is secured in this position by the spring
catch lever J.
Attention is directed to the working of the appliance by the sounding of the
bell M, by the hammer N. The hammer N is fixed at the outer end of a spring
band N¹, secured around the fixed boss B7. The hammer end of the band is
carried a short distance by the projecting lug O fixed to the revolving disc, and so

page_text: arranged as to release the band after a short movement, thus causing the hammer N
to spring back and strike the bell.
The spindles E and F' are prevented from rotation other than that produced by
the action of the wheel H and stop H¹ as herein before described, by means of a
spring such as L arranged between friction rollers mounted on the spindles as
shown at Figure 2.
In the arrangement of rotating mechanism shown at Figures 4 and 5, on the
inner end of the spindle B¹ we fix a disc such as P having a projecting circular
flange or upturned edge P1 preferably bevelled from the outside. A hook lever Q
is attached to the end of the drawer A and when the drawer is pushed in, the hook
lever rises over the upturned edge P' of the disc, and falling into it hooks the
drawer firmly, so that it cannot be opened. A gap P is cut in this upturned edge.
at the desired position, and so the drawer cannot be opened unless the desk is
rotated to bring the gap in position to allow the hook to pass through, as shown at
Figure 4. Projecting pegs or teeth such as P³ are provided on the periphery of
the disc, which at the proper times engage with corresponding teeth of a rack R
which is attached to the end of the drawer. The rack R serves to rotate the desk
through the first half of its revolution by the act of opening the drawer.
On the upper flat face of the disc P we form ratchet teeth B all round the *
circumference, and on the lower flat face we provide a stop P¹. The ratchet teeth
with the catch B* prevent back rotation in the manner hereinbefore described in
reference to the previous figures. The stop P is for the purpose of retaining the
desk in position after it has moved through the first half of one revolution, to
permit of inspection by the purchaser. This is effected by the contact of the
stop P with the projecting lug S' on the lever S. The stop or lug S₁ is brought
into position for engagement or contact with the stop P4 by the action of the
spring S as the drawer is opened, and the stop R' on the rack R drawn away
from the free end of the lever.
On closing the drawer the projection S¹ is forced away from the stop P', thus
permitting the desk to be turned through the second half revolution.
The action of the whole arrangements is as follows. When the customer has
inspected the entry, the clerk closes the drawer, and the hook Q at the back
falls into the upturned edge of the disc P, and holds the drawer closed. When
the next customer makes payment, the clerk turns the desk round to himself
by hand and makes the entry; the gap P2 has now come opposite to the hook
and the drawer may be opened. The clerk opens the drawer, and on doing so
the teeth or gaps in the rack R engage the teeth P³ in the disc and so pulls
the desk round till the stop P engages with the projection S₁ of the lever S
and stops the rotation with the desk opening opposite the customer.
This part
of the rotation of the desk moves the paper within the desk and places the
entry made by the clerk opposite to the glass plate for inspection in the same
manner as in the previous case hereinbefore described. The desk cannot now
be moved in either direction till the clerk closes the drawer, and so causes the
projection S¹ to be drawn away from the stop P.
In this arrangement the desk is rotated after closing the drawer, by hand, and it
cannot be rotated further thau half a revolution till the clerk has again made an
entry and opened the drawer.
In a modification double racks are arranged so that both closing and opening the
drawer rotates the desk.
Instead of arranging the connection between the drawer and spindle of the
revolving desk by rack and toothed or partially toothed wheels, we may operate by
mounting a cam and crank plate such as T, Figure 6, upon the said vertical
spindle B¹ coupling the crank to the drawer by a connecting rod T¹. The edge of
the plate we arrange partly as a ratchet wheel with pawl or catch T2 which allows
of rotation in one direction only, and partly as a cam wheel with projections or
recesses operated by a spring pressed roller T3 mounted on the pawl T. This
spring pressed roller or curved piece presses the crank round so as to leave it in a

page_text: position off the centre, and this enables the drawer to be opened or closed. By this
arrangement the desk is rotated round the whole circle by the opening and closing
of the drawer.
In some cases to ensure that the drawer is opened sufficiently to perform the
whole of the required operation we cover the front by a lid or plate, to prevent
-cash being put in or taken out till sufficient stroke is made.
To prevent the projecting pins or teeth from wheel H within the revolving desk
from being tampered with, or moved without revolving the desk we surround the
lower part, which is circular, with a projecting ring B which effectually closes it
-or we sink the circular part into a recess in the counter.
By our invention the sums put into the drawer or till are found by taking out
the registering strip, and adding up the entries made by the clerk.
It is to be distinctly understood that the invention may be carried into effect by
· other mechanical or modified means, differing from those hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is,-
1. In check tills and like appliances the use of a revolving desk having
mechanism arranged within the same for producing a movement of the registering
strip at each revolution, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
2. In check tills and like appliances, the method of producing a movement of
the registering strip by the rotary movement of the desk within which it is
mounted substantially as herein described.
·
"..
3. An improved check till or like a ance having a desk mounted upon a
central pin or pivot, with mechanism as anged within the same for producing a
movement of the registering stain wwith a connection with the drawer or like
.ad for the purposes hereinbefore described,
e accompanying drawings.
move
+. The improved general construction and arrangement of a check till substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 12th day of December 1805.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicants.