Improvements in Self-registering Money Tills.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894
PROVISIONAL DE MULTICATION.
Improvements in Self-registering Money Tills.
I, PETER GASKELL, of 29 Aston Lane, Perry Barr, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, out of business do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
:-
The object of my invention is to construct an improved form and arrangement
of mechanism for indicating and registering amounts of money received.
My invention consists of an enclosed case containing wheelwork and registering
mechanism, such as that known as Hardings," or modified forms thereof, having
a number of wheels fitted to concentric spindles and sleeves, the wheels carrying
short cylinders, upon the surfaces of which suitable numbers to indicate numerals
of coins of various denominations are engraved or marked. Pinions and other
wheels are fitted to work in gear with the wheels, in such a manner that one
revolution, or portion of a revolution of a wheel of a lower denomination, causes a
portion of a revolution of a wheel indicating higher values.
The mechanism is duplicated, when necessary, by suitable gear, in such a manner
that the amount indicated by the receiver is exposed to view to the person paying
the same.
The indications may be made by means of discs, with hands or
indicators, or by means of the exposure of the figures formed upon the cylindrical
portions of the wheels.
The usual ratchets and pawls are fitted to prevent the reverse motion of the
wheels, and ensure the correct working of the registering mechanism.
Dated 5th December 1893.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-registering Money Tills.
1, PETER GASKELL, of No. 29 Aston Lane, Perry Barr, Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, out of business, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 those instruments or machines, commonly used in retail
shops and known as self-registering money tills, in which the shop assistant, on
putting money received from a purchaser into the money drawer of the till, operates
mechanism for the purpose of indicating and exhibiting the amount of the purchase;
the said instruments or machines also register the amount of moneys received by
the person or persons using them.
My invention consists of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts
hereinafter described for effecting the objects hereinbefore referred to, whereby the
said instruments or machines are much simplified and their action is made more
efficient than that of machines of the ordinary kind.
-
In constructing a self-registering money till according to my invention I arrange
the mechanism in a case or box situated preferably above the money drawer of the
till the operation of the machine effecting the release or unbolting of the said

page_text: money drawer which is thereupon projected open by the action of a spring or
springs situated at the back of the drawer.
The mechanism constituting my invention consists essentially of a shaft passing
from the front to the back of the machine, which shaft I will hereinafter refer to
as the principal shaft; the said principal shaft carries several concentric hollow
shafts or sleeves. The principal shaft and two of its concentric sleeves project
through the case at front and terminate in handles carrying indicators or pointers
by means of which handles the pointers or indicators may be turned from their
zero position into any other position on a graduated circular dial. One of the
handles is for the purpose of indicating pounds on the dial and is preferably marked
with the symbol "£" and the other handles are for the purpose of indicating on
the dial shillings and pence and they are preferably respectively marked with the
symbols "s" and "d." The motion of the principal shaft and its concentric
sleeves is transmitted by means of cords passing over pulleys on the said principal
sbaft and sleeves to a second shaft having concentric hollow shafts or sleeves, the
axis of which is at right angles to the axis of the principal shaft. The said second
shaft and sleeves carry drums having numerals engraved or otherwise marked
thereon which on the motion of the said drums are brought before openings
preferably at the front and back and near the top of the case of the machine. The
numerals brought to rest in front of the said openings indicate the amount of the
purchase made, the money received for which the shop assistant is introducing
into the money drawer of the till. On moving the handles or indicators back to
their zero position preparatory to indicating the amount of the next purchase the
mechanism registers the amount of the last indicated purchase. In registering the
amount of a purchase the sum is added by the registering mechanism to the sum of
the purchases already registered so that a person may by inspecting the machine
see on the registering drums carried by the principal shaft and its sleeves the total
amount of money which has been indicated by the machine since the mechanism
started from its zero position.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in front elevation a self
registering money till containing my improvements; Figure 2 represents the same
with the case and the handles by which the mechanism of the till is operated
removed;
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the till, the side of the case being removed
for the purpose of exhibiting the mechanism :
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the till some of the parts being omitted as
hereinafter explained:
Figure 5 is a vertical section through the mechanism of the till the said section
being taken in a plane at right angles to the section Figure 4;
Figure 6 represents a portion of Figure 2 drawn separately and
Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 represent details drawn to a larger scale.
Figures 12 and 13 represent views of a modification of a portion of the mechanism
as hereinafter described.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
A is the case of the instrument or machine baving at front the circular dial a
and at top the pane of glass a². The said pane of glass a² is masked as represented
so as to present openings at the parts marked a³, a³, a³ through which the figures
indicating the amount of the last purchase are read. The back of the case of the
machine also has a pane of masked glass opposite and corresponding with and
marked with the same letters of reference as that at the frout (see Figure 4) so
that when the money till is situated on a shop counter the amount of the purchase
indicated is exhibited at both sides of the counter. The openings or unmasked
parts a of the panes a² at front and back of the case A in Figure 4 are further
indicated by arrows passing through them.
bis the principal shaft of the machine terminating at front in the operating
handle B is a sleeve or hollow shaft turning freely on the principal shatt b and

page_text: terminating at front in the operating handle C: d is a sleeve or hollow shaft turning
freely on the sleeve c and terminating at front in the operating. handle D. The
operating handle B is for the purpose of indicating on the inner circle of figures
on the dial a purchases amounting to one or more pounds; the operating handle C
is for the purpose of indicating on the inner circle of figures on the dial a purchases
amounting to one shilling and fractions of a pound in shillings and the operating
handle D is for the purpose of indicating on the outer circle of figures purchases
amounting to pence and half pence. The machine may be arranged to indicate
farthings as will be readily understood from the description hereinafter given.
On turning one or other of the operating handles in the direction of the arrow
in Figure 1 the part of the mechanism for effecting the unfastening of the money
drawer E of the till is first operated and the forward motion also operates the
indicating mechanism for bringing before the openings a³ in the masked panes a
the figures representing the amount of the purchase the money for which the shop
assistant has introduced or is about to introduce into the open mouey drawer. On
the back motion of the handles for the purpose of bringing them into their zero
position the registering mechanism is operated. The handles B, C, D are
prevented from turning in a backward direction beyond the zero position by the
stop bar e.
I will first describe that part of the mechanism by which the money drawer of
the till is unfastened.
Situated so as to be capable of turning freely on the sleeve d is a collar / having
at its front end a radial arm f¹ the end of which carries a horizontal pin fcrossing
the operating handles D, C, B (see Figures 3 and 4); the other end of the collar f
has a projection or short afm f³ which in the normal position of the parts rests
under a horizontal projection g² on the short arm of the lever g, (see Figures 2
and 6). The said lever g, g' turns upon a pin h fixed to the vertical bolt plate F
and its short arm g rests against a stop also on the bolt plate. A cord or gut i
is fixed at one end to the collar and the other end is coiled upon and fixed to the
spring G. On the turning of one or other of the operating handles B, C, D the
collar fis turned by the handle acting on the pin of the arm f. The short arm 3
acting on the projection g² lifts the lever g, y' and through it the bolt plate F
into the position represented in Figure 6, the bolt plate being guided in its vertical
motion by the staple plate guide k and pin and slot at 2. The bottom end of the
bolt plate being thus lifted out of the notch e2 in the money drawer E the said
drawer is automatically opened by the action of the springe represented in Figure 4.
On the furtlier turning of the collar the short arm escapes the projection 2
and the bolt plate F is free to fall on the pushing inwards by hand of the money
drawer E. By the turning of the collar in the direction hereinbefore indicated
the gut is drawn from off the spring barrel G and is wound upon the said collar f
so that on the return of the operating handle the collar is by the action of the
spring of the barrel G made to follow and return with the said operating handle
and resume its normal position. On the backward motion of the collar the short
armescapes the projection g² by turning the lever g, into the dotted position
represented in Figure 6, the pin 2 on the bolt plate acting as a stop for the long
arm so that on the short arın reaching the position represented in Figure 2, the
lever g, g¹ resumes its normal position by the action of the weighted end of its
long arm gl.
16"
On the turning of the operating handles in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1
into the positions on the dial a for indicating the amount of the purchase the figures
representing the amount of the purchase are made to appear at the openings a³, ³,
of the panes a, a' by the following arrangement and combination of parts. For
example when the operating handles are moved into the positions indicated in dotted
lines in Figure 1 the figures indicating a purchase of £10 7 1 are brought
by the mechanism hereinafter described in front of the openings a³, a³, a³.
:
Above the principal shaft b and crossing it at right angles is a second or indicator
shaft L with concentric sleeves or hollow shafts L, L' shown separately drawn to a

page_text: larger scale in vertical section and cross section respectively, in Figures 7 and 8.
The indicator shaft and sleeves are omitted in the section Figure 4. The shaft L
carries the pence indicator drums 1, 1; the sleeve L' carries the pounds indicator
drums,, and the sleeve L2 carries the shillings indicator drum, . The
drums, and carry the figures for indicating at the front of the machine
pounds, shillings and pence respectively, and the drums 13, 1, 1 carry the figures
for indicating the same at the back of the machine.
The indicator drums 12, 13 and 11 and 1, are driven from the principal shaft b
and sleeves c, d respectively in the following manner.
The shaft 6 and sleeves c, d have fixed on them respectively by means of set
screws m, m, m (see Figures 4 and 11) barrels 2, c² and d². Fixed to pulleys b³, c³
and d at the inner ends of the said barrels are the ends of cords or guts i, 2, 1.
The gut
passes over a pulley on the indicator sleeve L' to a spring barrel not
shown in the drawings. The gut passes over a pulley on the indicator
sleeve L to the spring barrel K2 (see Figures 3 and 4) the axis of which is carried
by a bracket K³ fixed on the frame of the machine. The gut passes over a
pulley on the indicator shaft L to the spring barrel K the axis of which is fixed
to the frame of the machine. On the turning of the operating handles the guts or
cords,, are drawn from off their respective spring barrels and are wound
upon the pulleys ³, and d³. In passing over the pulleys 16, 17 and the guts or
cords turn the indicator drums through a portion of a rotation equal to that of the
principal shaft and sleeves c, d the figures on the drums indicating the amount of
the purchase are thereby brought opposite the openings a³, a³, a³ at the front and
back of the machine. The indicator drums are retained in the position to which
they have been brought until the operating handles are returned by hand to their
zero position by the discs b, c, and on the front ends of the barrels b², e², d,
respectively. The discs 6, et have each twenty concave depressions and the disc d
has twenty four concave depressions. When the operating handles are brought
opposite the figures on the dial the depressions in their respective discs b, c, d are
brought under the retaining balls or spheres r,, which are pressed into the
depressions by coiled springs as will be understood by an examination of Figures 4, 10
and 11. On the return of the operating handles to their zero position the indicator
drums are made to follow the motion of the said handles by the action of the spring
barrels and the guts 1, 2, .
The amounts indicated by the machine are registered on the turning of the
operating handles into their zero position preparatory to indicating the amount of
the next purchase by the following arrangement and combination of parts.
Situated on the barrels, c, d, so as to be capable of turning freely thereon,
are registering drums, c³, db. Each, drum has a ratchet wheel marked
respectively b, c, d the teeth of the said ratchet wheels corresponding in number and
position with the concave depressions in the corresponding retaining discs b, c, d.
During the forward motion of the operating handles and discs b, c, d the ratchet
wheels b, c, d and registering drums are held stationary by the spring catches or
teeth, s, s but on the backward motion of the operating handles and discs b, c, d
ratchet teeth b, c, d on the inner faces of the said discs b, c, d acting on spring
pawls on the inner faces of the ratchet wheels 6, c, d the said registering drums
are made to turn with the operating handles and discs b, c, d. I have only
represented one of the spring pawls acting in conjunction with the ratchet teeth n
the inner faces of the retaining discs the said spring pawl being marked 68 in
Figures 10 and 11. The other spring pawls are of a like kind and act in a similar
manner. Thus, on the backward or return motion of the operating handles into
their zero position the registering drums are rotated and the figures on the said
drums corresponding to the purchase last indicated plus the amount which had
been previously registered are brought into such a position that they may be seen
and read through a glazed opening in the side of the case, the said glazed opening
being in the side opposite to that represented in Figure 3.
The peripheries of the pounds drum 6, and shillings drum c are divided into

page_text: twenty divisions the said divisions being marked respectively 0, 1, 2, 3 and so on
up to 19 and the periphery of the drum has twenty four divisions marked respec-
tively 0, 4, 1, 1, 2 and so on up to 11. On the complete rotation of any one of
the registering drums, that is, when it has been turned from 0 (zero) position to 0 (zero)
position, the record of its complete rotation is made by the turning of the drun
of the next higher denomination through one division by the following arrangement
of parts.
Situated and turning on a shaft N below and parallel with the principal shaft b
are three levers marked respectively p, p²; p², p³; p², p their long and short arms
being connected by sleeves as will be understood by reference to Figures 4 and 11.
On the inner side of each of the ratchet wheels, c, d is a stud or roller (the one
in connection with the ratchet wheel only being shown and marked 6 in
Figures 5, 9, 10 and 11) against which rollers the long arms p p p of the several
levers bear during about one half of the rotation of the ratchet wheels. The ends
of the short arms p³, p³, p are connected to rods 7', working in tubular
sockets t, t¹, t² formed on the frame of the machine. The rods 7, 7', 77 are pressed
down in their tubular sockets t, t, 2 by coiled springs .. The upper ends of the
rods carry spring pawls u, u, u². When the levers p, p' ; p², p²³ ; p², p³ are in their
normal position (represented in Figures 2 and 5 and indicated in dotted lines in
Figure 10) the spring pawls u, u, u are in their highest position. On the rotary
motion of the registering drums the long anns of the levers follow the motion of
the studs or rollers (see the dotted position of in Figure 10) until they bear
against the barrels b², c², when the spring pawls u, u, u² are lowered into the
position represented in Figure 10 the said spring pawls being situated under the
teeth of the ratchet wheels 6, c, d. On the further rotation of the registering
drums the studs or rollers again come into action and pressing against the
heads p, p, p of the long arms of the respective levers p, p'; p², p³; p³, p³ turn
the said levers into the dotted position represented in Figure 10 and effect the
raising of the spring pawls u, u, 2. The spring pawls thereby effect the turning
of the ratchet wheels 6, and their registering drums b, c through one division.
The complete rotations of the pounds registering drum & are recorded by the
turning of the drum w the spring pawl u acting on the teeth of its ratchet wheel ic¹.
The said ratchet wheel has twenty five teeth and the periphery of its drum, w
has twenty five divisions numbered respectively 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 and so
on up to 480.
Instead of arranging the indicator drums 1, P, 12, 13, 14, 15 on the same shaft or
axis they may be arranged on parallel shafts as represented in side elevation and
sectional plan respectively in Figures 12 and 13. The drums 1, 1, 1 for indicating
the amount of purchase at the back of the machine are geared to the drums 1, 1, 1
as will be understood by an examination of the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what mauner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention.
.
First. In self registering money tills indicating the amount of a purchase at the
front or back of the machine or at the front and back of the machine by means of
the arrangement and combination of parts herein before described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings, that is to say, by means of indicator drums situated
and turning on concentric shafts above the principal shafts of the machine the said
drums being geared to and operated by the said principal shafts substantially in
the manner herein before described and illustrated, also the combination with the
said indicating mechanism of the arrangement of parts for effecting the release of
the money drawer on the forward motion of one or other of the operating handles
herein before described and represented.
Secondly. In self registering money tills, the arrangement and combination of
parts herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings for
registering the amount of moneys indicated by the machine; that is to say, the

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combination with the discs b, c, d and their face ratchet wheels b, c, d fixed
respectively on the principal shaft and concentric hollow shafts c, d of the regis-
tering drums, c, d, the said drums having ratchet wheels b, c, d on their
inner ends which together with catches or spring teeth situated above the ratchet
wheels retain the registering drums stationary during the forward motion of the
operating handles, the said registering drums being turned on the backward motion
of the said operating handles by the face ratchet wheels b, c, d' acting against
spring pawls on the sides of the ratchet wheels b, c, d substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described and illustrated.
Thirdly. The combination with the mechanism claimed in the second claim of
the mechanism hereinbefore described and shown in Figures 5, 9, 10 and 11 for
effecting the turning of the registering drums e, 66, w through one division on the
complete rotation of the registering drums of a lower denomination substantially
in the manner herein before described and illustrated.
Dated the 27th day of August 1894.
PETER GASKELL.