IMPROVE- MENTS IN PERFORATING OR MARKING CHEQUES, BILLS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS OF VALUE TO PREVENT THE FRAUDULENT ALTERATION THEREOF WITHOUT DETECTION, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Martin at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 31st January 1880.
HENRY MARTIN, of Gothic Villas, Barking, in the County of Essex. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PERFORATING OR MARKING CHEQUES, BILLS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS OF
VALUE TO PREVENT THE FRAUDULENT ALTERATION THEREOF WITHOUT DETECTION,
AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN.
"
The Invention has for its object improvements in perforating or marking cheques,
bill, and other documents of value to prevent the fraudulent alteration thereof
without detection, and in means or apparatus to be employed therein.
For this
purpose I perforate or mark the cheque or other document in the following manner
to indicate the number of pounds, or other units of value, for which a cheque or
other document is drawn-According to one arrangement for cheques and other
documents drawn for one hundred and ten units and less of value, I perforate in
such documents ten holes or figures, or I print ten figures or spots thereon. Then
to indicate the number of units of value for which the document is drawn, I, for ten
and under, make a perforation opposite either of such perforations, numbers, or
spots, say, on the underside, and for eleven and up to one hundred and ten I make
another perforation on the opposite, say, the upper side of any one of the aforesaid
row of perforations, figures, or spots, which may be used alone or in combination
with the other indicating perforation, by which means any number, from one to
one hundred and ten units of value, can be indicated in an unalterable manner on
the cheque or other document. For higher numbers two or more rows of
perforations, figures, or spots are employed in combination with a suitable number
of indicating perforations.
According to another arrangement or modification, I employ a separate row of
perforations, figures, or spots for each indicating perforation, the number of units
of value for which the cheque or other document is drawn being indicated by either
or a combination of the indicating perforations. Thus, for a cheque drawn, say, for
fifty nine pounds, the one, say, the upper indicating perforation, will be made
opposite the fifth perforation, figure, or spot in the row, and the other, say, the
lower indicating perforation, will be made opposite the ninth perforation, figure, or
spot in the row.
In carrying my Invention into effect, I employ a punch fitted with fixed
perforators and matrices to punch the row or rows of perforations or figures in the

page_text: cheque or other document, and in combination with such fixed perforations and
matrices I mount in the punch or marker one or more slides carrying perforators
and corresponding matrices, whereby the indicating perforations are made in the
cheque or other document. These slides are used in combination with suitable
spring catches to ensure the indicating perforator being moved opposite one or other
of the perforations, figures, or spots in the row when in a position of rest.
In lieu of the fixed perforators and matrices, printing type or dies may be
employed for that part of the punch or marker used to make the row of perforations
or figures. The row or rows of perforations may be made in straight or other
shaped lines.