A NEW SYSTEM OF EASILY CONTROLLING DIVIDEND WARRANTS, SHARES, BONDS, OBLIGATIONS, AND SIMILAR PAPERS."
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Emile Keymolen at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th February 1880.
EMILE KEYMOLEN, of Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Administrator of
Sociétés Anonymes." "A NEW SYSTEM OF EASILY CONTROLLING DIVIDEND
WARRANTS, SHARES, BONDS, OBLIGATIONS, AND SIMILAR PAPERS."
It is well understood that the control or checking of interest coupons or dividend
warrants and other like documents presents great difficulties, and demands much
time and labour, and even then is not free from errors.
In fact each coupon
requires to be separately verified as to number, value, and date.
Now the object of the present Invention is to simplify the operation of sorting
and checking such documents as are above referred to, and to this end I adopt the
following method of imparting a distinctive mark to each coupon of a printed
sheet:-
The sheets of interest coupons and like documents, which constitute a series, I
print or otherwise impress with lines of colour so arranged that each coupon or
bond of the series shall receive a distinctive mark. These lines will by preference
be visible or reproduced on the back of the printed sheet, and will extend over the
margin of the sheet.
The lines are so arranged in horizontal and vertical directions that each coupon
bears on its surface a different line or combination of lines. These combinations
may again be varied by changing their disposition, character, thickness, and
colour.
I will describe for the sake of example my Invention as applied to a sheet
composed of a series of 30 coupons arranged for convenience, say, in three columns
of 10 coupons each with a margin all round the series. Across the lowest row of
coupons I print or draw a single fine horizontal line in red ink or other substanco
suitable for my purpose, and across the next row of coupons immediately above it
I print or draw two lines of the same thickness as that across the lowest row;
across the third row I draw three lines, and so on, until the fifth row, across which
I draw one broad line (representing five). The sixth row will have one broad line
and one narrow line, and the 7th, one broad and two narrow lines, and so on to
the topmost or tenth row, which will have two broad lines across it (repre-
senting 10).
In order that the coupons of the 3 columns may each have a distinctive

page_text: mark I print or draw a vertical line through the centre of the middle column, and
two lines through the centre of, say, left hand column.
These lines will respectively signify 10 and 20.
It will thus be seen that the coupons will be individually and progressively
numbered by means of the red lines drawn across their surface, commencing from
the lowest right hand corner coupon, which has one red line across it, to the top-
most left hand corner coupon, which has 2 thick red lines (signifying 10), and 2
vertical thin red lines (signifying 20) across it, and whose value is consequently
represented by the 4 lines across its surface, i.e., 30.
It will be useful to draw the vertical lines to each extremity of the coupon when
the form of the coupon will permit of this being done.
This system, which may be called the linear, permits of the instantaneous identi-
fication of the coupons which may be presented for payment.
It renders the coupon sheet a true tally of those coupons which have been
detached from it.
The lines being visible on the margin of the coupon sheet it will be possible to
instantly satisfy oneself by simple inspection of the margin if all the coupons of a
packet belong to the same series.
If a defaced or torn coupon be presented, of which the number is no longer
distinguishable, one is still enabled to know to what series it belongs by the
number and character of the lines of colour, be they red, blue, or any other colour
imprinted upon it.
If the paid coupons are defaced by a punch or perforator it will still be impossible
to cancel the number or designation, which will be always represented by the lines
of colour on its surface.
By the combination of lines, such as that I have just described, shares, obligations,
and other securities, such as interest coupons or dividend warrants, will admit of
being checked and verified with far greater rapidity and exactness than has been
possible hitherto.
It will be sufficient to count the coupons, and at
passing them through one's hand to determine by the
designating lines that the coupons are all of the same
serics or debt.
the same time by increly
number or character of the
number, and relate to samo