Improvements in Check Tills.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1893-Accepted, 2nd Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Check Tills.
I, JONATHAN LEWIS YOUNG of 67, and 69 Fore Street, Moorgate Street, in
the City of London, E.C., Electrical 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 following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved till, more particularly adapted for use upon
the counter or other convenient place in retail establishments, for the deposit of
monies received, in combination with a method and means of checking the amount
received, and deposited therein, the object of my invention being to prevent or
detect dishonesty on the part of the employes exercised in fraud of the employer,
and I intend that my said till shall be commercially known as "Young's Simplex
Cash Register."
My invention consists of a preferably rectangular wooden case, provided with a
drawer opening outwardly from the front, in which are suitable compartments or
bowls for the reception of coins of different values, as received from the purchaser
or for giving change therefrom and the said drawer when closed depresses a spring,
and automatically engages with a locking device, from which it can be released
only by the depression of a lever, at the side or other convenient part of the case,
which releases the catch of the locking device, and at the same time operates upon
a bell or other sonorous signal, the drawer being thrust outwardly by the tension
of the aforesaid spring, thus audibly announcing that the drawer has been
opened.
a
The assistant in charge of said apparatus would be periodically supplied with
a suitable number of tickets or tablets, upon one side of each of which would be
imprinted a numeral or numerals, mark or marks, word or words, representing
certain money value, these being so assorted, that at all times the assistant would
be in possession of a ticket or tablet or tickets or tablets representing amounts
from 1d. to £1, and suitable compartments may be provided in the before mentioned
drawer, or other drawer or place in the case, for keeping a stock of these assorted
and ready for use, and easy to hand. In the top of said case a slot is provided,
communicating with a locked compartment, and it would be the duty of the
assistant each time money was received by him and the cash drawer closed, to drop
into said slot a ticket or tablet bearing an imprint corresponding to the value
thereof, and by the means of a suitable catch the said ticket would remain.
suspended in said slot in full view of the purchaser, who could at once detect if a
ticket of less value than that of the money paid, had been so exhibited, thus
preventing dishonesty on the part of the employe, and the said ticket or tablet
would remain so suspended until the next time the drawer was opened, the
depression of the before mentioned lever necessary for this also operating to release
the said ticket, which would then descend into the aforesaid locked compartment,
which would be under the control of the employer or manager only, who would
periodically collect these tickets or tablets, and after adding up the value
represented thereby, would cheque the value of the coins in the cash drawer,
which should correspond therewith, and if less, this would indicate that the
assistant had either committed an error, or fraud against his employer and
the matter could be dealt with upon its merits, and unless the assistant had
the effrontery to place in the slot in full view of the customer a ticket or tablet
of lesser value than that actually received, fraud on his or her part would not be
possible.

page_text: I have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings for the purpose of making my
invention and the manner of its operation clearly understood, in which
Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 Sheet 1, are front elevation, back elevation, side elevation and
plan respectively of my improved check till, in Fig. 2 of which the back board is
partly broken away for the purpose of showing the internal mechanism.
Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of same, taken upon the line A B of Fig. 1.
Figs. 6 and 7 Sheet 2 are vertical sections of same, taken upon the line C D of
Fig. 2, the former shewing the position of the moving parts when at rest, and the
drawer closed, the latter the position of the mechanism when the lever has been
depressed, the signal sounded, and the drawer unlocked and thrust out.
Fig. 8 is a section taken upon the line E F of Fig. 1, while
Fig. 9 is a plan view of the drawer detached from the case.
I carry my invention into effect by constructing of any suitable wood, or com-
bination of different kinds of wood, veneered or otherwise, or any other suitable
material or combination of materials, a preferably rectangular case, the fixed
portions of which consist of sides A and B, bottom C, sloping front D, top E, and
back board F.
Within the said case is a horizontal partition G, fixed to A and B, and extending
upward from the back end of this, is a vertical partition H, connected to A B
and E, a vertical strut G¹ serving to support the sloping front D. In front of H,
and a slight distance therefrom is fixed horizontally, a vertical piece J, connected
to A and B, and the space between this and D, is enclosed by a lid or cover K,
which may be hinged to D, but preferably, pivotted at a upon the sides A and B,
this being provided with a lock and key. The top E is provided with a slot b
(Fig. 8) preferably surmounted by a slotted plate 6, and coinciding with ba
portion of His removed at c (Figs. 5 and 8) so that a vertical passage, capable of
passing a ticket or tablet or coins extends from into the locked compartment
formed by K, H, G and G¹, and in front of said slot c, and resting upon J, is
placed and fixed a framed glass or other transparency L, which may be silvered or
otherwise ornamented at the back, and thereby rendered opaque, excepting that
portion facing c.
In the space between H and the back board F, and near to E, is a horizontal
rod M, borne by A and B, one end of which extends through B and carries a
lever or its equivalent d. To the rod M is fixed a cranked rod N, which extends
therefrom in a more or less horizontal direction towards, and nearly to H, from
which point it extends in a downward direction parallel with H, terminating a
short distance above G, and is kept in this position by the tension of a suitable
spring f. At the angle point of N is a projection or stud e, which extends
through a hole y in H, and blocks the passage through e, and upon this a card
or ticket would rest if now deposited in 61. Upon the back of H is mounted
a domed bell, gong or other sonorous signal O, provided with a spring clapper h,
which automatically engages with a projection i upon N, (Figs. 2 and 5).
Upon H is also mounted a bracket or its equivalent P, carrying a pivotted
vertical crank k, the upper end of which is kept in contact with the lower end
of N, by the tension of a suitable spring m, the lower end of being formed as
a trigger or catch p. The spring m is preferably mounted upon a bracket or its
equivalent r, fixed upon C, and to this is also bolted or otherwise connected, a
suitable but preferably C shaped, or coach spring R which is placed in tension by
the pushing home of a drawer S, upon the back end of which is a projecting catch
or eyes which automatically engages with the trigger p, when S is pushed home,
as shown more particularly at Fig. 6.
The drawer S is provided with bowls or sloping compartments t, for the holding
of pounds, shillings and pence, and any number of compartments for holding an
assortment of cardboard, slate, bone, ivory, tin, celluloid, or other tickets or
tablets w, of the same or different colors, upon each of which would be printed,
embossed or otherwise marked different amounts of cash value from 1d. to £1, and
such other private or other marks as may be necessary to distinguish the tickets of

page_text: one apparatus from that of another. A back board F encloses the whole of the
mechanical parts described, and the manner of operation is as follows.
At the commencement of business each day and periodically after if necessary,
the proprietor or manager would place in the spaces in S or in any other compart-
ment that may be provided in the apparatus, a certain and noted amount of assorted
coins as change, and in the compartments v, or any other compartments that may
be provided in addition thereto, a suitable quantity of tickets, and would then
carefully note that the locked compartment K was empty, and the apparatus would
then be placed in the custody and charge of the assistant or counterman, a similar
apparatus, similarly prepared being provided for each assistant if desired, and each
apparatus would be so placed upon the counter or other convenient place, so that
the fronts thereof were in full view of the customers.
When a customer has been served and the cash received, the assistant would
depress the lever d which partly rotating the rod M, would cause the lower end
of N to recede from H, and tilt the crank k, thereby raising the catch or trigger p
from the catch or eye s, and so release the drawer S, which would then be forced
outwardly by the tension of the spring R as at Fig. 7, and the movement thus
imparted to N would cause the extension i to raise the clapper h, and this slipping
from would rebound and strike the bell or other signal O, and audibly announce
that the drawer S had been opened, the connection between i and being so
adjusted that such signal would be sounded the moment preceding the release of s
from p. The assistant would then give change if needed, and place the cash
received in t, and take from v such ticket or tablet w as would represent the actual
amount received, and would then push the drawer in, again depressing the spring R,
when s would automatically engage with p, and so lock the drawer as before, the
apparatus then being as at Fig. 6. He would then drop the said ticket w into b'
which descending into b and c would be arrested by the projection e, and remain in
full view of the purchaser as at Fig. 1. The same operation would be repeated
when the cash was received from the next customer, and when d was again depressed
and the mechanical parts again operated to release the drawer S, e would recede
from c and release the ticket w that was placed therein after serving the previous
customer, which would then fall through c into the locked compartment K, H, G,
and would be replaced by a ticket corresponding to the amount of the second
purchase when S was closed as before described, and so on for each customer.
Should the assistants initial supply of tickets or the like w be exhausted, he can
either have a fresh supply from the locked compartment by applying to the
manager therefor, or a fresh supply may be given by the same person from stock,
but if such supply be given from the locked compartment, a note or memo would
be placed therein stating the total value of the tickets removed therefrom, in order
that at the end of the day or sooner, or periodically if desired, the manager may
find that the total value of the contents of such locked compartment corresponds
with the total value of the cash in S, and if otherwise the assistant would be called
upon to explain the discrepancy.
I wish it understood that I may arrange that the cash actually received instead
of being placed in S as stated, may be deposited into the locked compartment
through b, b and c before depositing w, and I do not confine myself to the particular
arrangement of the moving parts of the apparatus as herein described, nor to the
configuration or shape of the outer case thereof, but may substitute any mechanical
equivalent for any portion of the former that may operate to attain the same ends,
and alter the shape or contour of the latter in any way desired without departing
from the principle of my invention.
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,
1st. The construction and use of the herein described apparatus, and the several
mechanical and moving parts of same, or their equivalents, connected, combined and

page_text: operating substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by the
appended drawings.
2nd. As an improved till and cash register for use of retail and other establish-
ments the construction and use of a case A, B, C, D, E, F, with internal vertical
partition H, and horizontal partition G forming a compartment enclosed and locked
by a hinged or pivotted lid K. The rod M. carrying a cranked lever N, with
suitable spring, stud e, and projection i, the latter engaging with the clapper h of
a bell or other sonorous signal O. The bracket P carrying a pivotted crank k with
catch or trigger p, the latter automatically engaging with a catch or eyes upon the
back of a drawer S, having any number of compartments t and v. The spring m
for maintaining the connection between and s for locking S in its closed position,
against the tension of a suitable spring R. The lever d upon the rod M, the
depression of which operates the arm N causing this to tilt k, disconnect P and 8,
and permit S to be forced out by the spring R. The employment of white or
colored tickets or tablets w of any suitable material, and the deposit of same in the
slot b, bc, and therein retained in full view of the customer until released by the
removal of the stud e when d is depressed as stated and the signal sounded. The
manner of accumulating and collecting said tickets as a check upon the cash in S
or the locked compartment K, H, G the whole connected, combined and operating
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and shewn by the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 7th day of July 1893.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.