Improvements in Money Tills.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Money Tills.
We, FREDERIC OLDERSHAW JERRAM, Sewing Machine Expert, and ARTHUR
ERNEST JERRAM, Engineer, both of 40 Longley Road, Tooting, in the County of
Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to provide mechanism for delivering change that
is the difference between the amount of any purchase made and the amount paid in
and also to register the various sums paid in and out-the till can also be used as a
wages distributor.
The till is composed of a series of vertical tubular receptacles or coin tubes each
containing a supply of coins piled one above the other-one coin tube for each sort
of coin. At the bottom the piles of coin rest upon the base plate of the
machine.
Between the bottom of each coin tube and the base plate are one or more flat
metal slides-these slides are of the same thickness as the coins in the coin tube..
A hole is made through each slide which coincides in diameter with the interior of
the coin tube under which the slide is situated. Each side of the hole is chamfered
so that any slight difference of thickness in the coins arising from wear will not
affect the working of the slides.
Normally the hole in the slide is below the coin tube and a coin passes into it..
When the slide is pushed forward the coin is carried along in the hole until it
reaches a hole in the base plate-it then falls through this hole into a shoot leading
to any convenient receptacle. If one coin only is to be delivered from a coin tube
one only of the slides below this tube are moved forwards, if two coins are to be
delivered two slides are pushed forwards simultaneously and so on. The slides are
pushed forward by means of pusher rods and the pusher rods are actuated by the
pulling over of a lever called the change lever. Each time that the change lever
is pulled over only those pusher rods are thrust forward by it which have to be
thrust forward to cause the proper amount of change to be delivered from the coin
tubes.
To control which pusher rods shall be thrust forward by each movement of the
change lever we employ a segment or segments of a cylinder having rows of holes
or slots cut through them. Each segment passes between the ends of the pusher
rods and the ends of the slides they are to act on. A separate segment may be
used for each coin tube. When the change lever is pulled over, springs carried by it
press the pusher rods towards the segment. If there is a slot in the segment opposite
to the end of any pusher rod the end of the pusher rod passes into it. If there is no
slot opposite to it the spring which tends to thrust the pusher rod forwards yields and
the pusher rod remains bearing against the segment. As the movement of the change
lever is continued the ends of arms which extend from its axis come against projec-
tions on those pusher rods which have previously been moved forwards a distance
through slots in the segments but miss the projections on those which have not been
BO moved forward and therefore those only of the pusher rods which had been moved
forward are now carried forward by the continued movement of the lever aud
caused to give a forward movement to the slides that they act upon. The backward
movement of the change lever restores all slides and pusher rods to their normal

page_text: backward position. Each slotted segment may be carried by an axis by turning
which any one or other of the rows of holes or slots cut in it can be brought
opposite to the ends of the pusher rods. In place of using slotted segments of
cylinders, slotted flat plates might be employed either moved to and fro in a
straight line or revolving.
To turn each segment into proper position to cause the right amount of change
to be delivered the following arrangement of mechanism may be used.
Pairs of circular dials aro provided which are figured around their circumference
to indicate pounds, or shillings, or pence, or other denominations of coins as may
be desired. One dial of each pair serves as the credit dial, the other as the debit
dial. From each, motion can be transmitted to the slotted segment, the turning of
one causing the segment to turn in one direction and the other in the opposite
direction. To effect this a bevil wheel on the axis of one dial or driven from it
may be geared with one side of a pinion, carried on an arm extending from the
axis of the segment, and a bevil wheel on the axis of the other dial, or driven from
it geared with the opposite side of the pinion.
If desired, the dials of one denomination of coin may be geared with the dials of
the other denominations to turn at the proper speeds.
By the arrangement above described, if the credit dials are set to any · desired.
amount, and the debit dials to the amount of the purchase made the difference
between the amount paid in and the amount of the purchase will be ejected from
the till when the change lever is pulled over.
The dials may if desired be mounted loose on their spindles so that by detents
they may be retained in any position to which they may be brought until any given
transaction is completed. On releasing the detents they may be arranged to fly
back to zero.
In order to register the amount paid in and taken out of the till,
discs with types on the periphery are attached to the dials so that they rotate with
them and by suitable mechanism an endless band of paper is caused to be pressed
against these types which are either inked or provided with a tape ribbon between
themselves and the paper.
The types are arranged to correspond to the figures on the dial, and thus a record
of every transaction is effected.
The credit and debit dials are arranged so that each set is worked with a single
lever movement and all the figures indicating any particular amount are readily
seen side by side through apertures in the case.
The till may be provided with slots to receive the coins, and also with an
arrangement for sorting the coins which are put into it-the coins being placed
through a slit on to a table mounted at a suitable angle, roll down by their own
weight to a sorting apparatus, which consists of a number of holes of different
sizes in the side of the shoot through which the coins full, the smallest falling
through the first opening and the largest through the last. The coins having fallen
through these openings fall into the coin tubes placed below them and there
accumulate.
In order to prevent the till from being used whenever any one or other of the
coin tubes becomes empty, a slot is made through the base plate below each coin
tube, through which rises the end of a weighted lever, and enters the holes in the
slides, and prevents them from being moved unless the requisite number of coins
to give change is in the coin tube. If the coins are in, their weight keeps down the
end of the weighted lever and allows the slides to work-or the upward movement
of any of these stop levers might bring into operation the coin tube of the next
lower denomination to act in place of the empty one.
Dated this 7th day of Auril 1896
F. O. JERRAM.
A. E. JERRAM.

page_text: igure
sectic
Figures 7 and 8 show developments of the controlling segments.
Figure 9 is a rear elevation and Figure 10 a transverse section of the recording
parts.
Figures 11 and 12 are respectively a plan and an end view of the shoot into
which the money received is placed and which supplies the coin tubes.
Figure 13 is a longitudinal section to a small scale showing the general arrange-
ment of the apparatus in its case when set up for use.
Figure 14 is a plan of the cover plate with the coin tubes upon it.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 14 are to half the scale of Figures 4 to 10.
24 is a handle having fast with it a bevel wheel 23, a flange 41 carrying type
and a ratchet wheel 26. 25, 30 and 31 are other handles each in like manner fast
with a bevel wheel, a flange carrying type and a ratchet wheel. These handles
and parts are capable of turning about a common axis 19; on cach handle is also
fixed a graduated are 32. The normal position of the handles is that shown in
Figure 3, the handles 24 and 31 being raised, these may be termed the credit
handles and the handles 25 and 30 being depressed, these may be termed the debit
handles. In this position of the handles the zeros upon the graduated arcs 32 are
all aligned as shown in Figure 1. There are weights or springs which return the
handles to these positions whenever they are left free. The type on the flanges 41
are inked in any convenient manner or an inked tape as is common in type-writers
may be provided in connection with them. A paper tape is from time to time
brought forward to be printed by these type in a manner hereinafter described.
27, 27 are pawls which, engaging with the ratchets 26, retain the handles when
they are moved from the zero position until the pawls are disengaged by the
movement of a handle 28.
The handles 31 and 24 are intended to be used to set their type flanges in
position for printing the number of shillings and of pence to be credited, this
machine being adapted to the English coinage but by obvious manipulations it
may be adapted to any other system. The handles 30 and 25 set their respective
type flanges in position for printing the shillings and pence of the debit amount.
Thus a record of every transaction is preserved.
As before stated the handle 24 is fast with the bevel
handle 25 is fast with the bevel wheel 22. These bevel
a pinion 21 on an arm 20 which is fast with the axis 19.
wheel 23 and similarly the
wheels both engage with
Hence it follows that on

page_text: depressing the handle 24 the axis is rotated in one direction and on raising the
handle 25 it is turned in the contrary direction. Hence if the handle 24 be moved
over ten divisions of the scale, corresponding say to a credit of tenpence, and the
handle 25 is raised eight divisions of the scale, corresponding to a debit of eight-
pence, the resulting movement of the axis 19 is two divisions corresponding to the
difference between the credit and debit amounts. The handles 31 and 30 act in a
precisely similar manner to rotate an arm 29, which is upon another concentric axis,
over a number of divisions corresponding to the difference between the credited
and debited shillings so that in effect the machine subtracts debits from credits and
moves the arms 20 and 29 distances corresponding to the differences. The amount
of movement of the two arms 20 and 29 determines the number and value of the
coins to be delivered as change, this it does in the following manner :—
The arm 20 is fast with the perforated segment 17 and the arm 29 with the
segment 16 so that these segments move with the arms. The way in which the
seginents are periorated is shown by the Figures 7 and 8. They operate in
conjunction with pusher ruda 10 some of which they permit to advance, whilst
others they obstruct. Figures 5 and 6 show how this is managed. 11 is a hand
lever which, as it is moved, for the purpose of delivering the coins, we term the
change lever. A spring or weight holds this lever down when it is left free, and
the driving bar 12, which the lever carries, then presses against the projecting
pieces 13, which are on (or which actuate) the pusher rods, and compresses the
springs 14. When the change handle is raised the springs 14 are able to drive all
the pusher rods forward a short distance which brings some of them to rest against
the perforated segments 16, 17 bat others not being obstructed advance a short
distance through the holes in the segments. This brings the projecting pieces 13
into such a position that the driving bar 12, in its further advance, catches them
and carries them forward to the full extent and each pusher rod, which is thus
advanced, causes a coin of a suitable denomination to be delivered.
The coins are delivered from seven tubes shown in Figure 14 and beneath each
tube a slide or slides work. Each slide has a hole 8x in it, and when the slide is
in its normal position, a coin drops down out of the tube and occupies the hole in
the slide. 9, 9 are holes in the stationary bed, on which the slides 8 lie. Each
pusher rod when it advances, as already explained, meets a projection 80 upon the
slides and drives it forward, and then the coin in the hole 8 is carried forward
until it drops through the hole 9 in the bed and so is delivered. Other holes are
cut in the slide as may be necessary so that the action of one slide in the manner
described may not be impeded by others. Each slide 8 also engages so that it will
carry forward with it the withdrawing rod 15 and in the downward movement of
the change lever 11 the driving bar 12 acts against a projection on the with-
drawing rod 15 and carries it back and with it the slides that have been previously
advanced.
The perforated segment 17 which selects the pusher rods for the delivery of
pence has a double series of perforations. This is necessary because the debit
number of pence may exceed the credit number which cannot be the case in the
shillings. When the number of pence debited is greater than the number
credited, it is necessary that one should be deducted from the number of shillings
which would otherwise have to be delivered in change.
We effect this by means which form the subject of our Provisional Protection
No. 19832 in the year 1896. These means we will now describe but we do not
include any claim to them in this specification. When the additional set of
perforations provided upon the pence segment 17 cones inuo operation, the pusher
rods 10 belonging to the shilling segment 16 are moved downwards one division
and they then enter another row of holes in the perforated segment. For this
purpose these pusher rods 10, as is seen in Figure 6, are carried by a moveable
frame 33 which can turn about the axis 19 aud is held upwards by a spring 34
against the pin 38 on the lever arm 35 which is carried by the axis 36 ou which
is also another arm 37 fast with the arm 35 and which bears upon a cam surface

page_text: upon the arm 18 which carries the segment 17. This cam surface is so formed
that when the portion of the segment 17 which is below the zero line comes in
front of the pusher rods it causes the axis 36 and the levers 37 and 35 to rock and
the pin 38 carried by the lever 35 pressing upon the rear part of the frame 33...
depresses it and so prevents the delivery of the surplus shilling.
The pusher rods 10, carried by the frame 33, do not, as may be seen in Figure 6,
have the pieces 13 fixed upon them, but these pieces are carried by auxiliary
rods 10%, and horns upon the pieces 13 project up between collars 10° upon the
rods 10, so that when the driving har carries the pieces 13 forward, they take
the rods 10 with them, but nevertheless by the movement of the frame 33 these
pusher rods can be raised or lowered as required.
The coin tube 1 is charged with half sovereigns, 2 with shillings, 3 with florins,
4 with half crowns, 5 with sixpences, 6 with hall pence and 7 with pence. Beneath
the bottom of the coin tube 1 a single slide operates, beneath each of the tubes 2, 3
and 4 two slides operate, beneath each of the tubes 5 and 5 one slide operates,
while beneath the tube 7 there are five slides.
In each case the number of slides beneath a tube corresponds with the number
of coins of the same denomination which may be required to be delivered
simultaneously. The thickness of the slides corresponds to that of the coins upon
which they are to operate and there are thin distance pieces between the slides so
that the slides may not rub the one on the other. The edges of the holes 8* are
bevelled to compensate for the varying thickness of the coins due to wear.
In the segment 16 there are as will be seen seven rows of holes: counting from
right to left the first row of holes when either one of the holes is opposite to the
corresponding pusher rod permits this rod to go forward and a half sovereign to be
delivered. The second row of holes corresponds with the pusher rod which causes
the delivery of one shilling, the third row of holes is for the second shilling, the
fourth row for the first florin, the fifth for the second forin, the sixth for the first
half crown and the seventh for the second half crown. It will be seen that
reckoning from the zero line at one end of the segment, step by step towards the
other extremity thereof that the holes are arranged in order for the delivery of
one shilling, two shillings and so on up to nine shillings. Next in order comes the
half sovereign, and then the shilling series recommences the delivery being
accompanied by a half sovereign in each case. So the value of any number of
shillings from one to twenty can be made up and this is the highest sum that this
particular machine is arranged to deliver; but it is obvious that additional half
sovereign and sovereign slides may be provided if desired.
In the segment shewn by Figure 8 the holes in the right hand row are for the
delivery of half pennies, the holes in the five succeeding rows are for the delivery
of pence and the slots in the seventh row are for the delivery of sixpences.
The printing is effected by the movement of the change handle in the following
manner:-
The paper is carried by a frame 42 in which are two rollers 43, 44 and it is. "
weund gradually from one roller to the other, passing over a platen surface 45. The
frame 42 is able to rock upon stud axes 46 and it has an arm 47 against which a
corresponding arm 48 on the change lever operates. The lower roller 44 has a
ratchet wheel 49 fast with it and a pawl engages with this ratchet which prevents
the roller turning as the frame rocks forward to bring the paper into contact with
the type but allows it to turn when the movement is in the contrary direction
and the paper is leaving the type.
To facilitate the emptying of the money tubes when the apparatus is no longer
required for use, the supports 50 (see Figure 2) which close these tubes at their
lower ends are all mounted together upon a slide-which when the locking pin 51
is withdrawn can be moved endwise. The tubes are thereby rendered bottomless
and their contents fall down into a receptacle or receptacles beneath.
As the money is received it may be dropped through one or other of two slits 52
at the top of the apparatus; one of the slits receives the silver whilst the gold and

page_text: copper is received by the other: the coins so deposited slip down one or other side
of the double trough 53. In the sides of this trough are holes as shown adjusted
to the sizes of the coins-thus on one side, a half sovereign if dropped in passes
through the first hole 54 and is led by a passage beneath into the money tube 1, a
sovereign in like manner after passing over the first hole falls through the second 55
and is received into a suitable receptacle. A half penny after passing over two
holes falls through the third 56 into the coin tube 6, in like manner a peuny passes
through the fourth hole 57 and is received into the coin tube 7. On the silver side
the first hole 58 takes threepenny bits and leads them to a suitable receptacle.
The next 59 takes sixpences and leads them to the appropriate coin tube, the
third 60 takes shillings and deals with them in like manner, the fourth 61 and
fifth 62 take respectively florins and half crowns and deliver them into coin tubes
while the last hole 63 of the series takes double florins and crowns and delivers
them into a receptacle.
Suitable stops, such as small weighted levers, may be placed at the bottom of
the coin tubes to arrest the movement of the slides when any tube is empty.
In the use of the apparatus all that the cashier has to do is first to set the credit
and debit handles and then to move the change lever to and fro. At the commence-
ment of the movement of the change lever the pusher rods are released and are
moved forward a short distance by their springs. Some of the pusher rods are
thus brought in contact with the segments but others enter holes in the segments
and so are able to advance somewhat further. These latter in the further move-
ment of the change lever are caught by the driving bar and are carried forward
by it together with those slides upon which they operate; thus the required change
is delivered. The return movement of the change lever brings back the with-
drawing rod and with it the slides which had previously been advanced. In the
last part of its return movement the withdrawing rod carries back all the pusher
rods to their original position. During these operations the paper is brought into
contact with the type wheels and the record of the transaction is obtained.
Finally by means of the pawl lever the debit and credit handles are released and
they return to their original position ready to be again used.
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. An apparatus substantially as described in which are debit and credit handles
actuating perforated segments or their equivalents controlling the movement of
slides by which the change is delivered from coin tubes as herein set forth.
2. The combination of parts consisting of a controlling segment, means for
setting the controlling segment to any required position pusher rods and slides,
coin tubes over the slides and means for moving such of the pusher rods and slides
as are selected by the controlling segment.
3. The combination of parts consisting of the change lever and driving bar, the
pusher rods and their springs, the projections on the pusher rods on which the
driving bar operates, the slides and the withdrawing rod carried forward by
the slides, and withdrawn together with the slides by the driving bar.
Dated this 21st das of December 1896
F. O. JERRAM.
A. E. JERRAM.