Payments for Postal or other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Payments for Postal or other Purposes.
I, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of 52 Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO STAMPS OR TICKETS FOR INDICATING PAYMENTS FOR
POSTAL OR OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to stamps or tickets for indicating payments for postal or
other purposes.
In carrying my said invention into practice, I make the said stamps or tickets
in such a manner that they can be readily divided into two or more parts each of
which will represent a half or other portion of the amount represented by the
whole stamp or ticket. For instance, I make postage stamps, of the value of one
penny, with a series of perforations extending diagonally across the same, and on
each side of this series of perforations I mark the stamp in any suitable manner to
indicate that each half has the value of one half-penny. The stamp can then be
either used as a penny stamp or torn in half and used as two halfpenny stamps.
By making the stamp to be divided diagonally, I provide for very readily
ascertaining whether a letter is furnished with a halfpenny or a penny, stamp.
I sometimes form two series of perforations diagonally across the stamp or
ticket so that it can be readily divided into four parts, if desired, and I mark each
of these parts in any suitable manner to indicate that each part has one fourth of
the value of the whole stamp or ticket. For example, assuming a tramway ticket
to represent a fourpenny fare, I perforate it so that it can be readily divided or torn
into four parts, and I mark each of these parts to show that it represents a penny
fare. The conductor can if desired be supplied with a sufficient number of these
tickets and can then issue tickets for any fare from a penny up to fourpence.
I do not confine myself to any particular number of parts into which the stamp
or ticket is to be divided, as this number may be varied according to circumstances,
but the parts should represent equal portions of the whole stamp or ticket.
Moreover, the series of perforations may extend in any desired direction across
the stamp or ticket.
011

page_text: Improvements relating to Stamps or Tickets for Indicating
Payments for Postal or other Purposes.
I, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of 52 Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, Electrician, 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 chiefly to stamps for postal purposes.
It frequently happens in the posting of letters, newspapers or parcels that the
necessary stamps for making up the exact amount of the postage are not at hand,
and that to save time and trouble on such occasions stamps are used of greater
value than those actually required. For instance, if the postage of a letter is
three half pence and only penny stamps are accessible to the sender, two of the
latter must be used to sufficiently prepay the letter, and a loss equal to upwards of
thirty per cent of the amount of the postage is entailed.
The object of my invention is to furnish stamps, tickets or the like that can be
readily divided into two or more parts or sections, each of which will represent a
half or other fractional portion of the amount represented by the whole stamp.
My said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a representation of a stamp adapted to be divided into halves and
Figure 2 is a representation of one half of the same.
The stamp represented in Figure 1 is of the value of one penny. This stamp
has a row or series of perforations extending diagonally across the same, and has,
marked on each side of this series of perforations, a sign or character indicating
that each half has the value of one half penny. The stamp can then be either
used whole, as in the case of an ordinary penny stamp; or torn in halves, each of
which is of triangular shape, as shown in Figure 2, and can be used as one half-
penny stamp.
I sometimes form two series of perforations crossing each other diagonally, so
that the stamp can be readily divided into four parts if desired, and I mark each
of these parts to indicate that it has one fourth of the value of the whole stamp.
For example, according to the scale adopted for the "parcels post" the total
amount of postage for one parcel does not exceed one shilling, the smaller amounts
being nine pence, six pence and three pence. A shilling stamp perforated diagonally
or otherwise, in such a manner that the said stamp can be readily divided into four
portions or sections, will be readily available either as a whole or in one or more
parts or fractions corresponding with the amounts above specified.
Each of the said parts or fractions is in this case preferably marked with the
Figure "3" or some other indication that it is of the value of three pence.
My improvements are also applicable to railway, tramway and other tickets.
For example, assuming a tramway ticket is to represent a fourpenny fare, I perforate
it so that it can be readily divided or torn into four parts, and I mark each of
these parts to show that it represents a penny fare. The conductor can then issue
tickets for any fare from a penny up to four pence,

page_text: I do not confine myself to any particular number of parts fractions or sections
into which the stamp or ticket is to be divided, as this number may be varied
according to circumstances, but such parts or sections should represent equal
fractions of the value of the whole ticket. Moreover the lines or series of
perforations may be formed in any desired manner or direction across the stamp
or ticket.
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
The application and utilization of lines, rows or series of perforations in postage
and other stamps, tickets or the like, for facilitating the prepayment of postage
and for similar purposes, as above set forth.