Improvements in Cash Registers or Check Tills.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 25th June, 1900-Accepted, 22nd Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cash Registers or Check Tills.
We, CHARLES HIBBERD, Engineer, and JOSHUA BARTON, Gentleman, both of
28 Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, London, S.W., do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for registering the amounts of cash pur-
chases, and has for object to provide a simple and cheap apparatus, not liable
to get out of order and whereby a purchaser for cash is notified of the amount
with which he is credited, and by means of which the total amount of a series
of cash purchases may be readily ascertained.
According to our invention, the amount received in coins of each separate
denomination is separately registered and likewise notified to the purchaser,
whilst the total amount of receipts in each denomination of coinage is also
registered, and so exhibited as to enable the state of the till to be ascertained
or checked at any moment.
In the upper part of the casing of our improved apparatus are contained a
series of columns of superposed blanks or counters, there being a separate
column for each denomination of coinage. Each column of blanks rests at
bottom on a plate immediately above which works a push piece normally retracted
by a spring and adapted when actuated by the attendant to engage the lowest
blank of the column and thrust it out from beneath the superposed blanks into
a sloping passage down which the blank falls until checked by a spring pressed
slide whereby it is supported in a substantially vertical position behind a
window exposed to the view of the purchaser to whom may thus be exhibited a
blank corresponding in value to each coin paid by him. The slide upon which
the blank thus rests edgewise extends beneath all the columns of the series, so
that, when all the blanks which together indicate the amount paid by the
purchaser have been brought down on to the slide for exhibition at their corre-
sponding windows, the withdrawal of the slide permits each blank so exhibited
to drop through a second sloping passage into a columnar receptacle in the lower
part of the casing wherein successive blanks of each denomination are again
superposed, in readiness to be removed and replaced in the upper column when
required.
The slide when released after withdrawal is returned by springs to its normal
position in readiness to intercept the fall of other blanks corresponding to a
subsequent transaction.
The slide when pulled out to permit the blanks to drop from behind the window
where they have been exhibited, actuates a contact or switch whereby an elec-
trical circuit is closed for the purpose of causing a bell to be rung, or the bell
may be run by mechanical means.
The blanks in each of the upper columns, are visible when the casing is opened
by an authorized person, the top blank of each column forming an index whereby
to read a vertical scale placed against that column, this scale being inscribed, at
intervals corresponding to the thickness of the blanks, with values increasing

page_text: from above downwards in accordance with the increasing amount of the total
nominal value of the number of blanks withdrawn from the column. In order
to ascertain the total amount of the takings it is only necessary to add together
the amounts thus indicated on the several scales.
The columns of blanks would be so enclosed as to be protected from being i
tampered with by unauthorized persons.
Datad thin 02nd low of Jantan 1000
Improvements in Cash Registers or Check Tills.
We, CHARLES HIBBERD, Engineer, and JOSHUA BARTON, Gentleman, both of
28 Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, London, S.W., 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:-
Our invention relates to apparatus for registering the amounts of cash pur-
chases and has for its object to provide a simple and cheap apparatus, not liable
to get out of order and whereby a purchaser for cash is notified of the amount
with which he is credited, and by means of which the total amount of a series
of cash purchases may be readily ascertained.
According to our invention, the amount received in coins of each separate
denomination is separately registered and likewise notified to the purchaser,
whilst the total amount of receipts in each denomination of coinage is also
registered, and so exhibited as to enable the state of the till to be ascertained
or checked at any moment.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood we will now
proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings accompanying this
specification in which Fig. 1 shews elevation of the registering mechanism, the
front cover of the till being removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional view shewing the
arrangement of the registering blanks.
Fig. 3 shews the shape of a blank or counter: and Figs. 4 and 5 shew views
of the push-piece used for actuating same. Fig. 1 is drawn to a smaller scale
than the rest of the figs.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the views.
In the upper part of the casing of our improved apparatus are contained a
series of columns of superposed blanks or counters a there being a separate
.column for each denomination of coinage. Each denomination is indicated by
figures on the discs b and c. Each column of blanks rests at bottom on a plate
or strip d immediately above which works a push piece normally retracted by
a spring e and adapted when actuated by the attendant to engage the lowest
Blank of the column and thrust it out from beneath the superposed blanks into
a sloping passage f down which the blank falls until checked by a slide
normally held in place by a spring whereby the blank is supported in a
substantially vertical position behind a window i exposed to the view of the
purchaser to whom may thus be exhibited a blank corresponding in value to
each coin paid by him. The slide 9 upon which the blank a thus rests edge-
wise extends beneath all the columns of the series, so that when all the blanks a
which together indicate the amount paid by the purchaser have been brought
down on to the slide for exhibition at their corresponding windows, the with-

page_text: when
drawal of the slide g permits the blanks so exhibited to drop through a
second passage into a receptacle j in the lower part of the casing in readiness to
be removed and replaced in the upper columns when required. The slide
released after withdrawal is returned by the springs h to its normal position. in
readiness to intercept the fall of the other blanks corresponding to a subsequent
transaction. The slide is withdrawn by means of the handle k and when the
slide is thus pulled out to permit the blanks a to drop from behind the window i
where they have been exhibited, the end of the arm m actuates a contact or
switch whereby an electrical circuit is closed for the purpose of causing a bell o
to be rung, or the bell will be rung by mechanical means.
The blanks a in each of the upper columns are visible when the casing is
opened by an authorized person, the top blank of each column forming an
index whereby to read a vertical scale placed against the column, this scale
being inscribed, at intervals corresponding to the thickness of the blanks, with
values increasing from above downwards in accordance with the increasing
amount of the total nominal value of the number of blanks withdrawn from the
column. In order to ascertain the total amount of the takings it is only neces-
sary to add together the amounts thus indicated on the several scales.
The columns of blanks would be so enclosed as to be protected from being
tampered with by unauthorized persons:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. Cash registers, constructed and operated substantially as set forth.
2. In cash registers, the means of indicating the amount of purchase by
the employment of blanks or, counters arranged and operated substantially as
set forth.
3. In cash tills, the employment of blanks or counters in combination with
scales substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 25th day of June 1900.
BROWNE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants,
9, Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C.