Improvements in Tills.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tills.
I, EDWARD JOHN JAMES COMER, 5, Camden Grove Road, Peckham, Surrey,
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:-
This invention relates to an improved combination check till and has for its
object to prevent fraud and likewise to obviate error when giving change.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 shews a front elevation of the till complete.
Fig. 2 a front elevation of the centre till with the glazed door open.
Fig. 3, a similar view shewing the door and one of the slides removed.
Fig. 4 is a detail view also in elevation shewing the gong with its actuating
mechanism at the back of the centre till.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the centre till taken on the line X, X, Fig. 1.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8 shew detail views of the mechanism of the side tills;-and
Figs. 9 and 10 shew detail views of the shut-off apparatus fitted at the back
of the cash drawers in the base of the till all as presently described.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several
views.
Such improved combination till consists of three compartments A, B, C, each
forming a separate till, all three being mounted upon a suitable base D, fitted with
change bowls placed one on each side and with a central receptacle for change
for gold and also with money drawers E, F, which are each divided transversely
into two compartments. The centre till A is used either when no change is
necessary, or when bronze change only is required, whereon no check is kept;
while the two side tills B. C. are used when change either for silver, or gold is
wanted.
The centre till A is fitted internally with slides a, a', having curvilinear arms a
that form a series of divisions a³. The slides are suspended on the arms b¹; 63, of
a lever b, pivotted to a block a fixed in the top of the till, and when such lever is
operated a vertical up and down motion is imparted to the slides. The front of
the till is fitted with a glazed door e through which the slides and divisions are
visible and which door is furnished with a lock and key to prevent unauthorised
access to the till:-or in lieu of fitting a glass panel in such door, a glass panel may
be fitted to the till frame in front of such centre till behind a skeleton door frame
furnished with a lock and key. Near the top of the door or panel frame is a slot
wherein a pull d works up and down, the slot being fitted with a metal face plate
to prevent wear. The upper end of such pull is bent to form a catch which
projects through the back of the slot and takes into a recess in the slide a'. A
gong e together with a clapper el and lever e' are mounted on the back of the
block a while a projection is formed at the back of the slide a as shewn at
Fig. 4. A money slot is made in the top of the till and fitted with a guard
plate f. On placing a coin in the till the pull is operated thus drawing down the
slide a and lever arm and raising the lever arm b, and slide a, which in its

page_text: upward travel causes the projection e³ to raise the lever e² which then depresses
the clapper so that it strikes the gong and gives the signal that the till is in use.
At the same time the contrary motion of the slides causes the two series of recessed
arms to recede from each other and so allows the coin contained in either of the
upper divisions to drop into the division below, while the coin (if any) contained
in the bottom division falls through a central aperture in the till base into the
inner compartment of either one of the cash drawers. To ensure this result two
guide blocks g, g', are fixed to one side of the inner end of the transverse partition
between the cash drawers E, F, a narrow opening being left between such blocks,
through which opening the coins pass as--they fall from the lower division of the
centre till into either one of the cash drawers as above mentioned. The under
sides of the blocks g, g', are bevelled off to form inclined faces over which a
shutter h, nctuated by a spring h', mounted on the underside of the guide block g,
slides to and fro as the cash drawer E is opened and closed. The shutter works in
guides, and is fitted with a suitable stop . The operation of this shut-off
apparatus is as follows :-When the drawer E is drawn out the spring A' expands
and so forces the shutter & over the opening between the-guide blocks and closes
the same. The shutter when in this position (being fitted at a corresponding angle
to the bevelled under faces of the guide blocks,) forms an inclined plane whereon
the coins drop as they fall from the centre till, and hy which they are guided into
the inner compartment of the drawer F being thus prevented from falling into the
vacant recess occupied by the drawer E when in position. Upon such drawer
being closed the back thereof comes in contact with an arm or projection formed
on the shutter A and in so doing slides back such shutter thereby leaving the
opening between the guide blocks free for the coins to drop through into the
drawer immediately beneath in the manner already described. A detail view in
perspective of such shut off apparatus is shewn at Fig 9, while Fig. 10 shews a
front elevation thereof as it appears when fitted. Grooves i are made in the front
and back of the slides to allow them to work over guides ¹ fitted to the back of
the door c and to the frame of the centre till, on each side whereof an ordinary
change rack is fitted as seen in Fig. 1, while a plate of silvered glass is fixed at
the back of such till to render the coins therein more conspicuous. If preferred the
grooves i may be made in the uprights of the till frame and the guides i fixed on
the back of the slides so as to work in such grooves. Assuming a customer to have
given, say, sixpence from which twopence is to be taken, the coin is dropped
through the slot and falls onto the slides a a' in front of the pivotted lever b
where it remains invisible, being concealed by the top of the frame of the glazed
door or panel. The pull is then operated thus sounding the gong and actuating
the slides as already described thereby allowing the sixpence to fall into the first
or top division where it remains visible until the centre till is again used when on
operating the pull, the coin falls into the second division, still remaining visible, and
so in like manner each time such centre till is re-used the coin descends another
division and continues visible until it falls into one of the cash drawers in the till
base. Thus in case of any doubt or dispute arising it is only requisite to look at
the till to see the value of the coin.
1 will now describe the construction of one of the side tills, first premising that
such tills are of similar construction and that consequently the description of one
applies equally to both. The space between the lower shelf of the change rack
and the top of the till base is boxed in and forms the casing, of the till. Such
casing. projects sufficiently. beyond the front of the change rack to allow of a
continuous slot being made therein at the top; while the front thereof consists of
a glazed screen j. Any.convenient number of division pieces are inserted through
the continuous slot in the top-and-extend to the bottom of the screen thus dividing
the slot and the screen face into a corresponding number of divisions. The inner-
most division is reserved for gold while each of the remaining divisions is reserved
for coins of a particular denomination, the different denominations being indicated
on the screen over the various divisions. Fitted about midway inside the casing of

page_text: the till is a perforated partition plate which divides the body of the till'
longitudinally into two compartments; while fixed to the outer side of the front.
compartment is a bracket I which carries two tongued plates m, each having a
wing m, cast thereon whereby it is pivotted to the bracket. A pawl.m², is pivotted
to each wing, such pawls being operated by a lever n, which is pivotted to the-
partition plate. Extending in a downward direction from such lever are two
arms m, n, the operation whereof is presently described. The inner end of such
lever is weighted while its outer end cousista. of a cranked stem that projects
beyond the till casing and is furnished with a knob or handle whereby the lever is.
operated. The tongued plates m, are arranged one above another like shelves, and
when in position the tongues project in front of the partition plate and form two-
series of ledges which are in a line with each other both horizontally and vertically..
A gong o is mounted on the back of the partition plate while a striker o' is pivotted
thereto. One end of such striker is weighted and forms the gong hammer while.
the other end thereof has a pawl o2 pivotted thereto. A continuous slot is made in
the top of the till base which extends the entire length of the side till. Through
this aperture the coins drop from the various divisions of the till into the drawer.
beneath. The side tills serve as checks on the change racks-thus :-Assuming-
that half a crown is given to the attendant out of which sixpence has to be taken
for goods supplied, the attendant takes up change from one of the racks equivalent
to the value of the coin tendered and substitutes the half a crown therefor. He
then takes from such change the amount of the purchase, (i.e. sixpence,) and, after
handing the balance to the customer, places such sixpence in that division of that
one of the side tills which is beneath the rack from whence he took the change.
When the coin is so placed in the till it drops on to one of the upper series of
ledges or tongues where it remains invisible owing to such upper series being
concealed behind the top of the glazed screen forming the front of the till. He
then depresses the lever n when the lever arm n' comes in contact with the pawl o²
on the striker and so causes the latter to strike the gong thereby indicating that
the till is in use. At the same time the lever arm n² depresses the pawl m² on the
lower tongued plate thus throwing the latter out of the horizontal line while as the
lever continues its downward travel it passes such pawl and so allows the tongue-
plate to return to the horizontal position. Simultaneously with this operation the
stem of the lever handle depresses the pawl of the upper tongued plate thus tilting
such plate and causing the coin which has lodged thereon to drop on to the corre
sponding ledge of the lower tongued plate where it becomes and remains visible
until the till is again used when on the lever being operated it falls through the
continuous slot in the top of the till base into the drawer beneath. By counting
the money in the drawers the amount of the takings can be readily ascertained
while the change racks must contain money equivalent in value to the amount of
change placed thereon in the first instance.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews two views in front elevation of such
side tills one with the glazed screen removed and the other in external elevation..
Figs. 6 and 7 shew detail views of the partition and tongued plates and actuating-
mechanism and Fig. 8 a plan of the gong and striker with hammer and pawl
mounted on the back of the partition plate.
I would here observe that I do not confine myself to the precise details of
construction herein before described as the same admit of variation in minor
respects.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A combination check till consisting of a central till and two side tills.
constructed, arranged and fitted all substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn.
2. In combination with such triple till a shut off apparatus fitted at the back of

page_text: the drawers in the till base consisting of two guide blocks and a spring shutter
constructed, arranged, and fitted all substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn.
Dad LN: L J
ELT & Co.,
Registered Patent Agents,
43 Southampton Buildings, Holborn, London, Agents for Applicant.