A PRO- CESS BY WHICH THE STAMP ON BANKERS' CHEQUES IS CANCELLED, AND THE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Daniell, of Donington Park, near
Derby, Colonel (late) Coldstream Guards, for the Invention of "A PRO-
CESS BY WHICH THE STAMP ON BANKERS' CHEQUES IS CANCELLED, AND THE
Sealed the 14th December 1858, and dated the 14th June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Daniell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th December 1858.
I, HENRY JOHN DANIELL, of Donington Park, in the County of Derby,
Colonel (late) Coldstream Guards, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A PROCESS BY WHICH THE STAMP ON BANKERS' CHEQUES IS CAN-
CELLED, AND THE CHEQUE INDELIBLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CROSSED," to be as
follows:-
I propose that the stamp on cheques should be placed or indented on or
near the top centre thereof. Having filled in and signed a cheque, I pass it
between an instrument similar to an ordinary clip, having a sufficient plane
or fulcrum to receive and support that part of the cheque where the stamp is
placed. On the upper portion of the clip is cut a die having the usual
"&Co.," cut thereon, in such wise that when the die descends on to the
cheque, and presses on the plane or fulcrum the "& Co.," will be cut out of
the stamp and cheque, and the cheque will bear the crossing indelibly, thus
effecting the operation of cancelling stamp and crossing cheque. Of course
if desirable, other words or signs may be used, such as the banker's entire
name, or figures or numbers as might be agreed on between bankers and
customers. My process will effectually guard against the anticipated destruction

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry John Daniell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOHN DANIELL, of Donington Park, near Derby, Colonel, late Coldstream
Guards, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry John Daniell, Her special licence that I, the said Henry John
Daniell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry John Daniell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A PROCESS BY WHICH
THE STAMP ON BANKERS' CHEQUES IS CANCELLED, AND THE CHEQUE INDELIBLY AND
SIMULTANEOUSLY CROSSED," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry John Daniell, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry John Daniell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, forming part of this my Specification, and to the letters of
reference marked thereon, denoting similar parts where such parts appear
or can be seen at each of the Figures respectively:-
In the late Session of Parliament an Act or Acts was or were passed
providing (inter alia) that all cheques drawn on bankers should bear a stamp

page_text: (either adhesive or impressed) representing one penny; also rendering the
erasure or other mode of discharging the crossing on bankers' checks a felony.
It is well known that placing the sign or letters " & Co." on part of a cheque
drawn on a banker is a usual mode of "crossing," thus leaving the receiver, if
he please, to fill in the name of his banker, or pass the said cheque through
any bank or banker for payment. As above stated, a cheque is to bear an
adhesive or impressed stamp; if adhesive it is placed on the document after the
form of cheque is printed, and is either defaced by the writing being made to
run over its surface, or by placing the drawer's initials or other mark thereon.
But bankers supply their customers with cheques having the stamp impressed
thereon after the printing of the form is effected, in other words the form is
complete before the paper is stamped. These stamps are seldom defaced by
the drawer, it is enough in his view of the matter that the stamp is impressed
on the cheque, perhaps where the engraving may run, perhaps not, and the
Act of Parliament not being complied with, the drawer and payee (the banker)
are liable to penalties. If bankers would elect to have the impressed or
other stamp invariably placed on the centre as near the top as possible of each
cheque (as may be seen by reference to Figures 7 and 9 of the Drawing), and
drawers not using impressed but adhesive stamps, fix them as directed for
bankers, the liability to penalty in all cases of crossed cheques would by the
use of my Invention be altogether avoided, and each cheque would by excision
or perforation be effectually and indelibly crossed, and the stamp destroyed.
The object or objects of my Invention is or are already pointed out by the
foregoing, but it is further necessary to observe that said object or objects are
carried into effect by a process of excision or perforation in various forms and
by various implements. I have shewn a few of such forms of excision and
perforation in the annexed Sheet of Drawings, as well as certain implements
with which the dies are made to operate on cheques, but it is evidently
impossible to describe all the means by which the stamp on a banker's cheque
may be cancelled and the cheque itself be indelibly crossed according to my
Invention. The first and perhaps the most economical mode of effecting the
operation of excision is by the use of a clip having the letters "and Co." cut in
the upper jaw thereof with perforations in the lower jaw, and a spring either
between the jaws or handles, or both, to relieve the cheque from pressure
when the "and Co." has been cut therefrom, or instead of the words "and
Co." the "&" and letters "Co." 'may be put upon the cheque in perforated dots,
and four, five, or more dotted perforations cross the cheque in two lines, repre-
senting the usual lines struck by the pen in crossing cheques (as represented
at Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawing), which shew part of a cheque perforated

page_text: in the manner described). To effect this it is necessary to make the die or
stamp (which may be used with a hand clip, upright clip, or excentric or
other) of a series of punches arranged to produce the form or letters required,
so that the cheque shall not only be clearly and finely perforated, but that the
debris or minute circles of paper cut from the cheque shall pass through and
out of the punches without clogging them. I need not stop to describe how
such punches are made, as the mode of manufacture is well known to
die sinkers and others. It will be obvious that not only the word or signifi-
cation & Co." will be used for the purpose of my Invention, but the full
name of the banker or bank will sometimes be required by large firms who
have many cheques to cross during the day; thus Glyn & Co., U. Bank of L.
(Union Bank of London), Commercial B. of L. (Commercial Bank of
London), L. & Wr. Bk. (London and Westminster Bank), and others, may be
excised or perforated from a cheque or many cheques at once, care being taken
to make the die punches with the dots or letters so far apart and of such size
that one may not run into the other or leave edges or corners by which the
cheque may be damaged or torn. Or separate plates having any of the words,
names, or signs perfected thereon, may be used, so that if need be, the
"Glyn & Co." may be withdrawn and "Barclay & Co." " L. & W. Bank," or
a plate bearing any other designation may be placed in the clip or under
pressure of the excentric or other leverage. When I use letters I prefer the
letters to be cut as in stencil (as shewn in the Drawing at Figure 8). Any
of the letters, marks, or words, above mentioned may be excised or perforated
from a cheque by means of a roller or wheel whose outer periphery is made
corresponding to the width of a cheque, the said roller being furnished with
punches slightly projecting from said outer periphery, and a stop to prevent the
roller from passing entirely round. The excised portions of the cheque pass up
the punches, and are delivered into the centre, and fall from the roller at each
movement thereof. This roller may be used with any suitable apparatus or even
with an ordinary handle having lugs or arms to hold and support the axis of
the wheel or roller. The excentric lever shewn at Figures 5 and 6 will, no
doubt, be required where a large number of cheques are to be crossed and
their stamps destroyed simultaneously by reason of the great pressure or force
it brings into operation in the pressure of the excentric on the die or plate
armed with the perforating or excising punches. Or the words, letters, or
form may be at once excised or perforated by the end of the excentric on
which the desired words, letters, or form are made, as shewn at Figure 6
of the Drawing, where an "& Co." appears on the end or bottom of the
lever.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews side view of short clip (& Co. only); Figure 2 side view of
long clip for "& Co." and perforated dots; Figure 3 side view of lever press;
Figure 4 side view of striking clip; Figure 5 side view of cutting lever;
Figure 6 front view of cutting lever through the line A, B, at Figure 5;
Figure 7 plan of part of cheque perforated (adhesive stamp); Figure 8 plan
of part of cheque (adhesive stamp) cut out in stencil pattern in its centre;
Figure 9 plan of part of cheque (impressed stamp) with name of banker
perforated across.
Figure 1 shews in side view a clip made so as to perforate either in stencil
or round holes the " & Co." or "and Co." used in crossing bankers' cheques.
Figure 2 shews in side view a clip made to perforate not only the "& Co."
(or and Co.") in stencil or round holes, but also the holes across the cheque
in two lines, as seen by reference to cheques, Figure 7, 8, 9, where the effect
is shewn.
Figure 3 is a side view of an ordinary lever press or clip which may be used
either for perforating in stencil, round holes, or otherwise, either the " & Co."
only or the banker's name in full, with the holes representing the crossing lines
aforesaid.
Figure 4 is a side view of a striking press or clip motived by placing the
hand sharply on the top of the piston or upright lever a.
Figure 5 is a side view of an excentric lever clip press, to be used with or
without subsidiary or assorted plates or dies, the lever a passing from right to
left, the excentric b impinging on the centre of the plate or fulcrum as it
attains a vertical position, and relieving itself as the upper end of the lever is
pulled over to the left, or vice versa.
Figure 6 is a front view of the same, but shewing the "& Co." on the face c
(as it appears) of the centre of the lower limb of the lever a. In working this
clip the cheque is placed on the table or fulcrum d, the lever a moved rapidly
from right to left, or vice versa, it impinges on the cheque and withdraws a
portion of the paper, leaving the " & Co." perforated from the cheque.
Figure 7 shews plan of part of a banker's cheque with the adhesive stamp
drawn thereon, and dots cut out for the crossing lines, and perforated through
stamp and cheque with the sign or words "& Co."
Figure 8 shews another plan of part of a banker's cheque having the
adhesive stamp drawn thereon, and squares cut out for the crossing lines, both
stamp and cheque being excised or perforated with the "& Co." in stencil
pattern.

page_text: Figure 9 plan of part of a third cheque; on this will be perceived drawn
the impressed stamp and the whole designation of a banking firm perforated
thereout cancelling the stamp simultaneously with the perforation of the
cheque.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, by which the stamp on bankers' cheques is cancelled and the cheque
indelibly and simultaneously crossed, I may here observe that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements for effecting my
purpose, which I have herein-before described, shewn in the Drawing, or
otherwise referred to, as many deviations may be made therefrom without
departing from the main characteristics of my Invention, nor do I make any
claim to the exclusive use of any of the clips or mechanical means by the aid
of which I carry out my Invention, when such means are considered without
reference thereto, and not used combined with the signs, marks, or words
represented by the dies or punches in the process (of crossing) cheques or
cancelling the stamp thereon; but what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is, the exclusive right to cross bankers' cheques
and cancel the stamp thereon by excision or perforation thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Daniell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
FRANCIS BOWEN, M.D.,
Assist. Surgeon, Coldst Guards,
Guards' Club, London.
H. J. DANIELL. (L.S.)