A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED MONEY TILL AND CHECK
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward John James Comer, Engineer, Benjamin Walton,
Engineer, and Benjamin Andrews, Engineer, all of Kennington, Surrey, for
an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED COMBINED MONEY TILL AND
CHECK,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward John James Comer
and Benjamin Walton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
6th April 1880.
EDWARD JOHN JAMES COMER, Engineer, BENJAMIN WALTON, Engineer, and
BENJAMIN ANDREWS, Engineer, all of Kennington, Surrey. "A NEW OR IMPROVED
COMBINED MONEY TILL AND CHECK."
This Invention has for its object a new or improved money till and check,
whereby not only is peculation and loss prevented, but also all risk of mistakes
and disputes arising in giving change is totally obviated.
To carry out our Invention we proceed as follows:-Two circular metal frames
are mounted vertically upon a suitable stand, beneath which suitable change
bowls are placed, while one or more drawers or their equivalents divided into
compartments and secured in any convenient manner are fitted in the base of the
till. Such metal frames are divided into four or any other convenient number of
openings, and have a centre plate fitted within them, which is provided with two
glass discs fixed one on either side thereof. Suitable arms or their equivalents
spring from such centre plate and divide such discs into eight or any other con-
venient number of divisions, which are visible through the openings in the metal
frames before mentioned, while mounted on the top of the latter is a pocket piece
having two circular cavities in its centre, which are glazed so as to allow of any
coin placed therein being visible. In one side of the frame of such pocket piece
is a hollow channel or passage, which leads to one of the compartments in the
drawer of the till. Such pocket piece is only intended for use when change is
required as presently described, while the hollow channel or passage is intended
to receive the money representing the takings and convey it into the till
drawer.
The glass discs before mentioned are held in position by means of flanges
formed on a suitable boss, to which such discs, together with the centre plate, are
attached

page_text: This boss revolves upon a centre spindle, and is provided with a ratchet wheel
or its equivalent actuated by a lever and pawl, while attached to the front metal
frame is a cylinder or socket piece, wherein a spindle provided at its upper end
with a knob works up and down. This spindle is fitted with a spiral spring,
which not only serves to force the spindle back into position after the knob has
been depressed, but upon the knob being depressed it presses upon a link, and
thereby carries the lever and pawl into the next tooth on the ratchet wheel or its
equivalent, and upon the knob being released the spiral spring recoils and carries
the centre plate forward one division.
The hinder of the two metal frames first mentioned is provided with a guide
plate, so as to prevent the coins falling out as they drop from the pocket piece into
their allotted compartment in the till, which is also provided with-a-gong-so. fitted.
that upon the knob on the spindle being depressed the hammer strikes the gong
and gives notice that the till is being used.
The various parts of the till when fitted together are so secured that access can
only be obtained thereto by a master key or its equivalent.
A novel feature of our improved till is that every coin placed therein is visiblo
from both sides.
The operation of our Invention is as follows:-On a person taking, say, a florin
from a customer who spends sixpence, he places the florin in the pocket piece and
takes from the change bowls two shillings worth of change. He then places the
sixpence representing the takings in the mouth of the hollow channel or passage
leading to that one of the divisions in the centre plate, which for the time being
is in immediate communication with such channel or passage, and presses the knob
on the spindle, which sounds the gong and carries forward the centre plato and
glass discs one division, thus leaving the coin visible, and at the same time pre-
paring a vacant space for the reception of the next coin, while the florin placed in
the pocket piece is held in position by a spring or springs or their equivalents, and
so remains suspended until displaced by another coin being placed therein, which
pressing on the first coin opens the spring and allows the first coin to drop into
the till drawer, while the last coin remains suspended and visible in the pocket
piece. It will be obvious that by this improved arrangement all disputes as to
change are entirely obviated.
The coins placed in the pocket piece drop down the space existing between the
guide plate formed on the hinder metal frame and the hinder glass disc, and
thence pass into a separate compartment in the till drawer and are afterwards
counted, so as to make up the amount of change originally placed in the change
bowls, while the monies representing the takings pass into another compartment
and are thus kept separate.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward John James Comer and Benjamin Walton in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 6th October 1880.
"
EDWARD JOHN JAMES COMER, Engineer, BENJAMIN WALTON, Engineer, and
BENJAMIN ANDREWS, Engineer, all of Kennington, Surrey. A NEW OR IMPROVED
COMBINED MONEY TILL AND CHECK."
This Invention has for its object a new or improved combined money till and
check, whereby not only is peculation and loss prevented, but also all risk of
mistakes and disputes arising in giving change is totally obviated.
And in order that our said Invention may be better understood and readily
carried into effect we will now, with the aid of the accompanying Drawings,
proceed more particularly to describe the same.
Figure 1 of such Drawings shews a view in front elevation of one of our
improved tills with the gong removed in order to shew the internal mechanism.
Figure 2 shows a view of the same in end section taken on the line A, B,
Figuro 1.
Figure 3 is a detail view partly in section of the spindle, spiral spring, and
adjacent parts.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. To carry out our
Invention we proceed as follows:-We mount two circular metal frame plates a, a¹,
(hereafter called the front and back frame plates) vertically upon a suitable stand,
beneath which convenient change bowls are placed, while one or more drawers or
their equivalents divided into compartments and secured in any convenient manner
are fitted in the base of the till in order to receive the takings. Such front and
back frame plates are divided into four or any other convenient number of
openings by arms c', and have a centre plate d fitted within them, which is pro-
vided with two glass discs e fixed one on either side theroof. Suitable arms for their
equivalents spring from said centre plate d, and divide the glass discs into eight or
any other convenient number of divisions, which are visible through the before
mentioned openings in the front and back plates, while mounted on the top of the
latter is a pocket piere g having one or more circular cavities in its centre, which
are glazed so as to allow of any coin placed therein being visible.
Such pocket piece is only intended for use when change is required, as presently
described, and owing to the coin to be changed so remaining visible all possibility
of dispute is obviated. The coin when placed in such pocket piece is held in
suspension by a suitable spring or springs or their equivalents, and so remains
suspended until displaced by the weight of the next coin placed therein, which
pressing on the first thus opens the springs and allows it to drop into the till
drawer, while the last coin taken remains suspended and visible in the pocket
piece.
If preferred however we dispense with such pocket piece and spring action and
provide the metal frames a with an additional centre plate and glass disc fitted
in a similar manner as the first, so as to form a duplicate division in order to allow
of the change coins which are taken passing round simultaneously with those which
represent the actual takings, and in this case we substitute some suitable orna-
mentation for the pocket piece. In one side of the frame g' of such pocket piece g
is a hollow channel or passage, indicated by dotted lines at h, which leads to one
of the compartments in the drawer of the till. In this hollow channel or passage
the money representing the actual takings is placed and conveyed into the till
drawer, as presently described.
The glass discs before mentioned are held in position by means of suitablo metal
flanges i formed on or affixed to a suitable boss k, to which such discs, together
with the centre plate, are screwed or otherwise attached.

page_text: Such boss revolves upon a centre spindle provided with a screw thread, and
is furnished with a ratchet wheel or its equivalent actuated by a lever m and
pawl n, while attached to the front metal frame is a cylinder or socket piece o,
wherein a spindle ? provided at its upper end with a suitable knob works up and
down. This spindle is fitted with a spiral spring q, which not only serves to force
the spindle back into position after the knob has been depressed, but upon the
knob being depressed presses upon a link r, and thereby carries the lever and
pawl into the next tooth on the ratchet wheel or its equivalent, and upon the knob
being released the spiral spring recoils and carries the centre plate forward one
division. The wheel is prevented from travelling forward too far by a check
_clicks, and in a similar manner is prevented from being reversed too far by a
corresponding check click 8¹.
---
When the before described arrangement of the pocket piece and spring action is
adopted the back frame plate a¹ is provided with a guide plate t, so as to prevent
the coins falling out as they drop from the pocket piece into their allotted com-
partment. A gong t' is also provided, and is so fitted that it serves as a shield to
the centre mechanism already described, while upon the spindle p being depressed
it comes in contact with a hammer u and causes it to strike the gong, and thus
give notice that the till is being used. A broad metal collar is cast on the back of
the frame plate a around its edge, which collar has a slot formed therein near the
bottom, through which the coins representing the actual takings drop into the till
as the discs revolve, while a narrow rim is cast on the back frame plate a¹, which
allows of its fitting over the before mentioned collar. This rim has also a slot
formed therein to permit the change coins dropping through into their proper
compartment. The frame plates are fastened together by metal buttons or their
equivalents conveniently placed on the before mentioned collar, so as to permit the
till to be readily opened or closed as occasion may require.
A novel feature of our improved combined money till and check is that every
coin placed therein is visible from both sides.
The operation of our Invention is as follows:-On a person taking, say, a florin
from a customer who spends sixpence he places the florin in the pocket piece and
takes from the change bowls two shillings worth of change. He then places the
sixpence representing the actual takings in the mouth of the hollow channel h
and presses the knob on the spindle, which sounds the gong and carries forward
the centre plate and glass discs one division, thus leaving the coin visible, and at
the same time preparing a vacant space for the reception of the next coin, while
the florin is held suspended in the pocket piece until another coin is placed
therein, as already described.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood that we claim, the
improved construction of a combined money till and check, consisting of frame
plates a, a, stand, centre plate or centre plates d, discs e, pocket piece g with spring
action or its equivalent duplicate division, channel h, flanges i, boss k, centre
spindle, ratchet wheel Z, lever m, pawl n, socket o, spindle p, spiral spring 9,
link r, check clicks s, s', guide plate t, gong t, and hammer u, all respectively
combined and fitted together, substantially in the manner and for the purposes
bereinbefore described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Walton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.