CERTAIN, MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR WRITING AND BOOKING, NUMBERING, CUTTING, CHECKING, AND EXPEDITING THE DELIVERY AND RECEIPT OF PAWNBROKERS' DUPLICATES, PASS TICKETS, AND OTHER LIKE DOCUMENTS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, .GEORGE,
FREDERICK HALL, of Norfolk Street, in the County of Middlesex, Pawnbroker,.
send greeting.
i
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her,
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of January (One thousand eight hundred
and forty-six) in the ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs.
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said George Frederick Hall,
my exors, admors, and assigns, Her. especial licence, full, power, sole privilege,
and authority, that I, the said George Frederick Hall, my exors, admors,
and assigns, and such others as I, the said George Frederick Hall, my exors,.
adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of fourteen years thereby granted, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also within the Islands of Guernsey,
Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and all. Her said Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN, MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
WRITING AND BOOKING, NUMBERING, CUTTING, CHECKING, AND EXPEDITING THE
DELIVERY AND RECEIPT OF PAWNBROKERS' DUPLICATES, PASS TICKETS, AND OTHER
LIKE DOCUMENTS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that

page_text: 1, the said George Frederick Hall, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being there-
unto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW. YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Frederick Hall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described in
and by the present Specification thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed (that is to say)
My Invention consists,―
Firstly, of a numbering and cutting machine, front and back elevations
of which are given in Figures 1 and 2 (Sheet I.) of the Drawings hereunto
annexed. A, A, is a flat wooden support, into which is screwed the solo
plate N, a plan of which is given separately in Fig. 4. P is an upright plate,
raised on the sole plate N, and supported at the back by a standard T and
stud t. B1, B3, are two toothed wheels of an equal number of teeth, which
turn on pivots passed through the back standard T and upright plate P. A
is the shaft of the numbering box M, which is connected by two pins E, E,
to the faces of the two wheels B1, B2, at such distances from their centres
that the rotation of these wheels shall cause the shaft and box to move in the
semi-circular direction necessary for the numbering operation, as herein-after
explained. D is a third toothed wheel on the face of the upright plate P, the
pivot of which carries at the back of the plate a small pinion p of six leaves,
which takes into a sliding rack R, which rack is connected at its lower
extremity to a knife carriage H. E is a driving wheel, the teeth of which
are in the proportion of thirty to twenty-four of the wheels B¹ and B, and in
the proportion of thirty to sixteen of the wheel D, which driving wheel works
into and commands the other three wheels B1, B2, and D, and is moved by
means of a double-armed handle L attached to the back end of its axis,
which for the sake of greater facility in working is weighted with two solid
knobs l, l. G is an ink pan or trough made in the sole plate N, which
supplies ink to the numbering cylinders. (In Figure 1 the numbering shaft
and box are represented in the position which they assume when about dipping
into this trough.) It is filled as usual with several pieces of cloth laid one
above another, and saturated with an ink composed of sweet oil, and any
suitable colour well ground in. F is a stamping bed of leather or india-rubber,

page_text: on which the tickets to be numbered are laid. J is a spring lever, by which,
after each operation of the numbering box, the arm O is so acted upon as to
move the numbers in the box one forward. (The interior details of the
numbering box will be described hereafter, when treating of another apparatus,
called "the diplometer.") The knife carriage II carries two cutters h', h², of
the pecular forms shewn in Figs. 1 and 3, set at right angles to one another,
the former of which (h') cuts the tickets lengthwise, and the other (h). cross-
wise. V, V; Fig. 4, are two steel edges which are affixed to the sides of two
recesses made in the sole plate N, for the reception of the cutters h', h², on
their descent, and act as cutters in reverse. I is a fender of thin brass, which
K is a guide
for the tickets. The mode of operating with the machine, supposing it is to
be employed by a pawnbroker, is as follows:-The tickets being usually printed
in sheets containing eight sets or rows of six each, a strip of six is placed
with the first ticket over the bed F, and with the bottom part against the
guide K. The handle L is then pushed over to the left or in the direction of
the arrows, which causes the driving wheel E. to move round in the same
direction; and, the motion of the wheel E imparting rotation in the opposite
direction to the wheels in gearing with it, the wheels B', B², carry the
numbering box over in a semicircular sweep from the ink trough G to the
bed F, where it stamps the ticket; while simultaneously therewith, or nearly so,
the wheel D, through the medium of the pinion P and sliding rack R brings
down the two cutters h¹, h, which cut the ticket lengthwise and crosswise
(as before explained). The arm L being then brought back the contrary way
to the arrows, that restores the numbering box to its former position in the
ink trough, and raises again the cutters h¹, h³, while the spring lever J,
acting as aforesaid on the arm O, moves the numbers in the box one forward.
The second ticket of the series is then placed on the stamping bed F, and the
same operation as before repeated, whereby the tickets 1 and 2 of the series
are separated (but not quite) longitudinally and crosswise from one another,
and so the operation goes on till the whole of the tickets are numbered and
cut. The uncut parts of the tickets are torn through as they are wanted for
keeps the tickets down after they have been numbered and cut.
use.
Secondly, my Invention consists of a machine which I call a "triplograph,"
whereby the written parts of the three copies of each pawnbroker's ticket
which are required by law to be made are produced by one and the same
mechanical movement. Figure 1 (Sheet II.) is a view of this machine in its
complete state. J is a square wooden stand, consisting of a top and side
pieces without any bottom, and resting on four feet. The top of this stand is

page_text: B2, B3, are two parallel bars which
made in two parts t', t², the one fixed and the other moveable; when the
moveable part is in its place it overlaps the fixed part, as shewn. Across the
fixed part t¹ there is placed a roller I', which turns freely in bearings raised
from the sides of the stand, and is removable at pleasure. Beneath the
moveable part 3 there is another but smaller roller 12 (Figure II.) The
sheet of paper on which the ledger set of the three copies is written is made
fast by one end to the larger roller I', and thence passed over the smaller
roller I (Figure 2), whence it is afterwards unwound as wanted. A view of
the stand, with the moveable part t² removed, and shewing the two rollers with
the paper upon them, is given separately in Figure 2 (Sheet II.). When the
moveable part 2 is in its place, as seen in Figure 1 (Sheet II.), the paper
comes up between it and the fixed part. K is an ink holder supported by
brackets from one side of the stand. B' is a pillar raised on a bracket pro-
jected from the back of the machine.
move on centres attached to the top of the pillar B¹. B³ is a swivel frame
attached to the near end of the paralled bars. B is a curved brace, which is
fixed crosswise to the bottom of the swivel frame. C is a frame which swings
in bearings at the ends of the curved brace B'. D is a round steel bar, which
is passed through two orifices in the swinging frame C, and is free to move in
all directions, sliding either forwards or backwards, and turning round (limited
only in the latter respect by the position of one of the cross bars e, e, afterwards
mentioned), and E another bar, which is rigidly connected to the bar D by the
cross bars e, e, so that the motions of the two bars shall at all times perfectly
coincide. F, F, F, are pen carriers, dependent from and firmly attached
to the bar E. ff. f, pen holders, which are made fast by screws and nuts to
the bottom ends F, F, F, and adjusted to any height or inclination required. (A
separate view of one of these pen-holders is given in Figure 3.) The mode of
operating with the machine is as follows:-A half sheet of demy paper, ruled
into square compartments of the size of the tickets to be copied, is attached
to the rollers I, I, as before explained, with a sheet of blotting paper under it,
so that as the ledger sheet is rolled upon the larger roller I', (passing under
and coming back over it), the blotting paper shall come upon the inked parts
as they are written. A double row of tickets (G) is then laid upon the
moveable part t of the top of the stand; and pushed up to the
ledger sheet, where they are held fast by spring catches p, p, p.
frame C, with the pen frame attached to it, are then drawn over to the ink
holder at the right-hand side of the machine, and the three pens supplied with
ink, after which they are moved back till the pens are in a line with the first
serics of tickets. The pen which is nearest and has the shaft attached to it P',
edge next the
The swinging

page_text: is then taken in hand, and the undermost ticket written upon with it, when
every movement given to that pen is simultaneously communicated by means
of the bars E and D to the other pens, and all the three copies required are
thus made at one and the same time. The parallelism of all the parts in their
lateral movements is preserved by the parallel bars B2, B3, while the up and
down, forward and backward, and curvilineal movements are kept in unison by
the swinging frame C and sliding bar D. After one set of copies has been
made, the same operation as before described is repeated, with a second, and
so on for any length of time, the strip of tickets and ledger sheet being
renewed as often as they are exhausted. Two friction wheels with semi-
circular grooves may be attached to each side of the swinging frame C to give
the sliding bar D greater freedom of action, but in practise I do not find this
to be necessary. The machine, as before described, is fitted with three pens
only, because that is all that is required for pawnbroking purposes; but it is
obvious that as many pens as there is room for might be attached to the bar E,.
and the machine be thereby rendered applicable to the simultaneous production
of a correspondingly greater number of written copies.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of a machine which I call a "diplometer,"
whereby an exact registry is kept of all redeemed pledges. According to the.
present practise in pawnbrokers' establishments the date of the redemption of
each pledge is not marked on the ticket, but entered in the books in writing
opposite the original entry of the pledge having been made; but this is not
only attended with considerable trouble, but affords an obvious facility for the
fraudulent abstraction of the tickets for such redeemed pledges. By passing,,
however, each ticket through the diplometer it is stamped on the back or face
of it with certain letters or figures, indicating or expressing the date of its
redemption, and the machine itself registers all the tickets so passed through
it during any given period, so that it becomes next to impossible to make.
afterwards any improper use of them. Again, by sorting the tickets into months
and filing them according to their consecutive dating, any particular ticket can
be afterwards referred to with the utmost facility. The diplometer is locked
up in a box, with the exception only of a projecting sliding tablet to lay the.
ticket upon, and the key of it is intended to be kept by the head of the
establishment where it is used. Figure 1, Sheet III. of the annexed Drawings
represents the machine removed from the box, the part marked G-being the
sliding tablet before mentioned as projecting beyond the box when the
machine is locked up. A is the sole plate. H1, H2, and I, are three standards.
which carry the numbering apparatus Z, which is shewn detached from, its
bearings in Figures 3 and 4 (Sheet IIII.). It is suspended between H' and

page_text: H2 by means of a crank B', the traversing axis of which is passed through the
shoulder of the date box a at the points b, b (one of which only is seen in the
Drawings). A shaft F which projects backwards from the number box is
passed through a ring 9, gimballed into an orifice in the standard I. The
crank B allows of a rising and falling or semicircular movement being given
to the date box, while the gimballed ring 9 allows the shaft F to accommodate
itself to that movement. (The interior construction of the number or date box
will be presently herein-after explained.) T is a traversing frame (of which the
sliding tablet G, before mentioned, forms the outer end) which slides to and
fro on the sole plate A within the standards H', H. R, R, are two racks by
which the frame takes into two pinions P', P, fixed on the crank B' inside or
between the standards H', H³. S is a horizontal shaft which projects from
the back of the frame and passes freely through an orifice in the under part
of the back standard I, and has a spiral spring coiled round it.
Ga is a part
of the protruding tablet G¹, on which the ticket to be numbered or dated and
discharged is placed; it is covered with cloth, india rubber, or some other like
substance that will give a good impression. L is a ledge with side cheeks at
the bottom of the tablet to keep the tickets in their place. M is an ink pan
or trougli raised on the sole plate in the space between the racks, on which
the date box rests when out of action. It is made in the same way as the ink
pan of the numbering and cutting machine first before described. When the
traversing frame T is pushed inwards (which is readily done by applying the
hand to the front of the tablet G) the racks acting on the pinions P, P, and
crank B¹, cause the date box to spring forward in a semicircular sweep from
the ink pan M to the stamping place Go, on which it descends with consider-
able force. On withdrawing the hand from the frame it flies instantly back,
in consequence of the reaction of the spiral spring coiled round the shaft S,
and simultaneously therewith the date box is restored to its place on the ink
pan M. The date box (a) represented in the Drawings is one adapted to
consecutive numbering, and consists of five cylinders placed side by side on a
square axis (shewn separately in Figure 5 (Sheet III.) common to the whole,
each cylinder having a set of numerals or letters in consecutive order engraved
in relief on its periphery.. The first cylinder on the left has the first twelve
letters of the alphabet engraved upon it, to represent the twelve months of the
year, and the next four cylinders have each the ten numerals 1 to 0 inclusive
engraved thereon. A view of one of these numeral cylinders detached from
the rest is given in Figure 6 (Sheet III). A2, A2, A2, A2, are four spring
detents, one for each cylinder, which are attached at their fast ends to a
bridge a raised on the shaft F. A side view of, one of these detents is given

page_text: in Figure 3 (Sheet III.). The hooked ends of these detents lay hold succes-:
sively of ten pins d, d, which project sideways from the periphery of each,
cylinder at the points immediately opposite the figures. Alongside of the
fourth or innermost cylinder, and on the outside of it, there is: a wheel W
attached to the same axis, of which a separate view is given in Figure 7,
(Sheet III.), from the periphery of which a tappet w projects, which at every
return stroke of the numbering apparatus catches hold of one of the pins d of
the said fourth or unit cylinder, and moves it one forward, and the three other.
numeral cylinders have contrivances attached to them, as represented sepa-
rately in Figure 6 (Sheet III.), which cause each of them to be moved one
forward once in every ten strokes of the apparatus; (that is to say,) a click c,
which as it revolves catches against a cam a,, whereupon the click c strikes..
against one of the ten side pins d of the next adjoining cylinder, and thereby.
moves that cylinder one forward, while the click c. falls back into its original,
place, passing free of the other nine pins. A date box constructed of the,
parts and acting in the manner just described will number consecutively as
far as 9999. The month cylinder does not revolve with the other cylinders
(the axis being rounded at the part where it passes through that cylinder, as.
shewn at S in Figure 5. (Sheet III.), the cylinder revolving loosely upon it),;
but must be moved forward at every change of the month by undoing the,
serew Q. The method of ascertaining the date is as follows:-The letter
gives the month, and, by keeping a register of the last number. every night,,
every ticket numbered between such numbers must have been redeemed in.
the course.
of the day. D is a lifting lever, shewn separately in Figure 5,
(Sheet III.), which is connected at one end of the axis of the date box, and
linked at top to a strong spring E. screwed to the sole plate A. J is a
counter check, which consists of a single disc and spokes, which revolves with.
the spokes pointing downwards on a pivot stepped in the sole plate. A long:
spring, which projects from the front end of the rack of the traversing frame
T lays hold at each inward movement of the frame of one of the spokes of the
disc, while the disc is in its turn caught on the opposite side by a spring,
screwed to the face of the sole plate. A modification of the preceeding
machine by which a considerable saving in expence of construction may be,
effected, but which must be newly adjusted every day, is shewn in Figures 2
and 8 (Sheet III.). In this machine there is no month wheel, and the
numbering cylinders are merely employed to keep a register of the number of
strokes made by the machine. The punches or types which imprint the date
of the redemption on the face or back of the ticket are enclosed in a chase C

page_text: attached to a short shaft, which projects from the front of the registering box,
and it is this chase which is brought down at each stroke upon the stamping
place G of the tablet G. Every day the figures in the chase are altered to
indicate the day, month, and year, as for example, 29-7-6, which would
express the 29th of the 7th month (July), 1846. In all other material
respects this machine is similar to that previously described.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is as
follows.:-
First, I claim the numbering and cutting machine, herein-before described,
in the peculiar arrangement, combination, and application of parts of which
the same consist, but disclaim all right to the using of the said parts indi-
vidually and separately; being well aware that revolving numbering cylinders
and machine cutters, the same as or similar to those therein combined, have
been before employed for other purposes.
Second, I claim the machine called the "triplograph," as before described,
in the peculiar arrangement, combination, and application of parts of which
the same consist, but lay no claim to the system of parallel and coincident
movements on which the same is constructed, as that system has been before
adopted in other machines for multiplying copies of writings.
Third, I claim the machine called the "diplometer," according to both of
the forms herein-before described, in the peculiar arrangement, combination,
and application of parts of which the same consists, but disclaim, as aforesaid,
the use of the revolving numbering cylinders by themselves, as such cylinders
have been long in common use.
Fourth; I claim the method of numbering and cutting tickets for pledges
at one and the same time, as before described, and the employment of tickets
so cut and numbered.
Fifth, I claim the method of writing the three copies of tickets required by
law to be made by pawnbrokers by one and the same operation, as before
described. And,
Sixth, I claim the method of stamping the tickets of redeemed pledges on
the back or face of the same with the date of their redemption, by means of
a self-registering machine, as before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Hall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and forty-six.
G. F. (L.S.). HALL.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of July,
in the year of our Lord 1846, the aforesaid George Frederick Hall came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.