US1791899A - Xwtlhelm k khopff - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 10, 1931. w. KRQPFF 1,791,899

CASH REGISTER Filed June 19. 1929 gin mantel Wilhelm Kropfl Patented Feb. 10, 1931 warren STATESPATET OFFICE WILHELIH KROPFF, F BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND oAsn: n-ners'rnn 7 Application filed June s, 1929, Serial No. 372,034, and in German July a0, 1928.

This invention relates to registers and like machines, and more particularly refers to improvements in printing mechanisms for such machines. The invention is an improvement on, and is illustrated herein in connection with a printing mechanism of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 1,761,556, granted June 3, 1930, to

Charles H. Arnold. y

The printing mechanism disclosed in the above-mentioned patent is applicable to many of the conventional types of cash regis ters and is adapted to print on an inserted slip. An impression hammer is adapted to deliver two impression blows at each operation of the machine, regardless of whether a slip is in printing position or not. The printing hammer of the Arnold printer is normally cocked, being retracted at the end of each operation of the machine, normally set hammer driving means being provided to cause the hammer to deliver two impression blows. If there is no slip in printing position in the machine to receive the impression, the blows fall upon the type wheels, causing a smudge on the platen, which, on a subsequent operation, is transferred to the reverse side of the slip when inserted.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a printing mechanism of the type indicated, with a novel feeler controlled hammer disabling means to prevent operation of the hammer if no slip or other record material is in printing position to take the imprint from the types.

Another object is to provide a machine of the class described with a novel, flexible trip ping means for the hammer drivers.

A further object .of this invention is to pro: vide a novel means under control of an insert able record material, to normally prevent operation of the printing hammer.

Vith these and incidental objects in view,

the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings type wheels 30, rotatively mounted on a shaft 81, supported in aframe 32. In this particular instance,the frame 32 represents the left side frame of any conventional cash register. The type wheels are secured-to the ends of nested tubes, not shown, and are adapted to be differentially rotated under the control of manipulative evices such as, for instance,

depressible keys, etc.. to bring the desired' type to the printing line, in the well known manner.

After the type wheels are positioned, it is desired to take impressions therefrom on an inserted slip. To accomplish this, a platen 33 carried in a pair of swinging hammer arms 84, only one of which appears in the drawings, journaled on a stud 35 projecting from the side frame 32, is driven against the types at the printing line, on each operation of the machine. The slip is not illustrated in the drawings, but may comprise any suitable sales slip or other record material. A chute 36 apertured at points in line with the printhammer and the types at the type line, is providedto receive the record material and hold it in the proper position to receive the impression. An ink ribbon, not shown, is usually provided betweenthe platen 33 and the typecarriers 30, to render the imprint pressing the cross rod 71 against the longer arms of apair of hammer-driving elbow levcrs'i'z and 3 pivoted side by slde on the hammer stud 35 projecting from the side frame 32.

A hammer restraining and restoring bail 74 carried by arms fast on a restoring shaft 37 journaled in the side frame 32, normally lies in the paths of the shorter, inclined arms of the driving elbow levers 72 and 73 to hold the latter in their fully retracted positions against the tensions of their respective drive springs 76 and 77, which tend to rock the driving elbow levers count-er-clockwise.

Springs 78 and 79 press the hooked ends of detents 90 and 91 pivoted on the restoring shaft 37 against the free ends of the longer arms of the driving elbow levers 7 2 and 73. respectively, to latch the latter in their cocked positions. The restraining bail 74 normally sustains the strain of the strong drive springs 7 G and 77 to relieve the detents 90 and 91 of strain, the bail restoring the drive levers sufiiciently to leave a slight clearance between the longer arms of the drive levers and the detents 90 and 91 when the latter are in effective positions.

Means to hold the hammer restraining and restoring bail 74 in, and restore it to its normal position wherein it holds the hammer driving levers 72 and 73 in cooked or set positions includes a pair of cams 38 and 39 hubbed together and fast on the usual printer drive shaft 40 journaled in the side frame 32, and in a printer frame (not shown). The printer drive shaft 40 is given one complete rotation at each operation of the machine in the customary manner.

The cams 38 and 39 wipe against projections 41 and 42 on the diverging arms of a rocker lever 43 fast on a short shaft 44 ournaled in the side frame 32 and in the printer frame (not shown).

The cams 38 and 39, acting on the projections 41 and 42, rock the lever 43 clockwise in three separate steps of movement, there being a brief dwell between the steps, and then counter-clockwise to normal in a single movement, to rock the restoring shaft 37 first clockwise to release the hammer-driving levers 72 and 73, and then counter-clockwise to normal to restore the drive levers to cocked positions.

The clockwise rotation of the restoring shaft 37 likewise comprises three distinct steps of movement, and its return movement in counter-clockwise direction is completed in one continuous movement.

Briefly, the purpose of the intermittent clockwise movement of the restoring shaft 37 is to first release the hammer driving levers 72 and 73, so that they are held cocked only by the detents 90 and 91, and then to successively trip the detents to enable the drive springs 76 and 77 to rock the driving levers successively to cause the hammer 34 to deliver two blows against the types. The releasing and tripping mechanism is fully disclosed in the above Arnold Patent No. 1,761,556, to which reference may be had for a complete understanding thereof, and as this mechanism is not pertinent to the instant invention, no further description thereof need be given herein.

In the Arnold patent, a link 89 (Fig. connects an arm 86 fast on a shaft corresponding to the short shaft 44 in the present case with an arm fast on a shaft 68, corre sponding to the restoring shaft 37 of the present invention. By this arrangement of parts, however, all movements of the printer drive shaft 82 are transmitted by the link 89 to the shaft 68 to effect the operation of the hammer at each operation of the machine, regardless of whether or not there is a slip in the proper printing position in the chute 36 to receive the impression blows of the hammer.

In the present invention, however, the connection between the shafts 44 and 37 is a yielding or flexible one, so that the restoring shaft 37 may be locked against rocking movement when no slip is in the machine, while the shaft 44 is rocked idly by the cams 38 and 39.

To this end, a crank 51 fast on the shaft 44 arries a stud 50 which projects through a slot 52 formed intermediate the ends of a link 53, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to an arm 54 fast on the restoring shaft 37. A spring 55 connects the stud 50 with a pin 56 projecting from the lower end of the link 53, which extends a considerable distance beyond the stud 50, thereby forming a flexible connection between the crank 51 and the link 53, so that when the link 53 is locked against movement, and the crank 51, under the influence of the cams 38 and 39, may rock idly, the stud 50 moving up and down within the slot 52. The link 53 and the restoring shaft 37 are moved flexibly by the spring 55 in clockwise direction under the control of the cam 38. However, the restoring movement of these parts, that is, their movement in counter-clockwise direction, is effected positively by the stud 5O pressing against the bottom of the slot 52 under the control of the cam 39.

If desired, a hooked latch 57 may be fastened on the restoring shaft 37, and arranged to normally engage a stud 58 projecting laterally from the hammer arm 34 to insure that the hammer remains in its retracted position. Clockwise movement of the restoring shaft 37 however, disengages the latch 57 from the stud 58, thereby freeing the hammer for operation. The latch may be dispensed with without affecting the invention herein set forth.

To enable the operating mechanism for the printing hammer to be controlled by the presonce or absence of record material in the chute 36, there is provided a shouldered restraining arm 59 pivoted on a stud 6O projecting from the flexible link 53, to cooperate with a wedgeshaped stud 61 projecting laterally from the side frame 32, and normally restraining the link 53 and the restoring shaft 37 in their normal positions against movement.

Means under the control of an insertable slip operates to disengage the restraining arm 59 from the stud 61, thereby permitting actuation of the hammer driving mechanism only on those operations of the machine when a slip is inserted in proper position in the chute 36. This release mechanism for the arm 59 comprises a feeler finger 62 journaled on the hammer supporting stud 35 and connected by a yoke 63 to a release finger 64, also journaled on the stud 35. The feeler finger 62 projects downwardly through an opening in the slip chute 36, and across the path of, the slip. When no slip is in the machine, the feeler finger 62 normally rests against the edge of the opening in the chute 36, thereby limiting the counterclockwise movement of the feeler finger. The free end of the release finger 6 L normally extends beneath the free end of the restraining arm 59, or of a stud 65, projecting laterally from the restraining arm. Insertion of a slip into the chute 36 rocks the feeler finger 62 in clockwise direction to rock the release finger 64: also clockwise, which latter, acting on the restraining arm 59, raises the latter to free it from the wedge-shaped stud 61, thereby freeing the link 53to the action of the spring 55, so that, upon rotation of the cams 38 and 39 which rock the shaft 14: and

'crank 51 clockwise, the spring will draw j is fully disclosed in the above-mentioned Arnold Patent No. 1,761,556.

As stated above, the counter-clockwise movement of the shaft 44: and the crank 51 with its stud 50, draws the yielding link 53 positively downwardly to rotate the restoring shaft 37 in counter-clockwise direction and restore the parts to. their normal positions. The link 53 draws the restraining arm 59 therewith until the shoulder thereon is in position to drop over the wedge-shaped stud 61. The engagement of the restraining arm 59 with the stud 61, however, is delayed until the slip is removed from the chute 36 after the completion of the operation, whereupon the feeler finger 62 and the release finger 64 rock by gravity in counter-clockwise direction about the hammer shaft 35, to enable the restraining arm 59 to swing downwardly to fit its shoulder against the stud. 61. In this position the restraining arm' 59 looks the link 53 against rising, and-hence locks the restoring shaft 37 against releasing the hammer driving levers 72 and 73.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of em bodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed as new, is

1. In a machine of the class described; the combination with type elements; aprinting hammer to take impressions from thetype elements; and means to operate the hammer; of a latch normally in position to restrain the hammer against operation;

means operable at-eachoperation of the macombination with type elements; a hammer to take impressions therefrom; and hammer driving mechanism; of means to control the hammer driving mechanism, including a yieldable transmitting connection; means to lock the connection in normal position; and means controlled by the presence of record material to disable the locking means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with type elements; a hammer to take impressions therefrom; and hammer driving mechanism; of means to control the hammer driving mechanism, including a restraining and restoring member; an actuator; a fiexible linkage to connect the actuator and the restraining and restoring member; a normally effective locking means to prevent effective operation of the linkage; and means to disable the locking means.

4. In a machine of the class described; the combination with type elements; a hammer to take impressions therefrom on an insertable record material; and hammer-driving mechanism; of means to control the hammer driving mechanism, including a shaft; an arm on the shaft; a link pivoted to the arm; flexible means to operate the link; a locking stud; and a shouldered arm on the link cooperating with the locking stud to normally restrain the link against movement by its flexible operating means.

5. v In a machine of the class described; the combination with type elements; a hammer to take impressions from the type elements on an insertable record material; and means to drive the hammer; of means to control the hammer driving means, including a rock shaft; a link operatively connected to the shaft to rock said shaft; yielding means to operate the link; a locking stud; a shouldered arm on the link to cooperate with the stud and normally look the link against operation; and means under the control of the insert able record material to render the shouldered restraining arm ineffective.

6. In a machine of the class described; the combination with type elements; a hammer to take impressions from the type elements on an insertable record material; and means to drive the hammer; of means to control the hammer driving means, including a power-transmitting member; and drive means therefor, one of which is yieldable relatively to the other; a stationary element; a shouldered arm on the member engageable with the stationary element to normally restrain the member against operation; a feeler finger under the control of the insertable record material; and a release finger operated by the feeler finger to disable the shouldered restraining arm and free the hammer drive controlling means for operation.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

WILHELM KROPFF.

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