US1915604A - Cash register - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1933. Q w GREEN 1,915,604

CASH REGISTER Filed June 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN ENTOR. B Charla; [MG/ 02 WITNEES Zf 4 T TOR I! E YS.

C. W. GREEN June 27, 1933.

CASH REGISTER Filed June 17 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 C. W. GREEN June 27, 1933.

CASH REGISTER 5 m. M m

m m c m wm 1%? 5: EM n M Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED STATES PATEN CHARLES W. GREEN, F ILIQN, N-EW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY ASSIGNMENTS; TO

THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER GOIVIPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF IVZARYLAND CASH REGISTER Application filed. June 17, 1925. Serial No. 37,728.

This invention relates to cash registers or accounting devices and more particularly to that class known as key operated machines. One ob ect of the present invention is the provision of aspecial key, the manipulation of which will release operating keys which have been depressed in error without requiring a complete operation of the .machine. The operating keys in the machine herein described are adapted to be given a preliminary setting movement prior to their movements to effect registration and the release of any keys which may have been set may be effected at any time before the'registration has commenced.

A further object of the present invention is to prevent any manipulation of the key release device after a registering movement has been imparted by any key, that is, after any key has become effective on the totalizers.

A still further object is to provide suitable locking devices to prevent any misuse of the key release mechanism to operate the register in such a manner that incorrect or improper registrations can be efi'ected. To this end suitable means have been provided to prevent twisting of the key coupler through the improper use of the release key, by preventing any movement of any portion of the key coupler beyond coupling position so long as the release key is shifted toward its releasing position. lVith these and incidental objects in view the invention consists in certain novel fea- .p

tures of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred" form of embodiment of which 1s hereinafter.

described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specithe left machine side frame having been re.

moved to show more ;.clearly theoperating key and associated mechanism.

Fig. 3 1s a detail view insideielevation showing the key release mechanism.

Fig. i is another detail View showing howthe release key is locked against operation after a registration had been commenced.

While in the accompanying drawings .the improvements are shown in one form which they might taken when applied to or e1n-- bodied in machines of the key-operated type shown and described in U. S. Patent No.

1,729,338,5eptember 24, 1929, and Patent No. 1,742,701, January 7 1930, both granted on the applications of Frederick L. Fuller, as

adapt them for use in connection with other types of machines and it is the desire not to be hunted to the form of embodiment herein shown and described.

General construction 'Thevarious parts of the mechanism are supported by a suitable frame work comprising a base'casting 20 and side frames 21', the latter belng'connected near their rear ends by a casting 22. Further cross connections between theside frames'2l are in thefornr of a'tie .bar 23 across the lower front'of the "IHELChlIlQ anda tie bar'21 acros'sthe lower rear art.

The illustrative a number of keys divided into. groups of amount keys and a special group of keys known as clerks or identifying keys; Other special keys may also be included butforthe purposes of the presentinventionthese need not be described. Theamountkeys 25 are -.pivoted upon a transverseshaft 26 andare notched at 27 'to. engagethe flange 280i? a key coupler 29 journalled at SO-between the side frames2l- The clerks keys 81' (Fig.2) are located at one end of the machine and are likewise pivoted uponthe key shaft26. The pivotal-points 30 ofthe key coupler 29 and .26 of the keys-are displaced withrespect to each other so that the end of the key coupler machine is provided with l .ner to be described.

The normal operation of the illustrative machine requires that a clerks key be first depressed, the movement of the clerks key raising the key coupler to a position which may be designated as the couplingposition. It will not be necessary to describe here the interlocking mechanism which compels the depressionof a clerks key before an amount key is depressed, since it forms no part of the resent invention and is fully disclosed in the Fuller application #263,125 and the British patents before mentioned.

The means for raising the key coupler29 to its coupling position upon depression of a key 31 comprises a cam surface 32 (Fig. 2)

co-operating with a cam edge 33 on a shoulder 34 integral with and projecting from one end of the key coupler 29. The clerks keys are notched at 35 so as to receive the shoulder and flange of the key coupler when a clerks key is depressed to its coupling position. The edge 36 of the notch. provides a stop face which engages the rearward edge of the flange of the key coupler and stops the motion of the key and the key coupler. From this it is evident that when a clerks key 31 is depressed the cam edge 32 will co-operate with the cam edge 33 on'the shoulder 34 to raise the key coupler 29 to a partially elevated position and positive means is provided to limit the extent of this partial movement. By suitable mechanism which will be described presently the key coupler will be held in its partially elevated position but when pressure is removed from the clerks key the rear end of the key will drop back until a finger 38 thereon restsupon the upper edge of an angularmember 39 fastened to the key coupler. At this time any of the amount keys may be slightly depressed to engage them with and to raise the coupler still further. During this further operation theangular portion 39 will be'received by a cut-away portion 40 in the coupled clerks key.

Connected to the key coupler 29 is a plate 41 provided with a double rack 42, the teeth of which are adapted to alternately engage the teeth of a pinion 43 fast to a shaft 44 which is suitably journalled in the side frames 21. The connection is such that when the key coupler is rocked by the keys, the rack 41 is raised and lowered so that the reciprocating motion ofthe key coupler will beconverted into a rotary motion of the shaft 44. The shaft'44 carries cams and other devices for operating and driving various parts of the mechanisms.

In nearly all forms of cash register constructions it is necessary that after a registration is commenced some device be provided to compel a complete performance of the started registration before a second operation can be effected. To this end there is secured to the main operating shaft 44 toward its right hand end a ratchet wheel 45 against which bears a spring-pressed pawl 46 pivoted to the right side frame for preventing any retrograde motion of the shaft 44 and thus insuring a complete operation of the machine when once started.

As will be noted in Fig. 1 severalteethhave been cut away at the point designated bythe reference character 47 this being the posi' tion which the spring-pressed pawl 46 occupies when the key coupler has been partially elevated to its coupling position, the pawl, of course, bearing against the tooth of the ratchet wheel which'is just in advance of the space 47 to prevent retrograde movement of the key coupleror the shaft 44. This it will be understood constitutes the means for hold ing the keys in their partially depressed or coupnng positions. f

The device for converting the reciprocating movement of the coupler into a rotary motion of the shaft need not be described herein in further detail as this sort of mechanism is well known in the art and shown inmany patents. For details of construc tion and operation of one form of the above, reference may be. had to the patent to Thomas Carney #482,161 September 6, 1892.

Flcm'ble lacy coupling full'values indicated, registered and printed. This enables the operator to indicate. register and record with one hand an item requiring the operation of two or more keys, thus obviating the necessity of spanning several keys with his hands in order to secure the simultaneous operation of the several. keys. The devices for accomplishing this will now be described.

Mounted on the flange of the key coupler 29 are a plurality of spring-pressed latch plates 53 best shown in Fig. 1. Attached to the upper face of the coupler are a number of rearwardly extending arms 50 which are apertured to receive short studs 51 carried bv plates 52 which are bent at 521 in a plane phrallel to the pivotal axis 51. The latch plate 53 may be attached to the portion 521 by rivets or other desirable fastening means. spring 5 1 projecting in sockets formed in latch plate nd the key coupler tends o tate the latch plate 53 and plate bout the pivotal point 51 until stopped by integral with the plate contacting uith the upper face of the keycoupler.

Each bank of keys has associated therewith a lat plate, there being a pair of arms for supporting each latch plate its e5;- treme ends. in this manner each latch plate may be operated independently of any other latch plate.

Vihonever the coupler has been raised to coupling point 1) the latcn plates 53 mounted on the coupler will be above the notches 27 former in tie rear ends of the keys and will bear against the concentric edges of the k When it is desir d to attach an amoun to the key coupler which is now above the keys the desired key is depressed slightly resulting in the raising of the rear end of the key and by Virtue of the concentric edge co-operating with the rear edge of the latch plate the latter will be rocked counter-clockwise until the concentric cage clei rs the latch plate 53. At this time the latch plate will be free to rock clockwise under the influence of spring 54 to engage the notch 27 formed in the rear end of the depressed key. in this manner the amount key is positively engaged or attached to the key coupler and in the same manner amount keys associated with the other banks may be partially and successively depressed so as to attach them to the key coupler. As previously described operation of any 0. the attached amount keys will result in the simultaneous completion of the depression of all the keys which have been attached to the key coupler.

Differential mechanism The differential mechanisms and devices controlled by each of the various banksof amount keys are all similar in construction and operation so that a description of one will suflice for all Each of the amount keys is provided with an upwardly eXtendin g arm 57 carrying at its extreme end a stud which co-operates with a slot having two branches 58 and 59 formed in a cam plate 60 (Figs. 1 and 2). The cam plates 60, of which there is one for each key in a bank are carried by a frame 61 loosely pivoted upon a transverse shaft 62. The slots 59 in the cam plates 60 are concentric with respect to the shaft 62 while the cam slots of the various plates are differentially graded and are eccentric with respect to said shaft as well as to the shaft 26. From the foregoing it will be evident that upon depression of an amount key a movement will be imparted to the frame 61 corresponding to the value of the key depressed. When the frame 61 is operated differentially by a key the studs associated with the undepressed amount keys in the same bank will play in the arcuate slots 59 which permit the upward tilting of the frame 61 without interfering with the studs carried by the unoperated keys.

It is to be understood that there is a differential frame 61 for each group of amount keys. .Each differential frame 61 has secured or connected thereto so as to be movable therewith a segmental rack 63. The teeth of the segmental rack 63 are in continuous engagement with the pinions 6 1 fast to the item type carri rs 65 which are journalled on a item type wheels will print characters inclicating the amount of the transaction entered in the machine. I

Totaliz are Rotatably mounted in frames mounted below the item type carriers 65 and engageable with the segmental racks 63 are pinions attached to numeral wheels of the printing totalizers designated as A and B. The totalizers may be used for the purpose of registering amounts for separate departments or clerks or for any other separate divisions desired and their operation may be placed under the control of the keys 81.

Any suitable totalizer engaging or selecting mechanism may be used for the attainment of this end, and one form which this mechanism might take is shown and described in detail in the Fuller Patent No. 1.742,?01 and British patents hereinbefore mentioned.

As shown in the Fuller patent the devices for selecting a totalizer are under control of the clerks keys and are rendered operative when a clerks key is depressed to its initial or coupling position. Thus it will be observed that the pinions of the totalizer are meshed with the segmental racks when the coupler is raised to its coupling position. Depression of the coupled amount keys will differentially actuate the segments 63 and the totalizer pinions amounts commensurate with the values of the depressed amount keys.

During the return movement of the keys the totalizer pi'nions are disengaged from the segmental racks leaving the totalizer wheels in thelr adpisted positions,

Key release mechanism Coming now to the novel elements of the present invention improved means is provided which may be operated independently by a clerk or operator to release all of the coupled keys when any have been incorrectly partially depressed. This permits all the incorrectly coupled keys to be released so that the correct keys may subsequently be coupled and the correct amount registered and l'llCllcat-ed. Coupling of the keys requires but a slight movement of the keys and the proximity of the keys results occasionally in the coupling of the wrong keys or in some cases, adjacent keys in different banks. Since in machines heretofore constructed the coupled keys could not be returned to normal position without an operation of t 1e machine it was necessary to go through with the incorrect registration and later rectify the incorrect amount entered in the machine.

As illustrated the release key which is located at the right of the machine 3) is bifurcated toward the front end to enge shaft '71 and it is apertured toward its other end to receive the shaft 62 previously re- :Ferred to. By these means the release key is guided in its sliding movement. Near its rearward end the release key is provided with an upwardly extending arm 72 having a lug 73 adapted to bear against the upper end of the full stroke pawl 46.

1 shows an amount key coupled, the rey coupler and shaft ll being held against a retrograde movement by the engaging end of the pawl 46 bearing against a ratchet tooth. If the key so coupled happened to be erroneously depressed the release key 70 could be pushed slightly so that the lug '73 contacting with the full stroke pawl 46 would. disenp' e the pawl. from ratchet wheel .15. At t s time the key coupler by virtue of its wei 7 t can return to its normal position carrying with it all of the coupled. keys.

For returning; the release key to its normal. position there is provided av spring 74- fastened one end tothe frame 21 and at its other end to the upper end of a pawl 75 which in turn is pivotec at 76 to the rear nd of the release key. A lug 7? integral with the pawl. 7 5 contactin with an extension I" 8 of the key limits the movement of the pawl and in con nection with the spring 7d provides. the means for returning the release key after it has been operated.

It is, of course, desirable to prevent any operation of the release key after the key coupler hash-con rai ed above its coupling" position, since at this point the operation of the totalizer begins. To this end the release key 70 is provided with. a rearward projec tion 79 which is in the plane of a disc 80 loosely mounted upon the rotation shaft 4rd. The disc 80 is provided with a forward extension 81 and also carries a pin 82. Extending between the pin 82 and a shoulder 83 of a disc 84 secured to the rotation shaft 44 by pling position the disc 80 together with disc 8 1i will be given a clockwise movement asviewed in Fig. l, and when the key coupler is substantially in the position whereby keys may be coupled thereto the lug 81 on the disc 80 will be positioned above the projection 79 of the release key and when in this position the release key may be operated. When, however, the lug 81 is rotated clockwise slightly to the position shown in Fig. 4, the contacting-oi the lug S1 with the projection 7 9 will prevent any operation of the release key. During a further operation 01"" the machine the disc 80 will continue to be rotated and sincethe periphery oil the disc 80 is in the path of the projection T9 it will be impossible to operate the release key until the registration has been completed.

Safeguarding devices The mechanism as thus far described is substanti ally complete and practically operative, but some devices, which may be called precautionary devices are desired to prevent any fraudulent operations of the machine.

Tn the type of machine shown in the drawings the totalizer pinions are brought into mesh with the segmental racks during the time that the coupler is being elevated to its coupling position. Further movement of the key coupler will result in the actuation of the totalizer element, and in the event of a 9 key being operated the cam slot 58 will become directly effective at a maximum rate so that a registration will commence immediately after the coupler is raised above the coupling point and a unit will be added by slight additional movement.

The cut-away portion l on the ratchet wheel permits a slight movement of the coupler which may under some circumstances be suliicient to add a unit in a totalizer wheel when the larger digit keys are used. If the release key could subsequently be operated, the construction of the totalizer engaging mechanism would permit the disengagement of the segmental racksand pinions while the unit entered in the totalizer wheel might be retained and the other parts would be per mitted to assume their normal positions. Thus by successively adding a unit in the totalizer and subsequently operating the release key improper registrations might be efiected, if no means were provided to prevent it.

To prevent this possibility, however, the pawl 7 5 is provided with. a shoulder 87 which is adapted to engage the lug 81, the parts be ing so designed and timed that the lug will be caught by the pawl before a unit could have been inserted in a totalizer element by the depression of a 9 or one of the higher value keys. Fig. 4 shows the position the parts occupy when this has been accomplished.

An inspection of this figure will show that the lug 81 has been moved sufficiently to bring it in the path of the projection 7 9 of the release key and it will, therefore, be impossible to operate the release key after the registration of a unit has been accomplished.

It sometimes occurs that when the keys are coupled to the key coupler the latter is slightly raised above its coupling position, the fullstroke pawl 46 at this time co-operating with the cut-away portion 47 on the ratchet wheel. hen an over-movement is imparted to the coupler the disc 80 will be rotated sufiiciently so that the pawl 75 will retain the lug 81 in the position shown in Fig. 4. llt Wlll be clear from this figure that if the disc 80 were fixed to the shaft 44, instead of having the flexible connection which has been provided, the shaft 44 would be rigidly held and through the rack connection 41 would hold the key coupler just above its coupling pos tion. If the key coupler were held 1n this position the rear edge of the flange 28 would co-operate with the concentric edge .56 of all the keys thereby preventing the coupling of the keys in the other banks.

It is desirable that when an over-movement is given to a key other keys should still be capable of being attached to the key coupler. The flexible connection between the disc 80 and the shaft 44 permits the'holding of the disc 80 by the pawl 75, but will also permit the key coupler to drop sufilclently so that the flange 28 is below the concentric edge 56 of the keys. It is also clear that when a key is operated in this manner the release key will be locked against any movement (Fig. 4) and although it is possible to couple other keys to the key coupler it 1s necessary to go through with the registration in the usual manner.

Another way in which areglster mlght be operated fraudulently if nopreventive means were adopted is to positively hold one end of the key coupler and by forcing the key cooperating with the other end of the key coupler the coupler might be twisted sufiiciently to permit a key to move the segmental rack (33 to add a unit in one order of the totalizer and then the parts restored to normal position. One way in which this might be accomplished by the present mechamsm if no means were provided to prevent it would be to depress a clerks keyto the coupling position and to hold it depressed while the release key is forced into its extreme rearward position. When the key coupler had been elevated the lug 81 would be rocked sufficiently to contact and project against the upper edge of the projection 79 on the release key 7 0. This cooperation would positively prevent one end of the key coupler from being raised as long as the release key was retained in its innermost position. It would be 111k possible to raise the end of the key coupler because the lifting of this end of the key coupler would tend to rotate the shaft 44 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4 and since the lug 81 would beheld positively, an attempt to rotate the shaft 44 clockwise would be prevented by the shoulder 86 contacting with the stud 82 carried by the disc 89.

If, now, an amount key of the highest digit in the bank adjacent to one of the clerks keys were coupled to the key coupler (the clerks and the release key being retained in their operated positions) a forced depression of the amount key would raise the rearward edge of the key coupler so as to permit the operated key to move its stud in the cam slot 58 of its respective cam plate. Forcing of the key would permit the cam plates and frame 61 and segmental rack 63 to be operated sufliciently to add a unit in the totalizer which had previ'ously been engaged with the actuating racks.

In order to prevent any such manipulation and positively prevent any twisting of the key coupler in the manner indicated the release key 70 is provided with an extension riveted to the rear end'of the said key. The extension 90 contacts with an arm 91 fixed to a shaft 92 which is carried by frames 93 attached to the rear machine frame 22. At various distances along the shaft 92 are securely fixed arms 94 each having a notch 95 adapted to co-operate with the latch plates 53 carried by the key coupler.

Depression of the release key to its innermost position will immediately bring the locking arms 94 over the key coupler and since these arms are located at different points along the key coupler the rear ends of the latter will be rigidly held against any upward movement, thereby preventing the manipulation previously described.

In describing the construction of the improved machine it has been necessary to describe the operation of the Various features to such an extent that it is thought that the usual summary of operation of the machine may be omitted.

While the embodiment herein shown and described is well adapted to fulfill the objects above stated, it is not the intention to limit the invention to the one form disclosed as it is capable of modifications all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is r 1. In a cash register, the combination with a series of keys adapted to have a preliminary setting movement and a registering movement in the same direction, of a special key adapted to release said keys from their set positions, and means for preventing movement of the special key after a registering movement of the first-mentioned keys has begun.

2. In a cash register, the combination with a series of keys, of a key coupler adapted to be raised to the coupling point, a series of latch plates carried by the key coupler for coupling keys thereto, a release key for disengaging keys coupled to the key coupler, a holding device for the key coupler operative when the key coupler has been raised above the coupling point, and connections between the key coupler and the release key for permitting other keys to be coupled to the coupler when the coupling point has been passed but preventing an operation of the release ke In a cash register in combination with a key coupler adapted to be raised to a coupling position, a series of keys adapted to be coupled to the key coupler, a special key for releasing coupled keys, and a locking arm adapted toprevent movement of the coupler above the coupling position whenever the release key is held in its operated position.

4. In a machine of the class described, a main operating shaft, a plurality of operating keys, a member common to and controlled by said keys to actuate said shaft, means for coupling one or more of said keys to said member, manual means for uncoupling said keys from said member before said keys are completely operated, and coac-ting devices associated with said shaft and said manual means to prevent operation of the latter after a predetermined movement of the shaft.

5. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of keys having a plurality of stages stage of movement of each of said selected keys, said means being adapted to prevent further selection of keys when one of said keys is in another stage of movement, manual means for disconnecting said keys whenever no key has moved beyond the first stage, and means preventing operation of said manual means whenever any key has once moved beyond the first stage.

6. In a machine of the class described, a key coupler having a coupling position, a plurality of keys adapted to be selectively coupled to said coupler whenever the latter is at the coupling position, means for uncoupling the selected keys when the coupler is at the coupling position, means for bolding the coupler at coupling position, said means permitting limited movement beyond such position without preventing return to coupling position, and means preventing uncoupling of the selected keys upon the return of the coupler from movement beyond the coupling position.

7 In a machine of the class described, an elongated key coupler, a plurality of operating keys adapted to engage said coupler at various points throughout its length for the purpose of rocking it, means to latch said keys to said coupler, manual releasing means for said latched keys and means operated by said releasin means to prevent further movement of said coupler at any of a plurality of points along its length. v

8. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of depressible keys, means for holding said keys when partially depressed, means for releasing said keys prior to complete depression of any of said keys and means for preventing operation of said releasing means after any of said keys has been depressed beyond a certain limi In witness whereof I have signed my name hereto this 15th day of June, 1925.

CHARLES W. GREEN.

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