GB2072101A - Price-computing device including a printer - Google Patents

Abstract

A device comprises an evaluating unit having a tabulator and printer 20 for issuing a cash slip 19 bearing details of a sales transaction at least some of which are computed by unit from data set by tabulator and optionally a weighing pan. Cash slip 19 has unvarying information e.g. name of the firm variable information e.g. details of the transaction. Printer 20 incorporates a single dot matrix printing mechanism 21 which prints both sets of information. Mechanism 21 may be controlled to print the unvarying information when the preceding sales slip is removed. This function is sensed by feeler member 55 which actuates switch 54 to recall the fixed heading data from PROM 47. The variable information is printed without reliance upon PROM 47. PROM 47 is contained in an insert 46 which is interchangeably located in a pocket 45 whereby the nature of the unvarying information can be changed by replacing insert 46. A method of programming the PROM starting by recording original artwork with a video camera is disclosed (and shown in Fig. 7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Price-computing weighing scales with printer The present invention relates to an apparatus for recording prices of goods which comprises a tabulator for prices which are fed as individual prices and as basic prices, for example, prices per kilogram, in a price-computing weighing scale incorporating a printer.

The apparatus may further comprise a calculator for determining the price of an article by weight and also the summation of a sales transaction comprising several individual items, and a printing mechanism which records the desired information on an information carrier, for example a strip of paper. The information printed on the cash slip can be divided basically into two groups. One group of information comprises an unvarying printed heading comprising prescribed textual and/or pictorial elements. Such a printed heading may, for example, contain atthetop the firm's stamp in which appearthe name and address of the firm and/or a pictorial emblem of the firm. To this may also be added a series of references in the heading to the cash slip containing information regarding the unit of weight and the particular currency involved.Finally, such an unvarying heading may contain the identification numbers of the shop scales and other unvarying information.

The other group of information referred to on the cash slip comprises variable information relating to the various items in the particular sales transaction.

This relates, for example, to the individual prices and weights of goods, basic prices, identification numbers of goods and the like, which vary of course according to the nature and quantity of the goods in question. Finally, at the foot of the cash slip the summation of the sales transaction appears.

In the case of the known apparatus of this general kind, a double printer was required to produce such a cash slip. All print elements relating to the aforementioned unvarying heading were placed on a block, which required a separate printing mechanism to produce this particular portion of the cash slip. For recording the variable information, a separate printing mechanism with printing type or the like was provided, which was able to impress the desired numerical or alphameric symbols individually. The production of such a block is laborious and relatively expensive. Any alteration to the fixed heading required a time-consuming conversion operation. A printer of this kind is also bulky and, due to the necessity of co-ordinating the functioning of different printing mechanisms, is liableto breakdown.

The object of the present invention is to develop an apparatus which is provided with only one printing mechanism but which is characterised by its outstanding reliability and its capacity to adapt to changing operational requirements.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for recording prices of goods, having an input device for individual prices and for basic prices of goods, a calculator for determining the price of an article by weight and for determining the summation of a sales transaction, and a printerwith a feed mechanism for an information carrier which records on said carrier, firstly an unvarying or fixed heading containing prescribed textual and/or pictorial elements, and secondly variable information obtained from the input device and/or the calculator, whilst the end-portion of said carrier can be torn off to serve as a cash slip for this sales transaction; wherein the printer has a single dot matrix printing mechanism for printing the fixed heading and also the variable information, and also has an interchangeable insert containing the relevant control program for printing the fixed heading.

By virtue of the present invention it is no longer necessary to have two basically different printing systems for the fixed heading and for the variable information to be recorded on a cash slip. A dot matrix printer is extremely compact since it possesses only a large number of dot-producing printing elements which may for example be placed in only one single row. Thus, the printer for producing a cash slip requires little space so that it can be conveniently accommodated in a shop scale. This dot matrix printer is also most inexpensive. The dotproducing printing elements are able to produce in a series of work stages not only alphameric symbols by activation of a plurality of elements and/or multiple activation of one element, but can also at the same time produce any desired pictorial constituents of the fixed heading of the cash slip.A surprisingly flexible arrangement is obtained in selecting the content of the fixed heading. The entire control program for activating the printing elements for production of the unvarying heading is contained in an insert which is accommodated in a recess or pocket of the printer which is easy of access. This control program is preferably contained in an integrated circuit in the insert and may assume the form of a PROM. With the insert placed in the aforementioned pocket of the printer, the control program contained therein is called up when the unvarying heading has to be printed on a cash slip. When this printing operation has been completed, the same dot matrix printer is now ready to print on the cash slip the aforementioned variable information regarding the goods.

To cause the printer to begin the operation of printing this fixed heading on the information carrier, a feeler member may be provided in the printer at the point where the cash slip is detached. As soon as the cash slip is grasped and is being detached from the information carrier, this feeler member is actuated and causes the relevant control program to be called up to print the heading. The simplest form of feeler member is a cutting edge which is displaceably mounted on the printer and on which the cash slip is torn off from the extremity of the information carrier. In each case, as the cash slip is detached, the fixed heading is imprinted on the following portion of the information carrier which will form the cash slip for the following sales transaction.

There is also, within the framework of the invention, a remarkably simple method of programming the aforementioned insert.

According to this method of operation, it is sufficlient to employ the desired fixed heading in any suitable artwork form, such as a drawing, a photograph, or a three-dimensional object. This artwork is recorded by video camera or the like and firstly converted, in relation to a selectable reference value of blackness in the recorded picture, into a series of binary signals. This series of signals may then be corrected or supplemented as required and a rastered picture of the artwork produced line by line on a video terminal. The number of picture elements per line in this rastered picture corresponds to the number of elements in the dot matrix printing mechanism. This rastered picture can be stored.

Subsequently, it is called up and programmed into the insert. The form of the rastered picture can be seen in the video terminal and can be corrected by altering individual picture elements or by adding further elements. In this way, the appearance of the fixed heading can be improved until a perfect insert is obtained, with the relevant control program pertaining thereto.

The owner of a weighing scale constructed according to the invention may possess a large number of different inserts for various fixed headings which he can employ as required by inserting these into the recess in the printer to produce the unvarying information on the cash slip. In this way, the appearance of the cash slip can be altered in respect of the fixed heading in a very short time. It might even be possible to link together a series of separate weighing scales by way of suitable electrical connections to a common insert, each of said scales receiving the control program contained therein to produce its fixed heading. Thus, in an entire department store, all printers in the weighing scales could receive a standard, easily interchangeable printed heading to apply to all cash slips issued by them. This would represent a most outstanding economy of effort.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a pricecomputing weighing scales constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the essential parts of a printer constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 3 is a plan view of an essential portion of the printing mechanism employed in the apparatus of Fig. 2, cut-away and greatly enlarged; Fig. 4, an example of a cash slip produced by the printer according to the invention; Fig. 5 is an illustration of a symbol produced by the printer according to the invention, on a greatly enlarged scale; Fig. 6 is a block circuit diagram of the most important components of the price-computing scales of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a similar diagram showing the means employed in the construction of a control member associated therewith.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprises a pricecomputing weighing scales consisting of two parts, a weighing unit 11 and an evaluating unit 10. To obtain a more compact structure, both units 10 and 11 may be accommodated in a common casing. The weighing unit has a weighing pan 13 on which the article to be weighed is placed, said pan cooperating with a measuring mechanism of known type (not illustrated) which passes measurement signals by way of a connection 14 to the evaluating unit 10 which is connected thereto.

The evaluating unit 10 comprises a tabulator 15 which contains the numbered keys for feeding basic prices or individual prices, and also various command keys. There is also provided a display area 16 which has indicator windows of different kinds both on the assistant's side (visible in Fig. 1) and on the customer's side (not visible in Fig. 1), which show the basic price, the weight of the goods and the price to be paid which is provided by the calculator.

Finally, the evaluating unit 10 also comprises a printer 20 which, in the case of the embodiment illustrated, is incorporated in the casing. If desired, the printer may also be accommodated in a separate unit connected to the casing by electrical leads. The printer issues a cash slip 19 bearing the details of a sales transaction, on which the various articles are listed with indication of prices and/orweights. In Fig.

2 the construction of the printer 20 is shown and in Fig. 4, an example of the cash slip 19 produced thereby.

This type of cash slip 19 comprises two basically different sections 28,29, as shown in Fig. 4. The first section 28, in the upper portion of the slip, carries an unvarying or fixed heading which, as shown, may consist of an indentification of the firm 30, a series of references 31, and possibly further permanent details, such as for example the code number32 of the apparatus. In addition to the textual information 34, the identification 30 of the firm also contains pictorial elements, i.e. an emblem of the firm 35 and an ornamental frame 36. The list of references 31 consist of column headings under which the values are to be listed numerically in the lower section 29 of the cash slip 19 to be described hereinafter. In the first column s the weight information in kilograms.In the centre column is the basic or unit price, i.e. the particular currency value per kilogram of the goods, and in the last column the price to be charged, calculated from the previous values.

The lower portion 29 of the cash slip contains only variable information. The various items purchased in this sales transaction are entered line by line. In the cash slip illustrated in Fig. 4, the first three items and the fifth item relate to purchases, the cost of which has been calculated from the weight of the article and the appropriate basic price. The fourth item is simply an individual price because this article was already packed and priced. At the foot of the slip appears the summation which is obtained by adding the prices of the various items appearing under this column.

In Fig. 2 the same printer, comprising a dot matrix printing mechanism 21, is employed for printing the fixed heading 28 and also the variable information 29 on the slip 19.

The printer 20 contains a roll 18 of strip material providing an information carrier 17 which, in the present case, is thermally printed. The roll 18 lies in a dish 53 in the printer. The strip of material 17 passes over an angled edge 22 of the dish 53 towards the dot matrix printing mechanism 21. Thereafter, the strip 17 moves past a tear-off edge 26 and through a slot 25 in a cover plate 23 which encloses the lower half 24 of the casing of the printer 30. The cover plate 23 can be opened (see open position shown chaindotted) in order to gain access to the interior of the dish 52, for example to fit a new roll 18. The roll 18 is visible through a window 27. The extremity of the information carrier 17 projecting from the slot 25 in the cover plate 23 can be drawn against the cutting edge 26 and detached to serve as a cash slip 19 for this sales transaction.This process is described in more detail.

As shown in plan in Fig. 2, the mechanism 21 comprises a large number of dot-like elements 33 which are arranged here in one row. Each of these elements 33 is provided with electrical input and output leads 37, the elements 33 being arranged with these leads on a base sheet of insulating material. The dot-like surfaces of the elements 33 are however exposed atthe side towards the strip 17 in Fig. 2 and can record on this strip when current passes through the appropriate leads 37. The base sheet 38 is provided at the ends of its leads 37 with plug connectors 39 which (see Fig. 3) for ease of dismounting, co-operate with terminals 40 attached to a plate 41 in the printer housing 24. The base sheet 38 is sufficiently flexible to adapt to the curvature shown in Fig. 2.The area of the base sheet 38 containing the formative thermally-acting elements 33 is held in contact with a roller 44 by a pivotally mounted pressure member 42 controlled by a spring 43. The roller 44 is provided with a drive means (not illustrated) which is responsible for the defined advance of the strip 17 in conjunction with the termal recording activity of the elements 33. As shown in Fig. 3 the juxtapositioned elements 33 of the printer 21 form a line, the length of which is equal to the desired recording breadth of the strip 17. The pressure member 42 determines the position of the elements 33 in relation to the strip 17 as it is conveyed past the roller 44. For threading the strip 17, the pressure member 42 may be swung back into a neutral position against the pressure of the spring 43.

At a point removed from the position of the roll 18, the aforementioned dish 53 possesses a pocket 45 to accommodate an insert 46. Within the insert is a PROM 47 in which the control program for the fixed heading 28 of the cash slip 19 is stored. Plug connectors 48 connected to the PROM 47 project from the insert 46 and, when said insert has been placed in the pocket 45, are connected to coupling elements 49 located there, from which leads 50 emerge which are connected to the aforementioned plate 41.

The plate 41 carries a large number of electrical components which are responsible for the control and operation of the mechanism 21. Amongst these is a microcomputer 51 and a further store 52 which, as "character PROM" contains the size and shape of all available numerical or alphameric symbols which are printed with the fixed information on the lower section 29 of the cash slip. By exchanging the store 52 for another, the form of the symbols required for the variable information 29 can also be altered later. Finally, the plate 41 also carries a switch 54 by means of which it is connected to electrical leads.

The switch 54 in turn is connected to the aforementioned cutting edge 26 and operates as follows: The cutting edge 26 is the sharp, serrated extremity of a blade 55 which is displaceable parallel to itself in a guide 56 and is connected to a retaining member in the form of a lever 57. Said lever 57 is provided with a projecting arm 58 and has a fixed bearing 59. The operating element of the aforementioned switch 54 is arranged in the path of motion of the arm 58. The lever 57 is urged against a stop 60 by a spring 62. The blade 55 is displaceable in direction of the arrow 61 in the drawing when the extremity of the strip 17 is drawn against the cutting edge 26 to detach the cash slip 19, as was mentioned above.

The manner of working of the apparatus is best understood from the diagram of Fig. 6, in which parts already mentioned bear the same reference numerals as before. The previous description also applies here, even although individual components are here depicted diagrammatically as compared with the specific representations in the previous figures.

As the end-portion of the strip 17 is severed at the cutting edge 26 in order to detach the cash slip 19 for the previous sales transaction, the switch 54 is operated by way of the movable blade 55 and, by way of the lead 63 of Fig. 6, triggers the microcomputer 51 to cause the mechanism 21 to print the complete fixed heading 28 at the top of the next cash slip 19 shown in Fig. 4. For this purpose, the microcomputer 51 co-operates with the store in the aforementioned insert 46 by way of the leads 50 already mentioned and influences the mechanism 21 through a control lead 64. The mechanism 21 activates the elements 33 to produce the dot-like recording whilst operating a feed mechanism 65 in the printer in conjunction with these recordings, so that the strip 17 on which the recordings are made is advanced a certain defined distance.Whilst the operator is still occupied in tearing off and handing over the cash slip 19, this interval of time is utilised in preparing the unvarying printed heading for the next sales transaction. The apparatus is then immediately available for further operations, which can be seen from the variable information 29 printed on the cash slip shown in Fig.

4.

The article 12 on the weighing instrument 11 shown in Fig. 6 passes a measurement signal via the connection 14 to the evaluating unit 10 connected thereto. It is then conveyed firstly to an evaluating member 66 which conveys a corresponding signal further to a main computer 68 via the lead 67, and also via further leads 69 to the display area 16 and also to the microcomputer 51. In the first indicator field of the display area 16, the weight value of the article 12 is shown digitally. Evaluation of this weight value for printing is preferably effected only upon a pulse from the input arrangementortabulator 15, for which purpose a store (not illustrated) is firstly employed which is accessible for the microcomputer 51.

Referring once more to Fig. 6, from the tabulator 15, a basic price is passed either directly via the leads 71, 72, to the main computer 68, or indirectly through an intermediate, so-called "price look-up" store 70 via the lead 72 to the main computer 68. In both cases, this signal is also conveyed by the lead 73 to the display area 16 where this value appears in the centre indicator window, and this pulse is also conveyed by the lead 74 to the microcomputer 51 or to the aforementioned appropriate store. Whether the basic price is obtained directly or indirectly depends upon the operating position of a switch 75 which can be set for example from the tabulator 15 by a control key (not illustrated). In one position (as illustrated) of the switch 75, operating the keys of the tabulator 15 gives the basic price directly.In the other position of the switch 75, operating the keys of the tabulator 15 simply gives a code number which then passes the value contained under thins number in the associated price look-up store 70 to the leads 72, 73, 74 from the switch 75. The basic price received via the lead 72 and the weight value received from the evaluating unit 66 via the lead 67, are processed in the main computer 68 and the price of the particular article obtained which is relayed as a signal by the leads 76, 77 on the one hand, to the display area 16 where the price appears in the last indicator window, and on the other hand, through the lead 77 to the microcomputer 51 or to the store located there.

If the variable information concerning the article 12 now appearing in the display area 16 is accepted, and if the article 12 is to be included in this sales transaction, the microcomputer 51 is operated by a press key (not illustrated) in the tabulator 15 and now causes the values conveyed to it or fed into the appropriate store, to be printed by the mechanism 21, said values being the weight value, basic price and price of the article. The course of operation is that the microcomputer 51 accepts from the aformentioned character PROM 52 via a lead 78 the information necessary for the printing of these symbols, as obtained from the signals arriving via the leads 69, 74, 77, and causes the mechanism 21 to operate accordingly by way of the control lead 64.

This is effected, in turn, by the co-ordinated activity of the printing elements 33 on the one hand, and of the feed mechanism 65 on the other. One line of variable information can be printed in the section 29 of the cash slip 19 of Fig. 4. It might also be possible to provide a control system whereby a plurality of items of variable information 29, or even all items, are stored, whereupon several, or all items of variable information are then printed in a single operation in the section 29 of the cash slip 19.

It is apparent that, in order to obtain a new fixed heading 28 on the slip 19, all that is required is to replace the insert46 by a different one which is then slotted into the recess 45 in the printer 20.

It will be seen from the diagram of Fig. 7 how sim ple it is for a PROM 47 for the insert 46 to be provided with the control program for the fixed heading.

The form of the desired heading 80 is drawn on an artwork support 79. The picture is then recorded by a video camera 81. After thins optical conversion, an electric video signal containing also all the associated synchronisation pulses of the video camera, is relayed by the lead 82 to a demodulator 83. There, the picture information is separated from the synchronisation signal and both are conveyed by way of leads 84 to a control apparatus 85 in the form of a microcomputer. In a comparison circuit provided at this point or placed before the microcomputer, the picture information in the form of an analogue signal is converted into a binary high/low signal. An adjustable reference value decides in this binary conversion whether a high or low signal occurs at a particular point in this signal sequence.This reference value is adjusted to a certain blackness of the artwork 79. The binary signal sequence is conveyed through a lead 86 to a further video modulator 87 which, as a result offurther synchronisation pulses, passes a video signal by way of the lead 88 to a video terminal 90, at which a rastered picture 91 of the desired heading 80, produced with the binary signal sequence, appears. The number of picture dots 92 per line thus produced is smaller than or equal to the number of printing elements 33 in the dot matrix printer, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 3 referred to above. The conversion of the artwork 80 into picture dots for the purposes of the printer can now be seen in this rastered picture 91. Corrections can also be undertaken now.

For such corrections a scanner 93 is used which is connected by a lead 89 to the control apparatus 85.

The scanner 93 is provided with a control 94 by means of which a particular picture dot 92' coming under the scanner is converted into an opposite signal. In the case in question an error appearing as a "black dot" 92', which may originate from the heading 80 of the artwork 79, is converted to the complementary signal, i.e. a "white dot". This is registered by the control apparatus 85 and the corresponding corrected signals are then relayed by way of leads 86, 88 to the video terminal 90.

Moreover, a keyboard 95 can also be connected to the control instrument 85 via the lead 96, whereby textual material can be fed to supplement the artwork 79 orto replace the artwork 79 and which appears in the form of numerals or letters to be checked on the video terminal 90. By means of special control keys 97 the place for recording these alphameric symbols can be selected on the screen of the video terminal 90. A control printer 99 for example a thermo-printer, is also connected by a lead 98 to the control apparatus 85. In this way, the final form now assumed by the heading fed into the device can be checked. The picture can be read on the paper strip 101 issued by the printer 99. The control printer 99 is set in motion by a key 102 incorpo rated in the keyboard 95.

Finally, a programming device 100 is also con nected by a lead 103 to said control apparatus 85.

The control apparatus 85 now calls up the final form of the desired heading which has already been resolved into picture dot form and programs the PROM 47 connected to the device 100. The PROM now has a control program which is capable of creat ing the same fixed heading in the mechanism 21 which was able to be checked in said control printer 99. This programming operation may also be set in motion from the keyboard 95 since a key 104 is provided there for program control. The alreadyprogrammed PROM 47 can now be taken from the device 100 and inserted into the printer 20 after it has been suitably contacted in order to employ it in the manner apparent from Fig. 2 in the apparatus according to the invention. With the apparatus of Fig. 7, when the rastered picture 91 of the artwork has been fixed and stored therein, any desired number of PROMs 47 can be produced with the same control program.

Claims (10)

1. Apparatus for recording prices of goods, having an input device for individual prices and for basic prices of goods, a calculator for determining the price of an article by weight and for determining the summation of a sales transaction, and a printerwith a feed mechanism for an information carrier which records on said carrier, firstly an unvarying or fixed heading containing prescribed textual and/or pictorial elements, and secondly variable information obtained from the input device and/or the calculator, whilst the end-portion of said carrier can be torn off to serve as a cash slip for this sales transaction; wherein the printer has a single dot matrix printing mechanism for printing the fixed heading and also the variable information, and also has an interchangeable insert containing the relevant control program for printing the fixed heading.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the insert contains an integrated circuit, especially a PROM.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the place in the printer where the cash slip emerges is equipped with a feeler member which sets in motion the printing mechanism for recording the fixed heading on the information carrierforthe next sales transaction.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said feeler member comprises a displaceable cutting edge for severing the end-portion of the information carrier so as to form the cash slip.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said cutting edge is connected to a retaining member which is displaceable within guide means and which is subject to a return force which determines the normal position of the cutting edge.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the operating member of an electric switch is placed in the path of motion of the cutting edge or the retaining member, and said switch is connected to a control member of the printer, which sets in motion the work operation of printing the fixed heading on the information carrier.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Amethodofdevising a componentofthe printer of the apparatus according to claim 1, which determines the form of the fixed heading on the cash slip, wherein an artwork portraying the desired fixed heading in any desired, unrastered representation, is recorded by a video camera and is converted, in relation to a selectable reference value of the blackness in this recording, into a binary signal sequence which is corrected or supplemented as required, and then appears on a video terminal in line representation as a rastered picture of the artwork, and the number of picture dots per line corresponds to the number of elements in the dot matrix printing mechanism, whilst the rastered picture is then stored and subsequently called up and programmed in the insert which receives the control program for the fixed heading.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein picture dots of the rastered picture appearing on the video terminal, which are selected for correction, are converted into the appropriate complementary picture dot type.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein additional picture elements are incorporated into the rastered picture of the artwork appearing on the video terminal in orderto complete said picture.