US1761701A - bxrger - Google Patents

Description

June 3, 1930. F. w, F. BERGER 1,761,701

CASH REGISTER Filed April 20, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l h gnua'ufoz Friedrich W. F. Be'rger June 3, 1930. F. w. F. BERGER CASH REGISTER- 2 SheetsSheei 2 Filed April 20, 1929 gnvemtoz Friedrich W. F. Be'rger Hilatto'zwuao Patented June 3, 1930 v UET E "TAT-ES PATENT OFFICE FRIEDRICH W. E. BERGER, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR- TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPALIY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CASH REGISTER Application filed April 20, 1929, Serial No. 356,809, and in Germany April 21, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in cash registering and like machines, and ismore particularly directed to improvements in the printing hammer disabling mechanisms for such machines.

Conveniently, the invention is shown applied to a machine of the type disclosed in to effect adding, sub-totalizing or totalizing operations, also controls the operab tiveness of a consecutive numbering device in which the units element of a group of consecutive number printing type elements 'is advanced one step at each operation of the machine, and means is provided in the Shipley patent, to take impressions from these elements at each operation. It is, however, not desirable to advance the consecutive numbering device on totalizing or sub-totalizing operations, and on certain other special transactions such as, for instance, listing, cancelling of voiding operations, for which reason Shipley provides mechanism controlled and operated by depression of certain control keys, and by a total control lever, to disconnect the consecutive number advancing means from its operating means.

On certain of these special operations, that is, listing, cancelling, and voiding, and also on totalizing and any other transactions of a special nature, it is desirable to prevent taking impressions from the consecutive numbering type carriers, and in fact, from the entire group of type elements including the amount, transaction, etc., type elements.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a machine of the type indicated,

4 with novel and simple means to disable a printing device on special operations by depression of certain manipulative keys.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine of the type indicated, with novel means to disable a printing hammer on total and sub-total taking operations by a manipulative lever, adjustment of which conditions the machine to perform such operations.

With these and incidental objects in view,-- the invention consists of certain novel features' of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of WlllClI'ZI-IG set forth in appended claims and a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter 'eo described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of the con t-rol keys and the control bars actuated there- Fig. 2 is a detail view in right elevation of one of the banks of keys andthe mechanism whereby depression of a key actuates the dis-7o abling mechanism for the consecutive num-' ber printing device.

' Fig. 3'is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the mechanism operated byfcertain of the keys. I Fig. 4 is a detail view in front elevation ofthe hammer-disabling means.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in right elevation of the total control lever and the means for transmitting the'movement of this lever to the printing mechanism.

' General description The machine chosen to illustrate the present invention is of the type disclosed'in'the patent to Shipley, No. 1,619,796, and includes, generally, a plurality of banksfof amount keys to control the registration of amounts on any one or more of a pluralityof totali zers providedin the machine and selected under"'90 the control ofone or more keys arranged in banks, and known as transaction or control keys. A printing mechanism, located generally to the front and lower part of the machine, is adapted to print the amount, the'"95 characters or'symb'ols indicating the classification of the transaction, and other special indicia.

Of theelements set forth above, the present invention concerns'only the bank of control keys, the total control lever, and one of the printing hammers. Therefore, all other mechanism has been omitted from this specification, but reference may be had to the above-mentioned patents for a complete understanding of the entire machine.

Such machines are adapted for use in a large number of business places where it is desired to register, print and indicate money transactions, and to distribute the amounts to one or more of a plurality of totalizers. At each operation of the machine, when amounts are added into the totalizer, a consecutive number printing device is automatically ad vanced one step of movement, and the hammer is operated to take an impression from the type carriers on an insertable record material. However, when it is desired to add a column of amounts to obtain the total thereof, in an operation other than the entry of a regular transaction, it is desired to disable the mechanism which advances the consecutive number printing device. This is accomplished, in the Shipley machine, by disconnecting the consecutive number operating means from its driving means, such disconnection being directly effected by depression of certain control keys. These keys are lo cated in the regular key banks, and usually occupy the lowermost key positions, but they may be located anywhere in the key bank, or there may be a plurality of keys in a single bank adapted to disable the consecutive numbering device.

Detailed description The control keys 30 (Figs. 1 and 2) are of the usual depressible type, and are slidably mounted in a key frame 31 resting on cross rods 32 and 33, suitably supported in the machine. Key pins 37 projecting from the shanks of the respective keys cooperate with the usual hooked detents carried by a springurged detent bar 34, supported at its ends by the links 35 and 36, pivoted on the key" frame 31, to hold the keys 30 in depressed position. The diagrammatic view 1) of the keyboard illustrates two banks of keys. However, as the structure and operation of these banks are identical, only one of them will be described.

The lowermost control key 30 in the lefthand bank 1) may be known as the list key, and the corresponding key in the right-hand bank may be known as the void key. These keys will be so referred to hereinafter.

An elongated key pin 38 projecting laterally from the stem of the void key 30, e tends over the inclined wall 39 of a serration, constituting one of a number of such serrations formed in the upper edge of an arcuate control bar 45 carried on the outer end of a rotatable arm 46 journaled on a cross rod 47.

Similarly the list key 30 carries an elongated pin 48 projecting over an inclined edge formed on an arcuate control bar 49 similar to the control bar 45 and similarly supported.

The key pins 38 and 48 for the void and list control keys, respectively, are made longer than the key pins 37 for the remainder of the control keys 30 to enable the longer key pins to engage their control bars 45 and 49 which lie along the right-hand sides of the respective key frames 31, just beyond the reach of the key pins 37. Obviously, any one control key 30, or any group of these keys, may be made to rock the control bar associated therewith by merely providing the desired key with a long key pin in place of a short key pin 37, as there is an inclined edge 39 provided on the bar 45 opposite each of the control keys 30.

Depression of either the void key or the list key presses its elongated key pin 38 or 48 against the inclined edge 39 on the corresponding control bar 45 or 49, to rock the control bar clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2.

The control bar 45 and its arm 46 on their clockwise movement, raise a link 50 pivotally connected at one end to a branch 51 of the arm 46. An elongated slot 52 in the opposite end of the link 50 surrounds one end of a stud 53, fast in and projecting laterally from both sides of twin arms 54 (Fig. 3) joined by a web 55 and ournaled on a rod 56 suitably supported in the machine. A link 57 identical with the link 50, and actuated by the list key through the control bar 49, connects the latter bar with the opposite projecting end of the stud 53. Either of the links 50 or 57, when shifted upwardly by depression of the void or list keys, respectively, rocks the twin arms 54 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, about the rod 56.

The free ends of the twin arms 54 Figs. 3 and 4), carry a laterally projecting stud 59 pinned therein, the outer rounded end of which is embraced by the forked end of an arm 66 fast on one end of a short shaft 67 j ournaled in the parallel cross frames 68 and 69. A suspending arm 70 fast on the opposite end of the short shaft 67, pivotally supports one end of a link 71 having a roller 72 on its extreme right-hand end, as viewed in Fig. 4, normally resting in a recess in a substantially semi-circular disabling cam 73 fast on a shaft 74 journaled in the cross frames 68 and 69. The link 71, which corresponds to the link 827 shown in Fig. 39 of the )atent to 7 1 Shipley, No. 1,619,796, heretofore referred to, is pivotally connected at its left-hand end (not shown) to a trip link (also not shown) corresponding to the link 793 of the abovementioned Shipley patent, through which the consecutive number printing device is normally automatically advanced step by step at each operation of the machine.

A spring 75 (Figs. 2 and 4) constantly urges the suspending arm 70 in counter-clockwisedirection to press-the roll 7 2 on the righthand end of the link 71 againstthe periphery of the disabling cam 73, so that the roll will remain seated inthe recess of-the disabling cam, and as long as the disabling link 71 remains in this position, the step by step feed mechanism of the consecutive number print-' ing device will remain effective.

However, such step-by-step feed may be interruptedeitherby adjustment ofthe disabling cam 73 in either direction to dislodge the roll 72 from its seat in the cam, or such step.- by-step feed maybe interrupted by either of the void or list control keys 30, which, upon depression, rock the control bar 45 or 49, and through link 50 or 57 swing the'twin arms 54 in clockwise direction together with the stud 59 therein, which, in turn, rocks the arm 66 (Fig; 4), shaft 67, and suspending arm 70 in clockwise directionagainst the ten sion of the spring 75, to shift the disabling link 71 to the left, and uncouple the connections effecting the step-by-step feed of the consecutive number printing device, all as fully shown and described in the Shipley Patent, No. 1,619,796, above mentioned.

A link 7 6 4) connects the suspending arm 70 with an arm 77 fast near one end of a shaft 78 journaled in the cross frame 69 and in a printer frame 79 extending across the front of the machineparallel with the cross frames 68 and 69. A link connects a clownwardly extending arm 86, also fast on the shaft 78 near its opposite end, with a hammer-disabling latch 87 journaled on a rod 88 supported in the frames 69 and 79.

Clockwise movement of the arm 70 under the influence of either the void or the list key, and by the linkage just described, rocks the disabling latch 87 counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4, to engage the latch with a projection 89 on a printing hammer arm 90, and prevent upward movement thereof. The printing hammer arm 90 carries a platen 91 adapted, when unrestrained, to strike upwardly against type carriers 92, one only of which is shown, rotatively mounted on a rod 93, supported in the frames 69 and 79, to take impressions therefrom on a suitable record material, which may be inserted, as a slip or card. 7

Therefore, the idea embodied in this invention is to enable the operator, by depression of certain at least of the control keys 30, as the void and list keys, for example, to not only thus manually disable the step-by-step feed of the consecutive number printing device, but also, to manually, directly, and as an incident to the depression of such key, prevent a printing operation. Obviously, if the consecutive number-printing device is disabled, it would be confusing, when entering void items or items which are only listed, to print the same consecutive number adjacent such void or listed item as was printedadjoining the preceding accumulated item.

Near the end of eachadding operation of the machine, mechanism, neither illustrated nor described herein, but fully disclosed in the patent to Shipley, No. 1,619,796, operates to move the detent bar 34 (Fig. 2) downwardly to release the depressed control key 30. As soon as the depressed..,control key is thus released, a spring (not shown) restores it to its normal outward position. If, asin the above described case, the depressed key 30 was either the void or list key, its release immediately frees the control bar 45 or 49, depending upon which of the special keys was depressed, whereupon the spring 75 (Figs. 2 and 4) restores the arms 66, 70, 77 and 86 counter-clockwise to withdraw the hammer disabling latch 87 to its inefiective position. At the same time, the force of gravity assisted by the spring 75, rocks the arm 46 counterclockwise until it is arrested by a hooked projection 94 thereon striking a suitably supported stop stud 95.

Obviously, when the machine is actuated in adding operations with any one of the keys 30 except the void or list keys depressed, the hammer disabling latch 87 remains in its ineffective position, permitting the impression hammer 90 to function.

It is also desirable to prevent operation of the impression hammer 90 when a total or sub-total is taken from any one of the plurality of totalizers with which the machine is provided, to .prevent the imprint of such total on a slip, as set forth in theShipley patents, above-mentioned. This may be of fected by rotating the cam 73 (Fig. 4) either clockwise or counter-clockwise under the control of a total conditioning means, which, in this case, is a well known total control lever, such as is fully illustrated and described in the Shipley patents referred to above. A brief description ofthemechanism, whereby movement of the total control lever to condition the machine to perform total or sub- '110 total taking operations, rocks the cam 73 to disable the printing hammer 90, will now be given.

The'totalcontrol lever 100 (Fig. 5) projects from a substantially circular control 1115 disk 101 suitably journaled in the machine. This control disk is provided with a number of cam slots,'the purpose of which is to condition the various elements of the machine, as described in the above-mentioned Shipley patent, to perform totalizing operations. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the total control lever 100 stands in position tocondition the machine to add amounts into the totalizer. The v lever 100, however, may be rotated eitlier clockwise or counter-clockwise from this position. When rotated clockwise it conditions the machine to make read or sub-total operations, and when rocked counter-clock- 71130 Wise, it adjusts certain elements to take reset or total operations.

The control lever 100 and disk 101, when shifted in either direction, operates a link 102 eccentrically connected to the disk at one end, and at its opposite end toan arm 103 journaled on the rod 56, to rock the arm 103 and a segmental gear 104 secured thereto, in a corresponding direction. The segmental gear 104 meshes with and rotates a spiral pinion 105 fast on the shaft 74, thereby rotating this shaft and the cam 73 to shift the consecutive number controlling link 71 towards the left, as viewed in Fig. 4. This, as

described above, rocks the arm and disables the printing hammer 90 in the manner described above. The arm 70 also rocks the shaft 67 and arm 66 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 4, whic.h rocks the twin arms 54 and the stud 53 clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, the stud 58 idly traversing the slots 52 in the links 50 and 57.

When the total control lever 100 is returned to its adding position, it rotates the shaft 74 and cam 73 to bring the recess in the cam into alignment with the roller 72 on the consecutive number control link 71, whereupon the spring 75 acts to restore the disabling mechanism to normal ineffective position.

It will be understood that when the void key or the list key 30 is depressed, or when the total control lever 100 is rocked in either direction from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 5, any of which adjustments disables the hammer 90, the link 71 shifts towards the left (Fig. 4), and disconnects the consecutive number operating means from its driving means to prevent advancing the consecutive number device on the following operation of the machine.

WVhat is claimed as new, is:

1. In a machine of the class described; the combination with a type wheel; a hammer to take impressions therefrom; a plurality of groups of keys; and a control arm adapted to be shifted by depression of certain of said keys; of a twin arm connected to the control arm; a projecting stud carried by the twin arms; a bifurcated arm embracing the projecting end of the stud, a shaft on which the bifurcated arm is fast; a suspend ing arm fast on the shaft; another shaft having a plurality of arms fast thereon, one of the arms being operatively connected to the suspending arm; and a hammer disabling latch operatively connected to the remaining arm.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means to actuate a consecutive number printer; a printing hammer; a manually set member; and separate means controlled by the manually 'set member to disable the printing hammer, and render ineffective the actuating means; of a special key to render ineffective the actuating mechanism for the consecutive number printer; and means to connect the means which renders ineffective the actuating mechanism, with the printing hammer disabling means to enable the operator to positively set both of these means prior to the operation of the machine.

3. In a machine of the class des "ribed, the combination with means to actuate a consecutive number printer; a printing hammer; a manually set member; and separate means controlled by the manually set member to disable the printing hammer, and render ineffective the actuating means; of a special key to render ineffective the actuating mechanism for the consecutive number printer; and a link to pivotally connect the means which renders ineffective the actuating mechanism, with the printing hammer disabling means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRIEDRICH W. F. BERGER.

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