US1843990A - Cash register - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9, 1932. B. M. SHIPLEY CASH REGISTER Filed June 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gnaw whom Berni: M. Shipley Z/LMM Feb. 9, 1932. B. M. SHIPLEY 1,843,990

CASH REGISTER Filed June 6, 1929 2 Sheetssheet 2 40 Wm q Bambi. Shipley Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics BERNIS IM. SHIPLEY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CASH REGISTER Application filed June 6,

This invention relates to cash registers and like machines, and has more particular reference to improvements in cash drawer controlled locking mechanisms for such machines.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a machine of the type disclosed in applications for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial Nos; 608,281; 687,305 and 182,371; filed December 21, 1922, January 19, 1924, and April 9, 1927, respectively, by B. M. Shipley, relating to improvements on that type of machinefound in United StatesLetters Patent to Shipley, No. 1,619,796, March 1, 1927; No. 1,602,596, October 12, 1926; and No. 1,648,999, November 15, 1927.

One object or this invention is to provide a. machine of the type indicated, with novel means'to lock the machine against another operation until the cash drawer, which was rendered accessible by the preceding operation, is closed.

Another object is to provide novel means to manually disable the cash drawer-controlled machine look.

A further object is to provide novel means operated by a n'ianipulative device to open the cash erawer when the manipulative device is IOClCQCl to one of its positions, and free for operation a cash drawer-controlled machine lock when the manipulative device is shifted to another of its positions.

lVith these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel fea tures 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 which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in left elevation, showing the cash drawer mechanism and the locking device for the machine release mechanism.

Ff is a fragmentary detail View of the mechanism for arresting the parts in their home positions at the end of an operation oi the machine.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the 1929. Serial No. 368,750.

manipulative device, and the means by which the manipulative device, when shifted in one direction, releases the cash drawer.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the manipulative device and the mechanism whereby the manipulative device, when shifted to another of its positions, trees the drawer-controlled machine lock for operation.

Fig. 5 is a skeletonized view in rear elevation of the machine, showing the mechanism embodying the present invention.

General description Described in general terms, the machine in connection with which the present invention is adapted to be used, includes aplurality of groups of keys for entering amounts to be registered, indicator mechanism to indicate the amounts and the totals thereof, a plurality of totalizers upon which to accumulate the various amounts entered into the machine, and printing mechanism adapted to issue a printed receipt of the transaction. A money receptacle, as a cash drawer, is normally latched in inaccessible position, and is adapted to be automatically unlatched and rendered accessible upon operation of the machine. Means is also provided to enable the operator to manually unlatch the cash drawer when the machine is in a state of rest, the drawer becoming accessible after being unlatched.

The machine is normally locked against idle operation, and is adapted to be released for operation by depression of the usual m0- tor or machine release bar, whereupon a strong spring operates a release mechanism to enable the machine to be operated. The drawer-releasing mechanism and machinereleasing mechanisms are old in the abovenamed Shipley applications, the present invention relating in part to the provision of a device under the control of the cash drawer to prevent the action of the releasing mechanism when the cash drawer stands in its accessible position. The action of moving the cash drawer to its inaccessible position operates this device to permit the subsequent r lease of the machine for operation. Thus, the

the path of the block 23.

operator is prevented from entering a transactlon in the machine while the cash drawer remains open from the last transact1on entered.

Releasing mechanism for the machine The machine, in combination with which the present invention is adapted to be used, is released for operation by rocking a release shaft 10, journal'ed in frames 43 and 44, and which is the well known release shaft fully disclosed in the above referred to Shipley applications and patents. The shaft is normally held against rotation in counterclockwise direction by a manually-controlled obstruction (not shown, but which is the pawl 35 of Shipley, No. 1,602,596). \Vhen the obstruction is displaced, a spring, not shown, but which is the spring 26 of Shipley, No. 1,602,596) rocks the release shaft 10 counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig.- 1,- and lowers a link 11 connecting an arm 12, fast on the release shaft 10, and an arm 13 of a bell crank 14 journaled on a shaft 15 supported in the machine frames 43 and 44. The link 11, as it shifts in the direction of its length. rocks the bell crank 14 counter-clockwise to displace the remaining arm 16 of the bell crank from beneath a stud 17 on one arm of a clutch control detent 18 journaled on a stud 2O projecting from machine frame 43. Upon the displacement of the blocking arm 16, a spring 21 rocks the detent 18 counter-clockwise to shift a nose 22 on the lever out of the v path of a block 23 on the driven member 24 of the well known clutch mechanism. hen freed, the clutch member 24 rotates to connect any suitable driving means (not shown) with a drive pinion 25 journaled on a stud 26, projecting from the frame 43, in a manner well known in the art, and which is fully illustrated and described in the above-named Shipley applications, and in U. S. Letters Patent to Kettering and Chryst, No. 1,144,418, June 29, 1915.

The drive pinion 25, through a train of gears, rotates theshaft 15 and a drive shaft 27 journaled in frames 43 and 44, through one complete rotation in counter-clockwise direction to operate'the machine. Near the end of each operation of the machine, a stud 2 8 (Fig. 2) on a disk 29, fast on the shaft 15, wipes along a curved edge formed on the adjacent arm of the detent 18 to rock the detent clockwise and reposition the nose 22 in The block, upon contact with the nose 22, is arrested withits driven clutch member 24, whereupon the clutch members become disconnected when the parts arrive in their home positions. As soon as the detent 18 restores the stud 17 to its normal position above the arm 16, mechanism, not shown, but found in the Shipley applications, and the Shipley Patent, No. 1,648,999, operates to rock the shaft 10 and the bell crank 14 clockwise to return the arm 16 to its effective position beneath the stud 17, where it remalns until the shaft 10 is again operated to release the machine for the next operation.

Gash drawer releasing mechanism The cash drawer 30 (Fig. 1) is suitably supported in a cabinet, only a fragment of which is shown in Fig. 1, and when the cash drawer is released during an operation of the machine, a spring 46 compressed be tween the cabinet 45 and the rear wall of the cash drawer, propels it from. the cabinet to a position accessible to the operator. The operator upon completing the transaction, returns the drawer to its inaccessible position within the cabinet, manually compressing the propelling spring 46 as he does so.

The low beveled end of a retaining plunger 31, slidable vertically through a hollow boss 38 on the base 32 of the machine, extends through an aperture (not shown) in a hasp 33 attached to the rear wall of the cash drawer 30, and serves to normally latch the drawer in its inaccessible position against the tension of the propelling spring 46. A spring 34 compressed between the under side of the base 32 and a retaining washer 35, held in place on the plunger by a pin 36, normally holds the plunger 31 in locking po sition.

Normally the plunger 31 is withdrawn to release the drawer 30 near the end of each operation of the machine, by means, not shown herein, but fully disclosed in Fig. 5 of Shipleys Patent, No. 1,648,999.

In the disclosure of the present invention, only the bell crank 41 (Fig. 1) of the machineoperated drawer releasing mechanism is shown, pivoted on a cross rod 42 extending it between the side frames 43, 44 of the machine, one arm of the bell crank fitting within a kerf formed in the upper end of the plunger 31 to which the arm is loosely connected by a pin passing through the kerfed end of the plunger and through a slot 51 in the arm of the bell crank.

A spring 47 connected to the remaining arm of the bell crank 41 tends to retain the bell crank in idle position at the limit of its counter-clockwise travel (Fig. 1) with its arm in contact with an abutment 49 on the base 32.

The bell crank 41, when rocked clockwise, operates to withdraw the plunger 31 against the tension of the spring 34 from the hasp 33, thus freeing the drawer 30 to the action of its propelling spring 46, which slides the drawer to its accessible position, the plunger being returned to its projected position in the path of return of the hasp 33 at the end of the operation of the machine.

The operator, after depositing the cash in the drawer, or making change, returns the drawer to its closed position, and the hasp L one convenient means to efiect this 33 upon the return of the drawer to closed position, contacts the beveled end of the plunger and cams it upwardly to enable the hasp'to pass beneath it. As the drawer nearly reaches its limit of inward movement, it brings the aperture inthe hasp, beneath the beveled end of the plunger 31, whereupon the spring 34 projects the plunger into such aperture to lock the drawer in closed position. The downward movement of plunger 31 is limited by a collar 37 fast thereon, resting on the boss 38. r

Manual drawer release mechanism The cash drawer may be released manually by the following described means, when it is necessary to gain access thereto, and it it not desirable to operate the cash register.

A shaft 59 (Figs. 1 and 5) journaled in a lateral ear on the cross frame 55 and in the side frame 43 and a printer side frame 61, carries an operating crank 58 at its outer end. A lifter arm 62 is fast on the inner end of the shaft 59 and extends beneath a projection or stud 63 on the upper end of a depending link 52, the lowerend of which is pivoted to one arm of the drawer-releasing bell crank 41.

A studfl53 projecting from a bracket 54 fast on a cross frame 55 extending between the machine side frames 43444 extends through a guide slot 56 in the link 52. The operator rocks the crank 58 and shaft 59 counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, to rotate the lifter arm 62 (Figs. 3 and 5) in the same direction, which raises the link 52 to rock the bell crank 41 clockwise, thereby withdrawing the plunger 31 to release the cash drawer to the action of its propelling spring 46, as above described. When'the operator releases the crank 58, the spring 34 lowers the plunger 31, and the spring 47 rocks the bell crank 41 counter-clockwise to lower the link 52, whereupon stud 63 rocks the lifter arm 62, shaft 59 and crank 58 clockwise to the positions in which the parts appear in Figs. 1 and 3.

The machine releasing mechanism and the cash drawer mechanism described above, are old and only form a part-of the present invention when combined with the novel features now to be set forth.

lilac/Line locking mechanism It is desirable in machines of this type, to which the present invention is adapted to be applied, to compel the operator to fully close the cash drawer after the entry of one transaction, before again operating the machine .to enter the next transaction, and as result, the following mechanism is provided.

When, during an operation of the machine, the cash drawer 30 is released and nnpelled from its inaccessible position to its accessible position, which movement is toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, a three-armed lever 70, journaled on a rod 71 supported in a flange 72 (Fig. 5) extending upwardly from the base 32 and in a boss, not shown, also projecting upwardly from the base of the machine, tends to rock counter-clockwise under the influence of a spring 73 compressed between the base 32 and a forwardly extending arm 74 of the lever 7 O. The spring 73 constantly urges the lever to rotate, but it is normally prevented from doing so by a downwardly extending arm 75 resting against the rear wall of the cash drawer 30. A link 76 connects a rearwardly extending arm 77 of the lever 70 with one arm of a bell crank 79 pivoted on a shaft 80 journaled in the machine side frames 43 and 44. A locking slide 81 guided on a stud 84 in the side frame 43, is connected at one end to the bell crank 79, as by a pivot 82,

passing through an opening in the side frame 43, the opposite end of the locking slide or bolt lying adjacent an abutment 85 on the link 11 of the machine release mechanism. The lever 70, on its counter-clockwise rotation, tends to lower the link 76 to rock the bell crank 79 clockwise to thrust the locking slide 81 towards th right, but movement of the locking slide 81 towards the-right is blocked. at this time by the wedge-shaped stud or abutment 85 on the link 11, which was lowered into a position directly in the path of the locking slide 81 when the machine was released for operation, as described above. machine, and subsequently to the movement of the cash drawer 30 to its accessible position, the release shaft 10 and its arm 12 rock clockwise to raise the release link 11, and as the stud 85 clears the end of the slide 81, the spring 73 is free to rock the lever 7 0 counterclockwise (the drawer 30 being out of contact with the arm 75 of the lever 70) to draw the linl: 76 downwardly and rock the bell crank 79 to thrust the locking slide 81 owards the right to position the endthereof beneath the stud 85. In this position, the release link 11 cannot again be lowered to release the machine for operation, and so long as the cash drawer 30 remains in its accessible position, the locking bolt 81 remains effective to'prevent the release of the machine for another operation.

When the cash drawer 30 is returned'to its inaccessible position, however, the rear vall thereof contacts the arm 75 and rocks the lever 70 clockwise to its normal position, compressing spring 73 and raising the link 76 to rock the bell crank 79 counter-clockwise and withdraw the locking slide 81 from beneath the abutment 85, as shown in Fig. 1. This leaves the machine releasing mechanism free under the control of theusual manipulative releasing means (not shown), which, when operated, frees'the shaft 10 to the action of Near the end of the operation of the its spring (also not shown). to again release the machine for operation.

Manual control of the cash drawer-controlled machine Z0070 the bell crank 79 in such a manner that when the parts are in the positions in which they appear in Fig. 1, the hook-shaped abling latch 90 prevents movement of the bell crank 79, thereby restraining the locking slide 81 in its ineffective position against the tension of the spring 7 3.

Rocking the crank 58, the shaft 59 and the disabling latch 90 clockwise to their normal positions (Fig. 4), withdraws the latch 90 from the projection 91,. whereupon the spring 73 is free to thrust the locking slide 81 under the stud 85 to lock the machine, as above described.

The normal position of the manipulative crank 58 is determined by the requirements of the particular user, but for the purposes of this invention, it will be considered that the normal position of the crank 58 is that shown in Fig. 4, wherein the latch 90 is held in idle position to enable the drawer-controlled machine lockto function at each operation of the machine, the plunger litter arm 62 (Fig. 3) being withdrawn from the projection 63 on the link 52.

Should the trade conditions require that the work of entering transactions and making change or depositing the cash, be speeded up, the user would manually adjust the crank 58 to the right to the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the latch 90 restrains the bell crank 79 and locking slide 81 in their idle positions to enable the machine to be operated without necessitating the closure of the drawer intermediate each two successive operations.

If, in either adjustment of the crank 58, it becomes desirable to release the drawerlockin g plunger 31 to enable the spring 46 to render the drawer accessible, without operating the machine, the operator will rock the crank 58 farther to the right from the position shown in Fig. 3, to cause the lifter arm 62 to draw the link 52 upwardly and with it the plunger 31, after which the crank 58 is automatically restored to the position shown in Fig. 1, by the spring 34, through the link 52, stud 63 and arm 62. When desired the crank 58 may be manually moved to the position shown in Fig. 4. The crank is held ineither of its two positions by a friction spring- 95 (Fig. 4) on the shaft 59, between the hub on the crank 58 and a friction plate 96 secured to a block 97 on the frame 61.

The pin 50 and slot 51 permits relative movement of the plunger 31 and the bell crank 4:1.

Obviously, when the crank 58 is rocked to its extreme counter-clockwise limit to efi'ect the manual release of the cash drawer 30 without operating the machine, the latch 90 continues to retain the slide 81 of the cash drawer-controlled machine lock in idle position.

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 embodiment in Various forms all coming with in the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed as new, is

1. In a machine of the class described; the combination with a normally locked driving means; means to release the driving means for operation; a normally latched cash drawer; manually operated means to unlatch the cash drawer; and means to move the cash drawer to accessible position; of a rocking member; a thrust bar connected to said rocking member; a drawer-actuated lever; a linkage connecting the roeking member and the lever; and means to rock the lever under the control of the cash drawer as said cash drawer moves to accessible position, to operate the rocking member to move the thrust bar into the path of a projection on the means which releases the driving means, to prevent release of the driving means; and means controlled by the manually operated unlatching means to restrain the thrust bar in idle position.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a normally locked drive therefor; means to release the driving means for operation; a norm ally latched cash drawer; and: means to release the cash drawer for operation; of a drawer-controlled locking member for the means which releases the drive for operation, the drawer adapted, when closed. to retain the locking member inactive and adapted to free the locking member for operation, when in accessible position; and means adjustable at will to a certain distance into a position in which it restrains the looking member against effective operation the means adapted to be moved an additional distance in the same direction into a position in which it unlatches the drawer.

3. In a machine of the class described. the combination with a normally locked drive therefor; means to release the driving means for operation; a normally latched cash drawer; and means to release the cash drawer for operation; of a drawer-controlled locking member for the means which releases the drive for operation, the drawer adapted, when closed, to retain the locking member inactive and adapted to free the locking member for operation, when inaccessible position; a detent to hold the locking member in idle position; and a single manipulative device adjustable at will in a certain direction from normal'position into a position, in which it sets the detent to ineffective position, the manipulative member adapted to be moved an additional distance in the same direction to unlatch the cash drawer.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a normally locked drive therefor; means to release the driving means for operation; a normally latched cash drawer; and means to release the cash drawer for operation; of a drawer-controlled locking member for the means which releases the drive for operation, the drawer adapted, when closed, to retain the locking member inactive and adapted to free the locking member for operation, when in accessible position; a detent to hold the locking member in idle position; and a single means manually settable to a plurality of positions in one of which it adjusts the detent to idle position, the settable means adapted to move the detent out of idle position into effective position, the sett-able means also adapted when moved an additional distance in the same direction to unlatch the cash drawer.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

BERNIS M. SHIPLEY.

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