US1874739A - Cash register - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30, 1932.

c. w. GREEN CASH REGISTER Original Filed April 15. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l .4 1 f ATTORNEYS.

C. W. GREEN Aug. 30, 1932.

CASH REGI STER Original Filed April 13, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /lii//JI ((1. 61 0615 B Q 4 W6? Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES W. GREEN, OF ILION, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND CASH REGISTER Original application filed April 18, 1927, Serial No. 183,392. Divided and this application filed May 17, 1930. Serial No. 453,162.

illustration is particularly adapted for use in o cash registers, although it is susceptible of ready adaption for use in other types of accounting machines and analogous devices.

This application is a division of the application of Charles W. Green, Serial Number 183,392, filed April 13, 1927, to which application reference may be had for a complete disclosure of the mechanisms not shown herein.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a control lever which is tion of the cash drawer, as desired; while in another position of the lever the operating keys may be completely and effectively locked. In still another position of adjustment of the lever the operating keys are also locked but this position is primarily for the purpose of permitting resetting of the totalizer elements and reading of the latter through apertures formed in the machine cabinet. It is also a part of the present inven tion to provide means whereby the totalizer elementsmay only be read when the control lever is in this definite position of adjustment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an aligning means which is coordinated with a look so that when the latter is operated the control lever is locked in whatever position it may be adjusted to. Thus, in order to adjust the control lever from one position to another it becomes necessary to release the same by means of a key after which adjustment thereof may be efiected.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description of the invention progresses.

Reference will now be had to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

Of the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional view of the machine taken substantially through its mid-section.

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation showing the control lever in open drawer position and its effect upon the key-locking devices and drawer release mechanism. This View also shows a portion of the resetting devices.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of a number of the elements associated with the controlling de vices for the machine.

Fig. 4 is a View in side elevation of a portion of the mechanism utilized to prevent or allow resetting operations.

The illustrative machine is provided with keys 32 divided into groups (not shown), one group for registering amounts from 195 to 9, another group for registering amounts ranging from 10 to 90, and a third group for registering values of $1 to $9.

As best seen in Fig. 1, the amount keys 32 are pivoted on a shaft 33 supported by the side plates 20 and 21. A No sale key (not shown) is also provided, which is adapted to operate the machine and release the cash drawer without eflf'ecting any accumulation in the totalizer. All keys are provided with notches 38 adapted to receive the rearward end of a key coupler 39 which extends between the side plates 20 and 21 of the machine and which rests upon the rear ends of the keys. The key coupler is pivotally sup ported by means of: plates 40 and 41 attached thereto which are suitably apertured to receive a shaft 42 which is located insubstantially the mid-portion of the machine. The shaft 42 is supported by the side plates 20 and 21. It will be obvious that when the forward ends of the operating keys are depressed the key coupler 39 will be rocked clockwise so that its rearward end will enter the notches 38 of the depressed keys. The purpose of such coupler mechanism is well known in the art and need not be discussed herein. A suitable mechanism is provided to insure a complete performance of the started registration before a second operation can subsequently be effected. As this mechanism forms no part coupler supporting shaft 42. I When the' key coupler is beingoperated the rearward end thereof will pass in front of the concentric portions of the unoperated keys, thereby look? ing them against movement. Since this mechanism is well known in the art it need not be discussed herein in detail.

The differential mechanisms or devices controlled by the various groups of keys for en tering the desired amounts in the totalizer are all similar in construction. The differential device associated with the dollars bank of keys is shown in Fig. 1 wherein it will be noted that mounted upon the shaft 42 is a frame comprising parallel side plates 4c7-integrally joined by a cross bar or bail 48 which normally stands over the projections 46 of the keys of the bank. The frame just described is attached to the shaft 42 by a pin (not shown). Also attached to the shaft 42at substantially its mid-portion is a segmental rack (not shown) adapted to operate the dollars element of the totalizing devices. Inasmuch as this mechanism forms no part of the present invention further description thereof is unnecessary.

In machines of the type shown it is customary to provide a cash drawer which is released upon each operation of the machine and ejected under the action of a spring to expose the same for the purpose of making change or receiving the money tendered. The drawer release mechanism in the illustrative machine is primarily carried by a plate 165 secured in position at its forward end by means of the shafts 33 and 1 2, the rearward end of the plate being'provided with an extension 166 which is located beneath thecross bar 23. [The plate 165 is securely held at its rearward end and prevented from lateral movement by means of a slotted plate167 latter being provided with a portion 173-engaging the upper portion of a plate 174 carried by the cash drawer 175. A spring 176 connects the drawer catch release lever with the cash drawer. The drawer is normally urged outwardlybyaspring 1761 carried by the drawer plate 17 at. The result of the above construction is that when the key coupler is elevated the trip pin 168 will pass by the pawl 169 without effecting any movement of the drawer release lever 17 O or drawer catch 172. During the return movement ofthe operating keys, which is concomitant with the downward movement of the key coupler, the trip .pin.168 will engage the opposite side of the pawl and sincetheilatter contacts with a stud carried by the drawer catch release lever 170 it will rock the latter clockwise against the tensionof the spring 176 thereby disengaging the shoulder' 171 from the drawer catch. -'This will result in releasing the hook 17 3 from the plate 17a and permit the spring 1761 to be effective toforce the cash drawer outward v I Machine am;

tained in the drawer may be had. In certain uses of the'machine it is desirable to disable the mechanism just described so'as to permit certain operations of the machine during rush hours without closing the cash'drawer after each operation. Again it is desirable at times to lock the operating keys irrespective of the position of the cash drawer so as to prevent tampering'by unauthorized persons. V 7 To provide for these functions the mecha nism embodied in the illustrative machine is placed under the control of a single lever which may be operated from the exterior of the machine, but which maybe locked so that movement of the lever cannot be performed except by persons having a key'to the lock. The control lever is thus adapted to be shifted to any of three positions to accomplish the corresponding one of the functions above mentioned. This control lever together with the lock mechanism associated therewith comprisesthe essence of the. present. invention and will now be described in detail.

Open drawer position of control lever 7 Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and :2 the control lever 180 projects through a slot in the machine cabinet, the latter being provided with an index plate which carries legends designating the positions of adjustment of the control lever. The control lever is securely attached to shaft 181, which shaft is supported at one end by a bracket attached to the cross-bar 25 and at the other end by the side frame 20. Loosely pivoted upon the shaft 181 is a locking arm 182 which is provided with-a locking shoulder 183 ada ted to cooperate with the rearward end of t ecoupler 39 and extends further downwardly so as to contact with the drawer plate 174. Attached to the locking lever 182 is a spring 184 which tends to rock it counter-clockwise. Secured to the shaft 181 is a downwardly extending arm 185 which in the open drawer position contacts with a lug 186 integral with the locking arm 182. In the position shown in the drawings it will be observed that when the cash drawer is released spring 184 will tend to rock the arm 182 forwardly so that its locking shoulder 183 will pass over the key coupler upon its return and lock the same as long as the cash drawer is open. This operation, in the position of the control lever shown, is prevented since it will be observed that forward movement of the locking arm 182 will be prevented by the cooperation of lug 186 with the arm 185.

Closed drarwer position of control leper When the control lever is moved to the closed drawer position it will rock theshaft 181 and carry the arm 185 slightly forward, thus permitting the spring 184' to move the locking arm 182 so that the shoulder thereof will pass over the key coupler and lock the same against movement as long as the cash drawer is open. When the cash drawer is forced inwardly the drawer plate 174 will contact with the lower end of arm 182 to unlock the key coupler and tension the spring 184.

Look register position of control lever At times it is desirable to lock the keys and the'cash drawer soas to prevent unauthorized persons having access to the contents of the cash drawer by operating the keys. The present invention provides for this and as it will be noted in Fig. 2 the arm 185 extends upwardly to form an extension 187. Loosely mounted upon theshaft 181 is a supplemental bell crank locking lever 188 provided with a locking shoulder 189. A spring 190 is connected between the extension 187 and the upper arm of the bell crank 188. It will be obvious that in the open and closed drawer position of the control lever the lower portion of the locking arm of the bell crank lever 188 will not be moved sufliciently to cause this shoulder to pass over the flange of the key coupler. WVhen the control lever is moved to lock register position, however, the shaft 181 will be rocked sufficiently so that it will, through the connected spring 190 move this locking bell crank lever to bring its locking shoulder 189 over the key coupler, thereby securely locking the keys and preventing release of the cash drawer by operating the keys, if

return-movement of the cash drawer will not effect the position of the locking bell crank 188 so that the key coupler will still be locked by this member.

Total and reset position of control lever At the termination of the days business or any other selected period it is desirable to obtain the total of the sales registered so that receipts may readily be checked, and after the total has been obtained resetting of the totalizer may follow. During this procedure it is desirable to obtain access to the contents of the cash drawer and to provide for all of the above functions, the necessary control. over the machine is effected by the control lever 180 when moved to the rearmost or total and reset position.

It will be observed that the totalizer elements bear characters which may be viewed through an aperture 191 formed in the cabinet and also an aperture formed in a denomination designating plate 192. When the control lever is in any position other than the total and reset position reading of the totalizer elements is prevented by means of a. shutter 193 which is pivoted to the side plates 71 and 72 of the totalizer frame. Attached to the shaft 181 is an upstanding arm 194 provided with a pin engaging the closed slot formed in the link 195 connected to one arm of the shutter 193. The slot formed in the link 195 is of suflicient length so that movement of the control lever to any of the three foremost positions will not operate the link 195 to move the shutter, but when the lever is moved to the total and reset position the link will be drawn rearwardly against the tension of a connected spring 196 thereby rocking the shutter 193 to permit reading of the totalizer elements.

It is desirable that the control lever be aligned in its various positions when adjusted and to this end there is attached to the control lever 180 a link 197 which is connected to a segmental plate 198 pivoted to the side frame 20 by a stud 199. The segment plate 198 is provided with a plurality of aligning notches 200 adapted to engage a stud carried by a spring pressed pawl 201. By this means it will be obvious that the control lever is held frictionally in any adjusted position, but by projecting a bolt 202 of a lock 202 which lock is controlled by the insertion of a key through the cabinet, the control lever may be locked in any of its adjusted positions. As

' the exception of total and reset position,

that when the control lever is moved to this position the shaft 181 will be rocked counter-clockwise from the'position shown and through the spring 190 the locking lever 188 will be moved so that its shoulder 189 passes over the key coupler 39, this action being the same as explained in connection with the Flock register positionsof the control lever withthe exception that the lever 188 is rocked still further counter-clockwise. V

In order to release the cash drawer when the control lever is moved to total and reset position it will be noted in this position that the arm 185 will be moved suflicientlyto cause a projection 203 formed thereon to contact with a. stud 204 carried by the drawer catch release lever 17 0 rocking it sufiiciently so that it will release the cash drawerin exactly the same manner as if the keys were operated. This then constitutes a manual means for releasing the cash'drawer independently of an operationiofthe machine and it may be used for this purpose'at a time when the ma chine ma for some reason become disabled and locked up after the coupler has been partially operated. It should be noted in this connection that the control lever may be shifted to the total and reset position even though the coupler is away from normal and at such times the coupler will hold the lever 188'back against the tension of spring 190. In all positions of the control lever, with the aperture 2081 in the plate 20'is closed by an integral portion of the segment plate 198. Nhen the control lever is brought to total and reset position, however, thecut away portion 211 will be brought to register with the opening 2081. The plate 198 is formed with bent lugs 212 which are adapted to guide a pin on the reset key. Inasmuch as the resetting mechanism forms no part of the present invention it will not be described herein, for a full disclosure thereof reference may be had to the parent case.

. \Vhile the form of mechanism herein described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily statedit is to be understood that it is notintended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown being provided with means adapted to en gage said coupler while another of said levers being adapted to trip said drawer latch, when said control lever is moved to one position of adjustment. 7 v r f 2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of'a control. lever adapted to be moved to various positions of adjustment, a shaft, a plurality of levers mounted on said shaft, acash drawer, latching means therevers is adapted to trip said drawer latch.

3. In a machine of the class described, a shaft, a control lever fixed to said shaft and adapted to be moved to various positions of adjustment, a key coupler, a plurality of levers pivotally mounted on saidshaft, for locking said coupler, a drawer latch, a leverfixed to said shaft adapted to trip said latch, said last mentioned leverbeing adapted to control the movement of said coupler locking levers, and means whereby movement of'said controllever to one position will disable the efi'ecti'ven'ess of all of said levers.

l In a machine of the class described, a control member, a separately mounted plate cooperating therewith, a plurality of notches around the edge of said plate, a spring urged pawl adapted to engage said notches, and a key operatedlock for engaging said pawl.

5. In a machine of the class described, a control member, a pivotally mounted segmental plate, a link connecting the member andplate, a plurality of notches aroundthe edge of said plate, a spring urged pawl adapted to engagesaid notches, and positive means for retaining said pawl in engagement with any of said notches, and key operated means for releasing said retaining means. I

6. In a machine of the class described, a control member, a plate, a linkbetween the member and the plate, a pluralityof notches around the edge of saidplate, a spring urged pawl adapted to engage said notches, and a key operated lock for retaining or releasing said pawl. v

In witness whereof I have signedmy name this 13th day of May, 1980;

' 7 CHARLES GREEN.-

coupler, .a drawer latch, some of said levers V for, a key coupler, one of said levers being

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