US2145314A - Cash drawer - Google Patents

Description

Jl, 3L W39. .1. .1. MURTAUGH, .JR 93459314 CASH DRAWER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 9, 1957 40 n uw?! Vm n.

ATTORN EVS Jima. 311W w39. J, .,J, Mum/WGH, JR

CASH DRAWER Filed Jan. 9*, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ORNEYS Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED ISTATES PATE-NT of-Fries CASH DRAWER York Application January 9, 1937, Serial No. 119,732

11 Claims.

This invention relates to safes, cash drawers and similar devices for receiving valuables and relates particularly to means for preventing unauthorized opening of acash drawer or the like.

In order to safeguard valuables effectively, it is not only necessary to provide means which prevent unauthorized access thereto when the cashier or attendant is not present, but it is also necessary under some circumstances to prevent laccess to the valuables even by an authorized agent, as when the agent `or cashier is forced at the point of a gun to open a cash drawer or safe.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided which enable a cashier or attendant to have access to a cash drawer or similar construction at will under ordinary circumstances, but which are operable when necessary to prevent opening thereof until after the lapse of a predetermined time. Preferably, the means provided for preventing opening the cash drawer or safe for a predetermined time are operable from a remote point so that in the event the cashier is threatened, the cash drawer may be locked against operation by someone remote from the ;.cash drawer and without movement of the cashier,

or danger to those near the cash drawer.

In that form of the present invention shown in the drawings and hereafter more fully described, a cash `drawer is provided with a latch member releasable by operation at a remote point to lock the drawer. Thereafter, the cash drawer may be unlocked but unlatching of the latch member will not take place until after the expiration of a predetermined interval of time. Or-

. dinarily however, the cash drawer is capable of being locked and unlocked at will to enable authorized persons to have access thereto without the inconvenience and delay incident to the use of a timing device.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for safeguarding cash drawers and the like which are operable to insure a delay between the operation of means for releasing the cash drawer and the actual release thereof vwhereby valuables may be effectively safeguarded.

Another object of the invention is to provide locking mechanism for a cash drawer orv other construction which is simple in construction and effective in its operation and by which the cash .drawer can be locked from a remote point.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cash drawer with means for preventing opening thereof which means is normally operable to releasethe cash drawer so that it maybe opened by 1an unauthorized agent but incapable of releasing the "cashdrawer under predetermined conditionsuntil after the operation of a delay mechanism.

These and other 'objects and features of the invention will appear from the following descrip- 5 tionthereofin which reference yis made to the accompanying figures 'of the drawings.

In the drawings:

vFigure l is a perspective 'of a typical form of cash drawer embodying the vpresent invention;

"Figure 2 -is a `vertical'sectionalview through the construction "of Figure l-illustratingone form Vof mechanism 'embodyingthe Ypresent invention and designed to control the operation of the cash drawer;

`ligure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view `of a 'portion of the construction illustrated in Figure 2 with'fcertain of the parts thereof shown in a di'iferentposition;

Figure 4 4is a :vertical sectional 'view of the construction illustrated inFigure 2 taken on the line ll-ii thereof;

Figure `5is 4a 4horizontal `sectional view of the construction illustrated -i-n 'Figure 2 taken'on the linev 5-#5 thereof; `and 25 Figure \6 `is 'a ldiagra-mmatic Aillustration of typical electrical 'connections adapted for controlling `operation of the 1mechanism lillustrated in Figure 2.

-In that form Aof the invention chosen for purposes of illustration in the drawings, a cash drawer, indicated generally at 22, `is supported in a housing All which may beof any suitable construction land may comprise part lof a counter, safe or otherstructure,ifdesired. The housing 35 shown embodies-atop ii, sides 8,a bottom Ill and a back l2. The'e'dges and corners of the housing are reinforced by angle members M extending along lmarginal portions of the housing -or elsewhere `as required tolprovide a sturdy theft-proof construction.

The drawer 2 is supported within the housing on rollers I6 mounted on studs I8 projecting `inwardly lfrom the'side walls 8. Roller bearings 2B preferably are provided between studs i8 and rollersI-l for'insuring `smooth sliding movement of the drawer so that it will Vclose kreadily and move easily `to its fully closed position. A supporting krail 22 extends alongthe upper edges lof the cash drawer and bears against the 'roller `Iii to support 'the drawer, Vwhereas Vangle bars 2li project from the sides ofthe cash drawer beneath the rollers H5 for'guiding the drawer in its sliding movement. The drawer itself Vmay be .of any usual construction and maybe divided 'into sec- 65 tions by partitions 25 or the like, for receiving bills, or may be otherwise arranged for the purpose of receiving valuables.

Outward movement of the drawer is limited by a pivoted catch 26 positioned to engage a stop member 28 near the front of the housing on the bottom I6, while inward movement of the drawer is limited by a projecting ange 30 on the drawer which engages a downwardly projecting bolt engaging flange 32 adjacent the top of the front oi the housing. The drawer is normally urged into its closed position in which the flange 30 thereon engages flange 32 on the housing by means of a spring 34, one end of which is secured to a lug on partition 36 at the back of the cash receiving portion of the drawer and the other end of which is secured to a lug mounted on the rear wall I2 of the housing.

A lock 40 may be carried by the drawer for actuating a bolt 42 to project thesame behind the downwardly extending bolt engaging flange 32 at the top of the front of the housing. Any suitable lock construction may be used in this location or elsewhere for enabling the cashier or agent to lock and unlock the drawer at will so that it will be instantly available for use under provided which are operable to prevent opening ordinary circumstances. However, in order further to safeguard valuables within the cash drawer under unusual circumstances, as in the event of a hold-up, supplemental locking means are of the cash drawer and which preferably may be actuated from a remote point for locking the cash drawer.

In the construction illustrated, the bottom 46 of the cash drawer is provided with a rearwardly extending portion 48 having a latch receiving recess 56 therein positioned to receive a pivoted latch member 52 which is mounted on the rear wall I2 of the housing. The latch is pivoted at 54 to move into and out of the recess 50 in the extension 48 and preferably is gravity actuated or otherwise urged toward its locking position so that it will move into locking position as soon as it is released. The latch is supported or held out of its latching position and out of engagement with the portion 48 of the cash drawer by means of a hanger 56 which carries a roller 58 extending beneath the latch 52. The hanger 56 is secured to a member 60 surrounded by a solenoid 62 which, when energized serves to raise the hanger and retract the latch member. The

hanger also is provided with a projecting pin 64 n which normally rests against a bolt 66 to retain the latch in raised or releasing position.

The slidable bolt 66 constitutes the core of a solenoid 68 and is held in its projected position to support hanger 56 as shown in Figures 4 and 5 by means of a spring 10, one end of which is secured to the bolt 66 and the opposite end of vwhich is secured to a bracket 'I2 mounted on the rear wall I2 of the housing and supporting the solenoid 62.

The free end of the bolt 66 is provided with a downwardly facing vcam surface I4 engageable by the pin 64 on the hanger so that when the pin is raised with the hanger 56 on operation of the solenoid 62 the bolt 66 will be forced to the right as seen in Figure 4 to permit the pin 64 to pass after which the bolt will again be projected be- :neath the pin by the spring 'I0 to hold the latch member in its raised or releasing position.

The solenoid 68 for retracting the bolt 66 may be energized by any suitable source of power such as the power line 'I8 upon closing of any one or more of the switches 88 and 82 located at suitable points which may be remote from the cash drawer. When energized the solenoid serves to retract the bolt 66 and permit the hanger 56 and latch 52 to fall by gravity into locking position with the head of the latch projecting into the latch receiving opening 5U. The cash drawer will then be locked against opening even though the bolt of the lock 40 is withdrawn. Furthermore, any efforts to force the drawer open will cause only a forward pull on the latch 52 secured to the rear wall I2 of the housing so that no strain will be placed upon the latch operating mechanism or the solenoids which actuate the same and these parts will not be damaged by tampering with the drawer.

In order to retract the latch 52 from engagement with the portion 48 of the cash drawer a lock 84 of any suitable construction is provided in the front of the housing and projecting through the downwardly extending flange 32 as illustrated in Figure 2. The cylinder of the lock 84 is provided with a pin 86 which normally extends nto position to be engaged by an arm 8B controlling movement of clockwork mechanism 96. Upon operation of the lock 84 the pin 86 is retracted or moved out of engagement with the arm 8S whereupon the arm is rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figure 5 by the clock mechanism for closing a switch 92. As illustrated, the arm 88 in rotating rst engages the insulating member 94 and thereafter moves this member into engagement with a movable element of the switch 92 to complete a circuit through the solenoid 62. When the solenoid 62 is energized the hanger 56 and latch52 are raised, releasing the drawer. In being raised the pin 64 on hanger 56 forces the bolt 66 to the right against the action of spring 'ID and then on passing above the bolt permits it to be projected beneath the pin to again hold the hanger and latch member 52 in their raised positions. Thus the solenoid 62 need only be energized momentarily as the arm 88 and insulating member 94 pass the switch contacts 82 and thereafter the clockwork continues to operate until the arm 88 again engages the pin 86 of lock 84 to reset itself automatically. Neither solenoid need be operated continuously or for long periods'of time and momentary failure of the electric power supply will not actuate the mechanism.

The cash drawer may be operated after its release in the usual manner and may be locked at will by means of the lock 40 so that the delay mechanism need only be operated in emergency or at the opening of the days business.

In the operation of the form of the invention illustrated and described above the cash drawer l may be locked and unlocked normally by means of a suitable key or otherwise inserted in the lock 40 so that the cashier or other authorized persons may open the same and so that it will be closed by operation of the spring 34 when released. In the event of an emergency any person at a remote point and in any desired location may operate one of the switches or 82 to complete the circuit through the solenoid 68 to retract the bolt 66 from beneath the pin 64 permitting the hanger 56 to fall so that the latch member 52 will swing downward about its pivot 54 and enter the opening 56 in the extension 48 at the rear of the cash drawer. In this way the drawer and may be threatened by abandit" need make no move to insure lockingof .the,drawer..

`Furthermorein the event the cashier or others are forced to unlock the cash drawenit will not be released for operation until after the expiration of a predetermined time, say teen minutes, during which police or other assistance may arrive.

Ii the cashier is `forced to manipulate the lock Bft so as to move pin 86 o-ut of engagement with the arm S8 of the clock mechanism, the clock mechanism will prevent immediate operation of the solenoid d2 and release of the latch 52 will therefore be delayed until the Vclock mechanism has -rnoved the actuating arm 83 from its normal position as shown in Figure 5 into engagement with the switch operating member 94 to close the switch 92 and energize solenoid 62. This period of time may be varied at will to provide the desired delay and prevent access to the drawer until after danger of unauthorized use of the cash drawer has passed. Thus valuables contained in the drawer are protected more eiectively than has been possible heretofore and the cashier and attendants need not endanger themselves to protect the contents of the drawer.

While the construction herein illustrated and described is designed particularly for use in connection with cash drawers and similar constructions, it will be apparent that the invention may be embodied in other types of apparatus or mechanism and that various forms of latch operating means may be employed without departing from the invention. It will also be apparent that the switches 80 and B2 may be used to actuate the latch controlling solenoids associated with any number of cash drawers so that all of the cash drawers in a bank or other institution may be locked simultaneously by an operator at a remote point and without manipulation by a cashier or others who would be in danger of injury should they attempt to make such a move. It should therefore be understood that the form of the invention herein illustrated and described is intended to be representative of a typical embodiment of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope thereof,

I claim:

l. In combination with a cash drawer, a lock, latch means movable into and out of position to lock said drawer against movement, means independent of said lock controlling movement of said latch means into locking position, delay mechanism under control of said lock and means actuated by said delay mechanism for moving said latch means out of locking position to permit opening of said drawer.

2. In combination with a cash drawer having a housing, a lock carried by said housing, a support for said drawer and latch means carried by said support movableginto engagement with said l drawer to prevent opening thereof, means independent of said lock for moving said latch into locking position, time controlled means under control of said lock and means actuated by said time controlled means for moving said latch out of engagement with said drawer.

3. In combination with a cash drawer movable on a support, a lock, a latch carrie-d by said support and movable into engagement with said dra-wer to prevent opening thereof, electro-responsive means for retracting said latch to release said drawer and delay mechanism under control of said lock for controlling the operation of said electro-responsive means.

4. Thefcombination with a housing and a cash drawer Vslidable within said housing of a latch. member supported on the housing and movable into Vand outV of latching engagement with saiddrawer to lock said drawer in closed position, .saidlatch member when in latching position extending in the direction of movement of said drawerwhereby force applied to move said drawer when held by said latch is transmitted tosaid housing without injury to said latch and electro-responsivemeans for actuating said latch member.

'5, The combination with a housing and a cash drawer slidable within said housing of a latch member supported on the housing and movable ,into andlout of latching engagement with said. drawer to lock said Vdrawer in closed position, means located at a point remote from said housing controlling movement of said latch to ydrawer locking position, time controlled means for withdrawing said latch from drawer locking position and means located on said housing and operable independently of said latch controlling means for releasing said time controlled means.

6. The combination with a housing and a cash drawer slidable therein of means for locking said drawer in closed position comprising a latch, electrically operated means for tripping said latch so that it may move into locking position,

control means for said electrically operated means located at a point remote from said housing, time controlled means for withdrawing said latch from locking position and means for initiating operation of said time controlled means located on said housing and operable independently of the control means for said electrically operated means serving to reset said time controlled means.

'7. The combination with a housing and a drawer slidable therein of means for locking said drawer against sliding movement, comprising a latch member, means for holding said latch member in unlocking position, a spring urging said holding means into holding position, a solenoid operable to retract said holding means to permit movement of said latch member to locking position, a solenoid operable to withdraw said latch member from locking position, independently operable means for energizing said solenoids and means movable with said latch and engageable by said holding means to hold said latch in unlocking position.

8. The combination with a housing and a drawer slidable therein of means for locking said drawer against sliding movement comprising a latch member, means for holding said latch member in unlocking position, a spring urging said holding means into holding position, a solenoid operable to retract said holding means to permit movement of said latch member to locking position, a solenoid operable to withdraw said latch member from locking position, time controlled means for` energizing the latter solenoid, lock operated means for actuating said time controlled means and means movable with said latch and engageable by said holding means to hold said latch in unlocking position.

9. The combination with a housing and a drawer slidable therein of means for locking said drawer against sliding movement comprising a latch member, means for holding said latch member in unlocking position, a spring urging said holding means into holding position, a solenoid operable to retract said holding means to permit movement of said latch member to locking position, operating means for energizing said solenoid, a solenoid operable to Withdraw said latch member from locking position, actuating means independently of said operating means and time controlled means set in operation by said actuating means for energizing the latter solenoid to withdraw said latch member from locking position a predetermined time after operation of said actuating means and means movable with said latch and engageable by said holding means to hold said latch in unlocking position.

10. In a locking system for a plurality of devices, each of said devices being provided with a latch movable into and out of positionto lock and unlock same, and means common to said plurality of devices for controlling the movement of the latches thereof into locking position; the

locking system being characterized by the fact that each device is provided with individual means independent of said common control means for moving the latch thereof out of locking position, and individual time delay means operable to control the operation of each of said independent means.

11. In combination with a cash drawer, latch means movable into and out of position to lock and unlock said drawer, means for controlling the movement of said latch means into locking position, means independent of said controlling means for moving said latch means out of locking position, and means including a time delay mechanism controlling operation of said independent means.

JOHN J. MURTAUGH, JR.

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