US2458863A - Combination key holder and tension member for toy cash registers - Google Patents

Description

. H..A. KROENLEIN 2,458,863 Qouammon KE OLDER Aun fm u EMBER FOR T 'CASH REGISTER med Jan. 1o, 1947 12m-LH. l, M

Patented Jan. 11, 1949 Henry A. Kroenleln, Los Angeles, Calif., assig'nor to Ruth P. Berry, Jackson, Mich.

Application January 10, 1947, Serial No. 721,192

3 claims. 1

The present invention relates to improve-ments" in toy cash registers of the type and construction as disclosed in United lStates Letters Patent No. 1,906,361.

An object of the present invention is to provide an .improved combination key lever retaining and tensioning member for toy cash registers oi the type and construction disclosed in the aforesaid patent.

Another object is to provide a key lever holding and tensioning structure for toy cash registers of the type described which facilitates assembly and reduces the cost of production.

Other objects and advantages residing in the specific construction, and the combination and arrangement of component parts will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification and appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. I is a vertical, cross-sectional view of the toy cash register,

Fig. II is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of the vertical cross-section, shown in Fig. I,

Fig. III is a perspective view ofthe key retain ing and tensioning member removed from the assembly, and

Fig. IV is an elevational view of the cross plate stamping in which the key levers are fulcrumed.

The toy7 cash register casing III comprises end walls I2, a base I4, an arcuate front wall portion I-S, and a target viewing portion I8.

Extending between and supported by the end walls I2 is a sub-frame comprising a sheet metal base having end anges 22 which may be spotwelded to the end walls I2. A turned-up flange 24 at the rear edge of the base 28 is provided with equally spaced slots 26 to receive and guide the target actuating ends 28 of the key levers 30. The levers 30 are swingable and operate in vertical. slots 32 formed through the arcuate front I6 of the case structure of the toy cash register. Each key lever 30 is notched out at 34, in its middle portion on the under side or edge, to provide a pivot point. Slots 36 are provided in a vertically disposed plate member 38, which extends transversely between the casing end walls I2 and forms part of a sub-frame, this plate member 38 having a base flange 40 by which it is connected to the base 20 and having also end flanges 38a by which the plate member is secured to the casing end walls I2. The slots 3G which serve as bearing and spacing slots for the several key levers, are aligned with the slot 32, and these slots 32 and 36 space and guide the key levers 30 in their mount- .2 ing and operation. By Yfitting the key levers through the aligned slots 32 and 36, with the respective notches 34 resting within the slots 36,

the key levers are loosely mounted and are fulcr-umed in the slots 3B for free swinging movement. Keys 4l are mounted on the outer ends of the key levers 36 projecting outside of the casing front wall portion 1.6, and are tlrus freely accessible to the user.

A combination key lever retaining and tensioning .member comprises a sheet metal flap plate 44 having a rib 46 along one edge and a turned flange 48 .along the opposite edge. This ilap plate 44 ls swingably mounted in connection with the vertically disposed plate member 38 substantially as shown by the `full lines and dotted lines in Fig. III, and the dotted lines in Fig. IV of the drawing. To this end, the flapplate has slots 50 in the ends thereof received through the opening 5| in the cross-plate 38. Bearing shoulders are provided at v5I a, at each end of the opening 5I, with bearing ilanges 5Ib immediately thereabove.

In assembling the parts, the flap plate 44 has the ilanged edge 48 thereof inserted through the opening 5I, and the bearing slots 58 then receive the bearing flanges Bib and this flap plate is supported for rocking or swinging movement upon `the bearing shoulders 51a. With this mounting and association of the parts, the flap plate 44 can be readily fitted in place, after all of the several key levers 30 have been positioned through the slots 32 and 86, and when plate 44 rests against the bearing shoulders 5I a the plate is swingably mounted with the rib portion 46 resting upon and extending transversely across all of the key levers.

An arcuate spring 52 supported between the cross-plate 38 and the inner swinging portion of flap plate 44 serves to tension the flap plate into the position shown in full lines in Figs. I, II, and III, with the flange 48 abutting the horizontal portion 53 of the plate 38, as a stop.

As Will be readily apparent, with the parts mounted in the manner set forth, depressing any one of the keys 42 will cause its associated key levervrnember 30 to pivot or swinging about its fulcrum, and while the ap plate will prevent displacement of any key lever from its fulcrum mounting, pressure exerted upon any key will cause the associated key lever to pivot the flap plate v44 around its swinging mounting, and against the tension of the spring 52.

The targets 54, selectively raised by the levers 30, have upper indicating portions 56 and lower portions 58 engaged by the ends 28 of levers 3D. Intermediate the ends of the targets 54 are turned the selected target 54 is thus held in position lto be viewed through the opening 14; y',

To release the latch membeiy'l from the notch 62 of the selected target 54, upon depressing a diierent key 42, the rear edgeothe plate 44 engages a target releasing member T6 which fulcrums around an edge of the slot. The engagement between the member 44 and the portion 86 of the member 'I6 results in the portion `82 engaging with a tab 84 of the latch 'l0 to hinge the latter out of the'engagementwith the notch 62 of the elevated target 54 inthe manner illustrated in Fig. II. 'The timing -oL the structure is such that the elevatedA target 54 is released through the movement ofy the latch "I6 from the full line to dotted line position as shownl in Fig. II, yet the latch 'w is returnedl by the spring 'l2 to a position to engage with the notch 62 of the newly selected target 54.

If a comparison is made between thestructure shown in the aforesaid patent for tensioning the key levers and the present disclosure, yitwill be observed that in lieu of a plurality of springs, one for each key, the single spring 52 functions to tension all of the levers 30 through the flap plate 44. It will be further appreciated'that this flap plate member 44 is so mounted" with respect to the pivotal points 36 thatit functions lnot only to tension all the key levers to their normal nondepressed positions but also to'hold the key levers located in the open endedxslots 36 since v-as is clearly seen in Figs; I and II, the flap plate is mounted in close superposed relationship to the key levers and overlies their pivot points 34, with portions of the flap plate extending beyond `opposite sides of the cross plate'38. f, Themodiled and improved construction thereby involved materially facilitates assembly and considerablyA re duces the manufacturing costs while at vthe same time a more uniform operation ofthe key levers is obtainable. i n l Having thus described vmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is: i

1. In a toy cash register, supporting structure, a plurality of key levers, each of said levers having a fulcrum point intermediate its ends, a fulcrum on the supporting structure on which said key levers are loosely disposed in a transversely spaced assembly for rocking movement upon their lfulcrum points to and from depressed positions, `and an elongated ap plate swingably mounted across the key lever assembly, said ap plate having its hinge mounting above and in proximity to the fulcrum mounting of the several key levers toretain said levers on said fulcrum mounting and having its swinging edge engage- K able with the inner swingable portions of the key position.

2. In a machine according to claim 1, spring means for tensioning said swinging edge into en gagement with the inner swingable portions of the key levers.

v3. In a toy cash register, supporting structure, a plurality of key levers, each of said levers having a fulcrum point intermediate its ends, a fulcrum on the supporting structure on which said key levers are loosely disposed in a transversely spaced assembly for rocking movement around their fulcrurn points to and from depressed positions, an elongated flap plate having bearing slots at its hinged edge, iiange-like parts carried by the supporting structure and having bearing portions received in theslots of the plate, said bearingV flange portions being disposed to swingably mount the ilap plate above and in proximity to the fulcrum mounting of the several key levers to retain'said levers on said fulcrum mountings and the flap plate having its swinging edge engageable with the inner swingable portions of the key levers for maintaining said levers in undepressed relation, and spring means tensioning said'plate into the key lever contacting relation.

HENRY A. KROENLEIN.

REFERENCES CITED `The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '755,929 Pocuck Mar. 29, 1904 964,026 Jacobs July 12, 1910 1,198,825 Chein Sept. 19, 1916 1,906,361 Berry May 2, 1933

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