US325260A - Cash register and indicator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' W. H. MAXWELL.

CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

No. 825,260. Patented Sept. 1, 1885.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

MAXWE GAS H REGISTER AN OR N0.

Patented Sept. 1. 1885.

1411i xxlln,

-UNITED STATES XVALTER H. MAXXVELL,

' PATENT OFFICE.

OF CINCINNATI OHIO.

CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,260, dated September 1, 1885,

(N0 model.)

.Zo all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, W ALTER H. MAXWELL, a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash Registers and Indicators, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates particularly to improvements in devices for actuating the regis tering mechanism, to improvements in the registering mechanism itself, in devices for automatically locking the mechanism and preventing its'operation while the drawer is open, in devices for facilitating and simplifying computations of the cash received and registered, in devices for supporting the indicatingtablets with greater certainty, and, generally, in devices by .which greater simplicity of construction and ease of operation are attained.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3, a

perspective side view of a pair ofregisteringwheels, cut away to show serrated edges and the pallet by which they are operated. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wing and wing-arm, showing individual springs. Fig. 5 is a sectional View showing short arms and five-cent bar, and Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view showing thelocking device and spring-ca ch. Fig. 7 is a vertical section in the rear ofthe iivecent bar. Fig. 8 is a detail of the wing-arm; and Fig. 9 a detail showing a portion of the wing, individual springs, and the wing-arm.

A is a case provided with suitable framework for supporting the mechanism.

Bis a pivot-bar extending from side to side of the case, onwhich are balanced long leverarms or keys 0 and shorter lever-arms or keys 0, in such manner that the front ends of thelever-arms extend through the front of the case and are lighter than the inner ends, thus keeping the keys in their normal position until buttons, with which their projecting ends are provided, are pressed down. The longer keys are provided with buttons indicating five and the even multiples thereof, and the shorter keys with buttons indicating the odd multiples of five beyond the first power. The arms 0 extend to the rear of the machine, and have their inner ends flattened to support rods D, at the top of which are indi.cating-tablets These indicatingtablets are pushed up into a chamber having afront of glass,through which the tablets may be seen,after the usual manner in such contrivances, the case bci ng so arranged as to conceal, when shut and locked, all of the actuating and registering mechanism.

On the longer keys 0, between the pivot-bar and the supporting-rods, are pivoted pallets F. These pallets have each two teeth, fand f, theformer being somewhat longer than the latter, and are preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 3, having a shoulder, f which is arranged to come in contact with a disengagingbar, G,when raised to a certain height.

Pairs of registering ratchet-wheels, H H, are mounted side by side on a shaft, I, above the keys, one wheel to register each payment, the other to register the revolutions of the first. As the former is moved a greater distance at each palletaetuation than the latter, the number of notches or serrations on the second wheel will be considerably more than that of those on the first.

The number of lever-arms or keys is fixed by convenience and with reference to the work to which the contrivance is to be put. Twenty are represented in the drawings, the buttons thereon indicating every multiple of five up to one hundred. Every key, except those which indicate odd multiples of five, has its own pallet and operates its own pair of registerwvheels, as follows: When the button is depressedfor instance, the twenty-centbutton the pallet which its key bears engages its longer tooth in a serration, and pushes the ratchet-wheel forward until the shoulder on the pallet reaches the disengaging-bar. disengagingbar is swung on arms pivoted to the side of the frame back of the pallet, and when in its normal position will be above the plane of the pivotal points. As the shoulder of any pallet engages with it, it is raised, m0ving the pallet through an arc of a circle hav ing the supportingarms as radii, and thus disengaging it from the wheel. Fast to these cog-wheels are plain wheels H, on which are numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, at, &c., up to the total number of cogs, so that if the register-wheels be set at 0 the first depression of the twenty-cent button moves the ratchet-wheel through one space and shows on the reading-surface the This IOO

number 1. The next depression of the button complete revolution, when the longer tooth enters the deeper serration, thus allowing the shorter tooth to engage with the serration corresponding to the number 0 on the companionwheel, so that both wheels are moved forward together, the number 0 appearing on the former and number 1 on the latter. In this way, if there are forty notches or serrations on the former and sixty on thelatter,twenty-four hundred twenty-cent cash payments will be registered by one revolution of the latter wheel, this wheel registering the number of revolutions the first wheel has made.

Any suitable device for checking the movement of the register-wheel, when the actuating-pallet is disengaged, may be employed as a brakefor instance, as shown in the drawings, a series of curved flat springs, 71.

A spring, f", is set on each long key to press upon the pallet, insuring each tooth or teeth entering the proper notch until the shoulder reaches the disengaging-bar.

The shorter keys, which indicate the odd multiples of fivetifteen, twenty-five, thirtyllve, &e have their extremities bent upward and coming under a five cent bar, J, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. This five-cent bar is firmly attached to the five-cent key, and passes at right angles above all the keys, and is supported at the other end by an arm, through which the shaft 0 passes. These shorter keys have also attached to each of them lugs projecting slightly to one side over the nearest long key, or under the key ifthe lugs are placed back of the shaft.

It will be seen that when the button attached to any short key is depressedfor instance, the twent-yfive cent button-it operates the [ire cent key by means of the five-cent bar, and also the twenty-cent key by means of the projecting lug J, thus moving the twentycent and five-cent register-wheels each forward one notch, and throwing up into sight the twentyeent and five-cent tablets in the usual manner. As the keys are very nearly balanced on the pivot-bar, (having merely sufficient excess of weight in the rear to keep them in the position shown in Fig. 1 when not pressed down,) nearly the whole force exerted in pressing down any button goes to operate a cross-bar, M, beneath the keys at the forward end. This cross bar is raised under the keys by a suitable spring, is depressed by the keys, and returns the mechanism to its normal position after the key which has been depressed is released.

It will readily be seen that no appreciably greater power is needed to depress the 15, 25, 35, &c., keys, when operated in the manner indicated, than if each operated as the 5, 10, 20, 30, &c., keys operate, and that this arrangement diminishes the number of parts in the machine, lightens the labor of the final computation of cash received, assists in rendering less the possibility of the attendant registering any other amount than that actually placed in the box, and has other obvious advantages over the old method.

I prefer the use of the kind of five-cent bar shown in the drawings, though other constructions are evidently possible. For instance, the tire-cent bar may be slotted, allowing the longer keys to pass through the cut-away portions, while the shorter keys (in this case straight and not bent up at the end) would come under the depending portions, and thus actuate the five-cent arm, as in the preferred construction.

By the same depression of the button above mentioned the rod D, bearing the indicatingtablet E, is raised and a lever, K, link-connected at its lower end with abell crank, L, (the lower extremity of which is firmly attached to the cross-bar M,) and having at its upper end a trip, 7;, which presses positively against the bell-hammer 7c and forces it against the stress of a spring, k, is drawn back, bringing the trip k into contact with a cam-like shoulder on the bell-hammer. Back of the series of supporting'rods and about midway of their height is a wing, N, on which are a number of individual springs, one for each supporting-rod, and upward from which extends an arm, a, by which the wing may be moved backward far enough to allow the collars to repass it and the tablets to fall. As the rod rises its collar (1, one face of which is slightly beveled, slides past its individual spring without moving the wing, and the spring then comes back to its normal position and prevents the repassage of the collar be fore the bell-hammer has begun to act on a pin, a, on the arm of the wing. The depression of the button continuing, the trip passes the boss of the shoulder, causing the bell hammer to push the wing arm and wing back and allow the tablet previously raised to drop, and atthe same time, releases the bell-hammer, which at once is driven back against the hell by the spring and the collar on the rod bearing the tablet is allowed to fall upon the wing.

Hitherto it has been possible in. any cash register and indicator of this general class, by careful and adroit manipulation, to cause sew eral of the tablets to fall together to their normal position without ringing the bell, registering, or leaving the tablet manipulated in view, which latter results could be attained only by depressing the button as far as possible, thus enabling or allowing a dishonest or careless attendant to register less than the actual amount received by dropping all indieating-tablets out of sight. \Vhilein the pres ent invention it is evident that, as the passage of any collar forces back,not the entire length of wing, but merely the individual spring opposed to each collar-bearing rod, it is impossible that the wing-supported tablets should fall until the wing is drawn back by other force than the pressure of the collars in passis not let fall till the finger is lifted from the button, and cannot pass the wing until thebell is struck again. These individual springs may be attached to either red or wing.

A coiled spring, fast at one end to the frame and at the other to the Wing, imparts to the wing an impulse to return to its normal position, and its forward movement is checked by a screw-head or stop, which prevents its striking the rods, and stops it when almost touching them.

Another feature of my invention is the device by which the mechanism is locked while the cash-drawer is unlocked, and by which no second registry can be made till the drawer is again closed, thus serving as a guard against both dishonesty and carelessness, and giving the customer an opportunity to see on the indicating-tablets the amount which has been registered before turning away or receiving his change.

The cash-drawer, when closed, is locked by the depending bolt 1) on the rear end of a spring-pressed bent lever, 1, and the back of the drawer presses against the bent-down end of a rod, 9, the front end of which bears a block, Q. \Vhen the drawer is closed this block is pulled away from under the cross bar M, which is then free to descend w en pressed down by any of the keys 0. The cross-bar in its descent presses on one arm of the bent lever P,and draws the boltp at the end of the other arm, allowing the drawer to open. \Vhen the drawer is opened, even slightly, and the button released, the bent end of the rod q no longer being held by the back of the drawer, the block Q is pressed by aspring on rod q, under cross-bar M, which thus cannot descend again until the drawer is closed and the block withdrawn in the manner indicated. It is evident, then, that when a button is de pressed the first thing effected is the movement of the proper wheel or wheels of the registering device by the appropriate pallet or pallets. This done, and the depression of the button continuing, the indicating-tablet next comes into view and the drawer unlocks. Then the bell is struck and the tablet falls until the collar on its supporting-rod reaches the wing, but to farther until the drawer is closed and the machine again operated. The next step is to put the proper amount of cash into the drawer and close it. This locks the drawer automatically and unlocks the keys. Another payment being made, the properkey is depressed, the amount of it registered, the

indicating-tablet raised, the previously-raised indicatingtablet let fall, the bell struck, the keys lock ed, and so on ad infinitztm. The disengaging-bar may be fast to the sides of the frame and operate on the pallets by means of cam-like shoulders upon them.

Another method of locking the mechanism when the drawer is open is by a bent flat spring, fast at one end to the upper side of the drawer-chamber, and allowing the drawer to slide under it and raise it. Up from this spring and s upported thereby runs a rod having a hook at the end, which grasps the link connected to the bell-crank and prevents its moving. 7 hen the drawer is closed the link is released, as by the first-described and preferable device.

I claim 1. The combination, with a series of leverarms, of a series of pairs of serrated registerwheels, one wheel in each pair having one 'notch deeper than the rest, and a series of pallets, one in each lever-ann, arranged to operate positively the register wheel or wheels, a series of supporting-rods, one upon each lever-arm, and aseries of indicatingtablets, one on each supporting-rod, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a series ofleverarms carrying at their farther extremities supporting-rods on which are indicatingtablets, and with a wing, of a series of collars, one on each supportingrod, and a series of individual springs, one for each supportingrod to engage with the collar on said supporting-rod, substantially as described.

3. The combinatiomwith thelever-arms, the wing, and suitable actuating mechanism, of a series of supportingrods, each having upon it a shoulder or collar one face ofwhieh is beveled, and a series of individual springs on said wing so arranged as to allow the collars to pass the wing without moving the wing and to'support thein until the wing ismoved by mechanism independentof the supporting-rods.

4. The combination, with a series of leverarms carrying a series of rods which support indicating-tablets, each rod fitted with a collar or shoulder, of a wing having upon it a series of independent springs, one for each rod, said wing being operated by mechanism wholly distinct from the supporting-rods, so that by operating anyof the lever-arms the collar on the supporting-rod passes its individual spring on the wing without moving the wing, and 011 releasing the leverarm the collar on the supporting-rod falls back on the wing, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a series of lever-arms upon which are pivoted pallets for the oper-' ation of a registering device, with a series of pairs of registeri'ng-wheels, a series of rods supporting indicating-tablets, each rod fitted with a collar or shoulder, and awing provided with aseries of independent springs, one for 4 zazo each rod, said wing being operated by mechanism distinct from the supporting-rods, so that when any of the series of lever-arms is operated the collar on the supporting-rod passes its individual spring without moving the wing, and on releasing the lever arm the collar on the supporting-rod l'alls bael; on the wing.

6. The combination, with the lever-arms and a cross-bar beneath said leverarmsadapted to be depressed thereby, of a bell-crank fast to said cross-bar, and link connected to a lever having a trip thereupon, a bell-hammer, and a wing provided with an arm extending upward therefrom adapted to be pushed back ward by the bell-hammer when the bell-hammer is drawn back to nearly its limit of motion.

7. The combination of a series of leverarms upon which are pivoted pallets for the actuation of a registering device, a series of rods supporting indieating-tablels, each rod fitted with a collar or shoulder, with a crossbar beneath said lever-arms adapted to be depressed thereby, a bellcrank fast to said crossbar, alink connected to the lever and having a trip thereupon, a bell-hammer, and a wing provided with an arm extending upward therefrom adapted to be pushed backward by the bell-hammer when drawn back to nearly its limit of motion, thereby releasing the previously-raised iinlicating-tablets.

S. The combination, with a series of leverarms, a crossbar below said lever-arms, and an automatically-locking cash-drawer, of a locking device arranged to prevent operation of the machine while the cashdrawer is open, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with aseries of leverarms, a cross-bar below said lever-arms, and a cashdrawer, of a block, spring pressed under said crossbar when the drawer is open and automatically withdrawn by the closing of the drawer to lock and release the operative mechanism, substantially as described.

10. As animprovementin actuating devices for cash-registers and indicators, a series of lever-arms carrying buttons indicating five and is multiples, of which those which carry buttons indicating odd multiples of five beyond the first power are adapted to actuate the lever-arn1 which carries a button indicating the next lower even multiple of five and the fivecent lever-arm.

11. In combination with a series of registering-wheels indicating five and its multiples, a series of lever-arms, of which those which carry buttons indicating odd multiples of five beyond the first power are adapted to actuate the wheel registering the next lower even mul tiple of five and the five-cent registeringwheel.

12. In combination with a series of registeringwheels indicating five and its multi ples, a series 01' levenarms carrying buttons indicating five and its multiples, of which those which carry buttons indicating odd multiples of five beyond the first power are adapted to actuate the lever-arm which carries a button indicating the next lower even multiple of five, the five-cent lever-arm, the wheel which registers the next lower even multiple of five, and the five-cent registeringwheel.

13. In combination with a series of leverarms carrying buttons indicating the multiples of five, a bar extending across said lcver arms and attached to the lever-arm carrying the button indicating the first multiple of five, adapted to be operated by the depression of anyot' the buttons which indicate odd multiples of five, thereby actuating the leverarm carrying a button indicating the first multiple of five.

14. As an lllllJlOVCIllCllt in actuating devices in cash registers and indicators, the combination, with the leverarms and the registering wheels, of a disengaging-bar extending from side to side of the frame above the lever-arms, and actuating-pallets having a cam-like shoulder, said shoulder being so placed as to cause its pallet to rise and disengage from the register wheel or wheels at the proper moment when said shoulder comes in contact with the disengagingbar.

15. As an improvement in actuating devices in cash registers and indicators, in conr bination with the lever-arms and registerwheels, a disengaging-bar supported by arms pivoted on the si des of the fra'ne,an d actuatingpallets, each having a shoulder so placed that when said shoulder meets the disengaging-bar the disengagiugbar moves through the are of a circle having the supporting-arms as radii and diseugages the pallet from the register wheel or wheels, substantially as de scribed.

16. In a cash registering and indicating machine, the combination of the long and short lever-arms, the live-cent bar, the registering-wheels, the pallets arranged to actuate said registering-wheels positively and primarily, the disengaging-bar operated by the pallets, the rods on theinner ends of the leverarms, supporting indicating-tablets and provided with collars or shoulders, the wing carrying a series of individual springs, one for each supporting-rod, which permit the rods to go up freely, but prevent their repassing the wing until it is actuated by mechanism entirely apart from the supporting-rods, the cash-drawer, and an automatic locking device by which operation of the machine is prevented by the opening of said cash-drawer, substantially as described.

WALTER H. MAXWELL.

Witnesses:

FRANK W. 'Bnnnuxn, LEONARD VAssAL't.

ICO

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