US434201A - Cash register and indicator - Google Patents

Description

5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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E. REGTOR. CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. E'. RECTOR. CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

Patented Au 12. 1890.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' E. HECTOR. CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

N0.4s4,201-. PatentedAug. 12,1890.

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1!. REUTOR. CASH REGISTER AND INDIGATOR. No. 434,201. v Patented Aug. 12,1890.

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E. REOTOR. x CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR. No. 484,201. I Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

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ED\VARD HECTOR, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CASH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,201, dated August 12, 1890.

Application filed April 7, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, EDWARD REOTOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cash Registers and Indicators, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates, principally, to the registering mechanism of such machines, and more particularly tothat class of such machines which employ a series of operatingkeys composed of two or more sets and a registering mechanism which is actuated by said keys and adds into a common total the values of all the keys operated, such machines being commonly known to the trade as totaladding machines as distinguished from machines in which the values of the operated keys are not added into one common total.

The most common form of such machines employs two sets of keys, the one set representing cents and the other dollars, each set of keys directly actuating its own part of the -registering mechanism, while the amounts registered by the cent-keys are transferred at regular intervals to-the dollar part of the mechanism, so that the amounts registered by both sets of keys may at all times be read oif in one common total. As usually arranged, the cent-keys represent multiples of five from five to ninety-five and actuate a single registering-wheel bearing on its face numbers in multiples of five from zero to ninety-five, while the dollar-keys are arranged in multiples of one from zero to five or ten and actuate a dollar-wheel which bears on its face a series of numbers in multiples of one from zero to nine. By means of suitable transfer or carrying mechanismthe cent-wheel at each complete revolution is caused to turn the dollar-wheel one number, and thereby add one dollar onto the dollar-wheel, at the same time bringing its own zero back to' the startingpoint. In the same manner the dollar-wheel at each of its complete revolutions turns a third or tens wheel in all respects similar to the dollar-wheel, excepting that it is not directly actuated by any of the operating-keys, as are the cent and dollar wheels. The tens- Serial No. 346,830. (No model.)

wheel registers its revolutions on a fourth or hundreds wheel similar in all respects to the tens-wheel, and the hundreds-wheel adds onto a fifth or thousands wheel in the same manner. By arranging this series of wheels beneath a proper readin g-openin g it will be seen that the total amount registered on all of them may be read ofi at a glance in a single numerical sum.

Machines constructed upon the plan above outlined, if properly built, will accurately register the values of the operated keys and add their values into onecommon total, if only one key in the entire machine be operated at once; but it is very often desirable, and indeed almost necessary, to operate two keys in different sets simultaneously. Thus where a single sale amounting to dollars and cents is made'it is desirable to simultaneously operate the dollar-key representing the dollars and the cent-key representing the cents, not only for the purpose of making the total registry at a single operation, but for the more important purpose of simultaneously throwing into sight of the purchaser the two indicators representing the amount of the sale.

The accuracy of these machines when constructed as above described and as now used is entirely destroyed when a key of the cent set and one of the dollar set are operated simultaneously, so that they cannot be safely used to register and indicate the amount of any sale which requires the operation of both a dollar and a cent key, and this for the following reason: As heretofore explained, the amounts registered on the cent wheel are transferred at each complete revolution of the cent-Wheel to the dollar-Wheel. The dollarwheel is thus actuated indirectly from the cent-keys and also directly from the dollarkeys. It will therefore be evident that if the dollar-wheel is being turned by the operation of a dollar-key at the same moment that the cent-wheel completes a revolution the centwheel cannot act 011 the dollar-wheel to effect a transfer to the latter, and the amount registered by the complete revolution of the centwheel will therefore not be added onto the dollar-wheel, but will be lost. Thus suppose the cent-wheel is standing at 7 5 -that is,

has completed three-fourths of a revolution and the number is exhibited at the reading-opening, and suppose the dollar-wheel is at zero. Now if a sale of six dollars and a half is made and the six-dollar key and the fifty-cent key be simultaneously operated to throw into view of the purchaser the indicating-tablets bearing those numbers it will be evident that the cent-wheel will complete its revolution when the two keys have reached half their limit of stroke and while the sixdollar key is still turning the dollar-wheel to register the six dollars. The full stroke of the fifty-cent key will turn the cent-wheel on to 25; but as it passes its point of complete revolution it cannot act 011 the dollar-wheel, for the latter is already turning under. the impulse given it by the six-dollar key, and the result is that upon the complete operation of the two keys only $6.25 will be exhibited at the reading-opening, instead of $7.25.

It is the object of my invention to overcome the difficulty above set forth; and to that end it consists in such an arrangement of the parts and the provision of such means that any key of the dollar set and any key of the cent set may be operated simultaneously without any possibility of inaccuracy in the registration of their values and the addition of them into the common total. The basis for the accomplishment of this result is such an arrangement of the cent set of keys and the dollar set of keys relatively to each other and to their respective registering wheels that upon the simultaneous operation of two keys in different sets the two registering-wheels will be actuated at different periods of the operation of the two keys, the two sets of keys and their respective registering-wheels,so ar-. ranged relatively to each other, being combined with means which will with certainty prevent any simultaneous movement of the two registering-wheels.

As a simple arrangement of the parts for causing the two sets of keys to actuate their respective registeringwheels at different times, I so combine the two sets of keys with said wheels that the keys of one set actuate their wheel duriig the positive stroke of the keys, and the keys of the other set actuate their wheel during the return or negative stroke of the keys. Thus, as a key of the cent set and one of the dollar set are simultaneously operated, one wheel will be turned during the positive stroke of the keys and the other wheel will remain stationary, while on the return or negative stroke of the keys the first-mentioned wheel will remain stationary and the second will be turned. If the keys of the cent set be arranged to actuate the cent-wheel on the ppsitive stroke of the keys and the keys of the dollar set be arranged to actuate the dollar-wheel on the return-stroke of the keys, it will be seen that upon simultaneously operating a dollar-key and a centkey, which will. move the cent-wheel past its point of complete revolution, the cent-wheel will be moved past such point and will transfer a dollar to the dollar-wheel before the latter has begun to be turned by the operated key of the dollar set. As a simple means for compelling the movements of the two wheels to take place at different times, I employ a device which compels the two displaced keys to move together during their positive stroke, and preferably during their return-stroke also, for it will be evident that if the two displaced keys must move together, and one of them turns its wheel only on its positive stroke and the other only on its negative stroke, the movements of the two wheels must take place at different times. A suitable form of device for the purpose of compelling this uniform movement of the two keys is a bar or moving piece common to all of the keys and moved by and moving with them, and so combined with them that when any key is displaced. from normal position or started it becomes attached to this bar and must move with the bar throughout its limit of stroke. If each key displaced from normal position becomes attached to this bar, of course when two keys are started at the same time they both become attached to the bar and are thereby coupled together, as it were, and must move together throughout their positive and negative strokes.

My invention is broadly applicable to any and all styles of machines of the class referred to, and is not limited to any particular construction or arrangement of the mechanism embodied in such machines. of furnishing the necessary illustration for this application I have shown my invention in the accompanying drawings as applied to a well-known style of total-adding machine now upon the market; but, excepting as hereinafter pointed out, said machine is not of my own invention, and has been selected merely as a convenient one' for the purposes of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation of the machine, taken on the dotted lines at 00 of Fig. 6 and looking from the right toward the left side of the machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the cent-registering shaft, its actuating-pinion, and the clutch between the pinion and shaft, looking at the front side ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation taken just within the left-hand .side plate of the casing of the machine and looking from the left toward theright-hand side of the machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the dollar-registering shaft, its actuating-pinion, and the clutch between the pinion and shaft, looking at the front side of the same. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the machine with the rear side of the casing and parts of the interior of the machine removed. Fig. 6 is a front perspective view looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, with the slotted guide- For the purpose .plat-e forming part of the front side of the casing removed. Fig. 7 is a detail outside View of a portion of the right-hand side of the casing, showing the registering-wheels. Fig. 8 is a detail inside View of the same part of the casing, showing the transfer mechanism between the cent and dollar registering wheels.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all the figures.

The operating parts of the machine are illclosed in a suitable casing A, by Whose side plates B B and a central partition-plate 13 they are mainly supported. The casing A has at its upper portion a glass-covered reading-opening A, through which the indicating-tablets (not shown) are exposed to view when their respective keys are operated. The operating-keys consist of levers O, pivoted on a horizontal shaft D, extending across the lower forward part of the machine and supported at its ends in the side plates B B of the casing. The levers 0 project through and have their forward and backward play in slots in a guideplate E, forming part of the upper front side of the casing, and at their upper ends are provided with finger-buttons 0, bearing numbers corresponding to the values of the respective keys. The levers C have lower rearward extensions O, the two parts forming a bell-crank lever of the key, as shown. Strung upon a shaft F, extending across the lower rear part of the machine and supported at its ends in the side plates B B, is a series of forwardly-extending levers G- one for each of key-levers O, and each connected to the rearward extension 0 of its corresponding key-lever by a slot-and-pin connection at H. The rear endsof the levers G have pendent extensions G, which fit and are free to play in vertical slots in the upper side of a cross-piece I, by which the levers G are held in proper position on the shaft F. It will be seen from the connection of the lovers G to the extension 0 of the key-levers O at H that whenever one of the latter is pulled forward in its slot in the guide-plate E its corresponding lever G is lifted thereby.

The indicating-tablets (not shown) are supported in the upper central portion of the casin g and are operated by Wires or rods from the levers G to lift them into view within the glass-covered reading-opening A. Suitable devices (not shown) are employed for holding'in elevated position the tablet of an operated key or two tablets of two simultaneously-operated keys until a second key is operated, whereupon the first-mentioned tablet or tablets are released and withdrawn from view. Coiled springs J one for each of the levers Gfastened at their lower ends to a cross-piece K and at their upper ends to their respective levers G, serve to yieldingly hold the latter in and return them to normal position. A cross-bar L extends across and rests upon the upper sides of the levers G near their rear ends, and is hung by side arms L tion of each key.

Rigidly secured to a central shaft. M, Fig. 1, journaled at one end in the side plate 13 and at the other in the central partition-plate B", is a rearwardly and upwardly extending arm N, carrying at its upper rear end a segment-rack O, which meshes with a pinion P on a registering-shaft Q, journaled at one end in the side plate B and at the other in the plate 13, Figs. 1 and 5. The pinion P is loose on the shaft Q, and one end of its hub is provided with clutch-teeth arranged to engage corresponding teeth on the adjacent end of a collar R, rigidly secured to the shaft Q, Fig. 2. A coiled spring S, surrounding the shaft Q and confined between the hub of the pinion and a collar T, tight on the shaft Q, yieldingly presses the teeth of the pinion-hub into engagement with the teeth of the collar R to effect a clutch when the pinion is turned in one direction, but, owing to the shape of the teeth, permitting the teeth on the pinionhub to slip freely backward over the teeth of the collar R when the pinion is turned in the reverse direction. It Will thus be seen that when the segment-rack O is moved downward and the pinion Pis turned forward the shaft Q will be turned with it, while as the rack moves upward on its return the teeth of the pinion-hub will ride freely over the teeth on the collar R and the shaft Q will remain stationary. A holding-dog U, pivoted to the plate B, engages a ratchet V, tight on the shaft Q, and prevents the latter turning backward, but permits it to be turned forward. A spiral spring XV, secured at one end to the casing and connected at the other to the arm N, serves to return the rack O to and yieldingly hold it in its normal position, where its upper end rests against a rubber-faced buffer X, secured to a cross-rod Y, connecting the side plates B B of the machine,Figs. 1 and 5.

Rigidly secured upon the shaft M by means of split hubs Z is a series of forwardly-extending arms Z. The hubs Z are integral with the arms Z and embrace the shaft M to the extension 0" and en a in -b a slot at its upper enda pin D" onthe arm Z. It results from this construction and arrangement of the parts that when anyone of the key- Each of the arms Z is connected to the This bar is lifted whenever .will turn the pinion nineteen teeth.

levers C is pulled forward in its slot in the plate E the rack O is moved down ward through the connect-ion of the extension 0, link D, arm Z, shaft M, and arm N, and the pinion P and shaft Q thereby turned forward. By pivoting the links D to the extensions C at different distances from the shaft-D, varying the length of the slots in their upper ends and adjusting the arms Z to different posi tions on the shaft M, the key-levers O are made to impart by their full and equal strokes different degrees of movement to the rack O, and consequentlyto turn the pinion P and shaft Q different degrees. Owing to these varied positions of the arms Z and links D, they would not all be directly behind each other in a side view of the parts; but in Fig. 1, to avoid confusion and simplify the View, I have shown only the arm and'link for one key.

The pinion P and clutch-hub and collar each have twenty teeth. The cent-keys nineteen in number and representing multiples of five from five to ninety-five-are all connected by their links D and the arms Z to the shaft M and thereby to the arm N and rack O, and the adjustment of the parts is such that the full forward stroke of any key moves the rack 0 just far enough to turn the pinion P as many teeth as there are fives in the value of the operated key. Thus the operating of the five-cent key will turn the pinion P one tooth, the ten-cent key two teeth, and so on up to the ninety-five-cent key, which Secured to the righthand end of the shaft Q outside or in a recess A in the casing is the centregistering wheel E, Fig. 7, bearin g on its face near its periphery twenty equidistant numbers from 0 to 95, inclusive. This wheel turns with the shaft Q, and is moved thereby upon the operation of a key a distance proportionate to the value of the key, as before explained. The one dollar registered by each complete revolution of the wheel E is transferred to the dollar-registering wheel E in the manner and by means hereinafter described, while the dollar-wheel E transfers its registrations to the tens, hundreds, and thousands wheels E E and E The four wheels E E E and are an ordinary train of Geneva stop-wheels, and their method of transfer from one to the other need not therefore be illustrated or further described.

J ournaled at one end in the division-plate B or a bearing projecting therefrom and at the other in the left-hand-side plate B of the casing is a second shaft M, Fig. 3, corresponding to the shaft M. Rigidly secured upon this shaft is an upwardly-extending arm N, carrying at its upper end a segment-rack O, which meshes with a pinion P on a reg istering-shaft t journaled at one end in the left-hand-side plate B of the casing and passing through the division-plate B and journaled at its opposite end in the right-handside plate 13 of the casing, as shown in Fig. 5.

The pinion P is loose on the shaft Q and one end of its hub is provided with clutchteeth arranged to engage corresponding teeth 011 the adjacent end of a collar R, rigidly secured to the shaft Q, Figs. 4 and 5. A coiled spring S, surrounding the shaft Q and confined between the hub of the pinion and a collar T, tight on the shaft Q, yieldingly presses the teeth of the pinion-hub into engagement with the teeth of the collar R to effeet a clutch when the pinion is turned in one direction, but permitting the teeth to slip freely over each other when the pinion is turned in the opposite direction. The keys 0 011 the left-hand or dollar side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3, are connected to the shaft M and arm N and rack O by hubs, arms, and links Z, j, and D, as in the case of the cent-keys, (shown in Fig. 2,) so that when any one of the keys is pulled forwardin its slot in the plate E the segment-rack 0 will be moved downward, turning the pinion P with it, as before explained in the case of the cent-keys and the rack O and pinion P. The teeth on the hub of the pinion P and collar R are in reverse position to that of the teeth on the hub of the pinion P and collar R, as will be seen from Figs. 2, t, and 5, so that as the rack O is moved downward by the pulling forward of one of the dollar-keys the teeth on the hub of the pinion as the latter is turned by the rack slip freely over the teeth on the collar R and the shaft Q remains stationary. On the return upward stroke of the rack 0, however, the teeth on the pinion-hub engage those on the collar and turn the shaft Q. The pinion-hub and collar R have each ten teeth, and the adjustment of the parts is such that when any key of the dollar set is pulled forward to its full limit the teeth on the pinion-hub will slip forward over as many teeth on the collar R as there are dollars in the value of the operated key, so that when the key is released and returned to normal position and the rack 0 moves upward again the pinion P will turn the shaft Q a corresponding distance. A coiled spring serves to return the rack Q to normal position, where it rests against a rubber-faced buffer X, secured upon the inner face of the side plate B. A ratchet V, tight on the shaft Q and engaged by a holding-dog U, permits the shaft Q to turn in one direction, but prevents its turning in the opposite direction.

At its extreme right-hand end in the recess I A in the side plate B of the casing the shaft Q carried the dollar-registering wheel E, by which its revolutions and parts of revolutions are registered and transmitted to the wheels E E and E, as before explained.

Rigidly secured upon the shaft Q near its right-hand end is a snail-cam F, Figs. 5 and 8. Resting upon the periphery of this cam is a pin F, projecting from the side of an arm G, pivoted to a projection from the side plate B of the casing at G. Pivoted to and depending from the arm G is a pawl II, arranged to engage the teeth of a ratchet I'I, tight upon the shaft Q. The shoulder of the cam F is coincident with the zero-mark upon the wheel E on the outer end of the shaft Q. As the cam turns forward with the shaft, it lifts the arm G and pawl H, and the adj ustment of the part-s is such that j ust as the zeromark on the wheel E reaches the readingopening in the covering-plate of the'recess inclosing the register-wheels the shoulder of the cam moves from under the pin F and the arm G and pawl H drop, the pawl in its downward movement turning the ratchet H one tooth, and thereby moving the wheel E one number and transferring to it the one dollar registered by the complete revolution of the shaft Q and wheel E. A spring I, connected at one end to the casing and at the other to the arm G, may be employed to aid in returning the arm to its lower position and turning the ratchet H and shaft Q. Any suitable stop (not shown) may also be employed in connection with the ratchet and pawl to prevent the latter turning the ratchet more than one tooth at each downward stroke of the arm G.

In machines of the style illustrated in the drawings as they have heretofore been built the pinions P and P and collars R and B were so arranged that in each case the clutch l would be effected and the registering-shaft turned upon the downward stroke of the segment-rack, so that when a dollar and a cent key were simultaneously operated there was always danger that the transfer of a complete revolution of the wheel E to the wheel E through the medium of the cam F, arm 0, pawl H, and ratchet H, would take place or attempt to take place, while the shaft Q and ratchet H were turning under the impulse of the dollar-key, in which case the pawl H could not act on the ratchet H with certainty, and the transfer would frequently be lost. Under my new arrangement of the pinions P and P and collars R and R one shaft is turned on the downstroke of its actuating-rack and the other upon the upstroke of its rack, so that if the two racks move down together and up togetherthere is no possibility of losing the transfer from the cent to the dollar wheel; but without means for insuring this uniform movement of the two racks the machine might be so manipulated that one rack would complete its downstroke and begin its upstroke at the moment the other rack began its downstroke, so that the registering movements of the two racks would take place at the same time, thereby turning the two shafts Q and Q simultaneously with the same liability to loss of the transfer as where both the racks turned their shafts onv their downstrokes. This manipulation of the machine might easily be effected by pulling forward a key of one set to its limit of stroke and then pulling forward a key of the other set while the first key was being returned to normal position. To prevent such operation of the keys, the machine is provided with means for coupling together and compelling uniform movement of two keys of different sets simultaneously displaced from normal position, which may be described as follows, reference being had more particularly to Figs. 1, 3, and 6.

Pivotally supported on the shaft D, at opposite sides of the front of the machine, are two upwardly-extending arms J J, rigidly connected near their upper ends by a crossbar K, the arms J J and bar K forming a vibrating frame, which may swing forward and backward upon its pivotal support D. The bar K is normally pulled rearward and yieldingly held against the front sides of the key-levers O by a coiled spring K, Fig. 3, attached at one end to the arm J and at the other to the side plate B. Pivotally supported between the upper ends of the arms J J, immediately above the bar K, is a second bar L, extending across the entire series of keys and having a limited rocking play on its pivotal supports. Rearwardlyprojectingfrom the bar L is a series of hooks M, integral or otherwise rigid with the bar. These hooks project between the key-levers Cone by the side of each lever-and projecting from the side of each lever immediately beneath the corresponding hook is a pin N. WVhen the vibrating frame J J K and hook-bar L are in their normal position of rest, the hooks are held up out of engagement with the pins N by an arm 0, Fig. 6, and dotted lines, Fig. '1, on the right-hand end of the bar L, which arm projects rearwardly from said bar and has a curved or beveled end, which rides over a stud or projection P on fhe inner side of the side plate B or other suitable support,

and thereby holds the rear edge of the bar L and all the hooks M tilted upward. As any one of the levers C is pulled forward, however, moving the vibrating frame and bar L with it, the rear end of the arm 0 is moved off the pin P, and the rear edge'of the bar L and all the hooks 'M are permitted to tilt downward until the hook beside the operated key engages the pin on said key and thereby locks the key to the bar L. The key remains locked to the bar during its further movement, and can only be disengaged therefrom by returning it to normal position, whereupon the beveled rear end of the arm 0 again rides over the pin P and tilts the bar L and hooks l\' upward to the position shown in Fig. 1. It will thus be seen that if two keys 0 be simultaneously displaced from normal position they will both become attached to the bar L by their pins P and the hooks 1V and be thereby coupled together, so that during their further operation their movements must be uniform. For the purpose of holding all the uno'perated keys from operation while any key is displaced from normal position, there is a locking-bar Q", extending; across the rear sides of all the key-levers O and hung by side arms R" upon suitable pivotal supports at S. This bar has a series of forwardly-projeeting hooks T", extending between the key-levers Cone beside each key immediately above its pin N in this instance between the hook M and the side of the key-lever. One of the hooks T is made wider than the rest and cut away on its under side so as to overlap and rest upon its corresponding hook M on the bar L" when the latter-is in its normal position, as shown at 1V in Fig. 6, and to thereby hold the hooks T up out of engagement with the pins N on the levers C, as seen in Fig. 1. When any key-lever is pulled forward, however, the hook 1V before referred to, is moved from beneath its corresponding hook T and the bar Q" allowed to fall until the hooks T engage the pins on all the unoperated keys, and thereby hold them from operation until the displaced key is returned to normal position, whereupon the hook M at U will move under the corresponding hook T and lift the bar Q and all the hooks T to the position shown in Fig. 1 and release the keys. This locking-bar prevents a second key being moved aftera first has been started, so that when it is desired to opcrate both a dollar and a cent key at the same operation to indicate and register an amount containing both dollars and cents both keys must be started at the same time and become attached to the bar L" and move together throughout their entire operation. This absolutely prevents such a manipulation of the machine as above described-viz., where the one key is first pulled forward to its limit of stroke and the other key is then pulled forward while the first key is being returnedand insures the uniform movement of the racks O and O and the consequent registry of the values of the two keys at different times.

For the purpose of preventing retrograde movement of a displaced key until it has been given its full stroke and to then compel its complete return to normal position and prevent it being pulled back and forth before such return, there is pivoted to an ear V", projecting from the upper end of the left-handside arm J, Figs. 1 and 3, a pawl XV, having a lateral tooth \V arranged to engage the teeth on the upper and lower sides of a curved rack-plate X, secured to the side plate 13 of the casing. A fiat spring Y,bearing against the forward side of the pawl V, yieldingly holds the latter in its normal position. As the vibrating-frame J J" K is moved forward by the operation of any key, the tooth of the pawl rides up over the beveled rear end of the rack-plate X and engages the forwardly-facing teeth on its upper side. If the key be released at any point less than its full stroke, the engagement of the pawl with one of these teeth will prevent it returning to normal position. As the key reaches its limit of stroke and the tooth of the pawl reaches the end of the rack-plate, the spring Y throws it slightly downward, so that as the key is started on its return-stroke the pawltooth rides down the rearwardly-inclined end of the rack-plate and engages the rearwardlyfacing teeth on its lower side'and compels the complete return of the key before it can be moved forward again. .As the key reaches normal position and the pawl-tooth clears the end of the rack-plate, the spring Y throws the tooth slightly upward again, so that as another key is started it will ride up over the end of the rack-plate and engage the teeth on its upper side, as before explained.

The above-described devices for coupling together simultaneously-operated keys for preventing retrograde movement of them until given their full stroke and then compelling their complete return to normal position and for locking the unoperated keys from operation while any key is displaced from its normal position are not of my invention, but are found in the machine illustrated as it has heretofore been manufactured and placed upon the market. I have. employed them merely for-the purpose of illustration, and there are other well-known devices for accomplishin g the same ends which may be used in their place eitherin this or other machines.

Any suitable devices (not shown) may be provided to prevent simultaneous operation of two keys in the same set. For instance, a series of laterally-displaceable steps of wellknown form and arrangement may be placed in the path of travel of either the key-levers O or the levers Gr of each set of keys for this purpose.

I am aware that it has been proposed in machines of the class to which my invention relates to so arrange two sets of keys relatively to each other and to the registering mechanism that the keys of one set will actuate said mechanism during their positive stroke and the keys of the other set during their negative stroke; but such arrangement as heretofore proposed has been useless, for the reason that no means were provided for preventing simultaneous movement of the two parts of the registering mechanism, either by compelling uniform movement of the two displaced keys or otherwise. Such being the case, if, after the two keys were started together, the key which registered on its negative stroke should be moved in advance of the key which registered on its positive stroke and should begin its return-stroke before the positive stroke of the other key was completed, the two keys would then be acting on the registering mechanism at the same time with the same result as if both sets of keys manner. When it is remembered that the very purpose of these machines is to compel accuracy in those who use them, and that they are often operated by persons to whose interest it is to register a less amount of money than is actually received, it will be apparent that in the absence of means for preventing such a manipulation of the keys as above described the two sets ofkeys might as well be arranged to both act on the registering mechanism during their positive stroke.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a cash register andindicator, the combination of a series of operating-keys composed of two sets having differently timesregistering operations, a registering mechanism actuated by said keys to add their values into one common total, and means for com pelling uniform movement of two keys of different sets simultaneously displaced from normal position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a registering mechanism which adds the values of the operated keys into one common total, aseries of operating-keys composed of two sets, the keys of one set being arranged to act upon said mechanism during their positive stroke and the keys of .the other set during their negative stroke, and means for compelling uniform movement of two keys of different sets simultaneously displaced from normal position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a registering mechanism which adds the values of the operated keys into one common total, a series of operating-keys composed of two sets, the keys of one set being arranged to act upon said mechanism during their positive stroke and the keys of the other set during their negative stroke, and a movable device common to all of the keys, to which two keys of different sets simultaneously displaced from normal position become attached, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a registering mechanism which adds the values of the operated keys into one common total, a series of operating-keys composed of two sets, the keys of one set being arranged to act on said mechanism during their positive stroke and the keys of the other setduring theirnegative stroke, adevice common to all of said keys and moving with the operated ones and to which thelatter become attached when displacedfrom normalposition, and means for preventing retrograde move ment of such device until it has been moved a predetermined distance, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a registering mechanism which adds the values of the operated-keys into one common total, a series of operating-keys composed of two sets, the keys of-one set being arranged to act on said mechanism during their positive stroke and the keys of the other set during their negative stroke, a device common to all of said keys and moving with the operated ones and to which the latter be come attached when displaced from their normal position, means for preventing retrograde movement of such device until it has been moved a predetermined distance, and means i or automatically locking the unoperated keys during the displacement of the operated ones, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6l In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a registering mechanism containing a cent-registering wheel and a dollar-reg istering Wheel, the eent-wheel adding onto the dollar-wheel, a series of operating-keys composed of a set of cent-keys and a set of dollar-keys, the former directly actuating the cent-registering wheel and the latter the dollar-registering wheel, the keys of one set being arranged to actuate their wheel on their positive stroke and those of the other set to actuate their wheel on their negative stroke, and means for compelling uniform movement of two keys of different sets simultaneously displaced from normal position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of a registering mechanism containing a cent-registerin g wheel and a dollar-registering wheel, the cent-wheel adding onto the dollar-wheel, a series of operating-keys composed of a set of cent-keys and a set of dollar-keys, the cent-keys being arranged to actuate the cent-wheel on their positive stroke and the dollar-keys to actuate the dollarwheel on their negative stroke, and a movable bar common to all of the keys and to which any two keys of different sets simultaneouly displaced from normal position become attached, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In acash register and indicator, the combination of a registering mechanism containing a cent-registering wheel and a dollar-registering wheel, the cent-wheel adding onto the dollar-wheel, a series of operating-keys composed of a set of cent-keys and a set of dollar-keys, the cent-keys being arranged to actuate the cent-wheel on their positive stroke and the dollar-keys to actuate the dollarwheel on their negative stroke, a movable bar common to all the keys and which the keys become attached to and move when displaced from their normal position, and means for preventing retrograde movement of said bar until it has been moved a predetermined distance, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In acash register and indicator, the combination of'a registering mechanism containing a cent-registering wheel and a dollar-registcring wheel, the cent-wheel adding onto IIO the dollar-Wheel, a series of operating-keys I composed of a set of cent-keys and a set of dollar-keys, the oent-keys being arranged to actuate the eent-wheel on their positive stroke and the dollar-keys to actuate the dollar- Wheel on their negative stroke, a movable bar common to all of the keys and which the keys become attached to and move when displaced from their normal position, means for pre- IO venting retrograde movement of said bar until it has been moved a predetermined distance, and means for automatically looking the unoperated keys during the displacement of the operated ones, substantially as and for the purpose described.

EDWARD RECTOR. Witnesses:

W. O. JIRDINsToN, CHARLES BILLoN.

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