US496795A - pritchard - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. G. PRITGHARD. CASH INDICATOR AND RECORDER.

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H. C. PRITCHARD.

CASH INDICATOR AND RECORDER. No. 496,795. Patented May 2, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HUGH C. PRITOHARD, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH INDICATOR AND RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,795, dated May 2, 1893.

Serial no. 457.218. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGH O. PRITOHARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cash Indicators and Recorders, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of machines in which an indicating dial and type wheel are adapted to be rotated by a suitable operating handle, to bring to the indicating point a number upon the dial representing the desired indication and to the printing point the corresponding number upon the type wheel, and the printing then effected by a platen co-operating with the type wheel at the printing point.

The novelty of my invention consists in certain new combinations and arrangements of parts adapted to improve the construction and increase the efficiency of such machines, all as will be hereinafter set forth andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved machine, partly in elevation and partly in section, one half of the front wall of the casing being broken away and a quarter of theindicating dial being also broken away, to expose the parts beyond; Fig. 2 a detail view of the reel which carries the paper strip and the devices for supporting the screen plates which co-operate with the indicators; Fig. 3 a vertical section through the middle of the machine, with the forward portion of the drawer compartment broken away; and Fig. 4 a sectional detail illustrating a modified arrangement of the devices for preventing the operation of the machine while the cash drawer remains open.

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

The metal casing which incloses the indicatingandprintingmechanisms consistsofafront plateA and back plateB,preferably of the general shape shown in Fig. 1, united bysuitable side plates and a curved top plate, all of which may be cast or formed integral if desired. This casing rests upon the top of the usual base or drawer compartment 0 in which titsa sliding moneydrawer D, therearend of which is shown in Figs. 3 and at. Journaled in the front and back plates A B and projecting through the former is a horizontal shaft E having fast upon its front end a thumb piece F by which it may be rotated. It also has secured upon its front end adjacent to the front wall A a pointer G adapted to travel over a circle of index numbers H, Fig. 1, when the shaft is rotated.

Fast upon the shaft E within the casing and in this instance filling the entire space between its hearings in the front and back plates isahnb I, which supports or has formed integral with it a wheel J bearing upon its periphery a series of equidistant type numbers. Secured to the wheelJ, in thisinstance by screws K entering bosses L upon the forward side of the wheel is an indicating dial or disk M bearing aseries of indicating numbers corresponding to the type numbers upon the wheel J, which numbers are adapted to be exposed singly at a reading opening N in the front plate A of the casing. There is preferably secured to the rear side of the wheel J a second indicating dial 0 corresponding to the dial M and adapted to expose its numbers at an opening P in the rear wall of the casing. The relative arrangement of the series of numbers upon the indicating dials, the type wheel, and the front plate A of the casing is such that when the thumb piece F is turned until the pointer G is opposite a given number on the index H the corresponding number upon the indicating dials M 0 will be opposite the openings N P, while the corresponding number upon the type wheel J will stand at the printing point vertically below the axis thereof. A vertically reciprocating platen Q supported and guided in a frame piece R co-opcrates with the types upon the wheel J at the printing point and is adapted to be lifted into engagement therewith by an operating lever or handle S pivoted to lugs upon the forward side of the frame R at T and extending forward through a slot U in the lower portion of the front wall of the casing. A paper strip is carried upon a supply-roll V and led thence between the type-wheel J and platen Q and wound upon a storage reel W, Figs. 1 and 2. The storage- ICO reel WV has fast upon it a ratchet X with which co-operates a hooked pawlY carried by a laterally projecting pin Z upon the side of the rear end of the operating lever S, a spring A pressing the pawl Yinto engagement with the ratchet X. Under this construction and arrangement whenever the thumb piece F is turned and a given number upon the indieating dial is brought opposite the reading openings and the corresponding number upon the type wheel brought to the printing point immediately above the platen Q, and the front end of the operating lever Sis then depressed the platen Q will be lifted and the paper strip forced against the type number, while the pawl Y will be lifted over one or more of the notches in the ratchet X and upon the return of the operating lever to normal position will turn said ratchet and the storage-reel and draw forward the portion of the paper strip which had been resting upon the platen. A spring-pressed holding pawl B engaging the ratchet X will prevent any backward movement of the latter.

The type numbers upon the wheel. J may be inked by inking rollers arranged in any convenient relation thereto, or an inking ribbon may be passed between the type wheel and the paper strip, or the type numbers may have sharp faces so as to indent the numbers in the strip when it is forced against them by the platen.

The operating lever S is yieldingly held in and returned to normal position by a coiled spring 0 interposed between it and the top of the drawer compartment and in this instance surrounding a vertically guided rod D whose upper reduced end extends through aholein the lever S, the latter resting upon the shoulder of the rod, and whose lower end rests upon a latch lever E which co-operates with the drawer in the manner hereinafter described. The wheel J has projecting from its rear face around its periphery a series of lugs F, the

spaces between which stand opposite thenumbers upon the wheel J. A vertically slidin g rod G mounted in the frame R is arranged to co-operate with the lugs F and the spaces between them. When the wheel J is in such position that one of its type numbers stands immediately above the platen Q then the space between the adjacent lugs F stands above the rod G and thelatter is free to pass between them when the front end of the lever S is depressed to effect the printing; but if the wheel J is not in exactly the proper position for the printing to be effected, one of the lugs F will stand above .the rod G and the latter cannot be lifted and hence the front end of the lever S cannot be depressed. The lugs F and the spaces between them thus co-operate with the rod G both to lock the wheel J in position while the printing is being effected and to prevent operation of the lever S until the wheel J has been turned to proper position for printing.

The latch lever E before referred to is pivoted near its middle in a slotted lug H sevcured upon the under side of the top of the drawer compartment and has pivoted in a slot in its forward end a beveled catch plate 1 whose upper rear end rests upon the top of the lever E in rear of the slot in the latter and sustains the plate in normal position. This pivoted catch plate co-operates with a plate J secured upon the forward face of the rear wall of the sliding money drawer D. WVhen the rear end of the lever E is depressed and the catch plate I lifted out of engagement with the plate J upon the drawer the latter is released and free to be thrown open by a coiled spring K secured to the rear wall of the drawer compartment and bearing against the rear side of the drawer. When the drawer is pushed in again the plate J rides under and lifts the catch plate J and when it clears the latter the plate I drops in front of it again and looks the drawer. The rear end of the lever E is depressed, to release the drawer, at each operation of the lever S by the sliding rod D interposed between it and the lever S and before described. To aid the gravity of the front end of the lever E and catch plate I in holding the lever E in and returning it to normal position a spring L secured to the rear wall of the drawer compartment and extending forward beneath the rear end of the lever maybe employed if desired.

For the purpose of locking the operating lever S at the end of each operation of the machine and preventing a second operation until the cash drawer is closed and locked again I provide a bell-crank lever M pivoted between lugs N upon the bottom of the drawer com partment and co-operating at its upper end with a lateral projection or lug 0' upon the side of the lever E. The horizontal arm of the bell-crank has interposed between it and the bottom of the drawer compartment a coiled spring I which tends to throw the upper end of the bell-crank forward beneath the lug 0', but when the money drawer is closed the bell-crank is held in the normal position shown by the engagement of the rear wall of the drawer with an arm Q projecting forward from the vertical arm of the bell-crank. WVhen the drawer is released and thrown open by the spring K the spring P throws the upper end of the bell-crank slightly forward against the rear side of the lug O, and when the operating lever S is released and the rear end of the lever E lifted to normal position again by the spring L the upper end of the bellcrank takes under the lug 0, its forward movement being arrested by engagement with a shoulder formed upon the under side of said lug. of the parts it will be seen that the lever E is locked from downward movement, and consequently the operating lever S cannot be again depressed, until the money drawer has been closed and locked again. Under the construction last described above it will be In this position seen that while the operating leverS is locked at the end of each operation of the machine and cannot be depressed again until the money drawer has been closed and locked, yet the indicating dials and type wheel are free to be rotated even while the drawer remains open; but for the purpose of looking those parts, as well as the operating lever S, so that at the end of each operation all of the parts are locked in the position to which they have been moved and must remain so until the money drawer is closed, I have illustrated a modified form of locking device in Fig. 4. In that View the vertical arm of the bell-crank M, instead of co-operating with a lug upon the latch lever E is extended upward through an opening in the top of the drawer compartment and its upper end is formed into a hook R which co-oper ates with a pin S projecting from the side of the operating lever S. Under this construction and arrangement of the parts whenever the front end of the operating lever B is depressed the hook R catches over the pin S and locks the lever in its depressed position and maintains the sliding rod G in its lifted position, with its upper end projecting between two of the lugs F upon the type wheel J; so that until the money drawer is closed and the bell-crank thrown back to normal position and the hook R disengaged fromthe pin S, not only the lever S will be locked but the type wheel and indicating dials and other parts moving with them.

The remaining feature of my invention relates to an automatic screen co-operating with the indicating dials and adapted to hide their numbers from view at the openings N P except when the lever S is depressed to effect the printing and release of the money drawer. This screen is secured to the upper end of a Vertically sliding rod T carried in guides U upon the front face of the rear wall of the casing. The screen consists of a plate bent to the shape shown to form a vertical portion V to co-operate with the rear reading opening P and an opposite vertical portion W to co-operate with the forward reading opening N, the horizontal portion of the plate connecting the two vertical portions. The plate is secured to the vertical rod T at the lower left hand corner of the vertical portion V of the plate, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that while the screens stand in vertical line with the reading openings the rod T is at one side thereof and hidden from view. Near its middle the vertical rod T is curved outwardly to clear the rear bearing of the shaft E, as shown in Fig. 1. Pivoted in a vertical slot in the lower end of the rod T is a plate X having its forward edge beveled, the bevel terminating in an abrupt shoulder at its lower end. A curved spring Y secured to the rear side of the rod T presses against the rear edge of the plate X and yieldingly holds it in normal position, with its lower rear end against the rear side of the rod T below the slot therein. This pivoted plate is adapted to co-operate with a beveled lug Z projecting from the rear side of the vertical arm of a belLcrank A pivoted at its angle to the rear side of the frame piece R, Fig. 2. A fiat spring B confined at one end in the horizontal arm of said bell-crank and at its other in a slotted lug or pin on the frame yieldingly holds the bell-crank in normal position, with the beveled lug Z in vertical line with the pivoted plate X carried by the rod T. The upper end of the vertical arm of the bell crank is adapted to co-operate with lugs or projections D projecting from the forward face of the dial-plate 0 around its periphery. The upper end of the bell-crank projects between the two adjacent lugs D when the parts are in such position that the indicating numbers are exposed at the openingsh P and a type number rests directly over the platen Q; but when the numbers are turned from this position in either direction the bell-crank will be rocked upon its pivot as the lugs D successively slip over its upper end. Under this construction and arrangement of the parts the operation is as follows: The rod T is normally in its lowermost position, with its lower end resting upon the rear end of the lever S and the screen plates V V covering the openings N P. Then the parts are now turned by means of the thumb-piece F until the pointer G stands opposite the number it is desired to indicate and record, the numbers upon the dials will remain hidden until the lever S is depressed to effect the printing and open the cash drawer, whereupon the rod T will be lifted, the beveled forward edge of the plate X will engage the lug Z on the bellcrank A and the plate X will be forced slightly rearward as it clears said lug and will then be thrown forward to normal position again by the spring Y, and when the lever S is released and returns to normal position the plate X will catch upon the lug Z and support the rod T in elevated position, with the screen plates V W above the openings N P, as shown in Fig. 3. Atthe beginning of the next operation of the machine, when the dials and type wheel are turned in either direction by the thumb-piece F, the passage of the adjacent lugs D on the dial 0 over the upper end of the vertical arm of the bell-crank A will tilt the latter and carry the lug Z from under the plate X, whereupon the rod T and screens V V will drop to normal position and the indicating dials be hidden from View, until the parts are brought to the position to indicate and record the next amount and the leverSis again depressed. In this manner at the beginning of each operation of the machine the indicating dials are automatically hidden from view andare exposed again by the act of depressing the lever to open the cash drawer and effect the printing.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim ICO 1. In a cash recorder, the combination of an operating shaft, a type-carrier fast thereon, a platen co-operating with said carrier, an operating lever for actuating the platen, a cash drawer, a lock therefor released by the operation of the lever, and a second look co-operating with said lever and the cash drawer to prevent operation of the lever while the drawer remains open, substantially as described.

2. In a cash recorder, the combination of an operating shaft, a type carrier fast thereon and provided with a series of lateral projec tions having spaces between them, a platen co-operating with the types upon the carrier and a locking device co-operating with the projections upon the carrier,a lever for actuating the platen and locking device, a cash drawer, a lock therefor released by the operation of the lever, and a second look for locking the lever in depressed position while the cash drawer remains open and thereby preventing movement of the type carrier until the drawer is closed, substantially as described.

3. In a cash-indicator, the combination of an operating shaft, an indicating dial fast thereon, a reciprocating screen plate co-operating with the dial, means for lifting the screen plate to expose the dial, a movable support for sustaining the plate in elevated position and means actuated by the movement of the dial for moving said support to release the screen when the dial is turned to make a new indication, substantially as described.

4. In a cash indicator, the combination of an operating shaft, an indicating dial fast thereon, a reciprocating screen plate co-operating with said dial, a lever for lifting said plate to expose the dial, and a supporting proj ection for the screen plate carried by a movable support co-operating with projections upon the dial, whereby when the lever is depressed the screen plate will be lifted and sustained in elevated position to expose the dial, and whereby when the dial is turned to effect a new indication the screen plate will be released and drop back to normal position to hide the dial, substantially as described.

5. In a cash indicator, the combination of an operating shaft, an indicating dial fast thereon, a reciprocatingscreen plate co-operating with the dial, a cash drawer, a lock therefor, an operating lever for actuating the lock to release the drawer and the screen plate to expose the dial, and means for sustaining the screen plate in position to expose the dial and for releasingit when the dial is turned to make a new indication, whereby when the dial is turned to the proper point to make the desired indication and the operating lever is depressed the cash drawer is released and the screen plate is moved to expose the dial, and whereby when the dial is turned from such position the screen plate is released and returns to normal position to hide the dial, substantially as described.

6. In a cash indicator, the combination of the central shaft E,the indicating dial 0 fast thereon, and provided with the projections D the vertically reciprocating rod T carrying the screen plate V cooperating with the dial, the spring-pressed plate X carried by the rod T, the pivoted plate A provided with the beveled lug Z and co-operating with the projections D on the dial 0, and the lever S for lifting the rod T, substantially as described.

7. In a cash indicator, the combination of the shaft E, the indicating dials M 0 fast thereon, the latter provided with the projections D the reciprocating rod T, the screen plates V W carried by said rod and co-op crating with the dials, the pivoted plate X carried by the rod T, the pivoted plate A provided with the lug Z co-operating with the plate X and itself co-operating with the projections D on the dial 0, the spring B applied to the plate A and the lever S for lifting the rod T, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the shaft E, the type wheel J fast thereon and provided with the projections F, the reciprocating locking rod G co-operating with said projections, the platen Q co-operating with the type wheel, the lever S for actuating the platen and rod G,a cash drawer, a lock therefor released by the operation of the lever S, and a latch for locking the lever S in depressed position while the drawer remains open, said latch being automatically thrown out of locking position,to release the lever, by the closing of the drawer, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the shaft E, the type wheel J fast thereon and provided with the projections F, the dials M and 0 also fast on said shaft, the latter provided with the projections D the reciprocating platen Q, the locking rod G co-operating with the type wheel Jand projections F thereon,the reciprocating rod T, the screen plates V V carried thereby and co-operatiug with the dials, the pivoted plate X carried by the rod T, the pivoted plate A co-operating with the projections D upon the dial 0 and provided with the supporting lug Z co-operating with the plate X, the lever S for lifting the platen Q, locking rod G and rod T, the cash drawerD, the latch E therefor, the sliding rod D interposed between said latch and the lever S, the spring K for throwing the drawer open when released, and the latch M provided with the hook R co-operating with the lever S and with the cash drawer D, to automatically lock said lever when it is depressed and to be thrown out of locking position by the closing of the drawer, substantially as described.

HUGH O. PRITOHARD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS CORWIN, JOSEPH P. CHAT.

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