US566481A - Cash register - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. H. SMITH.

CASH REGISTER.

No. 566,481. Patented Aug. 25, 139.6.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

M. H. SMITH. CASH REGISTER.

No. 566,481. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

f w f fillyi gzf im (N0 Mod-e15 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. M. H. SMITH.

CASH REGISTER.

Patented Aug. 25

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

MELVIN I-I. SMITH, OF GALIEN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TNVO-THIRDS TO RICHARD "W. MONTROSS, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,481, dated August 25, 1896.

Application filed February 4:, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MELVIN I-I. SMITH, of Galien, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gash-Registers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a cash-register in which marked checks or tablets dropped into a slot of the casing serve as a means of checking off the contents of the cash-drawer-that is to say, tablets or checks each bearing a numeral or numerals on its face to represent the amount of a purchase are inserted into a slot in the machine and ultimately enter a locked compartment of which the proprietor or other authorized person alone has the key, while the money received for the purchases or services severally represented by the individual checks referred to is put into a separate drawer or receptacle which in practice will be accessible for the purpose of making change.

The invention also embraces means of affording an indication of the amount of the last purchase made, such means consisting in the retention in view, through a sight-opening in the casing, of the last check or tablet inserted into the slot before its final advance into the locked receptacle for such tablets or checks.

The invention also embraces means for releasing a locking cash-drawer, which means are acted upon in a forcible movement of the tablet last inserted, which movement carries said tablet on its way from the slot to the tablet-receptacle and is produced by the operator after its insertion into the slot in the casing. When the indication is efiected, the movement by which the tablet is brought into view is that by which the cash-drawer is opened.

While the invention embodying one or more of the above features is adaptedfor use in general merchandizin g, in which case the apparatus may contain but a single slot, a single tablet-receptacle, and a single cash-drawer,

said invention is shown in the accompanying Serial No. 537,251. (No model.)

drawings as having three slots, three tabletchutes leading to three separate tablet-receptacles, and three separate cash-drawers, each one of which is automatically locked when closed, is opened by a spring, and is released only by the tablets inserted into a particular one of the tablet-slots. In this multiple construction the machine is adapted for special uses, as, for example, the use of barbers in a shop employing a number of barbers corresponding with the number of tablet-chutes and cash-drawers. Each barber in this case inserts the tablets representing his services into a particular one of the slots or chutes and is given access to a particular one of the cash-drawers, for the contents of which he is responsible as checked off at night or at other time by comparison with the contents of the tablet-receptacle assigned to his exclusive use. The number of tablet-slots, chutes, and tablet and cash drawers may of course be Varied as may be desired or as the particular business for which the apparatus is employed may require. So, also, a single tablet-receptacle or locked drawer may be made to serve in connection with a plurality of chutes and cash-drawers, provided recognizably dissimilar tablets be assigned to the different salesmen or employees.

Other variations, modifications, and adaptations of the inventionare of course practicable.

In the said accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my lmproved cash-' register in triple form. Fig. 2 is a vertical section from front to rear on the line 2 2 of Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 3 is a view of the interior of the machine with the back of the casing removed and in section 3 3 of the automatic latches of the cash-drawers, as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 41- is a fragment of the top of the machine in front elevation. Fig. 5 isa top view of the mechanism by which a tablet inserted in either of the slots in the top of the casing is moved to a position opposite a sight-hole in the front of the casing and there retained in view of the purchaser. Fig. 6 illustrates a part of this tablet-moving mechanism, in front view, in the act of moving a tablet from beneath the slot at which it was admitted toward the receiving end of the adjacent chute, the tablet in its movement engaging and lifting a connection with the cashdrawer latch, by which the drawer is released and allowed to spring open to permit the money to be placed therein and change to be made by the operator, if desired. Fig. 7 is a detail in vertical section through a sighthole in the casing of the apparatus. Fig. 8 represents one of a series of tablets adapted for use with the register and constituting part of the apparatus.

Describing this triple form of the machine exactly as shown, A A A represent the casing of the machine, B a tablet-receptacle, and O O C cash-drawers. Each of the cashdrawers 0 when pushed in is automatically locked by means of a spring-actuated hook O, and, when said hook is raised, is automatically thrown outwardly far enough to prevent reengagement of said hook C by aspring 0 arranged and suitably supported at the rear of the drawer C. The drawer Bis secured in its closed position by a lock, the key I) of which will be retained in the hands of some authorized person. Said drawer Bis illustrated as being provided with three separate detachable interior receptacles B, with each of which communicates one of three chutes D. The top piece A of the casin g is provided with three slots at (6 a a, which are out of line with the upper ends of the chutes D, but are in the same vertical plane there with.

E is a fixed horizontal bar or ledge in line with and on a level with the upper ends of the chutes D, its front edge being cut away, as shown at c in Fig. 5, to permit a tablet T to drop into either of said chutes. Said ledge E rests against a glass plate a, which forms part of the upper front A of the casing and is situated far enough below the top plate A of the casing to allow a tablet T, resting on the ledge E, to be moved horizontally between said ledge and the top piece of the casing. F is a horizontally-movable bar provided with shoulders f, projecting toward the front of the casing and touching or closely proximating the glass plate a of the latter, the

spaces f between the shoulders f being of depth slightly greater than the thickness of a tablet T and in width preferably about double the diameter of the tablet. Said longitudinally-movable bar F is arranged with its median line at a distance above the ledge E about equal to one-half the diameter of the gablets and is suitably guided in fixed guides H is a bell-crank lever having a fixed pivot h at its angle, and its upper arm h engages a stud f on the sliding bar F, said bell-crank having its lower and horizontal arm connected with a vertical rod ll, which protrudes through the top plate of the casing, where it is provided with a knob H by which said rod may be depressed to give a horizontal movement to the bar F.

I is a spring connected at one end with the sliding bar F and at the other to a fixed point for the retraction of the bar F after handpressure upon the knob H shall have been removed. The slots at in the casing are arranged to permit a tablet T to be dropped through either of them upon the ledge E and into a recess f in and adjacent to a shoulder f upon the sliding bar F, the horizontal distance between the receiving-slot a and the top of the adjacent chute D being such that a full movement of the bell-crank H will push the tablet last inserted far enough upon the ledge to receive another tablet behind it, but not far enough to deliver it into the adjacent chute. This horizontal distance between the slot and the chute is, however, such that a second tablet dropped into the slot behind that just referred to, and moved to the extent that the bar F will carryit,will push the previously-advanced tablet from the ledge into said adjacent chute D. The front of the casing is provided with sight-holes J, opposite to which the last-received tablet is moved by one forward thrust of the bar F, so that while said tablet remains upon the ledge E the numeral or numerals upon its face are visible through said sight-hole, thus indicating to the purchaser or others the amount of the last sale.

K is alight spring which sufficiently presses the tablet against the glass plate a to retain it in place opposite the sight-hole when the bar F is retracted.

M M are vertical rods connected at their lower ends with the free ends of the drawer catches C and extending above the sliding bar F through guides m m. At their upper ends said rods M are each provided with a small roller m, beneath which the tablets are successively forced in the first movements given them severally by said sliding bar F, as above described. Each tablet therefore gives to the rod M an upward movement in the first horizontal movement given said tablet by the bar F, causing the catch 0 of the appropriate drawer O to be raised and thus to release said drawer. By the action of the spring 0 the drawer is then opened and made accessible to receive the cash or to permit of making change.

Fig. 6 illustrates, by full lines, a tablet being given its first movement by the bar F and in position to raise the drawer-releasing rod M. Said figure also illustrates a previouslyinserted tablet being advanced toward the mouth of the adjacent chute D by such first movement of the tablet last inserted. Dotted lines represent the tablet last inserted after the completion of its first full movement by which it is brought opposite a sight-hole, and also the tablet previously inserted entering the chute. Any of many wellknown devices may be employed in connection with the rod 11 or other reciprocating part to insure its full actuation before it will return, so as to make the proper operation of the machine necessary.

N represents a bell or gong, and N a hammer actuated by the bell-crank H for the purpose of striking the gong and giving a signal of the operation of the machine.

Manifestly the desired horizontal movement may be given to the sliding bar F by any suitable means other than vthe bell-crank and vertical rod H, and other mechanical changes may be made without departure from the invention. In case the machine be constructed with a single slot and chute the bellcrank may be arranged to directly engage the tablet instead of doing so through the medium of the sliding bar F, which, though practicable in a single machine, is more especially desirable in a multiple machine of the kind illustrated in the drawings.

The operation of the apparatus is apparent from the above description. That is to say, a salesman, barber, or other person having made a sale or rendered a service drops into a slot at a tablet bearing on its face a number which expresses the value of such purchase or service. A movement of the external operating device carries said tablet to a position opposite the sight-hole of the casing, and said moving mechanism automatically returns to its original position ready to admit another tablet,leavin g the tablet first inserted andj ust moved in position to be observed by the purchaser. The insertion of the second tablet, representing on its face the value of the second purchase or service, and its movement to a position in front of the sight-hole, carries the first tablet into an adjacent chute D, through which it drops to the tablet-receptacle B or B, which is accessible only to an authorized person holding the key thereof.

, When any tablet is inserted and moved to a position in front of a sight-hole, the cashdrawer or the appropriate one of several cashdrawers is opened and the money received for the purchase deposited therein, change being made, if required. The cash-drawer is then supposed to be shut, and, if so, it remains inaccessible until another sale has been made and its representative tablet has been inserted and advanced to a position in front of the adjacent sight-hole, as above described.

If an indication of the purchase is not desired, the sight-hole may be omitted, and, in that case, the chute may be arranged in position to receive the tablet at the end of its first movement. In the use of the sight-hole, which involves the retention of a tablet at such sight-hole at the close of the day, said tablet may, when the cash is to be compared with the checks or tablets, be advanced to the chute by the use of a blank tablet inserted by the person in charge of the register, the movement of this blank tablet causing the last-inserted tablet bearing a number to be dropped into the chute. This blank will be itself carried to the chute in the registration of the first purchase on the next day and will later be found in the tablet-receptacle. By reason of its beingblank, however,it will out no figure in comparing the cash with the sum of amounts represented on the tablets at the time of the next accounting. In this construction of the machine, therefore, a full series of tablets should embrace two blanks for each chute, one of which will be carried to the receptacle on the first purchase in the morning and the other inserted into the machine to force the lastpurchase tablet into the machine at night and before opening the tablet-receptacle.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a cash-registering apparatus, the combination with a casing containing a locking cash-drawer, a locked tablet-receptacle, a slot to receive tablets and a chute or passage between the slot and the tablet-receptacle, adapted to permit free entrance of tablets to a point beyond access, of a series of tablets representing different values, mechanism operated from the outside of the casing for giving forcible movement to a tablet after it has entered the slot in the casing, and means for releasing the cash-drawer in such forcible movement of the tablet within the casing.

2. In a cash-registering and purchase-indicating apparatus, the combination with a casing having a locking cash-drawer, a locked tablet-receptacle, a slot to receive tablets, a chute or passage between the slot and the tablet-receptacle, and a sight-aperture in the path of the tablet from the slot to the tabletreceptacle, of a series of tablets representing different values, a cash-drawer-releasing device adapted to be operated by forcible movement of a tablet before it reaches the sightaperture on its way to the tablet-receptacle within the casing, means for arresting and retaining the tablet in visible but inaccessible position, and mechanism for forcibly moving a tablet from opposite the sight-aperture along the passage within the casing.

3. In a cash-registering apparatus, the combination with a casing having a slot for the reception of tablets representing different values, of a locked tablet-receptacle, a lock ing cash-receptacle, a chute for tablets connecting with the slot by a passage, means operated from outside the casing for forcing a tablet along this passage and means for releasing the cash-drawer that is actuated by engagement with a tablet in the forced movement of said tablet along said passage.

4:. In a cash-registering apparatus, the combination, with a casing provided with a locked tablet-receptacle, a locking cash-drawer and a slot for the admission of tablets representing different values; of a chute leading to the tablet-receptacle and having its receiving end in communication with the slot by a horizontal passage; a horizontally-reciprocating, antomatically retracted, pushing device for forcing a tablet along said horizontal passage and actuated by a part which protrudes through the casing, and means for releasing the cash-drawer in such forced movement of the tablet by direct engagement with the tablet.

5. In a cash-registering apparatus, the combinationpvith a casing provided with a locked tablet receptacle or receptacles, a plurality of cash-drawers and a plurality of slots for tablets to represent different values, of a plurality of chutes corresponding in number with the number of cash-drawers and the number of slots, said chutes being severally in communication with the slots by horizontal passages; a horizontally reciprocating pushing device adapted to force a tablet from beneath either of said slots toward an adjacent chute, said pushing device being automatically retractive and actuated from outside the casing, and a drawer-releasin g device connected with the catch of each cash-drawer and adapted to be actuated by engagement with a tablet in its forced movement toward the chute, whereby the apparatus is adapted to be used by a number of different persons and to afford means for checking the cash handled by each of such persons with the tablets representing his individual transactions.

6. In combination, a casing provided wit-h a slot in its top for the reception of tablets representing values, and also provided with a tablet-receptacle an d a locking eash-drawer; a ledge arranged beneath the slot; a chute leading from the ledge to the tablet-receptacle and having its receiving end out of vertical line with the slot; a front piece adjacent to the ledge and provided with a sight-hole between the slot and the chute-opening; an automatically-retracted pushing device actuated from the exterior of the machine and adapted to carry a tablet from beneath the slot to a place where it is visible through the

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