US624645A - Cash register and indicator - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 9, I899.

G. H. GLEDHILL. CASH BEGISTER AND INDICATOR.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1897.)

(N0 Nodal.)

Div 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE IIENRY GLEDHILL, OF HALIFAX, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE VICTOR CASH-REGISTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

CA'SH REGISTER AND INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,645, dated. May 9, 1899.

Application filed December 28, 1897- Serial No. 664,057. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY GLED- HILL,check-till manufacturer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Trinity \Vorks, Trinity street, Halifax, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash Registers and Indicators, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 2,981,

[0 dated February 10, 1894,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in cash registers and indicators, and refers more especially to that class of cash-registers in.

IS which a series of key-levers are employed, each representing a particular number or value, and in which the depression of any of said key-levers causes a correspondinglynumbered tablet to be prominently exhibited,

said number or value beingat the same time also registered on a registering-wheel within the machine; and the object of my invention is to construct a cash-register for the use of storekeepers and others which is adapted to indicate and register the amount of each purchase by the improved means hereinafter described.

In order that my invention may be readily understood, reference is made to the accomo panying drawings, wherein like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, and in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a cash-register constructed according to myinvention. Fig.

3 5 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism which I employ for enabling a registering-drum to make two revolutions, as will be hereinafter fully described. vFigs. 3 and 3 represent a detail hereinafter referred to.

In carrying out my invention I support a main shaft A, which may be either solid or hollow, in a suitably-constructed frame B, upon which main shaft A, I mount a bank of any desired number of registering-wheels O, each of which has formed at one side of it a suitable number of ratchet-teeth D, for the purpose hereinafter described. At a convenient part at the front of the frame B, I provide a transverse shaft E, upon which a series of 5 0 key-levers F are pivotally hung, one such keylever for each registering-wheel, the outerend of each of which key-levers is provided with a button or the like G, upon which is marked a figure or number corresponding to the value intended to be indicated and registered Whenever that key-lever is operated. To each of said key-levers I pivotally attach a pawl H, which engages with the ratchet-teeth of that registe ring-wheel to which its supporting keylever belongs, the arrangement being such that on any of the key-levers being operated its registering-wheel will be moved by means of the pawl through the space of one tooth, and to prevent any of the wheels accidentally moving through more than that space I provide each of said key-levers with a finger or the like J, which engages with a tooth on the ratchet-wheel at each operation, or I may form the rear end of each key-lever so that it will come in contact with the periphery of its registering-wheel, and thereby act as a brake.

As already stated, each of the key-levers has marked on its outer end a number or figure representing a certain value, and I prefer to mark the key-lever at the extreme righthand side of 'the machine with the lowest nu mbersay 1, the next 2, the third 3, and so on, each of which figures represents, respectively, one cent, two cents, three cents, and so on-and each of the registeringwheels has marked on its periphery a series of figures beginning at 0 and then running in a progression having the number which is marked on its key-lever as a multiplicator. Thus the registering-wheel with which the one-cent key-lever gears is marked ((07,764 177) 52,97 (43,77 (4,77 H 5,77 on, likewise the registering-wheel with which, say, the three-cent-lever gears is marked O, (C 3,77 6 6,77 (9,77 6 12,77 t 15797 on. EX tending across the whole width of the bank of registering-wheels I provide an index-bar which allows one number or figure on each registering-wheel to be seen, the arrangement being such that before any of the key-levers have been operated each registering-wheel will show 0, and on the first operation of any of said key-levers-say the six-cent-the relative registeringwheel will be revolved by 10o the means described through the space of one tooth and 6 will be shown in the place of the 0. On the second operation of said keylever 12 will be shown, and so on.

In order that a purchaser may know that the amount of his purchase has been correctly registered, I mount a series of intermediate levers K on a common shaft L, which is supported by the frame at a suitable position, preferably behind and below the bank of mg istering-wheels, and the rear end of each keylever F is adapted to engage with the forward end of its relative intermediate lever whose opposite end is connected, by means of a wire rodM, to a suitably-mounted bell-crank lever N, which carries a tablet 0, bearing a figure corresponding to the figure which appears on its actuating key-lever, the arrangement being such that on the operation of any of the key-levers F its relative tablet O is raised so as to be clearly visible to the purchaser, said tablet remaining in its raised or exposed position by the means hereinafter described until the operation of another key-lever,when said raised tablet drops out of view and another tablet corresponding to the number or figure on the second key-lever is exposed to view. For the purpose of retaining any raised tablet in its raised position I provide a suitably-constructed rocking frame P, having a a shaft Q running across the machine. Said rocking frame P is pivotally hung to the frame B at P and is provided with a spring P so that its shaft Q is normally held against the cam-shaped front end of each intermediate lever K. On the operation of any of the key-levers F the rcckin g frame P is pushed forward against the action of the spring P by means of the front and cam-shaped end of the intermediate lever K until said cam-shaped end is lifted beyond the shaft Q, when the spring Picauses the said shaft Q to be pulled under the raised lever K, thereby retaining said front end of the intermediate lever K,-

and consequently, also, its relative tablet O, in their raised positions. By the means described any n umber of tablets 0 may be simultaneously raised and retained in their raised positions. ing said intermediate lever or levers K, so as permit the relative raised tablet or tablets v to drop out of View on the depression of another key-lever F, I provide a lever B, which is pivoted at E, the end R of said lever extending under the whole series of key-levers F, so as to be operated on any of said key-levers being depressed, and the other end R extends to about the back of the machine and is bent upward a suitable distance and carries a gravity-lever S, which lever S is pro vided at about its free end with a roller S and is prevented from dropping too far by a pin. The connection and arrangement of the lever B, gravitylever S, and rocking frame P are such that on the operation of any keylever or key-levers F the rear end B of the lever R is raised, causing the roller S on the For the purpose of readily releasgravity-lever S to come into contact with and to asufficient extent move said rocking frame, so that the shaft Q is moved out of engagement with all the intermediate levers K, thereby permitting any of said levers K which may have been raised to drop down into their normal positions. The rocking frame P is formed or provided with a recess P the arrangement being such that at the commencement of the operation of any key-lever or key-levers the rocking frame is moved by the roller S, as above described, and when the said rocking frame has been moved the necessary distance the roller S enters the recess P and thereby allows the said rocking frame to be pulled into its normal position by the spring P, so that the already-raised tablet or tablets are allowed to drop and the rocking frame P is again free when the key-lever has been fullydepressed to retain the newlyraised tablet or tablets.

For the purpose of readily setting all the registering-wheels to 0 I form or provide one end of the main shaft A, on which they are mounted, with a square A, so that by means of a suitable key said shaft may be turned. Each of said registering-wheels is provided with a projecting pin or the like 0, and I provide a stop-bar G which extends across the whole width of the registeringwheels 0, so that on the shaft being turned the registering-wheels will be revolved therewith until all the pins 0 come into contact with the stop-bar 0 as shown. The said pins 0 are fixed to the registering-wheels at such positions, so that when all registeringwheels are set back, as described, a 0 will be visible on each, and for the purpose of throwing ali the pawls I-I out of engagement with their ratchet-wheels D, I provide a lever T, which is pivoted on the shaft E, the lower arm of said lever T being provided with a cross-rod T, so that if the upper arm of lever T be lifted the cross-rod T will strike against and. lift the lower arms or extensions H of the pawls.

Normally when any one of the registeringwheels has made a complete revolution the pin 0 comes into contact with the back of the stop-bar 0 thereby locking said registering-wheel and its key-lever. For the purpose of adapting one or more of the registeringwheels O to make two revolutions before becoming locked I cut away a sufficient portion of the stop-bar O to allow the pin or pins 0 of such registering-wheels to pass through. In close proximity to each of the registeringwheels which is to be adapted to make two revolutions before requiring to be reset I provide a suitably-constructed vertical frame, upon which I pivotally mount a tumbler U, Fig. 2, to the free end of which tumbler a tablet U is attached, said tablet bearing a figure or number corresponding to the total on its relative registering-wheel. Said tumbler,with

its tablet, is normally held in the position, as

shown in full lines, by means of a catch V,

IIG

which engages with the pin V on the tumbler, so that the tablet U is normally hidden behind a bar or equivalent V The registeringwheel 0 in Fig. 2 is shown as having made all but a complete revolution, so that if the relative key-lever is operated and said registering-wheel thereby moved through the space of one tooth in the direction of the arrow the pin 0 will move the catch V out of engagement with the pin V, thereby releasing said tumbler U, which will fall by gravity to the position shown in dotted lines, resting on a stop-pin V and thereby bringing the tablet U into view, so that when the Storekeeper or other authorized person makes a note of the amounts shown on the registering-wheels, as is usual, he will also add the amounts of the tablets U which may be visible.

For the purpose of resetting the mechanism just described I pivotally hang a catch W on the pivot W on which the tumbler U is pivoted. Said catch is of about the shape shown in Figs. 3 and 3, so that if the registeringwheel be turned in the direction opposite tothat of the arrow the pin C will lift the catch IV to the position shown in dotted lines, and thereby the tumbler U will be raised a sufficient extent so that the catch V will, by the action of gravity, be caused to again engage with the pin V. The registering-wheel O cannot make more than two complete revolutions, as on the completion of its second revolution the pin 0 will come into contact with the free end of the tumbler U.

I also provide my improved cash-register with one or more universal keylevers X, which are preferably adapted to register, say, one cent. Said universal key-levers extend, preferably,'across the whole width of the machine, a bar X connecting the side levers, so as to be'adapted to be readily depressed simultaneously with any of the other or ordinary key-levers, each of said universal keylevers actuating a registering-wheel and tablet by identically similar means to those of the ordinary key-levers.

For the purpose of sounding a gong Y at each operation of a key-lever I pivotally attach a bell-crank lever Y to the frame B, the lower arm of which leverY is in engagement with the arm R of the lever R, and the upper arm of which lever Y is adapted to operate the spring-actuated hammer Y at each operation of a key-lever.

For the purpose of preventing the registering-wheels while being reset from being accidentally moved from their starting or zero positions I attach a toothed wheel A to one side or end of the main shaft A, with which toothed wheel A a pawl A is normally engaged.

I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact construction of the parts as shown, as the same may be varied within limits without departing from my invention. For example, instead of the pawls I-I being normally kept in engagement with the ratchet-wheels O by the lower extensions H, I may employ ordinary pawls,whose swing ing movement may be limited by means of a suitable cross-bar fixed across the machine about immediately in front of said pawls, the cross-rod T of the lever T being in this event immediately behind the pawls. Also, instead of having the rear ends of the keylevers F and X and lever B heavier, so as to cause the front ends to be returned to their normal positions, I may employ springs to attain the same result.

The cash-register herein described may be inclosed within a suitably-constructed case, and-it may be fixed on a stand which is provided with a money-drawer, as is usual in this class of cash-registers.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new is 1. In a cash-register the combination of a frame B, main shaft A supporting a series of registering-wheels 0 having ratchet-wheels D and pins 0, a cross-bar O key-levers F mounted on a shaft E and provided with pawls H and fingers J, a lever B adapted to be actuated at the operation of any of the key-levers and provided with a gravity-lever S, having a roller S, and pin S a series of intermediate levers K, tablet-bearing bell-crank levers N, wire'M, rocking frame P formed with a recess P and provided with a shaft Q, universal levers X having a cross-bar X, lever T and cross-rod T, all constructed, arranged and operating for the purposes and substantially as described and illustrated.

2. In a cash-register having a series of registering-wheels which are actuated by the operation of key-levers, pins 0, tumblers U having a pin V, gravity-catch V, bar V pin V and catch W, all constructed, arranged and operating for the purposes and substantially as decribed and illustrated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE HENRY GLEDHILL.

Witnesses:

-A. E. WILLIAMS,

OHAs. ROCHE.

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