US652829A - Cash-register. - Google Patents

Description

No. 652,829. Patented July 3, I900.

- T. H. BLAIR.

CASH REGISTER.

(Application filed Oct. 7, 1S99 '4 SheetsSheef l.

(No Model.)

No. 652,829. Pategted July 3, I900.

T. H. BLAIR. CASH REGISTER. (Application filed Oct. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 652,829. Patented July 3, I900.

T. H. BLAIR.

CASH REGISTER.

(Application filed Oct. 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-$heet 3.

. tachably secured in the machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. BLAIR, OF NORTHBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WVHITING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,829, dated July 3, 1900.

Application filed October 7, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H; BLAIR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Northborongh, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Cash-Register,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a cash-register which is controlled by the use of a number of independent checks; and the objects of this invention are, first, to provide acompact, inexpensive, and durable cash-register in which the checks successively inserted into the machine will be stacked or kept in order to form a record showing the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place, and, second, to provide simple and efficient means for releasing the cash-drawer which flies open whenever a check is inserted into the machine.

To these ends this invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts and of a special form of check as an article of manufacture, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying four sheets of drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a cashregister constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective vieW of one of the checks therefor. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the check-receiver in whichthe checks are stacked in the same order in which they are successively used, so as to form a record showing the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place, which check-receiver is preferably de- Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the cash-register. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts in a slightly-different position. Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the connection for releasing the cash-drawer and for pushing the checks back into the check-receiver. Fig. 9 is a detail View of a bell and the devices cooperating therewith for sounding the bell when the cash-drawer flies open. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a modified form of cash-register provided with a plurality of distinct ed. To this end a cash-register constructed Serial No. 732,836. (No model.)

check-guideways. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the operating connections employed in this modified form of construction, and Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a modified formof check which may be employed for recording unusual transactions.

The especial object of this present invention is to provide a cash -register of such construction as will afford security and protection in an equal degree with the expensive machines and which will be so simple in its construction that it may be manufactured and sold at a price that can be afforded by all.

The connections employed for controlling the operative parts of a cash-register from a keyboard are necessarily complicated and ex- 7 pensive.

One object of this invention is, therefore, to dispense with the keyboard of a cash-register and to provide a cash-register which will afford the same degree of security and will keep an equally-accu rate record of transactions, but which is controlled by the use of independent checks, which may be inserted one after another into the machine, each check exposing the amount of sale or transaction to view until the next check is insertaccording to this invention comprises a guide- Way for receiving and exhibiting the checks which are inserted therein and a check-receiver in which the checks are successively stacked for economy in space and to form a record showing the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place. The guideway for the checks is preferably located at the front of the machine, so as to be in plain view, and the checkreceiver preferably extends to the rear of the guideway and is preferably detachably se-' cured in the frame of the machine, so that it can be removed therefrom and the checks therein examined or the amounts thereof 5 added up.

Mounted in the frame of the machine, preferably below the check-receiver, is a cashdrawer.

The cash-drawer is preferably arranged to too be released, so that it will fly open while a check is being inserted into the machine.

In its preferred form a cash-register constructed according to this invention preferably comprises a single operating connection for releasing the cash-drawer and for thereafter pushing the check back out of its guideway into the check-receiver. This operating connection, as herein illustrated, comprises a pivoted lever having an inclined or camshaped front end located in position to be engaged by the checks as they are inserted. The checks employed preferably have side tongues 0r projections ,which fit into the grooves forming the guideway therefor. So long as the wings or side projections of a check are retained in the grooves or slots at the side of the guideway the downward pressure exerted on a check will be exerted on the front end of the operating-lever to depress said front end of the operating-lever and release the cash-drawer. As soon as the side projections of a check pass down below the bottom of the grooves the check will be left free to be moved back, and as the front end of the operating-lever rises it will force the check back into the check-receiver, this operation being repeated and the checks inserted into the machine being stacked in the check-receiver to form a record showing the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and in detail, the frame of the machine as herein illustrated comprises a metallic basepiece 10 and a metallic rear plate 11, which support a body portion 12. The body portion 12 is preferably made of wood or similar material and may be attractively finished or covered with leather, as desired.

Atthe front of the machine are one or more metallic front plates 16, and formed in the front'pl'ates is a guideway for receiving the checks.

D'etachably secured in a portion 13 of the frame of themachine at the rearof the guideway isa check-receiver 14. The check-1e CGlV'Bl 14 is preferably provided with a look, as indicated at 15, which lock may be of any of the ordinary or approved constructions, which need not be herein shown or described at length.

Mounted in the frame of the machine below the check-receiver is a cash-drawer 17.

The checks which are employed for operating the machine are preferably substantially of the construction illustrated in Fig. 2. Each of these checks, as 18, is provided at its lower end with side projections or wings 19. These checks may be made of metal, celluloid, cardboard, or similar material and may have numbers or figures printed thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, while to record odd or unusual transactions special blank checks may be provided, as shown in Fig. 2, on which numbers can be written or penciled by hand,

or, if preferred, composite checks may be employed for recording odd or unusual transactions, as illustrated in Fig. 12, and as hereinafter described.

The cash-drawer 17 may be of the ordinary construction, and, as herein illustrated, said cash-drawer 17 is provided with side strips 26, supporting a movable compartment or change-drawer 27, the lower part of the cashdrawer being used for bills in the ordinary manner. Extending from the rear of the cash-drawer 17 is an arm 20, which is connected to the springs 21, normally tending to pull the cash-drawer open. Also secured on the arm 20, as shown most clearly in Fig. 9, is a pawl 22, which is normally held in position by a spring 23 to engage the tongue or striker 24 of a bell 25, secured in the frame of the machine, to sound the bell as the cashdrawer flies open.

Journaled in the frame of the machine above the cash-drawer 17 is an operating-la ver 28, which is provided for performing the double function of releasing the cash-drawer when a check is inserted into the machine and to then push back or stack the check into its check-receiver. As shown herein, the operating-lever 28 has a latch or catch at its rear end, engaging a socket 30 in the cashdrawer. The front end of the operating-lever 28 is normally raised by a spring 29 and is beveled or inclined to form a cam for pushing the checks back into the check-receiver, this operation being most clearly illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive. Thesefigures show one of the grooves or slots 180 which form the guideway for receiving the checks 18, other parts of the machine being omitted for the sake of clearness. When a check. is inserted into the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 6, so long as its side projections or wings 19 remain in the slots 180 the downward pressure on the check will be transmitted to the lever 28, so that as the check is pushed down the lever will be raised to release the cash-drawer, as indicated in Fig. 7.

In order to avoid the necessity of so setting the lever 28 that it will release the check from the bottom of slots 180 of the check-guideway at the same time the cash-drawer is released, thus preventing a check which has once been inserted into the machine far enough to unlock the cash-drawer from being drawn up out of the check-guideway, small springs or pawls, as 31, may be secured in one or both of the slots 180, so that these springs will engage above the side wings 19 of a check as the same is forced down to hold the check from being again withdrawn.

When a check has been pushed down into the guideway far enough for its wings or side projections 19 to pass down out of the slots 180, the check will be free to be pushed back, and as the front end of the lever 28 is raised by its spring the check will be forced back into the check-receiver, as shown in Fig. 8,

IIO

it becoming thus additionally secured against removal until the receiver has been removed from the register.

The wings or side projections 19 of the checks fit into guideways in the check-receiver, and the body portion of the check is designed to fit so loosely into the check-receiver that no special provision is required for forcing back the upper part of the check.

The rear face of the turned-up end of the lever 28 is substantially vertical, and as there is no resistance to the backward motion of the body portion of the check this vertical face will carry the check bodily back into the receiver.

The check-receiver, as most clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 to 5, is preferably provided with a false back piece or follower 16, which slides in grooves in said check-receiver, so that as the checks are stacked into the checkreceiver they will be held from falling over.

In the use of a cash-register as thus constructed at the end of a days business or at other times the register may be unlocked and the contents of the check-receiver added and compared with the cash in the drawer. If the number of sales exceeds the capacity of one check-receiver, the full check-receiver may be removed and an empty one inserted. The full check-receiver can then be laid aside until the end of a days business or may be emptied and the checks counted and assorted as often as required.

The blank checks which are provided for recording special transactions or disbursements may have an erasible surface, upon which any memoranda desired may be recorded. These blank checks may thus be used repeatedly or a cheaper quality with a non-erasible surface may be employed, if desired, which checks may bedestroyed or filed after being once used at a nominal expense. Furthermore, a cash register as thus constructed may be employed for separating different accounts and for making comparisons which would be impossible in the use of ordinary cash-registers. For example, where several clerks are employed one clerk may be required to use checks of one letter, number, or color and other clerks checks of diiferent letters, numbers, or colors, so that the amounts of sales of each clerk can be readily determined. In the same way several departments of a business may be kept separate. For example, checks of one color may be employed for recording sales of cigars and tobacco and checks of other colors may be used fordifferent lines, while at the same time letters or numbers may be assigned to different clerks. A cash-register as thus constructed will also afford convenient means for the comparison of sales during, the different hours of a days business. For example, if it is desired to ascertain the amount of transactions during any particular time of the day a memorandum of the time can be written on a blank check, which is inserted in the machine to separate the checks inserted according to periods of time, as desired. In some cases in order to more perfectly separate the different departments of a business or to more, readily keep account of the transactions of different employees cash-registers constructed according to this invention maybe provided with a plurality of check-receiving guideways, and such a construction is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11.

The cash-register illustrated in Fig. 10 comprises a body portion 31, which may be of the ordinary construction, and a detachable check-receiver 32. In front of the check-receiver 32 are a plurality of independent guideways for receiving the checks to be inserted in the machine. In the present instance three such guideways are illustrated for receiving independent checks, as 33, 34, and 35, it being understood that the check-receiver 32 is provided with corresponding compartments in which the checks are stacked. Below the check-receiver is a cash-drawer 36. The operating connections for a multiple-compartment cash-register of this form may be of the construction shown in Fig. 11. As shownin this figure, the operating connections eornprise a lever 37,, arranged to be actuated by one of the checks, as 33, a lever 38, arranged to be operated by one of the checks, as 34, and a lever 39, arranged to be operated by the third check, as 35. At their rearends thelevers 37, 38, and 39 extend under and are arranged to lift a locking-frame 40, having detents or catches 4.1 for locking the cashdrawer. By means of this construction whenever any one of the levers 37, 38, or 39 is depressed the cash-drawerwill be released Without affecting the other operating-levers.

In some cases instead of employing blank checks upon which odd transactions or memoranda may be written composite checks may be employed which have the form of holders for retaining small cards or slips, as illustrated in Fig. 12. The composite check illustrated in this figure comprises a body portion 48, having side strips or tongues 19, the upper and lower edges-of the body portion 48 being bent over, as at 50 and 49, to form grooves for receiving a plurality of separate cards or strips of pasteboard or similar mate rial, as 51.

Numerous changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of this invention as expressed in the claims. It is not desired,

therefore, to be limited to the forms herein shown and described; but

l/Vhat is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway for receiving the checks inserted into the machine by hand, and a check-receiver in which the checks are successively stacked to economize in space and form a record of the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place, substantially as described.

2. In a cash-register, the combination of a money-drawer, a guideway for checks inserted into the machine by hand, connections for releasing the money-drawer by the insertion of a check into the guideway, and a checkreceiver in which the checks are successively stacked to economize in space and form a record of the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place, substantially as described.

3. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway for receiving checks inserted into the machine by hand, and a check-receiver in which the checks are successively stacked to economize in space and form a record of the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place, said checkreceiver being d etachably secured in the frame of the machine so that it can be removed therefrom when desired, substantially as described.

4. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway at the front of the machine for receiving the checks inserted therein by hand, a check-receiver at the rear of the guideway arranged to expose the check last used until a succeeding check is inserted into the machine, a cash drawer arranged below the check-receiver, and connections for releasing the cash-drawer, substantially as described.

5. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway at the front of the machine for receiving the checks inserted therein by hand, a check-receiver at the rear of the guideway arranged to expose the check last used until covered by a succeeding check, and means for forcing the successive checks back into the check-receiver to stack the successive checks therein, substantially as described.

6. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway formed by grooves for receiving the side projections of a check, a spring latch or pawl for engaging above the side projections of the check to prevent the check from being removed after having once been inserted into the guideway and a check-receiver in which checks are successively stacked to economize in space and form a record of the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place, substantially as described.

7. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway formed by grooves for receiving the wings or side projections of a check, and a depressible lever arranged to first be depressed by the insertion of a check into the guideway, and to then move the check back out of the guideway when its side projections pass below the bottoms of the grooves, substantially as described.

8. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway formed by grooves for receiving the side projections of a check, a check-receiver,

and a lever arranged to first be depressed by the insertion of a check into the guideway, and to then move the check back into the check-receiver when the side projections of the check pass down out of the grooves, substantially as described.

9. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway formed by grooves for receiving the side projections of a check, a check-receiver at the rear of said guideway, said check-receiver being detachably secured in place so that the same may be removed from the machine, and a lever arranged to first be operated by the insertion of a check into the guideway, and to then move the check back into its check-receiver when the side projections of the check pass below the bottoms of the grooves, substantially as described.

10. As an article of manufacture, a check of a substantially inverted-T shape for use in connection with cash-registers having side projections or wings at its bottom for holding it in position during its passage through the guideway of the cash-register, but permitting it to be moved back when its projections pass out of the bottom of the grooves forming the guideway, substantially as described.

11. As an article of manufacture, a check of a substantially inverted-T shape for use in cash-registers comprising a body portion having side wings or projections at one end for holding it in position during its passage through the guideway of the cash-register, but permitting it to be moved back when its projections pass out of the bottoms of the grooves forming the guideway, and having turned-overedges forming grooves for retaining cards or slips, substantially as described.

12. In a cash-register, the combination of guideways formed by grooves for receiving the side projections of a check, acash-drawer normally held in its locked or closed position, and a lever arranged to be engaged by a check as the same is inserted in the guideway to first release the cash-drawer and to then force the check back from said guideway when its side projections pass down out of the grooves forming the guideway,substantially as described.

13. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway at the front of the machine formed by grooves for receiving the side projections of a check, a check-receiver at the rear of said guideway, a cash-drawer arranged below these parts and normally held in its locked or closed position, and a lever arranged to first be operated by the insertion of a check into the guideway to release the cash-drawer, and to then force the check back into the check-receiver when the side projections of the check pass down below the grooves forming the guideway, substantially as described.

14. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway at the front of the machine formed by grooves for receiving the side projections of a check, a check-receiver detachably secured in place behind the guideway, a cashdrawer arranged below these parts and normally held in its locked or closed position, a lever, and a bell arranged to be sounded when the cash-drawer opens, said parts being arranged so that when a check is inserted in the guideway, the lever will first be depressed to release the cash-drawer, and will then act to force the check back out of the guideway into the check-receiver when the side projections of the check pass down out of their grooves, substantially as described.

15. In a cash-register, the combination of a plurality of guideways forreceiving and exhibiting the checks inserted therein, and a check-receiver in which the checks inserted in each guideway are successively stacked for econony in space and to form records of the sequence in which the transactions represented by the checks have taken place, substantially as described.

16. In a cash-register, the combination of a cash-drawer, an operating-lever having one end thereof forming a-detent for holding the cash-drawer in its closed or locked position, and having its opposite end arranged to be engaged and directly actuated by a check when the same is inserted into the machine, substantially as described.

17. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway at the front of the machine for receivin g and exhibiting checks inserted therein, a pivoted lever extending to the rear of the guideway, the rear end of said lever forming a detent for holding the cash-drawer in its locked or closed position, and the front end of the lever being arranged to be engaged and directly actuated by a check when the same is inserted into the machine, substantially as described.

18. In a cash-register, the combination of a guideway at the front of the machine formed by grooves for receiving the side projections of a check, a check-receiver secured in place behind the guideway, a cash-drawer arranged below these parts, and a pivoted lever havin g its rear end forming a detent for holding the cash-drawer in its locked or closed position, and having a cam or inclined portion at its front end arranged in position to be engaged and operated by the insertion of a check into the guideway to first release the cash-drawer, and to then rise and force the check back into the check-receiver when the side projections of the check pass down below the grooves forming the guideway, substantially as described. g

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

THOMAS H. BLAIR.

Witnesses:

LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE, PHILIP W. SoUTHGA'rE.

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