US690554A - Cash-register. - Google Patents

Description

No, 690,554. Patented Ian. 7, I902.

.F. H: BICKFORDf OASH'IREGIST'E'R.

(Applicatin filed 81, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. BIOKFORD, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,554, dated January '7, 1 902. Application filed March 31, 1900. Serial No 11,155. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK H. BICKFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash-Registers, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. f a

My invention relates to improvements in cash-registers. Its use is not restricted to any kind or type of machine; but for purposes of illustration I have shown itas applied to a cash-register of the type patented to Oleal and Reinhard on April 13, 1897, No. 580,378.

One object of my invention is to provide against fraudulent operation of the machine.

In many cash-registers the crank or other operating means is normally locked until after a special or department key is pressed. In'some of such machines owing to the difficulty of properly adjusting the mechanism it is possible to unlock the crank or other operating means before the special key has been through the cash-register of the class de-.

pressed fully in, so that persons wishing to defraud the machine have resorted to the practice of pushing the special key almost but not quite i'n-that is, far enough to release the crank-then starting the crank, and by removing the finger from the special key permit it to spring back to normal positio n,wherebythe machine can be operated without leaving any record of the person operating it. Especially is it important to prevent such fraudulent manipulation in machines of the type shown in the drawings, in which when certain classes of sales-for example, Charge,

. Recd on acct, or Paid out sales-are to be registered the cash or totalizing counter is arranged to be thrown out of connection with the registering mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section, partly broken away,

scribed and having my improvement applied thereto; and Fig. 2 represents a detail elevation, partly broken away, showing the operating-crank and the gearing usually provided for the machine shown in said patent and in Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates the fixed frame of the machine; 2, the operating-crank; 3, the special keys; 4, the main rock-shaft, and 6 operating-segments fast upon the rock -shaft. \Vhen' the crank is turned, the'power is transmitted, through intermediate gears 25, to the rotation-shaft 26, from which in turn motion is transmitted, through the link 27, to operate the rock-shaft. Under this construction whenever the operating-crank is turned the operating-segments 6 (of which only one is shown) are rocked downward and then up again. A toothed registering-segment 28 is journaled upon the rock-shaftd and drives the intermediate gear 29, which in turn drives a small intermediate gear 30, which is journaled upgn the same shaft as the registering-wheels and registering-gears. To the left-hand side of the smaller intermediate gear 30 is riveted or otherwise secured a third gear 31. (Shown in broken lines.) A complete and detailed description of this part of the machine may be had by reference to the Oleal and Reinhard patent before referred to. It is therefore sufficient for present purposes to say that j ournaled on the sameshaft and side by side with the gear 31 is one of the registering gear-wheels. (Not shown.) It is of exactly the same size as the gear 31,

and secured to it is one of the registering-v wheels. Journaled upon the upper end of the pivoted vertical lever or frame 32 are idle pinions 33, (only one of which is shown,) which are normally disengaged. When the machine is operated to record a special transactionthat is, when it is operated in connection with any one of the special keys 3the registering gear-wheel and the gear 31 remain disengaged in a manner well known in the art, so that the counting or registering wheels are not moved at all; but in the normal operation of the machine when a cash sale is recorded after the crank 2 has moved a certain distance from normal each idle pinion is rocked rearwardly into engagement with both the registering gear-wheel and the gear 31, thereby connecting the two gears and bringing it about that movement is transmitted from the seg ments 28 to the registering-wheels, as shown in said patent to Oleal and Reinhard.

A reciprocating link 31 has a slotted rear end which straddles the rotation-shaft 26, upon which is a box-cam 35, in the cam-groove of which travels a stud 36. (Shown in broken lines.) In its lower edge and near its front end the reciprocating link has a vertical slot through which normally passes a pin 37, secured to the lower end of the pivoted lever or frame 32. From this construction it will be readily understood that the pinion is rocked into engagement with the gears 30 and 31 whenever the crank is turned. WVhenever a special transaction is to be recorded, however, means are provided for lifting the front end of the reciprocating lever, so as to disconnect it from the pinion-carrying frame, and thereafter when the crank is turned the pinion will not be rocked rearward, and consequently no connection will be established between the gear 31 and its registering gear-wheel, and although the toothed segment 28 and the gears 29 and 30 will move as usual their movement will not be transmitted to the registering-wheels, as will be readily understood. When a special transaction is to be recorded, the registering gears and wheels are thrown out or prevented from being brought into connection with the intermediate gears 30 by means of the upwardly and forwardly extending throw-out lever 17, which is fast upon the horizontal rock-shaft 16 in a manner to be presently explained.

Only one bank of keys is'shown in the drawings, and of this the six upper keys are amount or value keys, while the three lower keys are for recording special or department transactions. Each of the latter is provided with a laterally-extending stud or pin 7, which is arranged to engage the inclined walls of the angular recesses 9 of the latch-plate 10. The latch-plate through its arm 11 is journaled upon the shaft 12, so that whenever a special key is operated, as will be readily understood, the latch-plate will be swung upward and rearward. When one key is operated, the hooks 13 of said plate are moved under the pins of the unoperated keys, and thus lock the latter. Pivoted at its front end to the latch-plate is a link 14, which at its rear end is pivoted to a short crank-arm 15, fast upon the rock-shaft 16, so that the operation of a special key rocksthe shaft 16 and brings the upper end ofthe throw-out lever 17 against the under side of the reciprocating link 3%,

thereby raising the latter to throw out the registering-wheels, as already described. A spring 21 connects the throw-out lever with the frame and tends normally to pull the throw-out lever to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. There is 'also fixed upon the rock-shaft 16 a locking-arm 19, (shown in broken lines,) upon the right-hand side of which is secured a lug 19, having a beveled front face. The lug is normally just in front of an arc-shaped locking-flange 20, which is secured to the left-hand side of the operatingsegment 6. The lower end of the flange is beveled on its rear side, as shown at 6.

Under the construction just described as one of the special keys is depressed the locking-lug 19 passes under the lower end of the flange 20 and comes to rest with its beveled face 19 under the beveled end 6 of said flange. While the lug is fastened under the flange the crank cannot be operated, for the reason that if it were started the lower end of the flange would immediately strike against the locking-lug and the handle could be moved no farther. The depressing of the special key also swings the throw-out lever rearward against the front end of the reciprocating link, but not far enough to disengage said link from the pinion-frame 32. When now, however, the crank is started after the special key is fully depressed, the operating-segment begins to swing downward and the beveled face of its flange striking the beveled face 19 of the locking-lug swings the latter rearwardly behind the flange 20 andholds it there until the operating-segment returns to its upper position, when the spring 21 draws the throw-out lever, and consequently the latch-plate, forward to normal position. As stated, the initial movement of the crank swings the locking-arm 18 rearward, thereby rocking the shaft 16 and consequently swinging the throw-out lever farther under the reciprocating link 3-1, and thereby entirely disengaging the latter from the pinion-frame 32. It results from this construction that the crank or operating member cannot be started until the special key is fully depressed, and when so depressed it is caught and held by its own detent, (not shown;) but it is also held within the angular slot 9 of the latchplate, because the latter is locked and held in its rearmost position whenever the lug 19 is held behind the locking-flange 20. The oper ation of throwing out the registering-wheels under this construction is not dependent upon the force which may be applied to the special key operated,as the key simply sets the throwout lever in position and the initial operation of the crank then performs the work.

It will be readily understood that my inventionis equally adapted for application to machines of other types than that shown in the drawings. For example, in those Inachines in which each bank of keys is replaced by an index or lever which is moved to different positions according to the transaction or amount to be registered such lever may be arranged when in certain positions toset the throw-out lever 17, and then the actuation of the operating mechanism will complete the throw-out operation, as in the particular embodiment of my invention herein described.

Havingthus described my invention, I

be thrown into position to lock the operating mechanism during the time the operated key is movingfrom normal to its final operated position.

2.. In a cash register, the combination with an operating mechanism, of a special key, a counter-throw-out' mechanism, means operated by the key for setting said throw-out mechanism for operation in connection with the operating mechanism and devices connected to the operating mechanism for mov= ing the said setting means to lock the operated key. I

3. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of aregister-operating means, mechanism controlled by the keysfor locking the operating means after theinitial movement of a key and until a key is fully operated, and actuated by the operating means to lock the operated key.-

4. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of a register-operating means carryinga locking projection, a movable mem= ber operated by the keys and carrying a looking projection which cooperates with the firstmentioned projection to lock the operating means until a key is fully operated, and is operated by said first-mentioned projection to lock the keys.

5. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys having projecting pins, of a plate having notches cooperating with said pins, a movable member carrying a lockingflange and a pivoted lever connected to said plate and having a locking-lug which coop crates with said flange whereby the plate is moved to lock the keys.

6. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of a plate common to said keys, a movable member carrying abeveled flange and a locking-block operated by said plate and cooperating with said flange so as to be operated by the same.

7. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of an operating means having a beveled flange, devices set by the keys to be operated by said flange to lock the keys, and a register-controlling device actuated by said devices.

8. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of an operating means having a beveled flange, a plate common to and operated by the keys, and devices connected to said plate and arranged to cooperate with the flange and be actuated therebyto move said plate and thereby lock the keys.

9. In a cash-register, the combination with aseries of keys, of an operating means, a plate common 7 to the keys and connections arranged to be set by the plate so as to be actuated by the operating device and when so actuated to move the plate to lock thekeys.

10. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of an operating means carrying a beveled flange, a plate commonto the keys. and connections arranged to be set by the plate so as to be actuated by the flange and when so actuated to move the plate to lock the keys.

11. In a cash-regis ter, the combination with a series of keys, of an opcratingmeans provided with a beveled flange, a register and throw-out devices, a rock-shaft carryinga 1ever for operating the throwing-out devices and a lug which cooperates with said flange, and a plate cooperating with the keys and connected to said rock-shaft. a

12. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of, operating means provided with a flange having a bevel-face, a register and throw-out devices, a rock-shaft moving a lever for operating the-throwing-out devices and having an arm provided with a stop-lug which is arranged to cooperate with said flange, a plate having detent-hooks for said keys and arranged to be operated by the latter and means connecting the rock-shaft and plate.

13. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of register-operating means, a movable member operated by the keys to first lock and then unlock or release the operating devices, and means actuated by the operating means to impart an additional movement to the movable member and thus cause it to lock the keys.

14. In acash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of register-operating means, a movable member operated by the keys to first lock and then release or unlock the operatin g means and provided with looking projections for-the keys, and means actuated by the operating means to impart sufficient additional movement to the movable member to cause the locking projections to lock the keys.

15. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of register-operating means, a movable member operated by the keys to first lock and 'then release the operating means and formed with locking-hooks for the keys and means actuated by the operating means to impart sufficient additional-movement to the movable member to cause the locking-hooks to lock the keys during the registerin g operation.

16. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of register-operating means, a movable member adapted when operated by the movement of a key to look all the unoperated keys in the series, means connected to said member to first lock and then release the operating means when a key is operated, and means actuated by the operating means to IIS impart sufficient additional movement to the movable member to cause the latter to lock the operated key.

17 In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of a movable member arranged to be operated by said keys, an operating means, a beveled flange connected to the operating means and a beveled lug connected to the movable member and arranged to first lock the operating means upon the movement of a key and then to be given an additional movement by said flange to lock the operated key during the registering operation.

18. In aoash-register, the combination with a series of keys, registering-wheels and an operating mechanism, of aregister throw-out device, comprising a rock-frame carrying connecting-pinions, an operating device for said frame and a lever for throwing the operating device into and out of operative position, means for setting the lever by the operation of a key and means for completely operating the lever upon the movement of the operating mechanism.

19. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of a register-operating means, a latch plate or lever arranged to be struck by the keys, a register-operating means, and a locking mechanism arranged to lock the operating means during the movement of the operated key, a device arranged to then look the latch plate or lever so as to prevent the operation of any additional key until the movement of the operating mechanism is completed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. BICKFORD.

Witnesses:

IRA BERKSTRESSER, CHAs. E. STEFFEY.

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