US747128A - Cash-register. - Google Patents

Description

No. 747,128. 'PATENTED DEC.'15, 1.903. G. BROWNING.- CASH REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1902.

H0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 No. 747,128. PATENTED DEC. 15, 1903.-

G. BROWNING. CASH REGISTER.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 10.1902.

NO MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

flfm Z? Ly PATENTED DEC. 15, 1908.

G. BROWNING.

CASH REGISTER. APPLICATION FILED JUL: 10,

F0 MODEL.

4 sums-SHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES ?atented December 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BROWNING, OF HINSDALE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO COMMERCIAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

oAsH-REcisTEe..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 747,128, dated December 15, 1903.

Application filed July 10,1902. Serial No. 115,007. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BROWNING, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Hinsdale, countyof Dupage, State of Illi- -nois, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Cash -Registers; and I de clare the following to be a full, clear, and ex act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it [0 pertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to cashregisters, and more particularly to the type of register covered by Patent No. 679,251,

granted to me July 23, 1901.

The primary object of my invention is to simplify and improve certain parts of the mechanism disclosed in my prior patent, es-

pecially in the following particulars: Plates for registering the purchases are substituted for the checks or registering-tokens, which are allowed to fall step by step at each oper-- ation of the corresponding keys. A plurality of such plates may be successively brought into operation to register a given amount, thereby multiplying the recording capacity of the register. In lieu of the separate pivoted pin-detents of the prior patent above re- ;0 ferred to for holding up the supporting-rods of the purchase-indicating tablets pins corresponding in number to the indicating-tab- -lets and fixed to a single oscillatory frame are employed, the frame being located above and operated indirectly by the keys. The necessity of providing, the keys which register the amount of asingle purchase upon two separate registering-cominns with a separate finger for operating each slide is avoided by 40 providing a projection on one slide extending beneath the adjacent slidesinto the path of movement of the fingers of each of the keys corresponding to the amount of the purchase which is to be recorded on the separate registering-columns.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cash-register which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive in manufacture, and efficient in use.

go My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same is illus trated as embodied in aconvenientand practical form, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view on line 1 1, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, an elevatioual view looking into the rear of the register, the back thereof being removed; Fig. 3, an elevational view of the upper portion of the register looking from the right in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail plan view of the keys and slides actuated thereby looking downwardly with respect to Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a sectional elevational view showing the operative connections between the keys and indicating-tablets; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the parts in an adjusted position; and Fig. 7 a detail View, on an enlarged scale, of the end of one of the slides which are interposed between the keys and the registering-plates.

Similar reference characters are used to designate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The mechanism may be supported in any suitable casing-as,forinstance,onecomprising a base A, a top a, side portions A and A a back Aiwhich may preferably be hinged as shown in my prior patent, a vertical front wall A through which the cash-drawer is adapted to reciprocate, and aninclosing wall A connecting the top a and the upperedge of the vertical wall A A drawer B, which is illustrated as of the horizontally-reelprocating type, is supported within the casing, the front thereof being normally flush with the vertical wall A A spring B is secured at one end to a log I), depending from the rear of the drawer, and at its other end to an eye I) or other fastening device, secured to the inner surface of the front wall A The spring 13 is under tension when the drawer is closed, the drawer being retained in its closed position by any suitable means--as, for instance, a vertically-reciprocating latch H the lower end of which en- 5 gages a keeper b secured to the rear of the cash-drawer. A spring b tends to force the latch 15 into engagement with the keeper o The upper end of the latch is provided with an offset portion B which is engaged and elevated in a manner subsequently to be described, thereby disengaging the latch from its keeper and permitting the spring to pull the drawer open that is, to a position beyond the front wall A of the casing.

A shaft C is supported between the side walls A and A and serves as a support upon which are journaled any desired number of keys, preferably arranged in two rows C and C Each of the keys is provided with a depending finger adapted to actuate a slide E, the reciprocation of which registers an amount corresponding to the particular key operated.

The slides are supported in a substantially horizontal position above supports D and D which extend between the side walls A and A of the cash-register. The slides may be guided upon the supports in any suitable manner-as, fol-instance, by means of headed pins or screws d and 01 passing through elongated slots in the slides, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Each of the slides is provided with a spring 6, normally holding the slide in the position indicated in Fig. l. The end of each slide opposite to the end which is engaged by the depending finger of the corresponding key is provided with a thin horizontally-projecting flange 6, (see Figs. 2 and 7,) which terminates a short distance from the end of the slide. Between the end of the flange e and the extreme end of the slide is located a second flange 9 in a lower plane than the flange e, the distance between the under surface of the flange e and the upper surface of the flange 6 being slightly greater than the vertical thickness of the teeth on the registering-plates subsequently to be described, the adjacent ends of the flanges e and e being spaced aparta distance less than the width of the teeth on the registering-slides.

A series of vertical rods f'f f 850., are supported at the back of the cash-register, as shoWn in Fig. 2, and serve as guides, upon which are adapted to reciprocate registeringplates G G G the. The guide rods ff f &c., are preferably supported in an oscillatory frame, substantially the same as that described in my prior patent, for supporting the guide-rods around which the checks are located and upon which they are adapted to slide. The oscillatory frame of the guiderods in my present invention consists in a top bar F, journaled at its opposite ends in the side walls A and A of the casing, a lower bar F and vertical connecting-rods F and F secured at their opposite ends to the top bar F and the lower bar F Any suitable fastening device may be provided for retaining the frame normallyin a vertical positionsuch, for instance, as shown in my prior paten t-ora single spring-detent engaging a recess in the upper surface of the lower bar F shown at f in Fig. 2. The guide-rodsf f f &c., are preferably square in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4, and are surrounded by square eyes g and 9 secured to the registering-plates G G G 850.

A carriage is provided for elevating the registering-plates to the position indicated by the plate G in Fig. 2, such carriage being substantially the same in construction and operation as that illustrated in my prior patent for elevating the several series of checks to positions above the corresponding actuating-slides. The carriage comprises a lower bar Hilocated beneath the registering-plates, as shown in Fig. 1, a cross-bar H, located above the bottom bar H and extending in a plane to the rear of the paths of movement of the several registering-plates, as indicated in Fig. 1, and vertical side portions H and H having eyes at their upper and lower ends surrounding the side rods F and F of the oscillatory frame upon which the registeringplates are guided. Each of the registeringplates G G G &c., is provided with a series of teeth g, which are engaged by the flanges e and e on the ends of the slides E, and at each actuation of the corresponding key the registering-plate is allowed to descend a distance corresponding to one tooth. The teeth of the registering-plates therefore indicate the number of times the corresponding keys have been operated, and the capacity of the register for recording a given amount is limited to the number of teeth on the corresponding registering-plate. In order, therefore, that the recording capacity of the machine may be increased, it is desirable to provide more than one registering-plate for each amount, such plates being successively brought into operative relation with the slide actuated by the key. I accomplish this desired result in the present embodiment of my invention by extending one registeringplate-as, forinstance, the plate G-over the adjoining registering-plate-as, forinstance, G -so that the teeth g on the two plates may be successively engaged by the flanges e and e on the same slide. In order that the second registering-plate may not be brought into operative relation with the slide until after the first registering-plate has descended step by step its entire length, I provide a pawl K, (see Fig. 1,) pivotally supported upon a rod 70, the opposite ends of which are supported in the side walls of the casing. The lower end of the pawl K is provided with a retracting-spring K which normally throws the point of the pawl into the plane of movement of a pin 7c, (see Figsl, 2, and 4-,) projecting from the lower guide-ring g of the registering-plate G The registering-plate G is consequently held in the elevated position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 until the pawl K has been swung out of operative engagement with the pin 75, when the lower end of the plate falls into engagement with the end of the slide and is in position to be allowed to descend step by step by the successive operations of the slide. The pawl K is swung out of engagement with the pin 7t" to permit the slide G to fall upon the end of the slide by means of a pin k projecting from the upper guide-ring g of the registering-plate G,

engaging a cam K on the adjacent face of the pawl K. The relative positions of the pawl K and the pins 76 and k are such that when the registering-plate G completes its step-by-step descent the pin 7a oscillates the pawl K and disengages the endthereof from the pin is, permitting the second registeringplate G to fall into position to register the given amount upon the operation of the corresponding key immediately upon the top tooth on the registering-plate G having passed be low and out of engagement with the end of the corresponding slide. The bottom bar H of the carriage for returning the slides to their upper positions, as indicated by the slide G extends beneath the lower ends of all of the registering-plates, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Each of the keys is provided with a portion 0, extending beneath the lower end of a ver tically-reciprocating plate, to the upper end of which is secured a tablet indicating the amount corresponding to that of the cooperating key. The indicating-tablets are preferably arranged in two parallel rows, those in front being secured to plates L, the lower ends of which are actuated by the projecting portions 0 of the lower row of keys 0 while the rear row of indicating-tablets are supported by plates L the lower ends of which are engaged by the projecting portions 0 of the upper row of keys 0. The tablet-supporting plates L and L are guided in horizontal bars L and L extending transversely across the register and supported at their opposite ends by the side walls A and A of the casing.

In order that the indicating-tablets may be retained in an elevated position to indicate the amount of the purchase after the corresponding key has been actuated, the supporting-plates L and L are provided with perforations Z and Z respectively, which are engaged by pins n and 17. respectively, upon the successive elevations of the supportingplates. The pins at and n are preferably secured to a transverse bar 01, the opposite ends of which are rigidly secured in an oscillatory frame comprising side bars N and N respectively connected at their ends opposite to the ends which support the bar a by means of a transverse bar N A rod N extends trans versely across the register and is supported at its opposite ends in the side walls thereof and serves as a hearing about which the pinsupporting frame is adapted to oscillate. 'ihe pin-supporting frame is normally maintained in position to hold the pins in the paths of movement of the supporting-plates L and L of the indicating-tablets by means of a spring m. (See Fig. 1.) In order to oscillate the pin-supporting frame to remove the pins from the paths of movement of the tablet-supporting plates L and L a cam 17, is provided on the lower end of the side bar N of the frame, which is engaged by a finger m pivoted to the side bar M of a frame, pivotally mounted between the side walls of the register. This frame comprises side bars M and M pivotally secured at their upper ends to the side walls of the register and united at their lower or rear ends by a cross-bar H. The bar M extends across the tops of the several projecting portions 0 of the keys, as shown in Fig. 1. Upon the actuation of any one of the-keys the crossbar M is swung upwardly, thereby oscillating the pin-supporting frame through the engagement with the cam 11 thereof of the finger m and also lifting the drawerlatch B upwardly through the engagement of the bar M with the ofiset portion B of the stem of the latch.

A hell 0 may be secured to the side wall A of the register and operatively connected, by means of a link 0, with the adjacent bar M of the frame, which is oscillated through the contact of the keys with the transverse bar M.

In order that the amount of a purchase may be recorded on two separate registeringplates, and thereby avoiding the necessity of providing a separate registering-plate for each key, a baris secured to one slide, which extends beneath the adjacent slides and in the path of movement of the depending fin gers c of the keys in the upper row 0. By reference to Fig. 4, for instance, the slide E is provided with a bar (2 which extends beneath the adjacent slides E, E E and E. Consequently upon the actuation of the upper series of keys, numbered 6, 7, 8, and 9, the slide is actuated, as well as the slide in front of which the finger c of the corresponding key projects. By the arrangement just described the actuation of the key 9, for instance, operates simultaneously the slides if. and E thereby permitting the registering-plates of the keys 4 and 5 to each descend a tooth and recordthe amount nine on the Maud 5 registering-plates. Thesame arrangement is also provided for recording the amounts sixty, seventy, eighty, and ninety upon the registeringplates of the keys 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50, as indicated in Fig. 3. The same arrangement may also be extended to the dollars, so that six, seven, eight, and nine dollars may be recorded on the registering-plates of the one, two, three, four, and five dollar keys. The system may, in fact, be extended indefinitely, asis obvious.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Upon the actuation of any of the keysas, for instance, the key 1the portion 0 thereof elevates the transverse bar M, thereby through the connecting-link 0 ringing the bell and also through engagement of the offset elevating the drawer-latch and permitting the drawer to be pulled forward by the contraction of the spring B. The upward movement of the bar M also oscillates the pin-supporting frame into the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby removing the pins from the paths of movement of the tabletsupporting plates L and L and. permitting the particular plate which had been elevated by the previous operation of a key to descend. Upon the continued upward movement of the portion 0 of the key, and the con sequent continued upward movement of the bar M, the finger m passes out of engagement with the cam 77. and permits the spring we to oscillate the pin-supporting frame into such position (indicated in Figs. 1 and 6) that the several pins extend into the paths of movement of the tablet-supporting bars and the particular pin corresponding to the tablet which has been elevated enters the slot Z in its supporting-plate L.

The operation of a key reciprocates the corresponding slide to such a position that the tooth on the registering-plate which is immediately above and supported by the flange 6 slides through the opening between the adcent ends of the flanges c and 6 the succeeding tooth falling upon the flange c, and upon the release of the key the contraction of the spring 6 retracts the slide, so that the tooth supported upon the flange 6' falls upon and is supported by the flange 6 The registering-bar is consequently at each operation of the key permitted to descend one tooth, thereby recording the deposit in the cash-drawerof a given amount. The number of teeth which pass below the corresponding slide consequently indicate the sum of the given amounts which have been deposited in the cash-drawer. When the plate G falls, owing to its top tooth passing below the slide, the pin oscillates the pawl K, thereby disengaging the point of the pawl from the pin 7c, permitting the second plate G to fall upon the end of the slide in position to be fed downwardly step by step by the successive operations of the corresponding key. The sum of the teeth on the first plate added to the teeth on the second platewhich have descended below the slide indicate the total amounts deposited in the cash-drawer corresponding to the registering-plates actuated by the given slide.

It will be noted that the depending fingers c on the keys in the upper row 0 are longer than the depending fingers c of the keys in the lower row 0 Consequently the actuation of a key in the upper row operates not only the slide with which the fingerc directly engages, but also the slide E through the engagement of the finger c with the extension e thereon. l/Vhen, however, a key in the lower row is actuated, the length of the depending finger c is such that merely the slide adjacent thereto is engaged, the path of movement of the finger being above the extension a of the slide E.

It is obvious that each one of the slides may actuate two registering-plates, thereby doubling the capacity of the cash-register over that which it would possess if each slide actuated merely a single registering-plate. The calculation of the amounts'registered on the slides may be facilitated by placing adjacent to the teeth numerals indicating the sum of the amounts registered on the plates. For instance, the first plate G, which is actuated by the key 1, is provided with numerals in arithmetical progression from 1 to 80, and the plate G which is brought into operative engagement with the slide subsequent to the descent of the first plate G below the slide, is provided with numerals opposite its teeth arranged progressively from 81 to 160. It is of course obvious that the plates actuated by the various keys are numbered to correspond with the amounts of the respective keys, theseveral teeth on each plate being designated by numbers progressing arithmetically the amount of the key.

l/Vhen the money is counted and com pared with the amounts registered on the several plates and it is desired to return the plates to their elevated positions, it is merely necessary to swing outwardly the oscillatory frame which supports the guidebars for the registering-plates and then elevate the carriage to such a position that its bottom bar H is above the plane of the ends of the slides, when the frame may be again swung inwardly and the carriage allowed to descend, the registering-plates being then supported at their lower ends by the corresponding slides, the bottom tooth of each slide engaging the flange c of the corresponding slide. The plates which are brought into engagement with the slides subsequent to the disengagement of other plates with the same slides-as, for instance, the plate G are lifted above the supporting-pawls by the carriage and there supported-as, for instance, by a pawl K, engaging a pin it, as shown in Fig. 1.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that I have invented an improved cash-register capable of recording a great number of individual amounts and also capable of recordingagreaternumberof amounts than there are registeringplates.

While I have described more or less precisely the details of construction, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, l contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of sliding plates for registering the amounts of the purchases, reciin'ocating slides engaging said plates and operated by said keys whereby upon the actuation of a key the corresponding plate is permitted to descend a predetermined distance.

2. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of sliding plates having teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases, reciprocating slides engaging the teeth on said plates and operated by said keys to permit the plates to descend the distance of one tooth at each operation of the corresponding keys.

3. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of plates having teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases, reciprocating slides adapted to be engaged by the keys and having flanges located in different planes at'the ends thereof, said flanges extending between the teeth on the registering-plates and thereby supporting the latter and permitting the same to descend step by step upon the actuation of the keys.

4. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality of registering-plates, a reciprocating slide engaging said plates and actuated by said key to permit said plates to descend in succession step by step.

5. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality of sliding registeringplates having teeth, of a reciprocating slide operated by said key and engaging the teeth on the plates to permit the plates to descend in succession the distance of one tooth at each operation of the keys.

6. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality of plates having teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases, a reciprocating slide engaged by said key and having flanges located in different planes at one end thereof, said flanges extending between the teeth on each of the registeringplates in succession and thereby supporting each plate in turn and permitting the same to descend step by step upon the actuation of the key, and means for bringing the teeth on the plates successively into operative engagement with the flanges on said slide.

7. In a cash-register, the combination with a key, of a plurality of plates having teeth for registering the amounts of the purchases,

.a reciprocating slide engaged by said key and having flanges located in different planes at one end thereof, said flanges extending between t-he teeth on each of the registeringplates in succession and thereby support ing each plate in turn and permitting the same to descend step by step upon the actuation of the key, and a pawl for supporting one registering-plate out of operative engagement with the flanges on said slide and operated by another registering-plate to permit the first plate to fall into operative engagement with said flanges.

8. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of a series of sliding plates for registering different amounts, and connecting means interposed between said keys and said plates whereby the actuation of a single key sim ultaneously operates a plurality of said plates thereby registering the amount of the key upon plates the sum of the amounts of which equals the amount of the key.

9. In a cash-register, the combination with a series of keys, of a series of sliding registering-plates, a slide operatively engaging each of said plates to permit the same to move step by step, and means interposed between said keys and said slides whereby the actuation of a single key may simultaneously operate a plurality of slides and thereby record the amountcorrespondingto theactuated key upon a plurality of registering-plates.

10. In acash-register,the combination with a series of keys, of a series of sliding registering-plates,a plurality of slides operatively engaging said plates to move the same step by step,projections secured to predetermined slides and extending across adjacent slides, fingers depending from said keys and adapted to simultaneously actuate a plurality of slides upon the operation of a single key.

11. In a cash-register,the combination with a series of keys, of a series of indicating-tablets, plates supporting said tablets and engaged by the keys to actuate the tablets corresponding to the respective keys, a pivoted frame oscillated by the operation of the keys, a series of detents fixed to said frame and adapted to be disengaged from and engaged with the respective supporting-plates of the tablets by theoscillatiou of said frame.

12. In acash-register,the combination with a series of keys, of a series of indicating-tablets, plates supporting said tablets having openings therethrough and engaged by the keys to actuate the tablets corresponding to the respective keys,a pivoted frame oscillated by the operation of the keys, a series of pins projecting from said frame and adapted to be inserted in and removed from the openings in said supporting-plates by the oscillation of said frame.

13. In acash-regist-er, the combination with a series of keys, of a series of indicating-tablets, plates supporting said tablets and engaged by the keys to actuate the tablets corresponding to the respective keys, a pivoted frame, a cam secured to said frame, aswinging bar located above the keys and swung upwardly upon the actuation of the keys, a finger pivotally supported by said bar and adapted to engage said cam and thereby oscillate said frame, a series of detents fixed to said frame and adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the respective supporting-plates of the tablets by the oscillation of said frame.

let. Inacash-registe1',the combination with a series of keys, of a cash-drawer, a catch engaging said drawer to retain the same closed, a swinging bar extending above the keys,and a lateral projection on said catch extending into the path of movement of said bar whereby the actuation of the keys elevates said bar, which in turn raises said projection, and thereby disengages said catch from the drawer permitting the same to open.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE BROWNING.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, CLARA O. CUNNINGHAM.

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