US2204848A - Cash register - Google Patents

Description

June 18, 1940. w. E. EICKMAN 2,204,848

CASH REGISTER Filed Oct. 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3nventor Willis E. Eickman [JAM/M Hi; (Ittorneg June 18, 1940." w. E. EICKMAN 2,204,343

CASH REGISTER Filed Oct. 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nnentor Willis E. Hickman QLAJz/WWJ Hi; attorney Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiE CASH REGISTER Application October 5,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to cash registers and accounting machines, and more particularly to an improved control of the differential actuator by the totalizer wheels during total-taking or resetting operation.

In the accompanying drawings the present invention is shown embodied in a machine of the general type illustrated and described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,619,796, issued March l, 1927, to Bernie M. Shipley, to which reference is hereby made ior a complete disclosure of those features of the machine which are not specifically disclosed in this application. Although the invention is shown embodied in a machine of the general type disclosed in said patent, it is manifest that the invention may be embodied in other kinds of machines employing a similar type of differential meclfianism.

The present invention eliminates the Well known reset spider disclosed in the above men ticned Shipley patent and the parts for controlling it, which are usually employed in such types of machines, and simplifies the control of the dif- .ierential mechanism during sub-total operations, total-taking or totalizer resetting. operations, and makes the same more positive in its operation.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide novel means for controlling the differential mechanism, which means is. simple in construction, economical of manufacture, and positive in its operation.

Another object is to provide an improved control of the differential actuator by the totalizer wheels during subtotal operations, total-taking or totalizer resetting operations.

bank of keys and the differential mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 2 a detail side view of the differential driver and latch mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a detail side view of the differential actuator the means for controlling the same.

Fig. l is a detail side View of the means for controlling the differential actuator as determined by the totalizer wheels.

Fig, 5 is a detail perspective view of the im- 1936, Serial No. 103,968

the

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The invention is shown embodied in a machine of the type employing keys by which values are introduced into the machine. Depression of a key serves to introduce a value, corresponding to the numeral on the key, into a differentially movable actuator, said value being subsequently transmitted from said actuator to the proper totalizer wheels.

Associated with each differential actuator is another differentially movable member adapted to be controlled by the actuator through a lever or What is known in this art as a beam connection. This member, through the beam conneo'tion, differentially sets indicating mechanism and printing mechanism for indicating and printing, respectively, the values of the keys depressed.

When taking totals from the totalizer wheels or resetting said wheels to zero, an improved con trol of the differential actuator by the totalizer wheels is herein provided, which will be fully X- plained hereinafter.

The mechanism. herein shown is covered and protected from unauthorized manipulation by a suitable casing or cabinet such as shown in the above mentioned Shipley patent.

DETAIIED DESCRIPTION The present machine is operated by either an electric motor or a manually operable crank in the usual manner, and it is thought unnecessary, in View of the above mentioned patent, to inciude any description of the operating mechanism in this application. It is thought to be surhcient to state that the operating mechanism drives a main drive shaft 353 (Fig. 1), which, in turn, operates the mechanism of the machine.

Keyboard Any number of banks of keys may be provided in the present machine, depending on the capacity desired. For the purpose of illustration, however, only one bank of amount keys 3i (Pig. 1) is shown herein, and inasmuch as said bank of keys is similar to that shown and described in. the above mentioned Shipley patent only a brief de scription thereof will be given herein.

The keys 3!, which control the diiierential positioning of the actuator during adding operations, are slidably mounted in a key frame 32 supported at its upper end by a rod 33 and at its lower end by a rod 34, both of said rods being mounted in the machine side frames 35 (only one of which is shown). The keys are normally maintained in their undepressed positions by coil springs 35 (only one of which is shown) which cooperate with pins 31 carried by the keys. When a key is depressed, it is held in its depressed position by a pin carried by a detent 39 pivoted at its upper end to an arm (not shown) and at its lower end to an arm 4!, both of said arms being carried by the key frame Each of the keys has a shoulder projecting from its stem which, when the key is depressed, will force the detent 3E! downwardly until the pin 33 thereon, appropriate to the key depressed, passes the shoulder on the key, whereupon the detent will move upwardly under the action of a spring 42 and latch the key in its depressed position,

Near the end of the operation of the machine, the deteut is moved downwardly, by mechanism fully shown and described in the above mentioned Shipley patent, far enough to disengage the pin 38 from the shoulder of the depressed thus permitting the spring 36 to move the key to its normal undepressed position.

Difierenfial mechanism The differential mechanism is shown being controlled by the amount bank of keys 9| (Pig. 1) This differential mechanism is for the purpose of accumulating on totalizers and controlling the setting of indicators and printers.

There will be provided in the machine as many difierent-ial mechanisms as there are banks of amount keys, and there may be one or more additional differential mecl'ianisms to take care of the overflow amounts.

The present "nine given one cycle of operation during adding operations and two cycles of operation during total-taking or totalizer resetting operations. The mechanism for condi" tioning the machine for one and two cycle op erations is old and well known in the art, as fully shown and described in the above mentioned Shipley patent, and therefore not described herein.

The differential mechanism includes a differentially movable actuator 50, provided with racks 5|, and transfer carrying arms 52 for operating totalizer wheels 53 arranged on three different lines. The actuator 50 is pivoted on a hub 54- formed on a frame 49 supported by rods 55 and 5? carried by the machine side frames 35. There is a frame 49 provided for each differential mech anism associated with the various banks of amount keys in the machine. There is also a companion frame 55 (Fig. 3) for each differential unit, the mechanism for each unit being between the frames 49 and 55.

During each cycle of operation of the machine, the actuator 50 is driven in a clockwise direction by a driving segment 58, also pivoted on the hub 54, which segment is given an invariable movement, during each cycle of operation of the machine, by means to be later described. The

- actuator 59 is connected to the driving segment 58 by means of a latch 59 which is supported by a bell crank 60 and a link 6| pivoted on a differentially movable arm 62 also pivoted on the hub 54. The actuator 50 has a forward extension 53 provided with an aperture 64 through which projects a pin 65 carried by the forwardly extending arm of the bell crank 69, thus connecting the actuator 50 with the latch 59. A spring 66 constantly tends to hold the rear end of the latch 59 in engagement with a shoulder on the driving segment 58. Through such latch connection, the segment 58 is adapted to drive said arm 62 and the actuator 50 in a clockwise direction.

The means for giving the segment 58 its invariable movement during each cycle of operation of the machine consists of a pair of cams l and H (Fig. 1) fast on the main drive shaft 30. The shaft 30 receives one complete clockwise rotation during each cycle of operation of the machine. The cams l0 and H coact with rollers I2 and 13, respectively, on a Y-shaped lever 14 pivoted at 69 to the frame 49. The upper end of the lever 14 is connected to the segment 58 by a link 15.

Clockwise movement of the cams 10 and 1| rocks the lever 14 first clockwise and then counter-clockwise during each cycle of operation of the machine, whereby the segment 58 and, through the latch 59, the arm 62 and actuator 50 are rocked likewise.

During the clockwise movement of the segment 58, the forward end of the bell crank 69 strikes the inner end of any depressed key 3|. This rocks the bell crank 60 and link counter-clockwise, thereby disengaging the latch 59 from the shoulder on the segment 58. When this occurs, the rear end of the latch 59 rides upon the outer periphery of the driving segment 58 as said segment continues its invariable movement. When the latch 59 is thus disengaged from the segment 58, the forward end thereof engages a notch 16, opposite the depressed key, in a plate 71 carried by the frame 49. There are ten notches 16 in the plate 11, one for each of the nine keys 3| and one for the zero position.

When there is no key 3| depressed, the latch 59 is disengaged from the segment 58 in its zero position by a zero stop pawl 8|, the construction and operation of which pawl is old and well known in the art, as disclosed in the Shipley patent heretofore referred to. The pawl 8| stops the clockwise movement of the extension 63 and the latter, through its pin-and-slot connection 6564, rocks the bell crank 50 counter-clockwise to disengage the latch 59 from the driver 58.

When the latch 59 is disengaged from the segment 58 and engaged with one of the notches 16 in the manner above described, the differentially movable arm 62 and actuator 50 are consequently stopped and held in that position until the segment 58 is returned counter-clockwise to its home position. When the segment 58 is thus rocked counter-clockwise, a stud 18 carried thereby strikes a surface 19 on a projection 80 of the arm 62 and rotates said arm and the actuator 50 to their normal positions, during which time the racks 5| on the actuator 50 engage with and enter upon the selected totalizer wheels 53, an amount corresponding to the value of the key depressed.

The means for selecting the totalizer wheels 53 and moving them into engagement with the racks 5| is old and well known in the art, as shown and described in the Shipley patent heretofore referred, and therefore no description thereof will be given herein.

The usual type of beam I30 (Figs. 1 and 2) isprovided which coacts with a link |3| for controlling the differential setting of the indicating and printing mechanisms. This beam is pivoted at one end to the arm 52 and is bifurcated at its opposite end to straddle a pin I32 carried by the link |3|. At its upper end, this link is pivoted to an indicator setting segment I33 which is thereby set in accordance with the position of the differentially movable arm 62 in a well known manner. An ali-gner I34 is provided which cooperates with aligning teeth I35 on the segment I33 to align said segment and its associated mechanism in adjusted position.

The link I3I is pivoted at its lower end to an arm I36 journaled on a shaft I31. A segmental spiral gear I38, secured to the arm I36 and journaled on the shaft I31, meshes with a spiral pinion I39 fast on a shaft I49 which, in turn, through Well known connections, sets up the proper amount on an appropriate type wheel (not shown).

Transfer mechanism Each of the totalizer wheels 53 has a long tooth 89 so located that as said wheel passes from 9 to the long tooth thereon strikes the underside of a flange 90 on a control arm 9| and thus rocks said arm counter-clockwise. Such counter-clockwise movement of the arm 9| releases a transfer trip pawl 92 associated with the differential mechanism of the next higher denominational order, which results in the transfer carrying arm 52 corresponding thereto moving the totalizer wheel 53 of that particular order one step in addition to the regular addition. The means for accomplishing this result will now be described.

Inasmuch as the transfer tripping mechanisms,

associated with each of the transfer carrying arms 52 are identically the same, only the tripping mechanism for the upper totalizer line will be described herein. The same reference numerals, however, will be applied to the tripping mechanisms associated with the other two totalizer lines,

The control arm 9| and a trip pawl latch 94 are yoked together by a bar 93 and are pivotally mounted on a stud 95 carried by the frame 55. Wound around the stud 95 is a coil spring 96, one end of which is secured to the frame 55 and the other end is fast to the arm 9|, which constantly tends to rock said arm SI and the latch 94 in a clockwise direction to force a shoulder 91 on the latch 94 into engagement with a flange 98 formed on the transfer trip pawl 92 associated with the differential mechanism of the next higher order. The pawl 92 is pivoted at 99 to the frame 55 and is, in turn, normally urged in a clockwise direction by a spring I00, but is normally prevented from doing so by the engagement of the flange 98 with the shoulder 91. The spring I00 is fast at one end to the frame 55 and at its opposite end to the pawl 92. The pawl 92 is thus normally retained in a position where a blocking surface |0| formed on the rear end thereof abuts a stud I02 carried by the transfer carrying arm 52. The arm 52 is normally urged in a counter-clockwise direction by a spring I03 but is prevented from doing so by the stud I02 abutting the surface |0|.

At the beginning of the clockwise rotation of the main drive shaft 30 (Fig. 1), the differentially movable actuator 50 is moved clockwise while the transfer carrying arm 52 stands still until the rack strikes it and thus closes the gap which normally exists between the rack 5| and its associated arm 52. Further clockwise movement of the actuator'50 moves the rack 5| and arm 52 away from trip pawl 92, said rack and arm then constituting a single uninterrupted rack.

If, upon the return counter-clockwise movement of the actuator 50 at which time the rack 5| meshes with the totalizer wheel 53, the arm 9| and latch 94 are rocked counter-clockwise by the long tooth 89 of the totalizer wheel, the shoulder 91' is consequently disengaged from the flange 98. Such movement of the arm 9| and the latch 94 in a counter-clockwise direction is limited by a flange I06 formed on the lower end of the latch 94 striking an edge III! of the frame 55. This'permits the pawl 92 associated with next higher order differential mechanism to be rocked clockwise under the action of its spring I00, thereby moving the blocking surface |0| out of the path of the stud I02. Such clockwise movement of the pawl 92 is limited by the flange 98 striking an upwardly extending projection I04 formed on the lower end of the latch 94. The transfer carrying arm 52 is thus permitted to continue its counter-clockwise movement with the racl: 5|, under the action of the spring I03, until the stud I02 strikes a surface I05 on the pawl 92, thereby arresting any further counterclockwise movement of the arm 52. Such continued counter-clockwise movement of the arm 52 with the rack 5| acts in an old and well known manner to turn the totalizer wheel 53 associated therewith one extra step.

The transfer trip pawls 92 are not restored to their untripped positions until the next operation of the machine. This is brought about by the clockwise movement of a three-armed lever II5, each arm of which coacts with one of the trip pawls 9i and restores it to its untripped position where its flange 98 again engages the shoulder 91 of the latch 94. The lever H5 is pivoted on the hub 54 and maintained in proper position by a stud Iii? on said lever projecting through an elongated opening II! in the frame 55. When the driving segment 59, which is disposed intermediate the lever I IS and the frame 55, is moved clockwise during the next operation of the machine, it will coact with the stud H6 and rock the three-armed lever ||5 clockwise to restore any operated transfer trip pawls 92 to their untripped positions.

Total-taking operation As heretofore mentioned, the present invention contemplates an improved control 0f the differential actuator 59 by the totalizer wheels 53 during total-taking operations. This control consists of the arm 9| and the latch 94 which also controls the transfer trip pawls 92, hereinbefore described, during transfer operations. By such an arrangement, the present invention eliminates the need for the usual reset spider, together with the many parts for controlling the same, generally employed in such types of machines, and makes such control more positive in its operation, and also effects an economy of manufacture.

During total-taking operations, the present machine is given two cycles of operation, as compared to one cycle during adding operations, by mechanism which is old and well known in the art, as illustrated and described in the above mentioned Shipley patent. The purpose of the two cycles of operation during total-taking 0peratious is to restore the transfer tripping devices to their untripped positions and allow sufficient time for the selection of a desired totalizer and the engagement of said selected totalizer with the actuating rack 5|.

During the first cycle of a total-taking operation, the zero stop pawl BI is in its effective position so that when the driving segment 58 is movedclockwise the forward end of the extension 63 will strike said pawl BI and thereby disengage the latch 59 from the segment 58 and at the same time, engage the forward end of said latch with the notch 16 corresponding to the zero position, while the segment 58 continues its invariable movement. The differentially movable actuator 59, through its connection with the latch 59, is likewise positioned in the zero position. When the segment 58 is moved counter-clockwise to its home position, the stud l8 thereon coacts with the surface 79 to return the differentially movable arm 82, the latch 89 and the actuator 50 to their home positions. The totalizer wheels 53 are moved into engagement with the racks 5| on the actuator 59 near the end of this first cycle of operation.

During the second cycle of such operation, the totalizer wheels 53 are still in engagement with the racks 5% but the zero stop pawl 8| is moved out of the path of the forward end of the extension 63 by mechanism which is old and well known in the art. Consequently, when the segment 53 is moved clockwise, the latch 59 will remain in engagement with the segment 58 and the actuator 56 will move clockwise with said segment and rotate the totalizer wheels 53 counter-clockwise until the long tooth 89 on one of said wheels strikes the upper side of the flange 90 on the arm Hi. When this occurs, the arm 9|, which is held in its home position by the engagement of the shoulder 97 on the latch 94 with the flange 98 on the trip pawl 92, stops said wheel 53 and, through its engagement with a rack 5|, stops the actuator 50 in a position corresponding to the amount which was standing on said totalizer wheel at the beginning of the second cycle of operation. When the actuator 50 is thus stopped, the forward extension 63 thereon, through its pin and slot connection 65-64, rocks the bell crank 3 counter-clockwise to disengage the latch 59 from the segment 58 and engage the forward end of said latch with the notch 16 c0rresponding to the position in which the actuator 50 is stopped. This will position the differential mechanism and its connections with the indicating and printing mechanisms in accordance with the value standing on the totalizer wheel 53.

Whether the operation is a total or sub-total one depends upon whether the totalizer wheels 53 are disengaged from the racks 5| at this time (a total operation) or are kept in mesh therewith while the racks 5| are returned to the positions occupied at the beginning of the operation (a sub-total operation). Such arrangement is old and well known in the art, as disclosed in the Shipley patent heretofore referred to.

In view of the fact that the mechanism of the present invention is comparatively simple and its operation has been fully set forth in the foregoing description, it is believed that a further summary of the operation thereof is unnecessary.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine or the class described having a driven accounting element and a driver therefor, the combination or a latch engageable with and disengageable from said driver; a member carrying said latch; an actuator for said driven accounting element; and means for connecting the actuator and the latch by which the actuator controls the disengagement of the latch.

2. In a machine of the class described, an actuator, a driving element; a latch normally engaged with the driving element; means directly connected to the latch to disengage the latch from the driving element; a member carrying the latch and the disengaging means; means directly connecting the disengaging means and the actuator by which the latch through the disengaging means drives the actuator; and means to stop the movement of the actuator differentially and through the connecting means to operate the disengaging means so that the latch may be disengaged from the driving element.

3. In a machine of the class described, a difierential actuator; a driving element; a latch normally engaged with the driving element; a member carrying said latch; means connecting the latch and the diiferential actuator to cause the latch to move relatively to the actuator and be disengaged from the driver under control of the actuator upon continued movement of the driver after the actuator is arrested; and means to arrest the actuator so that the connecting means will cause the latch to be disengaged from the driver.

4.. In a machine of the class described operable to perform total-taking operations and having an accumulator element, an actuator therefor, and driving element for said actuator, the combination of a latch engageable with and disen gageable from said driving element; means for connecting the actuator to the latch by which the actuator controls the disengagement of the latch from the driving element when the actuator is arrested; and a stop operable in total-taking operations to arrest the accumulator element in zero position, said accumulator element arresting the actuator differentially and through the connecting means causing the latch to be disengaged from the driving element.

5. In a machine of the class described having an accumulating element, the combination of a differential actuator for said element; a driver for said actuator; a member movable with said actuator and movable a slight additional distance relative to said actuator after said actuator has been arrested; a latch carried by said member and engageable with and disengageable from said driver; connections between said latch and said actuator by which the actuator controls the disengagement of the latch from the driver during the additional movement of the member, said connections also enabling the latch to transmit the movement of the driver to the actuator; and a stop for arresting movement of said accumulating element and through said element arresting movement of said actuator so that the latch will be disengaged through said connections upon said additional movement of the member.

6. In a machine of the class described having an accumulator element, a differential actuator therefor, and a driver for said actuator having a constant excursion of movement, the combination of a latch normally engaged with said driver to be moved thereby; a movable member; means supporting said latch on said member for movement out of engagement with the driver; means connecting said actuator to a part of said sup porting means so that the actuator can control the disengagement of the latch from the driver when the actuator is arrested; and a stop member for arresting said accumulator element; said accumulator element, when arrested by said stop member, arresting said actuator at different points during the constant excursion of the driver and through said connecting means causing said supporting means to move the latch out of engagement with the driver upon continued movement of the member and the driver.

7; In a machine of the class described operable to perform total-taking operations and having an accumulating element, the combination of a differential actuator for said accumulating element; a latch; a member for carrying said latch, said member moving with the actuator and a slight distance after the actuator is arrested; a rockable bell-crank pivoted on said member; means connecting one arm of said bellcrank to the actuator and another arm of said bell-crank to the latch; a driver operable through engagement with the latch to provide a positive drive for the hell-crank and the actuator; and means operable in total-taking operations for stopping the accumulating element when it is moved to zero position by the actuator, said accumulating element differentially arresting the differential. movement of the actuator and through the connection between the actuator and said one arm of the bell-crank arresting said one arm of the bell-crank against further differential movement so that the bell-crank will be rocked upon further movement of the member and the driver after the movement of the actuator has been arrested and the other arm of the bell-crank Will move the latch out of driving engagement with the driver.

8. In a machine of the class described having an accumulating element, the combination of a differential actuator for said accumulating element; a driver for said actuator; a member movable with said actuator and movable an additional extent relative to said actuator after said actuator has been arrested; a latch carried by said member and engageable with and disengageable from said driver; connections between said latch and said actuator by which the actuator controls the disengagement of the latch from the driver during the additional movement of the member, said connections also enabling the latch to transmit the movement of the driver to the actuator when the member moves with the actuator; means to arrest the actuator; and yieldable means cooperating with the latch to normally cause the latch and the member to move with the actuator but yieldable, when the actuator is arrested, to allow the member to move the additional extent relative to the actuator so that the connections can disengage the latch from the driver.

WILLIS E. EICKMAN.

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