US655911A - Store-service apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No. 655,9". Patented Aug. I4, 1900. E. H. PFEIFFEH.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

(Application led Jan. 25. 1900.)

x WQ@ v STATES PATENT Onricn.

ELIZABETH I'I. PFEIFFER, OF PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 655,911, dated August 14, 1900. Application lcd January 25, 1900. Serial No. 2,781. (N0 modem T0 all whom it may Concern,.-

Beit known that LELIZABETH H. PFEIFFER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Pensacola, in the county of Escambia and State of Florida, haveinvented new and useful Improvementsvin Store-Service App ratus, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to labor-saving apparatus for use in stores and similar places, and contemplates the provision of means whereby ascale maybe easilyand expeditiouslymoved lengthwise of a counter or other support to a point adjacent to the material to be weighed, thus rendering it unnecessary for a clerk to walk to and fro between the material and the scale in filling the scoop of the latter.

The invention also contemplates the provision of scale-moving means, through the medium of which a clerk standing at one end of the counter may draw the scale to or move it away from him.

It further contemplates the provision of uprights, which serve as supports for cord-holders and paper-bag racks and also serve to inclose reciprocatory rack-bars, throughithe medium of which motion is transmitted to the scale-conveyer and guide said rack-bars in their movements.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in Which- Figure l is a broken longitudinal section illustrating a store-counter and my improved apparatus with the parts in their proper operative positions. Figs. 2, 3,and et are enlarged detail sections taken in the planes indicated by the broken lines 2 2, 3 3, and 44,

respectively, of Fig. l.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A is a storecounter, which maybe and preferably is of the ordinary construction, with the exceptions that it is provided in its top, at points adjacent to i-ts ends, with apertures ct and is also provided in the upper side of its top with a longitudinal g'roove b, extending from one aperture a to the other.

B is a scale, which in general is of the ordinary construction and is designed to be moved lengthwise of the counter, on the top thereof. This scale is preferably mounted in a pivotal `as shown in Fig. l.

manner on a carrier B', provided withv traveling wheels c to facilitate moven1ent,th ereof, and also provided with one or more depending projections d, which are designed to rest and move in the grooveb of thecounter, and thereby hold the carrier against lateral movement or displacement incident to its 'movements longitudinally of the'counter;

. C C are sprocket-wheels arranged to turn in the openings a of the counter-top and fixed on shafts e, journaled in bearings f at the under side of the counter-top.

D D are pinions fixed on the shafts c at the side of the sprocket-wheels C.

E is a conveyer, through the medium of which the scale is moved to and fro longitudinally of the counter. This conveyer is preferably in the form of an endless sprocketchain,which takes around the sprocket-wheels C and has its upper stretch arranged and adapted to move in the groove b of the counter, as shown. It is connected to one, preferably the middle, depending projection d of the carrier, and hence it will be seen that when it is moved the carrier and scale will be steadily and smoothly moved on top of the counter.

F F are hollow uprights, which are connected to and rise from the top of the counter A at'points above the sprocket-Wheels C and y are provided with vertical slots g, as shown at the left of Fig. l, and G G are verticalk rack-bars, which are intermeshed with the pinions D and are designed, through the medium of said pinions, to transmit motion to the sprocket-wheels C 'and conveyer E. At

,their upper ends the said rack-bars -areprovided with lateral handles H, which extend through the vslots gof the uprights Fand are consequently able to hold the `bars against turning out of engagement with the pinions D. .At their lower ends the rack-bars are connected to steadying-rods I," which extend loosely through apertures in the store-door,

By virtue of the construction thusfar de= scribed a clerk standing at either end of the counter A is enabled by drawing down on the adjacent handle H to draw the scale B to him and is also enabled by drawing down. or pushing up on the handle to move the scale to any desired point in the length ofthe counter.

IOO

It follows from this that the scale may be conveniently and expeditiously moved with but little effort on the part of the clerk to a point adjacent to the material to be weighed, thus rendering it unnecessary for the clerk to Walk to and fro between the material and scale in filling the scoop of the latter and saving both time and labor.

By virtue of my improved apparatus the scale B is enabled to take the place of a number of scales located at intervals in the length of the counter, since it is adapted, as before described, to be moved to any point intermediate of the ends of the counter. It will also be observed that my improved apparatus is simple,compact,and inexpensive, is readily applicable to ordinary counters, such as are found in grocery and other stores, and embodies no delicate parts, such as are likely to get out of order aftera short period of use.

J J are bag-racks. These bag-racks comprise bodies h, which are mounted and by preference adapted to turn on the upper ends ofthe uprights F and are provided with handles 't' and arms j, which extend radially from the bodies and are provided with pins 7c or other bag-holding means. The bodies h of the bag-racks are in the form of receptacles, and hence are adapted to hold balls of cord after the manner shown.

In practice it will be seen that after sugar or other material is weighed the scale may be moved to a point adjacent to one of the uprights F, where the clerk can conveniently select a bag and place the sugar therein and the-n tie up the bag.

I have entered into a specific description of the construction and relative arrangement of the several parts of my improved apparatus in order to 'impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to such specilic construction and arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

By' reason of the scale B being pivotally mounted on the carrier B the scale may be turned on the carrier to any position desired.

When desirable, a coiled spring surrounding the pintle d and interposed between the base a3 of the scale and the carrier B', as best shown in Fig. 3, may be employed to hold the scale against casual swinging movement and retain it in the positions to which it is adjusted.

Having thus described my invention, what I.claim is 1. In a labor-saving apparatus for use in stores, the combination of a counter having a longitudinal guideway in its upper side, wheels mounted below the counter and ad jacent to the ends thereof, a belt taking around said wheels and having its upper stretch arranged in the guideway, a handle, gearing intermediate of the handle and one of the wheels, and a scale or other device to be moved having a depending projection arranged in the guideway of the counter and connected to the belt, substantially as specified.

2. In a labor-saving apparatus for use in stores, the combination of a counter, wheels arranged adjacent to the ends of the counter, a conveying-belt taking around said wheels, a pinion iiXed with respect to one of the belt- Wheels, and a vertically-movable rack-bar intermeshed with said pinion, substantially as specified.

3. In a labor-saving apparatus for use in stores, the combination of a counter, a hollow upright rising from the counter and having a vertical slot, wheels arranged adjacent to the Y ends of the counter, a longitudinally-disposed conveyer-belt taking around said wheels, a pinion fixed with respect to one of the beltwheels, and a vertically-movable rack-bar intermeshed with said pinion and movable in the hollow upright and having a lateral handle movable in the slot of said upright, substantially as specified.

4. In a labor-saving apparatus for use in stores, the combination 'of a counter, hollow uprights rising from the counter at points adjacent tothe ends thereof and having vertical slots, wheels arranged adjacent to the ends of the counter, a longitudinally-disposed belt taking around said Wheels arranged adjacent to the ends of the counter, pinions xed with respect to the belt-wheels, and vertically-movable rack-bars intermeshed with the piuions and movable in the hollow uprights and having lateral handles movable in the slots of said uprights, substantially as specified.

5. In a labor-saving apparatus for use in stores, the combination of a counter, a belt disposed longitudinally of the counter and having its upper stretch arranged abo-ve the counter, a carrier arranged on the counterv and connected to the belt, and a scale pivotally mounted on said carrier whereby it may be turned thereon to any position desired, substantially as specified.

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

ELIZABETH H. PFEIFFER. Witnesses:

WV. W. MANN, J. C. DooDY.

ICO

Images