Patent GB-331182-A (GB)
Abstract: 331,182. Hentzschel Elektro-Bucher Ges., and Hentzschel, C. Dec. 24, 1928. Cash registers.-An accounting or book-keeping system adapted for use by a number of different concerns having branches in various towns includes item-entering machines installed in the branches and electricallv connected with district and central offices so that an item may be enterd in the machine of one participator at any one point and be printed and registered there and at the district and main offices of that participator. The items are entered as under a particular account and are received by that account and mav be amalgamated into group accounts with kindred entries. The electrical transmission is effected by impulses over not more than two lines or by wireless waves of two different wave-lengths automatically stepped switches provide for the requisite timing of the transmissions as between the originating instruments of the various participators, arrangements being made for adding and storing the entries until the transmission may be effected. Devices are also provided in the district and head offices for automatically re-transmitting the received entry to the originating office for checking purposes. The various instruments used at the different positions comprise entering or booking devices including account selectors, adding collecting and transferring mechanisms, non-adding collecting and transferring mechanisms, account-adding mechanisms, check total mechanisms, check total return mechanisms, account total printing mechanisms, participatorswitches and various other switch and relay devices for controlling and operating the different mechanisms. Plan of system. Fig. 2 illustrates the arrangement of the various instruments, in a system for three participators with offices at each of five stations, such as villages A. These stations are connected up with district offices D1, D2 and these again with the central headquarters E. At the local station are booking instruments 9, 9<1>, 9<11>, (one for each participator), account cabinets- 10, adding collecting and transmitting mechanisms 11 and check total devices 18. The three sets of instruments are connected through participator switches 12, 14 with further instruments at the district office and these are in turn connected through participator switches 24, 26 with the headquarters. At the district and head' offices there are provided, in addition to itementering instruments as at the local stations, non- adding collecting and transferring mechanisms 16, 28 account adding apparatus 17, 29, district and complete account adding mechanisms 21, 34 and check total return devices 19, 31. Booking-apparatus; account selectors. In the apparatus described provision is made for selecting any one of a hundred accounts by the differential positioning of a pair of key-levers 40, Fig. 4, rotatable about a shaft 41, and also radially displaceable to thrust three bridging contacts 43a between corresponding pairs of contacts 44 The key-levers are locked down by a spring- controlled detent plate 45, Fig. 11, a bevelled tooth 45a of which seizes a pin 40c on the lever. The plate is provided with an extension 45c to allow manual release of the key-lever. Adjacent to the latter is a disc 49 slotted at 49a to receive a pin 40e on the lever. The pin normally occupies on offset of the slot so that when the lever is rotated the disc turns with it, but when the lever is depressed the pin quits the offset to permit independent return of the disc. A series of projections 49c on the disc are adapted when this rotates to rock a lever 53 and thus intermittently close a pair of contacts 54, 55 to transmit impulses corresponding in number with the setting of the key-lever. A numeral wheel 52 geared with the disc indicates the setting. For returning the disc to home position a ribbed rod 58 traversing a toothed slot 49e in the disc is supported by a pair of slotted arms secured to the hollow shaft 41. Another pair of arms fixed to an inner shaft 59 are notched to grasp the rod, the arrangement being such that on rocking of the shaft 59 the relative movement of the arms produces a radial displacement of the rod so as to engage it with a tooth of the slpt 49e. Upon further movement therefore the rod carries the disc with it and returns it to zero position. The rocking of the shaft 59 is effected by a motor 65 through gearing 68 a cam 69 and a sector 73, the motor being switched in and a one-revolution freed, by the energization of a magnet 75. The detent plates 45 are rocked for releasing the keylevers, by means of hooks 82, cam-slotted at 82a, co-operating with a series of pins 45d 'on the plates and operated by a magnet 80. Booking - apparatus; item - entering. - The amounts are set up by manual displacements of discs 86, Fig. 14a, geared with indicating-drums 91 and notched at 86a to produce impulses by operation of contacts 98. After setting has been effected a ribbed rod 102 supported by arms 100 is shifted radially, to engage teeth 86c, by means of eccentrics on manually operated shaft 104. By operation of a key 117 circuit for the motor 107 is closed and a one-revolution stop 120 removed to permit oscillation of the arms 100. While the rod 102 is moving clockwise, circuit for the impulses is kept closed by a cam 114 bearing on contact 115. Booking-apparatus; differential mechanism. The impulses created by the apparatus just described are received by magnets 122, Fig. 17c, which thereupon permit the advance of stepped discs 134 urged by springs 135 and subsequently re-set by a rod 139 swung from the shaft 137 and rocked by link 242 cam-actuated from the main shaft. Co-operating with the discs are toothed racks 140, geared by sectors 142, Fig. 17a, with other similar racks 144, the sectors being controlled by springs 145 and thus tending to engage the racks 140 with the stepped discs. Booking - apparatus; adding and printing mechanism. Gearing with the racks 140 are type wheels 147, Fig 17b, from which item impressions can be taken by platens 162 on record-strips 173 arranged in a removable carriage. Also gearing with the racks are wheels 151 serving to actuate adding type wheels 152 both sets of wheels being mounted in a frame 150 adapted to rock about an axis 149. Similar frames 153, Fig. 17a, co-operate with the racks 144 but instead of adding type wheels, readable numeral wheels 156 are actuated by the intermediate wheels 155. Two further totalizing units are also provided at 158 to sum up any particular classes of entries. The printing platens 162 consist of individual pegs for each type wheel and are struck by hammers 163 retained in their normal positions by a pair of blade springs 164, 165, and operated by pin wheel 169 secured to shafts 168. The record-strips 173 are fed forward by means of ratchet and pawl mechanism 178, Fig. 27, operated by a cam 175 on the shaft 168 and driving a feed roller 190. The pawl is connected by a spring 185 and link 184 with a pawl-lever 186 adapted to drive the winding-on spool 160. To give an alarm when the strip is exhausted an electric contact arm 195 pivoted at 194 normally bears on the winding-off roll 161 and completes circuit through the spool itself when no paper is present. Booking-apparatus; operating-gear; totalizerselection.-A motor 226, Fig. 17a, drives a shaft 200 for one revolution at each operation, initiated by closing circuit to a magnet 201, Fig. 18a, the armature of which thereupon frees the stopdisc 204 and closes the motor circuit at 205, 206. The particular totalizers to receive an entry are determined by a series of five templates 213 or 214, each formed to receive pins 215, Fig. 18b on the rocking frames 150 or 153. The templates are selected by manual setting of a handle 207 geared with a sleeve 210 carrying arms 211 arranged to engage the templates and slidable on a square shaft 212 rocked by a cam 233. Thus the six printing totalizers and the corresponding indicating totalizers may be allotted respectively to summing the, items expressed in various ourrrencies and means are provided to prevent transmission of the entries to the other parts of the booking system when the currencies entered are not that for which the system is adapted. The actuating racks are controlled for movement by a rod 220, Fig. 17a, and 18a, connected with arms 222 rocked by a cam on the main shaft 200. The printing operating shafts 168 are driven by means of racks 229, 230, Figs. 18a and 18b moved by cam-operated arms 231, 232 and engaging loose pinions 235 fixed to discs 236, Fig. 24. These discs each carry a pawl 237 to engage a notched disc 240 fixed to the shaft but controlled by a spring influenced lever 238 pivotally carried by the disc. The templates may be extended as at 213c, Fig. 18b, to enter the path of this lever 238. Accordingly if an entry is to be received by a particular totalizer and item-recorder the shafts 168 corresponding thereto only will receive rotation from the racks 229, 230, and the pawls of other account-units not concerned will be disabled by the extensions. Booking-apparatus; date and consecutivenumber printing. Type wheels for the date are set by manual operation of bars 247, Fig. 19a, and for the consecutive number of the entry by similar bars controller by the cam-operated rod 220 previously mentioned. Adding, collecting and transferring mechanism 11. This consists of (1)' a receiving carriage 264, Fig. 28, capable of vertical and horizontal movements, (2) a field of thirty adding mechanisms 284 arranged in three rows of ten, and for each of these rows (3) a transmitting carriage adapted to co-operate successively with each of the adding-mechanisms and to transmit its registration by impulses to the distant stations. (1) The carriage 264 runs on vertical rails 305, Fig. 29, supported on a frame 306 mounted on rails 308, Fig. 30. For each denomination there is a magnet 265 provided with an armature for o