Patent GB-1220913-A (GB)
Title: Cash register or similar accounting machine
IPC: G07G1/10
Filed: 1969-02-19
Abstract: 1,220,913. Programme control in accounting machines. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. 19 Feb., 1969 [13 March, 1968], No. 9089/69. Headings G4B and G4T. In a business machine having selectively depressible transaction keys, each of which determines a machine operation, means are provided which, if any one of a number of certain keys is depressed to determine a certain machine operation, condition the machine for automatically performing a further operation or operations upon completion of the certain operation. As shown in Fig. 5, a primary rack 43 is moved leftwards until halted by a depressed transaction key 45. Movement of the rack is effected by a cam-operated drive train, Fig. 1 (not shown), which rotates a plate, carrying a pivotal latch 36, about a shaft 34; rotation of the plate is coupled through a plate 48 to a gear 40, which drives the rack. When movement of the rack is halted, the latch 36 is rotated anticlockwise about its pivot, by camming action of notch 46 on a stud 47 carried by the latch, to break the drive train and to hold the adjusted position of the rack and gear 40 by a heel 49 of the latch engaging a toothed sector 54. A linkage 55-61, Fig. 3, is now operated to move a secondary rack 63 to the right a distance proportional to the distance moved by the primary rack 43. Rack 63 controls printing and indicating functions of the machine. The camoperated drive train is now operated to release the latch from sector 54 and return the primary rack 43 to its home position. The secondary rack 63 is held in its adjusted position by means (not shown). Linkage 55-61 further rotates gears (76-78, Fig. 4, not shown) which are used to control a selected one or a number of totalizers in the machine. Linkage 55-61 also rotates a square shaft 81, Figs. 6 and 8, to position selecting plates 85 and 141 according to the adjusted positions of the primary and secondary racks, themselves depending on which key 45 has been depressed. Selecting plate 85 determines whether the machine performs just one or a sequence of operations and selecting plate 141 determines the type of successive operations if more than one is to be performed. Functioning of selecting plate 85.-The plate is formed with peripheral cut-outs 105. In the adjusted position of the plate, a cut-out may or may not lie adjacent one of two ears 104 on pivoted arm 103 carried by a lever 90. In the former case, lever 90 is rotated clockwise by means 92-102 to position the ear within the cut-out and to move a stud 106 upwardly to block a non-repeat pawl 107 and a slide 108. An arm 111, normally controlled by pawl 107 and side 108, is then free to oscillate with its shaft 110, and the latter is arranged to initiate a continuous series of machine operations. If, on the other hand, a cut-out 105 does not lie adjacent either ear 104, then stud 106 is not moved to its blocking position. In this case, when a key 45 is set to move slide 108 to the left, arm 111 is freed to move anti-clockwise and pawl 107 holds the arm when it returns clockwise to the position shown; only one machine operation is then performed. Lever 90 is prevented by means, Fig. 7 (not shown), from moving clockwise to position stud 106 for blocking pawl 107 and slide 108 if no key 45 has been set. Function of selecting plate 141.-The plate is formed with cut-outs 143 of differing depths, the depth of a cut-out positioned adjacent a feeler 153 being indicative of the type of transaction to be performed during the next machine operation. The feeler is freed to pivot clockwise about shaft 154 under the action of spring 167 to sense the depth of the adjacent cut out. This clockwise pivoting is transmitted through a stud 162, Fig. 9, to a member 161 to position an appropriate stop surface 193 in the path of a lug 194 carried by the primary rack 43. Thus during the next machine operation, the primary rack will be halted at a position determined by the depth of the cut-out 143 sensed during this machine operation. The position at which the primary rack is halted during the next machine operation will in turn determine the next adjusted position of the selecting plates, by means already described. Consequently, the position and depths of the cut-outs 105 and 143 programmed into selecting plates 85 and 141 will determine the number of operations the machine will automatically cycle successively and the types of transactions performed by these operations. The adjusted position of the member carrying the stop surfaces 193 is held by means 171-187 until the next adjusted position of plate 141 is sensed by feeler 153. Appropriate mechanism, Figs. 10-11 (not shown), for controlling the operation of the main cam-shaft 20 of the machine is provided. The shaft 20 is operated through long or short cycles of operation depending on the type of transaction set by the keys 40. If selecting plate 85 is positioned to condition the machine for a continuous series of operations, then the cam-shaft drive controlling mechanism is held in the long cycle position. If a key 40 is depressed when the machine is already conditioned for performing an automatic cycle, then the cam-shaft drive controlling mechanism is actuated to terminate the cycle.