Patent GB-191109302-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Cash Registers and Indicating Devices therefor.
Filed: 1911-04-13
Granted: 1912-04-11
Abstract: 9302. National Cash Register Co., [National Cash Register Co.]. April 13. Cash registers; electric indicators; keyboard interlocks; keys for clerks. - Machines of the type described in Specification 10,213/93 are provided with electric means whereby a distant indication of the transactions registered and an indication of certain transactions at different selected distant places can be. effected. Each of the amount keys 1 is adapted to raise an indicator tablet 13, the stem of which is provided with a lug 14 arranged to co-operate with a rocking frame 15 adapted to hold the indicator in its exposed position. The lugs 14 are employed to complete the circuit through electric switches which comprise a pivoted cam-lever 30 and a spring-pressed plunger 32; the plunger 32 is mounted in a metallic sleeve which is secured to an insulated bar by means of locknuts, to which bar is attached one wire of the circuit, the other wire being connected to the spindle 31 on which the cam-levers are pivoted. A series of special clerks' keys 83 is provided to determine the particular distant indicating position to be connected in circuit. These keys have each hollow stems into which projects a plunger 85 adapted to engage an insulated block 92 on a pivoted contact piece 93, secured to an insulated plate 95 and carrying a contact plunger similar to the plunger 32 for an amount key. When a key is depressed, the circuit for that key is completed and the indications are maintained until the succeeding operation. This is effected by means of pins on the keystems co-operating with a detent plate 97 and a locking plate 98, which respectively latch the keys in the depressed position and lock the other keys against operation until the depressed key has been returned. The detent plate is operated to release the depressed key by the engagement of a pin 103, which projects through a slot in the locking plate, with a crank-arm 105 connected through a link with the key coupler 4. The lower plunger 85 of a special key is latched in its depressed position and can only be unlatched therefrom on the depression of another key; simultaneous depression of two or more keys is prevented by a number of pivoted plates 87<a> co-operating with pins on the keystems. When a special key is depressed the main switch is opened by means of a lever 112 which engages a pin on the locking plate 98 so that the movement of the latter rocks the lever 112. The lower end of the lever is connected to a sliding bar 116 which is mounted on the key-coupler shaft and rests at its rear end on a pin 52 which then normally locks the machine. The forward movement of the sliding-bar unlocks the machine and a pin on the bar rocks an insulated lever 120 to break the circuit at the plunger 122, thereby preventing sparking when an amount key is depressed. This circuit is broken until an amount key is operated, whereby the key-coupler is actuated, the locking plate 98 resumes its normal position, and the sliding bar again closes the circuit. No indication, however, is given until the machine has completed its operation, when an auxiliary switch 49, 50 is brought into action by means of an insulating block 51. The transactions are displayed upon groups of indicators placed at different distances from the register. Each of the indicators comprises three disks 55 mounted on spindles 56 and provided with bevel wheels engaging similar wheels on vertical spindles 60. Double solenoid magnets 63 are arranged at the upper end of the casing and their cores are attached to racks 66, each of which engages a pinion provided with a pawl to drive a ratchet-wheel and consequently drive the spindle 56 in one direction. Each of the spindles 60 is provided with a disk 61 having a depending lug 62 adapted to be arrested by one of the plunger stops 72 when projected from their magnets 73. These magnets are arranged in groups under each disk 61 and correspond in number to the number of digits on their respective disks 55. Each magnet comprises two solenoid bobbins, two connected cores, and a plunger rod 72 adapted to be raised into the path of the lug 62 when the corresponding magnet is energized by the depression of the particular amount key. If no magnet in a series is operated, the indicator is arrested at the zero position by arranging that the stop 79 of this magnet 78 is normally kept in the path of the lug 62 by means of springs 80 and that when another magnet of the series is energized the zero stop 79 will be withdrawn. The system of wiring for the form of indicator described is shown in Fig. 8. The circuit is completed through a wire 127 attached to the plungers 96 of the special keys, through the particular solenoids 63, and the wire 128 to the bobbin 78, through a ring wire 129 connected by a number of wires 130 to the magnets 73, which magnets are connected by separate wires 35 to the contact plungers 32 of the amount keys, and finally through the switches 49, 122 back to the special keys. If no amount key in a particular bank has been actuated the circuit will not be closed. To overcome this objection, the zero stop 79 is provided with a contact piece 79<a> which normally engages two contact pieces 132, 133 connected by wires 134, 135 to the wires 128, 34 respectively, to form a branch circuit, thereby cutting out the amount plungers 32. Modifications are described in which (1) an indicating frame is divided into compartments with electric lights wired up to the contact plungers of the amounts keys and an audible signal is given at each operation of the machine; (2) the keyboard is provided with combination keys, that is keys marked with " five " and the even multiples of " five " to effect a reduction in the number of bobbins or magnets 73.