Patent GB-767091-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to cash registers
IPC: G06C7/10
Filed: 1952-09-15
Abstract: 767,091. Cash registers; transfer mechanism. ELECTRO-WATT ELECTRICAL & INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT CO., Ltd. Sept. 15, 1952 [Sept. 15, 1951], No. 23175/52. Class 106 (1). A full-keyboard, independentlyoperated cash register has one or more transverse shafts each carrying a number of levers each of which has a number of arms lying in different planes and respectively connected by rods to a corresponding totalizer-actuating rack which is differentially arrested under the control of an associated column of keys, a corresponding item indicator, and printing mechanism. Specification 722,701 is referred to. Keyboard. The several columns of amount keys are guided in a frame including a cover 1, a bottom plate 2 and plates 12, 13. The keys are inserted through the cover and have slots 5a, Fig. 7, which are engaged by a single coil spring 6, Fig. 10, or several shorter lengths of spring diagonally arranged in notches of the plates 7 dividing the columns of keys. The keys of each column co-operate with a detent bar 8 which holds the depressed key in operated position and renders a zero stop 11 secured to the bar ineffective. Differential mechanism. The stems of keys 1-3 of each column are of equal length and co-operate, as does the zero stop 11, with teeth 21 of an actuator 20 guided for sliding movement in combs on fixed cross bars 27, 43 and on a cross bar 58 reciprocated during each machine cycle by arms 199 operated by toggle links 168, 192, Fig. 5, connected to a wheel 189 on the main shaft. The stems of keys 4-8 are of progressively increasing length and co-operate with steps 22 on the actuator 20. When the 9 key is depressed, the actuator is permitted its full movement. When the bar 58 is moved rearwardly it carries the actuator with it until the latter engages the depressed key stem due to the engagement in a notch of the actuator of a spring-loaded roller 60 mounted in the cross bar 58. The actuators co-operate with totalizers 16, 17 and each is connected by a link 61 to an arm 53 of a corresponding one of a set of nested bails 62 arranged on a single shaft, Fig. 3 (not shown), or on two similar shafts 55, Fig. 4. Each bail has in addition to the arm 53, an arm 56 coupled by a link 300 to a type segment 301, and two arms, e.g. 52, controlling by means of links, e.g. 51, item indicators for the operator and purchaser respectively. In this way, the denominational elements of the totalizer, printing and indicating mechanisms are arranged in their respective groups laterally of the machine. Printing. The printing segments 301, Fig. 6, positioned as described above, carry two sets of type for printing on a record strip 351 and a voucher strip 320 respectively. Printing is effected by hammers 352 and 332 operated by toggle links, e.g. 333, 334, controlled by a shaft 81. The hammer 332 is mounted on a frame 331 also carrying a hammer 338 for co-operation with type 339 and a printing element 348 to print the date and name or the like on the voucher strip, which passes from a roll 323 over rollers 322, 321, and is fed out of the machine cover through a slot 319 by rollers 315, 316. The record strip 351 passes from a roll 350 round the hammer 352, over rollers beneath a window 356 in the cover 1 to a roller 359. During printing, internal teeth in the segments 301 are engaged by a justifying bar 91. The ink ribbon 306 passes from a spool 314 over rollers 307-311 to a spool 313. The ribbon is fed by a lever 69, Fig. 4, associated at each end (only one end is shown) with a pawl 72. When the end of the ribbon is reached, the lever 69 and pawl 72 straighten out due to the resistance of the spool, and the lever moves longitudinally on a pin 68 to reverse the drive. Item indicators. At the beginning of the cycle, indicating drums 101, Fig. 4, for purchaser and operator are zeroized by rotation of their shaft 98 through gears 103, 104, Fig. 5, a rack 106 and a link 191, the shaft carrying spring- loaded balls 99 which engage holes in the drum bushings. In the zero position, pins in the drums contact a fixed comb 93. Control levers 50 are set by the links 51 which are differentially positioned as described above. Pawls 67 cooperate with the levers 50. The shaft 98 then resiliently drives the drums counter-clockwise until each is stopped by the engagement of a stepped plate 96 carried thereby with the end of the corresponding control lever 50. Totalizer selection and engagement. A multiple-item totalizer 17 is arranged on a shaft 19, Figs. 4 and 15, and four interspersed totalizers 16 on a shaft 18. The shaft 19 is mounted in plates 152 and the shaft 18 in plates 153, both frames being vertically movable. A lever 24, see also Fig. 16, has notched members to co-operate with the plates 152, 153 so that the lever 24 can be effective, when rocked by a cam 150 on the main shaft 76, to engage either the totalizer 17 or the selected totalizer 16 or both according to the lateral position of the lever 24, which is controlled by control keys 136, 140, Fig. 1. Normally both totalizers are engaged, but the control key 136, 137 selects the item totalizer and causes a sub total operation while the key 140, 141 selects the grand totalizer for a total taking operation. The selection of one of the four totalizers 16 is controlled by keys 95, Figs. 1 and 17. Two of these keys cooperate with a lever 279 coupled to a lateral slide 273 and the other two each co-operate with a lever 275 having radial edges which engage studs 276, 277. The slide 273, which is coupled to the totalizer shaft 18, Fig. 15, by a member 18a, is thus differentially positioned according to which key is depressed. Transfer. At transfer, a lateral tooth, e.g. 40a, on the totalizer wheel rocks a lever, e.g. 37, which moves a rack 44 of the next higher order. The totalizer is then meshed with the racks 44 and the latter are restored sequentially by spiral cams on the shaft 35. Drive. When a starting key 130, Fig. 5, is depressed, a stud therein rocks a plate 208 which is latched by counter-clockwise rocking of a lever 201, Fig. 11. An arm 202 carried by the lever 201, and engaged by a latch 196, allows contacts 204, 205 in the motor circuit to close. The plate 208 also releases a one-revolution clutch comprising a pawl 209 carried by the driven gear 189. During the cycle, the bar 58 controlling the actuators rocks the lever 201 clockwise to allow restoration of the plate 208 which at the end of the cycle disengages the one-revolution clutch. At the same time the link 168 rocks the clutch 196 to allow the contacts 204, 205 to open. Multiplication by repeated addition. A single digit multiplier may be set by rotation of a knob 236, Fig: 1, fast with a numeral wheal 259, Fig. 11, visible through a window 259c. When a multiplier digit is set on the wheel 259, a stud 259b therein frees a lever 243 so that when a machine operation is initiated by the start key 130, the lever 243 rocks counter-clockwise to latch the plate 208. During each cycle, the bar 58 which controls the actuators rocks a disc 245 and a pawl 246 carried thereby engages a star wheel 259a fast with the wheel 259 and returns the latter through one step. During each cycle, the lever 201 when rocked by the bar 58 is temporarily latched by a pawl 206 and in the last cycle while the stud 259b restores the lever, 243, this pawl 206 holds the lever 201 in rocked position to allow restoration of the plate 208. The contacts 204, 205 are then opened and the one-revolution clutch is disengaged as in addition. The segment 106 for operating the item indicators is normally latched to an arm 108, Fig. 5, by an arm 108b which slides longi. tudinally on the arm 108 and carries a pin 108e engaging the teeth of the segment 106. In multiplication, a cam lever 127 slides the arm 108b to disengage the coupling so that the indicators remain set until the end of each series of additions. The segment 107 for the voucher feed is urged by a spring to follow the arm 108 which it engages by means of a stud 172. The cam lever 127 is rocked by a link 128 connected to a lever 247a which during multiplication is rocked by an abutment 247c of a link 247 positioned by the lever 243 and operated by a cam 166, Fig. 11, and a link 165. The lever 247a is latched by a pawl 247b until restoration of the lever 243 when a member 247b on the link 247 unlatches it. The cam lever 127 also rocks an arm 120 to disengage the hammer mechanism. The lever 247 also prevents operation of a key-release lever 153 by the cam 166 during multiplication. The lowest order indicating drum 101a, Figs. 14, 14a, bears against each main numeral 9 small numbers, one of which is revealed by a shutter 102 coupled to the multiplier setting knob 236 to indicate the approximate product of the main numeral and the set multiplier as a tenth digit. The digit may be registered on a slide 101e, Fig. 1. Total-taking. In total- and sub-total-taking the totalizer wheels are reversely driven by the actuators until their transfer teeth engage projections on the transfer levers 37, Fig. 4. An abutment 174, Fig. 5, is moved by the control key from the path of the segment 107 driving the voucher feed mechanism which is thus able to cause a long feed.