Patent GB-490524-A (GB)
Abstract: 490,524. Cash registers. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. Jan. 13, 1937, No. 1064. Convention date, Jan. 18, 1936. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group XVI] In a cash register or similar accounting machine, the manual adjustment of a control device enables automatic means to become effective to suppress the printing of the items of a multipleitem transaction on a record strip. The invention is described as applied to a machine of the Shipley type forming the subject-matter of Specification 8119/15, [Class 106 (i)]. The record-strip feeding and impression mechanisms are actuated by cams on a printer shaft that is connected to the main drive shaft through a clutch mechanism. With a hand lever adjusted to one position, printing is effected during every operation. With the hand lever in its alternative position, a clutch is opened during the item-entering operations of a multipleitem transaction to disconnect the printer shaft and suppress the printing of the items. A second clutch, in series with the first, disconnects the printer shaft during the first cycle of each total-taking operation. Consecutive number type-wheels are advanced prior to the printing of each single item and the first item of each multipleitem transaction. Keyboard.-The keyboard, Fig. 1, is of the usual Shipley type comprising amount keys 121, clerks' keys 189, transaction keys 158, 171 ... 174, Fig. 3, operation control lever 95 and motor bar 56. The transaction bank includes stay-down multiple-item keys 158, 171, of which two (171) select the " Cash and " Charge " totalizers, respectively, in addition to the multiple-item totalizer, while the third (158) selects the multiple-item totalizer alone. The bank also includes four single-item keys 172, a " No Sale " key 173 and a key 174 for releasing any erroneously depressed key in the bank. The record strip is visible through a window 255, through an aperture 260 in which autographic entries may be made. A lever 417, projecting through the casing, controls the printing of the items of a multiple-item transaction on the record strip. Differential mechanism. The differential mechanisms for the amount and transaction banks are of the usual Shipley type, the transaction differential, Fig. 3, controlling its associated line of totalizers through a slide 183 that imparts transverse movement to a slide 184 coupled to the totalizer line. The differential mechanism, Fig. 10, for the clerks' bank is, however, of different construction, the differential arm 191 being mounted on a stud 192 and being driven by a cam groove 226 through a latch mechanism carried on the indicator-segment shaft 162. The latch mechanism, Figs. 10, 11 and 35, comprises a driver 220, Fig. 11, rotatable on the shaft 162 and connected to a cam follower 223 by a link 222. A latch 196 pivoted to a plate 197, also rotatable on shaft 162 has a shoulder 218 normally engaging a step on the driver. An upwardly extending arm of the latch is coupled by a pin 195 to lever 194 connected by a link 193 to the differential arm 191. When a nose 190 of the arm abuts a depressed key, or its shoulder 244 abuts a fixed stud 245, the pin 195 is arrested to disconnect the latch from the driver and engage a tooth 199 of the latch with one of a series of aligning notches 200. The plate 197 is thus positioned and communicates its setting through a beam 234 and link 205 to the clerks' type wheels, the beam being moved into contact with a sleeve on shaft 162 by a roller 233 on the cam follower. The means for positioning the clerks' totalizer line is similar to that for the transaction line and is operated from the clerks' indicator segment on shaft 162. Printing - mechanism. The machine is provided with mechanisms for printing on a record strip and a receipt, but the former only is described. The record-strip printing-mechanism is actuated by two pairs of cams on a printer shaft, one pair operating the hammerimpression and type-wheel aligning devices and the other pair operating the line-spacing and ink-ribbon mechanisms. The mechanism is of the kind in which the part of the strip to be printed is shifted to printing position and is returned, after printing, to a position beneath a window 255, Fig. 1, in alignment with an autographic slot 260. The window is rigid with the front part 246 of the casing that, after being unlocked, may be rotated about its lower edge to give access to the printing-mechanism. The strip supporting means and the spacing and impression mechanisms are all carried by a frame 327, Fig. 36, that is rockable about a pivot 342 for replenishing purposes, but is normally locked in the operative position shown by means controlled by a handle 261, Fig. 1, that also serves manually to advance the strip. Hammer-impression mechanism. The platen 323, Fig. 26, is carried by a lever 322 that is rockable about a shaft 349 in the printer frame 327 and spring-urged counterclockwise into abutment with a stud 329. At each rotation of the printer shaft, a pitman 290 is given a left-and-right excursion whereby an arm 355 of a shaft 287 is caused to abut an extension 354 of the hammer lever and causes the platen to press the record strip and ink-ribbon against the type-wheels 263. The type-wheels are aligned immediately prior to impression by a bar 280, Fig. 6, carried by arms of a lever 284. During the left-hand excursion of the pitman 290, a pin 289 thereon rocks a latch 286 to release the bar, which rises under spring action to engage between the teeth of intermediate wheels 271 meshing with the type-wheels. The aligning bar is positively restored during the return movement of the pitman by the abutment of the latter with a stud 314 on the arm 284. Record-strip shifting and feed mechanism. The supply roll 331, Fig. 34, for the record strip 324 is carried by a lever 334 pivoted on a shaft 335 of the printer frame. The strip passes from the supply roll, around a roller 337 on the lever 334 and a roller 338 on the printer frame, between the platen and typewheels, over an autographic platen 330, and around a second roller 339 on the lever 334, to the winding-on roll 332 that is carried by the printer frame. At each rotation of the printer shaft, the lever 334 is rocked first clockwise and then counterclockwise. The clockwise rocking, by a pawl 370, line-spaces the record strip and shifts the part of the strip to be printed from the platen 330 to printing position. After printing, the return movement of the lever restores the strip to indicating and autographing position. Ink-ribbon mechanism. The ink ribbon, Figs. 27 and 30 .. 32 (not shown), is stretched between two spools provided with a reversing arrangement. One spool is connected through a friction clutch to driving means that is advanced one step during each rotation of the printer shaft. The other spool is provided with a reversing drive of usual construction, the drive being positive and capable of overcoming the friction clutch on the first spool when acting in opposition to the drive applied thereto. Suppression of printing in the first cycle of total-taking operations. The drive to the recordstrip printer shaft 296, Fig. 21, includes a gear 304, free on a drive shaft 231 but normally connected thereto by dogs 310, 311 pivoted to the gear and spring-urged into engagement with a shouldered disc 305, rigid with the shaft. Adjustment of the operation control lever to condition the machine for totaltaking or subtotal-taking, rocks the usual shaft 86 and, through cam means, interposes a blocking member 320 in the path of an extension of the dog 310, whereby the gear 304 and printer shaft are held stationary during the first cycle of the ensuing operation. Towards the end of the first cycle, the shaft 86 makes its further movement which, through the cam means, restores the blocking member to ineffective position and thus permits printing in the second cycle. Suppression of printing in multipleitem transactions. Printing on the record strip of the items of multiple-item transactions is suppressed under the control of the differential mechanism of the transaction bank, which causes the drive to the printer shaft to be disabled in these operations. For this purpose the drive to the printer shaft 296, Figs. 16 and 21, includes a gear 303, free on the shaft but normally coupled thereto by dogs 300, 301 spring-urged into engagement with a shouldered disc 299 fast on the shaft. After a partial rotation of .the printer shaft to permit setting of the transaction differential, but prior to printing, the drive may be disabled by the abutment of an extension of dog 300 with a blocking nose 403 of a lever 404. The shaft is resiliently held, in the position in which it becomes uncoupled, by a spring- urged roller entering a notch in an aligning disc on the shaft. The blocking nose is positioned by a cam 443, Fig. 16, set by the transaction differential and mounted on the indicator-segment shaft 162. Depression of one of the multiple-item keys causes a high-spot on the cam to raise a roller 442 and swing a lever 441 counterclockwise. This movement is communicated to a bell-crank lever 428, 430 through a pin 435 passing through cam slots in the levers 430, 441, and thence, through the linkage shown, to a lever 421 resiliently connected to an arm 410 having a cam slot 404 engaging a pin on the blocking lever, whereby the latter is swung to blocking position. The pin 435 coupling the levers 441, 430 is carried by a link 436 actuated by the usual shaft 86 that is rocked during total taking, the arrangement being such that when a multiple-item total is taken, the pin is shifted downwards to rock the lever 430 relatively to the lever 441 thus disabling the blocking lever and permitting the total to be printed. The link 436 is held in lowered position during total-taking by a latch controlled by the release shaft 68. Manual control of printing-suppressi