Patent GB-666442-A (GB)
Title: Improvements for registering arrangements in article dispensing systems
IPC: G07F5/20
Filed: 1949-08-20
Abstract: 666,442. Calculating-apparatus. COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING PTY., Ltd. Aug. 20, 1949 [Aug. 30, 1948], No. 21689/49. Class 106 (i). [Also in Group XVIII] The invention relates to electrically-operated indicating arrangements in article dispensing systems and in particular to arrangements for indicating the values or other classifications assigned to articles dispensed in such systems. A system of this kind is described in Specification 641,494. In such a system the articles which are stored in suitable bins or shelves are released over electrical selection circuits by the selective operation of keys. Connected with the release mechanism for each kind of article is a pricing arrangement which marks value counting means in accordance with the price of the selected article. To enable the customer to check the amount spent during the selection of his order adding means are electrically connected with the value counting means to add up progressively the prices of the selected articles of one order and to display the added-up price on a suitable indicator, for example a lamp indicator. At the same time the prices of the articles are transferred to registering arrangements, for example, message registers of the form used for counting telephone calls in telephone exchanges, and, while the adding means are returned to their initial position after an order has been completed the registering arrangements continue to add up all the prices of selected articles over any wanted time period. Further provision can be made to register on similar message registers the price of articles sold by individual salesmen or from particular groups of articles. The speed with which articles can be keyed up for selection depends not only on the time necessary to release an article from storage but also on the time which is necessary to transfer the marking for the price of an article from the value counting means to the adding means and to set up the price indicator for the progressive amounts. To avoid a faulty operation of the system a " busy " lamp can be provided at the operator's position which indicates when the selection of the next article can be started, but the time which is needed for the operation of the adding means considerably reduces the efficiency of the article dispensing system. To overcome this time delay in keying up successive articles provision is made to allow a selection of an article while the adding means are still adding the price of the last selected article to the amount indicated earlier. This has been achieved by providing a plurality of item storing devices to register the value of each article expressed in one denomination and to arrange them in such a manner that the first free item storing device picks up the marking of a selected article, then locks itself and at the same time prepares the circuit for the next free item storing device so that the next selected article marks the next item storing device. While several item storing devices are marked up by selected articles, the markings set up on the item storing devices are one after the other transferred to an adding device and this transfer from item storing devices to the adding device proceeds while other articles are keyed up on the keyboard. As generally there is a time interval in keying after several articles are keyed up in quick succession, the adding device has time to catch up with the item storing devices, the number of item storing devices depending on the number of articles normally keyed up in quick succession. Each item storing device referred to above includes a storage relay group and a rotary switch connected therewith and, at least one item storing device is required for each denomination. Thus in the following example two groups of item storing devices are described, one group for the registering of pence amounts and one group for registering shilling amounts, both groups being operable simultaneously and independently of each other. Operation. Let it be assumed that an article priced at elevenpence has been keyed up by operating one of the CR relays (Fig. 1) and the C relay in series therewith. Relay CA is operated over contact cl and over contact c2 and lead 17 relay CP (Fig. 3) is energized to put earth via contact cp7, lead 16 and one of the contacts 1cr3, 2cr3 ... (Fig. 1) on to the pricing frame PFR and thus to the 11d bar and the lead 9 connected with contact 1p3 (Fig. 2), to operate relay 11PX. Over contact 11px1 a new circuit is prepared for relay 11PX via contact rr1, relay XP, contact lrp2 to earth, but relay XP cannot operate as it is short-circuited by earth from the pricing frame. At the same time a marking is prepared at the twelfth contact of the contact bank 1PC2 (Fig. 4) by the contact 11px2. When the selected article is released from its bin and has temporarily opened its corresponding trip contact TC as mentioned before, the CR relay of this bin and relay C are released and thus earth is removed from the pricing frame and lead 9, so that relay XP can now operate in series with relay 11PX. Contact xp5 shunts contact rrl of relay RR so that contact rr1 is inoperative in case relay RR is operated via the cancel key CK (Fig. 1). The relays IPS (Fig. 3) is now energized from earth over the contacts 2hc6, 1hc6, cc5, 3rpl, 2rpl, 1rp1, operated contact xp6, contacts 2ps2, 3ps2, relay 1PS to battery. Relay 1PS closes a holding circuit from battery over its second winding, contacts 1ps1 and xp2 to earth. Over contact 1ps4 (Fig. 4) a circuit is closed for relay 1PN from battery, relay 1PN, contact 1pr2, interrupter 1pcm, contact 1pr3, closed contact pm2 (as relay PM (Fig. 6) is normally operated over interrupter pam and contact tf2), wiper and contact 1 of switch bank 1PC1, closed contact lps4, lead 26, contact ac2 (Fig. 6), contact 1 and wiper of switch bank PA1, contact tf1 to earth. Relay 1PN (Fig. 4) closes its contact 1pn1 and thus forms a locking circuit over its second winding, contact 1pn1, closed contact pm6 to earth. A further locking circuit is closed from earth over contact 1pn3, contact 1pr3, interrupter 1pcm, contact 1pr2, relay 1PN to battery. Over the contact 1pn2 the switch magnet 1PCM and over the contact 1pn4 (Fig. 6) the switch magnet PAM are energized to step up the penny counting switch 1PC and the penny adding switch PA. The circuit is so arranged that both switches must make an equal number of steps before relay 1PN can release again. When magnet 1PCM operates it interrupts the circuit for one winding of relay 1PN at interrupter 1pcm and when magnet PAM operates it interrupts the circuit for relay PM at interrupter pam, which in turn interrupts the second locking circuit for relay 1PN at contact pm6. As soon as both switches have stepped up one step and relay 1PN has been released, this relay is energized again as the circuit runs now from contact 1ps4 (Fig. 4) over contact 1px2, second contact of switch bank 1PC1 and then the same way as described above. Thus the switches 1PC and PA are stepped up together. The switches are so arranged that the interrupter contacts for their magnets are only closed after the switches have made their required steps. As soon as the switches 1PC and PA are stepped up eleven steps corresponding to the price of 11d the operating circuit for relay 1PN is interrupted at contact bank 1PC1 as contact 11px2 is operated. At the same time a new circuit is closed from earth via contact tf 1 (Fig. 6) wiper and twelfth contact of switch bank PAl, contact ac2, lead 26, contact 1ps4 (Fig. 4), contact 11px2, twelfth contact and wiper of switch bank 1PC2, relay 1PR to battery. This relay closes a locking circuit over the contacts 1pr1 and 1ps5 to earth. While the magnet PAM of the adding switch remains unoperated, the magnet 1PCM of the counting switch is now stepped up from earth via the switch bank and wiper 1PC3, operated contact 1pr3, interrupter 1pcm, operated contact 1pr2, magnet 1PCM to battery. When the counting switch 1PC (Fig. 4) reaches its home position or its equivalent with wipers resting on the first or the thirteenth contact of the switch-banks, relay 1RP is energized from earth over contacts 1ps5, 1pr1, wiper and contact of switch bank 1PC2, relay 1RP to battery. At contact 1rp2 (Fig. 2) the locking circuit for the relays XP and 11PX is interrupted, so that these relays release. Relay XP opens the locking circuit for relay 1PS (Fig. 3) at contact xp2. The release of relay 1PS per. forms the release of relays 1PR and 1RP (Fig. 4) at contact 1ps5. Relay XP is a slow-release relay to ensure that relay 11PX has released and opened its contact 11px1 before relay 1RP releases, to prevent the relay 11PX from coming up again over contact 1rp2. The price is now indicated at the penny lamp indicator PL (Fig. 6) from battery over the lamp corresponding to 11d and connected with the twelfth contact of switch bank PA2 over the wiper, lead 27, lead 25, contact OS (Fig. 3), contacts xp3, yp3, zp3, x83, ys3, zs3, 1hc6, 2hc6 to earth. The series of break contacts of the various group relays prohibits a lighting up of the indicator lamps while the adding is still in progress and the wiper passes over the contacts of its bank. The contact OS is part of an " order start " key and is closed until one order has been completed. Thus the lamp indicators are extinguished after an order has been fulfilled and remain dark until the next order is started. This contact is shown within dotted lines to indicate that it is not essential for the working of the arrangement. Relay XP (Fig. 2) which was operated in series with relay 11PX, also energizes over its contact xp1 the change-over relay 1P. Over the contacts 1p1, 1p2 and 1p3 the various leads 7, 8, 9 from the pricing frame are changed over to the second group of penny storage relays 1PY to 11PY via the contacts 2p1 to 2p3. Although only three relays are shown in each storage group it must be understood that eleven relays an