Patent GB-725828-A (GB)
Abstract: 725,828. Cash registers. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. Feb. 23,1953 [Aug. 28, 1962], No. 5003/53. Class 100 (4). [Also in Group XIX] In a cash register or accounting-machine, one or both of two receipt printing hammers are actuated, and the receipt strip correspondingly given a short or long feed, according to the extent of movement of a sensing member determined by the setting of the machine control mechanism, the sensing member positioning a hammer actuating control member which accordingly either remains in a normal ineffective position to uncouple the hammers from a driving mechanism, is driven one way to cause one hammer to be actuated, or is driven both ways to cause both hammers to be actuated. The invention is applied to multiple-item receipt printing in machines similar to those described in Specifications 614,346 and 614,347, [both in Group XIX]. In entering the individual items, impressions are taken from the amount typewheels 47 only and the receipt strip 49 is given a short (line) feed only. An impression is taken also from an electro-type 115 and date wheel 114 with the item total, this impression forming the heading to the next following receipt, and the strip is then given a long feed to place the total print just beyond a severance blade at the receipt outlet. An additional short feed is given to the strip immediately prior to the total impression in order to space the latter from the concluding item. Receipt strip feed. Feed rollers 116 (Figs. 2 and 10) for the receipt strip 49 are connected through gears 137, 138 with a ratchet wheel 139 adapted to be driven by pawls 141 on a sector 142 geared to a lever 143 which is loaded by a spring 149 and has a pin 145 bearing against a lever 146 controlled by a cam 148 on the main shaft 51. Each revolution of the cam 148 releases the lever 143 to its spring 149 and then restores it, this latter movement being transmitted to the ratchet-wheel 139 and feed rollers 116 to feed the strip out of the machine. The amplitude of the lever 143 and hence the extent of feed are controlled by the engagement of a pin 156 thereon with a fixed stop 157, or of a head 151 at its lower end with one or other of two stops 152, 153 on a feeler lever 154 (see also Fig. 5). The stops 152, 153 and 157 are adjustable. Adjacently arranged on a shaft 88 are an operating cam 87 for the feeler lever 154, and three profiled control, discs 94, 95 and 103 (Figs. 4 and 7) adapted to be differentially adjusted by the usual key-locked control slide of the machine and the control keys. Early in each machine cycle, the cam 87 permits clockwise rotation of the feeler lever 154 under spring action, and the control discs differentially arrest the lever so aligning one or other stop 152, 153 with the head 151, or moving both stops clear of the head. As a result, the lever 143 is allowed no movement, a part movement or full movement, when released to its spring 149, and this results in no feed of the receipt strip, a short feed thereof or a long feed, the short feed being for line spacing the items and the long feed following a multiple-item total. To effect the additional line feed immediately prior to the total, a ratchet wheel 215 (Fig. 11) is provided fast with the feed rollers 116 and is engaged by a driving pawl 216 on a plate 218 adapted to. be rocked by a spring-actuated positioning lever 210 for a hammer actuating pitman 180. As explained below, the pitman moves upwardly in total operations only, and this advances the pawl and rollers to feed the strip additionally immediately prior to the total impression. The extent of the additional feed can be varied by means of an adjustable trip 222 for the pawl 216. Receipt suppression. A manual control lever 168 is adjustable to prevent issue of receipts, its end 169 then blocking the feeler lever 154 to prevent strip feed and impression hammer actuation. A notched detent 171 retains the lever 168 in adjusted position, whilst a sector 97 obstructs the detent to prevent adjustment of the lever except when the usual key-locked control slide of the machine is in "Reset" position. This manual control may be modified so as to limit issue of receipts to a more restricted number of control keys instead of preventing issue altogether. Hammer impression arrangements. A centrally pivoted lever 184 (Fig. 3) is adapted to actuate an item printing hammer 187 upon clockwise rotation, and a date and electro hammer 192 upon counterclockwise rotation. An arm 181 on the axis 183 of the lever 184 is' connected to a pitman 180 (Fig. 5) having a pin- and slot connection 178, 179 with the feeler lever 154. A shaped aperture 203 in the pitman coacts with a driving pin 204 on a lever 107 (Fig. 4) adapted to be rocked by cams on the main shaft 51 so that the driving pin 204 executes an up and down movement each cycle. When the control discs allow full clockwise movement of the feeler lever 154, the pitman is rocked to engage an extension 207 of its aperture with the driving pin 204, and partakes of both up and down movements of the pin, so that both hammers are actuated. Part movement of the feeler lever registers a surface 206 of the aperture 203 with the driving-pin 204; downward movement only of the pin is then effective to actuate the pitman 180, and the item hammer 187 only is operated. When the feeler lever is blocked against effective movement, the pitman 180 remains substantially in its normal position (Fig. 5), the pin 204 travels idly in the aperture 203 and neither hammer is operated. A detail strip hammer 71 (Fig. 2) is pivoted at 72 and carries a rock shaft 74 connected by a crank arm 78 (Fig. 4) to a depending link 79 adapted to be positioned relatively to a driving segment 91 by means of a second feeler lever 85 coacting with the control discs 94, 95 and 103. The rock-shaft 74 also bears a cam 75 coacting with an impression adjusting conical abutment 76. A pin 80 on the link 79 normally lies clear of a step 90 in the driving segment 91 but, when the feeler lever 85 is allowed movement (counterclockwise) by the control discs, the pin engages over the step and the link 79 is raised to rock the cam 75 to actuate the hammer.