Improvements in Cash Registers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 2nd May, 1891
Improvements in Cash Registers.
I HUGO COOK of Dayton, Ohio United States of America, Manufacturer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention consists in certain new and useful improvements in cash registers
of. which the following is a description reference being had to the accompanying
drawings in which :
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the working parts of one section of my
improved machine.
Fig. 2 represents a reverse side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 represents a front view of the same looking in the direction of the arrow
in Figures 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 represents a portion of the side elevation as shown in Fig. 1 with one of
the operating keys depressed.
Fig. 5 represents a detail side elevation of the detent plate which co-operates
with the keys.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all the figures.
I prefer to provide my improved machine with four sets of keys representing
respectively units of cents, tens of cents, units of dollars, and tens of dollars, each
from one to nine inclusive so that by operating different combinations of keys any
amount from one cent to ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents may be indicated
and registered. Each set of keys is combined with its own separate indicator and
register, the registers of all the sets of keys being however connected by suitable
transfer devices by which the amounts registered by all the keys are added into
one common total.
Inasmuch as the respective sets of keys and their co-operating indicating and
registering devices are all substantially alike and each forms a complete machine,
I have illustrated but one set in the accompanying drawings. From a description
of this one set of keys and its associated devices the entire machine may be readily
understood.
In a general way each section of my improved machine may be said to embody
a main actuator for the indicator and register, such as a gear wheel or segment
thereof an oscillating shaft to which a handle or other hand operated device
is applied, means for connecting the shaft with and disconnecting it from the
actuator, and a series of keys or stops whose various positions determine the points
at which the oscillating shaft shall become disconnected from the indicator and
register actuator. As shown in the accompanying drawings the indicator is in the
form of a wheel, bearing the series of numbers on its periphery, (though it may be
in other form) and is geared directly to the main actuator so as to turn in both
directions with it. The registering wheel is also driven by the main actuator but
with an interposed ratchet and pawl connection by which it is turned only in one
direction by the movements of the actuator.
Interposed between the main actuator and the oscillating shaft is a latch by
which, after any key has been operated, the shaft becomes automatically connected
with the actuator when moved a full stroke in one direction by the full stroke of
the operating handle, and carries the actuator with it in the reverse direction until
automatically disconnected from it by the operated key, the latter determining the
extent of movement of the actuator, to effect the proper indication and registration.
As shown in the accompanying drawings the operating parts of each section of
the machine may be supported upon a single vertical plate A. The main actuator

page_text: .
in this instance a gear toothed wheel B or segment thereof is loosely mounted
upon a central oscillating shaft C supported by this plate A, or cross pieces C¹ Cu
secured thereto, Figs. 1 and 2. Meshing with the teeth of the gear B is a gear
wheel D which in turn meshes with a pinion E tight on the hub of the indicator
wheel F so that the latter turns with the gears B and D. Also meshing with the
gear D is a pinion G whose movements in one direction are communicated by a
ratchet and pawl connection to a registering wheel H. beside it on the same shaft.
The operating handle or lever I is tight upon the shaft C which the
upon
gear
is loosely mounted, so that without any further connection between the shaft C and
gear B, the handle could be pulled forward (to the left in Fig. 1.) and down to a
horizontal position and be then moved back to a vertical position (this being its
limit of stroke) without moving the main actuator or gear B.
B
A
Tight upon the shaft C beside the gear B, is an arm J, (shown in dotted lines
behind the handle I in Figs. 1 and 4) having a bevelled lug K upon its face next
to the gear. This arm and lug co-operate with a radially sliding latch plate L
carried upon the adjacent face of the gear B. This latch plate is shown as provided
with oblong holes through which are passed screws which secure it to the gear.
spiral spring a secured at one end to the edge of the gear and at the other to a lug
on the latch plate L pulls the latter outward from the centre of the gear and
yieldingly holds it in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Near its inner end the
latch plate is provided with a bevelled hook M. When the handle I is pulled
forward and downward, oscillating the shaft C and arm J with it, the bevelled
lug K on the arm J rides over the bevelled end of the hook M, and presses the
latch plate L inward against the tension of spring a until the lug passes the point
of the hook, whereupon the latch plate is pulled outward again by the spring a
and the engagement of the lug with the hook connects the handle and shaft with
the gear B, so that the latter turns with them in their further movement until it is
disconnected from them in the manner hereinafter described. The turning of the
gear turns the indicator wheel F and their relative arrangement is such that when
the
gear is turned forward to the limit of stroke of the operating handle, the zero
on the indicator is brought to the reading opening or window in the casing of the
machine.
It
Arranged radially in segmental guides N N' are the operating keys or stops O.
Spiral springs surrounding the keys between the inner guide N¹ and pins passed
through the keys serve to yieldingly hold the latter in and return them to normal
position. Each key upon one side near its inner end is provided with a notch as
shown in the depressed key in Fig. 4. Supported upon the shaft C by radial
arms, Fig. 5, is a segmental detent plate P. This plate is capable of slight rocking
motion upon its pivoted axis and fits against the inner sides of the guide N¹.
carries a series of bevelled detents one for each key. A spiral spring secured
to the inner end of the plate and to the main frame plate A yieldingly holds the
plate in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position the bevelled sides of the
detents are immediately beneath the inner ends of the keys O. When any key is
pushed inward it pushes the detent plate aside until the notch in the key becomes
engaged with the detent, as shown in Fig. 4 and when pressure on the key is
removed the key is held in this inner position by the detent.
The operation of the machine as thus far described is as follows.
Assuming the main actuating gear B to have been left in the position shown in
Figs. 1 and 4 by the last operation of the machine, the indicator wheel (as hereafter
explained) will be standing at 5. If the next amount to be indicated and registered
is 7. the operator will depress the 7 key as shown in Fig. 4. Upon then pulling
forward the handle I the lug K on the arm J will ride over the bevelled end of
the hook M and become engaged therewith thereby connecting the shaft C with the
gear B. As the handle is pulled on down, the gear B is turned with it and the
zero on the indicating wheel is brought to the reading opening as before explained.
During this movement of the parts the registering wheel H has remained stationary
its actuating pawl carried by the pinion G slipping idly over its ratchet.
The

page_text: indicator is thus brought to zero before the registering operation begins. Upon
the return stroke of the operating handle the gear B is carried with the shaft C
and turns the indicating and registering wheels until the outer end of the latch
plate L engages the key which has been pushed inward and detained by the detent ;
in Fig. 4 the 7 key. A further movement of the handle carries the latch plate
beneath the key and its bevelled face c rides under the key the latch plate is forces
inward, against the tension of the spring a until the hook M is disengaged from the
lug K on the arm J, which disconnects the shaft from the gear B. The latter is
arrested by the projection on the outer end of the latch plate striking the inner
end of the key while the handle and shaft are turned on backward to normal
position.
J
Just as they reach their limit of backward stroke the upper end of the arm
strikes the pin R projecting from the side of the segmental detent plate P and
moves that plate backward far enough to free the engaged detent from the operated
key and the latter is thrown outward to normal position by its spring." The
spring pulls the plate P back to position as shown in Fig. 1 as soon as
pressure on the operating handle is removed.
It will thus be seen that upon pushing in the proper key and giving the operating
handle a full forward and backward stroke, the main actuator or gear B will first
turn the indicator to zero and will then turn it in the reverse direction until it
indicates the proper number, at which point the shaft C is automatically disengaged
from the actuating gear and the latter is arrested and held by the key which has
been depressed. As the registering operation does not begin until the indicator
wheel has been turned to zero by the full forward stroke of the operating handle,
and as the registering wheel turns the indicator wheel during the backward move-
ment of the handle and stops at the same point as the indicator wheel, the exact
amount indicated on the indicator wheel will always be added upon the registering
wheel.
is a recess g.
One side of the projection on the outer end of the latch plate L is bevelled as
shown, so that it may freely slide under any depressed key during the forward
stroke of the handle, as it must do where a key of less value than the previously
operated one is operated. Its opposite side is made abrupt to cause it to squarely
strike a depressed key when moving in the opposite direction to arrest the gear B
as before explained. Between the projection and the face c of the plate L there
When the face e passes under the end of the depressed key and the
projection strikes the key, the recess permits the spring a to throw the plate L
outward slightly the end of the key entering the recess so that the gear Bis
positively locked to the key until the handle completes its return stroke and the
arm strikes the pin R and moves the detent plate P' to release the key as before
explained. This locking of the gear to the depressed key by the recess in the
latch plate is advantageous but not essential. For the purpose of locking the
operating handle from movement except when a key has been operated I secure a
locking plate S Fig. 2 upon the shaft C upon the opposite side of the gear B and
plate from said handle. A locking dog T normally engages a lug on the edge of
this plate but has a bevelled projection on its under side which is engaged by a
pin U projecting from the side of the segmental detent plate P or one of its
supporting arms. When a key is pushed inward and this plate is thereby rocked
slightly rearward, as before explained the pin U moves under the bevelled
projection on the dog T and lifts the latter out of engagement with the lug on the
plate S so that the latter may turn forward with the operating handle.
A lug Vat the lower corner of the plate S strikes a pin W upon the cross
piece of the plate A when the operating handle is thrown backward and limits
the stroke of the handle. A lug X upon the side of the gear B engages a projection
(not shown) upon the inner side of the cross piece C and limits the forward
movement of the gear. A lug Y at the upper corner of the plate S operates a bell
striker to sound an alarm at each operation of the handle.
It will be understood that where four of the single machines illustrated in the

page_text: drawings are combined together to produce a machine capable of indicating and
registering amounts in tens and units of dollars and tens and units of cents the same
shaft C will extend through the entire machine and operate all the gears B the
shaft being provided with four arms J having lugs K one co-operating with the
latch L of each gear B. In such case only one handle I is employed for the entire
machine. Whenever any one or more keys in any one or more sets are pushed in
and caught by their detents and the handle is pulled forward, the arms J on the
shaft C will turn all the indicators to zero, but as the handle is moved backward
only, the arms J and the latches L corresponding to the sets containing the operated
keys must become engaged and only the gear B and indicators F belonging to those
sets be turned, for the indicators of the other sets must remain at zero in order to
make a proper indication.
This result is accomplished by means of a trip which automatically disconnects
the latch plate L from the lug on the arm J of each set when no key of that set has
been operated, and which may be now described. Pivoted in the upper end of a
slot or recess in the lower end of the segmental detent plate P, Figs. 1 and 4 is
a cam plate Z provided with a laterally projecting pin 7 extending into the path
of the outer end of the latch plate L. When the keys are all in their normal
position and the detent plate P is held in its lowest position by the spring Q, the
engagement of the lower edge of the cam plate Z with a plate A¹ secured to the
plate A presses the plate Z inward and holds the pin Z' in the position shown in
Fig. 1.
In such position the pin Z presses the latch plate L inward when the
bevelled corner of the latter engages it upon the full forward stroke of the handle,
and disengages the hook M from the lug K on the arm J so that the shaft is freed
from connection with the gear B and moves back to normal position, alone, leaving
the latch engaged with the pin Z¹ and the indicator standing at zero.
When however any key of the set is pressed inward and the detent plate P
thereby moved to the position shown in Fig. 4 the cam plate Z is lifted and swings
outward to the position shown in said figure removing its pin 21 from the path of
the latch plate L so that the lug K on the arm J remains engaged with the hook
of the latch plate until in the return stroke of the handle, it is disengaged by the
latch plate striking the operated key as heretofore explained.
It will also be seen that no matter how many sets of keys are employed in the
machine, the operation of the handle will move all the indicators to zero and allow
all to remain there excepting those belonging to the sets in which a key has been
operated.
Where a number of sets of keys, as four are employed in the machine, the locking
dogs Theretofore described will be rigidly secured upon a single rock shaft, so
that when anyone dog is lifted by the operation of a key of any set in the manner
before explained all the dogs will be lifted to free all the plates S, the latter being
tight upon the shaft extending through the machine.
From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the lever or handle I is
employed merely as a convenient means for oscillating the shaft C, and that any
other suitable means may be substituted for it.
My invention is not restricted to details of construction, for in its broader
features, the form and arrangement of the parts may be widely varied.
So far as I am aware, I am the first in the art to combine a main actuator, an
indicator geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, means for connecting and disconnecting
the shaft and actuator, and a series of operating keys or stops whose various
positions determine the points at which the shaft and actuator shall be disengaged
for the purpose described and I desire to claim such combination as well as others
broadly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. In a cash register and indicator the combination of a main actuator, an

page_text: scillating shaft, means for automatically connecting the shaft and actuator, a series
of keys of different values for automatically disconnecting the shaft and actuator
at different points, and a lock for preventing movement of the shaft until a key has
been operated.
2. In a cash register and indicator the combination of a main actuator, an
latch for automatically
indicator wheel geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, a
connecting the shaft and actuator and a series of keys for tripping the latch at
different points to disconnect the shaft and actuator.
3: In a cash register and indicator the combination of a main actuator, an
indicator geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, a latch for automatically connecting
the shaft and actuator, a series of keys for tripping the latch at different points
and a lock for preventing movement of the shaft until a key has been operated.
4. In a cash register and indicator the combination of a main actuator, an
indicator geared thereto, an oscillating shaft, a latch for automatically connecting
the shaft and actuator, a series of keys for tripping the latch at different points and
a movable trip controlled by said keys to disconnect the shaft and actuator when no
key has been operated.
5. In a cash register and indicator the combination of a main actuator an
indicator wheel geared thereto and a register operated thereby, an oscillating shaft,
a latch for automatically connecting the shaft and actuator and a series of keys for
tripping the latch at different points to disconnect the shaft and actuator.
6. In a cash register and indicator the combination of the gear B the oscillating
shaft C, the arm J tight on the shaft C and provided with the lug K, the latch
plate L carried by the gear B and the keys O co-operating with said plate
substantially as and for the purpose described.
7. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of the gear B, the oscillating
shaft C, the arm J tight on the shaft C and provided with the lug K the latch
plate L carried by the gear B, the keys O co-operating with the plate L, and the
detent plate P co-operating with the keys substantially as and for the purpose
described.
8. In a cash register and indicator, the combination of the gear B, the indicator
wheel geared thereto the oscillating shaft C, the arm J tight on the shaft C and
provided with the lug K, the latch plate L carried by the gear B and the keys O
co-operating with said plate, substantially as and for the purpose described.
9. In a cash register and indicator the combination of the gears B, D, pinion E
and indicator wheel F, pinion G and register wheel H with ratchet and pawl
connection between them, oscillating shaft C arm J tight on the shaft C and
provided with lug K latch plate L carried by gear B, keys O co-operating with
the plate L and detent plate P co-operating with the keys O substantially as and
for the purpose described.
10. In a cash register and indicator the combination of the gear B, the indicator
wheel F geared thereto, oscillating shaft C, arm J tight on shaft C and provided
with lug K latch plate L carried by gear B, keys O, detent plate P and plate Z
carried by plate P substantially as and for the purpose described.
11. In a cash register and indicator the combination of the gear B, indicator
wheel F geared thereto, oscillating shaft C arm J tight on shaft C and provided
with lug K, latch plate L, keys O detent plate P, locking plate S tight on shaft C
and dog T co-operating with plate S and pin U on detent plate P substantially as
and for the purpose described.
1001
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.