Improvements in Cash Registers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
COME LEIDDI ECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cash Registers.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co. Patent Agents of
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C. London in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from
abroad by The National Cash Register Company, of Dayton, in the State of Ohio,
United States of America, and in what manner the same is to he performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to improvements in cash registers designed for the use of
store-keepers and others, and has for its object an improvement in that class of
machines. Its novelty will be herein set forth and specifically pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line x-x of figure 2.
Figure 4 a sectional elevation taken on the line y-y figure 2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the escapement detents and its co-operating
detent arrester or escapement wheel.
Figure 6 is an end elevation of the mechanism for winding up the motor or prime
mover.
Figure 7 represents in perspective one of the escapement wheels and the detent
support upon which it is designed to be mounted and
Figure 8, a detail view of the winding drum, its contained spring and the interposed
friction ring.
Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
The letter A represents the frame of the machine in which the various operative
parts are mounted. This frame is preferably constructed of metal and is formed so as
to combine lightness with strength.
In the forward part of the frame is arranged a fixed shaft B and upon this shaft is
mounted a series of revoluble detent supports C, D, E, F and G. I term these parts
revoluble detent supports because each of them is adapted to be revolved under
conditions hereinafter explained, and each of them bears and supports a detent H.
Upon the hubs J of the revoluble detent supports D, E, F, G and the hub J of a
fixed disk G', are mounted detent arresters or escapement wheels 1, 1ª, 1ª, 1ª, 1º,
respectively. I call these parts detent arresters or escapement wheels because they
are arranged to arrest and release the detents H when they are moved laterally toward
and from the detent supports, this constituting in effect escapement movements, as will
also be further on explained.
The revoluble detent support C is connected to a drum L which contains a split
friction ring M to which the outer end of a volute spring N is connected as shown in
figure 8 the inner end of said spring being connected to a sleeve O mounted loosely
on the shaft B and bearing a ratchet wheel P with which is adapted to engage a
gravitating pawl Q. The tension of the spring N operates through the friction
ring M to rotate the drum L and with it the detent support C, in the direction
indicated by the arrow Figures 3 and 6 but said parts are held in check by the
engagement of the detent H of said support C with one of the teeth on the
escapement wheel I', the said wheel I' being kept normally stationary by reason of its
connection through the various intermediate detent supports D, E, F, G, escapement
wheels 12, 13, etc. and detents H, with the fixed bub J' as will be readily understood.
By referring to Figures 2, 4, and 5, and particularly to Figure 5, it will be seen
that each of the detents H is provided with two contacting or engaging faces, that is
Price 8d 1

page_text: to say, an outer face h, and an inner face. It is with the outer face h, that the
tooth of the escapement wheel I' is normally engaged, but whenever the said wheel is
moved laterally toward the face of the detent support C its tooth which happens at the
time to be engaged passes out of the path of the said outer face through the slot ³
and permits the detent, under the influence of the spring drum, to be advanced till its
inner and forward face strikes against the next succeeding tooth of the wheel and
then, upon the backward or return movement of said wheel, the tooth with which said
face has engaged slips out of the path of said face through the slot 2 and into the
path of the outer and rearward face thus permitting the detent and its supports to
further advance till the face h comes in contact with said second tooth. From this
description, it will be seen, that, in order to advance the detent and its support a
distance equal to the distance between any two teeth on the wheel I', the said wheel
is required to be first moved laterally toward and then away from the support C, in the
course of which movements, the face of the detent is first disengaged from the
tooth that holds the detent in check then the inner and forward face advances and
engages the next succeeding tooth, after which the said face becomes disengaged
from said last mentioned tooth, whereupon the outer rear face h advances and finally
becomes engaged with said tooth. It is necessary that this mode of causing the
step-by-step advance of the detent and its support by the shifting of the escapement
wheel should be clearly understood, inasmuch as the other detent supports D, E, F, G
of the series are controlled and advanced in a precisely similar way by the
co-operation of tho escapement wheels 12,13, 14, and 15 with which they are respectively
combined.
By reference to Figures 2, 4 and 7 it will be observed that the hub of each of the
escapement wheels is provided with an annular groove i in which project pins S4, S4 on the
bifurcated end of the horizontal lever S² which lever is pivoted at S and has its shank
or inner end passed through a slot or perforation S' in the upper end of a bell-crank
key lever R such as is shown in Figure 3.
The shank of the lever S2 is preferably inclined or slightly curved as at S
(figure 2) and about it is coiled a spring S5 ono end of which bears against a collar S
and the other against the upturned end of the key lever.
Upon the depression of the key lever which controls the first escapement wheel I¹
the upturned slotted end of such lever advances along the curved or angular portion
of the shank of the lever S2, against the tension of the spring S5 thereupon and causes
said lever S² to be moved laterally and its outer bifurcated end to shift the escape-
ment wheel I' toward its co-operating detent support C thereby causing the outer
engaging face h of the detent H to be released and its inner forward face h' to
advance to the next tooth; while, upon the release of the key lever the spring S will
react, restore the key lever to its original position, and, in so doing, cause the
bifurcated outer end of the lever S² to slide back the escapement wheel till it is
released from contact with the said face of the detent and brought into the path of
the face h, thereby completing the advance of the detent and its support from one
tooth to the next, as before described.
Each of the several escapement wheels 12, 13, 14, 15, is connected through similar
intervening mechanism with key lovers R2, R3, R, R5 as shown in Figure 2.
If the key lever R² is depressed, instead of the key lever R¹, the escapement
wheel 12 will be shifted first toward and then away from, its co-operating detent and
detent support H, D, and the said detent and support will be advanced the distance
between two teeth on the escapement wheel 12. Not only will the detent and detent
support H, D be thus advanced by this movement of the escapement wheel 12, but the
detent and detent support H, C, and their cooperating escapement wheel I will also
be advanced bodily with them which is due to the fact that the motion of said
parts H, D, has to be transmitted from the spring drum, through the instrumentality
of the said detent and detent support H, C, escapement wheel and the spline and
groove connection K, as shown clearly in Figure 4. So, in like manner, when either
of the escapement wheels 1³, 1', or 15 is operated by its appropriate key, the forward

page_text: motion of its cooperating detent and detent support is effected through all the
preceding detents and detent supports and escapement wheels of the series.
The hub of the escapement wheel 15 of the series slides upon the fixed hub of
sleeve J before alluded to. This fixed hub therefore performs the important
function of serving as the final resistance to the action of the spring drum or prime
mover of the mechanism and operates to hold all the movable parts of the mechanism
mounted on the shaft B normally stationary.
I preferably assign to the several key levers different values and I provide the
escapement wheel controlled by each with a number of teeth bearing the proper
relation thereto. For instance, in the machine here illustrated, I have designated
key R' as a five cent key, key R2 as a ten cent key, key R³ as a twenty cent key,
key R as a twenty-five cent key and key R as a fifty cent key and 1 have provided
the escapement wheel 1' controlled by the five cent key with twenty teeth, so that the
distance between each two teeth shall represent the twentieth part of one hundred or
in other words the twentieth part of a dollar. So, in like manner, I have provided
the escapement wheels 12, 13, 14, 15 with ten, five, four and two teeth respectively to
correspond with the parts of a dollar which the ten cent, twenty cent twenty five cent
and fifty cent keys represent respectively.
The periphery of the drum L which encloses the motor spring and to which the first
detent and detent support H, C, of the series is connected I divide off into twenty
equal divisions corresponding to the number of teeth on the first escapement wheel [¹
controlled by the five cent key numbering them from 0 to 95 as shown in Figuro 2.
It must now be apparent that if the indicator pointer U (see Figure 2) stands at 0
and the five cent key is pressed and released the escapement I will be operated so
as to cause the detent and detent support H, C, and the connected registering drum
to advance the distance between two teeth of said wheel I' or in other words,
one twentieth of a revolution, and that this advance will be indicated upon the said
registering drum; furthermore that if the ten cent key is pressed and released so as to
operate the second escapement wheel 1', which has ten teeth, the detent and detent
support H, D, as well as the escapement wheel 1', detent and detent support H, C, and
the registering drum, will be caused to advance the distance between two teeth on
said wheel 1, or in other words one tenth of a revolution, which advance
representing ten cents will be added to the amount previously registered and the
sum total namely fifteen cents indicated on the registering drum. In like manner, the
pressure and release of the twenty cent key will cause twenty more to be added to the
sum indicated by the registering drum, and so on, the sum represented by each key
being automatically added and indicated on the register as the keys are operated.
Should a sale amounting to, say fifty five cents be required to be registered, the
five and the fifty cent key could be operated either successively or simultaneously
with the same result, and it would make no difference if the three keys representing
twenty five, twenty and ien cents were simultaneously depressed for the purpose of
registering the said amount of fifty five cents as each would perform its own proper
function without being interfered with at all by the others. The reason, for
this is plain; as each key is operated, the registering drum is released and carried
around by the spring through that portion of a revolution which the distance between
the teeth controlled by that particular key represents and the sum of the advances is
added together and indicated on the register with accuracy and certainty.
Although it is true that, when the escapement wheel 15 is operated by the fifty
cent key so as to release the detent support G, the register will be given a half revo
lution, while the release of any other detent by a key of lower denomination will only
give less than a half revolution of the register, it by no means follows that if both the
fifty cent key and some other key of lower denomination are simultaneously operated
that only the operation of the fifty cent key will be registered; on the contrary, to
the half revolution of the register given by the fifty cent key will be added that
proportion of a revolution which the key of lower denomination is competent when
operated alone, to effect, and the sum of both movements will be indicated on the
register.

page_text: The action may be compared with the placing of weights on a pair of scales :-
the aggregate effect will be the same whether they are added one at a time or
put on all together.
In order that the spring M within the drum L may be kept at a sufficient tension to
at all times afford motive power to drive the mechanism I have arranged a winding
device, adapted, upon the operation of each key, to wind up the spring. Such winding
mechanism is constructed as follows:-
Upon the sleeve O to which the inner end of the spring M. is attached I secure a
toothed sector V as shown in figures 4 and 6 and co-operating with this toothed sector
is a sliding yoke W baving on its inner vertical portions opposite rows of rack
teeth V¹, V' This yoke W is connected through a link ог other suitable
connection W to a vibrating frame W which is pivoted upon the shaft S and
extends across the machine beneath the key levers thereof as shown in Figures 1, 2
and 3. Whenever a key lever is depressed, this vibrating frame W2 is, likewise
depressed against the tension of the spring W³, and draws the yoke W downward,
thereby causing the toothed sector V. to be rotated by the engagement of the rack
teeth V. Before, however, the yoke reaches the extreme of its downward movement
and as the rack teeth V are about to go out of mesh with the toothed sector, a pin Z
upon the yoke strikes an extended can surface Z secured to and moving with the
toothed sector, thereby carrying around the sector into position to be engaged
by the rack teeth V2, on the other side of the yoke, when the latter rises under
the influence of the lifting spring W.
As the yoke nears its upward extreme of movement, another pin Z2 strikes the
cam Zand continues to rotate the toothed sector till it assumes a position ready for
engagement with the opposite rack teeth again on the next downward movement
of the yoke. In this way, motion is imparted to the winding sleeve O during both
the up and down movements of the yoke such motion being sufficient to keep this
spring at all times properly wound.
The lifting spring W is of course required to be stronger than that of the motor
spring M in order that it may operate to assist in winding the latter up.
Inasmuch as the motor spring is partially wound up by the operation of each key
and is only unwound to a slight degree by the operation of a key of low denomination,
it is is clear that unless some provision is made to prevent it the operation of a key
of low denomination several times in succession will cause the spring to become so
tightly wound as to render the machine inoperative.
I have therefore found it desirable to employ the friction ring M³ (see Figure 8)
as the medium of connection between the spring and the drum L. This friction ring
is split as shown at 1, and it is put into the drumm L under compression so that it will
tend to bind therein. The end of the spring is connected to the ring at one side
of the opening in it and the tighter the spring is wound up the more the ring is
compressed and caused to loosen its hold upon the drum. By this provision over-
winding of the spring is effectually prevented.
While I have only shown in the accompanying drawings a register adapted to
indicate the addition and registration of sums in multiples of five up to one hundred
it is obvious that by the addition of ordinary multiplying gearing the revolutions
of the register may in turn be recorded and so on ad infinitum as desired. I
make no claim to the use of such multiplying mechanism and hence have not deemed
it necessary to illustrate it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a registering machine, the combination with a revoluble escapement detent,
of a cooperating detent arrester relatively non-rotatable with respect to the said
escapement detent but movable laterally in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of
motion of the said escapement detent; substantially as described.
2. In a registering machine the combination, with a revoluble escapement detent,

page_text: of a laterally movable and relatively non-rotatable toothed escapement wheel for
cooperating with said indent; substantially as described.
3. In a registering machine the combination with a revoluble detent and a register
connected therewith of a cooperating detent arrester relatively non-rotatable with
respect to the said detent but inovable laterally in a plane substantially parallel
to the axis of motion of the said escapement detent; substantially as described.
4. In a registering machine the combination with a revoluble detent and a register
connected therewith of a laterally movable and relatively non-rotatable toothed
escapement wheel for cooperating with said detent, substantially as described.
5. In a registering machine, the combination, with a revoluble registering wheel
carrying an escapement detent, of a laterally movable and relatively non-rotatable
toothed escapement wheel cooperating with said detent; substantially as described.
6. In a registering machine, the combination, with a revoluble escapement detent
and a register connected therewith of a motor or prime mover for actuating said
detent and a co-operating detent arrester relatively non-rotatable with respect to the
detent but movable laterally in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of motion
of the said escapement detent; substantially as described.
7. In a registering machine, the combination with a revoluble escapement detent
and a register connected therewith, of a motor or prime mover for actuating the
detent, a cooperating detent arrester relatively non-rotatable with respect to the
detent but movable laterally in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of motion
of the said detent and a key for actuating the detent arrester; substantially as
described.
8. In a registering machine, the combination, with a motor or prime mover, of
a series of escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, and a series of
movable and relatively non-rotatable detent arresters for cooperating with said
detents and each connected to and moving with the next succeeding detent support;
substantially as described.
9. In a registering machine the combination with a motor or prime mover, of a
series of escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, and a series of relatively
non-rotatable detent arresters for cooperating with said detents and each connected to
and moving with the next succeeding detent support, and a series of keys for
actuating the detent arresters; substantially as described.
10. In a registering machine, the combination, with a motor or prime mover, of a
series of escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor and a series of movable
though relatively non-rotatable toothed escapement wheels each connected to and
moving with the next succeeding detent support and a series of keys for operating the
escapement wheels; substantially as described.
11. In a registering machine, the combination, with a motor or prime mover, of a
series of escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor and a series of laterally
movable cooperating escapement wheels each connected to and moving with the
succeeding detent support and a register connected with the first detent support of the
series; substantially as described.
12. In a registering machine, the combination, with a prime mover of a series of
escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, a series of movable and relatively
non-rotatable toothed escapement wheels cooperating with said detents each connected
to and moving with the next succeeding detent support and each having teeth
differing in numbers from those on the other escapement wheels, substantially as
described.
13. In a registering machine, the combination, with a prime mover, of a series of
escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, a series of movable and relatively
non-rotatable toothed escapement wheels each connected to and moving with the next
succeeding detent support and each having teeth constituting a multiple of a given
number, substantially as described.
14. In a registering machine, the combination, with a prime mover, of a series of
escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, a series of cooperating movable
and relatively non-rotatable detent arresters each connected to and moving with the

page_text: next succeeling detent support, a series of actuating keys one for each detent
arrester and a register for registering the movements of each detent, substantially as
.described.
15. In a registering machine, the combination, with a prime mover, of a series of
escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, a series of cooperating movable
and relatively non-rotatable toothed detent arresters each connected to and moving
with the next succeeding detent support a series of actuating keys one for each
detent arrester and a register for registering of one or more or all of the detents
when actuated by the movements of the finger keys; substantially as described.
16. In a registering machine, such as described the combination with the motor or
prime mover, of the series of escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, the
series of laterally movable toothed escapement wheels mounted upon so as to rotate
with the detent supports and the fixed sleeve or hub upon which the lasi escapement
wheel in the series is mounted; substantially as described.
17. In a registering machine such as described the combination with the motor or
prime mover of the series of escapement detents and revoluble supports therefor, the
series of laterally movable toothed escapement wheels mounted upon so as to rotate
with the detent supports, the fixed sleeve or hub upon which the last escapement
wheels in the series is mounted and the keys and intermediate mechanism by which
the escapement wheels are shifted substantially as described.
18. In a registering machine, the combination, with a motor or prime mover, a
series of detents and revoluble supports therefor, a cooperating series of movable
though relatively non-rotatable detent arresters, keys and intermediate mechanism for
shifting the detent arresters into and out of cooperation with their respective detents
and mechanism connected with the key for restoring the power of the motor,
substantially as described.
19. In a registering machine, the combination, with a spring motor or prime
mover, of a series of detents and revoluble supports therefor, a corresponding series
of movable though relatively non-rotatable detent arresters, keys and intermediate
mechanism for shifting the detent arresters, and a motor winding mechanism operated
by the operation of any key; substantially as described.
20. In a registering machine such as described, the combination with the revoluble
detent supports their detents; of the toothed escapement wheels connected by the spline
and groove connections to the hubs of the detent supports and the key and inter-
mediate mechanism for shifting the escapement wheels on the detent supports ;
substantially as described.
21. In a registering machine such as described, the combination with the revoluble
detent support and their detents the toothed escapement wheels, the vibratory levers
for shifting the escapement wheels and the key levers and springs for actuating said
vibratory levers, substantially as described.
22. The combination with the revoluble detent support, of the detent having the
two contact faces in different planes one in advance of the other, of the cooperating
toothed escapement wheel having a lateral motion to and from the detent support in
a plane substantially parallel to the axis of said detent support; substantially as
described.
23. The combination with the toothed escapement wheel of the revoluble detent
support having the detent provided with the contact faces p, p, and the slot for the
passage of the tooth of the escapement wheel; substantially as described.
24. The combination with the spring of the motor, of the sleeve to which the end
of said spring is connected, the toothed sector, of the cam connected therewith and
the reciprocating yoke provided with the teeth for engaging the toothed sector and
with the pins or stops for operating upon the cam, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
25. The combination with the key levers of the vibratory spring pressed frame
beneath the same, the reciprocating yoke connected to said vibratory fame and
chaving the teeth and pins and the toothed segment and cam on the sleeve of the
motor winding mechanism, substantially as described.

page_text: 26. In a registering machine the combination with a spring motor or prime mover,
of a series of detents and a corresponding series of movable though revoluble supports
therefor relatively non-rotatable detent arresters, keys and intermediate mechanism
for shifting the detent arresters, a motor winding mechanism operated by the operation
of any key and a friction appliance for preventing overwinding of the spring of the
motor, substantially as described.
3
1
T
1000
HERBERT & Co.,
18. Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Agents for Applicant.