Improvements in Cash Registers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1894-Accepted, 25th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cash Registers.
I ALBERT HINDSON MILLER, of 10 Coleman Street, in the City of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to be as follows:-
This iny invention relates to improvements in that class of cash registers in
which drums are rotated by the depression of key-levers; the said drums having
upon their peripheries figures or numerals indicating the number of times that
the said lever has been depressed, and in which the number registered by a
complete revolution of the first or primary wheel is carried forward to a second
wheel.
The object of my invention is to dispense with the second wheel by substituting
for it a bar, actuated by mechanism in the manner hereinafter described.
In carrying out my invention, I provide a frame of suitable construction and
formation, with a pair of oppositely arranged bearings, capable of receiving a shaft
upon which are mounted a series of drums having upon their peripheries figures or
numerals in the usual manner. At one side of and fast or integral with each drum,
is a toothed or ratchet wheel, capable of receiving rotary motion by means of the
depression of one of a series of key-levers, mounted at a convenient position in the
frame, and provided with a pawl for the purpose. The said lever with its pawl,
and the ratchet wheel, are so arranged that, at each full depression of the former,
the ratchet wheel is moved through the space of one tooth; and consequently each
figure or numeral on the drum is increased by one until the wheel has made all but
a complete revolution.
For example, if the wheel has 50 teeth, the figure 49 appears on the drum on the
lever having been depressed 49 times. On the 50th depression of said lever, the
total is carried forward, and the figure 50 appears on a bar mounted in close
proximity to said drum and actuated by it, in the manner hereinafter described;
and similarly on the completion of the second revolution of the wheel, the
number 100 appears on the bar, and so on; the bar always advancing one space on
each complete revolution of the wheel.
In place of the 50 appearing on the drum a cipher appears on the drum or that
space may be left blank so that at any moment, the sum of the numbers appearing
on the bar and on the drum, is the number of the depressions that the key-lever
has received.
For the purpose of carrying forward from the drum to the bar, the drum is
provided at a suitable position in its web, with a spindle or pin, which has mounted
upon it a pawl or carrier of suitable construction. Said drum has also turned on
its periphery a groove, provided with two apertures adapted to allow both ends of
the carrier to project through them.
Mounted at a convenient position in the frame, is a cam or trip, adapted to
depress the cam end of the carrier (and thereby elevate the other end), on each
50th depression of the key-lever. Such trip and carrier being so constructed and
mounted, as to remain in gear only during the said 50th depression.
A bar, provided with suitable grooves on its lower side, and having on its upper
side the required figures or numerals, is mounted in the frame in such a manner that
the upper end of the carrier referred to, shall engage with one of said grooves at each
50th depression of the key-lever, and move it forward through the space of one
tooth or groove. Such bar is preferably also provided with suitable V stops
which shall retain it in its position until moved by the carrier.

page_text: By the foregoing description of my invention it is to be understood that the use
of my invention is not limited to that of the example given, as the number of teeth
on the ratchet wheel may be more or less, or the figures on the drum and bar,
instead of registering the number of the depressions which the key-lever has
received, may show the total amount of money paid in, or the details may be varied
in any other manner to suit any particular requirements.
Dated this 16th day of October 1893.
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.
Improvements in Cash Registers.
I, ALBERT HINDSON MILLER, of 10 Coleman Street in the City of London,
Gentleman, 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 my invention relates to improvements in that class of cash registers in
which drums are rotated by the depression of key-levers; the said drums having
upon their peripheries figures or numerals indicating the number of times that the
said lever has been depressed, and in which the number registered by a complete
revolution of the first or primary wheel is carried forward to a second wheel.
The object of my invention is to dispense with the second wheel by substituting
for it a bar, actuated by mechanism in the manner hereinafter described.
In order that my invention may be readily understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings wherein like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout
the several figures and in which :
Figure 1, represents my invention in side elevation.
Figure 2, represents my invention in front elevation.
Figure 3, represents one of the drums in side elevation and partly in section.
Figure 4, represents a section across the line X Y Figure 3.
Figure 5, represents another view of my invention.
In carrying out my invention I provide a pair of side frames A. of any suitable
construction and formation, with a pair of oppositely arranged bearings B capable
of receiving a shaft C upon which a series of drums D are mounted, said drums D
having upon their peripheries figures or numerals in the ordinary manner.
At one side of and fast or integral with each drum D is a toothed ratchet wheel E
capable of receiving rotary motion by means of the depression of one of a series of
key levers mounted at a convenient position in the frame and provided with a pawl,
in the usual manner.
Each of the said key-levers with its pawl and relative ratchet wheel, is so
arranged that at each full depression of the former, the ratchet wheel is moved
through the space of one tooth and consequently the figure or numeral on the drum
at the line of sight will be relatively moved so that the number of such depressions
is always indicated by the number of figures on the line of sight until the wheel has
made all but a complete revolution.
For example, if the wheel E has 50 teeth, the figure 49 appears on the drum D
at the line of sight, when the relative key-lever has been depressed 49 times. On
the 50th depression of said key-lever, the total is carried forward, and the figure 50
appears on the bar G in close proximity to the relative drum D, said bar & being
mounted and actuated in the manner hereinafter described, and similarly on the
completion of the second revolution of the drum the number 100 appears on the
bar at the line of sight and so on, the bar G always advancing one space on each
complete revolution of the wheel.
For the purpose of carrying forward the total on any of the drums D to its

page_text: relative bar G, I form each of said drums D with a groove H leaving a
comparatively thin ring of metal J to connect said drum with its ratchet wheel E.
At a suitable part of the inner side of said wheel E, I fix a stud or the like K
upon which I pivotally mount a pawl or carrier L. Said carrier is rounded off at
one end and bent at the other as shown at 1, 1, respectively and is mounted in such
a position that either end may be caused to project a suitable distance through its
relative aperture m m³ formed in the ring J, for the purposes hereinafter described.
The end of the carrier L is provided with a spring M which causes that end to
normally project through its relative aperture m¹ as shown in Figure 5, a pin N
fixed to the inner side of the wheel E limiting the inward movement of end of
said carrier L.
The opposite side frames A are connected at their upper parts with suitable angle
iron frames O, O' which are supported at their ends by suitable standards P. Said
angle iron frames are formed with a series of apertures in which the bars G are
supported, the whole being so arranged that each bar G enters into the groove H
of its relative drum D. The frame O' is formed with a V seating adapted to
engage with one of the V grooves with which the bars G are formed, said bars G
being normally retained in position by a series of suitably mounted springs Q. The
under side of each of said bars G is also provided with a series of rounded grooves R
with which the end of the carrier L is adapted to engage.
At a convenient part of the frames A, preferably in the rear of the drums D, I
mount a bar S which carries a series of trips T, one for each drum D. Each of
said trips T is fixed in such a position as to enter into the groove H of its relative
drum D, the whole of the parts being arranged so as to operate in the following
manner-
When the wheel E is being operated for the 49th time the normally projecting
end of the carrier L comes in contact with the sloping side of the trip T, said
epd on the completion of said 49th operation of the wheel E being depressed
into the position shown in Figures 1 and 3 and thereby the opposite end of the
carrier L is caused to project through the aperture m and thus the said rounded
end engages with one of the rounded grooves R of the bar G. On the
50th operation of the wheel E, the bar G will be carried forward a sufficient
distance by the carrier L, on account of the end being retained in engagement
with the groove R by reason of the opposite end of the carrier L being depressed
by its trip T during nearly the whole of said 50th operation. Each of the ends of
the trips T and the relative ends of the carrier L are of such dimension that on
the completion of the 50th operation of any of the wheels E, said relative ends will
have passed one another and thereby the end will be again thrown out of engage-
ment with the bar G. (as shown in Figure 5) by the spring M, until the wheel E
shall have made all but a second complete revolution when the bar G will be
moved forward a second space and so on.
The figures or numerals on each of the druins D and bars G may be any that are
necessary, and are multiples of the figure or numeral which is marked on its relative
key-lever in the usual manner, so that, for example, if the wheel E has 50 teeth,
and its key-lever has marked on it the figure 1, the figure 49 will appear at the line
of sight on the relative key-lever having been depressed 49 times. On the
50th depression of said key-lever, the total is carried forward on the bar Gas
described, and the figure 50 now appears on said bar G whereas a zero appears on
the drum itself. On the completion of one hundred operations, the figure 100 will
appear on the bar G as described and a zero on the drum D and so on, so that the
total of the figures appearing on the drum D and its bar G will be the number of
operations that the relative key-lever has received.
For the purpose of setting all the drums D to zero, they are mounted on their
shaft C in such a manner, that on said shaft being turned by any suitable means in
a direction opposite to that in which the said drums D have been moved, the said
drums will be carried back with it, until each of the projecting ends of the
carriers L shall come into contact with the upper face of their relative trips T, and

page_text: the bars G may be pushed back into their zero position being provided at
their forward ends with pins U for the purpose of preventing their being pushed
too far.
If the bars G are formed with four rounded grooves R then the figures appearing
on it, taking the above example, will be 50, 100, 150, 200, said bar being advanced
a sufficient space at each complete revolution of its drum D. If the drum after
such four complete revolutions be further operated, then on the 48th operation the
rounded end l'of the carrier L will come in contact with the flat portion W of its
relative bar G whereby said drum will be locked and incapable of being further
operated until it has been set back as above described.
By the foregoing description of my invention it is to be understood that the use
of my invention is not limited to that of the example given, as the number of teeth
on the ratchet wheel may be more or less, or the figures on the drums and bars,
instead of registering the number of depressions which the relative key-lever has
received, may show the total amount of money paid in; and also, instead of bearing
figures which indicate the totals to the sight, I may attach type figures to said drums
and bars, by means of which said totals may be printed on a strip of paper in the
manner described in my application for Letters Patent No. 13494 dated 11th July
1893, and the details herein shown and described may be varied in any other manner
to suit any particular requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
In a cash register having a series of figure or type carrying drums adapted to be
operated by the depression of a corresponding series of key-levers, a series of
suitably supported bars G bearing suitable figures or type and adapted to be moved
a necessary distance at each complete revolution of its relative drum for the purpose
and substantially in the manner as described and illustrated.
Dated this 16th day of July 1894
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.