Improvements in and relating to Cash Registers and Recorders or Check Tills.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 31st July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Cash Registers and Recorders or
Check Tills.
We, DANIEL WESLEY HARPER, Special Pension Examiner, a citizen of the United
States of America, residing at Birmingham in the County of Jefferson and State of
Alabama, U.S.A., and THOMAS RIPLEY FARNSWORTH and ROBERT LEEDY MATTHEWS,
Bankers, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Memphis, in the
County of Shelby and State of Tennessee, U.S.A., 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 relates to certain new and useful improvements in cash registers
and recorders, and especially to an entirely new, novel mechanical noveinent in this
class of inventions, whereby the recording of a purchase is effected through the medium
of a cog wheel having broken series of teeth about its circumference, which teeth
are cut at right angles to the axis of the wheel, each series of teeth designating a
certain numerical amount corresponding to the amount of the purchase, and the
said cog wheel is regulated by mechanism which causes the teeth of the wheel to mesh
with a pinion carried on a shaft connected with recording wheels of any suitable
construction common in the art, so that as an operating shaft, carrying the cog
wheel is pulled out, the record of the purchase is made.
A further part of our invention resides in the provision of a shutter, which is
automatically operated so as to cover and obscure froin view an indicating numeral on
a dial, or to be thrown back disclosing the purchase amount, the mechanism for
operating which shutter being actuated each time that the shaft carrying the cog
wheel is pulled out in the act of recording a purchase.
In connection with the foregoing we provide means for ringing a bell each time that
a purchase is made, and suitable mechanism for tilting the shutter backward and
forward, which will be hereinafter more fully described.
Heretofore it has been the practice to construct recorders in connection with cash
registers, in which a plurality of indicating dials are utilized to record dollars and
cents, while in the present invention we are able by the peculiar and novel construc-
tion embodied in the mechanism which we employ, to utililize but one dial having
both the cent and dollar numerals, and from which both denominations may be
recorded by a pulling out of the same shaft.
To these ends, and to such others as the invention may pertain, the same consists
further in the novel construction, combination and adaptation of the parts, as will be
hereinafter more fully described and then specifically defined in the appended
claims.
We clearly illustrate our invention in the accompanying drawings, which, with the
letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which
drawings similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views,
in which―
Figure 1 is a central, vertical section through our improved cash register and
recorder.
IN in a mutional alavation on the lin
1

page_text: Figure 4 is a detailed view of a perforated disk designed to hold the shaft from
rotating while a purchase is being recorded.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the dial on one side of the register, together with
the operating handle and indicating pointer.
Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed view of the mechanism which is designed to
tilt the shutter.
Figure 7 is an enlarged detail in perspective of the shutter.
Figure 8 is a side elevation of a modified form of the shutter.
Reference now being had to the details ofthe drawings by letter, A³ designates the casing of
the cash register in which is carried, at the bottom, a money drawer, and on the partition 1
above the money drawer are mounted the yokes B2 B², in the perforated upper ends of
which is carried the shaft S¹ to which is keyed or otherwise fastened the dial Q,
having arranged upon opposite sides if desired, the indicating numerals of different
denominations, which in the present instance indicate amounts from naught to ten
dollars. Mounted in the yoke B and in the front wall of the register, is the shaft S, 1
which telescopes at one end within the hollow shaft S¹, but is keyed so as to turn with
the said shaft S¹. Keyed to the shaft S, are the cog wheels A and A', which have
series of broken teeth about their circumference with smaller teeth in the broken cogs
at right angles to the axis of the wheels. Meshing with the teeth of the cog wheel A,
is a pinion wheel B, which is keyed to a shaft having communication with recording
wheels C, D and E, which are of ordinary construction. This wheel A is designed for
recording any purchase, the amount of which is one dollar or below one dollar, while
a second similarly constructed cog wheel A¹ is provided, which is designed to record
purchases amonnting to dollars. A pinion B₁ is provided mounted on a suitable
shaft carried on yokes, which pinion is designed to mesh with any series of cog teeth
on the wheel A¹, which may be brought so as to mesh therewith. Suitable recording
wheels C, D and E¹ are connected with this latter referred to shaft whereby the
dollar purchases may be recorded.
On the front face of the register is a dial N rigidly secured thereto, and the
numerals on this dial are similarly arranged to those on the dial Q before referred to.
An indicating pointer O is keyed to the shaft S on the outside of the register and a row
of integral lugs 01 are disposed at intervals between the numerals on the said dial N.
Keyed to the shaft S within the casing of the register is a disk L, which has a series of
conical shaped apertures about its rim. Secured to the inside wall of the front of
the register is a conical shaped member L', the vertical center of which is coincident a
with a vertical central plane through the shaft S. Interposed between the said
disk L and the front wall of the register on the shaft S, is a spring M, which
normally holds the shaft S in the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. An
angle lever P pivoted to a casing has one end projecting up in front of the face of the
disk L and is retained in this position against the disk by means of the coiled
spring P¹, while the lower end of the said lever is hooked, and designed to catch over
a member P to lock the drawer when shut, and as the shaft S carrying the disk
is pulled out, the lever tilts and the drawer is unlocked, as will be readily
understood.
The number of teeth on the broken cogs corresponds to the numerals from one to ten 4
on the dials Q and N, and when it is desired to record a purchase, the indicating
pointer O is turned with its shaft, which also turns the indicating dial Q, so that the
amount of the purchase will appear at the indicating aperture in the upright portion
of the register. As the shaft S turns, the broken cog wheel will also turn so that
the particular portion of its surface which has a number of teeth corresponding to the
numeral of the purchase, comes so as to mesh with the pinion of the recording shaft,
when the shaft is pulled out to record the amount of the purchase, and as the pinion is
turned, the recording is effected. As the disk L moves forward the point of the memberL¹
will engage with the conical aperture which is in alignment with said member, and
which aperture is in the same plane with the numeral on the indicating dial, so that
the disk will be steadily held from turning in either direction while the recording is
being done.

page_text: The shutter and mechanism for operating the same are as follows:-
Pivoted on suitable brackets X2 and X3 is the shutter, made up of the two
pieces VV, connected together at their upper ends, and having their lower ends
contracted and curved as best seen in Figure 7. This shutter is pivoted so as to
straddle the dial Q, and the strips connecting the two plates V are designed to strike
against the lever W and ring the bell W₁, as the shutter tilts. Secured about the
circumference of the dial Q is a series of cross pieces Qu, of a length slightly
longer than the distance between the plates V, but of such a length as to readily pass
between the sides of the strips connecting the plates and which strips it will be noted
are slightly outwardly inclined as they rise upward. A second series of lugs Q¹ is
provided on opposite sides of the dial Q, which are utilized in connection with the
lugs or cross pieces Qu, for actuating the shutter. The curved lower portions of the
shutter have the integral lugs U, which when the shutter is pivoted in place,
project in the path of the lugs Q on the dial Q. Journaled in the brackets R³ is the
rod R, slidingly held therein, and one end of the said rod has the projections R²
located a suitable distance apart and one on each side of the disk I, so that as the
disk is moved backward and forward, the said bar R is caused to slide in the brackets
supporting the same. Pivoted in the bracket T¹ is the angle lever T, one end of
which is engaged by a bent end t of lever R, while the other end rest normally
above the arms of the plates V, so that as the lever T is tilted, the shutter is caused
to be tilted, so that the upper widened portion will spring back, exposing the numeral
of the purchase at the indicating opening. It will be noted that the dial Q and the
shutter are pivoted on different centers, and that as the shutter is tilted by the angle
lever T the upper end of the widened plates V will come within the path of the cross
pieces Q on the dial Q, and that if the dial is turned, while the shutter is in its
tilted position, the cross piece Q which happens to be next to the shutter, will bear
against the edges of the plates V-V, and cause the shutter to tilt back so that the
plates will obscure the indicating numeral opposite the aperture.
plates of the shutter are turned to a vertical position the cross piece which abuts
against the plates V or an integral lug or lugs thereon, will have reached such a
position, the dial carrying the saine being on a different center, that the cross piece
will be allowed to pass on uninterrupted, and the dial will be allowed to freely revolve
without interference from the shutter.
When the
It will be noted, that when the shutter is in a closed position, covering the
indicating aperture, that the integral point or lug U will be out of the path of the
lugs Q and that the dial may freely revolve in either direction, while when the
shutter is in a tilted position, and the dial Q is revolved to the right, or in the direction
of the movement of the hands of the clock, the shutter will be closed by a peg Q¹
which contacts against the lug U, which projection U is in the path of the lugs Q¹
when the shutter is tilted. As the dial Q carrying the cross pieces Q moves to
the right, the said cross pieces Q will pass freely over the lugs on the plates V, at a
point substantially half way between the numerals as the lug Q¹ is closing the shutter,
so it will be seen, that whether the dial and its shaft are turned in either direction, the
shutter will be closed in case the latter istilted back to expose the purchase amount.
In Figure 8 we have shown a modified form of shutter, having two plates V on
each arm thereof, which may be utilized in place of the shutter shown in Figure 7
if preferred. In case the shutter shown in Figure 8 is used, one of the plates V will
tilt back on each side of the indicating aperture, and when the shutter is not tilted,
the indicating aperture will disclose the purchase amount.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim, is :-
1. A cash register having a shutter which is designed to obscure or disclose an
indicating numeral by means of a rotary and reciprocating mechanism which indicates
and records a purchase amount, substantially as shown and described.
2. A cash register having a shutter which is designed to obscure or disclose an

page_text: indicating numeral, the said shutter being opened by means of a lengthwise move-
ment of a recording shaft, and closed by a rotary movement of an indicating dial,
substantially as shown.
3. In combination with the shutter described, a dial having a series of peripheral
projections, designed to contact with the upper end of the shutter, and a concentric
series of projections above the axis of the dial adapted to strike against a projection
near the lower end of said shutter, substantially as shown.
4. In a cash register, the combination with a rotary indicating dial, and means for
operating the same, of a shutter pivoted concentrically to said dial, of a series of cross
pieces about the circumference of the dial, which are adapted to strike against a
portion of the shutter and close the same, as the dial is rotated in one direction, sub-
stantially as shown as described.
5. A shutter for a cash register indicating dial mounted on brackets to the casing
of the register, means as described for closing the shutter, combined with an angle
lever having one of its arms adapted to contact with a projection of the said shutter,
its other arm connected to a sliding bar, whereby the shutter may be opened
as a purchase is made, substantiallly as shown.
6. A shutter for obscuring a numeral on an indicating dial of a cash register,
consisting of two \-shaped plates, pivoted within the casing of the register means
for tilting said shutter, the upper ends of the said plates being connected together
with brackets, which, as the shutter is tilted are caused to trip a bell hammer located
in the path of the shutter, substantially as shown.
7. A shutter for obscuring a numeral on an indicating dial of a cash register,
consisting of two plates V having bracket strips connecting their upper ends, the
lower integral arms of the plates curved, and lugs U thereon, substantially as shown as
described.
8. In combination with a shutter as described, an angle lever adapted to tilt said
shutter, and a sliding rod connected to one end of said lever, and means for
automatically operating said rod as a purchase is made and recorded, substantially
as set forth.
9. In a shutter operating mechanism for a cash register, the combination with the
shutter and angle lever, as described, of the rod R slidingly mounted in suitable
bearings, the said rod connected at one end to said lever, the other end having
projections R², of the disk wheel L, mounted on a horizontally movable shaft, the
said disk adapted to strike against the projections as the shaft is moved backward and
forward, substantially as shown.
10. A recording mechanism for a cash register, consisting of a shaft carrying a
cog wheel having a series of broken teeth thereon, and means for recording a purchase
as the said shaft carrying the cog wheel is moved backward and forward, substantially
as shown and described.
11. A recording mechanism for a cash register, consisting of a longitudinally movable
shaft having keyed thereto a cogwheel, each cog having teeth at right angles to its length,
the pinion wheel mounted at right angles to the axis of the said cog wheel and in the
path of the teeth thereon, and means for holding the said shaft from rotating as it is
moved longitudinally, substantially as shown.
12. In combination in a cash register, a shaft carrying an indicating dial, a revoluble
telescoping shaft working said dial shaft, and having keyed thereto a cog wheel with
broken teeth thereon, and a pinion wheel which is connected with the recording
nechanism, and mounted with the teeth in the path of the said cog wheel, sub-
stantially as shown.
13. In combination, in a cash register, a shaft carrying and indicating dial, a
revoluble telescoping shaft working said dial shaft, and having keyed thereto a cog wheel
with broken teeth thereon, and a pinion wheel which is connected with recording
mechanism, and mounted with the teeth in the path of the said cog wheel, and means
for preventing the shafts from rotating when moved longitudinally, substantially as
described.
14. In a cash register, the combination with the horizontally and longitudinally

page_text: movable shaft, a perforated disk mounted thereon, of the stationary member L¹
adapted to register with an aperture in said disk, of the means for automatically
operating a shutter and a catch to a money drawer as the shaft carrying the said disk
is pulled forward, substantially as described.
Datad this 16th day of February 1897
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.