Improvements in Cash Registers and Indicators.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cash Registers and Indicators.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Company 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 com-
munication 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 be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
The invention relates to cash registers and indicators chiefly to the registering
and indicating mechanisms of such machines, and consists in the novel combination
of a series of keys of different values with a bar which is given different degrees
of movement by the different keys proportionate to the respective values. This
bar may be connected with registering mechanisms alone, to register the values of
the keys, or with indicating mechanism, to temporarily indicate their values, or
with both to accomplish both results. It might also be connected with a printing
mechanism, to set a type wheel at the proper point to print the value of the
operated key upon a paper strip or ticket, but in the machine illustrated in the
drawings it is combined with a registering mechanism alone.
The novelty of my invention will be more particularly set forth in the following
Specification, and specifically pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of my improved machine removed from the
casing;
Fig. 1 a detail of the guide plate;
Fig. 2 a front elevation of the machine with the front ends of the operating keys
cut off;
Fig. 3 a side elevation of the right side of the machine;
Fig. 4 a sectional detail showing the vibrating frame and gong-sounding
mechanisms;
Fig. 5 an enlarged rear elevation of the registering wheels, clutch and shifter
with the parts in normal position ;
Fig. 6 a corresponding view with the parts in the position they occupy at the
completion of the stroke of an operated key;
Fig. 7 a sectional detail showing the re-setting plate for the registering bar and
associated parts;
Fig. 8 an enlarged detail side elevation of the registering wheels and associated
parts; and
Fig. 9 a sectional detail through the primary registering wheel.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts in all the
figures.
The operating keys of the machine consist of levers A fulcrumed upon a
horizontal shaft B extending across the lower forward part of the machine. In
this instance they are eighteen in number and bear upon their front ends the usual
inger buttons, numbered from 5 to 90 in multiples of five. Upon their rear ends
rest the usual tablet rods C carrying indicating tablets D, adapted to be lifted
nto view by the operations of the respective keys and temporarily held in exposed
position by supporting devices of familiar construction and operation, which need
ot be here described.
Pivoted to the side of each key near its rear end is a vertical rod E which
xtends up through a horizontal guide plate F extending from side to side of the
ramework. In this instance the rods E are circular in cross-section and pass

page_text: through circular holes G in the plate F, Fig. 1A, the rods snugly fitting the
holes so as to be guided vertically thereby. Formed or secured upon the forward
side of each rod E, near its upper end, is a wedge or cam plate H, consisting of
a thin plate having its upper portion inclined downwardly and forwardly from the
rod, this inclined portion terminating in a vertical portion at its lower end. These
cam plates on the keys play up and down through slots I extending forward from
the holes G in the plate F, Fig. 14.
Immediately above, and in this instance resting upon the guide plate F, is what
may be called the registering bar, being the bar which is to be given different
degrees of movement by the different keys, to register or indicate their respective
values, or to move a type wheel into position to print them upon a paper strip or
ticket. This bar, J, is in this instance a swinging bar, pivoted to the plate Fat
one end, at K, and connected with the registering mechanism at its opposite end.
It is provided with a series of transverse slots L, one for each rod E, through
which slots the rods and their cams H pass when they are lifted by the depression
of the front ends of the key levers. The bar J normally rests in such position
that the upper ends of the rods E stand immediately below the front ends of the
slots in the bar J, as seen in Fig. 1.
The extent of movement given the bar J by any rod E and its cam H. upon
operating the key corresponding to such rod, is determined both by the width of
the cam and the position of the rod relatively to the pivotal point K of the bar.
Thus the cam upon the rod carried by the key at the extreme right of the series
will move the bar a unit of distance, in this instance representing five cents; the
second rod will move it two units; the third, three; and so on, to the rod and key
at the extreme left of the series, which latter rod will move it eighteen units of
distance, to indicate or register ninety cents.
Each of the slots L in the bar J is of just the length of the combined diameter
of the rod and width of the cam which play through it, so that when any rod is
lifted until the beveled portion of its cam plate H, is carried above the bar J. and
the vertical portion of the plate H brought into the slot, the rod and its plate
will completely fill the length of the slot and positively hold the bar from move-
ment in either direction. The purpose of this is to positively arrest the bar and
prevent its momentum throwing it too far when a key is quickly or violently
operated. Inasmuch as the rods E are confined in the guide holes in the plate F,
and the forward movement of the bar J when any one of them is lifted is limited
by the engagement of the rear end of the slot with the rear side of the rod, it
will be seen that the extent of movement of the bar will always be accurately
determined by the width of the cam and the position of the rod relatively to the
fulcrum of the bar, and any overthrowing of the register or indicator by momentum
of the bar effectively prevented.
The bar J may be connected at its right hand end with a register or counter or
an indicator or type wheel in any suitable manner. In the drawings I have shown
it connected by a rack and pinion and clutch with the primary wheel of a train of
registering wheels. The rack bar M is pivoted at its rear end to the bar J and is
guided in its forward and backward movement by a groove in its under side which
fits over a short tongue or lug N upon the upper end of a plate O secured to the
front edge of the plate F, Fig. 2. The rack upon the upper side of the bar M
meshes with a pinion P mounted to turn and slide laterally upon a shaft Q sup-
ported at its ends in brackets R upon the plate F of the framework. Loosely
mounted upon the shaft Q beside the pinion P is the primary wheel S of a train of
registering wheels. This wheel has fast upon its right side, between it and the
pinion P, a locking disk T. This disk is provided with twenty equi-distant holes U
upon the
with which co-operates a pin V projecting laterally from an arm W fast
pinion P, Fig. 6. This pin is normally engaged with one of the holes in the
disk T, so that the pinion P turns the disk and wheel S with it when the rack M
is moved forward. The pinion P is slid to the right to disengage the pin V from
the disk T and permit the pinion to turn backward without the disk and wheel, by

page_text: means of a shifter X, Figs. 5, 6 & 8. This shifter consists of a frame pivoted
near its middle between brackets Y Z upon the under side of the plate F, and
having an upwardly extending arm X' and a downwardly extending arm X'. The
upper end of its arm X is forked and provided with pins fitting in a groove
in the hub of the pinion P, while the lower end of its arm X' is provided upon its
forward side with a lug A1, Figs. 2 & 3. This lug co-operates with a rib or cam B'
upon the rear side of a plate C' carried by and projecting upwardly from a bar D₁
extending across and resting upon the keys. This bar forms part of a vibrating
frame whose side arins E' are hung to the side of the frames of the machine at Fi,
so that the bar rises and falls with the rear ends of the keys when the latter are
operated. In addition to the cam B' the plate C' has projecting from its rear side
two pins GH, Figs. 5 and 6, which co-operate with a curved spring I¹, secured at
its upper end to the shifter X. In the normal position of the parts, with the keys
at rest, the upper pin G bears against the outer side of the spring 1', as seen in
Fig. 5, and presses the lower end of the shifter toward the left in said figure and
holds its upper end thrown to the right and the pin V on the arm W in engagement
with one of the holes in the disk T of the primary registering wheel. In this
position of the parts the lug A' upon the lower arm of the shifter stands imme-
diately to the left of the upper end of the cam B', so that when a key is operated
and the cross-bar D' and plate C¹are lifted the cam B₁ will travel upward upon
the right hand side of the lug A'. When the plate has been lifted a certain
distance the lower pin H' will engage the inner side of the curved spring and
press it to the right, thereby causing it to pull the lower arm of the shifter in that
direction and press the lug A' against the left side of the cam. This cam is of
such length that its lower end will be carried above the lug A¹ just as the operated
key has completed its positive stroke and the parts have been lifted to their highest
position. When the cam passes above the lug the stress of the spring will throw
the lower end of the shifter to the right and its upper end to the left and dis-
engage the pin V from the disk T of the registering wheel, as seen in Fig. 6.
During the return stroke of the parts the pinion P will therefore be uncoupled
from the registering wheel and the latter will remain stationary. The cam B₁ will
travel downward upon the left side of the lug A When parts nearly reach
normal position the pin G' will engage the outer side of the curved spring 1' again
and tend to throw the lower end of the shifter to the left. The engagement of the
lug A with the right side of the cam B₁ prevents such movement of the shifter,
however, until the upper end of the cam passes below the lug, whereupon the spring
will throw it to the left again into the position shown in Fig. 5, ready for the next
operation of the machine.
The bar J might be returned to and yieldingly held in normal position by means
of a suitable spring, but there is provided a device which positively restores it to
such position and which offers no resistance to its forward movement, as would a
spring. This device consists of an arm or plate J, Fig. 7, pivoted at its lower
end to an upwardly projecting lug or car K¹, upon the cross bar D', preferably at
or near the middle of said bar. This plate has a widened upper end, forming an
inclined surface on its rearward or forward edge, or both, as shown. The upper
end of this plate passes through a slot in the plate F. and the length of the slot is
such that when the parts are at rest and the plate in its lowermost position the
forward edge of its upper end will be engaged with the forward edge of the slot
and its rear edge will engage the forward edge of the bar J and hold it in normal
position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 7. When any one of the keys is operated and the
cross bar D' and plate J' are lifted thereby the widened portion of the plate .J'
will be carried above the plate F so that the plate J' will be free to swing forward
until its narrow lower portion engages the front end of the slot. This releases the
bar J, and the cam plate H on the rod of the operated key moves it forward the
proper distance to register the value of such key. When the key is released and
the cross bar D¹ drops back to normal position, carrying the plate J¹ down with it,

page_text: the beveled forward edge of the plate J will ride over the front end of the slot
and the upper end of the plate J¹ be thrown rearward thereby, and its rear edge
will engage the bar J and push it back to normal position.
By employment of this means for resetting the bar J no resistance is offered to
its forward movement, as would be the case if a spring were employed, and
therefore less power is required to operate the keys.
A pawl M¹ pressed by a spring N into engagement with the teeth of the disk T,
Fig. 8, prevents any backward movement of the primary registering wheel during
the return strokes of the rack and pinion and resetting of the parts.
For the purpose of preventing overthrow of the primary wheel by its own
momentum, after the pinion has been uncoupled from it by the shifter at the
completion of the stroke of the operated key in the manner before described, I
provide a lock which is operated by the shifter and co-operates with the disk T to
positively lock said disk and the registering wheel at the instant the driving pinion
is uncoupled from them. This locking device is shown in Figs. and 6, and
consists of an arm O' secured to or formed integral with the upper arm X' of the
shifter and projecting to the right beneath the toothed disk T.
When the parts
are in normal position, with the pinion P coupled to said disk, the locking arm O¹
stands in approximately horizontal position with its right end immediately below
the disk as seen in Fig. 5, but when the positive stroke of an operated key is
completed and the upper arm of the shifter is swung to the left, to uncouple the
pinion from the disk T and the registering wheel, the end of the locking arm (1
will be thrown upward into engagement with one of the notches in the disk T as
seen in Fig. 6, and positively lock the same and the registering wheel from movement
until the parts are re-set to normal position and the upper end of the shifter swung
to the right again, whereupon the arm O' will be thrown downward out of
engagement with the disk.
The primary registering wheel S has projecting from its periphery a pin PI
which co-operates with a ratchet Q' Figs. 8 and 9, fast upon the side of a locking
disk R' which is in turn fast upon the side of a gear S which meshes with the
gear T of the second registering wheel U₁ Figs. 5 and 6. The primary wheel has
fast upon its side a circular locking disk or flange V₁ in line and co-operating with
the disk R' above referred to. The engagement of the concave surfaces of the
latter disk with the convex surface of the disk V₁ prevent the disk R' and gear S
from turning except when a notch Win the surface of the disk V', Fig. 1, is
brought opposite the point of union of two of the concave surfaces on the disk R¹.
At each complete revolution of the primary registering wheel S its pin P' will
engage a tooth of the ratchet Q' and turn the same forward between two of its
ten teeth, the notch W' in the disk V' being brought into position to permit the
disk R to turn at the moment the pin P engages the tooth of the ratchet Q'.
This forward movement of the ratchet Q' will be transmitted through the gears S¹
and T¹ to the second registering wheel U', which will be turned forward one space
or number, to register the one complete revolution of the primary wheel S. The
revolutions of the second registering wheel are added upon the third, and the third
upon the fourth, and so on, in the usual manner.
We are aware that it has heretofore been proposed to operate a registering or
equivalent bar by a series of cams or wedges carried by the keys and adapted to
pass through slots in the bar to move it different distances proportionate to the
values of the keys; but so far as we are aware the inventor is the first in the art
to combine a slotted registering bar with a series of cams arranged to reciprocate
through its slots and move it different distances, and each adapted to fill the entire
length of its co-operating slot, so that when any cam has passed through the bar
and moved it as far as it is capable of moving it, it will fill the full length of the
slot and positively arrest and lock the bar and prevent any overthrow from the
momentum of the bar. It is therefore desired to secure such combination broadly
in a machine of the character described; that is to say, in a machine in which a

page_text: registering or equivalent bar is moved various distances by keys representing
different values, to either register, indicate or print their respective values, or to
accomplish all of those results.
It will be understood that the driving pinion P might be connected with the
primary registering wheel by an ordinary ratchet and pawl connection, instead of
the clutch devices I have illustrated and described, and, where a type wheel is
employed, to print the values of the keys, it might be geared directly to the
rack or pinion, the portion of the stroke of a key after the movement of the
bar by its cam is completed being utilized to actuate a printing platen
co-operating with the type wheel, in the usual manner.
Again, while the rods E which carry the cams H have been shown as pivoted
to the rear ends of the key levers, it is not essential that they should be. They
might, instead, simply rest upon the rear ends of the levers, or stand in their path
of travel so as to be lifted by them, and might in such case be re-set by coiled
springs surrounding them, as are the tablet rods C.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,
1. In a machine such as described, the combination of a movable bar or plate
provided with a series of slots, and a series of cams arranged to reciprocate
through said slots so as to move the bar different distances, and each adapted to
entirely fill the length of its co-operating slot when moved through it, for the
purpose of positively arresting the bar when it has been moved the proper
distance.
2. In a machine such as described, the combination of a movable bar or plate
provided with a series of slots, and a series of graduated cams arranged to recipro-
cate through said slots so as to move the bar different distances, and each adapted
to entirely fill the length of its co-operating slot when moved through it, for the
purpose of positively arresting the bar when it has been moved the proper
distance.
3. In a machine such as described, the combination of a horizontally movable
bar or plate provided with a series of slots, and a series of vertically guided cams
arranged to reciprocate through said slots and move the bar different distances, and
each adapted to entirely fill the length of its co-operating slot when moved
through it, for the purpose of positively arresting the bar when it has been moved
the proper distance.
4. In a machine such as described, the combination of a horizontally movable
bar or plate provided with a series of slots, and a series of vertically guided
graduated cams arranged to reciprocate through said slots and move the bar
different distances, and each adapted to entirely fill the length of its co-operating
slot when moved through it, for the purpose of positively arresting the bar when it
has been moved the proper distance.
5. In a machine such as described, the combination of a movable bar containing
a series of slots of different lengths, a series of cams of different widths correspond-
ing to the lengths of the respective slots in the movable bar and adapted to pass
through said slots, and suitable means for moving the respective cams through the
slots in the bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.
6. In a machine such as described, the combination of a movable bar provided
with a series of slots of different lengths, a series of cams of different widths corre-
sponding to the lengths of the respective slots in the bar, and a series of key
levers representing different values and co-operating with the series of cams to
move them through the slots in the bar, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
7. In a machine such as described, the combination of a horizontally movable
bar provided with a series of slots of different lengths, a series of vertically guided
rods carrying cams of different widths corresponding to the lengths of the respective

page_text: slots in the bar and adapted to pass through said slots, and a series of keys of
different values for lifting the respective rods and moving the cams through the
slots in the bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.
8. In a machine such as described, the combination of a series of key levers
representing different values, a series of vertically guided rods arranged to be lifted
by the rear ends of said levers and provided with cams of varying widths, and a
movable bar arranged above the series of cams and provided with a series of slots
of different lengths corresponding to the widths of the respective cams, through
which slots said cams are adapted to pass when the front ends of the key levers are
depressed, substantially as and for the purpose described.
9. In a machine such as described, the combination of a pivoted bar arranged to
swing in a horizontal plane, and provided with a series of slots of different lengths,
a series of cams of different widths corresponding to the lengths of the respective
slots, and a series of keys representing different values, for moving the different
cams through the slots in the bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.
10. In a machine such as described, the combination of a horizontally swinging
bar provided with a series of slots of different lengths, a series of vertically guided
rods carrying cams of different widths corresponding to the lengths of the
respective slots in the bar and adapted to pass through said slots, and a series of
key levers representing different values for lifting the respective rods and
moving the cams through the slots in the bar, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
11. In a machine such as described, the combination of a movable bar provided
with a series of slots of different lengths, a fixed guide plate provided with
co-incident slots of corresponding lengths, a series of cams of different widths corre-
sponding to the lengths of the respective slots in the guide plate and movable bar
aud adapted to pass through said slots and move the bar different distances,
and a series of keys for operating the cams, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
12. In a machine such as described, the combination of a horizontally movable
bar provided with a series of slots of different lengths, a fixed guide plate provided
with co-incident slots of corresponding lengths, a series of vertically guided rods
carrying cams of different widths corresponding to the lengths of the respective
slots in the movable bar and guide plate and adapted to pass through said slots,
and a series of key levers representing different values for lifting the respective
rods, substantially as and for the purpose described.
13. In a machine such as described, the combination of a horizontal guide plate
provided with a series of slots of different lengths, a swinging bar resting thereon
and provided with a series of co-incident slots of corresponding lengths, a series of
vertically guided rods carrying cams of different widths corresponding to the
lengths of the respective slots in the movable bar and guide plate and adapted to
pass through said slots, and a series of key levers representing different values
for lifting the respective rods, substantially as and for the purpose described.
14. In a registering machine, the combination of a series of keys representing
different values, a registering bar adapted to be moved different distances by the
operations of different keys, a rack moving with the bar, a pinion meshing with the
rack, a registering wheel, a clutch between the pinion and registering wheel, and
a shifter actuated at the completion of the positive stroke of a key to break
the clutch between the pinion and registering wheel and permit the latter to
remain stationary while the pinion returns to normal position, substantially as
described.
15. In a registering machine, the combination of a slotted registering bar, a
series of cams of different widths adapted to pass through the slots and move the
bar different degrees, a series of keys for operating the cams, a rack moving with
the registering bar, a pinion meshing with the rack, a registering wheel, a clutch
between said wheel and pinion, a vibrating bar common to all of the keys, and a
shifter for the clutch actuated by said bar to break the clutch at the completion

page_text: of the positive stroke of an operated key, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
16. In a registering machine, the combination of a series of keys representing
different values, a registering bar adapted to be moved different distances by
the operations of different keys, a rack moving with the bar, a pinion meshing
with the rack, a registering wheel, a clutch between the pinion and the wheel, a
shifter for the clutch, and a lock operated by the shifter to lock the registering
wheel simultaneously with the breaking of the clutch between the pinion and
wheel.
17. In a registering machine, the combination of the slotted guide plate F, the
swinging bar J moving upon said plate and provided with slots L of different lengths,
the key levers A, and the rods E carried by the rear ends of said levers and provided
with cam plates H of different widths corresponding to the different lengths of the
slots L in the bar J and adapted to pass through said slots, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
18. In a registering machine, the combination of the shifter X provided with
the lng A' and spring 11, and the reciprocating plate C₁ provided with the cam B¹
co-operating with the lug A', and with the pins G H co-operating with the
spring 11, substantially as described.
19. In a registering machine, the combination of the toothed disk T, the sliding
pinion P, a clutch connection between them, the shifter X provided with the
locking arm O co-operating with the disk T, and provided also with the spring I'
and the lug A', and the reciprocating plate C' provided with the cam B¹ and
pins G H co-operating with the lug A' and spring I¹ respectively, substantially
as described.
20. In a machine such as described, the combination of a series of operating
keys, a movable bar provided with slots of different lengths, a series of cams of
different widths corresponding to the lengths of the respective slots in the movable
bar, a vibrating frame common to all of the keys, and a re-setting plate operated
by said frame to re-set the movable bar upon the release and return of the operated
key, substantially as described.
21. The combination of the operating keys A, the rods E operated thereby and
provided with the cams H, the guide plate F, the slotted bar J, the vibrating
frame D' E', and the re-setting plate J', operated by the vibrating frame and
co-operating with the bar J, substantially as described.
Dated this 13th day of September 1892.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.