US2649246A - Cash drawer mechanism - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 25, 1948 FIG. I

9 9 8 9 9 5 0 O 8 8 l 8 4 .o w 4 4 3 m m n N mm 0 3 W 4 l n R 4 p M 1 NH n. -Hu in A X MA R x F 2 5 mm 9 w a m 3344 4 03 O0 44 w 9 V 9 3 3 l a 6 W 8 a 3 3 His (Ittornegs Aug. 18, 1953 F, WERNER 2,649,246

CASH DRAWER MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2

l'mventor FRANK R WERNER a j; i BY His (Ittornegs Patented Aug. 18, 1953 CASH DRAWER MECHANISM Frank R. Werner, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The National Cash Register Company,

Dayton,

Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Original application August 25, 1948, Serial No. 46,165. Divided and this application December 22, 1949, Serial No. 134,553

4 Claims. (Cl. 235-22) This invention relates to improvements in cash drawer release mechanism for cash registers and accounting machines.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 46,165, filed August 25, 1948.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel means for simultaneously releasing a plurality of cash drawers, which cash drawers are normally selectively released under control of manipulative devices of a cash register or accounting machine keyboard.

With this and incidental objects in View, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

Of said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View taken through a cash drawer cabinet, together with a side View of the clerk's lever for selecting the cash drawer to be released for operation.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the drawer release mechanism and illustrates the manually operable drawer release slide.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view showing the locking means for normally preventing operation of the manually operable drawer release slide.

General description Cash registers and accounting machines are provided with a keyboard including amount, transaction, and clerks manipulative devices, the latter being in the form of either key banks or setting levers. In such machines, a separate cash drawer is provided for receiving the cash taken in by each clerk. For this reason, the clerks setting means selects the cash drawer to be opened when a sale is registered in the machine. The machine to which the present invention is shown applied is provided with a clerks lever, and therefore the invention is i1- lustrated for use in a lever-set machine.

In normal operations of the machine, the clerks lever is set to a position corresponding to the clerk making the entry of a sale. The setting of the clerks lever couples a latch-op crating means to unlatch the corresponding clerks cash drawer upon operation of the machine. I

There are instances when the proprietor desires to open all the cash drawers without operating the machine. To provide for such release of the cash drawer, a novel device comprising a manually operable slide is provided, said slide coacting directly with the drawer latches when operated to release all the drawers simultaneously. This slide is under lock and key and is normally locked against operation. To release the slide for operation, the proprietor, having possession of a key, can unlock the manually operable slide for operation.

Detailed description The machine as illustrated herein is provided with four cash drawers which are selected for release by a clerks lever Ill (Fig. 1), which lever is settable into four selecting positions, one position corresponding to each clerk. The lever ii? is pivotally mounted on a shaft 31, carried by the frames 30 and 3| of the machine.

The cash drawer cabinet 33 (Fig. 1) houses the four cash drawers 385, 386, 381, and 388. One cash drawer is allotted for each of the four clerks; that is, one for each of the four positions of the clerks selecting lever Ill. The cash drawers are suitably mounted on tracks on which rollers carried by the cash drawers run for each operation of the drawers when the drawers are released to move out of the cabinet 33. Each cash drawer is impelled outwardly by a spring 389 when released. Normally, latches 390, 39!. 392, and 393 maintain the respective drawers in their inaccessible position. The latches 390, tel, 392, and 393 are selectively operated under control of the clerks selecting lever Ill.

-The latch 390 for the upper cash drawer is pivoted on a shaft 3% (see also Fig. 2) carried by a bracket 395, supported in the top ofv the drawer cabinet 33. The latch 33B is provided with an upwardly-extending arm 396, which lies in the path of a rod 391 carried between the two arms of a yoke 399 when the clerks selecting lever II! is in its upper position. The yoke 399 is pivotally mounted on a shaft carried by arms 4m and 4&2 of a yoke .83. The yoke 403 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 404, supported in the side frames 36] and 3|. The arm 402 is provided with a roller 465, which lies in the path of movement of a cam 466 secured to a cam shaft I03.

When the machine is operated with the clerks selecting lever ill in its uppermost position, the rod 39? moves into engagement with the arm 3% of the latch 396, to rock the latch 39B counter-clockwise to release the upper cash drawer. The rod 3s? is moved into engagement with the latch 395! when the cam 436 is rotated and engages a roller 405 to rock the yoke dill! clockwise. Clockwise movement of the yoke 493 moves the yoke 399, together with the rod 391, to the left (Fig. 1) to engage the arm 396 of the latch 390 projecting into a slot 4l3 of a link 4l4, resi1iently held on the lower end of a rod 4l5 bya spring wound around the latter. The rod" M is threaded to screw into an angle'piece 4-16 pivotally connected to a bell crank M1 by a-stud4l9;

The bell crank 411 (see also Fig. 2) is pivoted-on the beforementioned shaft 394. The bell crank 4 I! extends upwardly and is provided with a face? 419, which lies in the path of the rod 3'9"! when the clerks selecting lever H1 is moved to its second position. The clerk's selecting lever H t has pivoted thereto a link 429, the lower end of which. is pivoted to the rod 391, by means of which the rod 39? is positioned.

When the clerks selecting lever Ill is moved counter-clockwise into its second position (Fig. 1), the link 429 lifts the rod 391 into the path of the face 419. Thereafter, during the machine operation, when the cam 499rotates to rock the yoke 493 clockwise, the yoke 399, pulling on the rod 391, rocksthe bell crank 4i! counter-clockwise to raise the rod M5 and the latch 39!- to release the second cash drawer.

The third and fourth cash drawers 381 and 389- are provided with similar mechanisms for lifting the latches 392 and393. The latch 392 is connected to a bell crank having a surface 42 l, a

and the latch 393 is connected to a bell crank having a surface 422. As the clerksselecting lever H! is moved into its third position, the rod 391- is moved into alinement with the surface 42!, and, when the clerks lever ill is moved into its fourth position, the rod 391' is moved oppositethe surface 422. When the rod 39? en'- gages the'surface 421, the third cash'drawer 387 is released, and-when the rod 39! engages the surface 422, the fourth cash drawer 383 is released by the mechanism including the earn 499 and the'yokes 493 and 399.

A manual release is provided for releasing all of the cash drawers when the proprietor wants to read the totalizers and check the cash in the 7 cash drawers. For this purpose, a slide 339 (Fig. 2) is provided. The slide 338 can be manually shifted to the right (Fig. 2) to'release all of the cash drawers in a manner presently described.

The slide 333 is provided with two slots 339, which engage studs 349, mounted on the top 33 of the 7 drawer cabinet. The right end 34! of the slide 338 is normally obstructed by a flange 342 mounted on a link 393, described later. The slide338 has formed thereon two cam surfaces 423. and. 424, which lie adjacent the bell cranks normally operated by the rod 391' during ma-' piece 425, formed on the left end of the slide 338, Movement and shifts the slide 339't0 the right. of the slide 338 to the right causes the cam surfaces 423 and 424 to wipe against the rear ends of the drawer-releasing bell cranks, rocking themcounter-clockwise to lift all-of the latches 399,

When the flange 342 is out of the path 4 39 l, 392, and 393, thus releasing the cash drawers without operating the machine.

Control lock The machine of the instant invention is provided with a control lock 299 (Fig. 3) which controls the operations of the machine;- that is, the operations of reading of the totalizer wheels,

' locking of the machine, and release of the cash drawers. The lock has three positions of adjustmen-t; When the lock is in intermediate position, the machine can be operated for entering items. When the lock is turned ninety degrees in a clockwise direction from the intermediate position, the machine release mechanism is locked against operation, and the manual drawer release" mechanism is unlocked. When the lock is turned counter-clockwise ninety degrees from the intermediate position into the position shown in Fig. 3, the machine is locked against any operation.

The control lock 299 (Fig. 3) is mounted in a bracket 29l on the right side frame 39. An insertable key 292 controls the various functions of the machine described above. When the key 292 is in either its vertical position, or in its counter-clockwise horizontal position, the flange 3'42 obstructs shifting movement of the slide 338-. However, when the key 292 is rotated into its extreme clockwise position, a pin 293 on the lock 299, engaging the cam slot 399, rocks a bell crank 39] on the stud 392 clockwise to shift a link 393 to the left (Fig. l). The left-hand end of the link 393 is pivoted to an arm 399 on the shaft I93. Leftward movement of the link 393 removes the flange 342 from the path of the right-hand end 34E of the slide 338, thus permitting the proprietor to shift the slide 333 to the right (Fig. 3) to release all the cash drawers.

While the form of mechanism shown and described herein is admirably adapted to fulfill the object primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment disclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms.

What is claimed is:

1 In a machine of the class described, a pluralityof cash drawers, a separately controlled latching means, including a pivoted member, for each cash drawer, means to select the latching means for operation, power-operated means to actuate the selected latching means duringa machine operation whereby the cash drawers may be selectively rendered accessible in combi'nation with a unitary slide, cam means on the slide adjacent-the pivoted members of the latching means, and a finger piece on the slide whereby the slide may be actuated to manually cause the cammeans to actuate all of said pivoted members and thereby operate all of said latching means to simultaneously render the plurality of cash drawers accessible while the machine is at rest. I

2. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of cash drawers, a manipulative device settable to a plurality of positions, a separate latching means, including a pivoted lever, for each cash drawer, means differentially settable by the manipulative device to select the latching means for operation, power-operated means to actuate the selected latching means during a machine operation to selectively render the cash drawers accessible, in combination with a unitary slide, cam means on the slide adjacent the pivoted levers of the latching means, a finger piece on said slide to facilitate operating the slide to manually cause the cam means to actuate all the pivoted pawls and thereby operate all of the latching means simultaneously to render all the cash drawers accessible while the machine is at rest, a locking means to normally prevent operating the slide, and a manipulative device to render the locking means ineffective.

3. In a machine of the class described, the com bination of a plurality of cash drawers; a latch normally latching each cash drawer in inaccessible position; a plurality of latch-operating means, one of said latch-operating means connected to each latch, each operating means including a pivoted lever, said levers extending different lengths from their pivoted points; a difierentially positionable operating member; a manipulative device connected to the operating member and movable to position the operating member adjacent a selected one of said levers; a power-operated means to move the operating member into contact with and thereafter operate the selected one of the levers whereby a selected drawer latch is actuated to release the selected drawer to render the drawer accessible; a manually-operable member adjacent all the levers; and cam means on the member to actuate all the levers upon manual operation of the member to actuate all said latches to simultaneously open all the cash drawers While the power-operated means is at rest.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a plurality of cash drawers; a latch normally latching each cash drawer in inaccessible position; a plurality of latch-operating means, one of said latch-operating means connected to each latch, each operating means including a pivoted lever, said levers extending difierent lengths from their pivoted points; a

, the operating member may receive said differential setting, while being adjusted in one direction by the manipulative device, and said operating member being movable by the poweroperated means in another direction to operate the selected one of the said levers whereby a selected drawer latch is actuated to release the selected drawer to render the drawer accessible; a manually-operable member adjacent all the levers; and cam means on the member to actuate all the levers upon manual operation of the member to actuate all said latches to simultaneously open all the cash drawers while the power-operated means is at rest.

FRANK R. WERNER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 540,289 Yoho June 4, 1895 861,839 Heinitz July 30, 1907 1,520,727 Sippert Dec. 30, 1924 1,583,853 Neth May 11, 1926 1,930,434 Sherman et al Oct. 10, 1933 1,951,628 Prost Mar. 20, 1934 1,984,185 Gustavson Dec. 11, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 257,431 Germany Mar. 7, 1913

Images