US527589A - Device for tradesmen s use - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet '1.'

(No Model.)

T; L. BRISTOL. DEVICE 30R TRADESMENS USE.

No. 527,589. PatentedOot. 16, 1-894,.

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Patented 0ct.'16 1894.

UEUUUUUU EH DEDQUUU TLLPBRIST'OL. DEVICE FOR TRADESMENS USE.

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.. M ,1 iw i Y L an m A I 7 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

THEODORE L. RRIsTOL, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR 'TRADWESMENVS USE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 527,589, dated October 16, 1894.

1 Application filed January 5, 1894. Serial No. 495,811. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, THEODORE L. BRISTOL, of Ansonia, in" the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Device for Tradesmens Use; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the let ters and figures of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

' Figure 1, a perspective view of a device for tradesmens use constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan View thereof.

with its top removed; Fig. 3, a broken view in vertical section on a larger scale, showing the circuit-closers of the guard and moneydrawer in their relation to their contact pieces; Fig. 4, a plan view of the device with the top and guard removed; Fig. 5, a viewof the device in vertical central section; Fig. 6, a broken sectional view showing the guard in its retracted position in which its openings are aligned with the slots in the cover of the,

box; Fig. 7, a detail View showing the springs engaged with the inner end of the guard for operating the same in its inward movement, and holding it in its closed position; Fig. 8, a detached perspective view of one of the ticket trays; Fig. 9, a detached plan view of one of the tickets.

My invention relates to an improved device for the use of tradesmen, the object being to 1 with a number of slots at, which, as shown, are

arranged in parallel straight lines, with suflicient space between them to accommodate the names ofthe customers, or numbers or characters identifying the same. For convenience of illustration I have shown the in-- ner row of slots as designated by numbers of tin, inclosed in alight frame B. I would have it understood, however, that the guard may be made entirely of metal or of wood, or

of any other material that will answer the purpose; This guard is provided with a series of openings b, a little larger than the slots at in the top of the case, but arranged in correspondence therewith. Normally however the openings b are out of line with the slots ain the top of the boxor case. The outward movement of the guard-is limited by means of spring-stops O 0 located in clearance slots cc, formed in the sides of the case, the said stops being arranged'to exert a constant effort to spring inward into stop-notches b b'formed in the side pieces of the frame .B of the guard. When the guard is pulled outthe top A of the case has at its inner edge five large slots a, formed in it, and that the guard has five corresponding large slots 6 formed in it. The extreme inner edge of the guard is furnished with openings 12 receiving springs DD, which draw it inward after it has been drawn out, and ,hold ity in its normal position in which its openings are out of line with the-slots in the top A of the case. This outer edge of the guard. is constructed with a handle 13 of any approved construction. V

Directly below the guard I locate a compartment drawer E, having handles E E, and constructed with a number of compartments e, corresponding in arrangement to the slots a in the cover of the case, and to the openings b in the guard, and with five large compartments e corresponding to the slots a in the top of the case, and to the openings 1) in the guard. The said compartmentdrawer is ordinarily secured by a lock E It will be understood from the foregoing construction that the guard is interposed bepreference I place a small sheet-metal tray F in each compartment of the box, and con struct the upper end of each tray with a hook f adapting it to be engaged with the inter secting partitions which form the compart- 5 ments, in such a manner that it is easily removed from the compartment drawer. Preferably also I employ small tickets G, adapted to be piled upon the trays, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. I do not however limit myself to to the use of such trays or tickets. Directly below the compartment-drawer I locate a cashdrawer H, provided with a handle H, of any approved construction.

For the purpose of calling attention to the r 5 fact that a sale has been made and the guard operated, and the money-drawer opened and closed, I provide for ringing a bell, so that the customer and the proprietor, in case he is in some other part of the store, may know what is going on, and a check be put upon the clerk if he is not honest. To this end I locate upon the lower face of one of the side pieces of the frame B of the guard a double sheet-metal circuit-closer I, the ends of which enter recesses t 2' formed in the said sidepiece. This curcuit-closer co-operates with the contact pieces J and J, set into the shoulder J 2 within the box on which the said side-piece runs. The said contact-pieces are located in an electric circuit containing a bell K, which is situated in the lower part of the box. Normally the inner end of the circuitcloser engages with the contact -p1ate J, while its outer end stands inside of the plate J. Then when the guide is drawn outward, the said outer end of the circuit closer engages with the said plate J before its inner end breaks with the plate J. The circuit is there: fore closed and the bell sounded, but only momentarily,for the continued outward movement of the guard soon causes the inner end of the circuit-closer to break with the contactplate J. It will be understood that the closing of the circuit and the ringing of the bell 5 is efiected during the outward movement of the guide, and before the same has been brought into the position in which its openings register with the slots in the top of the box. Vt hen the slide is allowed to return to its normal position, the movement of the circuit-closer is reversed, and the bell again sounded momentarily, after which the circuit 1 is broken, and the circuit-closer left in the position first mentioned. It will thus be seen 5 5 that every time the guard is operated the bell will be sounded twice.

By preference I shall sound the same bell twice, once to indicate the opening of the drawer, and once to indicate the closing of the same. To this end the drawer is provided with a double sheet-metal circuit-closer L, the opposite ends of which engage with contact plates M and M, set into a ledge m located in the bottom of the box for the drawer to run upon. The said plates M and M are also located in the circuit of the bell, and they co-operate .with their circuit-closer .L in the same manner that the plates .T and J co-operate with the circuitcloser I of the slide. The wiring of the device is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and being very simple, is thought not to require detailed explanation.

Having thus described the construction of my improved device I will proceed to state how it is employed. When a customer whose name or number appears upon the top of the box against one of the slots therein, makes a purchase, the amount of the same is written down upon a small ticket which is then inserted into the right slot, being prevented from dropping into the compartment correspondin g to that slot by the guard. The clerk after having put the ticket in the right slot, draws the guard out until its openings are registered with theslots,thuspermitting theticket to fall into the right compartment in the compartment drawer. After this the guard is allowed to go back to its normal position, in which communication between the slots and compartments is cutoff, as before explained. It should be remembered too that the bell has now been rung twice, once while the drawer was being pulled outward, and once while it was returning to its normal position. The money received from the transaction is put into the money-drawer, the opening and closing of which will cause the bell to ring twice. Every night the compartment drawer is opened and all of the tickets which have accumulated in it during the day are entered into a petty cash-book under the names of the respective customers. Then at the end of the month the cash transactions of each customer are footed up, and he is given credit for a certain sum which represents a discount on the total sum of his cash purchases during themonth.

Of course my improved device is not limited to use in the manner above indicated, for it may be used in connection with any system or plan of trading to which it is applicable. I would also have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, but hold myself atliberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. For instance the vertically ar ranged springs D D employed for operating the guard might be replaced by a horizontally arranged spring attached at its ends to the guard, and midway of its length to the box,

or vice-versa. Instead, also, of employing one bell, I might employ two bells, differing in tone, so that the ear would detect whether the drawer or guard was being operated.

I am aware that a box provided with a series of compartments having a top constructed with openings corresponding in number to the set of compartments into which they open, and with a guard provided with a corresponding series of openings, and adapted to close the openings in the top of the box, is

old. I am also aware that it is old to com necta bell with a money drawer so that it will be sounded thereby;

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device for tradesmens use, the combination with a box having a fixed top constructed with a series of slots, of a compartment drawer located within the box, containing compartments corresponding to the said slots, and adapted to be drawn out for access to the compartments, and a sliding guard mounted in the box and interposed between its fixed slotted top and the compartment drawer, containing openings corresponding to the slots and compartments, but normally located out of line with the slots so as to interrupt communication between them, and adapted to be drawn out to establish direct communication through its openings between the said slots and compartments, substantially as described. 2. In a device for trademens use, the combination with a box having a fixed top or cover constructed with a series of slots,of a compartment drawer located within the box containing a series of compartments corresponding to the slots, and adapted to be drawn out for access to its compartments, asliding guard mounted in the box interposed between the fixed slotted top thereof and the said compartment drawer, and having openings formed in it to correspond with the slots and compartments, but normally located out of, line with the former, and adapted to be drawn out to establish direct communcation between the slots and compartments through its openings, an electric circuit including a ,bell, a double circuit-closer secured to the sliding guard and contact plates arranged within the box so that the circuit is closed when the guard is drawn outward, and also when it is moved inward, and broken be- 'tween its said movements, substantially as and compartments, but normally locatedout of line with the slots, and adapted to .be drawn out to establish direct communication through its openings between the slots and compartments, a money drawer located below the compartment drawer, an-electric circuit including a bell, circuit closing devices applied to the sliding guard and to the money drawer respectively, and contact plates arranged within the box for engagement by the said circuit closers, so that the bell will be rung twice every time either the guard or the money drawer is operated, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I THEODORE L. BRISTOL.

. Witnesses:

LUIN B. SWITZER, HOWARD F. NORTH.

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