Dymo Industries, Inc.

Mitchel A Trout

Morton W Thomson

Cecil G Olson

A variable amount imprinter and a portable transaction-log recorder usable therewith, the imprinter having a pivotally mounted head assembly, upon which is mounted a roller platen assembly for effecting imprinting. Two interlocks are provided to prevent closing of the head assembly until (a) a tray for a printing plate such as a credit card has been latched in place in the recorder and (b) at least one preselected item of the variable amount data has been set to a non-zero value. Releasable latching means lock the head in its closed position until the imprinting stroke of the roller platen assembly has been completed, at which time the head is automatically returned to its open position. Means responsive to movement of the roller platen assembly during the imprinting stroke reset the variable amount data to zero after it has been imprinted. Means are also provided for centralizing the digit wheels of the variable amount assembly prior to the imprinting thereof. When the roller platen assembly reaches the end of its imprinting stroke, it is automatically returned to its start position. At this time, as stated above, the head assembly is also automatically opened and in response thereto, a counter in the portable transaction recorder indicating the number of the next transaction to be processed is incremented by one and, in response thereto, the latch on the credit card tray is unlatched.

Imprinter having variable amount assembly and improved portable

An improved apparatus for the recording of credit card transactions at point of sale, and for reporting said transactions to a central accounting and processing activity. The instant invention includes a self contained, compact, portable and lightweight cassette-like transaction log recorder which is adapted to be releasably and operatively engageable with an imprinter mechanism. The recorder contains both an external duplicate sales ticket and an internal continuous form log sheet for the sequential recording of individual transactions at the time various data is applied to successive sales tickets. The recorder is also provided with external receiving means for receiving the customer's credit card at a receiving station, means for translating the card from the receiving station to an imprinting station, means for latching the card immovably at the imprinting station to an external removing station. The recorder is further provided with a safety interlock system which prevents the human error of recording two discrete transactions on the same portion of the log sheet. This interlock system includes means for effectively disabling the card latching means until the log sheet is deliberately incrementally advanced, thereby displacing the record of the previous transaction from the imprint station and presenting an unused portion of the log sheet for recording of the next sequential transaction. Unless the card latching means is operative, no imprinting can occur.

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Albany, CA, United States of America

Mitchel A Trout