Receipt printer having a check reading mechanism with selective engagement

• US 6,089,450 A
• Filed: 10/06/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CognitiveTPG LLC (Blue Edge Technology LLC)
• Original Assignee: ATSI Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Koeple, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US08/944,166
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/449, 235/475, 235/493, 235/435, 235/436, 235/439, 235/480, 235/486, 271/272, 271/273, 271/274, 400/73, 400/320, 400/356, 708/106
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A printer and method for negotiating transactions at the point of sale in retail establishments. The POS printer includes a check feeding mechanism that feeds a check into receipt printer with a face-up orientation. The mechanism includes a magnet to magnetize magnetic characters on a check and a read head to read and analyze the signal waveform from each character. The check is pressed up against the read head and the MICR is read only after the printing carriage of the receipt printer has moved to a position outside the print zone, within the printer housing. In this position, a tab, riding on the printing carriage, releases a spring-biased pivot plug. The pivot plug becomes free to pivot, thus releasing a spring-biased plunger, the face of which, in turn, forces the check and its indicia against the read head.

Claims

1. A receipt printer having a face-up check reading mechanism, comprising:

a receipt printing carriage carried upon said receipt printer for movement between a read zone and a non-read zone;

a face-up check reading mechanism disposed adjacent said receipt printing carriage, said check reading mechanism comprising means for feeding said check face-up upon a slip table for reading account and bank information from existing magnetic characters disposed upon said check, said check being fed past a reading station that is actuated by movement of said receipt printing carriage to an inoperative position;

pivot means disposed adjacent said receipt printing carriage and engageable with said receipt printing carriage when said receipt printing carriage moves to said inoperative position, said pivot means comprising a pivot plug, and being pivotable between a check and read head non-engaging position, and a check and read head engaging position, upon engagement with said receipt printing carriage; and

check engaging means disposed adjacent said pivot means and engageable therewith, said check engaging means forcing contact between a check and said read head when said pivot means pivots from said check and read head non-engaging position to said check and read head engaging position, said check engaging means comprising a spring-biased plunger rod having a plunger face, said plunger rod being in movable engagement with said pivot plug and being movable between a check and read head non-engaging position and a check and read head engaging position, in response to engagement of said pivot plug with said receipt printing carriage, whereby said plunger face is forced into contact with said check and said read head in order to force engagement of said check with said read head.

2. The receipt printer having a face-up check reading mechanism in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receipt print carriage comprises a tab, and wherein said pivot means comprises a spring-biased pivot plug having a cam contacting said inoperative position of said receipt printing carriage, and in which said tab is disposed when said receipt print carriage moves into said inoperative position.