Value selection mechanism including means for weakening a drive gear to permit distortion thereof

Abstract

Value selection and printing apparatus comprising, structure for printing a value, the printing structure including a rotatable device and a drive shaft therefor, structure for selecting the value, the value selecting structure including a rack gear slidably movably connected to the device, the rack gear including a plurality of gear teeth formed therein, the value selecting structure including a drive gear and a first gear, the drive gear including gear teeth disposed in meshing engagement with the rack gear teeth, the first gear coaxially fixedly attached to the drive gear for rotation therewith and including first gear teeth, the value selecting structure including a value printing wheel, the printing wheel including a circumferentially-extending periphery and a plurality of printing fonts located at spaced intervals thereabout, the value selecting structure including a second gear coaxially fixedly attached to the printing wheel for rotation thereof, the second gear including gear teeth and disposed in meshing engagement with the first gear for rotation of the second gear and thus the print wheel in response to movement of the rack gear, and structure for weakening the drive gear against a force exerted against the print wheel which tends to disassociate the print wheel and second gear to cause the drive gear to distort in response to the force in a manner such that the drive gear jams in response to rotation thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.