Soviet cash register A1T-4-400-2
This article is devoted to the Soviet A1T-4-400-2 cash register of 1979 issue.
Such cash registers were in almost all stores in the sixties and seventies of the last century. Below I will try to tell how these machines worked.
First of all - the pen on the right. All cash registers, starting from their invention in the 19th century, were powered by such a pen. This machine can also be operated with a handle. To perform one action to knock out a check, you need to turn the knob two times (make two turns).
But 1979 was quite advanced, there was enough electricity, and an electric motor was installed in this cash register. The pen was "just in case." Later cash registers of the OKA-4401 type also had a handle, the machine could be started from it, but the manual already wrote that the handle is needed only for repairs and adjustments by craftsmen.
People often ask me: “Why do I need so many buttons?” Everyone is already used to modern calculators with ten digits on the keyboard. It seems comfortable and natural. In those days, such a multi-keyboard keyboard was also quite comfortable and natural. The fact is that each rank relied on a series of numbers. Moreover, the numbers are from 1 to 9, but there is no zero. To enter a price of 3 rubles 62 kopecks, you need to skip the leftmost row with numbers (we do not have tens of rubles), press the number 3 in the next row, 6 in the next row and 2. in the rightmost row. The buttons snap as you type. To cancel the input, there is a reset button (on the right).
Rows for convenience are made in different colors. This input method allows you to quickly check the correctness of the input, it is easily implemented, eliminates chatter suppression schemes (one digit is not entered from bad contact many times in a row) and other difficulties.
On the left there is a tricky row with the letters ABVD EKLMN. The so-called "conventional signs." It was intended to be protected from fakes, but I really don’t remember that it was widely used. The trick is that for some groups of goods (for example, with a high price), store employees agreed that all checks pierced today will be marked with the letter “E”. If the seller receives a check with a different letter, this will lead to additional questions. EKLMN I separated by a space. There was such a humorous curse. Why I guess about this order of letters (to exclude characters that can be turned into others), and I don’t know if these letters are connected with the etymology of the censorship curse "Yoklmn!"
Well, and department numbers. Such cash registers allowed knocking out checks in four departments. For example, in meat, fish, groceries and vegetables and fruits. When you click on the department number, the cashier starts up and a check gets out.
This is a window for the control tape. All operations on knocking out a check are duplicated on the control tape. In the event of some kind of malfunction (revenue, break, etc. counters), it was possible to restore the proceeds from the control tape and check the operations.
At the back, the amount of the check was displayed for the buyer. The cashier also displayed the department number and a code symbol.
Schilda. The device, as I said, was made in 1979. At that time, there were already electronic cash registers of the "Electronics 302" type, OKA-4401 became popular, and these were produced for some time. Pay attention to the six-digit serial number.
Functional A1T-4-400-2 is encoded in the name of the machine:
A1 is the name of the model
T is for trade (there were also P for restaurants, they differed in that instead of buttons on the department numbers keys were set - their own for each waiter)
4 - the number of departments
3 or 4 - the number of rows for the entered amounts (3 if you do not need to knock out tens of rubles)
0 - the number of keys (4 - for the restaurant model)
0 - the number of operational counters (in this model one check for one purchase, no counters)
2 - constructive execution
“MADE IN THE USSR” implies that the apparatus was being prepared for export. Below on the sheet of the box there will be a confirmation inscription “Export”. Where exactly such devices were exported to, I definitely do not know. In the GDR for sure. I have an instruction in German.
And this is a check. Usually in the store there was one or two cash registers for the whole room.
Purchases occurred as follows:
- if the price is known in advance, then a check was simply beaten out to the desired department and goods were bought with this check.
- and if the price is unknown (for example, you need to weigh a gram of three hundred sausages), then the product was first weighed (plus or minus a few grams, so that in one piece). The seller wrapped the sausage in paper, wrote the amount on it with a pencil, the buyer went to the cashier and knocked out a check for this amount.
The check shows the amount. Instead of zero put crosses - protection from corrections. Further to the side is the department number and the current check number.
In the middle is a date, and below is a cash register number or some custom logo.
So, in short, there was work with the cash register. And now the instrument and the insides.
A few keys were attached to the cash register. One key to turn on the cash register and work. One key for meter reading (usually at the senior cashier). And one key to reset the counters. The kit included paint bottles and a brush for wiping type media.
A set of instructions.
And this is an instruction for unpacking on a box.
Counters. All operations in each department are summarized on these counters.
Here checks are coded and beaten.
Here is the date.
The weight of this cash register with a box is 65 kg.
For a similar model called "KIM-2" I shot a video with his work. It's about the same here.
The sound of his work cannot be described in words.
That, in fact, is all. If you have questions, ask.
