US1392410A - Tag - Google Patents

Description

VT. R. GAINES.

TAG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I3. 1917.

1,392,410', I- Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

WI!" asses I gu/www0@ MM MW@ THOMAS R. lGAINES,

lPATENT OFFICE.

0F NORWOOD, OHIO.

TAG.

f Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

. i Appnatinnied november 13,1917. serialnNo. 201,726.

To all fwhom ,it may concern: i

Be it known that I, THoMAs R. GAINES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norwood, in the countyl of Hamilton and State of Chio, haveV invented lcertain new and useful Improvements in vTag's,fully described and'represented in the following specification andfth'e accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same. l

This invention relates to markingl tags, and more particularly to price tags. The invention has, been made with the idea of providing a price tag, the use of whichshall prevent or lead to the detection of unauthorized change of the price marking of goods or the sale of goods' at less thanthe i marked price. `The'invention Iconsists in a tag having in addition to the normal visible' marking, that is, the'price mark and usually a serial number'mark in the case of 'a price tag, a Vsecond pri'ceand serial number marking, or as it might be, other duplicate marking, which is inaccessible and therefore unalterable without noticeable mutilation of the tag. Such secondary marking will usually be normally concealed as well as inaccessible, andthe tagvis most desirably provided with a detachablesecondary sheet or tag member to bear such duplicate marking which is gummed on one side so that when detached from the tag it maybe readily affixed to, for example, a sales slip which goes to the cashier. The invention includes various features of construction and arrangements of parts, all as hereinafter' described and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings show a price tag which embodies the features of the in'- vention inthe form whichv I now consider best. In said drawings z;

Figure 1 is a view infront elevation of the tag with a portion of the front sheetA of the main tag member removed to show the secondary tag member; f

Fig. 2y is a cross-sectionalview taken on line 2--2 of Fig. v1;

Fig. 3 is a view in frontelevation of the tag before the lfront and back sheets thereof have been secured togetherto render the scondary tag member inaccessible; and

Fi lis a similar Aview of the tag in the condition shown in Figbut with the front sheet removed and showing also a vmultiple section secondary tag member.

Referring to the drawings, the price tag illustrated .comprises a main tag member formed offront and backy sheets 1 and 2 respectively, and a detachable secondary tag member or sheet 3 located between and nor,- mally hidden by andrendered inaccessible by the sheets land 2. The Vsheets l and 2 of the main tag member may be made of heavy paper or cardboard or other suitable sheet material andare secured together at opposite edges by means which should be permanent for all practical purposes. Most desirably the sheets are secured together by pastel at the top edge and by an eyelet 4 which serves to receive a string by which the tag may be fastened to the article to which it belongs. Paste and eyelets 5 or other suitablefasteners may also be used for securing together the opposite or bottom pages of the sheets, or paste alone or mechanical fastening means` alone might be used. In order to permit the tag to be opened to give access to and for removal of the secondary tag number 3 without danger of mutilating the secondary tag member or the markings on the main tag member, the front and back sheets are perforated or otherwise weakened on corresponding lines near thebottom as indicated by the dottedV lines 7 and 8. Y

The secondary tag member 3 is formed by a sheet of paper or other suitable material pasted or otherwise secured at one end to one of the sheets of the main tag member with the main portion thereof free from the sheets 1 and 2 so that itA may be readily removed therefrom when the main tag member has been opened, and is desirably made smaller than the sheets 1 and 2 and is positioned with its free edges'lying inward away coating of suitable adhesive, on one side so that the main portion thereof, which forms the detachable tag member, may, when detached from the tag, serve as an adhesive stamp which may be readily ailixed to a sales slip or other article; and for convenience in detaching such stamp the sheet 3 is weakened as indicated by the dotted line 9 in Figs. 1 and 1, on a line above the markings on the sheet.

Indicating markings are applied to the outer surface of one of the sheets l, 2, and also to the ungummed side of the stamp or detachable secondary tag member 3. In the case of' a price tag, the marking which appears on both members will usually be the price and in addition thereto a serial num-V ktag ber. On tags for other purposes other.l suitable indicating markings will be applied in duplicate. As shown, sheet 1 of the main tag member is marked with a serial number and the price of the article to which the tag is to be attached, and the removable or stamp portion of the secondary tag member sheet is marked with the same serial number and the same price.

Tags marked with standard numbers and price marks may be made up complete and ready for use with the same serial numbers and price marks or other markings printed or otherwise marked on both the main ta member and the secondary tag member, an with the front and back. sheets of the main member permanently fastened together at both ends in the form of tag shown to render the secondary tag member'inaccessible, or in case oftags of other form embodying features of the invention, otherwise sealed or completed to render the secondary marking inaccessible. Where it is desired to have'tags marked as used, the tags of the form shown may be completed except for the sealing of the front and back sheets of the main tag member at one end, such endA to be closed and fastened after the desired marking has been placed on both the main and secondary tag members.

When a tag such as shown it attached in its completed form to an article, it will be impossible to change the marking on the secondary tag member without mutilating the main tag member, and the secondary marking will always serve, therefore, as a check on the main marking. While price tags embodying the invention might be made use of in various ways, the plan which I recommend is that when a sale is made the sales clerk is to open the Vtag by tearing off the lower endgon the perforated lines and remove the secondary tag member or stamp 3 and, when there is only a single stamp 3, affix the same to the sales slip which is sent with the purchase money to the cashier. The cashieron receiving the sales slip will check the amount entered on-the sales slip with the price appearing on the tag stamp and thereby be advised Whether or not the article hasbeen sold at the pro er price. The mere fact of?V having to fo owv this practice will deter the sales clerk from selling goods at any price other than the marked price; land if on opening a tag vthe sales clerk 'shouldfind that the price on the secondary tag member does not agree with the main marking he will know that an unauthorized change has been made in the main marking on the check and will be governed accordingly in calling the matter to the attention of the proper authority, or otherwise acting according to instructions.

The secondary tag member is yshown in Fig. 1 as providing only one detachable stamp,-but it is sometimes desirable vto have two or more such stam s or detachable secondary tag members. n arrangement providing two such members is illustrated byremoved from the opened tag may be placed onthe sales slip which goes tothe cashier and one on the customers sales slip which goes to the wrapper, and the stamps may thus take the place of the' customary pencil marking of the sales slips. Additional insurance against fraud is thus afforded. The two or more stamps 3 of each tag may be of different colors. Y n

' What is claimed is: j

1. A marking Vtag comprising front Vand back sheets secured together to prevent `access to the space between the sheets, 'and 'a detachableA sheet secure-d in thel space between said front and back sheets and in-Vv member formed-of Vfront and back sheets and a detachable secondarytag'member formed of a sheet smaller than the main tag member securedbetween the sheets of the main tag member, the front and-back sheets of the main tag member being secured together at opposite edges thereof tonormally prevent access to the secondary tag member, and said front and back sheets being weakened along a line outside the periphery ofthe secondary tag member to facilitate separation thereof to give access to .the secondary tag member without mutilation of thesecondary tag member.

4. A marking tag comprising a main tag member having front and back sheets, and a detachable secondary tag member formed of a sheet secured between the sheets of the main tag member and bearing markings corresponding vto markings on the main tag member, the front and back sheets rof the main tag member being secured together to tag member, and the sheet forming the sec- .normally `prevent accessto the secondary ondary tag member being weakened to permit ready detachment of the marked portion thereof without mutilation thereof.

5. A marking tag, comprising a main tag member formed of front and back sheets, and a secondary tag member formed by a gummed sheet bearing markings corresponding to markings on the main tag member, the secondary tag member being held between the sheets of the main ta member to be inaccessible without mutilation of the main ta member when the front and back sheets t ereof are secured together,l and being removable from the main tag member when the latter is opened.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twol subscribing witnesses.

` THOMAS R. GAINES.

Witnesses:

GEO. F. BRELsFoRD, RosALIND WALKER.

Images