US836383A - Apparatus for keeping accounts. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906 P. BAHORTON. APPARATUS FOR KEEPING ACCOUNTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29. 1906.

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PHILO B. HORTON, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS I 'OR KEEPING ACCOUNTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed November 29, 1905. Serial No. 289,685.

T0 at whom, it imty concern:

Be it known that I, PHILo B. HonToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Keeping Accounts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for keeping accounts, and has for its object the provision of means whereby both credit and cash accounts may be kept in such manner that the condition of such accounts may be readily ascertained at all times.

In carrying out the invention means are provided whereby sales-slips may be made at the time a sale takes place, and a record of said sales-slips and the amounts thereof be made upon a statement-slip.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sales-slip folder, having a cut away portion through which the total of the account will be visible when said folder is closed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the sales-slip folder, said folder being illustrated in its open position. Fig. 2 is a transverse section upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of a leaf-spring, having a credit-stopping tab applied thereto.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 5 designates a sales-slip folder which is scored or creased at 6 to form the two halves 7 and 8 thereof, adapted to fold together when the sales-slip folder is to be filed away, as will be hereinafter described. A name-tab 9 is formed upon the portion 8 of the folder, as is best illustrated in Fig. 1. Statement sheets 10, the upper face of which is covered by a stiff Manila protecting-sheet 11, rests in portion 7 of folder 5. Wire-staples 12 secure these statement-sheets together and also secure an eyelet 13 to the pad of statement-sheets. The eyelet 13 engages the eye 14 of the leaf-spring 15, said leaf-spring comprising an upper leaf 16 and a lower leaf 17, between which sales-slips 18 are held. The end of member 16 is forked, as at 19, for the reception of credit-stopping tab 20, as is illustrated in Fig. 3. A carbon or impression sheet 21 provides means for producing the statement-sheets in duplicate. An identification-number 22 is carried by each of the sales-slips. The lower left-hand corner of the sales-slip folder is cut away, as at 23, for

a purpose which will be hereinafter set forth.

The method of using the hereindescribed elements when carrying out the improved system of keeping accounts is as follows: When a clerk takes an order, sales-slips 18 are prepared in duplicate. These sales-slips contain the date upon which the order is given, together with the name and address of the customer. When the order is taken, the articles are entered upon the sales-slips. The clerk then adds to the total of said sales-slips the amount previously due upon the cus tomers account, so that when the sales-slip is finally delivered with the goods the customer will have a complete statement of the account as it stands.

After all of the orders for the day have been delivered, the sales-slip of each account is inserted between the members 16 and 17 of spring 15 in the sales-slip folder contain ing the name of that customer, and a record of the sales-slip is entered upon the statement-sheet 10, a duplicate of which is formed by the insertion of carbon-sheet 21 between such duplicate sheets. The total for the day is entered upon said sales-slip, as at 68. The total amount previously entered upon the statement-sheets is also entered upon the sales-slip and the added total placed therebeneath, as at 69, said total being visible through the cut-away portion of the folder when said folder is closed.

When an account is paid, the totals are cast up upon the statement-sheets, which sheets are then receipted and the upper sheet detached along the perforated line (see Fig. 1) and given to the customer as a receipt. The remaining carbon-copy forms a permanent record of the receipt given and shows exactly what the amount paid was intended to cover.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the statement-sheets are arranged to provide a record of the date and number of the salesslip, the method by which the order was given, and the amount of the order. The statement-sheets formed by the carbon-sheet 21 provides a permanent record, which shows exactly the state of any account. These record statement-sheets may be detached and sent to the customer if the account is not promptly paid.

The forked spring member 16 provides convenient means for inserting the creditstopping tab in any given folder in such manner that it will be readily visible when said folder is closed and filed.

It is to be understood that in filing the folders the name-tabs 9 alternate in position, being first located at the lower righthand corner of the sales-slip folders and then at the upper right-hand corner of said folders.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is.

The combination with a folder,- of a clip carried thereby and adapted to hold insertible record-sheets said clip comprising an elongated section of metal having its free end formed with a plurality of spaced, parallel slits adapted to hold a tab-card as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILO B. HORTON. Witnesses:

A. R. HORTON, ETHEL G. LoBDELL.

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