US2242114A - Coupon book - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 13, 1941 COUPON BOOK Loring T. Cramer and John D. Boyles, Ponca City, Okla, assignors to Continental Oil Company, Ponca City, Okla, a corporation of Delaware Application September 16, 1940, Serial No. 356,906

1 Claim.

This invention relates to coupon books, and more particularly to new and useful improvements in coupon books.

One object of this invention is to provide means for ascertaining at a glance the value or major denominations of coupons remaining in a book which has been used, and to do so without the need for opening the book.

The invention is particularly applicable in connection with coupons for use in service stations where the coupons may be used for the purchase of gasoline, oil, grease, or other services.

The coupon book contains a plurality of pages, each divided into a number of detachable coupons, arranged to be torn off transversely of the page. In the arrangement, each coupon is printed with a designation indicating the value of the coupon, and the coupons may be also arranged in groups so that each coupon in a group has means for indicating the total value for the coupons in the group. The designations indicate the value of the coupons remaining in the book after the preceding coupon has been removed. The cover is provided with openings or windows for exhibiting the number of complete pages remaining, in the book at a glance at the outside of the book.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coupon book incorporating features of this invention, with the cover of the book opened to indicate the coupon pages as well as the individual coupons.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing the book with the cover closed, and the parts so positioned as to instantaneously indicate the number of complete coupon pages remaining in the book.

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section taken through a closed coupon book, with the cover in place, and corresponding to a View substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the drawing an ordinary coupon book I9 is shown comprising a flexible cover H which is folded substantially on the line 12 to cover the coupons, and has one end folded at l3 to form a pocket in which a plurality of coupon pages M are positioned and secured by staples H5, or other appropriate means. The cover portion i6 is arranged to fold over and slip under the arcuate edge I! so as to protect the coupons from being accidentally removed.

The coupon pages are preferably divided into coupon sections comprising the parts I8, I9, 20, and 2!, which are interconnected by lines of perforations 22 along which the coupon sections may be detached. By tearing the coupon section transversely of the page, the portion indieating a particular value of products which may be purchased is removed, to be used in payment for th same. Along one edge of the coupon page a series of indicia marks 23 may be applied to indicate the value of the coupon section, whereas a series of indicia marks may be placed upon some other portion of the coupon page, such as along the marginal edge 24 to indicate the total coupon value for the whole page. The sequence of numbering would preferably be such that after a coupon or coupon section has been removed, a glance at the highest indicia on the untorn portions will readily indicate the value remaining in the book.

Each coupon page is provided with a tab 25 which extends from the free end of the page, and may bear a number or other indicia corresponding to the type coupons in the book and their particular uses. The tabs are spaced along the pages so that the indicia on the tabs 21, 28, etc., do not cover each other so that each one can be readily observed. The edges of the coupon page tab bearing the higher indicia is arranged adjacent the next lower one so that the highest numbered coupon will be more readily removed. This facilitates keeping the coupons in order and also tends to hold the coupon page tabs 25 in proper position.

The cover portion I6 is provided with a series of apertures 29, which when the cover is folded over, as in Figure 2, allows the different indicia marks 39 to be observed through the apertures.

The purchaser need only take the coupon book from his pocket and glance at the same without opening it, to know whether or not there is sufficient coupon values remaining to purchase the particular products desired at the moment. This also facilitates determining whether or not a new coupon book should be purchased.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated and described, variations within the true spirit and scope of the same are to be determined by the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

A coupon book comprising a cover and a plurality of coupon sheets, the cover folded back transversely adjacent one end to embrace the

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