US634713A - Store-cabinet for sales accounts. - Google Patents

Description

No. 634,7l3.

T Patented Oct. l0, I899.

C. YORGER G. D. W. WEST.

STORE CABINET FOR SALES ACCOUNTS.

(Application filed Mar. 20, 1899.) (N n Model.)

WM mm er e DaI zdWmst. 1 d r v9.00

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES YORGER AND DAVIDNV. WEST, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

STORE-CABINET FOLR SALES Aooou -rs;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ho. 634,713, dated October 10, 1899.

Application filed March 20, 1899. Serial to. 709,717; (roman To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES Yonesa and DAVID W. WEST,citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Mariou and State of Indiana, have invented cer-' tain new and useful Improvements in Store- Oabinets for Sales Accounts; and we do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to devices for the use of merchants for facilitating and simplifying business transactions connected with the selling of goods on a credit system; and it consists in a convenient cabinet embodying new and novel elements in the construction thereof whereby billing-forms are retained and on which the names of purchasers are entered in alphabetical order, together with the entries of their purchases 'at the moment of making the sale, and whereby the bill of any purchaser may be instantly'referred tofor making subsequent charges or for summing up and rendering statement of account.

Our invention consists, further, in the parts and combination and arrangement of parts embraced in the details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In conducting a retail store much detail work is required, with great possibilities of errors, in keeping the accounts of those to whom credit is given, entailing considerable expense in the keeping of account-books,

.usuallyinvolving the multiplication of entries, all of which is a serious loss to the merchant, particularly in cases where the entries of sales may be inadvertently omitted in crowded hours.

Our object is to providea simple and convenient means whereby the ordinary billing forms may be substituted. for the usual system'of books in making sales entries and rendering the transferring of accounts from book to book unnecessary, so that the original entries standuntil liquidated. A further object is to provide equally convenient receptacles wherein thebills as the sheets becorne'filled up and accumulate may be placed so as tobe readily accessible when rendering These objects are the accounts may be transferred when desired to a'safe, and it is cheaply manufactured and durable and economical in use.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 repre% sents a perspective view illustrating a cabinet constructed in accordance with our invention and in the position in which it is used; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same exaggerated and illustrating its position when ready for referring to a particular account; Fig. 3, a central vertical sectional view taken transversely to a side elevation; Fig. at, a perspective view of the banked hinge-frame; Fig. 5, a fragmentary plan view of a billing-leaf, showing the bill-clip; and

Fig. 6, a perspective view of one ofthe billing-leaves and balancing-springs.

In practically carrying out our invention we construct a cabinet A of convenient size to be portable and suitable to set upon a counter or desk, or it may be provided with legs, preferably connected wit-ha frame separate from the cabinet. .Wood is a suitable material for the main parts, while sheet-tin is preferable for the billingleaves, and steel or brass wire are suitable material from which to form the springs and clips;

The cabinet consists, essentially, of a case having an open front and a drop-leaf B and in which a series of billing-leaves D are hinged and inclosed when not in use; but in order to further-enhance the value of our invention we construct the cabinet substantially as shown, which has a greater depth than is required for the billing-leaves alone,

and comprisesa bottom 6, a closed back,

sides, and a top 01 of two parts, the rear part of which is secured to the body of the cabinet, while the front 0 is of the-drop type, having a. flange or lip 3 to cover the upper edge of the leaf Bwhen it is closed and connected by hinges f to the part 01. Extending from bottom to top and from the back forward a suitable distance is a partition 0, between which and one side are a series of shelves 0;, set highest, at their front edges.

These shelves are designed to receive the hills which may be completed and removed from the billing-leaves and may be suitably indexed, a suitable number of shelves being either thirteen or twenty-six. Between the opposite side of the partition and the opposite side of the cabinet are a suitable number of inclined shelves 1), designed to temporarily receive pass-books of customers and for storing new books. Forward of the shelves the sides A and bottom of the cabinet extend a suitable distance to receive the billing-leaves and their supporting-frame. A hook 7c and eye 4' afford means for retaining the dropleaf B when closed, and a suitable lock. may also be employed.

The billing-leaves D are for the purpose of carrying the individual accounts, indexing them sufficiently for convenience, and also for separating them in series, as well as affording a ready table upon which to write. Thirteen, twenty-six, or any desired number of leaves maybe employed and each leaf may be of suitable width to receive any convenient number of bill-forms, the cabinet being proportional accordingly. The upper side of the leaf D is designated by h and the under side by t' in order to render the description clear. The edge to of each leaf is turned downward over a wire 1, forming a loose hinge-pin, and has a suitable number of notches w, in which are inserted the coils L of a spring-clip E, bearing upon the upper side 72. and having extensions Z bearing against the under side 1 of the leaf D. At the ends of the hinge-pin are right and left hand coiled springs J J, each having an arm tof suitable shape bearing against the under side 71 of a leaf and an arm 16, suitably anchored, as upon the top 8 of the block G, these balancesprings being designed to push the leaves against the front of the shelves,'but are sufficiently weak in tension to permit the leaf to rest horizontally when placed in that position. The free edge of the leaf D is turned upward and over upon itself, but not tightly, forming a clip M for retaining the foot ends of the forms K, and the upper side of the clips contain the indexing-letters, as m, while the under side of the leaf is provided with corresponding indexing-letters, as n.

For the purpose not only-of rendering the index-letters visible both when the leaves are up and when down, but to provide ample finger-holds in separating the leaves, the rods I, forming the pins upon which the leaves are hinged, are placed in sloping bank position, that for the most forward leaf being lowest and that for the most rearward being highest, the intermediate rods being on a sloping line between. This is accomplished by means of the vertically-disposed plates F, which are perforated to receive the rods I loosely, the top edges being cut angularly to the bottom e of the case, so as to conform to the desired degree of slope, and the perforations and rods are situated so as-to conform to the line of the angular upper edge, these plates forming the anchored part of the leaf-hinges and may be secured to the case of the cabinet in any suitable manner; but I preferably support them by means of a connecting-base H and back piece H, either formed separately or integrally with the plates E, and to the latter are secured blocks G, having a sloping top corresponding with the top of the plate, but lower, so as to provide a convenient support for the arms a of the balance-springs. Thus a removable frame is provided, which, together with the billing-leaves and accounts, may be quickly withdrawn from the cabinetcase. Suitable latch-bolts N, entering recesses 0, or other suitable latching devices may be employed for retaining the hingeframe.

In the practical use of our cabinet we place one or more blank bill-heads of the ordinary oblong form under each clip E and also under the clip M on each billingdeaf D. The accounts are then begun by entering the names of debtors on a bill situated according to the index-letter corresponding to the debtors initial letter. The sales entries are made, and if a pass-book is used the entry is also made therein at the time of sale and no further bookkeeping is required. When a bill becomes full, the amounts are summed up and the total carried to a second blank, while the first is placed in the shelf provided, so that the whole account is instantly accessible without waiting for the posting of books, and when the account is settled the bill is receipte'd and delivered to the payer or may be destroyed, thus closing the account. This means is invaluable to the dealer who sells for cash as a rule, but gives occasional credit to a limited number, when extra bookkeeping would be a great inconvenience.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A store-cabinet, for sales accounts, comprising upright members provided with a series of horizontal hinge-rods situate in an inclined plane, a series of billing-leaves pivoted to such hinge-rods and each having a series of clips on one surface thereof andthe index-letters at the edge thereof opposite the hinge, and springs at such hinges whereby such leaves are retained in vertical positions.

2. A store-cabinet for sales accounts, comprising a case,removable upright members provided with a series of horizontal hingerods situate in an inclined plane, a series ofbilling-leaves all of equal length and pivoted to such hinge-rods and each having a series of clips on one surface thereof and corresponding index-letters on both surfaces at the edge opposite the hinge thereof whereby any particular leaf may be found both when horizontal and when vertical, and springs at such hinges acting against such leaves to partially counterbalance their weight when horizontal. u

A store-cabinet, for sales accounts, comprising a case, a hinge-frame, comprising a pair of upright end members provided with a series of horizontal hinge-rods situate in a plane inclined so that the forward one is lower than the rear one of such hinge-rods, a billing-leaf hinged at one edge to each one of such hinge-rods and a coiled spring at an end of each of such hinge-rods and provided each with an arm bearing down upon one of such end members and an arm bearing up against the under side of such connected leaf.

4. A store-cabinet, for sales accounts, comprising a case, a hinge-frame comprising a pair of upright end members provided with a series of hingerods situate in a plane inclined so that the forward one'is lower than the rear one of such hinge-rods, a billing-leafanchored.

5. A store-cabinet, for sales accounts, com prising a case, a hinge-frame comprising a base and upright end members provided with a series of hinge-rods situate in a plane 'inclined so that the forwardone is lower than the rear one of such hinge-rods a billing-leaf hinged at one edge to each one of such hingerods and having notches cut in such hinged edge, and provided at the opposite free edge with a clip formed by turning such edge up ward and over toward the upper face thereof clips secured to such hinge-rod in said notches; and coiled springs at the ends of such hinge-rods, one arm of each one of which springs bears against the bottom of one of such billing-leaves and the other arm of which springs bears against the top of such end member.

6. A store-cabinet, for sales accounts, comprising a vertical case, a hinge-frame comprising a pair of upright end members provided with a series of horizontal hinge-rods situate in a plane inclined so that the forward one is lower than the rear one of such hinge-rods, a billing-leaf hinged at one edge to each one of such hinge -rods, a spring coiled about each one of such hinge-rods and provided with an arm bearing against the under side of one of such connected leaves and an opposing arm suitably anchored, correspondingindex-letters at both sides of the free edges of such leaves, and shelves in such case at the rear of such hinge-frame.

such hinge-frame is retained in such case, substantially as set forth.

8. In a store-cabinet for sales accounts, the combination of the hinge-frame comprising a base and a pair of upright endmembers having inclined top edges and a series of hingepins arranged horizontally but iua plane inclined to correspond with said top edges, the notched billing-leaves, the spring-clips, and the springs coiled about said hinge-pins and bearing against the under side of such leaves and upon the top of such end members, substantially as set forth.

9. In a store-cabinet, the combination of a case, a hinge-frame comprising a removable base and counterpart upright end members provided with a series-of hinge-rods set horizontally in an inclined plane, a billing-leaf comprising a rectangular form having one edge turned over to form a clip and provided with index-letters and hinged at the edge opposite the turned-over edge to such hingerods, clips at such hinge edge, and springs at such hinges whereby such leaves are elastically retained in their vertical positions, substantially as set forth.

10. In a store-cabinet, for sales accounts, the combination of the case having a bottom and a. drop-leaf hinged thereto, the hingeframe comprising a base and a pair of upright end members provided with a series of horizontally-dis posed hinge-pins situate in a plane inclined so that the forward one is lower than therear one of said pins, the billing-leaves pivoted to said hinge-rods, the spring coiled about each one of said pins and having an arm bearing against the under side of one of said leaves and an arm bearing against the top of-one of such end members, and a latch whereby said hinge-frame may be detachably retained in said case, substantially as set forth.

11. In a store-cabinet, the combination of the case, the hingepins, and the billingleaves each consisting of a rectangular plate having aseries of notches at one edge and turned over one of said hinge-pins and provided at its opposite edge with a clip formed by turning said edge up and over toward the body of said leaf, and the clips in said notches each composed of a continuous piece of wire coiled about said hinge-pin and having-a loop bearing upon the upper face of said leaf and ends bearing against the under or reverse side of said leaf, substantially as set forth.

' 12. In a store-cabinet for sales accounts, the combination of the case A provided with the shelves at and b and partition cand having the forwardly-extending sides, hinged sectional top and drop-leaf; the hingeframe comprising the base H, ends F, F, blocks G, G, and series of rods I; the billing-leaves D having the clips M and the notches 10' at the opposite edge and hinged to said rods; the clips E having the coil L in said notches and around said rods; and the springs .I, J, at

the ends of said rods and bearing against said blocks and against the under side of said leaves, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. In a store-cabinet, for sales accounts, the combination of the case A provided with the shelves (0 and b and partition 0 and having the forwardly-extending sides, the top d having thehinged drop-section O, and the hinged leaf B; the hinge-frame comprising the up.- right end members, and the series of rods I supported by such end members; the billinghinge-frame, the hinge-rods forming part of suchhinge-franie, the leaves pivoted to such hinge-rods and having the notches in the hinged edge thereof, the clips in such notches and mounted on said rods, the clip formed integrally by turning over the free edge of each of such leaves and having the indexletters thereon, and the index-letters at the opposite side of such leaves, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES YORGER. DAVID \V. WEST.

Witnesses:

' WM. H. PAYNE,

E. T. SILvIUs.

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