An Improved Method of and Means for the Control of Stock in Shops, Warehouses, or similar Establishments, and of the Sale thereof.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 18th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for the Control of Stock in
Shops, Warehouses, or similar Establishments, and of the Sale
thereof.
I, EDUARD KÜSTER, of 28 Steinweg, Halle-on-the-Saale, in the German
Empire, Pharmaceutical Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a method of and means for the control of stock,
particularly special goods sold by the piece or packet, such as soap, wine, spirits,
mineral waters, chocolate, perfumes etc., and of the sale thereof by assistants and
salesmen.
In order that this invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon.
To carry my invention into effect I provide two control books Figures 1 and 2,
and control labels, Figures 3.
As shown in the accompanying drawings the control book, Figure 1 is divided
into columns.
Column A is provided for the stock numbers corresponding to the names of
goods; column B for the name or names of the goods; column C, which is sub-
divided, for the insertion of the prices; column D for notes; columns E and F
are provided for entering the total numbers of articles stocked, and the corre-
sponding dates of the transaction, as hereinafter described.
The control book, Figure 2, is also divided into columns, of which A, B, C, D
are provided for the same purposes as the corresponding columns in the control
book Figure 1, but the column F1 is used for entering the articles in consecutive
numbers as hereinafter described.
The label, Figure 3, is perforated in the centre to form halves 7 and h. The
half g bears the name and address of the establishment, telephone number, or similar
inscription, and is provided at the back with adhesive material to allow of its
being fixed to the article, or it may be attached to the latter in any other con-
venient manner, the other half b serves as a coupon which is torn off at the sale,
and bears the name and price of the article and a control number. These control
numbers are consecutive and correspond to the number of articles of the kind in
stock or received.
When carrying the system into practice the stock number, say 1, of a certain
description of goods is entered in the first space a of the column A, the name or
description of the goods, say "Albert's Remedy" is entered in the space b of
column B, the price in the spaces ec of column C, and any observation, say such
as "For adults only," in space d of column D of both control books, Figure 1,
the spaces e el of column E in the control book, Figure 1, are alternately inscribed
"Date, Number, Date, Number," and so on. When the book Figure 1 is started,
the date of the stock-taking is entered in the first space f, of column F, say
1 Jan. 1895, or abbreviated "1.1.95," the number of articles or bottles in stock
is then entered in the first space, of column F, say "15." On the arrival of
another parcel of goods the date of arrival is entered in the following or second
space f. of column F, say "3 March 1895," or abbreviated "3.3.95."
The

page_text: number of bottles received say "30" is then added to the number appearing in
the first space
of column F, and the total "45" (15 + 30) is entered in the
second space of the column F. The number "15" in the first space' is then
conveniently crossed off' to avoid mistakes.
will
Further arrivals will be entered in a similar manner, the third space
contain the date of the next arrival, and the space below it will contain the
total number of articles or bottles received, added to the number contained in the
previous space, thus if the fresh arrival is 20 bottles the number to he entered
in the third space of column F will be "65" r. (45 + 20). "Phe number "45"
in the 2ml space is then again conveniently crossed off.
As previously stated all the articles of one stock number or description are
numbered consecutively by means of the labels shown in Figure 3. On the starting
of the book the fifteen articles in stock are numbered consecutively 1-15; on the
arrival of the fresh parcel on the 3rd of March 1895, the thirty articles received
are numbered consecutively 16-45, and on the arrival of the next parcel of twenty
articles, the Intter will be numbered 46-65 consecutively.
The coupons of the labels are torn off when the goods are sold, and they are
then placed in the till or cash box. In case the goods are not sold for cash a
suitable note is made on the coupons h, this allows of a control not only of the daily
cash sales, but also of the total sales whether for cash or on credit.
The coupons taken from the till at the end of the day are noted in the
spaces of column F1 of the control book 2. The latter is divided into
columns, A, B, C, D, F, of which the columns A, B, C, D, are the same as in the
control book 1, described herein before, while the column has a corresponding
duty to column F of control book Figure 1, but in a detailed form. The column Fi
is divided into small spaces &. When the columns A, B, C, D, of the book 2
have been filled up, the same as in the first control book, Figure 1, the spaces
of column are numbered consecutively according to the number of articles in
stock or received.
Thus when the first entry is made in the first book to the effect that 15 bottles
of "Albert's remedy" were in stock, the first 15 spaces are numbered 1-15
consecutively; when the parcel of 30 bottles is received, the following thirty spaces
are numbered 16-45 consecutively and so on. When the coupons & of goods
sold are taken from the till, the numbers sold are crossed off in the control book
Figure 2, thus, when the coupon bears the number 6, the number 6 is crossed off
in the control book.
The first control book Figure 1 containing the totals of numbers of articles may
be in the hands of the general staff, while the second controi book, Figure 2, which
shows the numbers of articles in consecutive numbers and indicates those sold or
unsold, should be in the hands of the manager or of the person appointed to carry
out the control who should keep the book strictly in his hands so as to avoid
interference therewith.
The articles may be numbered consecutively for any suitable space of time, say
for a year, or longer, as may be convenient according to amount of business done.
In some businesses the numbers may run consecutively for a number of years, but
in large businesses it is advisable to recommence with No. 1 for each description
of goods every year, so as to avoid high figures; it will be advantageous in such
case to combine in the second year the first letter, a, of the alphabet, with the
consecutive numbers, riz. to number the labels and make the entries in the second
control book 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc., in the third year to combine the 2nd letter, b,
with the consecutive numbers, thus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc., and so on
in the following years, so that the numbering may be recommenced at intervals
without involving duplicate numbers.
It will also be advantageous to arrange the numbered articles in stock so that
the lowest and therefore oldest numbers, come to hand first for sale in order to
afford great facility of keeping the second control book. Of course an exact
carrying out of this rule is only advisable, but not absolutely necessary, because

page_text: this system of checking works also absolutely accurately if the articles are sold
out of order as regards the numbers.
The advantages of this system are that the stock of various special articles can
be easily checked and that the amount which should be in the daily till can be
easily ascertained or estimated. A further advantage is that the diligence of the
staff can be checked. This invention, further, facilitates stock-taking and gives
a clear view of the sale of the various goods in the different seasons.
h
This invention renders it unnecessary to mark the articles with their prices in
the ordinary way, because the prices are marked on the coupons which are entered
in the second control book, Figure 2.
This invention renders it also impossible to deviate from the fixed prices, and
also renders it unnecessary to turn up the prices of the articles in price books.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A system or method of controlling stuck in a shop, warehouse, or the like,
and of the sale of such stock, consisting of entering the description and total
numbers of articles stocked in a control book, Figure 1; the attachment to each
separate article of a label with detachable portion, on the part & thereof, (which
ou the sale of the article is to be detached and placed in the till) a description
of goods, the price and a consecutive number for each article is inscribed, and
detailed entries in a control book, Figure 2, corresponding to those in control
book, Figure 1, which are crossed off or marked when the settlement of the books
and the till at the end of the day is carried out, substantially as described.
2nd. In a system or method for checking or controlling stock in a shop, ware-
house, or similar establishment, and the sale of such stock, a control book, Figure 1,
in which the stock number, name of goods, observations, date of stock taking,
amount of stock and amount of goods received are entered so as to show at any
time the amount of goods originally in stock and since received; a label, Figure 3,
perforated in the centre, the half 9 of which, bearing the name, address and similar
particulars of the establishment, provided with an adhesive means for the attach-
ment of the label to the article, the other half of the label, h, bearing a consecutive
number, the price and other notes, being torn off at the sale of the goods and
placed in the till or similar receptacle to show the value of goods sold on a certain
day; and a second control book, Figure 2, containing the stock number, name of
goods and observations, in which the number of articles of any description are
entered in consecutive numbers 1, 23, 4 etc. according to number of articles, bottles,
packets etc., originally in stock or received subsequently, which consecutive numbers
correspond with the consecutive numbers on the label halves or coupons and are
crossed off after the sale of the goods, so as to show at any time the numbers of
articles sold or unsold, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated the 27th day of February 1896.
FELL & JAMES,
Agents for the Applicant.