An Improved Method of and Means for Checking the Receipts and the Out-put in Hotels, Restaurants, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1898-Accepted, 30th July, 1898
An Improved Method of and Means for Checking the Receipts and
the Out-put in Hotels, Restaurants, and the like.
I, EDGAR LE ROY BATES, of 81, Guildford Street, Russell Square, London, W.C.,
Gentleman, 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 an improved method of, and means for, checking the
receipts and the output in hotels, restaurants and the like, and has for its object
to provide a means of counter-checking whereby the proprietor of a hotel, restau-
rant or the like can accurately check the orders executed by each waiter and the
money received by such waiter, together with the orders executed and received by
each department, so that at the end of the day or other given period, the proprietor
can quickly ascertain the business transacted, the amount of the takings, and the
out-put, while at the same time he can readily determine whether the waiters have
performed their duties zealously or otherwise."
In hotels, restaurants and the like, it is extremely important that the proprietors
should be able to accurately ascertain whether or not the various articles delivered
to the different waiters by the kitchen, bar, cigar-stand, and other departments
are all properly accounted and paid for to the cashier and whether or not this latter
individual makes proper returns of the cash paid to him (or her) by the customer.
Now my invention successfully accomplishes the above objects, and effectually
prevents any collusion between the employees to defraud the proprietors of hotels,
restaurants and the like, and moreover renders mistakes perfectly obvious, in
addition to providing simple and ready means of allowing such proprietors or other
responsible persons to see how their business is being transacted and the position
which they occupy at the end of the day or other given period.
In carrying my invention into practice, I provide each waiter with a book or
number of slips or checks, each one of such slips or checks bearing some mark or
symbol serving to distinguish the slips or checks from those used by any other
waiter in the same establishment, and I further provide the employe in charge of
each department who fills an order given by the waiter with a sheet or sheets of
paper, also so marked that a particular sheet or column shall be appropriated to
each of the said waiters, and to him only. These distinguishing marks may consist
of the name or number of the waiter, or the color of the paper, or any other suitable
arbitrary symbol may be employed for the purpose, though in practice I prefer to
employ a distinguishing number to which each respective waiter corresponds.
Each department is provided with one of the said sheets which are ruled length
wise into parallel columns, each of which is headed with one of the said distinguish-
ing numbers.
In order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying sheet
of illustrative drawings, wherein :--
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tutes and of the checks or slips used by a waiter.

page_text: Fig. 2, shows the sheet used by the head of the kitchen, or other department.
Fig. 3, shows one of the slips used by the head of the wine and cigar department.
Fig. 4, is a slip used by the wine clerk.
Fig. 5, illustrates a form of slip which is employed when a non-cash order is
filled.
Fig. 6, is the cashier's slip, and
Fig. 7, shows the form on which the bookkeeper makes his total entries for the
day or other given period, for the inspection of the proprietor. Assuming for the
purpose of illustration that an establishment employs six waiters, and that waiter
No. 6 is attending upon a customer, the said waiter when taking the order, (for
food for instance), goes to the kitchen and repeats the order, passing, one of his
slips or checks, either at that time, or at the time when the order is filled, the tray
containing it passes in sight of the said chef, who notes what it contains, and
accordingly enters the selling price of the same in duplicate on said slip or check a
(Fig. 1) and upon the sheet or column b (Fig. 2) appropriated to the waiter, and
then returns the first slip or check a to the waiter, who then takes it to the
customer with the order. Each item of the order may be entered separately on
the slip or check a and in column b (Fig. 2). If any subsequent order is given
by the same customer, the same process is repeated to whichever department the
order goes, and the price of the order is entered upon the same slip or check, while it
is also charged to the same waiter on the sheet or column appropriated to him by
the departments which fill the said order. When the customer has bought all
he requires, the waiter's check or slip a is totalled by the cashier with indelible
pencil or ink, thus avoiding any possible means of waiters making any false
charges, in addition on said check a. The customer then pays the total marked
on the waiter's slip or check a, subsequent orders received by that individual waiter
from other customers being entered for each customer, upon a separated slip or
check belonging to the said waiter. These orders are, however, entered by each
department in the same column or sheet appropriated to the said waiter in the
manner before referred to. At the end of the day or at such other time as is
deemed expedient; the sum total of the slips or checks a of each waiter, which has
been booked by the cashier on sheet f (Fig. 6) can be readily compared with the
sum total of the items charged to him by the departments collectively and the
amounts charged to all the waiters together with the sum total of the items on
the slips or checks can be compared with the cash reported by the cashier. If there
has been no negligence or dishonesty, the accounts will agree, but if there has been
such negligence or dishonesty, so that the accounts do not balance, it is rendered
an easy matter to discover who is in fault on glancing at form g (Fig. 7).
If the customer orders something that is outside of the province of the kitchen
department, say for instance, wine or cigars, the waiter in addition to noting
same on his slip or check, goes to the department having control of these articles,
and receives a duplicate slip or voucher of slip c (Fig. 3); this he presents to the
bar or cigar stand or other department in payment for such articles as he receives
from said departments. At the same time the head of the department charges
the amount of sale on slip e (Fig. 3), also on slip a (Fig. 1), and again on the
sheet or column b appointed to said waiter (Fig. 2). The slip or check e shown in
Fig. 5, is employed by the waiter when taking an order from a customer who has
an account running with the hotel, for instance, and who does not pay cash with
each order. In the cashier's sheet f (Fig. 6), column f¹ is provided to receive the
respective waiter's distinguishing numbers; column f2 for the numbers identifying
the slips or checks used by same; column f³ for cash received from the waiter for
the food, wine and cigars supplied to customers; column f4 for the names of the
customers; column fo for the number of rooms occupied; and columns f6 for the
amounts charged to such customers, while one column f7 is used for settling out
the total amount charged to each customer, such totals being arrived at by cross-
cashing.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:--
CLAIMS.
1. In the improved method of and means for checking the receipts and the
out-put of hotels, restaurants and the like, the use of a sheet or sheets divided into
separate spaces having suitable headings to identify the various waiters to whom
the said spaces are individually appropriated, in conjunction with separate slips
or checks each so marked as to indicate the respective waiter using it, whereby
the selling price of all articles sold may be entered in duplicate, once upon the slip
or check of the waiter, marking the sale, and once upon his identifying space upon
the main sheet, all substantially as described and illustrated.
2. In the method of and means for checking the receipts and the out-put of
hotels, restaurants and the like, the employment of separate slips or checks for the
waiters, each slip or check provided with space for entries of sales, and being so
marked as to indicate the waiter using such slips or checks, in combination with
a main checking sheet having separate spaces appropriated to the different waiters
and having suitable identifying means displayed upon or above such spaces, in
which latter all the amounts marked upon the waiters' slips or checks are entered
in order to provide a duplication of the respective entries, substantially as specified
and illustrated.
Doted this 95th day of W1900
HUGHES & YOUNG,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for Applicant.