New or Improved Method of Distributing Coupons in connection with Soap and other Articles of Merchandise, and Means for Putting the same into Operation.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1898-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1898
New or Improved Method of Distributing Coupons in connection with
Soap and other Articles of Merchandise, and Means for Putting
the same into Operation.
I, WALTER CASE HOSKINS, of Holmleigh, Staple Hill, Bristol, Manufacturer,
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.
My invention relates to a new or improved method of distributing coupons
for prizes in connection with soap and other proprietary articles, the coupons
either possessing a direct money value, or to be used in competing for prizes
on presentation to the manufacturer or his agents.
The method at present generally adopted in connection with the distribution
of prizes is to print the coupon on the paper or other covering in which the goods
are wrapped, and to give prizes for the greatest number of wrappers returned
to the manufacturer; by this means it is possible to strip the wrappers from the
goods and send them in for competition before the goods have reached the ultimate
purchaser or consumer, thus offering facilities for fraud, and depriving the con-
sumer of the chance of competing for the prizes.
The great object in offering prizes is to get the special goods in connection
with which they are offered, well known and appreciated by the public, and it
is evident that if the wrappers or coupons are removed before the goods are sold,
this object will be frustrated; this invention therefore consists in placing the
coupon within the tablets or parcels of goods, so that they cannot be returned
or exchanged for their money value until the goods have been used.
In carrying this invention into effect, the coupons, discs, tokens, or the like,
which either have a direct money value, or may be used in competition for prizes,
are made of metal, earthenware, wood, or other material suitable for insertion
in packages of soap or any other solidified material, and are so placed that they
can only be obtained or extracted when the soap or material has been used by
the ultimate purchaser, whose favourable opinion of the goods may possibly be
influenced by the prospect of gifts or prizes.
The coupon is inserted in soap and other solid blocks by any of the well known
appliances suitable for the purpose during their manufacture, and the tablets
or blocks are afterwards pressed into their ordinary shape without leaving any
indication that they contain any foreign material.
I am aware that foreign substances of various kinds have previously been
inserted in tablets of soap for advertising purposes, to the bare insertion of discs,
coupons, or tickets, I make no claim, my invention is for the insertion of coupons
having a money value in such a manner that they cannot be obtained and pre-
sented for exchange until the goods with which they have been issued are partially
or wholly consumed.

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:
In connection with the distribution of coupons having a redeemable value,
inserting them in the tablets or blocks of soap or other solid material in such a
manner that the coupons cannot be abstracted and presented for the payment of
their prescribed value or used in competitions for prizes, until the goods in which
they have been placed are used, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described.
J. G. WESTLAKE,
Applicant's Agent, 2, John Street, Bristol.