Improvements in and relating to Device for Facilitating and Economizing Business Transactions.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 12th May, 1900
Improvements in and relating to Device for Facilitating and
Economizing Business Transactions.
We, FRANK LITTLETON BROWNE, of 1304, Roanoke Street, Washington, District
of Columbia, Patent Attorney, and WILLIAM THEODORE NORTON, of 2339,
Eighteenth Street, Washington, District of Columbia, Patent Attorney, both in
the United States of America, 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 is directed to improvements in devices for facilitating business
transaction and for economizing advertising.
The invention consists of an improved device such as a card or envelop having
a detachable check or order stamp printed or otherwise placed across the perforated
or weakened line in a manner to insure its cancellation in the separation of the
coupon portion, and to preserve the indication of value both on such detached
portion and the body of the device.
The invention contemplates the use of the device in the issuance of demands
for goods, the device being mailed by the dealer to the consumer with instruc-
tions to employ it in communicating orders, the card or envelop, as the case may
be, being provided with the name and address of the dealer and, in addition,
with an order form for convenience to both parties.
The postage check or order stamp has denoted upon it an indication of value
representing the amount of postage required to send the device through the
mails, and said stamp constitutes, when the device is delivered to the dealer,
an order on him for an amount equal to the rate of postage. The consumer
who is the sender of the device is thus saved the cost of postage, inasmuch as the
check or order stamp is a guarantee that the postage will be assumed by the
dealer, and in addition the sender is relieved of the expense of furnishing the
card or paper and envelop, and of the trouble of ascertaining the name and
address of the dealer and addressing the card or envelop. On the other hand
the dealer is, by the use of our device, saved the expense of purchasing and
sending, as is usual, the prepaid card or envelop which is often put to a different
use from that intended.
Our improved device is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 being
a front view of a card illustrating the invention, Fig. 2 a view of the reverse side
of the card, Fig. 3 a front view of an envelop, and Fig. a longitudinal sectional
view of the envelop.
Referring to the drawing by letter, A denotes the body of the card or envelop
and B is the coupon portion. On the face side of the card and envelop is the
name and address of the dealer and on the reverse side of the card is an order
form. A sheet containing an order form may obviously be sent with the envelop.
The postage check or order stamp is shown at C as extending across the weakened
line of separation of the body and coupon, the line being lettered d. This stamp
is divided preferably centrally by the line d and the indication of value is dupli-
cated thereon in order that it may appear both in the body and detached coupon

page_text: and thereby avoid confusion. Numbers or letters, or both, such as indicated
at e may be employed as an aid to ascertaining the number of devices issued, or
as a means for identifying the devices in connection with dealers' specific lines
of goods, such as coal dealers, dry goods merchants, and so forth.
The device as before stated is employed by the consumer in communicating
his orders and is mailed by him to the dealer. The postmaster or carrier before
delivering the device to the dealer or agent détaches the coupon B and retains
same as his voucher, it being understood from the foregoing that the amount of
postage due on the device is collected from the dealer who of course receives
and retains the body of the card or envelop bearing the customers order. The
location of the check or order stamp with reference to the line of separation of
the body and coupon results in the preservation of the indication of the rate of
postage both to the dealer and postmaster, and the employment of the matter e
is a further safeguard against error in the respective accounts.
The coupon is
preferably provided on its reverse side with the name and occupation of the
dealer or agent.
The check or order stamp may receive the usual marks of cancellation, but
they are unnecessary as the separation of the coupon from the body effectually
mutilates the stamp and prevents its reuse, the result being a great saving in
time and labor to the post office.
•
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. A device of the character specified consisting of an envelop or card provided
with a coupon portion separable from the body portion on a weakened line which
is at a predetermined distance from the edge of the coupon, and provided with
the described postage check or order stamp printed or otherwise placed across
the perforated line and having matter indicating an amount equal to a rate
of postage at each side of such weakened line, whereby a portion of said stamp
is severed with the coupon to be presented to the holder of the body portion for
comparison and collection.
2. A device of the character described consisting of an envelop or card provided
with a coupon portion separable by hand from the body portion on a perforated
line which is at a predetermined distance from the edge of the coupon, and
provided with a postage check or order stamp printed or otherwise placed also
at a distance from the edge of said coupon and across the perforated line, whereby
a space is left for printed matter on said coupon and a portion of said stamp is
severed with the same to be presented to the holder of the body portion for
comparison and collection.
3. A device of the character specified consisting of an envelop or card having a
body portion and a coupon portion which constitutes a voucher and is separable
from the body portion on a weakened line, and provided with a token constituting
an order on a postage account said token being across the weakened 'line and
having on its separable parts corresponding indications of the amount of postage
to be collected, whereby a part of the token with its indication is severed with
the voucher, as and for the purpose set forth.
T
2011
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.