Automatic ordering method and apparatus

A system for producing at a remote supplier location an order form carrying user purchase information for a plurality of items to be purchased by the user from the supplier, comprising

• a user index sheet having a first surface carrying a plurality of first index marks;
• a plurality of groups of inventory items at the user location;
• a supply of item labels for each of said groups, each supply of labels including at least one item label for each item in its corresponding group, each item label having a first surface carrying alphanumeric indicia printed at a first location, the indicia on each label corresponding to an item in the corresponding group;
• a second index mark on said first surface of each of said item labels, said second index mark being printed at a second location on said first surface;
• adhesive means on a second surface of each of said item labels to enable each label to be secured to said user index sheet with said second index mark in alignment with one of said first index marks to thereby provide on said user index sheet an indication of the identity and number of inventory items to be provided by a supplier;
• means for transmitting to a remote supplier location an image of said user index sheet with secured labels;
• receiver means at the remote supplier location for receiving a transmitted image of said user index sheet, the receiver means including means responsive to the transmitted image to determine from the labels secured to the user index sheet information concerning the identification and quantity of items to be supplied;
• and
• means for converting said information to alphanumeric form and for printing an order form carrying the alphanumeric information at said supplier location.

A system for producing an order form having alphanumeric purchase information concerning a quantity of at least one item to be purchased by a user who submits from a remote location an indication of said quantity and identification of said at least one item, which comprises:

• an index sheet having an area with a first index mark;
• a supply of item labels for each said at least one item, each label in each said supply having a first surface with alphanumeric indicia printed at a first location on said first surface, said alphanumeric indicia in each said supply corresponding to said respective item;
• said first surface of each said item being imprinted at a second location on said first surface with a second index mark;
• adhesive means on a second surface of each one of said item labels, providing that said quantity from each said supply of each label be secured to said index sheet with said second index mark of each label in alignment with said first index mark thereby submitting an indication to said apparatus on said index sheet said identification and quantity of said items to be purchased;
• facsimile means for inputting from said remote location an image of said index sheet with secured labels to a computer means;
• computer means in operable combination with said index sheet and labels and facsimile means for operating on said inputted image representing said quantity and identification of said at least one item to compute said purchase information when said first index marks are in said alignment with said second index mark;
• means for converting said purchase information to alphanumeric form and printing an order form having said alphanumeric purchase information.