US Patent 6876902 Automated supply cart and system

The apparatus includes a storage cart in a storage area and supply carts in user areas at substantial distances from the storage area. The user carts are constantly open, and accessible to anyone, for a user to actuate to register on a computer unit the articles that are placed in and removed from the bins in the supply carts. The apparatus includes supplemental units detachably applied to the supply carts, having push-buttons corresponding to the bins in the supply carts. A running tally of the articles placed in and removed from the supply carts is maintained in a computer monitor by simple steps made by the user in so placing the articles in and removing them from the supply carts, without a separate operation for counting the articles.