US628152A - Envelop. - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 4, |899.

|||lm JXWMNI W. WOLFE.

lENVELP.

(Application led. Mar. 7, 189B.)

(No Moduli) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W'ILLIAM WOLFE, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO F.D. HOLMES, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,152, dated July 4, 1899.

Application filed March 7, 1898. Serial No. 672,902. (No model.)

To all whom'z't may' concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM WOLEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Envelop, of which the followin gis a speci-v iication.

My invention relates to envelops of the safety type, and has for its object to provide an envelop of a construction adapting it to be sealed with such security as to prevent opening without destroying or mutilating the same to such an extent as to be readily detected, and in carrying out my invention I provide the envelop with a main pocket for contents and an auxiliary pocket for the covering-flap, the latter being secured by sealing material to both walls of the auxiliary pocket.

A further object of my invention is -to provide, in connection with means for securely sealing an envelop, a construction whereby the opening thereof to remove the contents can be accomplished with facility.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description,and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of the rear side of an envelop constructed in accordance with my invention, the edge of the covering-Iiap being indicated by a dotted line. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the envelop prior to securing the covering-flap and showing the auxiliary pocket open for the reception of the edge thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the relative positions of the parts of the envelop-blank after the first step in folding the same has been taken. Fig. e is'a plan view of the blank with the covering-flap folded down toshow the gummed portion of its exterior surface.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The blank of the improved envelop consists of a main or front fold 1, a rear fold 2, con'- nected integrallyvwith the lower'edge of the main or front fold, main end flaps 3, integrally connected with the end edges of the main fold, auxilary end flaps 4, integrally connected with the lower edges of the mainend iaps and also with the ends of the rear fold, anda covering-Hap 5. The main fold is preferably of rectangular construction, and the main end flaps, which are folded parallel with said main fold and form the rear wall of the main pocket for the contents of the envelop, are preferably provided with diagonal or slightly-inclined upper edges, said inclination being preferably only sufficient to allow the proper folding of the covering-nap 5, and hence being approximately in the plane of the foldingline of the covering-flap. The main flaps are overlapped at their contiguous edges, and at their upper contiguous corners are cut away, as shown at 6, to facilitate the intro,-

duction of the contents of the envelop, and j also the removal of such contents before the covering-flap is sealed or otherwise secured in place. The back fold 2, which forms the rearmwall of the auxiliary pocket, into which the free edge of the covering-flap is adapted to be inserted, is out away at its upper edge to approximately follow a line parallel with said free edge of the covering-flap, while the auxiliary end ilaps 4r, which form the front wall of the auxiliary pocket, are correspondingly cut away to lie parallel with the free edge of the back fold, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In constructing the envelop the first step consists in folding the connected main and auxiliary end iiaps inwardly to overlap at their contiguous edges, as shown in Fig. 3, after which the back fold and the auxiliary end flaps are folded upwardly together'to lie parallel with the main fold and main end flaps. The surfaces of the auxiliary end flaps, which are remote from the back fold, are gummed, as shown at 4, Land the rear surfaces of the main end iiaps are correspondingly gummed,`as shown at 3a, the line of gumming on the main end flaps corresponding with that on the auxiliary end flaps to secure the front wall of the auxiliary pocket (formed by said auxiliary end flaps and the back fold) together, when the second step IOO nects, by cooperating gummed surfaces, the rear wall of the main pocket and the front wall of the auxiliary pocket and leaves the device, as indicated in Fig. 2, with both the main and auxiliary pockets open at their upper edges for the reception, respectively, of the contents of the envelop and of the covering-flap 5.' The covering-Hap is preferably secured adhesively to both the inner and the outer walls of the auxiliary pocket either by gumming said facing-surfaces of the walls of the pocket or by gumming both surfaces of the covering-flap contiguous to its free edge, as indicated in the drawings, respectively, at 5l and 5C. Inasmuch as the adhesive material by which the covering-flap is secured to the front or inner wall of the auxiliary pocket is concealed and as access cannot be gained thereto by reason of the rear or exterior wall of said pocket, it will be obvious that the softening of the adhesive material by the application of heat or moisture, as by steam, cannot be successfully accomplished. On the other hand, when it is desired to open an envelop constructed in accordance with my invention it is necessary simply to insert an instrument between the contiguous walls of the main and auxiliarypockets and separate said walls upon the folding-line 1^"L lb between the main and back folds and between the main and auxiliary flaps. Obviously this operation opens the main pocket at its lower edge.

Hence in addition to preventing the unauthorized opening of the envelop without such mutilation as to be readily detected the construction described facilitates the authorized opening thereof without endangering the contents, as when the end of an envelop is cut or torn off. The cutting-line in the improved envelop is wholly outside of the main pocket,

and hence no injury can result to the contents of said pocket by this method of opening.

lf`urthermore,it will be understood from the foregoing description that the essential feature of the envelop embodying my invention consists of parallel main and auxiliary pockets designed for the specific purposes mentioned and connected at a folding-line which is between the pockets, the exterior walls of both pockets consisting of a continuous portion of the blank and the interior or contiguous walls of said pockets being likewise formed of continuous portions of the blank. This construction is accomplished by the primary lateral folding of the main and auxiliary end flaps and the subsequent or final upward folding of the auxiliary flaps and back fold to occupy a position parallel with the main fold and main flaps.

The blank after the initial folding of the side portions presents the appearance of a liattened tube, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 3. This tube is folded upon itselfto form the envelop and pocket, and the end portions only of the tube are cemented, leaving the remaining parts free so as to receive between them the cutting instrument when it is required to simultaneously open the envelop and the pocket. The covering-flap seals A further important feature of the construction described consists in its simplicity so far as the operations necessary for folding the blank are concerned, and the small number of gummed surfaces necessary in order to maintain the parts in their proper relative positions. It will also be seen that the covering-flap may be secured to the outer surface ofthe rear or exterior wall of the auxiliary pocket when the insertion thereof between the walls. of the auxiliary pocket is unnecessary.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofv construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. A combined envelop and pocket formed from a iiattened tube folded upon itself to form the envelop and pocket, and having the end portions only of the tube cemented leaving the remaining parts free for the introduction of an instrument between them, when it is required to cut the tube along the line of the fold, and an end covering-Hap integral with the tube to fold overthe open ends of the envelop and pocket and seal them, substantially as specified.

2. A combined envelop and pocket formed from a flattened tube having an integral covvering-flap at one end to seal the open ends of the envelop and pocket, and having the opposite end of the tube indented to bring the mouth of the pocket in a lower plane than the mouth of the envelop, said tube being folded between its ends to form the envelop and pocket, and having its end portions only cemented, leaving the remaining parts free for the introduction between them of a cutting instrument when it is required to sever the .tube along the line of its fold to simultaneously open the envelop and the pocket, substantially as described.

3. A combined envelop and pocket formed from a blank having its side portions folded longitudinally and adhesively secured at their meeting edges forming a flattened tube which is folded upon itself midway of its ends to form the envelop and pocket, and having the inner or contiguous parts of the folds cemented at their free ends, the end of the fiattened tube forming the pocket being indented to bring the mouth of the pocket below the mouth of the envelop, and the rear wall of the envelop having its-edge inwardly notched at an intermediate point, and an integral coveringap at the opposite end of the tube to fold over the open ends of the envelop and pocket and seal them, and having its edge portion IOO IIO

my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILLIAM WOLFE.

IVtnesses:

A. A. LAYMAN, H. H. STRYKER.

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