Envelope assembly

An envelope assembly formed from a series connection of such envelope assemblies has a closed outer envelope formed from two outer plies sealed along at least three marginal edges by non-releasable glue, one of the plies having a removable pull tab along a fourth marginal edge. Insert material held in registration within the closed outer envelope is unattached to the outer envelope along its four marginal edges, and includes at least a return envelope. One of the plies forming the return envelope has a foldable flap for sealing the return envelope, while the other of the plies forming the return envelope has a waste flap secured to one of the outer plies by non-releasable glue. The waste flap holds the insert material in registration with the outer envelope, but is detachable from the insert material along a line of weakening, thus remaining within the outer envelope when the remainder of the insert material is extracted therefrom.

Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to an envelope assembly, and more particularly to an 
envelope assembly which is detachable from a succession of envelope 
assemblies manufactured in series connected form. 
Background of the Invention 
In the mass manufacturing of envelope assemblies in series connected form, 
it is important that the structure be as simple as possible in order to 
reduce confusion on the part of customers receiving the outer envelopes. 
For instance, in several known envelope assemblies, the insert material 
has a foldable flap for sealing the return envelope and a removable waste 
flap which abuttingly engages the foldable flap prior to sealing. If the 
foldable flap is inadvertently removed, instead of the waste flap, the 
return envelope must be sealed in another manner. 
Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,307 and U.S. Re 30,114 disclose snap 
opening envelope assemblies in which the waste flap of the inner envelope 
is retained within the outer envelope upon extraction of the insert 
material These envelope assemblies are snap opened by detaching a tear 
strip several plies thick from the side of the outer envelope Each of the 
plies forming the tear strip are separable along a perforated line of 
weakening. Thus, fabrication of the tear strip requires perforating all of 
the tear strip plies along the marginal edge of opening of the assembly. 
Another aspect of receiver confusion with envelope assemblies of this type 
relates to initial opening of the outer envelope. U.S. Pat No. 4,166,539 
and U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,501 disclose envelope assemblies manufactured from 
a succession of series connected envelope assemblies in which each 
assembly is designed to simulate a folded flap envelope These envelope 
assemblies are top opening, or open along an edge which is transverse with 
respect to the continuous webs from which the succession of envelope 
assemblies are manufactured. These patents do not disclose return of the 
waste flap in the return envelope. 
While the above mentioned patents disclose envelope assemblies which may 
reduce receiver confusion of one manner or another, they are susceptible 
to another problem inherent with such envelope assemblies, a problem 
caused by the necessity of keeping the insert material and the outer 
envelope in registration in order to imprint upon the enclosed return 
envelope simultaneously with addressing of the outer envelope Each of the 
above described patents discloses a multiple construction along at least 
one of the marginal edges of the envelope assembly in order to maintain 
registration. Because of increased thickness due to multiple plies at a 
marginal edge, it sometimes becomes difficult to run the continuous 
envelope assembly through computer operated printers. 
It is an object of this invention to provide an envelope assembly formed 
from a series connection of envelope assemblies which facilitates feeding 
of the envelopes through a computer printer, while at the same time 
minimizes the opportunity for receiver confusion. 
Summary of the Invention 
To these ends, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an 
envelope assembly formed from a number of longitudinally extending webs 
comprises two outer plies glued along at least three marginal edges, and 
one of the plies having a removable pull tab along a fourth, separate, 
marginal edge. The pull tab enables the outer envelope to be opened. 
Insert material including at least an open, return envelope is secured 
within the outer envelope but unattached to the outer envelope along its 
marginal edges. The return envelope has a foldable flap to seal the return 
envelope and a waste flap abutting the foldable flap, the waste flap being 
defined by a weak perforation line and secured to one of the plies forming 
the outer envelope by a stream of non-releasable glue, thereby holding the 
inner and outer envelopes in registration. After the outer envelope has 
been opened by removing the pull tab, pulling of the insert material from 
the outer envelope causes the waste flap to detach along the weak 
perforation line and to remain within the outer envelope. 
The pull tab provides easy opening of the outer envelope and is easy to 
manufacture, requiring perforation and slitting of only one of the outer 
plies. Preferably, the pull tab is formed along one of the marginal edges 
of the envelope assembly which extends transverse to the longitudinal 
direction of the webs forming the series connected envelopes, thus 
providing an envelope assembly having a shape resembling a standard top 
opening envelope 
According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the pull tab is 
defined in one of the outer plies by a first tear line parallel to the 
fourth marginal edge, a second tear line between the first tear line and 
the fourth marginal edge, and a U-shaped slot. Preferably the tear lines 
are parallel. Each leg of the U-shaped slit is aligned with one end of a 
tear line. A line of non-releasable glue secures the outer plies together 
along the fourth marginal edge and extends parallel to and between the 
second tear line and the fourth marginal edge. Opening of the outer 
envelope is accomplished by grasping a portion of the outer ply defined by 
the U-shaped slit and pulling transversely to the envelope assembly to 
detach the pull tab along the first and second tear lines. 
According to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the pull tab 
is defined in one of the outer plies by a first tear line parallel to the 
fourth marginal edge and an L-shaped slit, with one leg of the L-shaped 
slit aligned with the tear line. A line of releasable glue secures the 
outer plies together along the fourth marginal edge, but is releasable 
upon removal of the pull tab. 
While a one ply pull tab simplifies manufacture of the envelope assembly 
and results in an easy to open outer envelope that is not likely to 
confuse customers, the connected waste flap also provides advantages. The 
use of non-releasable glue to connect the waste flap to one of the outer 
plies and to hold the inner and outer envelopes in registration reduces 
the multiple layering effect along the marginal edges of the envelope 
assembly, thus facilitating feeding of the series connected envelope 
assemblies through a computer printer. Moreover, because the waste flap is 
detachable from the insert material along a weak perforation line, it 
remains within the outer envelope upon extracting the insert material, 
thus preventing inadvertent detachment of the foldable flap. 
These and other features of the invention will be more readily understood 
in view of the following detailed description and the drawings in which:

Detailed Description of the Drawings 
FIG. 1 shows continuous series connection of envelope assemblies 10 formed 
from continuous webs having longitudinally extending edges 12 and 13. 
Interior of the edges 12 and 13 are two rows of longitudinally extending 
feed holes 14 and 15, respectively. The feed holes enable the envelope 
assemblies 10 to be fed into a computer printer. Each envelope assembly 10 
is defined longitudinally by perforation lines 16 and 17, located inboard 
of feed hole rows 14 and 15, respectively, and transversely by spaced 
perforation lines designated 18 and 19. Each envelope assembly 10 is 
severable along the perforation lines 16, 17, 18 and 19 to form 
corresponding marginal edges 16, 17, 18 and 19. 
Each envelope assembly 10 comprises a closed outer envelope containing 
insert material held in registration therewith, the insert material 
including at least one open, return envelope. The outer envelope is 
defined by outer plies 21 and 22 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and FIGS. 5 and 6. 
According to the preferred embodiments of the invention, the outer plies 
21 and 22 are secured along at least three marginal edges by a stream of 
non-releasable glue 23. 
Along the fourth marginal edge, one of the outer plies has a removable pull 
tab 24 formed therein which enables opening of the outer envelope. The 
word "along" in this context means that the pull tab 24 is spaced inwardly 
from, and adjacent to the fourth marginal edge. Preferably, the pull tab 
24 extends parallel to one of the transverse marginal edges, 18 or 19, of 
the envelope assembly 10, or in other words, perpendicular to the 
longitudinal dimension of the continuous webs. In FIGS. 1 and 4, marginal 
edge 18 corresponds to the fourth marginal edge. 
According to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, The pull tab 24 
is defined by a first tear line 27, a second tear line 28 parallel to the 
first tear line 27 and a U-shaped slit 29 connecting the tear lines 
Preferably, the tear lines 27 and 28 are parallel and each leg of the 
U-shaped slit 29 is aligned with one of the tear lines. 
In the first preferred embodiment, the line of non-releasable glue 23 
extends completely around all four marginal edges of the envelope assembly 
10. As shown in FIG. 1, line 23 resides between second tear line 28 and 
marginal edge 18 To open the outer envelope, a portion 30 of outer ply 21 
defined by the U-shaped slit 29 is grasped in one hand while the envelope 
assembly 10 is held along marginal edge 16 by the other hand. Pulling 
portion 30 will tear the pull tab 24 from the rest of the assembly 10 
along lines 27 and 28, thus exposing the insert material 
According to the second preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, 
the pull tab 24 is defined by the first tear line 27, an L-shaped slit 33 
and a line of fugitive or releasable glue 34 extending parallel to 
marginal edge 18 between tear line 27 and edge 18. The releasable glue 34 
holds plies 21 and 22 together along marginal edge 18 until portion 30 is 
grasped and pulled away from the assembly 10 to open the outer envelope. 
Insert material 36 includes at least a return envelope, formed from inner 
plies 37 and 38, which are secured along three marginal edges by a stream 
of non-releasable glue 39. The plies 37 and 38 are unsecured along a 
fourth, open marginal edge 40. Along the open marginal edge 40, one of the 
inner plies includes a fold flap 42 demarcated by a line of weakening 43. 
The fold flap 42 has a line of activatable glue 44 located thereon and can 
be folded over the other of the inner plies to seal the inner envelope. 
Preferably, fourth open edge 40 is located proximate to the marginal edge 
of the outer envelope that is opposite to the pull tab 24. In FIGS. 2 and 
5, the fourth open edge 40 is opposite transverse marginal edge 18 of the 
outer envelope. Open edge 40 may also be located proximate to a marginal 
edge of the outer envelope that is perpendicular or adjacent to the pull 
tab 24, e.g., either one of the longitudinal marginal edges 16 or 17. 
However, open edge 40 of the inner envelope cannot be located along the 
same marginal edge of the outer envelope as that of the pull tab 24. This 
would inhibit opening of the outer envelope. 
Inner ply 38 has a waste flap 47 defined by a weak perforation line 48. 
Waste flap 47 is secured to one of the outer plies by a stream of 
non-releasable glue 49 to hold the inner and outer envelopes in 
registration. FIG. 3 shows waste flap 47 secured to outer ply 22. The 
insert material is unattached to the four marginal edges of the outer 
envelope, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the envelope assembly 
10 at the marginal edges 16 and 17 and facilitating the feeding of the 
connected assemblies through a computer printer. 
FIGS. 5 and 6 show an alternate construction of the insert material 36 that 
can be utilized with either pull tab construction, the insert material 
also including an insert ply 51 which is to be removed from the outer 
envelope and returned within the inner envelope by the user. The insert 
ply 51 has a disposable flap 52 defined by weak perforation line 53. One 
side of this disposable flap 52 is connected to one of the outer plies of 
the outer envelope by a line of non-releasable glue 54, i.e., outer ply 22 
in FIG. 3, while the other side of the disposable flap 52 is adhered to 
the waste flap 47 of the inner envelope by a line 49 of non-releasable 
glue. 
The insert material preferably extends beyond tear line 27 in the direction 
of marginal edge 18 of the outer envelope, thereby facilitating grasping 
of the insert material in order to extract it from the outer envelope 
after pull tab 24 has been removed. Pulling the insert material from the 
outer envelope adjacent tear line 27 severs waste flap 47 and disposable 
flap 52 along weak perforation lines 48 and 53, respectively, and they are 
retained in the outer envelope. 
While the above description constitutes two preferred embodiments of the 
invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited 
thereby and that in light of the present disclosure, various other 
alternative embodiments will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the 
art. Accordingly, it is to be understood that changes may be made without 
departing from the scope of the invention as particularly set out and 
claimed.