SEALED DOCUMENTS

Abstract: Sealed documents are provided by placing an area or areas of reusable adhesive (26) on one side of a sheet of paper (10) or the like, and twice folding the document to seal same along one edge, or thrice folding the document along all edges. Multiple plied sheets (10a, 10b and 10c) may be manipulated in like manner.

Description: Background of Invention This invention pertains to sealed documents, and how they may be made and used. It is often desirable to provide a way to provide information on a sheet of paper or the like and have a self-contained means to seal the document. Moreover, it is desirable to have the sheets readily available, as in the form of a pad of the sheets. This invention meets these demands in a novel manner. Objects of Invention Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a sheet, and a pad of sheets, that may be rapidly sealed by self-contained means, to be sealed along at least one edge, or along all edges. The invention may be best understood by reference to illustrative embodiments, which will be described by reference to the accompanying drawings. Description of Drawings FIG. 1 shows one surface of a sheet of material for the invention. FIG. 2 shows the reverse side of the sheet of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows the sheet of FIG. 1 after a first fold. FIG. 4 shows the sheet of FIG. 1 after a second fold. FIG. 5 shows a sheet prepared for a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 shows the sheet of FIG. 5 after a first fold. FIG. 7 shows the sheet of FIG. 6 after a second fold. FIG. 8 shows a set of sheets prepared for still another embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9 shows the sheets of FIG. 8 after an initial folding operation. Detailed Description of Illustrative Embodiments In FIG. 1 reference character 10 designates a sheet of paper or like material on the surface 12 of which a message or other information may be recorded. Sheet 10 has top edge 14, bottom edge 16, right side edge 18 and left side edge 20. Side 12 also has indicia marks 22 for a purpose described below. The opposite side 24 of sheet 10 is shown in FIG. 2. A strip of reusable or releasable adhesive 26 (hereafter, "reusable") is provided along edge 14 of side 24. Reusable adhesives are well known in the art. Spaces also are provided for "To" and "From" information at positions 28 and 30 on side 24. For purposes of creating a sealed document the user, facing side 12, folds the document along fold line 32 (FIG. 3) which could be perforated to facilitate folding at the proper place. When folded, edge 14 is placed at the indicia marks 22. The user then folds the document along fold line 34 (FIG. 4) at the indicia marks to place the area between the fold line 34 and edge 16 over the adhesive strip 26. Pressing the parts together secures the folded document. The document may be opened simply by peeling apart the areas held by the reusable adhesive. A perforation line 35 (FIGS. 1-3) may be located at the inner edge of the adhesive strip at allow the user to remove the adhesive or fold the adhesive strip over to eliminate the exposed adhesive surface. The exposed strip would not be desirable if the document was filed. If more security is desired the configuration of reusable adhesive areas shown in FIG. 5 may be used. Here side 24 of sheet 10 not only has strip 26 but also strips 36, 38, 40 and 42 of reusable adhesive. "To" and "From" spaces also are provided at the locations 44 and 46. In use the sheet 10 of FIG. 5, which has a side 12 like that of FIG. 1, is folded over and secured by strip 26 of adhesive as was the case in FIGS. 1-4. Adhesive strip 26 is now covered, but the other adhesive strips 36, 38, 40 and 42 appear as shown in FIG. 6. Now a third fold is accomplished by the user, along a line indicated by chain line 48, to bring the adhesive strips together, and provide the document shown in FIG. 7. In this way the document is sealed slong all four edges. It may be opened by peeling the sealed areas apart. Adhesive may exist along all of the edges as shown in FIG. 6 to bring adhesive on two surfaces together for added strength. However, one coat of adhesive will do, in which case only one-half of strips 40 and 42 need by used, and only one of strips 36 and 38. Indeed, if the manufacturer feels it can save on adhesive and remain competitive, only spots of adhesive are necessary. In another embodiment of the invention the sheet 10 may be one of a number of such sheets, with carbon paper (not shown) or carbonless transfer materials between them for making multiple copies of a given message. For example, these could be of the "To/From/Reply" memo format. The sheets would be held together by the adhesive strips 26. A set of three such sheets, here 10a, 10b and 10c, are shown in FIG. 8, already once folded as the single sheet as shown in FIG. 3 has been folded. In order to seal the set of sheets (FIG. 8) the bottom edges 16 of sheets 10a and 10b are folded under edges 14 of the three sheets as shown in FIG. 9, leaving the edge 16 of sheet 10c to be folded over to be secured to the adhesive strip 26 of sheet 10c, in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The multiple sheet set of FIG. 9 may also be provided with the additional adhesive area (FIGS. 5-­ 7) and again folded, as explained in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7. Upon reading the foregoing descriptions of illustrative embodiments many other embodiments will occur to the reader. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.

Claims: 1. A sheet of foldable material having at least one area of reusable adhesive on one side thereof and an area on the other side on which information may be recorded, and indicia on said other side denoting where the sheet may be folded to use the adhesive to affix the ends of the folded sheet together. 2. A sheet of material as in claim 1 in which the adhesive is placed in a strip along one edge of said one side of the sheet and the indicia are placed to bring the adhesive adjacent the opposite edge of said other side of the sheet when the sheet is folded to place the adhesive on the outside of the folded sheet, whereby the sheet first may be folded to place said other side inside the fold, and the adhesive strip then used to adhere to said other side when the margin of the sheet is folded over the adhesive and the parts pressed together to affix the folded sheet together. 3. A sheet of material as in claim 2 having a line of perforations along the inner edge of the adhesive strip to facilitate folding over or eliminating the adhesive strip after the folded sheet has been opened. 4. A sheet of material as in claim 2 with at least one sheet plied on top thereof, whereby the set of sheets may be folded and affixed by folding the margins of the additional sheet or sheets to underlie the edge of the bottom sheet after the fold, whereby the adhesive strip retains the folded set together. 5. A sheet of material as in claim 2 and including additional strips of adhesive on said one side of the sheet so placed that after the second fold the sheet may be folded a third time along a fold line at right angles to the first fold line leaving the additional adhesive within the thrice folded sheet so that all four edges of the thusly folded sheet are affixed together. 6. A method of providing a sealed document including the steps of providing a sheet of material with at least one area of reusable adhesive in a strip along one edge of one side of the sheet, folding the sheet to place said adhesive strip on the outside of the folded document and adjacent to the opposite edge of the sheet, and folding the said opposite edge of the sheet over the strip of adhesive to seal the document. 7. A method as in claim 6 in which at least one additional sheet is plied on the first sheet, and the folded sheets secured together by folding said opposite edge of the additional sheet to underlie the one edge of the first sheet before the opposite edge of the first sheet is folded over to engage the adhesive. 8. A method as in claim 6 in which additional areas of adhesive are provided on said one side of the sheet, and folding the document a third time along a fold line perpendicular to the first fold, with the additional areas of adhesive so places as to affix all edges of the folded document together.

Inventors: GREIG, WALTER G.
Applicants: MOORE BUSINESS FORMS, INC.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B42D15
IPC codes: B42D15