Patent Publication Number: US-4925086-A

Title: Response letter

Description:
This is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/281, filed on Dec. 5, 1988, now abandoned, which is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 07/203,530 filed on 05/17/88, now abandoned, which is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 06/872,230 filed on 06/09186, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to a response letters and more specifically to response letters within which an insert card may be automatically inserted. The assembly of the response letter and the insert may then be automatically placed in a mailing envelope. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention disclosed herein comprises a response letter of one piece construction which is open at the top and at one side. 
     The response letter is formed of the same type of paper; all of whose surfaces can be printed upon. In this regard, the present invention differs from available response letters and also differs in that available response letters are not designed to permit machine insertion of inserts. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further details are explained below with the help of the examples illustrated in the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the mailing insert, prior to folding, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the mailing insert, after the first fold, shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the mailing insert shown in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the mailing insert shown in FIG. 1, completely folded, including the mailing envelope and the reply insert. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     There is shown in the drawings a unitary response letter 10 comprising a rectangular body portion 12 having an upper edge 14, a first side edge 16, a second side edge 18, a front face 20, a rear face 22 and a rectangular extension or patch 24. The second side edge 18 is in spaced parallel relation to the first side edge 16 with the second side edge 18 having a thumb notch 26 formed therein in opposed relation to the extension 24. A rectangular aperture 28 is formed through the body portion 12 in close proximity to the thumb notch 26. 
     The extension 24 has a terminal edge 30, a top edge 32, a bottom edge 34, an inside face 36 and an outside face 38. The extension 24 is folded over the body portion 12 at its juncture therewith positioning its inside face 36 in spaced, facing relation to its rear face 22. The terminal edge 30 of the extension 24 is thereby placed in close proximity to the first side edge 16 and the bottom edge 34 is attached, by an adhesive or the like, to the body portion 12 with the upper edge 14 in spaced parallel relation to the top edge 32. 
     The front face 20 and/or the rear face 22 have advertising or other promotional material printed thereon and the body portion 12 below the bottom edge 34 is folded into sections to a rectangle whose dimensions will allow the response letter 10 to be placed within a mailing envelope 40. The mailing envelope 40 includes a rectangular, open window 42. The pocket formed by the folded extension 24 and the body portion 12 is dimensioned so that the reply card 44 will fit within the pocket and the address placed on the request card 44 will be visible in the aperture 28 and the aperture 28 is aligned with the window 42. To the applicant&#39;s knowledge prior to the invention described herein there was no machine method of inserting the reply card 44 in the pocket of the old art, (ie. it needed to be done by hand). The reply card 44 can now be inserted by the use of machine, for example, a Bell and Howell Model A-340-C6. Note that the reply card 44 is inserted from the top of the response letter 10.