Abstract:
A folding type of envelope-addressing guide is provided with a base plate 2 having a location ruler 4 at a bottom edge and a hinged cover plate 1 with address-positioning edges 12 and 21 that overlay the base plate 2 that is equal to maximum thickness of letters 9 that can be machine sorted. Line guides and instructions 22 are provided to facilitate machine-sortable addressing and effective handling of personal letters and occasional business letters the same as for mass-mailing business letters according to applicable mailing rules and regulations.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to guide mechanisms for positioning addresses on letters for machine sorting by postal services. In particular, it is a folder type of guide into which a postal envelope is placed for marking indicia to position a printed destination address for machine sorting of personal as well as business letters. 
     There are a wide variety of templates and guides for lettering. But none are known for positioning addresses on envelopes in a manner that is convenient for personal as well as for occasional or low-use-rate addressing of business letters as provided by this invention. 
     Examples of related but different prior art include the following U.S. patent documents: 
     
         ______________________________________4,854,048  8/1989         Goulet4,640,018  2/1987         Gigliotti4,586,906  5/1986         Buccieri, Jr.3,227,472  1/1966         Swift1,827,375  10/1931        Schneider1,441,440  1/1923         Mackness  684,142  10/1901        Ward  274,031  3/1883         Requa______________________________________ 
    
     The oldest prior art found, Requa, was a folder type of guide, but it was constructed specifically for aid in forming letters with handwriting. Like most of the prior art, it was a template for specific formation of lines related to alphabetical letters and numbers. By contrast, this invention is a guide for positioning of addresses on envelopes for machine sorting. 
     The remaining patents show various guide devises. For instance, Ward taught a hinged means for holding a soft-metal cutting bed in relation to a manual cutting tool. Schneider taught a template guide for folding letters to be inserted into window envelopes. Macknesss taught a template for measuring material. Swift taught a container for meter-reading cards. Buccieri, Jr. taught a lottery-marking guide with a folder having an opaque or transparent plastic template heat sealed along one edge. Gigliotti taught a folder-type checkbook recording device with templates. Goulet taught a template for assistance to truck drivers in entering daily information while in the cab of a truck. 
     Both business and personal mail which is addressed according to applicable rules and regulations can be sorted and handled much faster with sorting machines than mail that is improperly addressed and therefore must be sorted by hand. Consequently, such properly-addressed mail takes less time in reaching its destination addresses. There is, therefore, a need for a guide and methods for its use in addressing personal mail and occasional business mail in a manner that it will be sorted by automatic sorting machines to facilitate its handling and decrease its delivery time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One object of this invention is to provide a convenient physical guide for positioning printed, typed or stamped addresses on letter envelopes in a manner that they can be machine sorted. 
     Another object is to measure envelope size for comparison size requirements for machine sorting and for cost rates in accordance with size. 
     A further object is to measure thickness of filled envelopes in comparison to thickness requirements for machine sorting. 
     An even further object of this invention is to provide instructions convenient to a user of the guide for use of the guide in addressing envelopes. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide instructions, regulations, postage rates and helpful procedures convenient to a user of this addressing guide for utilizing postal services most effectively. 
     To accomplish these objects, a folder-type of envelope-lettering guide is provided with base plate having a location ruler at the bottom edge and a hinged cover plate with address-positioning edges that overlay the base plate when the cover plate is swiveled over the base plate. The cover plate is flush with the base plate so as to provide a firm surface when stamping addresses on the envelope which is empty when stamped. The location ruler is a distance from the base plate that is equal to maximum thickness of stuffed envelopes that can be machine sorted with postal-service equipment. Line guides and instructions are provided to facilitate machine-sortable addressing and effective handling of personal letters and occasional business letters the same as for mass-mailing of business letters according to applicable mailing rules and regulations. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     This invention is described in appended claims in relation to a description of a preferred embodiment and the following drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an end view; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view with a cover plate opened and cut away in part; 
     FIG. 4 is an unfolded view of a one-piece foldable embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a folded view of the FIG. 4 device; and 
     FIG. 6 is an end view of the FIG. 4 device. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a cover plate 1 is attachable to a base plate 2 with a positioning hinge 3. A location ruler 4 is attached to a base-plate bottom edge 5 at a ruler bottom edge 6. A ruler attachment means 7 is extended between the base plate 2 and the ruler 4. The ruler attachment means 7 is provided with an attachment-means top surface 8 onto which a letter envelope 9 is placed. 
     A mail envelope 9 is placed stamp-side-up and stamp-end-right on the attachment-means top surface 8 with the cover plate 1 either swiveled open away from close proximity to the base plate 2. The envelope may also be inserted from the right end of the base plate 2 and cover plate 1. The left end of the envelope 9 is then buttressed against positioning hinge 3. 
     With the envelope 9 retained in a position bounded by the attachment-means top surface 8 at the hinge 3, the cover plate 1 is swiveled to a position over the envelope 9 and approximately parallel to the base plate 2. Then a removable or appropriately inconspicuous mark is made on the envelope 9 at a position one inch from the right or stamp end 10 of the envelope 9 to indicate positioning of the right end of an address to be printed, stamped or typed onto the envelope 9. A removable or appropriately inconspicuous mark is made then at a ruler top surface 11 and at a cover-plate top guide edge 12. 
     An address is then printed, typed or stamped in uppercase letters on the envelope 9 with left lines of the address vertically straight and the right end of the address one inch from the stamp end 10. All punctuation should be eliminated from the address except for a hyphen between a zip code number and a four-digit number, when used, to the right of the zip code number. A country name should be by itself as a last line of an address. Dark-black ink should be used for the address. The address should be parallel to the bottom of the envelope 9 at a distance from the envelope bottom no less than seven-eighths of an inch as indicated by ruler extended portion 13 above attachment-means top surface 8. 
     After the envelope 9 is addressed, it should not be thicker than three-sixteenths of an inch when compressed. Thickness of a filled envelope is measurable by three-sixteenths of a inch positioning of the ruler 4 from the base plate 1 by ruler-attachment means 7. Thickness of the filled envelope 9 is measurable also by three-sixteenths of an inch positioning of the location ruler 4 from the base plate 2 with hinge 3. 
     On the surface of the base plate 2 are positioned address-top line 14, envelope minimum-length line 15, envelope minimum-height line 16, envelope maximum-length line 17 and envelope maximum-height line 18. The minimum lines are the minimum envelope sizes that can be accepted according to applicable regulations for machine sorting. The maximum lines are the maximum envelope sizes that can be accepted for machine sorting and also the maximum that can be accepted without increased rates for large envelopes. The minimum and maximum lengths, 15 and 17, are five inches and ten-and-one-half inches, respectively, as measured from an inside wall of hinge 3. The minimum and maximum heights, 16 and 18, are three-and-one-half inches and six-and-one-eighth inches, respectively, as measured from attachment-means top surface 8. These minimum and maximum lines can be made in a distinctive color relative to color of the base plate 2 for visual convenience and for aesthetic preferences. 
     The location ruler 4 can be provided with numbered digit lines 19 one inch apart with half-inch lines 20 between them. 
     Typically the base plate 2 is eight inches from bottom to top and twelve inches in length. The cover plate 1 is twelve inches long also but provided with cover-plate top guide edge 12 parallel to ruler 4 and attachment-means top surface 8. The cover-plate top guide edge 12 is two-and-three-eighths inches above attachment-means top surface 8. A cover-plate left guide edge 21 is positioned one inch from hinge end of cover plate 1 and extended slightly less than the distance between ruler top surface 11 and cover-plate top guide edge 12. 
     Positionable on a surface or surfaces of cover plate 1 and base plate 2 can be instructions for use of this invention. Postal information, postage rates and helpful procedures also can be positioned on surfaces of plates 1 and 2. Instruction areas 22 are outlined approximately for such instructions, information and helpful procedures. A trade name or other identification of the invention also can be positioned on a suitable surface of the plates 1 and 2. 
     An address area 30 is indicated with dashed lines on envelope 9 which also is indicated with dashed lines. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-6, a single cut or formed piece of material can be used to construct a one-piece address-positioning guide 23 with the same physical and function features. A selectively-rigid cover-plate section 24 can be attached to or extended from a selectively-rigid base-plate section 25 with a selectively-flexible hinge section 26. A selectively-rigid ruler section 27 can be attached to or extended from a base-plate bottom 28 with a selectively rigid ruler-attachment section 29. 
     When the one-piece unit 23 is folded, all other features are the same and the operation is the same as for the FIG. 1-3 embodiment of this invention. The FIG 1-3 embodiment can be used by those who desire a durable and more expensive unit. The FIG. 4-6 unit can be constructed of plastic or thick paper materials and sold inexpensively for those who desire less expensive units. Both can be aesthetically appealing and convenient to aid use of the mail services. Both can be sold as gift items or as popular and useful tools of communication. 
     All other improvements, modifications and variations of this invention are included within the scope and spirit of the claims.