Improved Letter Cards and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Letter Cards and the like.
I, HARRY JONES, of 8, York Gate, Regent's Park, in the County of London,
M.A. Clerk in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved letter-cards and the like, in which the card,
paper or other material on which the letter or other communication is written,
printed or otherwise impressed, is so formed and adapted as to fold into and serve
as the equivalent of the ordinary envelope in which letters or like communications
are ordinarily enclosed.
The invention consists of improvements upon the form of letter-card at present
in vogue, in which a sheet, folded in halves, is perforated adjacent to both its ends
and to both its sides in respective alignment when folded, and in which the side and
end strips, thus partitioned from the body of the card, are gummed along their
faces which meet when the card is folded, and are secured by moistening and
causing such opposite or meeting edges respectively to adhere together. The
four strips requiring to be moistened is a disadvantage to the sender requiring four
separate moistening operations.
Such letter-cards are intended to be opened by tearing off the end and side
strips, along the lines of perforation. It is, however, a troublesome matter
involving waste of time to tear off such strips without also tearing the body part
of the card and damaging the letter rendering it unsightly, as the edges are
entirely closed, no opening being left for the insertion of the finger or of any
opening instrument.
It is the object of this invention to remedy these disadvantages, in order to save
the time both of the senders and receivers of such missives in respectively securing
and opening the same.
To this end, I make the letter-card or the like with two folding parts preferably
of equal depth, and I combine therewith a closing flap perforated along its fold
and adapted to cover and secure the bottom free edge of the card when such parts
are folded together. The card, as thus formed, is perforated adjacent only to its
side edges, and the side strips only are gummed or rendered adhesive on their
meeting faces when folded together, so that the moistening of only the two side
strips is required. The parts of the letter cards as thus formed, are secured
together by moistening the meeting faces of the side strips, folding and pressing
them together and folding the flap thereonto, the side strips of the folded flap
effectually securing the latter and all the parts, and the flap effectually securing the
communication from any impertinent scrutiny but its free edge being thus left
unsecured and open facilitates the opening of the letter-card, by permitting of the
insertion of the finger or of any convenient opening instrument so as to divide the
flap from the body part of the letter-card along its perforated junction therewith,
thus permitting of the side strips being more easily got-at and torn off.
In a modification, the flap may be made of an angular formation, as in an
ordinary envelope, and gummed only at its apex or along one of its angular edges,
so as to leave an opening for the insertion of the finger or of an opening instrument
as aforesaid; the gummed part being partitioned off from the remainder of the
flap by a line of perforations to facilitate the severance of the flap from the
gummed part thereof and to prevent the letter proper from being torn.
Dated this 21st day of November 1892.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Letter Cards and the like.
I, HARRY JONES, of 8, York Gate, Regent's Park, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to letter-cards and the like in which the card, paper or
other material on which the letter or other communication is written, printed or
otherwise made or impressed, is so formed and adapted as to fold into and serve as
the equivalent,-in keeping the matter of the communication from inspection,-of
an ordinary envelope in which letters or like communications are ordinarily
enclosed.
The invention consists in improvements upon the form of the letter-card at present
in vogue, in which a sheet, folded in halves, is perforated crosswise and lengthwise
adjacent to both its ends and to both its sides in respective alignment when folded,
and in which the end and side strips, (on the one half of the card) thus partly
partitioned from the body part of the card, are gummed along their faces which
meet the corresponding strips of the other half of the card when the latter is folded,
all such opposite or meeting strips being secured by moistening such gummed end
and side strips and causing all such opposite or meeting strips respectively to
adhere together. The said end and side strips on the one half of the card all being
gummed and requiring to be moistened, is a disadvantage to the sender in requiring
three separate moistening operations.
Such letter cards are intended to be opened by tearing off the end and side strips
along the three lines of coincident perforation formed when the letter card is closed.
It is, however, a troublesome and difficult matter, involving waste of time, to tear
off such strips without also tearing the body part of the card and damaging the letter
or communication or rendering it unsightly, as the edges of the card are entirely
closed all around, no opening being left for the insertion of the finger or of any
opening instrument.
It is the object of this invention to remedy these disadvantages in order to save
the time both of the senders and receivers of such missives in respectively securing
and opening the same.
To this end, I make the letter card or the like, vide Figs. 1 to 3 of the
accompanying drawings, with two folding parts a, b, preferably of about equal
depth, and with a closing flap c, perforated along its fold d, and adapted to cover
(vide Fig. 2) and to secure the bottom free edge e, of the part b, of the card when
all such parts are folded together.
The card, as thus formed, is perforated as at f, adjacent only to its side edges,
and the side strips g, (thus partly partitioned off from the parts a, b, c, of the card)
are gummed or rendered adhesive on the parts h, thereof.
The parts of the letter-card, as thus formed, are secured together by moistening
only the parts h, of the side strips, folding the part b, on to the part a, and pressing
the side strips thereof together, and then folding the flap c, thereonto; the parts h,
of the side strips of the folded flap are thus caused to adhere to the outer side of
the side strips of the part b, and to effectually secure the flap and all other parts,
vide Fig. 3.
The flap thus effectually secures the written or other communication from any
impertinent scrutiny, but its free edge i, being left unsecured and open between the
side perforations f, Fig. 3, facilitates the opening of the letter-card, by permitting
of the insertion of the finger or of any convenient opening instrument
divide the flap c, from the part a, of the letter-card along its perforated junction d,
therewith, thus permitting of the adherent side strips g, being more easily got-at
and torn off.
so as to

page_text: In a modification (vide Fig. 4) of the foregoing, I proceed as herein before
described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3, excepting that I do not perforate the
letter-card transversely along the fold or junction line d, of the flap c, with the
part a, of the letter-card, but merely fold the flap over on to the part b, after such
part has been folded onto the part a, the side strips g, being caused to adhere
together as aforesaid.
In modifications (vide Figs. 5 and 6,) of either of the foregoing examples, the flap
may be made of an angular formation, as in an ordinary envelope, and gummed
only at its apex k, vide Fig. 5, or along one of its angular edges, l, vide Fig. 6, so as
to leave lateral openings or an opening at its free edge i, for the insertion of the
finger or of an opening instrument as aforesaid:
The gummed part of the flap may also be partitioned off from the remainder of
the flap by a line of perforations m, vide Figs. 5 and 6, to facilitate the severance
of the flap from the gummed part thereof and avoid any liability of the part b,
being torn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A. letter-card perforated adjacent to its side edges and rendered adherent along
its side strips, formed with two folding parts (such as a, b,) and with a closing flap
perforated along its fold, and adapted to be folded against so as to cover and secure
the bottom free edge of the part b, when the latter is folded against and secured by
being caused to adhere to the part a, whilst leaving its free edge unsecured and
open between the side perforations, as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The modification herein before described with reference to Fig. 4, of the
drawings, in which the closing flap is not perforated along its fold.
3. The modifications hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of
the drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1893.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.