Improvements in Envelopes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1892-Accepted, 4th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Envelopes.
We, ALFRED BUTT and СПARLES THOMAS BUTT of the firm of Butt Brothers
of New Bridge Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Envelope Manu-
facturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our said invention relates to envelopes having loose or ungummed flaps and
suitable for the transmission of circulars and printed matter under the book post
regulations as is well understood. The object of our invention is to produce an
envelope the loose flap of which can be easily opened and closed for inspection of
the contents during transmission, according to the Post Office regulations. This
opening and closing of the loose flap is in our invention effected without the
necessity for a slit to receive the flap. Our improved envelope has also by virtue
of its construction an interlocking effect when closed so that there is no likelihood
neatness of
of its becoming accidentally opened. The envelope has also a
appearance which will commend it to general use.
In making our improved envelope we cut or stamp the blanks in the ordinary
manner. The two side flaps are shorter than in the usual envelope and are
rounded off at the ends so that when folded over, a space of about an inch is left
between the ends. The bottom flap is cut straight across at the foot for a
distance corresponding to the distance between the ends of the side flaps when
folded over.
The top flap is formed with a tongue of about the same width as
the distance between the rounded ends of the side flaps. The said tongue is
intended to be slipped between the ends of the side flaps and beneath the straight
upper edge of the bottom flap. When gumming the envelope together the edges
of the side flaps are gummed over the edges of the bottom flap instead of under as
usual. This has a tendency to tie down and keep the upper straight edge of the
bottom flap more rigid. It also prevents the said edge from projecting and
lessens the danger of its being accidentally torn or separated from the side flaps.
The upper tongued flap is left ungummed.
When the envelope is being used, after the contents have been placed therein,
the tongue of the upper loose Hap is inserted beneath the straight upper edge of the
lower flap and pushed home. The lower edges of the upper flap cover and confine
the upper edges of the side flaps, so that throughout there is an interlocking effect
which enhances security while at the same time permitting the easy opening and
closing of the flap when it is desired to inspect the contents of the envelope.
An envelope with a loose or tuck flap might also be made in accordance with our
improvements in which the blank to form the envelope is formed with side wings
or strips to which we gum the lower flap of the envelope, the said lower flap being
made of a size nearly equal to the finished envelope and with a recess cut in its
upper part which is intended to admit the tongue of the upper flap. For the
sake of neatness of appearance we prefer that the lower flap should be gummed
upon and not beneath the side wings or strips, so that the interlocking of the
various parts is not so completely carried out as in the example first described, but
even in this instance the interlocking principle is present and if desired the bottom
flap might be gummed beneath instead of upon the side wings or strips. Another
modification of our improvement might be made in the case of pocket shaped
In this example
envelopes for carrying papers samples &c. at the book post rate.
the back side of the envelope, that is to say that side of the envelope into which
the tongue is tucked is folded over and gummed at the foot beneath a turned
up strip at the lower end of the envelope, and at the side is gummed upon a
folded over strip or wing. The back side of the envelope is shaped at the top

page_text: so as to present the horizontal edge beneath which the loose tongue of the upper
flap is tucked. Instead of having the back side in one piece as described it might
be composed of two halves folding upon each other the blanks being cut so as to
present the space for the admission of the loose flap tongue when the envelope is
gummed together.
Minor modifications in the shape or arrangement of the envelopes may be made
without departing from the spirit of our invention.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1892.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Envelopes.
We ALFRED BUTT, and CHARLES THOMAS BUTT, of the firm of Butt
Brothers, of New Bridge Street, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Envelope Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying drawings:
Our said invention relates to envelopes having loose or ungummed flaps and
suitable for the transmission of circulars and printed matter under the book post
regulations as is well understood. The object of our invention is to produce an
envelope the loose flap of which can be easily opened and closed for inspection of the
contents during transmission according to the Post Office regulations. This opening
and closing of the loose flap is in our invention effected without the necessity for a
sfit to receive the flap. Our improved envelope has also by virtue of its construc-
tion an interlocking effect when closed so that there is no likelihood of its becoming
accidentally opened. The envelope has also a neatness of appearance which will
commend it to general use.
In the annexed drawings Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the construction of an
envelope made in accordance with our invention.
In making our improved envelope we cut or stamp the blanks in the ordinary
manner to the shape shown in Fig. 1. The two side flaps a a are shorter than in
the usual envelope and are rounded off at the ends so that when folded over as in
Fig. 2 a space of about an inch is left between the ends. The bottom flap b is cut
straight or slightly curved across at the foot for a distance corresponding to the
distance between the ends of the side flaps when folded over.
The top flap c is formed with a tongue c¹ of about the same width as the distance
between the rounded ends of the side flaps a a when folded over.
The said tongue c¹
is intended to be slipped between the ends of the side flaps a a and beneath the
straight or curved upper edge of the bottom flap b. When gumming the envelope
together the edges of the side flaps a are gummed over the edges of the bottom
flap as clearly shown at Fig. 2 instead of under as usual.
This has a tendency to tie down and keep the upper edge of the bottom flap b
more rigid. It also prevents the said edge from projecting and lessens the danger
of its being accidentally torn or separated from the side flaps. The upper tongued
flap c is left ungummed. When the envelope is being used, after the contents have
been placed therein the tongue c' of the upper loose flap c is inserted beneath the
upper edge of the lower flap b and pushed home thus closing the envelope as shown
at Fig. 3. The lower edges of the upper flap c cover and confine the upper edges
of the side flaps a a so that throughout there is an interlocking effect which enhances
security while at the same time permitting the easy opening and closing of the flap
when it is desired to inspect the contents of the envelope.
Figs. 4, 5, and 6 illustrate an envelope with a loose or tuck flap which is also
made in accordance with our improvements. In this example the blank to form
the envelope which is shown at Fig. 4 is formed with side wings or strips d to

page_text: which we gum the lower flap e of the envelope the said lower flap being made of a
size nearly equal to the finished envelope and with a recess cut in its upper part
which is intended to admit the tongue f¹ of the upper flap f.
For the sake of neatness of appearance we prefer that the lower flap e should be
gummed upon and not beneath the side wings or strips d d so that the interlocking
of the various parts is not so completely carried out as in the example first
described, but even in this instance the interlocking principle is present and if
desired the bottom flap might be gummed beneath instead of upon the side wings
or strips. Another modification of our improvement might be made in the case of
the large pocket shaped envelopes for carrying documents samples &c. at the book
post rate.
Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show such a modification. In this example the back side of
the envelope, that is to say that side of the envelope into which the tongue h' of the
flap h is tucked is folded over and gummed at the foot beneath a turned up strip i at
the lower end of the envelope, and at the side is gummed upon a folded over strip
or wing k. The back side of the envelope is shaped at the top so as to present
the recess and horizontal edge beneath which the loose tongue A¹ of the upper flap h
is tucked. Instead of having the back side in one piece as described it might be
composed of two halves folding upon each other the blanks being cut so as to
present the space for the admission of the loose flap tongue when the envelope is
gummed together.
Minor modifications in the shape or arrangement of the envelopes may be made
without departing from the spirit of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The improved loose or tuck flap envelope substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings.
2. The improved loose or tuck flap envelope substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings.
3. The improved loose or tuck flap pocket shaped envelope substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1892.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James' Square, Manchester, Agents.