Improvement in or connected with Letter Envelopes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvement in or connected with Letter Envelopes.
I, GUSTAV NICKAU, Manufacturer, of Leipzig, Germany, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to facilitate the opening of letter envelopes
without injury to the contents.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention,
Fig. 1 shows an improved envelope closed,
Fig. 2 the same in the act of opening,
Figs. 3 and 4 show one of the flaps which close the back of the envelope, and
Fig. 5 represents a foolscap envelope embodying the invention.
In making the improved envelope, a leaflet or projection is left on one of the
flaps (a) Fig. 3. This leaflet is then coated with gum or other suitable binding
material and folded down upon the outer surface of the flap (a), as represented by
Fig. 4, after one end of a thin, but strong thread or string c has been laid between
the flap and the leaflet, so that the said thread-is-gummed by the leaflet, in the act
of folding down the latter, and is thereby held fast. This thread c is now drawn
along the edge of the flap (a) or of the envelope, so that when the movable flap (a)
is closed, the string will be situated inside the same, after which the string is cut
off, so that its free extremity e' projects a little over the envelope in the manner
shown by Figs. 1 and 5.
For opening an envelope of the kind described, the free end c' of the string (c)
is seized by the hand, and drawn along the edge of the envelope in the direction
of the arrow, Fig. 1, so that the thread cuts through the envelope, as illustrated
by Fig. 2.
.
As the leaflet which holds the string e, is so folded upon the flap a, that it will
be situated on the outside of the same, when the envelope is closed, in which
position the said flap is, however, covered by the following Hap; the inside of the
envelope is not obstructed or interfered with while at the same time the removal
of the thread, without tearing the envelope, is rendered impossible.
The thread () is preferably applied in the manner shown by Figs. 1 and 5,
namely so, that for opening the envelope, when looking at the address, the thread
must be drawn from the left towards the right. In the case of cheap envelopes, the
thread may be gummed to the inner surface of the envelope, without the use of a
special leaflet for securing the same..
Dated this 30th day of May 1890.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in or connected with Letter Envelopes.
I, GUSTAV NICKAU, Manufacturer, of Leipzig, Germany, 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 state-
ment:-
This invention has for its abinet to facilitate the onening of letter envelopes
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in or connected with Letter Envelopes.
I, GUSTAV NICKAU, Manufacturer, of Leipzig, Germany, 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 state-
ment:-
This invention has for its object to facilitate the opening of letter envelopes
without injury to the contents.
In the drawings, filed with the Provisional Specification,
Fig. 1 shows a closed envelope embodying my invention,

page_text: Fig. 2 shows the same in the act of opening,
Figs. 3 and 4 show one of the flaps which close the back of the envelope, and
Fig. 5 represents a foolscap envelope embodying the invention.
In making an envelope like the examples represented by the drawings, a leaflet
or projection is left on one of the flaps (a), Fig. 3. This leaflet is then coated
with gum or other suitable binding material and folded down upon the outer
surface of the flap (a), as indicated by Fig. 4, after one end of a thin, but strong
thread or stringe has been laid between the flap and the leaflet, so that the said
thread is gummed by the leaflet and in the act of folding down the latter, and is
thereby held fast. This thread c is now drawn along the edge of the flap (a) or
of the envelope, so that when the moveable flap (a) is closed, the string will be
situated inside the same, after which the string is cut off, so that its free
extremity el projects a little over the envelope in the manner shown by Figs. 1
and 5.
For opening an envelope of the kind described, the free end c¹ of the string (c)
is seized by the hand, and drawn along the edge of the envelope in the direction of
the arrow Fig. 1, so that the thread cuts through the envelope, as illustrated by
Fig. 2.
As the leaflet which holds the string c, is so folded upon the flap a, that it will
be situated on the outside of the same, when the envelope is closed, in which
position the said flap is, however, covered by the following flap, the inside of the
envelope is not obstructed or interfered with, while at the same time, the removal
of the thread without tearing the envelope is rendered impossible.
The thread (c) is preferably applied in the manner shown by Figs. 1 and 5,
namely so, that for opening the envelope, when looking at the address, the thread
must be drawn from the left towards the right. In the case of cheap envelopes,
the thread may be gummed at one end to the inner surface of the envelope,
without the use of a special leaflet for securing the same, while the opposite
end projects a short distance beyond the opposite corner or edge of the envelope.
In some cases I allow both ends of the string to extend through and beyond the
opposite edges of the envelope and secure a short piece of the thread near each
extremity or near one end only to the inside of the envelope by gum or other
adhesive substance, so that the envelope may be opened from either end, by taking
either the right or left extremity of the string and pulling it along and through the
edge of the envelope.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A letter envelope having a thin but strong thread extending in the interior
along one edge of the same, one end of the said thread being secured to the
envelope near one corner, in the manner described, while the other end projects
over the opposite corner, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
2. A. letter envelope having a thin but strong thread extending in the interior
along one edge of the same and projecting over it at both ends, substantially as
described and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 28th day of February 1891.
G
STAV NICKAU.
By Fairfax & Wetter,
433, Strand, London, Agents.