AN IMPROVED SAFETY ENVELOPE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Harris, of Ringwood, in the County
of Hants, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SAFETY ENVELOPE."
Sealed the 21st May 1875, and dated the 25th November 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Harris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th November 1874.
I, EDWARD HARRIS, of Ringwood, in the County of Hants, do hereby
5 declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED SAFETY
ENVELOPE," to be as follows :-
:-
This Invention consists in making envelopes which cannot be opened
without tearing or exhibiting marks of having been tampered with.
In order to accomplish the above object I propose to construct the
) envelope in such a way that the flap which closes it shall be fastened
down inside the said envelope, and at the same time secure the other
flaps.

page_text: The following is an example of my said Invention:-In three of the
flaps I cut a slot or hole of any suitable shape and in such a position
that when the envelope is folded or made up the aforesaid slots shall
come over one another. The fourth flap I propose to make with a
tongue which passes through the three slots aforesaid, and which is
furnished with gum or other suitable adhesive.
In order to close an envelope constructed as above, the aforesaid
tongue must be slightly wetted so as to moisten the gum theroon, after
which the said tongue is passed through the hole formed by the slots cut
in the three flaps, and upon pressing upon that part of the envelope 1
where the tongue comes it will adhere thereto or to the letter contained
in the envelope, according to the side on which the said tongue was
gummed.
It will be seen that by the above construction of envelope when the
tongue is fastened the other flaps are so to say locked, the said tongue 1
forming a kind of bolt, and as that part of the tongue which is fastened
down cannot be got at (being inside the envelope) it is obvious that the
envelope must be torn in order to open it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Harris in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HARRIS, of Ringwood, in the County of Hants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the a
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Harris, Her special
licence that I, the said Edward Harris, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Harris, my executors, a
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
SAFETY ENVELOPE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Harris, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Harris, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in making envelopes which cannot be opened
without tearing or exhibiting marks of having been tampered with.
In order to accomplish the above object I propose to construct the
envelope in such a way that the flap which closes it shall be fastened
down inside the said envelope, and at the same time secure the other
flaps.
The following is an example of my said Invention:-In three of the
flaps I cut a slot or hole of any suitable shape and in such a position
that when the envelope is folded or made up the aforesaid slots shall
come over one another. The fourth flap I propose to make with a
tongue which passes through the three slots aforesaid, and which is
furnished with gum or other suitable adhesive.
In order to close an envelope constructed as above, the aforesaid
tongue must be slightly wetted so as to moisten the gum thereon, after
which the said tongue is passed through the hole formed by the slots
cut in the three flaps, and upon pressing upon that part of the envelope
where the tongue comes it will adhere thereto or to the letter contained
in the envelope, according to the side on which the said tongue was
gummed.
It will be seen that by the above construction of envelope when the
tongue is fastened the other flaps are so to say locked, the said tongue
forming a kind of bolt, and as that part of the tongue which is fastened
down cannot be got at (being inside the envelope) it is obvious that the
envelope must be torn in order to open it.

page_text: And in order to explain my said Invention more fully, I now proceed
to describe the means by which it may be carried into practical effect,
reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawing accompanying
these presents, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews my improved safety envelope opened out; Figure 2,
the envelope closed.
A is the back of the envelope; B, C, D, the side and bottom flaps in
which are cut slots F, F, F", in such a position that when the flaps are
folded the said slots shall come over one another; E is the top flap
which has a tongue G furnished with gum, the tongue is passed through
the aforesaid slots in order to close the envelope, and is made to adhere
inside by previously wetting the gum thercon, and in this manner and
by these means all the flaps are locked together and the envelope cannot
be opened without tearing.
Having now described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "An Improved Safety Envelope," I would remark in
conclusion that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I claim,
constructing envelopes with slots cut out in three of the flaps into which
a tongue (forming part of the fourth flap) is made to pass and adhere
inside the said envelope, substantially as described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Harris, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
fivc.