A Method of Preventing Fraud in the Sale of Newspapers and other Publications.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 17th Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by Messrs. R. HOE AND COMPANY, of 504, Grand
Street, in the City of New York, United States of America, Printing Machine
Manufacturers.]
A Method of Preventing Fraud in the Sale of Newspapers and other
Publications.
I HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents, 6 Bream's Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, 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 :-
It is customary at the present time for publishers of newspapers to furnish them
to newsdealers and agents in large quantities, upon the condition that such as
remain unsold shall be returnable. This affords an opportunity for fraud upon
publishers, which newsdealers, agents, and others have availed themselves of to such
an extent, that it is recognized as a serious objection to this method of selling
newspapers, and many attempts have been made to provide some simple and effective
means for preventing this.
The opportunity for fraud is largely afforded through the practice of a large
class of persons who purchase daily newspapers, of throwing them aside as soon as
read, so that the paper is usually in a nearly perfect condition. Thus, large
quantities of papers accumulate in public conveyances, hotels, club-rooms, and
similar places. These papers are frequently collected by newsboys and others, and
sold to dealers and agents at a low price, who in turn return them to the publishers
as unsold papers.
Among the methods of preventing this fraud that have been suggested and
tested, is that of sealing the paper, so that the breaking of the seal is necessary
in order to allow access to the reading matter inside the folded sheet. Númerous
methods of scaling have been suggested, such as riveting or pasting the edges of
the paper together, or applying a small seal of paper or other suitable material
which embraces the edges of the sheet, and is pasted to opposite sides thereof, so
as to enclose the sheet, and prevent access to the reading matter except by breaking
the seal. Such a seal, and an apparatus for applying the same, is shown in the
Letters Patent granted to Philip Arthur Newton, dated January 21, 1890,
No. 1105.
Serious practical objections, however, have been found to all the methods thus
far suggested. The riveting or pasting the edges mutilates the paper when unsealed,
and care is necessary in unsealing the paper, in order to fully open the sheet, and
not tear the part of the page containing the reading matter. The paper seal
applied to bind the edges of the sheet together, is objected to by newsdealers and
agents, on the ground that the seals become broken accidentally in handling the
papers, the edges being exposed, and this results in loss to them. Moreover, such
a seal leaves a large part of a paper exposed to the reader without breaking the
seal, if the sheet have but few folds, and in the present development of the news-
paper, with papers of a very large number of pages, it is difficult to apply a seal
to the completely folded paper which shall be sufficient to hold it, and still be readily
broken by the purchaser.
In solving this difficulty, it seems to be necessary that some act should be
performed by the purchaser, in order that the paper may be marked as a sold paper,
and it is evidently necessary that this act should be such as to be compulsory, if the
paper is to be read, or so desirable to the purchaser that he may be depended upon
to perform it. All previous efforts have been directed towards a solution by which
it should be compulsory upon the purchaser to perform the act marking the paper

page_text: as sold. The desired object is attained herein by a very simple, cheap, and con-
venient method, which involves but the slightest labor on the part of the purchaser,
by which practically all danger of accidentally marking the paper as sold is avoided,
and by which the marking cannot deface the paper, but may render the paper
more attractive, the method depending upon rendering it desirable for, rather than
absolutely compulsory on, the purchaser to mark the paper as sold.
The improved method consists of detachably securing to one of the pages of the
paper, so as to cover a part of the matter, a small slip or sheet, which, for con-
venience, may be called a seal, this seal being so secured that it may be readily
removed or broken to gain access to the matter beneath it. The seal will preferably
be applied so as to cover matter of especial interest to the buyer, such as important
or late news, or a comic picture, and this may be indicated on the scal, thus
rendering the removal or breaking of the seal by the buyer more certain.
In one modification of the invention, this seal is itself also provided with matter
on its underside, which may again be important news, or other matter which the
customer will desire to read, and which is attached to the paper, as in the case of
the plain seal, so as to cover or conceal matter upon the paper itself.
In another modification of the invention, the seal just referred to, provided with
matter upon its under side, is attached to the paper without reference to any matter
upon the paper itself, and without attempting to cover or conceal such matter, it
being attached in such way as to simply conceal or render difficult of reading, unless
the seal be detached from the paper, the matter upon its under side.
The seal may also be made use of, or rendered an attraction to the paper. Thus,
in the present development of voting contests in newspapers, the removable seal
may represent a voting paper. The seals may be used also for advertising purposes,
thus affording a very prominent advertising space. The seal may be of different
colored paper from that of which the main paper is composed, or embossed, printed
in colours, or rendered attractive in any other manner, as printing upon it a comic
or other picture. Many other uses will readily suggest themselves, the above being
but illustrations.
It will be understood that the form and size of the seal, as well as its location
upon the page, may be varied in any manner desired, and that it may be applied
by hand, if desired, although it will preferably be applied by an attachment connected
with the delivery mechanism of the printing machine, or with a folding machine.
The seal may be applied to any of the pages of the paper or other publications. In
the case of newspapers, it will preferably be applied to one of the outside pages,
and the last page may be found practically the best, as the seal will then be folded
inside the last fold, and all possible ground for claiming accidental breakage
removed. The newsdealers and agents may then be required to refold returned
papers with the seal outside, for the convenience of the publisher.
In the accompanying drawings (forming part of this Specification) is shown the
preferred form of seal by which the present invention is carried out, and several
modifications thereof, as applied to newspapers.
Fig. 1 is a face view of a folded sheet, showing the preferred form of the seal.
Fig. 2 is a section of the same through the seal.
Fig. 3 shows a modified form of seal folded within the sheet.
Fig. 4 is a section of the same through the seal.
Fig. 5 illustrates the modification (before referred to) in which the seal, in
addition to covering matter upon the paper of especial interest, is also itself
provided with other matter of interest upon its under side.
Figs. 6 to 9 show other modifications in the form of the seal, & in the method of
attaching it to the newspaper.
Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a still further modification of seal (before referred to),
provided with matter of interest upon its underside, and attached to the paper
without reference to any matter upon the paper, and without attempting to cover
or conceal such matter.
In all the figures, the paste lines are shown by light dotted lines.

page_text: In Fig. 1, A is the paper, to which the seal a is applied. The seal, in its
preferred form, as shown, consists of the two end portions 1, which are secured
permanently to the paper, preferably by pasting, and the central portion 2, which
is formed of the same slip as the smaller end portions, but is perforated, as shown
at 3, so as to be readily detached therefrom. The construction is shown clearly in
the section in Fig. 2, from which it is evident that the central portion, 2, forming
the seal proper, may readily be removed by a side movement of the fingers. The
seal is shown as applied at the bottom of the page, so that the lower pasted
portion is upon the lower margin of the page, and the matter in the column is
preferably so arranged, that the upper pasted portion lies upon a blank space
between two articles, so that none of the reading matter is concealed by the
permanent portions of the seal. An important piece of news, or other desirable
matter, will be placed under the seal, and the seal may be marked, as shown:
"Important news under this," or with any other suitable legend, and, as above
explained, the seal may be made ornamental, or an illustration, advertisement, or
other matter placed thereon. For further protection, the parts of the seal may be
numbered correspondingly, as shown, so that it will be necessary for any one
re-attaching a removed seal to a paper, to secure the seal originally attached to
such paper.
In Figs. 3 and 4, the seal is shown as applied in the middle of the last page, so
as to be folded inside in the usual central cross fold. In this position, if the
sheet be refolded with this seal on the outside, as above explained, it will be very
convenient for the clerk in examining returned papers, as the edges of the paper
show immediately, as he runs over them with his hand, whether the seals have
been removed or not. These views show also an additional means of protection,
which consists of arranging the matter upon the seal so as to extend over both
the permanent and detachable parts of the seal, and be broken by the removal
of the latter.
While this construction of a seal, made in three parts, is preferred, as not
defacing the paper in the least by its removal, this is not essential to the
invention.
In Fig. 5, the seal is shown as entirely removable, it being pasted only at the
corners, so as to be readily detached, and preferably between the columns, as
shown, so as not to deface the page, when removed. In this view also is indicated
the modification of the invention previously referred to, in which the seal contains
matter of interest on its underside, so that the seal itself furnishes inducement for
its removal, independently of the matter under it.
In Figures 6 and 7, the seal is shewn as made in the form of a common round
seal, this being preferably large enough to conceal a space, the width of a column
square, or larger, and being pasted only at the centre, and preferably applied so
that the pasted portion comes between two articles, or between columns.
In Figure 8, the seal is shewn as applied to the corner of the paper, and pasted
only upon the two edges, so that no paste is applied on the printed part of the
page.
In Figure 9, the seal is shewn as applied to the corner, outside the body of the
page, and pasted to the margin on its side edges. A line of perforations, 4, are
provided through the middle of the seal, so that by running the finger under it, the
seal may be broken, and the matter beneath read without removing the seal.
In Figure 10 is illustrated the modification before referred to, in which the seal
is attached to the paper without reference to printed matter upon the paper, and
without attempting to cover or conceal any of such matter. In this figure, the seal
is applied to the corner of the paper, and pasted only at its two end edges, no paste
being applied upon the printed part of the page, and the seal being readily
removable by passing the finger under the loose middle portion. In this case, as in
Figures 1 to 9, the seal has been pasted at two edges, so that the loose portion is
held closely upon the face of the paper. It may be found, however, that this is not
necessary, where no attempt is made to cover or conceal printed matter upon the

page_text: paper, and that pasting at a single edge is sufficient. In such case, the method of
attachment of Figure 11 may be employed. In this case is shewn a seal pasted
only at one end, and lying loose over the reading matter upon the page. The
reading matter upon the underside of the seal in this construction, will preferably
read downward of the page, in the normal position of the seal, so that on turning
the seal over it will be upside down to the reader, rendering it necessary, or much
preferable, for the seal to be torn off, for convenience in reading.
It will be understood that other modifications may be made in the special means
for carrying out the invention, and that the forms shewn are selected only as the
preferred forms, and for the purpose of illustration.
While the present invention has been described as applied to newspapers, and
this is its most important application, it will be understood that its use is not
limited to newspapers, but that it is applicable also to other publications.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed (as communicated to me
from abroad), I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of preventing fraud in the sale of newspapers and other
publications, which consists of applying to a page of the publication a seal partly
attached to the page, so as to cover and conceal a part of the matter on the page,
until the seal is broken or removed, substantially as described.
2. The method of preventing fraud in the sale of newspapers and other
publications, which consists of applying to a page of the publication, a seal having
matter on its under side, and partly attached to the page, so as to cover and
conceal a part of the matter on the page, until it is broken or detached, sub-
stantially as described.
3. A paper or other publication having upon one of its pages a partly attached
seal covering and concealing a part of the matter on the page until it is broken or
detached substantially as described.
4. A paper or other publication having, on one of its pages, a partly attached
scal having matter on its under side, and covering and concealing a part of the
matter on the page, until it is broken or detached, substantially as described.
5. A paper or other publication having upon one of its pages, and concealing a
part of the matter upon the page, a seal consisting of the middle detachable
portion 2, and the end portions 1 secured to the page, substantially as described.
6. The method of preventing fraud in the sale of newspapers and other
publications, which consists of applying to a page of the publication, a seal having
matter on its under side, and partly attached to the paper, so as to be broken or
detached for access to said matter, substantially as described.
7. A paper or other publication having upon, one of its pages, a partly attached
seal, having matter on its underside, substantially as described.
Dated this 9th day of August 1892.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.