IMPROVED MEANS OF SECURING ENVELOPES AND THEIR CONTENTS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles James Eyre at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th April 1870.
I, CHARLES JAMES EYRE, of Westbourne Grove, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVED MEANS OF SECURING ENVELOPES AND THEIR CONTENTS," to
be as follows :—
My Invention relates to improved means for securing envelopes and
their contents, which render it impossible to tamper with or open an
envelope secured thereby without leaving evident traces of the attempt.
My Invention consists of a fastener to be inserted through the four
flaps of the envelope, from which it cannot be withdrawn without
tearing that part of the envelope.
One form of fastener consists of a pin or shank barbed or split to
prevent its withdrawal from the envelope. This pin or shank is provided
with a disc or head, which when the pin is inserted in the envelope to be
secured is flattened down to clip the envelope and cover the hole in the
flaps through which the barbed pin or shank is passed. This disc or

page_text: head may if desired be stamped with any suitable ornamental device.
In order that the barbed shank may pass through all four flaps of the
envelope these are cut, so that the four points shall be superposed the
one on the other when the envelope is closed. The bottom and side
flaps may be secured together by the usual adhesive substance, a metal
cyelet being inserted at the points so as to secure them together. The
upper or seal flap may also be provided with an eyelet at the point
coinciding with the one first mentioned when the envelope is closed.
Instead of metal cyclets the flaps may be simply punctured at the
points, which would in that case be formed with an extra thickness of
paper, or a canvas or other lining to prevent the holes being torn by the
insertion of the barbed shank. To secure the envelope the scal flap is
folded down as usual, and the barbed shank inserted through the
apertures or eyelets in a slanting direction so as to lie flat within the
envelope. The barbs of the shank are slightly compressed in their
passage through the apertures or eyelets and spring out or expand them-
selves when within the envelope, so that it is impossible to withdraw the
fastener without tearing or damaging the envelope to an extent sufficient
to betray the fraud.
Another form of fastener consists of a disc or head provided with a
number of shanks, somewhat similar to an ordinary paper fastener. The
shanks are preferably barbed, as before, and previous to their insertion in
the envelope the ends of said shanks approach closely together. The
extreme points however are bent or deflected outwards, so that on being
inserted through the apertures in the flaps of the envelope and pressure
being applied to the head of the fastener the shanks will be expanded or
splayed in all directions within the envelope, the flaps of which are thus
firmly united between the shanks and the head in the manner of an
ordinary paper fastener. The shanks being barbed it is impossible to
withdraw the fastener from the envelope without tearing the latter.