AN IMPROVED ENVELOPE FOR CONTAINING LETTERS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicolas Contopoulos, of Dunstan's Hern, Peckham, in the
County of Surrey, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED ENVELOPE FOR
CONTAINING LETTERS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicolas Contopoulos at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th September 1880.
NICOLAS CONTOPOULOS, of Dunstan's Hern, Peckham, in the County of Surrey.
"AN IMPROVED ENVELOPE FOR CONTAINING LETTERS."
My Invention consists of a sheet of paper folded into the shape of an envelope
in such a manner that a small pocket or pouch is formed into which a letter can be
dropped, and from which such letter cannot be extracted without opening the
envelope. The method of folding the sheet of paper so as to obtain the pocket is
as follows: From the top part of the paper the corners are cut away into a certain
distance from the centre, so that the centre part forms a flap to fold over and to
fasten the envelope either by gum or sealing wax. The sheet of paper is then
doubled over so that the bottom part of the sheet comes up to the bottom of the
aforesaid flap.; the sides of the sheet are then folded inwards, the folds coming in
as far as the outer edges of the flap. The paper is then again folded up from the
bottom so as to form the usual oblong shape of an envelope, and immediately at
the foot of the flap will be found the pouch above alluded to. When the flap is
folded over and fastened by gum or sealing wax the letter put in the pouch
cannot be abstracted without opening by tearing, or otherwise, the envelope.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Nicolas Contopoulos in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
March 1881.
NICOLAS CONTOPOULOS, of Dunstan's Hern, Peckham, in the County of Surrey.
"AN IMPROVED ENVELOPE FOR CONTAINING LETTERS."
My Invention consists of a sheet of paper folded into the shape of an envelope
in such a manner that a small pocket or pouch is formed, into which a letter, or
other paper, or document can be dropped, and from which such letter or paper
cannot be abstracted without opening the envelope.
D

page_text: The method of folding the sheet of paper so as to obtain the pocket is as follows,
reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings forming part of this Specification,
in which similar letters are used to designate similar parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 represents the open sheet of paper before folding.
Figures 2 and 3 represent the envelope when closed.
Figure 4 represents a section on the line y, y, Figure 5.
Figure 5 represents the envelope nearly closed.
Figure 6 represents a closed envelope of foolscap size.
From the top part of the paper the corners are cut away, as shown in Fig. 1, in
order to form the flap B, which may be folded over to fasten the envelope either
by gum or sealing wax. The sheet of paper is then doubled over so that the
bottom part of the sheet e, p, comes up to the bottom of the aforesaid flap on the
line a, t. The sides of the sheet are then folded inwards on the lines j, h, f, and
k, m, o, the folds coming in as far as the outer edges of the flap, as shown in
perspective in Fig. 5. The paper is then again folded up from the bottom on the
line i, l, so as to bring the points l, m, above j, k, and thus form the usual oblong
shape of an envelope; and immediately at the foot of the flap will be found the
pouch A, shown in Fig. 5, and above alluded to. When the flap B is folded over
and fastened by gum or sealing-wax the letter put in the pouch cannot be abstracted
without opening-the-envelope by tearing or otherwise. It is obvious however that
an envelope may be formed from the sheet by folding in-various-other-ways, as, for
example, by making the wings or flaps a, e, f, j, and k, o, p, t, slightly wider, and
first folding on the line c, r, and-then-on-the-lines_j, h, f, and k, m, o, thus forming
an envelope of foolscap-size, which in its turn may be doubled on the line-i,-,-to-
form a square shape, but such envelopes are not so secure-or-sightly-as_that_first
described by me. A portion of the sheet, say, that contained within j, i, l, k, from
which this envelope is folded, may be reserved for correspondence, and the balance
may be utilized for the insertion of advertisements or notices, and in this case the
envelopes may be embossed with a postage stamp and gratuitously distributed, as
the charge for the said advertisements may be such as to more than cover the cost
of the stamp and envelope for any given number, while the gratuitous distribution
of the stamped envelopes will ensure an extensive circulation of the various
advertisements.
I am aware that it has before been proposed to advertise on sheets of paper that
may be folded in various ways, but in no instance, so far as I know, have any such
sheets been adapted for folding so as to provide a safety envelope, from which it is
impossible to abstract or view the contents without opening the envelope by tearing
or otherwise.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and how the same may be
practically employed, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, the
improved envelope provided with a pocket A, substantially as and for the purposes
bereinbefore described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicolas Contopoulos, have hereunto set my
hand and goal this Ninth day of March in the year of our Lord 1881.
Witness,
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
14, Southampton Bdgs.,
London,
Patent Agent.
N. CONTOPOULOS. (L.S.)