Improvements in Envelopes.
Year: 1891

page_text: ate of Application, 8th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JESSE WILLIAMS ALTON, of Dock and Holly
Streets, New Whatcom, Washington, United States of America, Inventor.]
Improvements in Envelopes.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 :-
This invention is designed to greatly reduce the expense heretofore necessarily
incurred in the use of envelopes as heretofore made, owing to the fact that such
envelopes are destroyed after having been once used.
That portion of the ordinary envelope which has heretofore necessitated its
destruction after a single use, is either the part upon which the address is written
or the flap which is sealed to the back of the envelope.
The improved envelope has for its object to overcome this inconvenience and for
this purpose it consists of two parts, a permanent portion and an independent
supplemental temporary portion.
The said envelope requires no more parts than the common form of envelope and
is practically no more costly to make than any envelope equally well made of the
same material. The cost of the supplemental portion in its simplest form, is so
trifling as to be practically of no moment in considering the cost of the combined
article, and as this supplemental portion is the only part destroyed, the cost of
using the combined envelope, notwithstanding its greater convenience, is very much
below that of ordinary envelopes on account of the small part wasted and
destroyed.
Heretofore, motives of economy have impelled railroads transportation companies
and other large corporations which use large quantities of stationery, to have their
envelopes for ordinary routine matter made of very thin, cheap paper; as, owing to
the address being written, printed, stamped, or otherwise impressed on the face of
the envelope, the destruction of the same was unavoidable even though it was left
unsealed. In certain large classes of mail matter, such as press copies, it was found
impracticable to make the envelopes of thin paper, as the moisture from the freshly
copied tissue struck through all but the heavier grades of paper loosened the gum
on the flap, and unsealed the latter. This necessitates the use of heavy paper at an
increased cost. By the use of the improved envelope this difficulty is entirely done
away with, as the matter to be sent is inclosed in a heavy permanent envelope that
is not injured in use and is practically impervious to moisture. Hence the
temporary wrapper, which is the only part destroyed, may be made of extremely
light, thin paper, and the gummed flap of the temporary wrapper is separated from
the moist enclosure by the heavy permanent envelope.
In other classes of routine matter, it is apparent, the grades and weight of the
paper used in my temporary wrapper, may be much lower, and consequently
cheaper, than the cost of the lighter grade of old style envelope necessary to safely
inclose valuable documents, when such light weight envelopes were the sole
protection of such matter. The reason that I may use very light paper, is that my
temporary wrapper is merely complemental and supplemental, to the heavy
permanent envelope that goes with it, and of which it is a part. Such temporary
wrapper may be said, indeed, merely to take the place of that portion of the
envelope that is necessarily and unavoidably destroyed in the use.
The invention is of particular utility in the service of large corporations, as
railways and other transportation companies, and also in the Government mail
service and in analogous uses, where articles to be mailed require reliable

page_text: addressing, but which as a rule do not require to be sealed. The device however,
provides for sealing if the user desires.
The envelope is so made as to be practically indestructible by the ordinary use to
which it is subjected, owing to its being made of superior quality of paper, whose
wearing edges may be appropriately reinforced and strengthened; or it may, if
desired, be made of any textile or other fabric, more durable than paper.
That portion of the device that is necessarily injured mutilated or destroyed in
the first using, I make of cheap paper that may be cast aside with very little
trouble or cost.
The advantages of this device are at once apparent to any one conversant with
the present system of mail service incident to the business of transportation
companies and others of similar character. They may be briefly enumerated as
follows:-
A combined envelope device, having its only portion that is of any substantial
cost, made practically indestructible, that may be used sealed or unsealed at will,
and the unsealing of which does not necessitate its destruction; that may be
directed to any address however varied, and that permits the address to be changed
at will as often as wished for without destroying the envelope proper. That is, an
envelope device, having in all respects as universal adaptability as the common
envelope, practically indestructible and as easy to use, and hence of great ultimate
economy.
The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail, one
mechanical form embodying this invention; such detail construction being but one
of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.
In such accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a face view of the permanent envelope showing the address opening.
Figure 2 is a face view of one form of temporary wrapper.
Figure 3, is a reverse view of a permanent envelope, certain portions being cut
away and omitted to expose the temporary wrapper and its inclosed contents.
Figure 4 is a face view of another form of permanent envelope and temporary
wrapper.
Figure 5 is a face view of another form of envelope and wrapper.
Figure 6 is a reverse view of the form shown in the preceding figure, the flap of
the envelope being turned out.
Figure 7 is a similar view of the same parts shown in Figure 6, the flap of the
envelope being turned in.
Figure 8 is a plan view showing the under side of the envelope flap having the
sealing flap E inserted in position prior to sealing, and
Figure 9 illustrates an envelope provided with sealing flap E gummed to the
reverse side of the body of the envelope.
A permanent envelope A, is made of rope manilla paper, or other material or
substance, possessing the necessary durability under the rough, exacting conditions
incident to its use; a name address opening a, is formed in the face of the envelope
of any size or shape, and located wherever the conditions of use may seem to
demand. On the reverse side of the envelope in the central upper portion of the
flap a, I form a tuck-opening b. This permits the flap c of the temporary
document-inclosing wrapper C, to be passed through it. Said wrapper is of proper
length to be conveniently slipped into the envelope, and is provided at its lower
portions with the folding lines respectively c1, c2 by means of which the width of
the wrapper may be quickly adjusted to suit the varying width of the inclosed
matter. The under side of the flap c, which is the side in contact with the
envelope, is gummed so as to be stuck or secured to the envelope, if it is desired
to seal the same. The address as shown in Figure 2 is written on the face of the
temporary wrapper.
The method of using the envelope is as follows:-
The document D, to be inclosed, is placed in the temporary wrapper C, and the
bottom of the latter folded on one of the folding lines, so as to snugly inclose the

page_text: document. The temporary wrapper, with the inclosed document is now inserted in
the permanent envelope, the flap c of the temporary wrapper is passed up through
the tuck-opening 6 of the flap a', which flap is then tucked into the envelope. The
flap c is then drawn down, and the under gummed side of the same may be
moistened, and stuck to the reverse side of the body of the permanent envelope.
The envelope however may be left unsealed if desired in which case the flap c had
best be tucked within the envelope.
In the form illustrated in Figure 4, the opening b extends both through the face
of the envelope and also through the envelope flap a¹. One end of the temporary
wrapper is then passed through said opening, and the other extremity of the
wrapper folded about the envelope; the gummed extremity of the wrapper is then
drawn over the opposite extremity and gummed to it. In using this form of
temporary wrapper the address may be added after the wrapper has been secured
in position. In opening, the temporary wrapper is cut or torn, and the inclosed
matter removed.
In the form of envelope shown in Figures V, VI and VII, the address opening
is located nearer the top of the envelope than in the form shown in Figure I, and
the opening b is omitted. The matter to be inclosed is placed in the temporary
wrapper and the latter inserted in the envelope, the flap c passing up through the
address opening, folded down over the back and may there be stuck as in the
other forms.
The edge of the openings may be strengthened in any suitable manner, either by
turning in the paper upon itself or by reinforcing with a textile or other durable
fabric. The size, location, and proportion of openings to envelopes is a matter that
may be varied according to the requirements of use, as may also the size of the
envelope.
It is apparent, that the cost of the temporary wrapper will be but a small
fraction of the cost of the envelopes at present in use, that it supplants; and that,
backed and sustained as it is by the heavy permanent envelope, a much lower and
cheaper grade of paper will answer to make it of, than would be permissible to use
in an envelope that was the sole inclosure of important documents.
In Figure VIII is shown another form of fastening consisting of an independent
T-shaped sealing flap, E, consisting of the transverse portion e and the longitudinal
portion, e', the latter gummed on its under side, whereby it may be secured to the
body of the envelope. In the use of this fastening device the envelope should be
provided with a slit f, a little greater in length than the transverse width of the
longitudinal portion e¹ of the sealing flap. In use, the longitudinal portion el is.
slipped into said slit, until the two ends of the transverse portion e engage with the
paper on either side of said slit. The flap is then drawn down over the envelope
Rap and secured to the back of the envelope by moistening the gun on the end of
the flap. To open the envelope, it is only necessary to cut or tear through the
sealing flap, and when it is desired to again use the envelope a new sealing flap.
can be inserted. The cost of these sealing flaps it is apparent is very low and yet
they securely seal the envelope and prevent the contents of the same being
examined or lost.
Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the.
mode herein explained.
Change may therefore be made as regards the forms herein set forth provided.
the principles of construction respectively recited in the following claims are.
employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The combination with a permanent envelope having an opening, of a
temporary wrapper having a flap adapted to pass through said opening and

page_text: provided with a gummed surface by which it may be secured, substantially as set
forth.
Second. The combination with a permanent envelope having an address opening,
of an independent temporary wrapper provided with a gummed surface by which it
may be secured, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with a permanent envelope having a name address
opening, of a temporary address wrapper having a gummed surface adapted to pass
over the envelope flap and be stuck to the envelope substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The combination with a permanent envelope having an address opening
and a tuck opening, of a temporary wrapper to inclose the matter to be sent and
hold the address, said temporary wrapper provided with a gummed flap to pass
through said tuck-opening and adapted to pass over the envelope flap and be
gummed to said envelope, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The combination of a permanent envelope having an address opening and
a tuck opening, of a temporary wrapper having a folding line and a gummed flap,
the latter adapted to be passed through the tuck opening and over the envelope
flap and be stuck to the envelope, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The combination of a permanent envelope, and an independent temporary
address carrying wrapper, supplemental and complemental to said envelope, and
adapted to be used in place of that part of the envelope ordinarily destroyed by the
first use, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The combination with a permanent envelope, of an independent sealing
flap, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The combination with a permanent envelope provided with a sealing
flap opening, of an independent sealing flap having one portion of less width and
another portion of greater width than the length of said sealing flap opening, sub-
stantially as set forth.
ני.
.HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.