IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR OPENING ENVELOPES, WRAPPERS, AND SIMILAR COVERINGS
Year: 1885

page_text: I REGINALD WILLIAMS SCAIFE of 3 Maxilla Gardens, North Kensington in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS FOR OPENING ENVELOPES, WRAPPERS, AND SIMILAR
COVERINGS, a communication from Arthur Hodgkin Scaife, Walter Reupen Binns
and James Fletcher Binns, all of Constantinople Turkey, Merchants, to be as
follows:-
འ་
My invention has for its object a novel arrangement for easily opening
envelopes, wrappers, and other similar coverings without injuring the contents
of the same.
I attach to the envelope or other covering by means of gum, paste, or other
suitable substance (usually during the manufacture of the same); a thread or
threads of silk, cotton or any other suitable material; knotted at one or both ends,
running along the inside of the envelope at any one, two, or three sides of the
same; for example an envelope may be made to open along the bottom only, or at
the sides or with a double thread may be opened on three sides.
By the use of this invention the contents of the envelopes or other coverings are
not only saved from injury but a considerable saving of time is
simply pulling the thread, or threads, the envelope' may be opened
either side.
Although I have used the words envelope and thread through on ained, for by
this 'specifica-
tion it is obvious that this invention can be used for all kinds of postal wrappers
or coverings.

page_text: Improvements in the Means for Opening Envelopes, wrappers,
and similar Coverings.
I REGINALD WILLIAMS SCAIFE of 3 Maxilla Gardens North Kensington in the
County of Middlesex Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
(a communication from Arthur Hodgkin Scaife, Walter Rupen Binns and James
Fletcher Binns, all of Constantinople, Turkey, Merchants), and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention has for its object a novel arrangement whereby envelopes,
wrappers, and other similar coverings may be readily opened without injuring the
contents of the same.
I attach to the envelope or other covering by means of gum, paste, or any other
suitably adhesive substance, (usually during the manufacture of the same) a thread
or threads of silk, cotton, or any other suitable material, knotted or looped at one
or both ends, running alongside the inside of the envelope at any one or more
sides of the same; for example, an envelope may be made to open along the
top or bottom, or at one or both of the sides or with one or more threads may be
opened on three sides..
By the use of this invention the contents of the envelopes or other coverings
are not only saved from injury during the process of opening the same, but a
considerable saving of time is effected, for by simply pulling the thread, or threads,
the envelope may be opened on either side.
Although I have used the words "envelope" and "thread" throughout this
specification, it is obvious that this invention can be used for all kinds of postal
wrappers or coverings.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 shews the application of my invention to an ordinary wrapper, open at
each end, for book post. a is the thread, which is pasted to the inside of the
wrapper, and is shewn by a dotted line. The two outer ends of the thread project
very slightly beyond the edge of the wrapper at b b, a knot being formed at each
end. When it is desired to tear open the wrapper, one of the knots is taken hold
of and pulled, by which action the paper, is evenly torn from end to end, and the
wrapper is thus opened, while the direction and other parts of the wrapper are
preserved intact...
Fig. 2 shews the application of my invention to an ordinary envelope, the thread
being applied as in Fig. 1, except that it is preferred to place the thread close to or
in the fold of the envelope; in which position it may also be placed in the wrapper
shewn in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, 4 and 5 also shew the application of my invention to envelopes; Fig. 3
shewing the thread extending down each side of the envelope and along the bottom

page_text: or top, one end at b b is taken hold of by the fingers and pulled in the direction of
the thread, whereby the envelope is opened, by a clean and even parting of the
same at the folds.
Fig. 4 shows the application to two sides only, from 6 to 61; whereby the two
sides may be opened leaving the top and bottom edges intact.
Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 3 except that the thread is doubled, and a loop is formed
at 6 and a knot at 6, or vice versa.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The method of and means and appliances for opening envelopes book post
wrappers and analogous articles substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn
on the drawings.