IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION THEREOF.”
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Girdwood, of Edinburgh, in the County
of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ENVELOPES AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION THEREOF.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Girdwood at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th October 1865.
I, ROBERT GIRDWOOD, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION THEREOF," to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This Invention, which has reference to an improved mode of constructing
envelopes, consists in cutting the web from which the envelopes are formed in
such manner that when the pieces into which the web is cut are folded
envelopes of the usual rectangular form are produced, but having this pecu-
liarity, that instead of the extremities of the envelope meeting in the centre of
one side, as is now the case, the extremities meet in the corner of the envelope
at the place where it is customary to affix the postage stamp. By affixing
the stamp over the place where the extremities of the paper forming the
envelope meet it is thus made, in addition to performing its office as a stamp,
to serve the purpose of a seal or other fastening.

page_text: A great advantage to be derived from the use of this Invention consists in
the fact that owing to the necessity of tearing open the envelope before its
contents can be examined, the stamp must also be torn and destroyed, thus
preventing the fraud that is now frequently committed by cleaning stamps
that have been marked at the post offices and using them a second time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Girdwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th April 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
GIRDWOOD, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in tho year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Girdwood, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Girdwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Robert Girdwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "In-
PROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES AND IN THE CONSTRUCTION THEREOF," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Robert Girdwood, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Girdwood, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention relates to paper and other envelopes, and consists of

page_text: improvements in the form and construction thereof, and the great object of
the said Invention is,-
First, to obtain such a form in the blank that all the angles of the paper or
other material of which the same are formed shall meet at one corner of
the envelope, so that when folded all the said angles, together with the fly,
shall be secured by the postage stamp.
Secondly, to save material in the construction of such envelopes and increase
the safety of their contents.
The means by which I propose to effect the improvements of the said
Invention in practice will be best understood by reference to the accom-
panying Drawing, which is intended to form part of this Specification, and to
which the following explanation applies.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 shews the shape in or to which the blank or piece of paper or other
material of which the envelope or other cover is to be formed or cut, the dotted
lines a, b, c, d, respectively shew the four folding lines upon which the cor-
responding flaps b, c, and d', and the fly or open and fastening flap a¹ are
folded. Fig. 2 shews the front view of an envelope constructed from the
blank of the above form, with the fly or fastening flap open; the edges e and f
are gummed together or joined and secured in the usual or any suitable way.
Fig. 3 shews the envelope with a fly, and all the folds secured by the postage
stamp at g. The address is to be written as indicated by the dotted lines
h, h, h.
On reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the folding flap b¹ effectually
prevents the contents of the envelope from being taken out when the fly a¹ is
closed over it. For legal documents or when else required the end fold d¹
may be made the fly; in this case the edge of the fold a¹ is to be secured
along its entire length, and the document or matter to be enclosed in the
envelope inserted at the end. By this form of blank which I propose to make
by dividing a square or parallelogram of paper or other material diagonally all
waste is avoided.
Having thus stated the nature and object of my said Invention, and
explained and illustrated the mode of carrying it into effect in practice, I wish
it to be understood that without absolutely restricting myself to the precise
proportions of the folds or size of the envelope, I claim the cutting or forming
the blanks, and folding and securing the same, so that all the angles, together
with the fastening angle of the fly, meet at or near one corner of the envelope,

page_text: where the whole can be secured under or by the postage stamp, or other
external adhesive label, trade mark, or substance.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Girdwood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
WILLIAM STEWART.
W. HARCUS, Witness.
ROBERT GIRDWOOD. (L.S.)