IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES FOR LETTERS AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Compton Smith, of No. 31, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Solicitor, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES FOR LETTERS AND OTHER
PURPOSES." A communication.
Sealed the 1st June 1858, and dated the 26th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Compton Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th February 1858.
I, WILLIAM COMPTON SMITH, of No. 31, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES FOR LETTERS AND OTHER
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to cut paper intended to be made into or
used as envelopes, or some part or parts of such paper, into certain shapes,
and to perforate a part or some parts of such paper, and also to make
rectangular figures, by tracing or other means, upon or in such paper, as
indications of the manner in which the paper is to be folded, all in the manner
herein-after described, and by folding the paper so cut and perforated, whether
marked with such rectangular figures as aforesaid or not, to make outward
covers or envelopes, wherein or wherewith letters may be folded, enclosed, and
sealed in a way not hitherto known or practised.
To render the following description more clear and intelligible, I refer to
the annexed Diagrams.
Diagram No. 1 is one form of envelope, in which the letters (g, g,) represent

page_text: on the
the lines indicating the folds to form the envelope, the use of which is herein-
after more particularly described. The paper being cut in the shape of the
Drawing, or in any other shape, with four flaps, whereof two (a, a,)
sides, one (b) at the top, and one (c) at the bottom. I make the ends of
two first (a,a,) of sufficient length to overlap each other, and fasten them
together with gum or some other adhesive substance; I cut the top and bottom
flaps (b and c) with their tongues or projecting ends (d and e) of such
lengths and in such forms as that when folded the tongues shall overlap each
other on each side of the tongue (e) of the lower flap (c); an incision (f, f.)
is made, as shown in the Diagram, (or this tongue may be cut and fashioned
in other shapes, of which examples are given in Fig. 3 & 4), so that whatever
the form of this tongue, the two side flaps (a, a,) being folded, and the edges
thereof attached with gum or any other adhesive substance to the edges of the
lower flap (c); the tongue itself (e) may be brought over the two ends of the
side flaps when fastened together, and may be sealed over and upon the
tongue (d), which being previously sealed over and upon the ends of the side
flaps, the combination will. form a double seal, and give greater security to
letters enclosed in envelopes made as above described.
For the convenience of persons using these envelopes the tongue (d) may
be gummed on both sides, or on one side only, and the tongue (e) on the under
side, or all or either of these adhesive methods may be adopted.
Any form, angular, circular, oval, or otherwise may be given to the cuts
which produce the tongue (e), the form of this tongue being immaterial,
provided it can be used so as to cover and fasten down the tongue (d), the
essential condition of this improvement being the arrangement above described
whereby the tongue of the lower flap is brought over and sealed or fastened
down upon the tongue of the upper flap, or vice versa.
Diagram No. 2 is another form of envelope. The letters a, b, c, d,
represent the flaps, and the letters g, g, the lines indicating the directions of
the folds; the lines may be produced by tracing or printing, or by their
formation in the tissue of the paper, or in any other way, and are intended to
serve as a guide and direction for folding and closing the paper in the proper
shape, and forming envelopes therewith. Fig. 3 and 4 represent varieties of
shape of the overlapping tongue (e), to be used as an additional or double seal.
Many other varieties of shape may be adopted for the same purpose. Fig. 5
and the tongue (d), in Diagram No. 1, represent by the circular figures marked
thereon, perforations which may be made in the upper and lower tongues, or
in one tongue only. The object of these perforations is, 1st, to render any
attempt to open the seal apparent by the distortion of the pattern of the

page_text: perforations, or by the paper between them being torn; and 2nd, to open an
envelope or or letter more readily by tearing away the paper between perfora-
tions placed in a line or lines above the seal after the manner postage stamps
are separated from each other by means of such perforations. It is obvious
that the shape and size of the paper forming the envelopes, and of the envelopes
when folded, may be varied ad infinitum, and it is not intended to claim as a
new Invention any general configuration of paper, or any size of paper or
envelope, nor is any claim intended to be made for folding envelopes; but
what I do claim as being of new Invention is,-
1st claim. The improvement of using two seals, one over the other, in
closing and securing envelopes and letters, as above described.
2nd claim. The improvement of cutting, shaping, and arranging the tongues
of the flaps used for sealing envelopes, so that one tongue shall overlap the
other, and that both tongues may be made use of one over the other to close
and secure the envelope with gum or other adhesive substance, thus forming a
double seal thereto, in the nianner herein-before described, and shown in
Diagram No. 1:
3rd claim. The improvement of tracing printing, or by visible marks in the
tissue of the paper, or otherwise producing lines in or upon paper as a guide
and direction for folding the paper, and forming therewith envelopes or letter
covers, as herein-before described; and shown in Diagrams No. 1 and 2.
4th claim. The improvement of perforating the tongues or parts of the
paper used to seal envelopes or letters, whereby any attempt to open the seal
may be more easily detected, and a letter or envelope more easily opened, as
for both these purposes herein-before described.
Reference is above made to the use of the improved envelope for letters, but
the claims also comprise their use for enclosing papers of any kind, or other
articles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Compton Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 26th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COMPTON SMITH, of No. 31, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Solicitor, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Compton Smith, Her special licence that I, the said William
Compton Smith, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Compton Smith, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES FOR LETTERS AND OTHER
PURPOSES," (being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad), upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Compton Smith,
my executors or administrators, 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 William Compton Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of the Invention is to render envelopes or covers for letters and
other objects when closed more secure than those hitherto used by means of
improvements in the mode of manufacturing envelopes and in the tools and
implements used in some of the processes of manufacture.
In the annexed Drawings, Diagram No. 1 represents one improvement
which is hereby designated as the double safety envelope. The rectangular
lines g, g, indicate the folds of the paper to form the envelope. The paper
being cut in the shape of the Drawing or in any other shape with four flaps,
whereof, when folded, two (a, a,) form the sides, and two (b, b,) the top and
bottom of the envelope. The two first (a, a,) are made of sufficient length
to fold one over the other, and to admit of their ends (c, c,) being fastened
together with gum or some other adhesive substance. The top and bottom
flaps (b, b,) are shaped with tongues or projecting ends (d and e) of such
lengths and in such forms as that one of the tongues to be used as the upper
one in closing the envelope shall be larger than the other, and when folded
lown shall completely envelop the under one, so that the former shall not

page_text: only cover the latter, but its sides shall project beyond the under one, and
admit of being cemented down both upon the smaller tongue and upon the
ends of the side flaps, thus forming an improved method of double adhesion
by means of three flaps being first fastened together with some adhesive
matter, and then the outer flap being sealed or cemented down upon those
three flaps. In order to effect these objects, and render it difficult to lift the
upper tongue after the envelope has been closed, the tongue intended to be
used as the upper one which may form part of the top or bottom flap is
shaped at its origin, as shewn in Figure 3 and 4, with a neck (i), formed by
making a curvilinear indented cut under each side of the tongue, enlarging the
tongue to a greater breadth than the neck, and shaping the outer edges of
the finp below the tongue, so as to form two projecting shoulders (f, f.) one
on each side, the purpose thereof being to close the envelope more securely
by cementing these points (the shoulders) to the side flaps, whether the flap
The
provided with the larger tongue (e) be the upper or the lower one.
smaller tongue to carry out the design of this improvement is tapered at its
extremity, as shewn in the Diagram No. 1, letter d. It is essential here to
point out that the peculiar shape of the larger tongue, as above described,
and shewn in the Drawings, is an improvement not in form, but in the
principle or system of cutting this tongue with its neck and the shoulders,
whether it be applied to the projecting end of the upper or the lower flap.
In the former case it differs from the tongue or lappet part of the upper loose
flaps of envelopes, as hitherto shaped, by being cut with a neck, and enlarged
from that point, instead of tapering to its extremity, and in the latter case
(when forming the extremity of the lower fixed flap) it admits of the side flaps
when the envelope is folded being passed over the shoulders (f. f.) and under
the neck (a), into the indented cuts of which corresponding indented cuts in
the ends of the side flaps exactly fit, thereby affording great facility to the
folder in making the envelopes in that manner; and for the purpose of closing
the envelope in both the cases just above mentioned, the smaller tongue is
cemented down upon the two ends of the side flaps, and the larger flap over
the three other flaps with some adhesive substance applied on the under side
of each of the two tongues. Another important feature of this improvement
is that it admits of the cutter or steel knife used to cut the paper for these
envelopes being so constructed as to produce the paper complete in its proper
shape, and ready for folding with the corresponding points of junction, exactly
fitting into each other, without the necessity of making any slit or cut in the
paper after it comes from the cutter. The Provisional Specification filed by
me described a mode of forming the tongue (e) by making incisions in the

page_text: paper, but I disclaim that method, it having been ascertained by experiment
that such incisions cannot be cut accurately without much additional trouble
and expense, nor can they be adopted without creating a difficulty in folding
which would be a serious obstacle in practice to making envelopes on a
remunerative manufacturing scale. The larger tongue, above described, may
be of any shape provided it swell out above the neck, but an elongated oval
is preferable, as its sides may be more effectually fastened down upon the side
flaps in the manner herein-before described. It only remains to mention that
a great advantage of this improvement is, that in closing the envelope by
means of the larger tongue (which is made adhesive) the four ends of the
four flaps are very securely cemented together.
Diagram No. 2 represents another kind of envelope, which is hereby deno-
minated the envelope writing paper. The letters a, b, c, d, indicate the flaps,
and the letters g, g, lines shewing where the creases are to be made in folding
the paper, which by this improvement is intended to serve the double purpose
of letter paper and an envelope to the letter written thereon, and also to
contain enclosures. The lines may be produced on the paper by ruling,
tracing, or printing, or by their formation in the watermark or tissue of the
paper, or in any other way. One corner of the paper as shewn at (e) is the
outside flap, with its extremity forming a tongue (on the plan herein-before
described as the larger flap (e), being cemented on the under side, and
stamped with a seal; such tongue is to be used to close the letter, which will
be done more securely than with ordinary envelopes, as this improvement
makes it impossible to open the envelope without cutting or tearing it at any
part of the paper but that where the seal itself is affixed. The obvious
advantages of this improvement are the convenience and economy of using
paper in the ordinary form of letter paper, prepared as just described, for
a letter and an envelope in one, and being able to preserve the address and
post mark on the letter, which, for commercial and legal purposes, is often a
desideratum.
Another improvement is shewn at Figure 5, the small circular figures
marked on the tongue representing perforations which may be made in the
upper tongue of any envelope, the object of these perforations being to render
any attempt to open the seal apparent by the distortion of the pattern of the
perforations or by the paper between them being torn. These perforations
may be of any shape or size and form any pattern, the principle for security
in applying this improvement being to make the paper left between the
perforations as slender and lace-like as possible.
Having now described the nature of the Invention and the manner of

page_text: performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim as of
new Invention the idea of double adhesion, being aware that several modes
of securing envelopes by that means are known and practised; but what I
claim under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, forming a tongue to one of the flaps of envelopes on the plan shewn
in the annexed Drawings under the letter e, and arranging such tongue, so
that when the envelope is folded it shall overlap some part of the ends of the
other three flaps, and admit of being used to fasten them together as well as
to itself, and thus unite and secure the four flaps of the envelope with some
adhesive matter, in the manner herein-before described, and partly shewn on
Diagram 1 and Figure 3 and 4.
Secondly, making the cutter or steel knife used for cutting the paper for
envelopes on the plan referred to in the first claim with a curved indentation
corresponding to the shape of the tongue e, so as to produce the paper at one
cutting of the proper shape with the neck and projecting sides of the tongue,
and a shoulder on each side.
Thirdly, preparing and arranging paper to serve as an envelope and writing
paper in one piece, in the manner herein-before described.
Fourthly, perforating the tongues or parts of the paper to which the outer
fastening or seal to envelopes or letters is applied in the manner herein-before
described, so that any tampering with such seal or fastening may be more
easily detected.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Compton Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Signed and sealed in the presence of
J. CLARKE RICHARDSON, Shipowner,
Swansea.
W. COMPTON SMITH. (L.S.)