Improvements in Safety Closing Device for Letters.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Safety Closing Device for Letters.
I, MARIE KAST, of 240, Bergstrasse, Clausthal, in the Duchy of Brunswick and
Empire of Germany, Furniture Dealer, 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 :-
It frequently happens that letters are opened by unauthorised persons and their
contents abstracted or examined or their contents wrongly employed.
This is often effected by carefully loosening the gummed portion and subsequently
re-sealing or re-fastening same besides which it is frequently the case that the edges
of the envelope become broken torn or injured when the distance which they have
come is great.
Now this invention relates to a safety closing device for letters consisting in
providing adjacent to the edges of envelopes or covers of any kind small holes at
suitable intervals one from another through which holes is drawn a cord string ribbon
or the like (which I shall hereinafter refer to as the "cord ") the ends of which are
secured at a suitable place whereby the opening of the letter or the like is rendered
impossible without severing the said cord. In the case of the edges of the cover
becoming worn and broken also any loss or intentional withdrawal of the contents is
prevented.
A method of carrying my invention into practice is represented in the accompany-
ing drawing in which :-
Fig. 1 represents a cover (provided with holes) in an open condition; the cord
being drawn through the holes upon three sides of the cover, and
Fig. 2 shows the cover in a closed condition the cord being drawn or threaded
through the holes on all four sides of the cover and its two ends secured.
Covers or envelopes of all kinds may be provided with the necessary holes for
effecting the fastening above described but covers having a small flap a may
advantageously be selected (though I do not confine myself thereto) as illustrated in
the accompanying drawing. Holes b adapted for the drawing or lacing through of a
cord are formed at a suitable distance from the edges which distance may be
determined upon according to the size of the cover.
If it is desired to close the cover the flap a is first of all stuck down and the cord c
threaded and drawn through the holes b alternately from one side to the other in
such a manner that the two ends meets at one corner of the flap a where they are
tied together and secured to the cover by means of sealing wax.
It is obvious that by means of the method of closing above-described the
contents of the envelope or the like are far more secure than has hitherto been
the case.
Any falling out or withdrawal of such contents owing to an accidental
or intentional breaking of the edges of the cover is rendered impossible without
detection.
In addition to this whilst hitherto neither the postal authorities nor the
recipient of a letter has been able to ascertain whether the same has been wrong-
fully opened and again closed with envelopes as at present used unless it were
by discovering that the whole or a portion of the contents had been abstracted;

page_text: any such opening is prevented by the use of this invention as it can take place
only after the cord has been severed and a re-uniting of the severed ends is
practically impossible at all events in the course of post.
An additional advantage consists in the fact that envelopes provided with this
improved closing device may be more cheaply manufactured than the canvas or
similar envelopes hitherto employed for the transmission of money or objects of
value whilst at the same time far greater security is afforded by means of this
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A safety closing device for envelopes consisting in providing the latter adjacent
to their edges with holes spaced at suitable intervals one from the other in com-
bination and acting in conjunction with a cord such holes serving for the drawing or
threading through of the cord the two ends of which are secured by sealing wax so as
to thereby constitute a secure fastening substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
2. The herein-described improved method and means of safely securing envelopes
substantially as set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.