An Improved Envelope for Use with Letters and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: An Improved Envelope for Use with Letters and the like.
I, HENRY SOUTHEY, of Wellington House, Chapel Road, Worthing in the
County of Sussex, Tailor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to envelopes for letters and the like, and has for object to
provide simple and effectual means in the envelope or in connection therewith, for
the rapid and easy opening of the same, without the use of an instrument and
without risk of injury to the enclosure.
To attain this object I propose to attach along the fold inside the flap of the
envelope, by means of gum cement or other suitable adhesive substance, a cord or
piece of twine extending the length of the envelope. At or near the middle of
this fold I pierce both the flap and the back of the envelope by means of a
perforating stamp or otherwise, with an arc or curved line of perforations, leaving
a sufficient space between the upper edge of the envelope and the curved line of
perforations for the thumb and fore-finger to take hold of the portion of paper at
the middle of the twine. In this manner the small part within the perforated line
is readily detached from the envelope, and the string being drawn sharply away
from the flap, the latter is thereby cut through the folding line without injury to
the contents of the envelope.
Or in lieu of the above I may make in the fold of the flap of the envelope, by
means of a cutting press or otherwise, a narrow slit or cut-out part at or near the
middle of the fold for the purpose of admitting the thumb-nail. The arrangement
is such that when the envelope is closed, the part of the cord or twine which is
visible from the outside, approximately fills up the slit or opening. I may
otherwise make, by means of a perforating stamp, perforations along the line of
the fold and attach a cord or twine to the envelope by similar means to that
described in the previous arrangement. By introducing the thumb-nail at the end
of the perforated fold and drawing it quickly along, the end of the cord is exposed
and may be taken hold of; the cord or twine being then pulled away, the flap will
be cleanly cut through at its perforations and detached from the envelope without
the aid of an instrument.
-Dated this Eighteenth day of March 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Envelope for Use with Letters and the like.
I, HENRY SOUTHEY of Wellington House, Chapel Road, Worthing in the
County of Sussex, Tailor, 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 relates to envelopes for letters and the like, and has for object
to provide simple and effectual means in the envelope or in connection therewith,
for the rapid and easy opening of the same, without the use of an instrument and
without risk of injury to the enclosures.
In carrying out my invention I make the improved envelope in any of the forms
shewn on the accompanying drawings-upon which-
Figure 1 is a front view of the upper part of an envelope open, shewing my
arrangement of a cord inside the flap and perforations near the middle of the
fold;
Figure 2 being a front view of the same envelope closed;
Figure 3, a front view of an envelope open, having a central cut-out part or slit
in the fold of the flap ;
Figure 4, a similar view of an envelope provided with perforations along the
folding line of the flap.
As will be seen on the drawings, I attach along the fold inside the flap of an
ordinary envelope A by means of gum, cement or other suitable adhesive substance,
a cord or piece of twine B extending the length of the envelope. In the
arrangement shewn on Figures 1 and 2, at or near the middle of the fold I pierce
both the flap and the back of the envelope by means of a perforating stamp or
other device, with an arc or curved line of perforations Cleaving a sufficient
space between the upper edge of the envelope and the curved line of
perforations C, for the thumb and forefinger to take hold of the portion of paper
at the middle of the twine or cord B. In this manner the small part within the
perforated line C is readily detached from the envelope, and the cord B being
drawn sharply away from the flap, the latter is thereby cut through the folding
line without injury to the contents of the envelope.
Or in lieu of the above I may-as shewn on Figure 3-make in the fold of the
flap of the envelope, by means of a cutting press or otherwise, a narrow slit or cut-
out part D, at or near the middle of the fold, for the purpose of admitting the
thumb-nail beneath the cord B. The arrangement is such that when the envelope
is closed, the part of the cord B which is visible from the outside, approximately
fills up the opening or slit D, and may be taken hold of by the thumb and
forefinger for the purpose of opening the envelope.
.
Or, as shewn on Figure 4, I may make by means of a perforating stamp or other
instrument, a line of perforations E along a part or the whole of the fold, and
attach a cord or twine B to the envelope, in the same position and by similar
means to that described in the preceding arrangements. In this case by
introducing the thumb-nail at one end of the perforations E and drawing it sharply
along, the end of the cord B is exposed and may be taken hold of; then on pulling
away the cord B, the flap will be cleanly cut through at the perforations E and
detached from the envelope without the aid of any instrument, and without risk of
injury to the contents or enclosures.
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. In envelopes for letters aud the like, the arrangement of a cord B cemented

page_text: or otherwise attached thereto within the flap and along the folding line thereof,
in combination with perforations C through the flap and the back of the envelope
about the centre of said folding line, for the purposes and as specified.
2. In envelopes for letters and the like, the combination of a cord B cemented
or otherwise attached within the flap and along the folding line thereof, with a
central cut-out part or slit D in the back and flap of the envelope, for the
purposes and as described.
3. In envelopes for letters and the like, the combination of perforations E along
a part or the whole of the folding line of the flap, with a cord B cemented or
otherwise attached within the flap, as shewn and described.
Dadi 10Ah dose of Contrmbar 180R
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & FEENY,
60 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agents.