Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Aug, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th June, 1889
RESERVE COF
1 CARL BLANKE of Barmen, Rhenish Prussia, in the Empire of Germany, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this Invencion to be as follows:-
My said Invention relates to means for increasing the security of envelopes containing
letters or enclosures and for rendering any tampering with such envelopes more
easily apparent. The gist of my invention is that I use the postage stamp as a seal
and as an additional security so that any unauthorised person attempting to open
the envelope would probably injure or mark the postage stamp to such an extent as
would be apparent at sight. The disturbance or non-disturbance of the marks of the
dating figures on an injured stamp would also to a certain extent be a guide as to
whether the envelope had been tampered with before being posted or after. In a
convenient form of my improved envelope the main part or back of the envolope is
formed with a lap at each side and a flap upon which the address is written. The
top of the back has also a gummed lap which is used to close the envelope. At or
near its right hand top corner where the stamp is usually placed, I make a hole in the
address flap which hole is less than the size of the stamp. The over lapping portion
of the top closing lap is cut away to clear this hole so that when the envelope is
closed, and the stamp stuck on it adheres to and secures together three different parts
of the envelope, namely the address flap the top and right hand side laps and also
becomes secured to that portion of the enclosed letter which comes opposite to the
hole in the address flap. I might however vary this described form of the envelope
so long as I adhere to the chief part of my invention which is to use the postage
stamp as a seal and additional security in closing envelopes.
Dated this 8th dex of Anonst. 1888.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Increasing the Security of Envelopes.
I CARL BLANKE of No. 22 Alleestrasse, Barmen, Rhenish Prussia, in the Empire
of Germany, Engineer, 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 and accompanying drawings:
:-
My said Invention relates to means for increasing the security of envelopes con- 5
taining letters or enclosures and for rendering any tampering with--such envelopes
more easily apparent. The gist-of my invention. is that I use the postage stamp as
a seal and as an additional security so that any unauthorised person attempting to
open the envelope would probably injure or mark the postage stamp to such an extent
as would be apparent at sight. The disturbance or non-disturbance of the marks of 1
the dating figures on an injured stamp would also to a certain extent be a guide as
to whether the envelope had been tampered with before being posted or after.
A convenient form of envelope for carrying my invention into effect is illustrated
in the accompanying sheet of drawings.
Fig. 1 is a view of the paper blank from which the envelope is made.
Fig. 2 shows the envelope made up but unclosed.
Fig. 3 shows the envelope closed and scaled by the postage stamp.
1
The main part or back a of the envelope is formed with flaps and c at the sides
and a flap e upon which the address is written. The said flape has a hole fcut in
one of the the corners as shown. The top of the back a has also a gummed flap d'
which is used to close the envelope. The dotted lines in Fig. 1 show where the
envelope is folded together when being made up and Fig. 2 shows the envelope after
having been thus folded and ready for the reception of its contents. It will be
observed that when the envelope has been folded as in Fig. 2 'the, hole appears at
or near the right hand top corner where the stamp is usually placed the said hole 2
being less than the size of the stamp. The over lapping portion of the top closing
flap d is cut away to clear this hole so that when the envelope is closed, and the
stamp 9 stuck on as in Fig. 3 it adheres to and secures together three different
parts of the envelope, namely the address flap e the top and right hand side flaps c
and d and also becomes secured to that portion of the enclosed letter which comes
opposite to the hole in the address flap. I might however vary this described form
of the envelope so long as I adhere to the chief part of my invention which is to uso
the postage stamp as a seal and additional security in closing envelopes.
'
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 18
claim is:
(1) A safety envelope in which the adhesive postage stamp acts as a seal and as a
means for detecting surreptitious-opening; or-tampering with or violation of the
envelone enhatantiall

page_text: (2) A safety envelope constructed in such a manner that when closed the applied
adhesive postage stamp adheres to three different portions of the envelope and also in
some or in all cases to that portion of the contents which may be exposed to the
stamp by a hole formed in the address or other flap to which mainly the stamp is
applied substantially as described and shown.
(3) A safety envelope formed from a blank consisting of a main portion a; an
address or other flap c perforated with a hole f the portion a being provided with
side overlapping flaps b d and formed and utilised substantially as described and
shown.
n
00
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester,
Agents.