Year: 1888

page_text: I, FRANCIS WILLIAM TICEHURST of Edmund Street Birmingham in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention, is a detective means, whereby enclosed envelopes, are
shown to have been clandestinely opened, and the contents removed.
According to my invention, the contents of enclosed envelopes, are made safe,
against being tampered with, as the detective means reveal, the fact of the letters
having been opened.
י
The invention consists in making an opening, slit, piercing, or passage, through the
front cover of the envelope, smaller than, and at a point where a postage stamp is
usually affixed; so that the adhesive back of the stamp, becomes partly secured or
connected to the envelope, and partly secured or connected to the letter or other
communication, matter, or the like, enclosed within the said envelope.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, an envelope, provided with detective means,
as according to my invention. Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section upon the
dotted lines A B figure 1.
Figure 3 is a transverse section, upon an enlarged scale, a portion of an envelope,
and a letter enclosed therein, and with a postage stamp, affixed in a position, over the
slitted or pierced corner part, and with the adhesive back of the stamp, adhering or
attaching itself to, the envelope, (around the boundary edges of the piercing) and to
the letter, or enclosed object, respectively.
Figure 4 represents a front elevation of the envelope, with a postage stamp affixe 1
over the opening or piercing, made through its front.
Figures 5 and 6 represent envelopes, provided with different shaped piercings or
slittings, over which a postage stamp is affixed in position, and forms the detective
means as aforesaid, as the opening of an envelope, and the removal of the enclosure
therefrom, tears or breaks the stamp, which reveals the fact, that the envelope has
been tampered with, although the contents, may have been replaced, and carefully
secured again, within the same.

page_text: I with it to be understood, that I do not confine myself, to the shape or positions of
the openings, piercings, slittings or the like, in the fronts of the envelopes, so long
as the adhesive backs of the stamps, admit of being secured, both to the envelope,
and to the contents enclosed within it.
a is an envelope, with an opening, hole, piercing or slit b, through its front a², and
over which said opening, hole or the like, a stamp c, is placed, and there attached by
its gummed or adhesive back attaching itself in part to the envelope, and partly to
the letter d, or other enclosure, contained within the said envelope, thereby forming
a self-detector, and safety means against surreptitious or circumventious opening.
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―
A self-detector, or safety-detective envelope, as herein-described and illustrated;
that is to say, an envelope with an opening, hole or piercing through its front, and
over which opening, hole or the like, a postage stamp or label is adhesively attached,
which adheres both to the envelope front, and to the enclosure, substantially as, and
for the purpose, as set forth.