IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING LETTERS, ENVELOPES, COVERS, DESPATCHES, PACKETS, AND PARCELS
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HARCOURT BROWN, of Brunswick Place, Barnsbury Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Harcourt Brown, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said John Harcourt Brown, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, and such others as I, the said John Harcourt Brown, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in all Her Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, and in all the Islands of Jersey, Guernsey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECURING LETTERS,
ENVELOPES, COVERS, DESPATCHES, PACKETS, AND PARCELS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Harcourt Brown, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Harcourt Brown, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and, the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, refe-
rence being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :—
My improvements in securing letters, envelopes, covers, despatches, packets,
and parcels are intended, in the first place, to effectually prevent stich cases or
wrappers from being surreptitiously opened.
And secondly, to enable persons using such cases or wrappers to close or
fasten them up in an expeditious manner.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn my improved fastenings, which
are composed of thin plate metal, in several views, both detached from and
applied to envelopes; and in the same Drawing I have also shewn the kind
of instruments which may be employed for securing, or, as it is generally
termed, sealing up the envelope, when the fastening, which I denominate the
eyelet-hole fastening, is used. At Figs. 1 this fastening is shewn in section
and plan view. It consists of a short metal tube, provided at its lower edge
with a flange. This tube is attached by any suitable cement to the inner
face of the lappet A of the envelope, as shewn at Fig. 2, and its upper edge
protrudes through the lappet A, as well as the side lappets C and D, a circular
hole having been pierced therein for that purpose. On the outer side of the
lappet B a ring of metal, represented in plan, edge view, and section at Figs. 3,
is secured by any suitable cement. The relative positions of the tube and ring
on the envelope are such, that when the lappet B is folded down for the enve-
lope to be fastened up, the upper edge of the tube will protrude through the
ring of metal on the outer side of that lappet, and stand a little above the face
of that ring. It will now be necessary to use a stamper or punch, such as
that shewn at Fig. 4, for turning the edge of the tube over, and making it
bind the inner edge of the metal ring, and of consequence clip or tightly hold
the ends of the lappets of the envelopes between the ring and the flanged end
of the tube. In order to effect this, the extreme end of the punch is turned
to such a diameter that it will readily enter the tube; but a little above the
end a shoulder is formed, which, when brought down upon the edge of the
tube, will press it outwards, and secure the attachment of the envelope, as

page_text: A modification
will be seen at Fig. 5, and by the cross section at Fig. 5*.
of my improved fastening is represented in cross section and plan at Fig. 6.
In this fastening the metal tube, with the flange, is employed, as before
explained; but instead of having a ring of metal I substitute a kind of wafer;
made of guin or paper cloth, or of paper and cloth, or any other similar sub-
stance capable of receiving an enamelled pattern or painted or printed device.
This wafer is attached to the lappet B of the envelope, and surrounds the
circular hole which is punched therein, to allow the edge of the tube to pro-
ject through the lappet B, as before explained; and when the punch is
applied the fastening will assume the appearance of that shewn at Fig. 7.
I would here remark, that the metal rings may be ornamented with a wreath
or other design, as shewn in the Drawing, by preparing a suitably engraved:
die for forming the same. For offices where great numbers of letters and
packets are daily posted, and where expedition in closing the same is an object,
I have designed the stamping or punching apparatus represented at Fig. 8,
which consists of a block a, provided on its face with a projecting stud, exactly
similar in shape to the end of the punch before described. The envelope or
package to be fastened up is placed over this stud, so that the stud shall enter
the tube of the fastening. A flat plate B, suspended over the stud by a spring,
is (by means of a weighted lever C, mounted on the block a,) brought down
upon the face of the envelope or packet, and made to press upon the packet,
and force out the edge of the tube and turn it over, so as to secure the
fastening.
At Figs. 9 I have shewn another construction of fastening which I employ
for securing envelopes. It consists of two small caps of metal, one being
somewhat smaller in diameter than the other. These caps are each provided
with a flange. The smaller cap is (as at Fig. 2, before mentioned,) attached
to the lappet A by any suitable adhesive composition. A circular hole is
punched in the respective ends of the lappets to allow the top of the cap to
project through them. The larger cap has a ring or circular beading raised
upon its flange. It is placed over the circular opening in the lappet B of
the envelope, and attached to the outer face of that lappet by any adhesive
matter. When the envelope or case is to be closed, the upper cap is brought
down over the lower one, and by means of a hammer or stamper they are
crushed to the form shewn at Fig. 10, which is a section of the fastening on an
enlarged scale.
Figures 11 shew a fourth construction of fastening for envelopes. It con-
sists of two discs of metal, in one of which the centre is punched up to form
a tongue, and to the other a strip of metal is brazed or soldered to form an

page_text: eye, which receives the tongue of the other disc when the envelope is closed.
The disc a is placed on the closing lappet (B, of Fig. 2), and may have any
device formed or stamped thereon. An opening is made in the lappet to
admit the eye through it, and similar openings are made in the other lappets
to allow the tongue of the disc 6 to rise through them in order to be passed
into the eye of the disc a. The mode of closing this fastening is by a hammer,
a blow from which will force down the end of the tongue into a hooked shape,
as shewn in the enlarged view, Fig. 12, and produce a fastening in appearance
like that shewn as attached to an envelope at Fig. 12*.
Figures 13 represent a fastening composed of two discs of metal, but which
are formed without brazing or soldering. a is a piece of metal cut out from
a thin sheet and bent up, so that it has a loop in its centre, as shewn in plan
and edge view at a', a². This piece forms the lower portion of the fastening,
and is attached to the inner face of the lappet A (Fig. 2), suitable openings
being made through the ends of all the lappets to allow the loop to stand up
through them. 6 is a disc of metal with a slot cut in it to admit of the loop
of the piece a¹ passing through, and round this slot a beading is raised to form
a recess on the face of the disc. This disc b is attached to the outer face of
the lappet B, Fig. 2, and in closing the envelope it is brought over the other
part of the fastening, so that the loop shall enter its slot, when, by the blow
of a hammer, the loop will be flattened, and the edges of the loop projecting
over the edges of the slot will close the envelope securely, as shewn in the
enlarged view, Fig. 13*.
At Figs. 14, 15, and 16, I have shewn a metal fastening, which, when put
together, will hold fast without requiring to be compressed as in the former
instances. It consists of two pieces of metal a and b, which are stamped out
in the form shewn, and afterwards bent up, as represented by the sections
c and d. The piece a is provided with two tongues, and it is attached to the
lappet B (Fig. 2) by any suitable cement. The tongue a* is passed through
a slit made in the end of the lappet B, Fig. 15, for that purpose. In the
piece b a slot is formed at the part where it is intended to fold over to assume
the form of the section at d, and shoulders 6*, 6*, are provided, which are made
to pass through slits in the lappets A, C, D, (see also Fig. 15) and being bent
down hold them firmly together. The end of the tongue a is bent over to
form a hook, and a slit is made through the three lappets A, C, D, to allow
the two tongues of the piece a to be inserted in the fold of the piece b, and
project through the slot of that piece of metal. The tongue a* must be of
just such a length that when the envelope is closed the hook on that tonguo
will catch on to the edge of the slot in the piece b, and prevent the tongue

page_text: from being drawn back. The other tongue, which lies over the tongue a*, is to
prevent the envelope being surreptitiously opened by prizing up the hook and
making it loose its hold on the piece b. In some instances it may be found
advisable to strengthen the end of the lappet B with cloth or paper, as shewn
at Fig. 16.
At Figures 17 and 18 I have shewn a modification of the above catch
fastening, but which is somewhat simpler in its construction than that before
described. It is composed of two pieces of metal a and b, stamped into the
form represented at Fig. 18. The piece a is provided with a hook or catch at
its end, and in the piece b a slot is formed, against one edge of which the
hooked end of the piece a catches when the envelope is closed. The mode of
securing the lappets of the envelope will be best seen by reference to Fig. 17.
The lappets C and D are attached together by means of the piece of metal b,
one of which is passed through a slit in the ends of these lappets, pressed
down tight upon them, and the other end is folded over their edge. In the
end of the lappet A a curved slit is made, to form a small lappet to receive a
wafer: To the under face of this lappet A, near its edge, a coating of gum
is applied, in order to stick that lappet fast to the lappets C and D, the small
lappet which carries the wafer, as before mentioned, being (although covered
with gum) left free of the lower lappets. The piece of metal a is attached to
the lappet B by stamping up two small tongues, which are put through the
end of the lappet, and pressed down upon it. A slit is made in the ends of
the lappets C and D to allow the hooked end of the piece a to pass through
and enter the slot in the piece b, as shewn by the section at c, Fig. 18. The
under part of the wafer, and of the small lappet which carries it, is then
wetted and stuck down so as to cover the metal fastening, and produce the
appearance of an envelope fastened after the ordinary method, as shewn at
Fig. 19.
.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would have it understood that I claim, under the above in part
recited Letters Patent, the application to envelopes and other similar cover-
ings for letters, despatches, and parcels, of the fastenings above described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Harcourt Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
JOHN HARCOURT (L.S.) BROWN.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-fifth day of August,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid John Harcourt Brown came before
our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year above written.
Inrolled the same Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year above written.