Improvements in Envelopes for Letters and other Documents.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., '894
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1-95-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Envelopes for Letters and other Documents.
I, SAMUEL SAW the younger, of No. 17 Eastcombe Villas, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Solicitor. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object an improved construction of envelopes whereby
greater security against fraudulent opening is insured than is affordel by envelopes
of present construction.
For this purpose I construct envelopes out of one entire piece of paper firstly,
with two lateral flaps that are folded over each other and secured together by
gumming; ; secondly, I provide a bottom flap that when folded over, reaches up to
the top and along the entire width of the envelope, or nearly so, and which, up to a
certain point, is gummed over the side flaps, the upper part being ccated with gum
on the inside but left unconnected. Fourthly 1 provide a top flap which may or
may not be gummed, and which is formed with a gummed tongue piece adapted to
be passed through a slit in the part of the bottom flap that is left unattached.
Fifthly, I affix to the folded side flaps, a wafer at a point that will be covered
by the tongue of the top flap when folded down, and I cut a hole in the bottom
flap at a corresponding point so that the wafer will appear either entirely or
partially through such hole.
Thus for closing the envelope after introducing the letter, the tongue of the
top flap is first passed through the slit in the loose part of the bottom flap; this
loose part is then gummed down over the upper part of the top flap, le:ving the
tongue protruding; the wafer is then rendered soft by moistening, and lastly the
tongue is gummed down and further secured on the wafer by stamping with a seal
in the well-known manner.
It will be seen that in order to open at any part an envelope so secured, it
will be necessary, first to moisten the wafer so that the side flaps or the tongue
can be detached, which could not possibly be done without leaving indications that
the envelope had been tampered with, and secondly, this having been done, it is
necessary to moisten the part of the bottom flap that is gummed over the top flap,
in order to allow this to be opened.
If the top flap has been gummed down in addition to the sealing, it will further-
more be necessary, after having moistened and loosened the bottom flap, to moisten
also the top flap, thus involving a considerable amount of labour and care in opening
the envelope, which could not be effected without leaving unavoidable indications
that it had been tampered with.
Instead of fixing the wafer on the folded side flaps as described, it might be
fixed on the bottom flap, so as to avoid making a hole in the latter; or it might
also be fixed on the inside of the tongue of the top flap, but I prefer the first
described arrangement, as in this case the wafer is male to secure together the two
side flaps, the bottom flap, and the top flap, irrespective of the gumming.
Dated this 30th day of November 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: improvements in Envelopes for Letters and other Documents.
I, SAMUEL Saw the younger, of No. 17 Eastrombe Villas, Blackheath, in the
County of Kent, Solicitor, 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:-
My invention has for its object an improved construction of envelopes whereby
greater security against fraudulent opening is insured than is afforded by envelopes
of present construction.
For this purpose, I construct envelopes out of one entire piece of paper firstly,
with two lateral flaps that are folded over each other and secured together by
gumming; secondly, I provide a bottom flap that when folded over, reaches up to
the top and along the entire width of the envelope, or nearly so, and which, up to a
certain point, is gummed over the side flaps, the upper part being coated with gum
on the inside but left unconnected.
Thirdly, provide a top flap which may or may not be gummed, and which is
formed with a gummed tongue piece adapted to be passed through a slit in the part
of the bottom Hap that is left unattached.
Fourthly, I affix to the folded side flaps, a wafer at a point that will be covered
by the tongue of the top flap when folded down, and I cut a hole in the bottom
flap at a corresponding point so that the wafer will appear either entirely or
partially through such hole.
Thus for closing the envelope after introducing the letter, the tongue of the top
flap is first passed through the slit in the loose part of the bottom flap; this loose
part is then gummed down over the upper part of the top flap, leaving the tongue
protruding; the wafer is then rendered soft by moistening, and lastly the tongue
is gummed down and farther secured on the wafer by stamping with a seal in the
well-known manner.
It will be seen that in order to open at any part an envelope so secured, it will
be necessary, first to moisten the wafer so that the side flaps or the tongue can be
detached, which could not possibly be done without leaving indications that the
envelope had been tampered with, and secondly, this having been done, it is necessary
to moisten the part of the bottom flap that is gummed over the top flap, in order to
allow this to be opened.
If the top Hep has been gunned down in addition to the sealing, it will further-
more be necessary, after having moistened en1 loosened the bottoin flap, to moisten
also the top flap, thus involving a considerable amount of 1 hour and care in opaning
the envelope, which could not be effected without leaving unavoidable indications
that it had been tampered with.
Instead of fixing the wafer on the folled sile flaps as described, it might be fixel
on the bottom flap, so as to avoid making a hole in the latter; or it might also bo
fixed on the inside of the tongue of the top flap, but I prefer the first described
arrangement, as in this case the wafer is made to secure together the two side flaps,
the bottom flap, and the top flap irrespective of the gumming.
In some cases I dispense with the slit in the bottom flap, and after having
gummed this down over the side flaps I gum the top flap entirely over the bottom
flap.
The accompanying drawing shews, by way of example, an envelope constructed
according to my above described invention;
Fig. 1 shews the configuration of the envelope blank, and Fig. 2 shews the same
with the side and bottom flaps folded.
flaps, a bottom flap band a top flap c.
The blink is formed with two lateral
The side flaps au are first folded over
2

page_text: and gummed together and a wafer d is fixed upon them as shewn by the dotted
lines in Fig. 1.
The bottom flap b, which has a hole e formed in it corresponding in position to
the wafer d, is then folded over the side flaps and gummed down, the wafer d
appearing through the hole e. For closing the envelope, the wafer is moistened
and the top flap suitably gummed, is then folded down and made to adhere to the
wafer by the impression of a stamp or seal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. Envelopes for letters and other documents formed of a blank having two side
flaps that are folded over gummed together, and have a wafer fixed over the folded
joint, a bottom flap having a hole corresponding in position to the said wafer, so
that when the said flap is folded over and gummed down the water appears through
the said hole, and a top flap that is secured to the bottom flap by gumming, and to
the side flap by means of the wafer, substantially as described.
2. In envelopes constructed as set forth in the first claim, forming the bottom
flap through which the tongue of the top flap is passed before securing it to the
wafer, the upper part of the bottom flap being then gummed over the top flap,
substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of September 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.