IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JAMES JONES ASTON of 13 Pembroke Gardens Kensington in the County of
Middlesex and of 4 Middle Temple Lane London one of Her Majesty's Counsel do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES"
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement reference being had to
the
accompanying sheet of drawings and to the letters words and figures marked
thereon that is to say:-
The nature of my said invention relates to a mode of making envelopes which
will enable them to be mechanically fastened or secured without the aid of gum
sealing wax or other adhesive matter so that they cannot be opened without
tearing or destroying part of the envelope.
My said invention consists of Improvements upon my improvements described
in my Specification filed in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th day of August
1854 pursuant to Her Majestys Letters Patent granted to me and dated the
11th day of March 1854 N° 594 I do not now claim anything disclosed in my said
Specification.
I use an envelope prepared according to the directions of my said Specification
as shewn in figures 5. 6. 7. 9 and 11 in the sheet of drawings accompanying my
said Specification with the improvements hereinafter described in the part of such
envelope called in my said Specification and herein the Tongue.
Figures 1. 2. 3. 4 and 6 in the Sheet of drawings acccompanying this
Specification shew envelopes with my improvements in the tongue of such
envelopes Figure 3 shews the mode in which the improved tongue should be
inserted into such envelopes It will be observed from such drawings that my
improved tongue will be passed through three folds of the envelopes claim this my
improved tongue may also be combined with and passed into a slit which is cut
that the tongue will pass through less than three folds of the envelope
I call my improved envelope a Lock Envelope and I construct my improved tongue
as follows:-
SO
The upper flap D of the envelope being furnished with a tongue marked E in
figure 1. such tongue should at the part marked o. . . . o be of the proper width
to fit the hole or slit through which it is to be introduced into the interior of the
envelope and should be prepared as follows.

page_text: I cut the tongue as in figure 2 marked E' E3 E3 E the parts marked E¹ E²
should be folded over and on to parts marked E³ and E but only the parts of
such tongue marked E2 and E' should be fastened together by gum or other adhesive
matter.
To close the envelope the tongue should be inserted through the hole or slit and
be as it were threaded through such hole or slit into the interior of the envelope
as shewn in figure 3 and it should be threaded so that the whole of the part
marked E' in Figures 2. 4 and 6 should pass through the slit into the interior of
the envelope and it will be found that when so inserted the part of the tongue so
marked E in Figures 2. 4 and 6 will not allow the tongue to be withdrawn again
from such hole or slit without tearing some part of the envelope and the envelope
will be practically speaking mechanically locked.
In some cases in order to make the locking more absolutely certain I should
prepare additional folds in the tongue. Figure 4 shews some of such folds here
Figure E7 should be folded over and adhesively fastened to E and both folded
over and adhesively fastened to E' and all 3 folded over and adhesively fastened
to E and then E1 and E2 folded over aud only E2 adhesively fastened to E7 E6 E³
and E so folded and fastened as aforesaid. If unusually thin paper is used in
order to facilitate the entrance and action of the tongue parts E and E³ of the
tongue may be strengthened by cutting them out so that one or both of them may
be made double and adhesively fastened together and variations may be made in
the form of the tongue, as for instance to make it more pointed at the part
marked F in Figure 1.
To facilitate the insertion of the tongue I propose to shew by a fold of or mark
on the tongue the distance to which it should be inserted Figure 5 shews a tongue
so folded.
The process above described is susceptible of variation by making any of the
other 3 flaps the upper flap Figures 6 and 7 shew the application of the same
principle to end flaps.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I
claim is,
1. The construction of an envelope with such a tongue as when inserted or passed
through a hole or slit in thè envelope into the interior of the envelope such tongue
cannot be withdrawn without tearing it or some other part of the envelope and so
that the envelope is mechanically fastened or secured without the aid of gum or
other adhesive matter such tongue to be made in such manner and form and
substantially as herein before described.
2. I claim the application of such Invention to the making of Envelopes by the
manufacture use and combination of the same Invention with Envelopes substan-
tially as herein before described.
Dated this third day of January 1884.
JAMES JONES ASTON.