Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Apr., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 20th May, 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by ARTHUR Cox, of the City of Toronto, in the County
of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, Gentleman.]
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex, M.I.M.E.
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:-
The object of the invention is to so fold a letter-blank and arrange it in its envelope
that it may be readily utilized for the purpose of opening the said envelope when
sealed; and it consists essentially in folding the paper substantially in the form of a
triangle and forming a slit in the envelope through which the apex of the triangularly
folded paper may protrude when inserted into the said envelope.
Figure 1 is a view of an open telegram form made in accordance with this
invention.
Fig. 2 shows the form after the first fold.
Fig. 3 shows the form after the second fold.
Fig. 4 shows the form after the third fold.
Fig. 5 shows the blank inserted in the envelope and the apex of the triangle being
inserted through the slit.
Fig. 6 is a view of the envelope folded exposing the addressed side.
Fig. 7 is a view of the opposite side of the envelope.
It will of course be seen that the object of this invention may be accomplished in
other ways than the exact plan shown in the drawing, that is to say, the apex of the
triangularly folded sheet may be made to protrude through a slit made in the end of
the envelope, through the back of the envelope, or on any of the other sides than the
one shown, but for the purpose of this specification the form illustrated will be found
sufficient.
In the telegram form which I have chosen for the purpose of illustrating this
invention the portion marked "A" has an envelope formed on its back, the front
being designed to receive the address, as indicated. The part marked "B" is the

page_text: sheet upon which the message is written I prefer to make the sheet B slightly
narrower than the portion on which the envelope A is made, but I do not confine
myself strictly to this reduction in width, although I consider it preferable.
Having written the address and message I first fold the sheet B as indicated in
figure 2. I then fold the opposite side as indicated in figure 3 and finally fold it as
indicated in figure 4 so that its apex a shall lie in the position indicated in figure 4.
The sheet is then ready to be folded into the envelope which is accomplished as
indicated in figure 5, the apex a being inserted through a slit made in the envelope as
indicated.
When it is desired to open the envelope the apex a is drawn out, the sides of the
triangle forming a paperknife which rapidly cuts through the envelope and permits the
sheet to resume the position in which it is shown in figure 3, when it can be easily
opened and the message read.
It will be noticed that the essence of this invention consists in folding the paper so
that the portion of it which is to protrude through the slit in the envelope shall be
narrow, and the folded side extend on an angle so that when the protruding end is
drawn out, the folded side must act like a slanting knife to cut open the envelope, and
it therefor follows that this effect will be produced even though the apex were itself
folded down; consequently while speaking of the apex, a, I wish to refer to the narrow
portion of the fold.
->
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the same is
to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A sheet of paper folded in the form of a triangle, in combination with an envelope
to contain the said sheet when folded, and having a slit made in it through which the
apex of the triangle may protrude, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. A sheet of paper connected to and forming part of an envelope and folded in the
form of a triangle, in combination with the said envelope having a slit made in it
through which the apex of the triangle may protrude, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
3. A sheet of paper connected to and forming part of an envelope, but made
narrower than the said envelope and folded in the form of a triangle, in combination
with the said envelope having a slit made in it through which the apex of the triangle
may protrude, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 1st day of Annil 1887