Improvements in Reply Postal Cards and analogous Cards.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in Reply Postal Cards and analogous Cards.
I, WILLIAM HOMAN, of the City and County of New York, in the State of New
York, one of the United States of America, merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REPLY POSTAL CARDS AND ANALOGOUS
CARDS," and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
There is a demand in correspondence by post for a reply postal card to be sent
out attached to the principal card. Many efforts have been made to supply this
want.
Among other schemes has been that of folding a sufficiently large piece of card-
board and attaching the free edges "temporarily together. All such previously
known to me were open to objections.
One of the uses for which my invention is adapted is advertising and ordering
goods or services. I will, for convenience, designate, as
customer" the person
receiving my card, and by its aid making a reply.
I have discovered and reduced to practical form a construction in which one
part is wider than the other, the wider being equipped with a locking tongue so
arranged that the stiffness of the card itself is made available to hold the two parts
locked together, and allow them to be readily separated by the customer. It may
serve twice, once folded one way and again folded the other way. It is eminently
easy to operate.
The name and address of the sender should always be affixed in-advance in the
proper place to serve at the proper time as the direction for the return journey
I will describe it as printed.
The full address of the customer receiving the card and returning the coupon is
obviously required somewhere on the card for its outward journey. I arrange to
have that original direction remain and serve as a means for identifying the
customer by whom it is returned. It is a sufficient signature for the return
journey.
My invention may serve for greatly economizing labor. The card, may be
returned by simply detaching the previously locked edges, and folding the opposite
way, using the same locking means to engage the parts in the reverse position, as
was previously employed to hold them locked in their original position. In this
condition it presents on one face, only the address of the sender plainly printed, and
the proper stamp for the return journey.

page_text: Figs. 19 and 20 show opposite sides of the detached coupon, In Figure 19 the
coupon is supposed to have been just detached. In Fig. 20 it is supposed to bave
been returned.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figurs where
they occur.
For convenience of this description I will designate the two parts of the card by
the letters A B-the letter A indicating the larger part thereof. These same letters
will also designate the front faces of the parts respectively, and the letters and marks
A B will designate the reverse or back faces of the respective parts A. B.
In practice different colors may be used on different sides-as, for instance the
front face, which I designate by the letters A B, may be of one color or shade, and
the back face, corresponding to what I designate by the letters and marks A¹ B',
may be of a contrasting shade.
Referring to figures 1 to 14 inclusive, A. is the larger part, and a is a curved:
slot produced by hand or by machinery in the position represented. The semi-
circular tongue lying within the curve of this slot is marked a¹, and on being.
sprung out of the plane of A, by pressure, performs an important function.
B is the smaller part of the card, connected with A by a flexible joint c, so that
the two parts A and B may be folded together. The relative width of the parts is
such that when thus folded the edge of the smaller part B reaches to and may be
easily engaged under the tongue a¹. Using card material of proper stiffness, the
rigidity is sufficient to hold the parts thus locked together.
The tongue a¹ may be deflected out of the plane of A on either side, so as to
allow the card to be folded together either way, and locked either way by the same
tongue a. That is to say, the card may be folded towards the front side A, so
that on deflecting the. tongue a¹ out of the plane of A on the front side, and
engaging the edge of B under it, the parts will be locked with the front faces A B
together, and with the back faces A¹ B¹ presented outside; or, it may be folded the
other way by deflecting the tongue a out on the back side A¹ of A and engaging
the edge of B under it; the card will then be locked with the back faces A¹ B!
together and the front faces A B outside.
P is the postage stamp for the outward journey. This is on the back face A¹ of
the larger part A. The postage stamp for the return journey is marked Q, and.
can, if preferred, be affixed before mailing the card for its outward trip. This is on
the face B of the part B.
In one mode of using my invention, the sender writes, or otherwise affixes the
address for the outward journey on the back face of the card; ordinarily it is
written on the face of the part B, marked B¹, and writes, type-writes, prints,
stamps, embosses, pastes, or otherwise places his message on the front face of the
part A marked A, and his name and address on the front face B of the part B.
The card having its edges locked with the faces A¹ B¹ outside, goes through the
mail in the ordinary manner, and serves its usual function.
The customer tears the card across on the line c, and finding the address of the
original sender already clearly shown on B, the front face of B, he remails B
affixing a stamp for the return journey if it has not previously been supplied..
The bare fact of its being returned to the original sender will communicate to him the
intelligence for which it was especially designed and the address of the customer
remaining written on the face B¹, will plainly indicate from whom it is returned..
If the customer desires, he can, by writing on it, send any further message which
he has to communicate.
In the rapid transaction of business, a short message can be thus written over
the address on the back side of the card, so that the address of the customer
remaining there serves as a signature.
Another way of managing the return message, and which is preferable when
there is much to be communicated, is for the recipient to refrain from tearing apart.
the card, and in lieu thereof to fold the card the opposite way. Thus folded, with
the faces A B outside, the card, is ready for the return. journey, and a message of

page_text: considerable length can be written on such part of the clean surface presented by
the faces AB, as is not already occupied by the customer's address.
For advertising purposes, one side or both sides of A may be printed, giving
with any amount of elaboration the articles to be sold, or other information which
the advertiser desires to communicate. It may be expressly stated that the return
of the coupon B alone without comment will be understood to be an order for one
book, one circular, a gratuitous sample, or some distinctly designated quantity of
the goods advertised.
It is practicable whenever desired, to leave B, the front face of B, unstamped.
In such case the recipient or customer will be put to the expense and trouble of
procuring and affixing a stamp before it will be mailable. By such use the inven-
tion will serve an important end in facilitating the order by presenting a ready
addressed card, and the trouble and expense involved may be a wholesome restraint
against the sender being deluged with frivolous orders.
For advertising purposes it is preferable to leave the card in its extended con-
dition for the outward journey. For such use the slot a and consequently the
tongue a' may be omitted, and the relative widths of the parts A and B may be
varied indefinitely. (See Figures 15 to 20.) The return coupon B is put in the
mail by the customer, either with or without writing other than his name and
address, which has been already affixed, while the part A is retained for reference.
When the invention is to be used for a return postal card, the stamp and address
for the outward journey are upon the back face A', and the directions for the
return journey are upon the front face B of the part B. This, when the two
parts are separated along the line c leaves the part B, with its face, B¹, blank,
ready to receive a message with a signature in the ordinary manner. The part B
may, in such case, be in all respects, size and form included, exactly the same as
an ordinary single postal card of the country in which it is to serve."
The stiffness of the card selected for the production of these reply postals should
be sufficient to hold the part B extended so that its edge will remain locked under
the tongue a after it has been properly engaged.
:
My reply postal card should be used one way or the other for the return message,
according as the original sender has placed his message for the outgoing journey
on one part or the other. If the sender writes or prints his message on B¹ the
back side of the part B, the customer must send both parts back, folding the card
the other way, and writing his message on the front face A of the original card,
the part A. But if, as may be generally preferable, the sender writes or prints
his message on the front face A of A, and folds and locks B over it, then the
customer will write his answer on B¹, the back face of the part B, and may
send both parts back, folded with the faces A B outside, or he may return only the
part B, as he may elect.
Although I have described my card, as transmitted both ways by mail, and
designated it a postal, there may be conditions under which the invention may be
used with advantage otherwise transmitted in one direction or in both directions,
as in communicating by drivers or other messengers between a dealer and his
customers, or between different parts of large works, mines, etc., or by trainmen
on railways. In such cases the manner of using will be the same as above
described, except that the postage stamp may be omitted for the journey one way
or both ways.
My invention, while rendering it, according to usage, unnecessary to use other
signature for the return message than the address already written, does not forbid
a further signature. There should be obviously an additional special signature, in
the handwriting of the customer, if a message is written on the coupon involving
much responsibility, as, for example, an order for a large amount of goods.
Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions. I can use two or
.more of the slots a, and thus produce a corresponding number of the tongues a¹.
Instead of the curved form of the slot a, I can use an angular formn; or various
other forms. I esteem it important that the slot-a be of-such form as to produce

page_text: a strong tongue a'. The part B will engage by its edge in the manner shown
under tongues of widely varying forms and sizes. The form shown is preferable.
Parts of the invention may be used without the whole I can use the locking
tongue al with properly proportioned parts A, B, without any printing, and without
the weakened line c. I can use the card in two parts without folding and
without the locking tongue a¹, but providing the weakened line c and the duplicate
addresses for facilitating the return of one part.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The reply postal card described, unequally divided by a folding line c, the
part A being wider than B, and provided with a tongue a¹, arranged to engage the
edge of the part B, upon either side, as herein specified.
2. The advertising card or reply circular, printed on its face, and having a space
on its back for the name and address of the customer, and provided with a detach-
able return coupon, having the name of the sender thereon, and blank spaces to
receive a return message as set forth for the purpose specified.