IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS OR PARCELS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elisha Thomas Archer, of Cedar Cottage, Wands-
worth, in the County of Surrey, -for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ENVELOPES FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS OR PARCELS."
Sealed the 26th August 1856, and dated the 28th February 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elisha Thomas Archer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th February 1856.
I, ELISHA THOMAS ARCHER, of Cedar Cottage, Wandsworth, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ENVELOPES FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS OR PARCELS, to be as
follows:
My Improvements in envelopes refer, in the first place, to a peculiar plan
of cutting and cementing the flaps of the envelope, whereby additional security
is afforded in closing adhesive envelopes, and the necessity of damping the
adhesive matter altogether avoided. For this purpose I cut the end flaps of
sufficient breadth to present an adhesive surface for the loose flap to be
cemented thereto. The opposite flap is cemented and fixed in the ordinary
way, but has a small lappet or flap left uncemented where the closing junction
takes place; this may be simply formed by cutting two parallel slits at the
time of making the envelope at sufficient distance apart for the purpose, or
this small lappet or flap may be of more ornamental form or design. Adhesive

page_text: matter is placed on the end flaps where the loose flap comes in contact when
closed, as also on the under side of the small lappet or flap, while the loose
flap is free from anything of the kind. In closing the envelope it is simply
necessary to wet both sides of the loose flap in the mouth, then fold and press
it down, and then above it the small lappet or flap before mentioned, when
the flap, which was before loose, will be cemented on the under side to the end
flaps, and above to the small lappet of the opposite flap, thus affording two
distinct adhesive surfaces. Impressions may be embossed on and close
around the small lappet to give additional security.
The second part of my Invention refers to mourning envelopes, or envelopes
to be ornamented, and consists in forming the black-band or other designs by
first embossing or printing in some adhesive pigment or matter the requisite
design, and afterwards applying flock or some suitable powder, either in black
or colours, as well understood in the manufacture of paper hangings. The
black bands may either be round the edge or with a margin of white beyond.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Elisha Thomas Archer in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th August 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELISHA
THOMAS ARCHER, of Cedar Cottage, Wandsworth, in the County of. Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Elisha Thomas Archer, Her special licence that I, the said Elisha Thomas
Archer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Elisha Thomas Archer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS OR PARCELS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Elisha Thomas Archer, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
.

page_text: or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
fórmed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Elisha Thomas Archer, do hereby.
déclare the nature of my said Invention, 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto.
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in envelopes refers, in the first place, to a
particular plan of cutting and cementing the flaps of the envelope, whereby
additional security is afforded when adhesive envelopes are closed, and the
necessity of damping the gummy matter with the mouth altogether avoided.
For this purpose I cut the end flaps of sufficient breadth at the points or
extreme ends to present an adhesive surface for the loose flap to be cemented
thereto. The opposite flap is cemented and fixed to the end flaps much in the
ordinary way, but has a small lappet or flap left uncemented where the closing
junction takes place. This lappet may be simply formed by cutting two
parallel slips at the time of making the envelope at sufficient distance apart
for the purpose, or it may be of more ornamental form or. design. Adhesive
matter is placed on the end flaps where the loose flap comes in contact when
closed, as also on the under side of the small lappet or flap, while the loose
flap is free from anything of the kind. In closing the envelope it is simply
necessary to wet both sides of the loose flap in the mouth or otherwise, then
fold and press it down, and then press down above it the small lappet or flap
before mentioned, when the flap, which was before loose, will be cemented on
the under side to the end flaps, and it may be partly to the opposite side flap.
It will also be cemented above to the small lappet of the opposite side flap,
thus affording two distinct adhesive surfaces; perforations may also exist in
the loose flap, which will permit the two adhesive surfaces to come together
in parts. Impressions may be embossed on and close around the small lappet
to give additional security.
The second part of my Invention refers to mourning envelopes, or envelopes
to be ornamented, and consists in forming the black band or other designs by.
first embossing or printing in some adhesive pigment or matter the requisite
design, and afterwards applying flock or some suitable powder, either in black
or colours, as well understood in the manufacture of paper hangings. The
black bands may either be round the edge or with a margin of white beyond.
:

page_text: My improved envelopes, which I denominate the reliance envelope, are
represented in the annexed Sheet of Drawings; in which Fig. 1 represents a
plan of the sheet of paper as cut for an envelope before folding, and it will be
observed that, in addition to the outline of the Figure, it has two slits cut
from a to b, which forms the small lappet or flap c, before mentioned. Fig. 2
shews the envelope with the end flaps d, d, folded and cemented to each other,
and the fixed side flap e cemented down upon them, while the lappet c is left
loose, and the loose flap f wide open, as seen in the end view Fig. 4. The
adhesive surfaces to be secured, when enclosing a letter or other article, are
the under side of c and end flaps d, d, as marked at 1, 2, and parts 3, 4 of the
side flap e, which surfaces are cemented to flap f, which bears no adhesive
material at all. The envelopes, when manufactured, are prepared and cemented
in the state presented in the Fig. 2, so that when it is desired to enclose and
secure a letter or other article, it is simply necessary to wet the flap on both
sides at the part g, then fold and press it down on 1, 2, 3, 4, as seen in the end
view, Fig. 5, and afterwards fold and press down. lappet c, whereby the loose
flap will be secured on both the under and upper surfaces, the under surface
to 1, 2, 3, 4, and the upper surface to lappet c; and as seen in Fig. 3, the
perforations through g, g, permits the adhesive surfaces to come in contact in
parts and afford additional security. By embossing and raising an ornament, as
at h, h, close round the lappet c, additional security will also be afforded, as it
will prevent the insertion of any sharp instrument horizontally under the lappet.
Fig. 6 represents a plan of another form of lappet for the envelope, being a
modification of the before mentioned, while Fig. 7 represents the ends flaps
d, d, folded down and secured together, as also to the side flap c, but which, in
this case, is folded down first, and the end. flaps cemented and secured above
it. The lappet c is of a semicircular form and loose as before, adhesive matter
is placed on the underside of c, and on parts 1 and 2 of end flaps d, d. The
loose flap is wetted and secured, as before described, when it will present the
appearance of Fig. 8. The Figures 4. and 5 answer the descriptions of both
envelopes. A variety of other forms for the lappet c may be adopted and
arranged to produce a similar result, and of a more or less ornamental character.
Fig. 9 represents a mourning envelope prepared according to my Invention.
For this purpose, I print or otherwise apply adhesive matter in the form and
breadth of the band required, and afterwards, while the adhesive matter is
still moist, apply flock, or dust, or powder of any suitable material, in the
usual manner of flocking papers, when a deep black of a sombre hue will be

page_text: obtained. In like manner, other envelopes may be ornamented in colours, as
represented in Fig. 10. For this purpose, I print or otherwise apply the
adhesive matter or pigment, and afterwards, while wet and in an adhesive
state, I apply flocks or powders of suitable materials, in any required and
suitable colours for ornamentation.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that what I claim as my
Invention, and to be secured to me by the before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
First, forming envelopes for enclosing letters and parcels with a double
adhering surface, arranged and applied as herein-before described.
Secondly, I claim the manufacture of mourning and ornamental envelopes,
by the application of flocks, or dust, or powder of any suitable material, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elisha Thomas Archer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
ELISHA THOMAS ARCHER. (L.S.)
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.