An Improvement in Labels.
Year: 1897

page_text: An Improvement in Labels.
FRANCIS MELVILLE MERRIDEW, of 60 Rue Victor Hugo, Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the,
Republic of France, Bookseller, 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 :-
This invention relates to anti fraud labels, and the object thereof is to provide a
label for bottles, jugs, jars and other vessels, and also for boxes and other packages,
which is intended to prevent such bottles, vessels, boxes or packages, when once
emptied of their proper contents, from being refilled or reused with fraudulent
articles alleged to be the same as that originally contained in said bottles, vessels,
boxes or packages; a further object being to provide a label for bottles, vessels,
boxes or packages which is intended as a protection to the purchaser, and also to.
the manufacturer or owner of the contents of said bottles, vessels, boxes or
packages, and to prevent dealers or others from refilling such bottles, vessels, boxes.
or packages with spurious articles, and selling the same under the name or
reputation of the article originally contained therein.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement
are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the views and in;
which ;-
Fig. 1, is a face view of one form of my improved label;
Fig. 2, a section thereof on the line 2, 2;
Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of construction; and
Fig. 4, a section thereof on the line 4, 4.
My improved label consists of two pieces, 5 and 6, which may be composed of.
any desired material, and one of which is placed over the other, and said parts or
pieces of the label may be caused to adhere in any desired manner, or be secured
together by means of mucilage, glue or other suitable material, with the exception
of a transverse portion 7, which is not provided with glue, mucilage or other
adhesive material, and over this transverse portion, the outer part 5 of the label is
punctured or perforated as shown at 8, so as to form a strip 9, which is not secured.
to the bottom portion of the label.
The part 5 constitutes the front and the part 6 the back of the label, and the
label is secured to the bottle, vessel, box or package in the usual or any preferred
manner.
Printed on the front part 5 of the label is the name, trade mark or brand of the:
contents of the bottle, vessel, box or package, which may be printed on the front 5
of the label in any desired manner, and may be printed transversely of the strip 9,
if desired, and directly under the strip 9, and printed or otherwise placed on the
back 6 of the label are the words, "this has contained," the object being to reveal
this warning when the strip 9 is torn off.
This warning is intended to indicate that the bottle, vessel, box or package has
contained a certain produce, and any suitable words which will indicate this fact.
may be printed in place of the words "this has contained," and it will also be

page_text: apparent that the name, trade mark or brand may be so printed on the label as to be
defaced or partially destroyed, when the strip 9 is removed.
As shown in Fig. 1, the strip 9 runs diagonally, and the corners of the front 5 of
the label are cut away as shown at 10, so as to form projecting points 11, on the
strip 9, and these points serve as means for tearing off said strip, and by cutting
away the corners of the outer part of the label, said points do not come in contact
with the bottle, vessel, box or package in securing the label thereto.
A cross section of the form of label shown in Fig. 1 is given in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3
I have shown a modified construction in which the label is elliptical, where I
employ a tape, or other suitable material, 12, which takes the place of the strip 9,
shown in Fig. 1, and this tape, 12, is passed transversely through or across the
label between the separate parts thereof, and the outer part 5 of the label is cut
away at the ends of the tape 12, so as to provide means for grasping either or both
of the ends. In practice, the tape 12 is pulled out so as to tear off the central
portion of the front part 5 of the label, and in this case the same warning is placed
beneath the tape 12, that is placed beneath the strip 9, in the form of label shown
in Fig. 1, and the front 5 of the label shown in Fig. 3 is also provided with words
denoting the nature of the produce.
The front 5, of the article shown in Fig. 3, may be perforated along the sides of
the tape 12, if desired, but this is not absolutely essential, and when said tape is
pulled out transversely of the front 5, which is sealed or pasted to the back 6, the
front 5 of the label will be practically destroyed.
It will also be understood that the tape 12 is sealed to the front 5, and the
separate parts, or the front 5 and back 6 of the label are also secured together, as
herein before described, with reference to the construction shown in Fig. 1.
My invention is not limited to the form of the label, nor to the method of securing
it to the bottle, vessel, box or package, and it will be understood that any desired
advertisement may be placed on said article, and any suitable warning may be
placed under the strip 9, or beneath the tape 12.
In practice I also prefer to place on the removable strip 9, or over the tape 12,
the following direction: "The consumer is particularly requested in his own.
interest to strip off the centre of this label"; or other directions to the same effect
may be employed, and it will be apparent that when these directions are complied
with, the label itself will be proof of the fact that the bottle, vessel, box or package
has once been filled and emptied, or is in process of being emptied.
It will also be apparent that the directions placed beneath the strip 9, or the
tape 12, are not absolutely essential, as the tearing off of said strip or tape itself will
constitute a sufficient warning to put a purchaser on his guard.
The strip or tape cannot be replaced in such manner that it will not show the
defacement of the label, and each time that the bottle, vessel, box or package is
refilled, it will require a fresh label, and these can only be furnished by the
proprietor of the contents contained therein.
My invention is well adapted to accomplish the object for which it is intended,
and it will be apparent that many changes in and modifications of the form and
construction thereof, as herein shown and described, may be made without departing
from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A label consisting of two parts, which constitute a front and a back, said parts
being sealed together with the exception of a transverse strip, said transverse strip
of the front part being adapted to be torn out, substantially as shown and
described.
2. A label composed of two parts which are sealed together, so as to form a
front and a back, said parts being sealed together except a portion thereof, and

page_text: said portion of the front part being adapted to be torn out, substantially as shown
and described.
3. A label composed of two parts, a front and a back, said parts being secured
together with the exception of a portion thereof, that portion of the front which
is not secured to the back being adapted to be torn out, substantially as shown and
described.
4. A label composed of two parts, a front and a back, said parts being secured
together with the exception of a portion thereof, that portion of the front which is
not secured to the back being adapted to be torn out, and being separated from
the other part of the front of the label, by perforations, substantially as shown and
described.
5. A label composed of two parts, a front and a back, said parts being secured
together with the exception of a portion thereof, that portion of the front which is
not secured to the back being adapted to be torn out, and being separated from
the other part of the front of the label, by perforations, said label being also
provided with an advertisement which is placed on the front, and the back thereof
beneath the part of the front which is adapted to be torn out being provided with
a warning, substantially as shown and described.
6. A label composed of front and back parts, in which a portion of the front
part can be removed by means of a tape, or other suitable material, substantially
as described and shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st Jan of Dasambar 1807
FRANCIS M. MERRIDEW.