IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Elias Penny, of No. 77, Saint John Street,
West Smithfield, in the County of Middlesex, Wholesale Stationer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Elias Penny at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th November 1867.
I, CHARLES ELIAS PENNY, of No. 77, Saint John Street, West Smithfield,
in the County of Middlesex, Wholesale Stationer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention applies specially to that class of envelopes known in the
trade.as." pocket envelopes," wherein the letters or other contents are intro-
duced at one end, which is left open for that purpose, and which is then closed
by a flap which is gummed or otherwise fastened down. Envelopes of this class
are usually made by folding in the two sides which form a straight joint or
seam down the middle, and then folding over a small flap at one end so as to
form a deep pocket, leaving a similar flap at the other end, to be folded down.
and secured when the contents have been inserted. These envelopes although
much used (especially for official purposes) are not at all safe, as although the

page_text: upper flap may be made perfectly secure by a seal or otherwise, yet it is very
easy to abstract the contents by simply ungumming the lower flap, which is
outside and entirely unprotected
My Invention is intended to remedy this defect and to render " pocket
envelopes" perfectly secure.
The two sides are first folded over somewhat in the usual manner and
gummed or pasted, but I make this joint by forming one side in a half lozenge
shape, so that when folded over the obtuse angle slightly overlaps the centre,
and the other side like a right angled triangle, the base of which is about equal
to the width of the envelope, so that when these sides are folded over they over-
lap only at one end forming a joint diagonally from one corner of the envelope
to about the central point of the same. The two end flaps are in the form of
isosceles triangles, whereof the base is equal to the width of the envelope, and
the height (with the apex rounded or cut off) such that when folded over they
overlap in the centre in such a manner that the lower flap when folded up
completes the form of the pocket, and the upper flap when folded overlaps the
former and is gummed on to both side flaps and the lower end flap at the same
time so that whether the envelope is further secured by sealing wax or not it
is impossible to open the same and abstract any of the contents without
detecttion.
A modification of this envelope may be made by forming the side flaps with
a straight joint, as in ordinary "pocket envelopes," or by making the joint
diagonally from end to end of the envelope; but these methods are not sa
economical as the above described as they require more paper.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Elias Penny in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
ELIAS PENNY, of No. 77, Saint John Street, West Smithfield, in the County
of Middlesex, Wholesale Stationer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Elias Penny, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Elias Penny,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said

page_text: Charles Elias Penny, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ENVELOPES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Elias Penny, my executers or administrators, by an instrument in
writing u under my, or their, 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 performed, 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 Charles Elias Penny, do hereby declare
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 in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
that is to say:-
This Invention applies especially to that class of envelopes known in the
trade as "pocket envelopes," wherein the letters or contents are introduced
at one end, which is left open for that purpose, and which is then closed by a
flap which is gummed or otherwise fastened down. Envelopes of this class
are usually made by folding in the two sides which form a straight joint or
seam down the middle, and then folding over a small flap at one end so as
to form a deep pocket, leaving a similar flap at the other end to be folded
down and secured when the contents have been inserted. These envelopes
although much used (especially for official purposes) are not at all safe, as
although the upper flap may be made perfectly secure by a seal or otherwise,
yet it is very easy to abstract the contents by simply ungumming the lower
flap, which is outside and entirely unprotected.
My Invention is intended to remedy this defect, and to render "pocket
envelopes" perfectly secure.
The two sides are first folded over somewhat in the usual manner, and
gummed or pasted; but I make this joint by forming one side somewhat in a
half lozenge shape, so that when folded over the obtuse angle slightly overlaps
the centre, and the other side like a right-angled triangle, the base of which
is about equal to the width of the envelope, so that when the sides are folded
over they overlap only at one end, forming a joint diagonally from one corner
of the envelope to about the central point of the same. The two end flaps
are in the form of isosceles triangles, whereof the base is equal to the width

page_text: of the envelope, and the height (with the apex rounded or cut off) such that
when folded over they overlap in the centre in such a manner that the lower
flap when folded up completes: the form of the pocket, and the upper flap
when folded down bverlapstohen formet, landvik gúmmed on to both side flaps
and the lower end 'flap at the same time, so 'that whether the envelope is
further secured by sealing wax or not it is impossible to open the same and
abstract any of the contents without detection.
A modification of this envelope may be made by forming the side flaps
with a straight joint, as in ordinary "pocket envelopes," or by making the
joint diagonally from end to end of the envelope; but these methods are not
so. economical as the above described, as they require more paper.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Envelopes," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in
which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect;
and in order that the same may [be distinctly understood I have annexed
hereunto & Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following
explanation thereof, that is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing, Figure 1 shows the ordinary pocket envelope,
a, a, representing the straight joint or seam down the middle; b, b, the upper
flap, and c, c, the lower flap. When the letters or other contents are intro-
duced and the flap b, b, is sealed down it is obvious that it would be easy to
abstract the contents without disturbing the seal by simply ungumming the
lower flap c, c;
Figure 2 shows the form of my improved envelope before folding, and
Figure 3 shows the same folded ready for the introduction of the letter. It
will be seen that the side d, d, is of a right-angled triangular form, and the
side e, e, somewhat in the form of an obtuse angled triangle or half lozenge:
The lower flap f, f, is made in the shape of an isosceles triangle, and the
upper flap 9, 9, in a similar shape, but with the apex rounded off and con-
siderably blunted so as to give room for an embossed or other seal.
It will be seen on reference to Figure 8 that when this envelope is closed
the gum or sealing wax will secure all four of the flaps, and that it will be
impossible to open any one of them without disturbing the seal.
Figure 4 shows a modification of my improved envelope wherein the side
flaps are cut so as to form a straight joint up the centre as ath, h; and
Figure 5 shows a further modification wherein the joint formed by the sides i, i,
runs diagonally from one corner to the other of the envelope, as shown by
the dotted lines which represent the envelope when closed.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"Improvements in Envelopes," together with the manner in which the same
is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark
in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the improvements in the manu-
facture of "pocket envelopes" as above described and exhibited in the
Drawings annexed, and particularly I claim so forming the same that the
upper flap when gummed, cemented, or sealed down shall secure the other
three substantially in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Elias Penny, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
CHARLES ELIAS PENNY. (L.S.)
Witness,
GEORGE DAVIES,
Patent Agent,
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.