Year: 1898

page_text: I, MAURICE WIRTHS, of Rue de la Vesdre Dolhain, Belgium, Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to a folded sheet or envelope in which provision is made for
holding the sheet or envelope in its folded position during transmission through the
Mail from place to place or wherever it may be desired to protect its inner face or
contents from dust or injury and at the same time permitting a ready unfolding of
the sheet or envelope at pleasure for observing and gaining access to its interior face
or contents and whereby the folded sheet or envelope may be transmitted as
unsealed mail matter without the use of any surrounding string or fastening and
without defacing the inner face of the folded sheet or envelope as happens where a
slit is formed for the reception of a tongue or an eyelet or other metallic fastening
is seated in the body of one of the flaps of the folded sheet or envelope.
To enable my invention to be more readily understood I'append the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a view of a blank showing the line along which it is to be folded in dotted
lines and the position of the retaining seal thereon.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the folded sheet showing the tongue of the outer flap
inserted beneath the free edge of the holding seal.
Fig. 3 is a back view of the folded sheet adapted to receive the address.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the folded sheet in the plane of the line 4-4
of Fig. 2 and
Figs. 5 and 6 represent modified forms of holding seals.
In the form which I have chosen to illustrate my invention I have presented a
folded sheet having its ends open as distinguished from an envelope provided with
flaps for closing its ends. It is to be understood however that my invention relates
particularly to the structure of the means for holding the tongue of the outer flap in
removable engagement with the body of the folded sheet or envelope rather than to
the particular structure of the sheet or envelope itself and hence it has not been
thought necessary to show various forms of folded sheets or envelopes well known in
the art to which my improved fastening may be applied.
The body of the folded sheet herein shown is denoted by A the outer flap on which
the retaining tongue a¹ is located is denoted by a and that portion of the body which
receives the holding seal is denoted by a².
The holding seal is denoted in Figs. 1 to 4 by B and in Figs. 5 and 6 by B¹ and B²
respectively these three forms represented by B B1, B2 being a few of many shapes
which might be utilized for the purpose. The seal B is glued along a portion of its
surface, in the present instance along the portion b to the part a2 of the body of the
folded sheet leaving another portion 61 free from attachment to the surface of the
part a² and so located that when the outer flap a of the folded sheet is folded into

page_text: contact with the outer face of the part a² of the sheet the tongue a¹ may be slipped
beneath the portion 61 of the seal and the flap thereby held in folded adjustment.
By making the seal B of a stiff quality of paper it will as practice has proven quite
effectually hold the tongue of the flap a in position beneath it so that the folded
sheet or envelope may be sent through the mails in a condition to be readily
examined if the postal authorities desire to do so and again folded without
hindrance.
Furthermore the attachment of the seal to the exterior face of the part a² without
defacing in any manner the inner face of the part a² provides for utilizing the inner
face of each of the folded parts for engravings paintings or other fine embellishments
without the liability of the latter becoming injured or blurred by the rubbing action
of an inserted tongue. It also does away with the necessity of using any form of
metallic fastening which the latter is objectionable because of its weight and of the
manner of fastening it to the sheet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what
I claim is
Á folded sheet or envelope provided with a flap and having a holding seal
permanently glued to the exterior of the folded sheet throughout a portion of its
surface another portion of the holding seal being free to receive beneath it the edge
of the aforesaid flap substantially as set forth:
Dated the 7th day of February 1808
THEO. MCKENNA,
17 and 18, Basinghall Street, London, Patent Agent.