IMPROVEMENTS IN ENVELOPES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lister, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN
ENVELOPES."
Sealed the 25th August 1871, and dated the 9th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lister at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th June 1871.
I, JOHN LISTER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ENVELOPES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in envelopes to be
used for the transmission by post or otherwise of letters, documents,
or other articles transmitted therein, and has for its object to secure
the contents of the envelope from being tampered with or extracted in
the course of transmission between the sender and the receiver.
The Invention is carried out in practice by making one or more
holes or openings in the envelope at the part overlapped by the gummed
flap, and also at the corner whercon the postage stamp. is usually affixed,

page_text: these holes or openings which may be of any desired form or dimensions
admit of the gummed portion of the flap, and the gummed side of the
postage stamp adhering (through the openings) to the contents of the
envelope, thus holding them securely therein.
It is to be understood that the holes or openings are made through 5
the one side or thickness of the envelope only so that it is in no way
disfigured, and when closed and the stamp affixed the holes or openings
are completely covered from view.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lister in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LISTER, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the 35th year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Lister, Her special license that I, the said
John Lister, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Lister, my executors, administrators, or 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 con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said John Lister, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and scal, 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 John Lister, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
My said Invention which relates to certain improvements in envelopes
to be used for the transmission by post or otherwise of letters, documents,
or other articles transmitted therein, and has for its object to securo
the contents of the envelope from being tampered with or extracted
in the course of transmission between the sender and the receiver.
The Invention is carried out in practice by making one or more holes
or openings in the envelope at the part overlapped by the gummed flap,
and also at the corner whereon the postage stamp is usually affixed,
these holes or openings which may be of any desired form or dimensions
admit of the gummed portion of the flap and the gummed side of the
postage stamp adhering (through the openings) to the contents of the
envelope, thus holding them securely therein.
It is to be understood that the holes or openings are made through
the one side or thickness of the envelope only, so that it is in no way
disfigured, and when closed and the stamp affixed the holes or openings
are completely covered from view.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood,
I now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 represents the
front part, and Figure 2 the back part of an envelope shewing my
improvements applied thereto, and which consist in making a hole or
opening a, shewn at Figure 1, through the front side of the envelopo
and at that part which when the envelope is closed is overlapped by the
peak or point 6 of the flap. Another hole or opening c, shewn at
Figure 2, is made at the corner whereon the postage stamp is usually
affixed and these holes or openings a and c respectively when the letter,
document, or other article to be transmitted by post has been placed in
the envelope permit the gummed portion of the flap 6 and a portion of
the gummed side of the postage stamp to adhere to the contents of the
envelope through the said holes or openings, thus holding the contents
safely in the envelope and securing them from being tampered with or
extracted in the course of transmission between the sender and the
receiver.

page_text: In lieu of forming the envelope with circular holes or openings, as
shewn at Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings, triangular holes or openings
may be formed therein, as shewn at a, Figure 3, or holes or openings
similar to those shewn in full lines at 6 on the front side of the envelope
Figure 4, or in dotted lines at c on the back part thereof, or square
holes, as shewn at d, Figure 5, may be formed in the envelope for the
purposes herein-before set forth, and in lieu of any of the arrangements
herein-before described and shewn at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the
envelope may be formed with a series of holes or perforations in its front
and back parts, as shewn at e, Figure 6, of the Drawings, it being here
understood that I do not confine myself to any particular arrangement
or form of the said holes or openings as such arrangements may be still
further modified, and in each and every arrangement when the envelope
is closed and the stamp affixed the said holes or openings are completely
covered from view so that the envelope is in no way disfigured.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the several
systems or modes in or under which the same is or may be used or
carried into practice, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the con-
struction of envelopes employed in transmitting letters, documents, or
other articles by post with a hole or holes in the front and back parts
thereof, as and for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lister, have hereunto set .my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.