Improvements in Envelopes for Letters and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 16th May, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Envelopes for Letters and the like.
SAMUEL LEAROYD of 12 Coleman Street in the City of London and of
Sherwood House in Huddersfield in the County of York, Solicitor, and JOSEPH
LEWIS the younger of 5 Great Winchester Street in the City of London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
The invention relates to improvements in envelopes for letters and the like.
It consists of a method by which the envelope can be completely gummed and
sealed up to the edges of it which can be opened without defacing the envelope
without the use of any envelope opener and without tearing or mutilating the
envelope and without difficulty. The method by which we accomplish our
invention is by forming a groove or recess either at the top bottom or one of the
sides of the envelope or at some or all of them and perforating the paper in this
groove. The perforation is hidden in the slit or groove in which it is formed, and
the letter is opened by simply applying the finger or nail to the perforated groove
and forcing it open. The perforation is not in any way exposed or liable to be
torn, and the envelope can when it has thus been torn open by an application of
a gummed rim be sealed up and again used. The perforation may be formed by an
ordinary perforator or by a punch or any other well known method, and the
forming of the fold recess or crease is made in the shaping of the envelope and the
cutting out of the paper from which it is formed.
Dated this 16th day of December 1895.
SAMUEL LEAROYD.
JOSEPH LEWIS, JUNR.
Improvements in Envelopes for Letters and the like.
We SAMUEL LEAROYD of 12 Coleman Street in the City of London and of
Sherwood House in Huddersfield in the County of York Solicitor and JOSEPH
LEWIS the younger of 5 Great Winchester Street in the City of London,
Engineer, 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 improvements in envelopes for letters and the like.
It consists of a method by which the envelope can be completely gummed and
sealed up to the edges of it, and can be opened without the use of an envelope
opener and without tearing mutilating or defacing the envelope and without
difficulty. The method by which we accomplish our invention is by forming
a groove, recess or internal fold either at the top or bottom edge or at one of the
side edges of the envelope, or at two or more of the edges and perforating the
paper in this groove. The perforations are hidden in the internal fold or groove in.
which they are formed, and the letter is opened by simply applying the finger or
nail to the perforated internal fold or groove and forcing it open. The perforated
part of the envelope A is not in any way exposed or liable to be torn, and the
D..

page_text: envelope can, when it has thus been torn open, by an application of gum to the
opened part of the envelope, be sealed up and again used. The perforations may
be formed by an ordinary perforator, or by a punch or any other well-known
means, and the forming of the internal fold recess or groove is made in the
shaping of the envelope and the cutting out of the paper from which it is formed.
The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings. The letters used are the same throughout.
Figure 1. is a drawing of the sheet of paper from which the envelope is formed
after the perforations have been made, but before folding the paper to make the
envelope. Perforations are shown at the top and bottom edges and each side edge
of the envelope.
We do not usually perforate the envelopes on more than one edge but they can
thus be perforated on two or more edges as desired. A, A are the lines of
perforations, B, B and C, C are lines of folding. The fold, groove or crease is
made by folding the paper along the lines A, A, B, B, & C. C.
Figure 2 is a section of the envelope and shows the method of folding. The
folds may be gummed or pasted or left loose as desired.
The flap D of the envelope may be gummed to the full extent of it without
leaving any portion for opening, and the envelope when closed, has the appearance
of an envelope as ordinarily used.
The envelopes may be made of card, paper or any other suitable material and
may be made of any desired shape, size or form.
Figure 3 shows the envelope closed the lines of hidden perforations being
indicated by dotted lines.
The perforations may be made either in circular perforations with a punch of
any desired size, or by slits made, stamped or cut in the paper or in any desired
manner.
By this invention the following advantages are secured :-The flap or lip of the
envelope may be gummed to the extreme limit; no cutter or knife is required in
the opening of the envelope, the line of opening is absolutely hidden and protected;
the envelope is not destroyed or mutilated by opening it; there is no risk of any
enclosure being cut or destroyed in the opening; and the envelope may have its
opening gummed and be used a second time for transmission.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An envelope having an internal fold, groove or crease at the top or bottom
edge or at one side or at two or more of its edges substantially as described, and
for the purpose specified.
2. An envelope having the line of opening produced by perforations in an
internal crease or fold of the envelope substautially as described.
Dated this 11th day of March 1896.
SAMUEL LEAROYD.
JOSEPH LEWIS.