THE MANUFACTURE OF AN IMPROVED SAFETY ENVELOPE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Wighton, of the Armoury, Southwark, in the
County of Surrey, Stationer, for the Invention of "THE MANUFACTURE OF AN
IMPROVED SAFETY ENVELOPE."
Sealed the 17th September 1878, and dated the 19th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Wighton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th March 1878.
•
JAMES WIGHTON, of the Armoury, Southwark, in the County of Surrey, Stationer.
THE MANUFACTURE OF AN IMPROVED SAFETY ENVELOPE.'
The combination of paper and linen or other similar material of such relative
shape, as that when the envelope is ready for use it shall form a complete pocket of
linen or such other similar material inside a paper envelope, the said shape and
the arrangement of the said materials being such that all the edges or portions of
the envelope to be fastened are gummed or otherwise fastened paper to paper, and
never paper to the linen or other material forming the pocket, all such edges or
portions of the envelope to be fastened being for further security serrated or dog-
toothed

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Wighton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th Septem-
ber 1878.
JAMES WIGHTON, of the Armoury, Sothwark, in the County of Surrey, Stationer.
"THE MANUFACTURE OF AN IMPROVED SAFETY ENVELOPE."
The difficulty hitherto found in constructing envelopes of a material and form
calculated to resist attempts to open thein and to abstract the contents without im-
mediate discovery has arisen from the circumstance that a complete interior or bag
of linen enclosed within a paper envelope was difficult to fasten from the inadhesive-
ness of linen.
The form of envelope which I have invented obviates this difficulty. It consists
of a sheet of paper cut in the form and covered with linen, to the extent and in the
manner shewn by Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing. It will be seen from this
Figure that when my said envelope has been doubled once at the line marked a, a,
with the linen surface inwards, and when the sides marked A and B have been
doubled over upon the paper surface of C, and have been gummed as to the side
marked B to the paper surface of C, and as to the side marked A to the paper
surface of C, and so as to overlap the edge of the side marked B, the said envelope
presents an enclosure fortified with linen on its whole surface, and is converted into
a bag open at the top only and fastened as in Figure 2 by surfaces of gummed paper
attached to other paper and not to linen.
The envelope is completely closed by folding over the serrated edge at the top
marked D in Figure 2, which, as will be seen, folds over to E and again gives one paper
surface attached to another without the intervention of linen.
The advantage of the serrated or dog-toothed edge is that an edge, so prepared,
is not likely to be opened without some of the dog teeth being broken off, and the
exterior of the envelope being consequently altered in appearance.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I claim the envelope formed
in such a manner as to contain a complete linen bag without having any seam or
join of the linen at any of the edges of the envelope when folded ready for use, but
nevertheless fastened in all respects with paper, the serrated edge being a beneficial
element in the combination as rendering it far more difficult to separate the paper
edges from one another without risk of detection.
In order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I now proceed to refer
to the several Figures in the annexed Drawing.
Figure 1 represents the improved safety envelope before folding, and with the
inner surface towards the reader, and shows the relative shape and extent of the
linen and paper of which it is manufactured.
Figure 2 represents the envelope folded and ready for use.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Wighton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
THARITAKE