An Improved Post-card Block.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
An Improved Post-card Block.
I, RICHARD FRANK, of 10, Kürassier-Strasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Ger-
many, Merchant, 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 a block composed of postcards the peculiar construc-
tion of which admits of the separate postcards forming the block being sold
to the public at a lower price than is usually done at the official postoffices.
As is well known postcards are usually sold by the postoffices in most countries
at a price corresponding to their face value immaterially whether few or many
postcards are purchased simultaneously. No reduction of price is ever made.
According to the present invention a number of postcards, for instance 12, 25
or 50 cards are formed into a so-called tear-off block and leaves inserted between
the separate cards as intermediate layers, which leaves have advertisements,
business notices, addresses, or the like printed on them. By the profit the
vendor obtains from the printing and circulating of the advertisements, he is
in a position to sell the postcards at a cheaper price than the official postmasters
although he has himself purchased the cards at a higher price from the
government.
A form of construction of the invention hereinbefore described is shown in
the accompanying drawings in four different views of this improved block.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the block before use.
Fig. 2 a plan view after the uppermost postcard has been removed..
Fig. 3 a side view.
Fig. 4 a view in perspective.
As may be seen in the drawings the postcards and intermediate layers are
held together by paper strips a along the sides or ends in the manner customary
in making paper blocks. After each postcard 6 there follows a leaf c imprinted
with an advertisement or the like, so that one leaf comes between each two
postcards and vice versa one postcard between each two leaves. As a finish and
in order to afford the block a firm support or foundation a thick piece of paste-
board d may be attached to the bottom; Figs. 3 and 4.
It is evident that the leaves or intermediate layers c may be made of any
suitable material but in practice blotting paper is preferably employed as it is
at once available when the post cards are used.
The block of course may be held together in any other suitable way, such as
by fastening in a cover, by means of wire or the like. The fastening by paper
strips hereinbefore described has however the great advantage that the post-
cards can be removed in the simplest way by tearing them off without damaging
them in the slightest.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
A. postcard tear-off block characterised by leaves or intermediate lavers of

page_text: suitable material being inserted between the separate postcards forming the
block, said intermediate leaves being printed with advertisements, announce-
ments, business notices or the like substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of February 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.