IMPROVEMENT IN ENVELOPES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JANET JANE COLEMAN, Llangattock Court, Crickhowell, in the county of
Brecon, Spinster, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENT
IN ENVELOPES, to be as follows:-
My invention has for its object to render the surreptitious opening of envelopes
for letters and other documents more difficult, than is the case with ordinary
envelopes which have only a gummed outside flap.
For this purpose I form on the reverse side of the envelope one or more
additional flaps and gum them on the outside (that which faces the front side of
the envelope). After the letter has been put into the envelope, the gummed part
of the auxiliary flap is moistened, the flap is turned down over the front side of
the letter, so as to bring its gummed face in contact with the front side or sheet
of the envelope; subsequently the ordinary or outside flap of the envelope is
moistened and closed in the usual manner.
Where one inside flap only is used, it is preferably formed by an extension of
the central told forming part of the reverse side of the envelope. The auxiliary
flap may, however, be a separate piece of any suitable material attached to the
reverse side of the envelope, and instead of gum, any other suitable binding
substance may be employed.
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents, 67, Strand.
I, JANET JANE COLEMAN, of Llangattock Court, Crickhowell, Brecon, do hereby
5 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 has for its object to render the surreptitious opening of envelopes
for letters and other documents more difficult, than is the case with ordinary
O envelopes, which have only a gummed outside flap.

page_text: For this purpose I form on the reverse side of the envelope one or more
additional flaps and gum them on the outside (that which faces the front side of
the envelope, when the letter is closed). After the letter has been put into the
envelope, the gummed part of the auxiliary flap is moistened, the latter is turned
down over the front side of the letter, so as to bring its gummed face in contact
with the front side or sheet of the envelope; subsequently the ordinary or outside
flap of the envelope is moistened and closed in the usual manner.
Where one inside flap only is used, it is preferably formed by an extension of
the central fold or lower flap forming part of the reverse side of the envelope.
The auxiliary flap may, however, be a separate picce of any suitable material
attached to the reverse side of the envelope and instead of gum, any other suitable
binding substance may be employed.
In the accompanying drawing Figs. 1 and 2 represent an envelope, in which the
auxiliary flap A is formed on the lower flap F, Fig. 1 showing the shape of the
paper, from which the envelope is made, while Fig. 2 shows the envelope completely
closed. C is the body or front of the envelope, B the ordinary upper or outside
flap, D and E are the side flaps.
Figs. 3 and 4 represent an envelope, in which the auxiliary flap A is formed on
one of the sides, Fig. 3 showing the shape of the paper, from which the envelope is
made and Fig. 4 the closed envelope. Ċ is again the body of the envelope, D the
outside or upper and E the lower flap, B the plain side flap and F the side provided
with the auxiliary flap A.
In Figs. 2 and 4 the folded flap A is designated with the letter a.
The flap A may have any desired shape and may be formed in the middle of
the ordinary flap as in Fig. 1, or at one of the corners, as in Fig. 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that, what
I claim is
Envelopes, provided with auxiliary flaps A, substantially as and for the purpose
described.