Improvements in Postal Letter Sheets and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th July, 1898-Accepted, 27th Aug.,
1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Postal Letter Sheets and the like.
We, FREDERICK ELLIS WILLCOCKS and EDGAR WHEELER, trading together
as Willcocks, Wheeler & Co., of 167, Edmund Street, in the City of Birming-
ham, Manufacturing Stationers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to postal letter sheets and the like such for
instance as invoice forms and circulars and this invention consists in constructing
the said letter sheets or the like as herein described so that they will also form
the envelope or wrapper for transmitting the sheet through the post and thus
a separate envelope or wrapper is not required.
In one arrangement of this invention the letter sheet has near the top two
projecting side flaps one at each side and also a flap projecting from the top of
the sheet.
To close the sheet for transmission through the post the sheet is folded over
and over from the bottom and then secured by the two side flaps and top flap
being folded and secured down upon the folded sheet. One, two or all of the flaps
are gummed..
When the said letter sheet or the like is required to be closed in such a way
that the contents can be readily inspected by the post office authorities then the
side flaps are made so small that they only extend a short distance along the
ends of the folded sheet and they are folded down and secured on to the top flap
thus forming a shallow pocket containing one folded edge of the sheet which
can readily be withdrawn from the pocket and the sheet opened and inspected
and then folded and the folded edge replaced in the pocket.
When the said letter sheet is required to be closed so that the contents cannot
be inspected then the side flaps are made the full depth or almost the full depth
of the ends of the folded sheet and closed down and secured upon the same.
By a letter sheet or the like" we mean a whole sheet of paper or a half or
other part of a sheet of any size.
The part of the letter sheet or the like with which the flaps are formed may
be narrower than the sheet itself which will then have to be folded vertically
upon itself like a sheet of letter paper and then folded over and over to be
enclosed within the flaps which are or may be formed with a part of the sheet
projecting from the top or bottom or from one side of it. This part may be
perforated so as to be readily torn off the sheet if desired.
Dated this 10th day of October 1807
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Postal Letter Sheets and the like.
We, FREDERICK ELLIS WILLCOCKS, and EDGAR WHEELER, trading together
as Willcocks, Wheeler & Co., late of 167, but now of 151 and 153, Edmund
Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturing Stationers, 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 state-
ment-
This invention has reference to postal letter sheets and the like such for
instance as invoice forms and circulars and this invention consists in constructing
the said letter sheets or the like as herein described so that they will also form
the wrapper for transmitting the sheet through the post and thus a separate
wrapper is not required.
We will describe this invention by referring to the accompanying drawings
on which Fig. 1 represents a letter sheet or invoice form or the like open made
in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 shews the same letter sheet or invoice
form or the like opened after it has been folded and Fig. 3 shews the same letter
sheet or invoice form or the like folded closed ready for sending through the
post; Fig. 4 shews another form of our invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures.
In one arrangement of this invention (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) the letter sheet
or invoice form or the like A has near the top two projecting side flaps marked
respectively B 12 one at each side and also a flap C projecting from the top
of the sheet beyond the said side flaps B¹ B².
To close the sheet A. for transmission through the post the sheet A is folded
over from the bottom say on the lines D D and E E and then secured by the
top flap C being folded down on the line G G and the two side flaps B¹ B' being
folded and secured down upon the sides of the top flap C as represented by
Fig. 3. The side flaps B1 B2 are gummed so as to secure them. The part of
the letter sheet A with which the flaps B1 B2 C are formed is or may be perforated
right across the sheet at F F so as to be readily torn off the sheet if desired. It
will be seen that when the top flap C is folded down along the line G G and the
two side flaps B1 B2 are folded down and secured on the top flap C the three
flaps thus together form a shallow pocket containing one folded edge of the
sheet A which can be readily withdrawn from the pocket and the sheet opened
for inspection if required by the post office authorities and then folded and the
folded edge replaced in the pocket.
It is to be understood that by a letter sheet or the like" we mean a whole
sheet or a half sheet or a sheet of any size.
The part of the letter sheet or the like with which the flaps B¹ 132 and C are
formed may as shewn by Fig. A be narrower than the sheet itself which will
then have to be folded vertically upon itself upon the line H H like a sheet of
letter paper and then folded over to be enclosed within the flaps B¹ B2 and C.
The part of the sheet with which the flaps B1 B2 and C are formed may,
instead of projecting from the top of the sheet as shewn in Fig. 4, project from
one side of the sheet or from the bottom of the same as will readily be under-
stood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
The improved postal letter sheet or the like provided with the side flaps B¹ B

page_text: and the flap C arranged to fold and form a shallow pocket to secure the folded
sheet substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.