AN IMPROVED POSTAL ENVELOPE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Iuvention of
AN IMPROVED POSTAL ENVELOPE." A communication from abroad by Adrien
Ralu, junior, of Paris, France, Merchant.
Sealed the 27th December 1879, and dated the 7th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th July 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents
"AN IMPROVED POSTAL ENVELOPE.
Southampton Buildings, London.
[A com-
munication from abroad by Adrien Ralu, junior, of Paris, France, Merchant.]
The said Invention relates to envelopes, and is designed to provide the means
whereby they may be very readily opened, while guaranteeing to a great extent
their inviolability.
The said envelopes, after their manufacture in the ordinary manner, are subjected
to the action of a small press which forms in the flap or other parts of the envelope,
perforated lines (one or more) extending from edge to edge of the envelope, and
others radiating from a central point on the same. The said press is to be provided
with means for cutting the lines in the same manner as those used for postage
etamps..
The envelope, after being sealed or fastened, may be opened by dividing it on
one or more of these perforated lines. This manner of making the envelope, while
permitting the same to be readily opened at the top o: along one or more of its
sides, according to the number and position of the said lines, ensures to a great
extent its inviolability by reason of the facility afforded for detecting any attempt
to surreptitiously open the envelope.
. When the perforated lines are formed along the four sides of the envelope, the
same may be opened at any or all of these parts, and by forming the lines of per-
forations in numerous directions, still greater facility is afforded for quickly opening
the envelope without diminishing its security.

page_text: SPECIFICATION-in-pursuance_of_the_conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
-the-said-William Robert-Lake-in-the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th
January-1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED POSTAL ENVELOPE." A coin-
_munication from abroad by Adrien Ralu, junior, of Paris, France, Merchant.
The said Invention relates to envelopes, and is designed to provide the means
whereby they may be very readily opened, while guaranteeing to a great extent
their inviolability.
The said envelopes, after their manufacture in the ordinary manner, are subjected
to the action of a small press which forms in the flaps or other parts of the envelope,
perforated lines (one or more) extending from edge to edge of the envelope, and
others radiating from a central point on the same.
The said press is to be provided with means for cutting the lines in the same
manner as those used for postage stamps.
The envelope, after being sealed or fastened, may be opened by dividing it on one
or more of these perforated lines. This manner of making the envelope, while
permitting the same to be readily opened at the top or along one or more of its
sides, according to the number and position of the said lines, ensures to a great
extent its inviolability by reason of the facility afforded for detecting any attempt
to surreptitiously open the envelope. When the perforated lines are formed along
the four sides of the envelope, the same may be opened at any or all of these parts.
And by forming the lines of perforations in numerous directions, still greater facility
is afforded for quickly opening the envelope without diminishing its security.
Furthermore, the upper edge of the envelope may be gummed so as to facilitate
the tearing off of the band between the rows of perforations, without the danger of
tearing the contents of the envelope, which would be incurred if they could project
under the said band.
The accompanying Drawing exhibits various examples of any envelopes, with the
rows of perforations or holes punched in them.
Figure 1 shews the envelope opened, as it appears after the band or strip of
paper a has been formed between the two rows of perforations. This band or strip
consists of two parts gummed together, as shewn in Figure 2, and also in the
transverse section in Figure 3. The contents of the envelope will thus be kept.
from getting under the said band or strip, and from being torn when the said strip
is detached. Consequently, the edges b and c, instead of meeting the top edge of
the envelope at d, e, are carried no further than the row of perforations, and allow
-a-letter-or-other-document-to-be-slipped into the envelope, without ungumming or
tearing the strip or band which is ultimately to be detached in opening the
envelope.
In Figure 4, in addition to the row a, I form another row of holes f, which row
would be torn if any attempt were made to open the said envelope.
Figure 5 shews a perforated row or line a, and another g parallel to it. The
envelope in Figure 6 has rows of perforations a, a', a², a³, all around it and parallel
to its edges.
In Figures 7 and 8, these rows of perforations parallel to the edges, are combined
with radial rows or lines k.
These improved envelopes may be manufactured of any desired shape, size, and
quality of paper.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. The manufacture of envelopes with lines or rows of holes or perforations,

page_text: as means for securing their contents against being tampered with, substantially as
above set forth.
Second. The manufacture of the said envelopes with a perforated slip or band
gummed down and fastened to prevent the contents being torn when the said band
5 is detached for the purpose of opening the envelope, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.s.)