IMPROVED MEANS OF INSTANTANEOUSLY OPENING ENVELOPES, AND OF ATTACHING THEM TO THE LETTERS THEY CONTAINED
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED MEANS OF INSTANTANEOUSLY OPENING ENVELOPES, AND OF
ATTACHING THEM TO THE LETTERS THEY CONTAINED."A communication
from abroad by Constant Jardry, Artisan, of 13, Boulevart St.
Martin, Paris.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 9th September 1868.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF INSTANTANEOUSLY OPENING ENVELOPES,
AND OF ATTACH.NG THEM TO THE LETTERS THEY CONTAINED," to be as follows:-
The Drawing accompanying this description represents an ordinary
envelope securely closed, and provided with the improvements of this
Invention.

page_text: A shows a thread previously placed inside the envelope along its
bottom edge and projecting at each end; B, C, show small beads or
knobs of wax of different colors attached to the ends of the thread
which serve to prevent its being drawn through the envelope by
opposing a certain resistance when the thread is pulled at one end or 5
the other; D shows the edge of the envelope as provided with gum so
that the letter may be attached thereto after perusal. In order to
open the envelope one of the knobs B, C, is scized by the finger and
thumb, and the thread then pulled away from the envelope so as to
describe a quarter circle shown by the dotted lines E, and on reaching 1
point F the envelope will be cleanly cut along one edge, and so permit
of access being had to the letter enclosed.
The advantages and utility of the improvements may be thus
summarized :-
1st. Facility is afforded for instantly opening an envelope at any 1
moment without extraneous aid whatever may be its size or form.
2ndly. The seals, flaps, address, post stamps, and other distinguishing
marks on said envelope are preserved intact, so that it is always
possible to verify whether the envelope has been opened or not.
Lastly. It enables the envelope to be attached to the letter (in case 2
it is to be kept or filed), without requiring a pin, wafer, or other extra
means of attachment to be provided which might not always be at
hand.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent 2
Office on the 8th March 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her.

page_text: special licence that I, the said Alexander Melville. Clark, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS OF INSTANTANEOUSLY OPENING ENVELOPES, AND
OF ATTACHING THEM TO THE LETTERS THEY CONTAINED," a communication to
me from abroad by Constant Jardry, Artisan, of 13, Boulevart St.
Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Sheet
of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :-
The Drawing accompanying this description represents an ordinary
envelope securely closed and provided with the improvements of this
Invention.
A shows a thread, which may be previously stiffened, or fine wire
placed inside the envelope along its bottom edge and projecting at each
end; B, C, show small colored beads or heads of wax or other material
attached to the ends of the thread, which beads serve to prevent its
being drawn through the envelope by opposing a certain resistance
when the thread is pulled at one end or the other for cutting open the
envelope; D shows the edge of the envelope as provided with gum so
that the letter may be attached thereto after perusal. In order to
open the envelope one of the beads B, C, is seized by the finger and
thumb, and the thread then pulled away from the envelope so as to
describe, a quarter circle shown by the dotted lines E, and on reaching
point F the envelope will be cleanly cut along one edge, and so permit
of access being had to the letter enclosed.

page_text: The advantages and utility of the improvements may be thus
summarized:-
1st. Facility is afforded for instantly opening an envelope at any
moment without extraneous aid, whatever may be its size or form.
2ndly. The seals, flaps, address, post stamps, and other distinguishing 5
marks on said envelope are preserved intact so that it is always
possible to verify whether the envelope has been opened or not.
Lastly. It enables the envelope to be attached to the letter (in case
it is to be kept or filed) without requiring a pin, wafer, or other extra
means of attachment to be provided which might not always be at 1
hand.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. I claim as the improved means for opening envelopes, the 1
application of a silk or other thread or fine wire previously placed in
the envelope along one edge and projecting at each end, so as to operate
in the manner shown and described.
I also claim the application to such thread or fine wire of a bead
ör head at either end with a view to prevent the thread or fine wire 2
being drawn out, and also to provide sufficient resistance to enable it
to sever the envelope in the manner described.
2ndly. I claim the means herein described of instantaneously
attaching envelopes to the letters they have contained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have 2
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)