Improvements in Post Cards, Postal Wrappers, and Envelopes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug.. 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Post Cards, Postal Wrappers, and Envelopes.
I HENRY JOHNSON of Trindle Road Dudley in the County of Worcester Mining
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to he as follows:-
My invention has for its object principally to protect more or less the written or
other matter of the post card or the contents of the wrapper or envelope while
permitting in the case of post cards and postal wrappers of a partial examination of
the written or printed matter of the post card or of the contents of the wrapper.
In making a post card according to my invention I take a piece of card double
the size of an ordinary post card the said piece of card when doubled at its middle
constituting as it were a double post card the two parts of which are connected
together at the fold. In that part of the doubled card constituting the front of the
card that is the part on which the address is to be written and the stamp affixed
I make a perforation preferably circular and half an inch in diameter. The said
perforation is made at the corner where the stamp is affixed and in applying the
stamp is covered by the said stamp.
The post card is used in the following manner. The writing or other matter is
made on the inner faces of the card that is on the faces which when the card is
folded are presented to each other. The moistened stamp is applied over the
perforation in the address side of the card and the two halves of the doubled card
are pressed together. The adhesive side of the stamp is presented through the
perforation described in the address side of the card to the inner face of the other
side of the card and attaches itself thereto. That is in applying the moistened stamp
to the card the marginal portions of the stamp attach themselves to the address side
of the card and the middle part of the stamp attaches itself through the perforation
to the other side of the card. The two parts of the doubled card are thus held
together at the fold and also at the part where the stamp is applied. The inner faces
of the folded card can be imperfectly inspected but the doubled card cannot be
unfolded without destroying the stamp.
In making a postal wrapper according to my invention I perforate the wrapper at
the part where the stamp is to be affixed so that when the written or other matter
has been introduced into the wrapper and the stamp applied the said matter is fixed
in the wrapper so that while it can be partially examined without difficulty it
cannot be removed from the wrapper without destroying the stamp.
In making envelopes according to my invention I perforate the envelope at the
part where the stamp is to be affixed so that in applying the stamp it attaches itself
both to the envelope and through the perforation in the envelope to the note or letter
within. Hence if the envelope be opened its contents cannot be withdrawn without
destroying the stamp.
Or the envelope may have a perforated end flap instead of the ordinary back flap
and also a perforation coinciding with that of the end flap when turned down upon
the face of the envelope. After the letter has been introduced into the envelope
the end flap is turned down upon the face of the envelope. On applying the stamp
it attaches itself to the flap and through the perforations described to the contents of
the envelope. Or I make an envelope with two back flaps similar to those of an
ordinary envelope excepting that the ends of the said flaps are engaged together by
the gummed and folded end of one flap being passed through a slit in the end of the
other flap and the folded end then unfolded and fixed by wetting. The said envelope
is provided with an end flap sufficiently long to extend along the back and to fold so
far over the front as to cover the part where the stamp is to be applied. The last

page_text: described part and front of the envelope have coincident perforations as in the last
described envelope and the application of the stamp effects the secure fastening in
addition to that of the engaged hack flaps.
Although I prefer a circular perforation I do not limit myself thereto as perforations
of various forms may be employed with like effect.
Dated this 30th day of August 1889.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Post Cards, Postal Wrappers, and Envelopes.
I HENRY JOHNSON of Trindle Road Dudley in the County of Worcester Mining
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention has for its object principally to protect more or less the written or
other matter of the post card or the contents of the wrapper or envelope while
permitting in the case of post cards and postal wrappers of a partial examination of
the written or printed matter of the post card or of the contents of the wrapper.
In making a post card according to my invention I take a piece of card double the
size of an ordinary post card the said piece of card when doubled at its middle con-
stituting as it were a double post card; the two parts of which are connected
together at the fold. In that part of the doubled card constituting the front of the
card that is the part on which the address is to be written and the stamp affixed I
make a perforation preferably circular and half an inch in diameter. The sid
perforation is made at the corner where the stamp is affixed and in applying the
stamp is covered by the said stamp.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents a double post card folded and
the folded parts fastened together according to my invention and
Figure 2 represents the double post card before the parts are folded upon one
another.
Figure 3 represents a section of a portion of Figure 1 drawn to a larger scale:
a b are the two parts or haives of the post card connected together at the fold or
crease c. On the front of the part a of the card the address is written or printed and
the postage stamp affixed the other part being folded on the back of the address
part a the writing or other matter being made on the inner faces of the two parts a b
that is the faces which when the card is folded are presented to each other: d is the
circular perforation at the corner of the address side a of the card at which corner
the postage stamp e is to be applied.
The post card is used in the following manner. The writing or other matter
having been made on the inner faces of the two parts ab the said parts are folded
and the moistened postage stamp e is applied over the perforation d in the address
side a of the card and the two halves of the doubled card are pressed together. The
adhesive side of the stampe is presented through the perforation d in the address side a
of the card to the inner face of the other side of the card and attaches itself thereto.
That is in applying the moistened stamp to the card the marginal portions of the
stamp attach themselves to the address side a of the card and the middle part of the
stamp attaches itself through the perforation d to the other side of the card as will
be understood by an examination of the enlarged sectional view Figure 3 of a portion
of the folded and fastened card where the perforation in the address side a of the
card is marked d and the postage stamp attached at its marginal parts to the
address side a of the card and at its middle through the perforation d to the other
side of the card is marked e. The two parts of the doubled card are thus held
together at the fold c and also at the corner of the part a where the stamp d is

page_text: applied. The inner faces of the folded card can be imperfectly inspected but the
doubled card cannot be unfolded without destroying the stamp.
In making a postal wrapper according to my invention I perforate the wrapper at
the part where the stamp is to be affixed so that when the written or other matter
has been introduced into the wrapper and the stamp applied the said matter is fixed
in the wrapper so that while it can be partially examined without difficulty it cannot
be removed from the wrapper without destroying the stamp.
Figure 4 represents the unfolded postal wrapper and Figure 5 the same after its
longitudinal edges have been fastened together and the printed or other matter
introduced into the wrapper and fastened thereto by the application of the stamp e to
the perforation d in the said wrapper.
The blank Figure 4 to form the wrapper is creased at the part f and the narrow
edge g is gummed to the edge h. When the moistened stamp e is applied to the
wrapper at the perforation d and pressed down the middle of its gummed under
surface attaches itself through the perforation d to the contents of the wrapper and
while the said contents can be partially examined they cannot be removed without
destroying the stamp e.
In making envelopes according to my invention I perforate the envelope at the part
where the stamp is to be affixed so that in applying the stamp it attaches itself both
to the envelope and through the perforation in the envelope to the note or letter
within. Hence if the envelope be opened its contents cannot be withdrawn without
destroying the stamp.
I do not think it necessary to represent an ordinary envelope to which I apply my
invention as the position and use of the perforation in the front of the envelope will
be readily understood by the description and representations I have already given of
a post card and postal wrapper.
Or the envelope may have a perforated end flap instead of the ordinary back flap
and also a perforation coinciding with that of the end flap when turned down on the
face of the envelope of the kind shown in the envelope hereinafter described and
illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. After the letter has been introduced into the envelope
the end flap is turned down upon the face of the envelope. On applying the stamp
it attaches itself to the flap and through the perforations described to the contents of
the envelope.
Or I make an envelope with two back flaps similar to those of an ordinary envelope
excepting that the ends of the said flaps are engaged together by the gummed and
folded end of one flap being passed through a slit in the end of the other flap and the
folded end then unfolded and fixed by wetting. The said envelope is provided with
an end flap sufficiently long to extend along the back and to fold so far over the front
as to cover the part where the stamp is to be applied.
The last described part and front of the envelope have coincident perforations as
in the last described envelope and the application of the stamp effects the secure
fastening in addition to that of the engaged back flap.
An envelope made according to the last described arrangement is represented in
Figure 6 and the blank from which it is made in Figure 7. i is the perforation in
the front part of the envelope and is the end flap having a fold or crease 1³. In
the part of the flap is a perforation m which when the said part 2 is turned down
upon the front of the envelope coincides with the perforation in the said front k.
It will be seen that the end flap is of sufficient length to extend along the back of
the part while the extreme end 12 of the said flap is of sufficient length to fold
over the face of the part k where the perforation is made as represented in Figure 6;
the edges of the parts of the end flap are gummed; py are the two back flaps
of the envelope the said flaps being engaged and fastened together in the following
manner-In the end of the back flap 9 is a slit r and the end of the other flap
provided with cars s s which can be folded on the middle part t and passed through
the slit r and afterwards opened out. The said cars ss and part t are gummed. In
making the envelope from the blank Figure 7 the gummed parts sts are wetted and
the ears ss folded upon the middle part t and the two flaps p q being folded the tuck
1S

page_text: att with the ears ss folded upon it is passed through the slit r to the inner side of
the flap q. The ears are then opened out and the gummed parts st s pressed upon
the inner side of the said flap g; the two flaps p q are thus fastened together. The
gummed edges of the part of the end flap are next wetted and the said part 1
folded over and gummed to the back flaps p q and the open ended envelope is ready
to receive the letter or note. The letter or note having been introduced into the
envelope its open end is closed by the end flap 12 being gummed on the face of the
envelope the two holes mi coinciding as seen in Figure 6. By applying the moistened
postage stamp over the concentric holes mi the flap is secured in its place by
the stamp in addition to the gumming of the flap the middle of the stamp attaching
itself to the letter through the perforations in the end flap 12 and front of the
envelope.
The perforated end flap 12 may be used without the arrangement described and
represented for engaging the back flaps together.
Although I prefer a circular perforation I do not limit myself thereto as perfora-
tions of various forms may be employed with like effect. For example all the forms
of perforations represented in Figure 8 may be employed that is in addition to the
circular form marked 1 which I prefer to use the square perforation marked 2 or
the series of circular perforations marked 3 or the cross perforations marked 4 or the
series of parallel perforations marked 5 or the oblong perforation marked 6 may
be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvements in post cards postał wrappers and envelopes " ;—
First Making at that part of a double post card or postal wrapper or envelope
where the postage stamp is to be applied a perforation over which the postage stamp
is affixed whereby in case of a double post card the two parts are held together
where the stamp is applied in the case of a postal wrapper the matter enclosed in
the wrapper is attached thereto by the postage stamp and in the case of an envelope
the contents of the envelope are attached thereto by the postage stamp substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly-Making envelopes with a perforated end flap and also with a perfora-
tion in the front of the envelope where the postage stamp is to be affixed which
perforation in the end flap when turned down upon the face of the envelope coincides
with that in the said envelope the application of the postage stamp to the coincident
perforations fixing down the end flap and also securing the contents of the
envelope substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
Thirdly-Making and fastening envelopes having end flaps in the manner
herein before described and illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying
Drawing.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.