IMPROVEMENTS IN.
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Noah Jacobsohn at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th November 1877.
NOAH JACOBSOHN, of Berlin, Prussia, Manufacturer.
ENVELOPES."
" IMPROVEMENTS IN.
This Invention relates to improvements in envelopes for enclosing letters or other
documents to be transmitted by post or otherwise, and is chiefly designed to prevent
the same from being opened or tampered with without detection.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, I cut the top flap of the envelope
and the two side ones of such a form that the ends thereof converge to one point,
and overlap each other, so that they may be all fastened together, and held securely
with one seal or by other suitable means. By means of this construction one seal
will hold the contents of the envelope as securely as several seals would do with an
envelope of ordinary construction.
I perforate the upper flap with eight or nine holes (or more or less, as may be
desired); and these holes may for convenience be arranged in circular form, or there
may be perforations extending all along the edge of the flap. These perforations
are for the purpose of fastening the envelope in combination with sealing wax. The
wax is applied underneath in the usual manner, and then the upper flap with the
perforations therein is pressed down upon it, causing the wax to protrude through
the said perforations in small bead-shaped projections, thereby securely fastening
the envelope. The fastening thus effected is more secure than by the ordinary
method of sealing. No seal is required, and it is impossible for anyone to open or
tamper with the envelope without detection.
In some cases the said perforations are at the end or point of the flap, or they
may be higher up, in which latter case the end or point will be provided with gum
;

page_text: arabic, so that the flap may be attached there by wetting, in addition to the
sealing.
As a further security I color the edges of the flaps with coloring matter, which
will be displaced if any attempts are made to unfasten the gummed parts of the
envelope by means of moisture, and the receiver of the latter would thus be made
aware of the fact that the letter had been tampered with.
The colors I employ for this purpose are composed of solutions of either mineral
or vegetable coloring matters. I use for this purpose ultramarine, indigo, carmine,
fustic, or the like, mixed with glycerine, and ground in water containing some gum
arabic; and in certain cases I may use aniline dyes, as there are substances which
would dissolve the gum when mineral dyes are used without removing the color.
The aniline dyes are composed of eighty per cent. of gum arabic dissolved in water,
fifteen per cent. of pure glycerine, and five per cent. of aniline color dissolved in
water. The point or end of the upper flap may have this coloring matter on the
top like a wafer or seal, and the under side will be gummed.
A further improvement relates to means for recording upon the letter within the
envelope the post mark or marks impressed upon the outside of the envelope, and
will be of advantage for proving that the letter within the said envelope is the one
which was there when the latter was posted.
For this purpose I provide within the envelope a small sheet of carbonized or
other suitably prepared paper, by means of which the post marks impressed upon
the outside of the envelope are communicated to the letter inside, and may be com-
pared by the receiver.
In some cases the lower or under flap is carried up to the fold of the upper flap
and a piece turned over along its entire length, this piece being provided with gum,
which helps to secure the envelope when the upper flap is closed down upon it.
The under side of the lower flap when thus extended may be used to write the
communication upon, instead of employing a separate sheet of paper; and, as it
would not be convenient to use gum when the envelope is thus employed, the
separate flaps may be perforated, as herein-before described, for sealing with wax,
and the fastening will be a very secure one.
"
In some instances I perforate the upper flap at its end or point with a considerable
number of small holes, and a monogram or letter or other device is worked therein.
The part of the flap thus perforated will be very light and fragile, and when secured
by means of the gum upon its under surface will, in connection with the colored
borders herein-before described, assist in preventing the envelope from being opened
without detection.
My improved envelopes may be made of all desirable sizes, and will be found to
offer in a simple manner much greater security for the transmission of letters, cheques,
bank notes, or other articles than any envelopes hitherto used.
Wafers or labels made according to this Invention, with gum on one side and
the herein-described color on the other side, may be used instead of sealing wax
for sealing bottles, doors, and the like. Any attempts to detach them by means of
moisture will be detected by reason of the disappearance of the color.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Noah Jacobsohn in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th May
1878.
NOAH JACOBSOHN, of Berlin, Prussia, Manufacturer. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
ENVELOPES."
This Invention relates to improvements in envelopes for letters or other docu-
ments to be transmitted by post or otherwise, and is chiefly designed to prevent the
opening of the same, or tampering with their contents without detection.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, as shewn in Figure 1 of the Draw-.
ings, I cut the two side flaps A, B, and the top flap C of the envelope into such a,
form that the ends thereof overlap each other at the point a, so that they may be all
fastened together, and held securely with one seal, or by other suitable means.
By means of this construction one seal will hold the contents of the envelope as
securely as several seals would do with an envelope of ordinary construction.
I perforate the upper flap with eight or nine holes (or more or less, as may be
desired); and these holes may for convenience be arranged in circular form, as in
Figures 2 or 3, or there may be perforations extending along the edges of the flap,
as in Figure 4. These perforations are for the purpose of fastening the envelope
in combination with sealing wax. The wax is applied underneath in the usual,
manner, and then the upper flap with the perforations therein is pressed down upon
it, causing the wax to protrude through the said perforations in small bead-shaped
projections, thereby securely fastening the envelope. The fastening thus effected is
more secure than by the ordinary method of sealing; no seal is required, and it is
impossible for any one to open or tamper with the envelope without detection.
In some cases, as in Figure 2, the perforations b are at the point of the flap.
In Figure 3 they are shown distant therefrom, in which latter case the end or point.
a will be provided with gum arabic, so that the flap may be attached there by
wetting, in addition to the sealing.
As a further security I color the edges of the flaps at c, c, c, Figure 5, with coloring
matter, which will be displaced if any attempts are made to unfasten the gummed
parts of the envelope by means of moisture, and the receiver of the letter would
thus be made aware of the fact that the letter had been tampered with.
The colors I employ for this purpose are composed of solutions of either mineral
or vegetable coloring matters. I use for this purpose ultramarine, indigo, carmine,
fustic, or the like, mixed with glycerine, and ground in water containing some gum
arabic; and in certain cases I may use aniline dyes, as there are substances which
would dissolve the gum when mineral dyes are used without removing the color.
The aniline dyes are composed of eighty per cent. of gum arabic dissolved in water, ·
fifteen per cent. of pure glycerine, and five per cent. of aniline color dissolved in
water. The point or end of the upper flap may have this coloring matter on the
top like a wafer or seal, and the under side will be gummed.
A further improvement relates to means for recording upon the letter within the
envelope the post mark or marks impressed upon the outside of the envelope, and
will be of advantage for proving that the letter within the said envelope is the one
which was there when the latter was posted.
For this purpose I provide within the envelope a small sheet of carbonized or
other suitably prepared paper, by means of which the post marks impressed upon
the outside of the envelope are communicated to the letter inside, and may be
compared by the receiver.
In some cases, as shewn in Figure 6, the lower or under flap D is carried up to
the fold of the upper flap C, and a piece d is turned over along its entire length,
this piece d being provided with gum, which helps to secure the envelope when the
upper flap C is closed down upon it.
The under side of the lower flap when thus extended may be used to write the

page_text: communication upon instead of employing a separate sheet of paper; and, as it
would not be convenient to use gum when the envelope is thus employed, the
separate flaps may be perforated, as herein-before 'described; for sealing with wax,
and the fastening will be a very secure one.
In some instances I perforate the upper flap at its end or point with a considerable
number of small holes, and a, monogram or letter or other device. is worked therein,
as shewn at e, Figure 7 or Figure 8. The part of the flap thus perforated will be
very light and fragile, and when secured by means of the gum upon its under surface
will, in connection with the colored borders herein-before described, assist in pre
venting the opening of the envelope without detection.
My improved envelopes may be made of all desirable sizes, and will be found to
offer in a simple manner much greater security for the transmission of letters,
cheques, bank notes, and other articles than any envelopes hitherto used.
Wafers or labels made according to this Invention, with gum on one side and the
herein-described color on the other side, may be used instead of sealing wax for
sealing bottles, doors, and the like. Any attempts to detach them by means of
moisture will be detected by reason of the disappearance of the color.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim, the improvements in envelopes, consisting
in the novel formation of the flaps and the means for securing the same, and for
ensuring detection in case of opening or tampering with the contents of the said
envelopes, as illustrated in the accompanying Drawings; and as above specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Noah Jacobsohn, have hereunto set my hand.
and seal, this Tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
NOAH JACOBSOHN. (L.S.)