US460397A - Envelope - Google Patents

Description

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No. 460,397. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

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(No Model.) E 2 Sheets--Sheet 2. E. MORGAN.

ENVELOPE. No. 460,397. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

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ELISHA MORGAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,397, dated September 29, 1891. Application filed May 18, 1891. Serial No. 393,157. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELISHA MORGAN, of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelopes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates, particularly, to that class of envelopes used by the Post-Office Department for registered packages and by express companies for inclosing money or other valuables and-known as safety-envelopes, and it consists in certain novel features of construction to be hereinafter described, and pointed out particularly in the appended claims, the object being to provide an envelope which can not only be easily and cheaply made, but that affords a better protection to its contents and renders any attempt to tamper with it more easily discoverable than any other envelopewvith which I am familiar.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a viewof the blank from which my improved envelope is formed; Fig. 2, a view of the same, showing the main flap folded over upon the body portion; Fig. 3, a perspective view showing the end flaps folded down and secured and the envelope ready to receive the paper, money, or other thing to be inclosed; Fig. 4, a View showing the gummed extension of the main flap folded down and secured; Fig. 5, a view showing the main flap folded down to complete the closure and Fig. 6, a view of the completed and closed envelope, showing the application of lines of weakness and lines of fugitir e ink as additional safeguards against attempts to gain entrance surreptitiously to the interior of the envelope.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, A represents the body portion of the envelope; B, the main flap, adapted to be folded over upon the body portion A on the line a a and having the extension or flap B, as shown.

C O are the end flaps, adapted to be folded inward over the main flap B on the lines o c and having their upper corners cut away, as

shown at c 0, so that the portions from which the parts are removed will, when folded down, lie substantially flush with the ends of the flap B. s

D is themoutl1-flap,for1ned,preferably,with the extensions dd at its ends, as shown.

The lateral margins of the main flap B are gummed, as indicated by the shade-lines g, and the flap B is also gummed, as shown by the shade-lines 9'.

Each of the end flaps C is gummed on the inside, as shown by the shade-lines g and the mouth-flap D is likewise gummed on the inside, as shown by the shade-lines 9 In forming the envelope from this blank the main flap B is first folded down-upon the body portion A and united thereto by the gummed margins g g, but not by the gummed flap B, as shown in Fig. 2, after which the end flaps O O are folded down and secured, so as to overlap the already-fastened ends of the main flap B, but leaving the flap B of said main flap and the mouth-flapDloose and free, as shown in Fig. 3. To close the envelope, the flap B is moistened and sealed to the body portion A, as shown in Fig. l, and then the mouth-flap D is moistened and sealed down over said flap B, the extensions (Z (Z covering completely the joint between said flap B and the end flaps C O, as indicated in Fig. 5.

It will be observed that the pocket of my envelope, or, in otherwords, the space occupied by the contents, has no overlapping folds whatever. Consequently it is impossible to raise a fold, make an incision, extract the contents and replace the fold, as in some so-called safety -envelopes. On the contrary, the front and back of the pocket in my envelope are composed each of a single plain unbroken piece, and the flaps at the ends and top are so superposed and doubly sealed as to make it impossible to effect an entrance through them Without detection.

For the purpose of furnishing additional safeguards against tampering with the envelope when sealed, I preferably form a series of perforations p in the main flap B, along the side margins thereof, and asimilar series of perforations p in the flap B, as shown in Fig. 1, so that when the said end flaps C O and the mouth-flap D are sealed down they will, as to the portions of them opposite the said perforations, be united to the body portion A. I also preferably weaken the said flaps O O and D with lines of weakness to at the points opposite the said perforations p p and at t" I apply lines of fugitive ink, which will spread if Wetied or steamed.

The flap B, in addition to being useful to effect the double sealing of the envelopes at the top or mouth, enables the mouth to be opened wider and the package to be inserted within it with greater facility. The cutting away of the corners o c of the end flaps C O, opposite the ends of the flap B, leaves but one thickness of material between the main body A and the month-flap D at that point, and enables the flap D to lie much more smoothly and closely than if the end flap lapped the said flap B, while the lapping of the said end flaps O 0 upon the main flap B, below the flap B, as shown at 0 Fig. 4, strengthens what might otherwise be weak corners b, Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. A safety-envelope having the top and ends of its pocket portion composed of three superposed plies or thicknesses sealed together without leaving any flap overlapping upon said pocket portion, substantially as described.

2. A safet-y-envelope consisting of a body portion, a main flap folded over upon the body portion and sealed thereto at the ends thereof, end flaps foldedupon and sealed to the body portion, and a mouth-flap folded over and sealed to the main flap, whereby a pocket is formed upon which there are no overlapping fiaps, substantially as described.

3. A safety-envelope consisting of the body portion A, the main flap B, carrying the narrower flap B, the end flaps C C, cut away or narrowed at c c and lapped over upon the main flap B so as to bring the cut-away or narrowed portions substantially flush with the lateral edges of the flap B, and the mouth-flap D, overlapping the flap B and the upper portions of the end flaps C, the said parts being gummed and secured substantially in the manner described.

4:. The herein-described envelope, consisting of the body portion A, the main flap carrying the narrower flap B, the end flaps C O, narrowed at c c, and the mouth-flap D, having the extensions d d at its ends, the said parts being gummed and secured together, substantially as described.

5. The herein-described envelope, having the main flap B and the narrower flap B, provided with the perforations, as atp p,

and the end flaps G O and the mouth-flap D,

gummed on the inner face and having the weakened portions at points opposite and registering with the said perforations p 19, substantially as described.

ELISHA MORGAN. Witnesses:

R. W. DAY, W. M. WHARFIELD.

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