US2873907A - Combined letter and envelope with juxtaposed pair of two-ply folded corners - Google Patents

Description

COMBINED LETTER AND ENVELOPE WITH JUX- TAPOSED PAIR OF TWO-PLY FOLDED COR- NERS Martin B. Loetscher, Sacramento, Calif. Application April 16, 1957, Serial No. 653,099 1 Claim. 01. 229-'9z.1

The present invention relates to improvements in a combined letter and envelope with juxtaposed pair of twoply folded corners. It consists of the article of manufacture hereinafter described and claimed.

In my copending application on a Combined Letter and Envelope, Serial No. 461,191, filed in the United States Patent Oflice on October 8, 1954, now Patent No. 2,805,815, I disclosed a standard sized stationery sheet 8 /2 by 11", and folded in a predetermined manner so that the sheet became an envelope. Gummed strips were used for sealing the letter after it had been folded to constitute an envelope. The folding of the envelope was such that the contents of the letter were not only sealed around substantially all edges of the envelope; but, in addition, there was a minimum of two thicknesses of unwritten paper on both the front and the back of the envelope which gave the same protection as when a separate envelope was used and the enclosed letter written on only one side, with the written face folded inwardly and placed Within the envelope.

I In the same copending case, I show the sheet divided into eight equal areas on each side thereof by fold lines. The top two areas on the face side of the sheet are reserved for the names and addresses .of the addressor and addressee, and the folding is such as to dispose these two top areas on the outside of the folded envelope and on opposite sides thereof. Also, a stamp placed on the area containing the addressees name; and when the stamp is cancelled by sending the letter through the mail and the envelope subsequently opened, the cancelled stamp will remain a permanent part of the opened envelope and will appear in the upper right hand corner on the face side of the unfolded sheet.

The arrangement of the gummed strips and the folding of the sheet in my copending case is such that only the lower right hand pair of corners of the folded and sealed envelope can be used in opening it. The folding of the sheet into an envelope provides this corner of the envelope with two four-ply corners of folded stationery, one fourply corner for the front of the envelope and one four-ply corner for the back. These two four-ply corners may be pulled apart by hand, when opening the envelope and will readily tear the single ply gummed strips. No special opening tool, such as a letter opener, need be used and the letter is undamaged when opened.

The present invention differs from my copendingcase in that it provides a sheet of paper having the same width, but only one-half the length; i. e., 8 /2" by /g". This sheet is designed to be medially folded along a horizontal line from one side to the other, and folded laterally along a vertical line disposed midway between the sides and paralleling them to form four equal areas on the face side. The top two areas on the face of the sheet are for the names and addresses of the addressor and the addressee, the same as in my copending case; and the lower two areas on the same side are for the correspondence. The folded envelope is sealed by three gummed strips in the same way as in the copending case.

Y 2 The principal object of the present invention is to provide a combined letter and envelope which, when folded and sealed, will expose only two double-ply folded corners that overlie each other, and which may be gripped and pulled apart by hand for severing the single-ply sealing strips and opening the envelope.

The item is simple in construction. If less privacy is desired, the four areas on the back of the sheet may be used for correspondence. Even then the sheet may 'be made of apaque material so as to conceal the correspondence when the envelope is closed and sealed.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues. The novel features of the invention will be set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Drawing My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure l is a front face view of the open letter prior to folding it into an envelope, the letter being provided with three sealing strips;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the open letter, along the line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view on the same scale as in Figures 1 and 2, and shows the letter after the first fold is'made;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the partially folded letter, and it is taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 3; I

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the completely folded and sealed envelope, and illustratesthe exposed pairof two-ply corners by means of which the envelope may be opened; and V Figure 6 is a plan viewof a portion of one of the gummedstrips. I

While I have shown only the. preferred form of-my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be madewithin the scope of the annexed claim without departingfrom the spirit thereof.

Detailed description In carrying out my invention, I provide a rectangularshaped sheet A of any material upon which correspondence may be written or typed. The sheetis preferably the same width, but one-half the length of the standard letterhead size which is conventionally 8 /2 by 11". The front face A of the unfolded letter is illustrated in Fig-, ure 1. A horizontal fold line is indicated'by the dotdash line'l, and a vertical fold line is suggested by the dot'clash line 2; The horizontal line 1 lies midway between the top edge 3 of the sheet A and the-bottom edge 4; while the vertical fold line 2 lies midway between the left. hand lateral edge 5 and theright hand lateral edge 6.

- The fold lines 1 and 2 divide the face A of the letter into four equal areas; i. e., an upper pair of areas 7 and 8, and a lower pair'of areas 9 and 10. The upper left hand area 7 is adapted to contain the addressors name and address, while the upper right hand area 8 is adapted to contain the addressees name and address. The lower pair of areas 9 and 10 are used for correspodence.

Figure 1 also shows the upper right hand area provided with three gummed sealing strips. The first sealing strip B extends along the top edge 3 and half of the strip is secured to the area 8 while the other half projects beyond the edge 3.. I prefer touse a' strip B of the type illustrated in Figure 6. The strip B has two gummed areas 11 and 12 separated by an ungummed area that has a line of perforations 13 provided therein. The gummedarea I1 is used for securing one-half'the strip to the area 1. The line of perforations 13 on the strip Bparallels' the top edge 3 ofthe letter A' and is preferably disposed a slight distance above that edge. The other gummed area 12 of the strip B is used for sealing the letter after it has been folded into an envelope in the manner presently to be described. The ungummed portion of the sealing strip is for the purpose of accommodating the thicknesses of the various plies when the letter folded into the envelope form.

A second sealing strip C, preferably of the same type as the sealing strip B, has one-half of its width secured to the lower portion of the area 8, so that its line of perforations 13 will parallel the horizontal fold line 1 of the letter A (see Figure l). The remaining half of the second sealing strip C is not secured to the area 19, but merely overlies this area prior to the folding of the letter into an envelope. It will be noted that the right hand end 14 of the second sealing strip C is spaced from the right hand edge 6 of the letter. This spacing is important and its purpose will be brought out hereinafter.

A third sealing strip D, preferably of the same type as the sealing strips B and C, has one-half its width secured to the area 8 and adjacent to the right hand edge 6 of the letter so that the line of perforations on this strip will parallel the edge 6 (see Figure 1). The remaining half of the third sealing strip extends beyond the letter edge 6, and is used for seaing the letter after it has been folded into the form of an envelope. It will be noted that the lower end 15 of the third sealing strip D is spaced above the horizontal fold line 1 of the letter. This spacing is important for the reason that will be pointed out later.

Before the letter is folded into the form of an envelope, it may be written or typed upon. The addressors name and address may be placed in the left hand area 7, While the addressees name and address may be placed in the right hand area 8 (see Figure 1). The correspondence or other data may be placed on the two lower areas 9 and 10. If complete privacy is desired, only these two lower areas are used for correspondence. It is possible to use the rear face A (see Figure 2) for additional correspondence and secrecy will be achieved when the envelope is sealed, if opaque letter paper is used.

Upon completion of the writing or typing of the letter, it is first folded along the horizontal fold line 1 so that the correspondence-containing areas 9 and 10 will still be exposed at the back of the thus folded letter, as clearly shown in Figure 4. The lower edge 4 of the letter A will be brought into juxtaposition with the upper edge 3 so that these two edges will parallel each other. Onehalf of the second sealing strip C will now extend beyond the fold 1 (see both Figures 3 and 4). The dot-dash arcuate arrow line 16 in Figure 1, extending from the left hand end of the lower edge 4 to the left hand upper edge 3, indicates how the lower letter edge 4 is brought into coinciding position with the upper letter edge 3. The dot-dash arrow line 17 in Figure 2 indicates the same folding operation.

The half folded letter is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. The vertical fold line 2 divides the letter into two wing portions W and W the left wing W including the folded areas 7 and 9, and the right wing W including the folded areas 8 and 10. The dot-dash arrow line 18 in Figure 3 indicates how the two wings are folded about the vertical fold line 2, so as to bring the left hand edge 5 of the letter into a coinciding position with the right hand edge 6, and the areas 7 and 8 will be exposed. The two areas 9 and 10 will be brought into confronting relation with one another and will be concealed from exterior view by two thicknesses of letter paper. The two exposed areas 7 and 8 will contain the names and addresses of the addressor and adressee, respectively, and these will appear on opposite sides of the completely folded envelope.

The exposed portion of the first sealing strip B is folded over the top edges of the folded sheet or envelope, and is secured to the area 7 (see Figure 5). Theexposed portion of the second sealing strip C is folded over the fold line 1 0f the folded envelope and is secured to the area 7; While the exposed portion of the third sealing strip D is folded over the lateral edges 5 and 6 and is secured to the area 7.

When the letter is offered for sale, it will be preferably in the partially folded condition shown in Figure 3. Also, it could be sold in the open form shown in Figure 1, or in the completely folded form shown in Figure 5, except in the latter showing the three sealing strips B, C and D would still have half of their portions extending beyond the boundary of the area 8 and unattached to the area 7.

The completely sealed envelope is illustrated in Figure 5 The end 14 of the second sealing strip C and the end 15 of the third sealing strip D are spaced from each other and expose a-pair of two-ply juxtaposed folded corners X and Y. If these two corners are manually grasped and pulled away from each other, the single ply sealing strips will be torn along their perforated lines 13; and, in this simple way, the envelope is opened.

The envelope cannot be opened at any other point because the adjacent ends 19 and 20 of the strips B and D, respectively, enclose the juxtaposed non-folded corners of the envelope disposed directly above the corners X and Y. Also, the left hand ends 21 and 22 of the sealing strips 13 and C, respectively, are disposed close to the fold 2. The latter prevents the two remaining corners of the envelope from being opened because any opening of the envelope at these corners would tear the envelope along the fold line 2 and mutilate the letter.

The envelope, when opened by the addressee, will provide him with a letter on the face side A of which will bear the dated postal cancellation mark, as well as the cancelled stamp 23. All of this data can be filed away with the letter and might become essential in establishinga date in any legal controversy.

I claim:

A combined letter and envelope formed from a rectangular-shaped sheet of paper, the sheet defining top and bottom edges and a pair of lateral edges, the sheet having front and rear faces, said sheet having a horizontal fold line extending transversely thereacross intermediate the top and bottom edges, and further having a vertical fold line extending between the top and bottom edges which is disposed intermediate the lateral edges; said vertical and horizontal fold lines dividing the front face into an upper pair of areas and a lower pair of areas, the upper pair of areas of the front face being adapted to contain data as to an addressor and an addressee, respectively, the lower pair of areas of the front face being adapted to contain correspondence, the sheet being folded about said horizontal fold line so that the correspondence will be at the back of the thus folded sheet; said sheet then being folded about the vertical fold line so that the two lower areas containing the correspondence are disposed in confronting relation with one another and are concealed from the exterior view and so that a two ply fold is formed at said horizontal fold line, and with the addressor and addressee areas being exposed on the thus folded sheet, one of said upper areas having one edge defined by one portion of said two ply fold, the other of said upper areas having one edge defined by a second portion of said two ply fold, with the top edges of said upper areas being defined by respective portions of said top edge of said sheet, a first sealing strip extending along and secured to the top edge of said sheet substantially coextensive with the top edge of one of said upper areas and extending outwardly of the latter edge, a second sealing strip extending along and secured to the same one of said one of said upper areas as the first said strip adjacent said two ply fold and extending outwardly beyond the outer edge, said upper areas each having a third edge extending laterally of the said one edge and top edges thereof, a third sealing strip extending. laterally of said first and second strips and being secured to the same one of said one of said upper areas as the first said strip adjacent one of said third edges and extending outwardly of the latter edge, said second and said third sealing strips terminating in spaced relation to a common end of said two ply fold, said sealing strips being folded over the edges of the areas adjacent which they are respectively attached and being respectively sealingly engaged along the corresponding edges of the other upper area, said second and said third strips thus being spaced from the two opposedends of said two ply fold whereby the two juxtaposed two ply ends may be individually gripped and pulled apart for tearing the sealing strip and opening the sealed envelope, at least one of said third and said first sealing strips extending longitudinally along the edge to which it is attached to the end thereof common to said top and said third edges of said areas and covering the juxtaposed edges of said envelope thereat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,635,278 Kaplan July 12, 1927 1,946,751 McCarthy Feb. 13, 1934 2,805,815 Loetscher Sept. 10, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 318,784 Germany Feb. 20, 1920 517,560 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1940 535,561

Great Britain Apr. 11, 1941

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