US1738562A - Two-compartment envelope - Google Patents

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Dec. 10, I929. c. E. CATHER TWO-COMPARTMENT ENVELOPE 2 sneets-snei 1 Fiieq Aug. 2, 1926 v C/fg/fl E f her Dec. 19, 1929.

TWO-COMPARTMENT ENVELOPE Filed Aug. 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v N\\\\\\\\\\\\\&

By m-vze E E MW c. E. CATHER 1,738,562

Patented Dec. 19, l92

rrn sr CHARLES E, CATHER, WORCESTER, Iv'EAESSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES ENVELOPE COMPANY, OF SPRINGFEELD, IvIASSACZ-ZUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF llIAINE lWVO-COMPARTMENT ENVELOPE Application filed August 2, 1928. Serial No. 128,590.

The present invention relates to envelopes for mailing purposes, and more particularly to envelopes which provide two separate compartments in a unitary one-piece-blank structure,the purpose being to provide a double or duplex envelopev for the transmission by mail to the same address of two dif ferent classes of postal matter, mailableat difierent rates of postage.

he invention contemplates an envelope structure providin a compartment or pocket of large size to receive bulky H1ttllI,-SUCl1 as merchandise, catalogues and the like, which are ma-ilable at a low postal rate, and integral therewith, and within the area of said large compartment, a smaller compartment or pocket, capable of being separately and securely sealed, and adapted'tocontain the invoice, bill, letter or the like, which, though mailable at a higher postal rate, it is desired to transmitwith the bulky matter, under one and the same address. According to the invention, such a two compartment envelope structure is made from a single sheet or blank, and the manufacture is under such simple requirements for gumming, folding and sealing as to render quantity production entirely feasible by the automatic machines which are employedin the manufacture of ordinary single-pocket or standard envelopes. The above and other advantageous features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter, reference being had to the ac companying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the sheet or blank from which the envelope of my invention is a blank made.

Fig. isa similar VlGW=yilhlStTfltlllf said I after it has been initially folded.

3 is a view illustrating the duplex or two compartment envelope made from the blank of 1,- and showing the two coin V a modifiedform of the invention.

Fig. 6 illustrates the envelope made from the blank of Fig. 5.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in'the different figures.

"lie ferring first to Fig. 1, the envelope blank provides a rectangular body portion 1, constituting when'the blank is folded, the unseained face or, as it. is sometimes called, the front wall of the envelope. On opposite sides of the body portion 1, the blank is pro vided with side flaps 2 and 8, which, when folded toward each other along the lines a and 5, respectively, will overlap substantially at the center of the body portion 1, thus forming the back wall of the envelope by their. adhesion longitudinally at the place'of overlapping, such adhesion being effected by gumming 6, here shown as extendingalong the edge of side flap 2, but itcould as well be provided along the edge of side flap 3,011 the reverse side thereof.

Between the front unscamed wall formed.

inner face of body portion 1, as shown inFig.

Thereafter the flaps 2 and 3 are folded over, with the former overlapping the latter, so that the moist gum 6 will adhere to flap 3 and form the center seam of the back wall of the envelope,as shown in Fig. 3. vides anenvelope having two compartments, one a large compartment between the body portion 1 and flap or partitioni, to which access is had for the insertion ofmail matter by way of end entrance 9, Fig. 3, and the other a small compartment between side flap 3 and partition 7, to which access is had for the insert-ion of mail matter by way of an en'- trance slit- 10, formed in the flap 8 a sufficient This pro-- distance from its free edge so as to escape being overlapped by the flap 2.

The end entrance 9 to the large compartment is adapted to be closed, after insertion of mail matter, by a flap 11, provided for this purpose either with a metallic fastener of the well known type, as shown in Fig. 6, or with a suitable margin of adhesive 14, as shown in Fi 3, adapted to be moistened by the user and stuck down against the back wall of the envelope. The entrance slit 10 of the small compartment is adapted to be closed, after the insertion of the mail matter, by a seal flap 12, which in this instance is constituted by an integral extension of the side flap 2, and is provided with a margin of adhesive 13 adaptedtoxbe moistened by the user and stuck down against the back wall of the envelope, as indicated in Fig. l. As shown in Fig. 3, the inclosure for the small compartmentis of such size, or is so folded, as to project, along its edge, slightly through the entrance slit 10', thus preventing endwise movement of said inclosure within said small compartment, after the flap 12 has been scaled. down.

The envelope structure thus achieved at fords. complete segregation between the two compartments, so that matter mailable at a low postal or merchandise rate, may be placed in the large compartment, and matter mailable at a higher postal or letter rate, may be placed in the small compartment, single address being sufiicient for both classes of mail; matter. Although both compartments may ostensibly be sealed, the smaller one by the gumming 13 on seal flap 12, and the larger one by gumming 14 on flap 11, nevertheless the constructionis such that the lower postal rates on mail ma ter not inaccessibly sealed may be invoked for the contents of both pockets or compartments, for the reason that the flap or partition Y is free at all times, in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, to be pulled out from between the front and back walls of the envelope. as shown in Fig. 4, thus to permit inspection of the contents of either or both pockets without disturbing the seals 13and 14.- of either of them. Moreover, in; a variation of the construction which, makes a more secure envelope, by the use of marginal gumming 15 and 16 on the flaps 2 and 3, respectively, for adhesion to the partition 7, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the same advantage of lower postal rates. is obtained, notwithstanding this obstacle against withdrawal or pulling out of the partition 7. The only change made necessary is to replacethe sealing gum 14 on flap 11 with a metallic fastener 18, as shown in Fig.

6, and when thisis done, the opening 0% said flap glvesaccess not only to the contents of partition 7 and the side flap 3. As shown in Fig. 5, said partition 7 need not correspond in size to the body portion 1, but may, if desired, be of lesser width, to correspond substantially to the width of the smaller compartment.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an envelope made from a single sheet or blank and providing two compartments, said blank con sisting of a rectangular body portion, with a flap projecting therefrom and adapted to be folded upon said body portion, said flap and body portion thereby constituting the opposite walls ofthe larger of said two compartments, and said blank further providing oppositely located flaps adapted, when folded, to overlap each other and to overlie the first mentioned flap, one of said two last mentioned flaps having a slit constituting entrance to the smaller compartment of the envelope formed between said flap andthe imderlying first mentioned flap, and the other of said two last mentioned flaps providing a scaling closure for said slit.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an envelope made from a single sheet or blank and providing two compartments, said blankconsisting of a rectangular body portion, with a flap projecting therefrom and adapted to be folded upon said body portion, said flap and body portion thereby constituting the opposite walls of the larger of said two compartments, and said blank further providing op positely located flaps adapted, when folded, to overlap each other in overlying relation to said first mentioned flap, said overlapping flaps being adhesively secured along their longitudinal edges, and one of them having a slit which forms the entrance to the smaller compartment between said slitted flap and the underlying first mentioned flap, the latter be ing free to be drawn outwardly from its fold ed; position underlying said overlapping flaps, thereby to permit postal inspection of the contents of both the large and the small compartments.

Dated this 27th day of July 1926.

CHARLES E. CATHER.

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