US1990760A - Envelope - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 12, was.- E 5w." I 1,990,760

I ENVELOPE Filed NOV. 15, 1933 17377572257:- W/ard 5 47/17"? Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENVELOPE Willard E. Swift, Worcester, Mass., assignor to United States Envelope Company, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application November 15, 1933, Serial No. 698,169

Claims. (Cl. 229--80) 5 it, as is necessary with ordinary envelopes.-

In United States. Letters Patent No. 1,768,836 issued July 1, 1930, there is shown and described an envelope which does not require moistening in order to seal it, this patented envelope being characterized by the gumming of corresponding areas of its seal flap and rear wall with an adhesive which does not require moistening, such as a rubber solution. Consequently, when the gummed area of the flap is folded over into registering relation with the gummed wall area and pressure applied to the overlying areas, the envelope is sealed. However, because of the tendency of the gummed areas to adhere to each other, as when packing or otherwise handling the envelope prior to sealing, it is necessary to provide separate means for preventing inadvertent adhesion such as strips of paper between the gummed surfaces, as disclosed in the aforementioned patent, which procedure adds materially to the cost of manufacturing and marketing such envelopes.

According to the present invention, there is provided an envelope of the above indicated character in which the gummed areas are eifectively prevented from inadvertently coming into contact prior to the actual sealing of the envelope, thereby eliminating any special precautions in the packing thereof. The above and other advantageous features, of the invention will'hereinafter more fully appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear view of an envelope with adhesive applied thereto in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates folding of the envelope of Fig. 1 preparatory to packing without registration of the gummed areas.

Fig. 3 shows the envelope of Fig. 1 in a sealed condition.

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

Referring first to Fig. 1, the envelope utilized for the purpose of embodying the invention is shown as being of the .so-called square flap type with a seal flap 1 and bottom flap 2 of substantially the same form. With the seal flap 1 extended as shown, parallel bands of gumming 3 and 4 are applied to the flaps land 2respectively, the gumming being of such a character that one gummed area will adhere to the other gummed area when pressed-in overlying relation, while neither gummed area will adhere of itself tothe material of which the envelope is made. Preferably the gumming 3 and 4 is applied in the form 5 of a dispersed rubber solution, or as natural or compounded latex, the invention also contemplating the use of other similar adhesives in the form of thermoplastics, such as arclor resins or galyptols, either alone or in combination with rubber.

After application of the gumming 3 and 4 as shown in Fig. 1, the gummed portion of the seal flap 1 is folded along a dot and dash score line 5 as shown in Fig. 2,,so that the gumming 3 is entirely concealed, after which the entire seal flap 1 may be folded along the score line 6 to bring the flap 1 into overlying relation with the fiap 2 preparatory to packing the envelopes. With the seal flap 1 folded down, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, it is obvious that' there is no possibility of contact between the gumming 3 and 4, owing to the fact that the gumming 3 is entirely covered by the previous folding along the score line 5. Furthermore, the flap 1 is maintained in its folded back condition by the pressure between adjacent envelopes, when packed.

When it is desired to use the envelope, the flap 1 is opened with its gumming 3 exposed as shown in Fig. 1, so that after insertion of the enclosure in the envelope, it can be sealed by folding down the flap 1 as shown in Fig. 3. 'This brings the gumming 3 and 4 into exact registration, so that the sealing is completed by merely exerting pressure on the overlying gummed areas. The adhesion between the gummed areas of the seal flap and envelope body is such that the envelope cannot be surreptitiously opened, as by steaming, due to'the waterproof nature of the gumming. Furthermore, any attempt to separate the flap from the body by pulling will inevitably result in pulling the gumming from one or the other of the paper surfaces, or in tearing the paper itself.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention there is provided an envelope which does not require any moistening in order to seal it, nor does it require the application of moisture to a stamp in order to attach the same to the envelope. Furthermore, the envelope is so constructed that the gummed areas which are adapted to adhere when engaged with each other are maintained out of engagement, thus permittingthe envelopes to be packed in'the usual manner, without possibility of inadvertent adhesion between the gumming on the seal flaps andrear walls of the envelopes.

I claim,

1. An envelope having its seal flap and rear wall provided with corresponding areas of gumming adapted to adhere upon contact, characterized by preliminary folding over of the gummed area on the seal flap to cover itself and prevent registration of the gummed areas when the seal flap is folded down for packing the envelope.

2. An envelope having its seal flap and rear wall provided with corresponding parallel bands of gumming adapted to adhere upon contact, characterized by folding over of the gummed band on the seal flap to cover itself and to prevent adhesion between the bands when the seal flap is folded over for packing the envelope.

3. An envelope of the square flap type having its seal flap and rear wall provided with parallel bands of gumming adapted to adhere upon contact, with the bands of gumming at equal distances from the line of folding of the seal flap,

characterized by preliminary folding over of the gummed area on the seal flap to cover itself and prevent contact between the gummed areas when the seal flap is folded down for packing the envelope.

4. An envelope of the square flap type having its seal flap and rear wall provided with parallel bands of gumming adapted to adhere upon contact, with the bands of gumrning at equal distances from the line of folding of the seal flap, said seal flap providing an additional line of folding extending along one edge of the gumxned area to permit folding over of the gummed area to cover itself and prevent registration thereof with the gummed wall area when the seal flap is folded down for packing the envelope.-

5. An envelope of the square flap type having its seal flap and rear wall provided with corresponding parallel bands of gumming adapted to adhere upon contact; with one band extending along the margin of the seal flap and the other band extending substantially midway of the rear wall, preliminary folding over of the band of gumming on the seal flap to cover itself serving to prevent registration of the gummed bands when the seal flap is folded down for packing the envelope.

WILLARD E. SWIFT.

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