US444979A - Envelope - Google Patents

Description

BNVELOPB.

Patented Ja.1.20,1891.'

...IlIll J. P. HARRISON J. L. WARNG.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEFTCE.

JAMES P. HARRISON AND JOI-IN L. VARING, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,979, dated January 20, 1891.

Application Iiled May 6, 1890. Serial No. 350,745. (No model.)

T0 all whom if; may concern.-

Be it known that We, .I AMES I). I'IARRI` SON and J OHN L.' WIARING, citizens of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Pittsylvania and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelopes; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an envelope for the transmission of valuable matter through the mails or by express, or, in fact, by any means in which a careful record is to be preserved and a returlrreceipt necessary; and the principal object of our invention is to provide more simple, cheap, convenient, and accurate means for accomplishing this purpose.

Vith this end in view our invention consists in the peculiarities of construction and combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a plan oi' our improvements; Fig. 2, the reverse side of the device shown in Fig. l; Fig. 3, a vieW of one -side of the envelope when detached from the stub and sealed ready for transmission, and Fig. 4t a perspective View showing the envelope as it appears when attached to a package.

The reference-letter d represents an envelope provided with flaps b, c, d, and e. The flap e is gummed and connected to a series of stubs f, g, and lathe latter being bound in book form to a cover These covers form an elongation of the flap e, being made easily detachableby the indentations orperforations j 7s Z m. The stub f, which lies contiguous to the envelope, is provided with a. gummed sealing-nap o, and this flap is adapted to be torn oft at the perforations 7a when the envelope is detached for transmission.

The stub j' consists ot a postal-card having upon one side the usual blank lines for the reception of the addressof the sender and upon the other the number of the letter or package. The opposite side of the postal-card is inscribed with remarks such as the date of sending, the address of the receiver, and a place for the latters signature, together with blank spaces to receive a corresponding number, date, name, the.

In order to enable the postmaster or sender of the registered matter to attach the envelope to large packages, I provide the envelope with an elastic band r, which is permanently secured to the envelope by having the flap b pasted down over it, and when it is desired to attach the envelope to a package, such as w, the envelope is laid down upon the pack age and the band r stretched around it, thereby holding one end of the envelope down in place,while a similar band o", which has been previously secured beneath the opposite Iiap e, may also be drawn around the package in the same manner, so that both bands hold the envelope securely in place.

The envelopes are by preference provided with a registered-letter stamp s, which may be imprinted upon the envelope itself' or upon the postal-card f, so that the labor of attaching a ten-cent stamp may be saved. Blank lines are also printed upon the stamp side of the envelope to receive the number and address. The back of the return postal-card is printed with suitable data, such as a blank space for the date of sending, number, name of party addressed, post-office, and signature of the receiver.

In using our invention the postmaster or sender first ills up the stub h with the proper number, date, name of sender, or other-data necessary to perfect the record. The senders receipt g is next filled ont and given a number corresponding to that upon the stub h. Then the postal-card is numbered and addressed to the sender. The envelope and stubs which comprise a leaf of the book are now turned over, as in Fig. 2, and the envel ope numbered and addressed to the receiver or to the proper destination. The back of IOC the return postal-card f is next properly filled out with a number, date, address, rbc., Whereupon the record will be complete. The order of filling out the stubs and addressing the envelopes is immaterial, but the way directed maybe convenientlyfollowed. Atterhav'lng thus made a careful record the envelope d may be detached at 7e' and the senders receipt at j. The latter is given to the sender, and then the mucilage or gum upon the flaps c o is moisten'ed and the return-postal folded at n over onto the body of the envelope and sealed thereto, as shown in Fig. 3. The envelope is now ready for transmission, and when it reaches the party addressed he or the carrier can easily and quickly sign his name in the space lett for it, tear the card loose by means ot the perforationsl and m and return it to the sender. In this Way the labor and loss of time by the carrier, who has heretofore. been obliged to carry around with him a receipt-book and a lot of detached cards, are avoided and amuch more correct, simple, and effectivemeans substituted.

The postmaster or clerk or other person who sends the package has before him a more convenient form io follow in preparing the matter for transmission, and the receiver can more quickly sign the receipt or return-card.

Vedo not limit ourselves to interposing the retu'rlrpostal in a longitudinal position relative to the envelope, because it might be placed transversely thereto, in orderto shorten the book and to accommodate a wider envelope.

lt is evident that our invention might be changed in many slight Ways which would naturally suggest themselves. Therefore We do not limit ourselves to the exact construction herein shown; but,

Having thus described the preferred construction, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination with an envelope, a return postal-card detachably secured thereto and having gum med ends upon opposite sides thereof, and a series of detachable stubs connected to the card, in themanner and for the purpose substantially as described.

2. The combination of an envelope, a return postal-card detachably secured thereto,

and a series of stubs detachably connected to the card, the latter being interposed between the envelope and stubs, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We atx our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES I. HARRISON. J OHN L. WARING. Witnesses:

H. G. PETERS, JOHN L. BERKELE r.

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