GB2230757A - Combined envelopes and forms - Google Patents

Abstract

An envelope comprises front and back sheets (10) and (11) which are secured together around three edges, a flap (12) being provided to close the envelope along the fourth edge. A strip of translucent or transparent material (15) extends across the envelope and has its margins (15a, 15b) adhesively attached to the front sheet. A pack of paper forms (14) adhesively joined together at a stub is adhesively attached at the stub to the strip (15) and the front sheet (10). The paper forms are individually detachable from the stub. The forms may be self-manifolding or coated with transfer material. One or more further forms may be removably attached to the outside of strip 15. There may be a non-removable form adjacent sheet 10 having its margins lying between the margins of strip 15 and sheet 10 and adhesively connected to both. <IMAGE>

Description

ENVELOPES This invention relates to envelopes, particularly for in connection with package delivery services wherein records are maintained of despatch, handling en route and delivery, although it is to be understood that envelopes according to the invention are suitable for many other uses.

Many package delivery services make use of form sets which are completed by the consignee and then inserted into a weatherproof bag attached or adapted to be attached to an envelope. It is desirable to arrange that the forms can be removed one by one at different stages in the transit of the package and this sometimes involves opening of the bag to gain access to the forms and then resealing it.

The object of the present invention is to provide an envelope construction which has the form set built-in and readily accessible without significantly compromising the need for the forms to be protected from damp or abrasion.

In accordance with the invention there is provided an envelope comprising front and back sheets attached together along three edges, a flap on one of said sheets for closing the envelope along the fourth edge, a strip of transparent or translucent weatherproof material extending across the outside face of one of said sheets in a direction parallel to the edge on which the flap is provided, said strip being adhesively attached along its edges to said face of said one of said sheets and a plurality of paper forms lying between said strip and said face of said one of said sheets, said forms being adhesively connected together, and the stub thus formed being adhesively connected to the strip and to said one of said sheets adjacent one of the edges thereof which is transverse to said edge on which the flap is provided, the forms being individually detachable from the stub at lines of weakening therein.

The envelope and its attached protected form set can readily be made up on a continuous stationery collating machine.

An example of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of an envelope constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 in Figure 1.

The example of the invention comprises two sheets 10 and 11 of suitable strong paper or other material. Each of these sheets 10, 11 is rectangular and both are of the same width. The sheet 11, however, is longer than the sheet 10. The two sheets are adhesively joined together by strips of adhesive extending along three contiguous edges to form a pocket. At the remaining edge, the sheet 11 projects beyond the sheet 10, to provide a flap 12 (which may have a crease, if desired, to make folding easier) to which there is attached sealing means in the form of a double-sided adhesive strip having a peelable cover strip 13.

At the other end of the envelope a form pack is attached to the outside face of the sheet 10. This form pack comprises a plurality of paper forms 14 extending across the width of the envelope, and covered by a weatherproof strip 15 of transparent or translucent weatherproof material such as polyethylene. This strip 15 has its longitudinal edges extending in a direction parallel to the length of the flap 12 and is adhesively attached to sheet 10 by two marginal lines 15a, 15b of adhesive. At one end, the forms 14 are adhesively connected together to form a stub and this stub is adhesively connected on one side to the sheet 10 and on the other to the strip 15. Each form 14 is connected to the stub thus formed by a transverse line of weakening so that it can be individually pulled from the form pack when required.

One or more further forms 16 may be removably attached to the exterior of the strip 15.

The forms 14 are preferably formed of self-manifolding material of any type so that when a ball-tipped pen is used to enter information on the sheet 16, it is also depicted on each of the forms. Self-manifolding material of the type coacted on its front face with encapsulated die may be used or the forms may have carbon or other transfer material on their back faces. In this latter case the front form of the pack will not have the information depicted on it and will serve purely to provide information transfer to the next underlying form, the front form being removed as soon as the information has been entered.

The envelopes described may be assembled on a continuous stationery collating machine in various alternative ways.

For example, the front and back sheets, the forms and the strip 15 could all be supplied continuously from rolls, adhesive being applied as required within the collating machine. This will involve locating the forms relative to one another during collation on suitable marginal sprocket-holed strips and cutting off the margins before the forms with their stub already formed are applied to the front face of the sheet 10. Alternatively, the forms 14 and 16 and strips 15 may be pre-assembled into cut sets and fed onto suitably adhesive coated areas on the sheet 10 from a magazine or hopper.

Combined envelopes and form sets as described above would be of great advantage to users, since it would not be necessary to stock form sets and envelopes separately and the removal of large areas of peelable covering from pressure sensitive adhesive on the backs of form sets is avoided. The envelopes and forms can be assembled by the manufacture at very high speed so that economic advantages also arise.

Although adhesive attachment between the sheets 10 and 11 is described above, heat sealing may alternatively be employed if the sheets 10 and 11 are formed of a material which is coated with a thermoplastic material.

As yet a further alternative, the envelopes may be of thermoplastic material welded or heat sealed together.

In this case direct adhesive connection of the strip 15 to the sheet 10 may be difficult to achieve. In this case, one of the paper forms, preferably that lying next to the sheet 10, may have its margins lying between the margins of the strip 15 and the sheet 10 and adhesively connected to both. This form would not, of course, be removable, but would remain in position on removal of the other forms.

Claims (8)

1. An envelope comprising front and back sheets attached together along three edges, a flap on one of said sheets for closing the envelope along the fourth edge, a strip of transparent or translucent weatherproof material extending across the outside face of one of said sheets in a direction parallel to the edge on which the flap is provided, said strip being adhesively attached along its edges to said face of said one of said sheets and a plurality of paper forms lying between said strip and said face of said one of said sheets, said forms being adhesively connected together, and the stub thus formed being adhesively connected to the strip and to said one of said sheets adjacent one of the edges thereof which is transverse to said edge on which the flap is provided, the forms being individually detachable from the stub at lines of weakening therein.

2. An envelope as claimed in Claim 1 in which the forms are self-manifolding.

3. An envelope as claimed in Claim 1 in which the forms are coated on their back faces with transfer material.

4. An envelope as claimed in any preceding claim in which the front and back sheets are adhesively connected together.

5. An envelope as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 in which the front and back sheets are coated on their adjacent faces with thermoplastic material and are heat sealed together.

6. An envelope as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3 in which said front and back sheets are formed of thermoplastic material and are heat sealed together.

7. An envelope as claimed in Claim 6 in which there is provided an additional paper form having its margins lying between the margins of said strip and said front sheet and adhesively connected to both.

8. An envelope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.