US1041827A - Envelop. - Google Patents

Description

L. D. MAGNAUGHTON- ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED PEBJS, 1912.

1,041,827. Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

\IQLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C41, WASHINGTON. u. cv

LUTHER D. MAGNAUGHTON, OF EAGLE GROVE, IOWA.

ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 01313.22, 1912.

Application filed February 16, 1912. Serial No. 677,998.

'lo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER D. Mao- NAUGI-ITON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eagle Grove, in the county of lVright and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Envelops, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention pertains to envelops for mailing purposes, and especially relates to envelops of the kind in which an aperture of a convenient size for the insertion of a thumb and forefinger is provided adjacent the center of the line upon which the gummed flap is folded. Envelops of this character are convenient in use, for the reason that, after the flap has been slit open in the ordinary manner, the contents may be removed by simply grasping them between the thumb and forefinger, thus obviating the necessity of blowing into the envelop, or otherwise opening it up, to enable the fingers to be inserted therein to remove the contents.

It is the primary object of my invention so to construct an envelop of the above character that it will be completely sealed, and the contents completely protected, before the flap is slit open; while, after the flap has been slit open, the contents can be removed readily in the manner described above.

It is a further object-of my invention to produce an envelop having the above characteristics which will be of a simple con struction, and which may be placed upon the market at a low price.

I have described an envelop constructed in accordance with my invention in the following specification, and shown it in the accompanying drawing. I wish it understood, however, that my invention may be embodied in other forms of envelop than that shown, without departing from the spirit thereof as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a front view of an envelop constructed in accordance with my invention, the flap being raised, and a portion of the front being broken away, in order to disclose the sealing strip; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the envelop with the flap raised; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 4 is a front view, on a reduced scale, illustrating the removal of an inclosure from the envelop.

Referring now to the drawing, 10 indicates the front side of the envelop, and 11 indicates the rear side, having the ordinary flap 12, adapted to be folded down along the line 13 and gummed to the front side 10. Formed in the rear side 11 and the flap 12, with one half thereof on each side of the folding line 13 of the flap, is an aperture 14:, which may be of any desired shape, pro vided that it is of sufficient size to permit of the thumb and forefinger grasping the contents of the envelop through it. It will be seen that after the envelop has been scaled down, the paper or the like contained therein is accessible through the opening 14. The material of the flap, how ver, on each side of the aperture 14; prevents the contents of the envelop from being withdrawn therefrom. When the flap of the envelop has been slit in the usual manner the contents may be removed by simply grasping them through the aperture 14,- and withdrawing them from the envelop. By this means, the necessity of opening up the envelop, by blowing into it or the like, is obviated, and the withdrawal of the contents is much facilitated. An envelop constructed as described above is, however, subject to the disadvantage that moisture and dirt can enter the envelop and soil the contents. Also any small article contained in the envelop could readily escape, and parts of a letter might be read through the opening. In order to obviate these disadvantages, I provide means for sealing the opening 14 in such a manner that the contents of the envelop may still be removed by the thumb and forefinger after the flap has been slit open. This sealing means will now be de scribed. w

In order to seal the opening 14, I provide a strip 15, which may be of paper or the like, and which completely covers the opening lt, within the envelop, and extends down for a considerable distance adjacent the rear side 11 of the envelop. This strip is provided with rearwardly extending cars 16, which are secured, by glue or the like, to the rear side 11 of the envelop. The glue which secures the cars 15 to the rear side 11, does not extend upward beyond the folding line 13 of the flap; and it will be seen, therefore, that if the strip 15 be out along the folding line 13, it will become entirely detached from the envelop, the cars 16 being the only means for securing the strip to the envelop. While, therefore, the strip 15 completely seals the opening 14 in the top edge of the envelop, it does not hinder the withdrawal of the contents of the envelop in precisely the same manner as would be the case were no sealing strip employed. lVhen an inclosurea letter, for instance, is placed in the envelop, and the flap is gummed down, the envelop is completely sealed and the contents are absolutely protected from moisture or dirt, while the length of the strip 15, at the lower end thereof, prevents the contents of the letter from being read. The upper portion of the strip 15 lies between the flap and the front of the envelop, so that it prevents the writing upon the front side of the letter from being read. hen it is desired to remove the letter from the envelop, the flap is slit along the line 13, in the ordinary manner, whereupon the letter may be removed by simply grasping the sealing strip 15, and the letter beneath it, through the opening 14. The letter may thus be withdrawn, the sealing strip coming away with drawn, the sealing strip coming away with it.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing, the sealing strip is formed with a transparent portion 17 at its center, through which any printed matter properly placed upon the inclosure may be read. This construction is employed where privacy of the contents of the envelop is not particularly desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with an envelop with a flap and having an opening formed at the line of folding of the flap to permit grasping of the contents for withdrawing the same, of a sealing member for covering said opening within the envelop, said sealing member being connected with said envelop so as to be disconnected therefrom when the envelop is slit open in the ordinary manner, whereby, when the envelop has been slit open, the contents may be withdrawn by grasping the same through said sealing member.

2. The combination with an envelop with a flap and having an opening formed at the line of folding of the flap to permit grasping of the contents for withdrawing the same, of a sealing strip covering said opening, within the envelop, said sealing strip being secured to said envelop so as to be severed therefrom when the envelop is slit open in the ordinary manner.

3. The combination with an envelop with a flap and having an opening formed at the line of folding of the flap to permit grasping of the contents for withdrawing the same, of a sealing strip covering said opening, within the envelop, said sealing strip being secured to said envelop at one side only of the line of folding of the flap, whereby said sealing strip is severed from the envelop when the latter is slit open in the ordinary manner.

4:. The combination with an envelop with a flap and having an opening formed at the line of folding of the flap to permit grasping of the contents for withdrawing the same, of a sealing strip covering said opening, within the envelop, said sealing strip being formed with rearwardly-extending ears, said. ears being secured to the envelop at one side only of the line of folding of the flap, for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination with an envelop with a flap and having an opening formed at the line of folding of the flap to permit grasping of the contents for witl'idrawing the same, of a sealing strip covering said opening, within the envelop, said sealing strip being secured to said envelop at one side i only of the line of folding of the flap, whereby said sealing strip is severed from the envelop when the latter is slit open in the ordinary manner, and said sealing strip having an extension at the part adjacent the rear side of the envelop to prevent reading of the contents of the envelop.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

LUTHER D. MAGNAUGHTON.

lVitnesses:

S. B. MIDDLETON, JAMES M. RUDY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

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