US1619215A - Envelope-fastening device - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1927.-

A. OLGAY ENVELOPE FASTENING DEVICE Filed June 27, 1925 mmll Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT OLGAY, OF GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T GAW OI'IARA. ENVELOPE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ENVELOPE-FASTENING DEVICE.

Application filed June 27, 1925, Serial No. 39,906.

This invention relates to envelope fasteners of the type comprising a pair of buttons centrally attached tothe rear side and flap of an envelope, respectively, and a string attached to one of the buttons and adapted to be wound one or-more times around the I stem or shank of the other or both buttons beneath the latter, the string being frictionally clamped between the under side of the button or buttons and the surface of the envelope or flap.

So far as I am aware these buttons, which are usually made of cardboard or similar flexible material, have always been made round, and usually attached to the envelope and flap by central eyelets, which latter cause the buttons to lie fiat throughout substantially their entire areas against the surface of the envelope and flap. As a consequence, when the user starts to wind the fastening cord from the flap button around the envelope button, or vice versa, the cord does not readily pass between the round periphery of the button and the underlying surface to which the button is attached, and not infrequently it is necessary to raise the edge of the button by inserting the finger nail, or a knife blade or other tool therebeneath before the cord can be entered between the button and the surface of the envelope or flap and then drawn tightly around the fastening shank or stem.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an improved form of button that will obviate the above-noted fault or defect in en velope fastener buttons of this character; and this object is attained by forming on the periphery of the button a plurality of sharply defined corners or points, beneath which the cord will readily pass under a simple winding operation, without necessitating the upliftin of the point or corner before the thread Wlll slide therebeneath. In the preferred embodiment of the invention herein shown, these corners or points are formed by giving to the periphery of the button a polygonal form.

My invention, its mode of manipulation, and the advantages inhering therein will be readily understood and appreciated by persons familiar with fastening devices of this character from the subjoined description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated practical and preferred embodiments of the principle of the invention, and in which Fig. 1 1s a plan view of a portion of the rear side and flap of an envelope showing my improved fastener applied thereto;.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the hex agonal buttonshown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4: are similar enlarged-plan views of square and triangular forms of button which fall within the purview of the invention. 7

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 5 designates the rear wall of a common and well-known type of second-class mailing envelope, and 6 is the rear flap thereof. 7 designates a button of cardboard or like flexible material centrally attached to the outer side of the flap 6 by an ordinary eyelet 8; and 9 designates a similar button similarly attached by an eyelet 10 to the rear wall 5 of the envelope directly beneath the button 7. 11 designates the usual cord that is permanently secured at one end to the button 7 by its rivet 8, and

is adapted to be wound one or more times beneath the lower button 9 or back and forth between the buttons 7 and 9, as indicated, to hold the flap 6 in closed position, while permitting postal inspection of the contents of the envelope by simply unwinding the cord 11 until the two buttons are disengaged.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each of the buttons 7 and 9 is formed with a polygonal periphery, the hexagonal form of the latter herein shown providing six equally spaced angular corner portions or points 12, and flat or straight edges 13 between adjacent corners. As the cord 11 is drawn into engagement with the periphery of the button,

drawn beneath the first corner encountered thereby, the material of the button is sulfi- I ciently raised from the underlying surface to make the entrance of the cord beneath the succeeding corners very easy under a simple winding of the thread around the button.

Fig. 3 shows a square form of button providing four equally spaced points or corners 12 with connecting straight sides 13; and ing to facilitate the entrance of the fasten- Fig. 4 illustrates a triangular form providing three still narrower and more sharply defined points or corners 12 with connectingstraight sides 13. Manifestly, the operative prineipleof the lmttons shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is the same as that already described in connection with Figs. 1 .and 2, andstill other forms of buttons providing peripheral points beneath which the cord will readily enter may beernployed within the purview and bounds of the invention.

I claima 1. An envelope fastener, comprising a pair of buttons ztttached to the outer rear side of theouter side of the flap, respectively, of an envelope andfonmetlwith a plurality of intersecting sides forming corners, and a cord adapted to be wound around beneath and connect said buttons, said corners serving cords beneath the buttons.

2. An envelope and the like fastener C011]- prising a button attached to one of two relatively separable parts of an envelopeedapted to be joined ibyiia cord, and a cord for conneetion to the other of said separable parts, said button having sides intersecting to form sharp corners for facilitating the entrance of a fastening cord therebeneath.

3. An envelope and the like fastener comprising pair of buttons attached to relativelyseparable parts of an envelope and adapted to be joined by a cord, said buttons having sides intersecting to form sharp corners for facilitating the entranee of a fastening cord therebeneath. v

In WltDQSS of the foregoing I n flix my signature.

ALBERT OLGAFY.

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