US2017637A - Letter card - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 15, 1935. R. M. SMITH LETTER CARD Filed Oct. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a/v R Y m mm Fw m g l w a N A u m u E u w m R I w L Oct. 15, 1935. R. M. SMITH 2,017,637

LETTER CARD Filed Oct. 25, 1933' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- INVENTOR. ROBERT M. SM/TH W 9W9 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED SATE 4 Claims.

The invention relates to a letter card for mailmg.

An object of the invention is to provide a generally improved letter card for folding to completely conceal confidential information directly inscribed thereon.

Another object is the provision of a letter card which provides a closed envelope when it is in condition for mailing.

A further object is to provide for the retention of the present card in fully folded condition solely by means provided by the card.

Yet another object is to provide for preventing an inspection of the message on the card by use of the postage stamp which pays for the transmission of the card.

An added object is the production of inexpensive letter cards which present a particularly attractive appearance while accomplishing various desired objects.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an inside face View of a blank from which a letter card embodying my invention may be formed.

Figure 2 is a face view of a letter card which has been formed from the blank of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows the letter card in partly folded condition, the flexing of one member and the use of a persons hands in folding the letter card being indicated in the view.

Figure 4 shows the address side of the card after it has been completely folded and has had a postage stamp afiixed to it for retaining it in folded condition and paying the postage for its transmission through the mails.

Figure 5 is a section at 5-5 in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is an inside face view of a blank for producing another form; of a letter card embodying my invention.

Figure 7 is a view of a letter card which has been formed with the blank of Figure 6, said card shown as in partly folded condition.

Figure 8 discloses the letter card of Figure 7 as the final folding operation is being effected.

Figure 9 is a section at 99 in Figure 8.

Figure 10 shows the card of Figure '7-in fully folded condition and as having a postage stamp affixed thereto whereby it is sealed and ready for mailing.

Figure 11 is a section at l l-l l in Figure 10.

In providing a letter card embodying the features of present invention, I employ a sheet of relatively stiff heavy paper or thin cardboard, the surface of said sheet being finished and/or decorated in any suitable manner, and the sheet 5 comprising a generally rectangular blank. Such a sheet is suitably scored to define the fold lines for hingedly related portions which are arranged to be placed in opposition when the letter card is folded. One of said blank portions is formed 1 for shaping into a permanent L-shaped pocket extending along two free edges thereof and having its ends closed and extending for short distances along the other two edges of the portion, said pocket arranged to receive free edge parts 15 of the other portion when the card is folded, and the latter portion being arranged for flexing into its engagement in the pocket whereby the letter card may thereby be maintained in its folded condition. For descriptive convenience, and in accordance with the specific disclosures of the accompanying drawings, the letter card portion providing the L-shaped pocket may be referred to as comprising a back member of the letter card, while the other portion provides a front member of the letter card. Referring specifically to the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, a letter card II is shown as formed from a blank i2 to provide front and back members it! and M respectively. The members i3 and i l are coterminous at a fold line l5 which may be defined in the blank i2.by scoring, said line defining what may be described as the bottom edge of the letter card when the members l3 and M are folded together. That portion of the blank which provides the member I4 is scored for folding at lines 56 and I! and I8 to define a rectangular area based on the line i5 and lying generally within the area of said blank part whereby to provide a plurality of fiap portions extending outwardly of the score lines and for folding thereat over said rectangular area. As shown in Figure 1, flaps l9 and 20 extend re spectively from the score lines Iii and ii, and flaps 2| and 22 extend from the score line I8. In general outline, the member I4 is of substantially 4 the same size and proportions as the rectangle of the score lines, and a slit24 extends obliquely into the portion M from the edge thereof which is in general alignment with the score line l6 and to 5 the line l5 whereby a flap 23 in the shape of a right triangle is defined outwardly of the latter line and as part of the member 13. The upper lines of the flaps l9 and 2| are in general alignment with the score line H, and the flap 2| is i seen to comprise a right triangle in outline with a narrow slit separating it from the flap 22, said slit terminating at a point in the line I8.

It will now be noted that the various flaps I9 to 23 inclusive are utilized, in cooperation with the rectangular central part 26 of the member I 4 within the score lines I5 to I8 inclusive, to provide an L-shaped pocket 21 for receiving free edge parts of the member I3 as a retaining means for the latter member. For forming one end of said pocket, the flap 23 may be folded over the part 26 and the flap I9 then folded over said part with a lower portion of the last fiap overlapping and fixed to the flap 23. To complete the pocket 21, the flap 2| is folded over the part 26 and the fiap20 is then folded over said part to overlie both the flap 2| and the upper end of the fiap I9, the overlapped flap portions being suitably fixed together thereat. It is noted that the present arrangement of the flaps effects a closure of the pocket ends at the fold lines I5 and I8.

Means are provided for fixing the various flaps together at their overlapped portions. As indicated in Figure 1, areas of adhesive 28 may be provided at the inside faces of the lower end of the flap I9 and at both ends of the flap 20 whereby to provide the pocket 21 as a permanent part of the letter card structure when the pocket has once been formed as indicated. The letter card may be supplied to the user in the form of the blank of Figure l, or with the pocket formed as in Figure 2. It will be understood that the member I4 comprises the flaps I9 to 23 inclusive and the part 26.

, a written or printed message and at the same time expose a maximum area of the outer face of the front member I3 for receiving the name and address of an addressee for the letter car'd. Furthermore, the member I3 must be flexed in the general manner indicated in Figure 3 for effecting its engagement in the pocket 21. Accordingly, the pocket 21 is preferably given the general shape shown in Figure 2 by appropriately shaping the flaps I9 and 23 so that pocket edges 3| and 32 provided thereby define an obtuse angle of the order of one hundred ten degrees opposite the corner defined at the intersection of the fold lines I5 and I8, and extend toward the corners defined by the intersections of the fold lines I6 and I! with the fold lines I5 and I8 respectively; the flaps I9 and 20, it is noted, are appropriately widened adjacent the latter corners for covering the triangular flaps 23 and 2| respectively to which they are secured. For further facilitating the insertion of the front member I3 in its place, the latter may have corner portions thereof cut away in the manner particularly brought out in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.

When the member I3 has been disposed in fiat condition against the member I4, and with its edges within the pocket 21, the flap 22 is folded over it whereby all the free edge portions of the member are covered and the space defined between the members is closed at all sides thereof. In this manner, any message on the inner faces of the members may not be exposed to View without disengaging the member I3 from the pocket 21, and the space between the members might be arate paper or card or other object.

Preferably, and as shown in Figure 4, the opposed edges of the fiaps 2i) and 22 are arranged for complementary fitting in mutually coplanar relation, and the adhesive application of a sealing member 33 to and across said flaps at their 5 abutment completes such an imprisonment of the member I3 as to require a breaking of the sealing means 33 to permit a removal of the member from within the pocket means defined beneath the various flaps. It will thus be under- 10 stood that the present letter card possesses all the advantages of a sealed envelope while it at the same time provides an inner writing surface which has substantially twice the area of the folded structure. Furthermore, the front mem- 15 ber I3 is not fixed to any other element of the structure of which it is a part whereby the present letter card need not be mutilated in opening it and thus lends itself to use for souvenir or advertising card purposes.

The sealing member 33 may be a postage stamp, as is particularly indicated; in this case, the address would be written on the outer face of the member I3 at the place provided therefor. With the stamp and address at the outer face of the 25 member I3, the outer face of the member I4 may have a picture or other decoration (not Shown) printed or otherwise afiixed thereon. While the stamp 33 is particularly shown as overlying a W portion of the member I3 as well as the fiaps 3'0 23 and 22 whereby it may be adherent to the member, said stamp need not be adherent to the member and may be placed closer to the adjacent corner of the letter card structure for overlying only the flaps thereat; it will be understood 35 that under these conditions the functions of the pocket 21 and the effective extension of said pocket provided beneath the flap 22 are not impaired. p

The letter card 61 of Figures 6 to 11 inclusive 4 is designed primarily to provide a substantially quadrupled message surface with respect to a given size of folded card. This embodiment is arranged for shaping from a blank 62 and comprises front and back members 63 and 64 provided by said blank. In the present instance, however, fold lines 55 and 66 intersect centrally of the blank whereby to divide the same into generally rectangular parts 61, 68, 59 and 111. Flap portions 12, 13, 14 and 15 are provided along the free edges of the part 51, said flaps respectively corresponding to the flaps 23, I9, 20 and 2I of the first embodiment and arranged for fixing together in overlapped relation to provide a pocket 16 which is similar in shape and function to the pocket 21 and therefore needs no further description as to the provision thereof. The part 61 and its attached flaps are understood to jointly provide the member 64.

It will now be noted that the blank parts 68 and 69 and 10 together provide the member 63 whereby such member is L-shaped with its inner line defined at the portions of the fold lines 65 and 66 which bound the part 61. When a message has been written or otherwise provided on 65 the message area jointly defined by the inner faces of the parts 61 to 10 inclusive, the parts 68 and 69 are first folded over the parts 61 and 10 at the line 66 to lie fiat against the latter parts. To facilitate the disposal of the part 68 flat against '70 the part 61, the former is preferably reduced in size whereby it may not overlap the pocket-forming flaps of the part 61, the relation being shown in Figures 7 and 8. .It is noted that the part 68 corresponds in function to the fiap 22 of the first embodiment, in that it closes the side of the space defined between it and the part 61.

Having the parts related as in Figure '7, the mutually engaged parts 69 and 10 are then folded upwardly at the line 65, and in the manner of a flap, for insertion of the free edges of the part 10 in the pocket 16 to then overlie the parts 61 and 68. The flap comprising the parts 61 and 68 must be flexed into place as is indicated in Figure 8, after which the application of a stamp T! to and between the outer faces of the pocket fiap l4 and the part 10 secures the letter card against opening without first breaking the stamp.

It will now be noted that if a stamp 17 be so placed on the letter card 6| as not to connect parts of the members 63 and 64 thereof, the member 63 will still be retained in the pocket 75 by reason of its necessary flexing into place, whereby, under these circumstances, a lower rate of postage may be used for transmitting the letter card. A similar situation may obtain for the letter card II, it being noted that the fiap 22 would then be folded beneath the edge of the member I 3 thereat or omitted from the structure. In either case, the pocket provided on one member of the letter card will normally retain therein the edge portions of the other member.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains( and while I have described the principle of operation, together with devices which I now consider to be preferred embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that the embodiments shown are merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. A letter card provided with front and back members of rectangular outline and hingedly connected at a common edge thereof, a said member having four mutually independent marginal extensions thereof folded solely over its inner face and permanently secured together to cooperatively provide an L-shaped pocket having closed ends and extending along coterminous edges of the member for receiving the corresponding side edge parts of the other member.

2. A letter card provided with front and back members hingedly connected at a common edge thereof, a said member having four mutually independent marginal extensions thereof folded solely over its inner face and permanently secured together to cooperatively provide the front of an L-shaped pocket having closed ends and extending along coterminous edges of the member for receiving the corresponding side edge parts of the other member, the free edge line of said pocket front comprising a broken line having successive portions thereof defining obtuse angles with each other for the purpose described. 3. A letter card provided with front and back members of rectangular outline and hingedly connected at a common edge thereof, a said member having mutually independent marginal extensions of its different edges folded solely over its inner face and fixed together to cooperatively provide the front of an L-shaped pocket, having closed ends and extending along coterminous edges of the member for receiving the corresponding side edge parts of the other member, said pocket front tapering in depth from a point opposite the juncture of said coterminous edges of the member to points adjacent the ends of said edges and being of greatest depth at said first point. 4. A letter card provided with front and back members of generally like and rectangular outline hingedly connected along a first edge thereof, a said member having mutually independent marginal extensions of its different edges folded over its inner face and fixed together to cooperatively provide the front of an L-shaped pocket having closed ends and extending along mutually coterminous second and third edges of the member for receiving the corresponding side edge parts of the other member, a flap element hingedly related to the first member at the fourth edge thereof and arranged for disposal over the outer face of the second member in the pocket as an edge closure for the space between the mem-, bers, said fiap element terminating longitudinally thereof at the free edge of the pocket front whereby it is arranged to be coplanar with the pocket front when it overlies the second member, and a fracturable sticker element simultaneously adhesive to adjacent portions of the pocket front and the flap element whereby the flap element is arranged to provide an extension of the pocket front at; the fourth edge of the first member and the sticker element is alone operative to prevent a displacement of the flap element for permitting a removal of the second member from its engagement in the pocket.

ROBERT M. SMITH.

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