US2872099A - Envelopes - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 3, 1959 I pRlAL 2,872,099

' I ENVELOPES Filed Aug. 3, 1955 Fig.2

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I" ziii 38 His 48 was M: 22 55555 Gerard Pria/ u 'Ei INVENTOR Mi: {Mil Cd 14 BY KZWT United States PatentO ENVELOPES Gerard Prial, Island Park, N. Y. Application August 3, 1955, Serial No. 526,292 1 (Zlaim. (Cl. 229-73) This invention relates to improvements in the construction of envelopes and similar mailing containers and 2,872,099 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 provided with small, rectangular flanges 24 and 26 that define side walls for the envelope in its sending condition and are hinged by fold lines 25 to the edges. The panel has opposing surfaces 28 and 30, the surface 28 providing theinner back wall of the sending and return envelope and the surface 30 providing the outer forms the inner surface of the front wall of the return is particularly directed to an improved dual use envelope n which can be used as a sending and return envelope.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an envelope of one-piece construction which is eflectively sealed in both its forwarding and returning states and which can be changed from its forwarding'state into a return envelope in a fast, simple and convenient manner.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a one-piece envelope which can safely retain bills in its envelope while the surface 34 is adapted to have the senders name (as shown in Fig. 4) printed or otherwise inscribed thereon.

The panel 22 constitutes the front wall of the sending envelope and, is provided at its outer end edge with a sending form and remittances in its return form due to 1 an efiective but simple full sealing means and which is inexpensively formed due to a simple design which eliminates excessive folds, flaps and the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide an envelope which is formed from a rectangular sheet of paper which is folded transversely upon itself to provide the envelope and which includes three panels, one of which is centrally located and forms the back panel of the envelope in its sending and return condition, and the other two of which are end panels that form the fronts of the envelope in its two conditions, one of said end panels overlying the other and being removable to fully expose the other.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensively constructed and reliably and conveniently usable envelope.

The foregoing and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, the best known form of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the envelope in blank form;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the envelope in its sealed initial mailing condition;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the sending envelope of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the envelope in its return sealed mailing form;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the envelope shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the dual use envelope is shown in its sealed sending and return forms in Figs. 2 and 3 and Figs. 4 and 5, respectively. The envelope, generally designated by the numeral 10, is formed from a single sheet 12 of suitable paper material, shown in Fig. 1. As shown therein, the sheet 12 is substantially rectangular and is divided by longitudinally spaced, transverse score lines 14 and 16 into three rectangular panels 18, 20 and 22, of which panel 20 is centrally disposed while the other panels are end panels, the panel 18 forming a first end panel and the panel 22 forming a second end panel.

The center panel 20 has straight side edges which are sealing flap 38 thathas mucilage on its inner side. The flap 38 is formed in the shape of a V and has tapered side edges and forms the top wall of the sending envelope. Also side flaps 44 and 46 are provided to form the sides of thesending envelopej p The panel'22 consists of a rectangular removable section 40 which is outlined by perforated lines 42 to permit it to be easily removed from the flaps 38, 44 and 46. When so removed, the surface 34 of the section 18 is exposed so as to expose the senders name and address on the return envelope. The removable section 40 is formed with a cut-out or window 48 that exposes the address on a bill 50 which is placed between the panels 20 and 22 in the sending function of the envelope.

In the initial use of the envelope, that is the sending form shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, the panel 18 is disposed flat on the surface 28 of the panel 20 with the surfaces 28 and 32 in contact and the flap 36 folded down fiat onto the surface 32 of the panel 18. The side flanges 24 and 26 are folded onto the surface 34 and glued or otherwise fixed thereto to form the side walls of the return envelope. The panel 22 is disposed flat on the surface 34 of the panel 18 and the side flaps 44 and 46 are glued onto the surface 30 to form the side walls of the sending envelope. The bill 50 bears the address of the receiver and is inserted between panels 18 and 22 with the address visible through the window 48. The flap 38 is bent over and stuck onto the outer surface 30 of the panel 20. The envelope has now been sealed and is ready for first class mailing.

When the receiver receives the envelope, the tear section 40 of panel 22 is removed on the lines 42.

Th return envelope now consists of panels 18 and 20. The flaps 44, 46 and 38. may be left stuck to the panel 20. The panel 18 forms the front wall and panel 20 the back wall of the return envelope. The surface 34 is exposed by the complete removal of the tear section 40. The return remittance 52 or the like is then inserted between panels 18 and 20 and the flap 36 is reversed to seal the opening between the mating outer end edges thereof. The score line 16 forms the closed end of such return envelope.

While the preferred form of this invention has been shown and described herein, other forms may be realized as coming within the scope of the invention defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed:

A one-piece sending and return envelope formed from a substantially rectangular sheet of paper divided by transverse, longitudinally spaced score lines into three 3 7 equally dimensioned rectangular panels ter panel and a first and a second end panel hingedly joined at their inner end edges by the score lines to the end edges of the center panel, said panelshaving opposing side-edges disposed in longitudinal alignment, said center panel having equally dimensioned hinged flaps on its opposing side edges, the center panel defining the back wall of the envelope in both its sending and return mailing conditions, said first end panel being folded over onto the center panel and forming the front wall of the envelope in its return condition with said flaps folded over onto and secured to the first end panel and forming the side walls of the return envelope and the score line between the center panel and the first end panel forming the bottom wall of the envelope in its return condition, said first end panel having its outer end edge formed with a sealing flap which is folded back down onto the first end panel in the sending condition of the envelope and which is adapted to be folded over onto the back surface of the center panel to form the top wall of the envelope in its return condition, said second end panel being folded over onto the first end panel in the sending condition of the envelope and forming the front wall of the sending envelope with the first end panel interposed between the center panel and the second end panel, said second end panel having side flaps and an end flap which flaps are folded over onto the back surface of the center panel and glued thereto to form the end walls and the top wall of the envelope in its sending condition, the score line between the center panel and including a centhe second end panel forming the bottom wall of the envelope in its sending condition, said second end panel having a window formed therein to expose an address on a bill inserted between the first end panel and the second end panel and said second end panel being joined by perforations to its end and side flaps, said perforations joining said end and side flaps to said second panel and said perforations joining said second panel to said center panel forming a complete rectangle whereby said second panel may be torn out and removed in its entirety to permit access to said bill and said sealing flap of said first panel whereby said envelope may be transformed to its return condition, said end flap of said second panel being in the form of an inverted V when folded to facilitate removal of said bill after said second panel has been entirely removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,449 West May 5, 1908 1,324,100 Binkowitz Dec. 9, 1919 1,344,071 Webster June 22, 1920 2,317,335 Whitman Apr. 20, 1943 2,681,175 David June 15, 1954 2,773,638 Krohn Dec. 11, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,058 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1912 245,999 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1947

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