US28767A

US28767A - Envelop

Info

Publication number: US28767A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1860-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1877-06-19

Description

UNITED STATES PATENToEFioE.

BENJAMIN MORISON, .OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.l

ENVELOP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,767, dated June 19, 1860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN MoRIsoN, of the city of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Envelop for Letters, Documents, &c., Requiring to be Mailed; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descri tion of the same, reference being had to tlie annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing an envelop, for a letter or document which requires to be mailed, with an opening or openings in the same, substantially as hereinafter described; whereby the usual post-mark, or marks, are permitted to be imprinted or stamped directly and exclusively upon the letter inclosed therein, with the same facility and accuracy as the same have heretofore been imprinted or stamped upon the envelop alone.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct the envelops, for`folding, in the usual manner; but, before they are folded, I take a series of them and, by means of any suitable hollow punch or cutter, make a clear opening, A, through the face of each of the same, near the corner where the usual post-mark is generally imprinted; as indicated in Figs. l and 2. This opening in the face of each envelop should be considerably larger, in its diameter, than the usual postoflice stamp; and, should -it be desired, another opening B, (see Fig. 2) may be made through each of the said envelops, which' opening, though small-er than the other (A), should ralso be considerably larger than the face of the stamp which is generally used for marking the day of receiving, rlhe envelops, so perforated, may have the underside of the boundary edge of each of the openings (A, B) gummed, as indicated by the dotted line seen around the opening (A) in F ig. l.

The automatic machines now in use for cutting out, folding, and gumming envelops, may be adapted to perform also the hereindescribed operations of punching and gumming.

In the operation or use of this improved envelop, the letter or document to be mailed,

is inserted and inclosed therein in the usual well known manner, and, consequently, enough of the surface of the said inclosed letter or document will be exposed, to receive the usual post-mark, or marks (A, B), thereon, through the respective openings `(A, B), as seen in the figures, which mark, or marks, will be imprinted or stamped thereon by the proper officer, by means of the common printing stamps now in use in the various post offices; the one (A) at the oflice in which it is mailed, and the other (B) at the office to which it is sent; thus securing upon the lletter itself, directly and exclusively, legal evidence of the day or date upon which the said letter or document was mailed, and also of the day or date of receiving at the office to which it was mailed; facts which are often of great importance to be ascertained, and which are not at all attainable by the common practice of postmarking the envelop only.

If it be desired to close the, openings (A, B) upon the letter or document inclosed, as seen in Fig. 2, it isonly necessary to wet, with ones finger, the gum around the opening, and then press the same upon the letter.

I am aware that several papers, in a series or package, have been stamped with letters, figures, &c., between dies under lever pressure, at one operation; and also that a marker, consisting of a series of sharp spears, arranged together so as to produce the forms of letters and figures, has been invented for the purpose of post-marking by driving the said spears together through the envelop and letter at one operation; therefore I do not claim, broadly, the post-marking of a letter inclosed in an envelop; but

Having thus fully described my improved envelop, and pointed out its superior utility, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

An envelop provided with an opening, or openings, through which the usual postmark, or marks, may be imprinted or stamped as heretofore, directly and exclusively upon the letter' or document inclosed therein; substantially as herein set forth and described.

BENJ. MORISON. Witnesses GEORGE PEEIFEER, JNO. B. KENNEY.