US2963806A - Mailing device - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 13, 1960 2,963,806

E. L. KING MAILING DEVICE Filed April l5, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 una mm nu* l' R- tfo .709, 07. 5 ga/39552567. T 5 M k d INVENTOR.

Dec. 13, 1960 E. L. KING 2,963,806

MAILING DEVICE Filed April 15, 1958 4 sheets-sheet 2 Q ABCDEF coMPANv lNcoRPoRATEo YOUR NEST Eq FDR THE FUTURE,...

u INVENTOR. BY Elmore L. King x1 TTORNEY Dec. 13, 1960 E, L K|NG 2,963,806

MAILING DEVICE Filed April 15, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 yu/z Near EGG FUR 1HE Fun/RE versc /mn Mlm b i INI/ENTOR. BY Elmore L Klng TTORNEY /l Dec. 13, 1960 E, L, KlNG 2,963,806

MAILING DEVICE Filed April 15, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. BY Elmore L.King

y ATTORNEY MAILING DEVICE Elmore L. King, 301 E. 66th St., New York 21, NY.

Filed Apr. 15, 1958, Ser. No. 728,640

2 Claims. (Cl. 40-65) This invention relates to mailing devices and more particularly to such devices in which a letterhead or the like is modied to provide an ingenious structure appropriate for use in mail promotions.

Promotional mailings have become a common practice in carrying on many businesses. Such mailings provide an inexpensive avenue carrying the business mans message to the public. Commonly promotional mailings include a letter eulogizing the senders product or service, and also a return mailer addressed to the sender, such as a prepaid, self-addressed post card. Mailings of this character have, in fact, become so common that those who receive them may simply discard them, having too little time or interest to concern themselves with their contents.

In such a background it becomes abundantly clear that here is a place where ingenuity can have large reward, for if one can arrest the attention of the receiver of the promotional mailing he has done much to increase the efficiency of this form of promotion and advertising. This is precisely the primary object of this invention. I have devised a novel promotional mailing structure calculated to arrest the attention of its receiver. In carrying out this object I modify the construction of what may be a letterhead, and also a return card, so that these two components interact to permit unusual visual effects. As received by an addressee, the letterhead and return card are in an assembled inter-engaged condition. Simple Vmeans operable by the addressee are provided for disengagement, and in the course of disengagement t-he effect of depth, movement of related symbols, or surprising disclosure maybe obtained. Moreover, when a letterhead and card are united in the manner taught by my invention, upon removal from an envelope by an addressee, the component parts are both necessarily presented to the addressee, for the ycard cannot fall out and be lost.

Another object of this invention is to provide uniquely related components to give a novel mailing piece, while the expense of the mailing is not appreciably increased over costs where an ordinary unmodified letterhead and return card are employed. Furthermore, my novel mailing structure may be handled by the very same mass mailing techniques now employed with ordinary mailings, so that increased cost on this account is not incurred.

How these and many other objects of this invention are to be implemented will become clear through a consideration of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is an assembled view of a iirst embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section at 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view of the same embodiment as Fig. l with the engageable portions disengaged;

Fig. 4 is an assembled view of a second embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a section at 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view of the embodiment seen in Fig. 4 with the engageable portions disengaged;

tes arent if? imprinted yon the secondary sheet, is visible.

wice

Fig. 7 is an assembled view of a third embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a section at 8 8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a view of the embodiment seen in Fig. A7 with the engageable portions disengaged;

Fig. l0 is a view of a fourth embodiment of my invention showing an assembled view;

Fig. 11 is a section at 11--11 of Fig. l0;

Fig. 12 is a view of the embodiment of Fig. 10 in which engageable elements have been disengaged;

Fig. 13 is a View of a fifth embodiment of my invention shown in an assembled condition;

Fig. l5 is a view of the tifth embodiment in which the engageable elements have been disengaged.

In all of the drawings numeral 10 indicates a primary sheet in the nature of a letterhead, and 11 is a secondary sheet contemplated to be in the nature of a return post card. Each primary sheet has a window 12 therein through which the name and address of the addressee, In turn the entire assembly could be mailed in an envelope of conventional construction, and therefore not shown, having a further window through which the name and address of the addressee would be visible for purposes of delivery. In the embodiment of Figs. 1-3 the primary sheet has a slit 13 therein. Adjacent this slit is a design 14 imprinted upon the primary sheet, which design 14 in Fig. 3 is seen to represent a book with its first page exposed. The secondary sheet 11 has a ap 15 which is created when the secondary sheet is die-cut along the line 16. As seen in Figs. l and 3, the ap 15 is imprinted with a design representing the cover of a book. The flap 15 is situated in the secondary p sheet 11 at such a position that the flap may be passed through slit 13 while the remainder of the secondary sheet lies entirely behind the primary sheet 10, the secondary sheet when so engaged not being visible. When assembled into this condition as represented in Fig. l,

, flap 15 is superposed over the design 14, just registering with such design so that it appears that the representation -of an uncoveredI book on the primary sheet 10 has a cover. The primary sheet is notched at 17 to provide a iinger hold whereby the secondary sheet 11 may be withdrawn in the direction of the arrow seen in Fig. 3 from engagement with the primary sheet 10. The effect of pulling the secondary sheet in such direction is to give the appearance of removing the cover of the book, since Hap 15 is withdrawn through slit 1.3. The secondary sheet 11 may be scored or perforated along line 18 so that portion 19 of the secondary sheet 11 in which ap 15 appears may be separated from the balance 20 of the secondary sheet. The balance 20 may be appropriately imprinted on its reverse side so that this part of the secondary sheet 11 may serve as a return post card.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 4-6 the primary sheet 10 is provided with a slit 24 which is inclinedly disposed in the primary sheet. A design 2S is imprinted on the primary sheet, in this case representing a plurality of playing cards face up. It will be seen that the design is imprinted on both sides of the slit 24, such slit appearing at a place in the design where it is least noticeable, that is, it blends in with the design. The secondary sheet 11 has a Hap 26 therein formed upon diecutting secondary sheet 11 along line 27. Imprinted upon such flap is a representation of the back of a playing card. The secondary sheet 11 may be engaged with primary sheet 10 by passing ap 26 through slit 24, to give the condition indicated in Fig. 4, such ilap 26 just registering with one ofthe otherwise face up appearing playing cards on primary sheet 10, whereupon it will appear that one of suc'h cards is face down. Primary sheet 10 is notched at 28 to provide a iingerhold whereby the sec ondary sheet 11 may be withdrawn from engagement with the primary sheet, which means that flap 26 will be withdrawn through slit 24 to uncover the design imprinted on primary sheet 10. Again the secondary sheet is scored or perforated along line 29 to permit easy separation of secondary sheet 11 into two parts, one of which may be appropriately imprinted to serve as a return post card.

The embodiment seen in Figs. 7-9, primary sheet 10 has a slit 32 and a design 33 imprinted thereon adjacent to said slit. The secondary sheet has a flap 34 formed when secondary sheet 11 is die-cut along line 3S, and flap 34 also is die-cut to provide fenestration 36. The primary and secondary sheets and 11 respectively may be interengaged by passing flap 34 through slit 32 whereupon ap 34, which is `also imprinted, will lie just in registry with design 33. in addition, within the whole design 33 there is a subsidiary design 37 visible through fenestration 36 with which it just registers. Again, the primary sheet is notched at 38 to permit disengagement of secondary sheet 11 from the primary sheet, a pull on such secondary sheet resulting in the withdrawal of ap 34 through slit 32, to completely reveal design 33, and to permit secondary sheet 11 to provide a return mailing cand When secondary sheet 11 is torn along score or perforation lines 39.

In the embodiment seen in Figs. 10-12 the primary sheet 10 has a slit 43 with a design imprinted adjacent thereto, such design representing a squirt of toothpaste from a tube, such design on primary sheet 10 being indicated by the numeral 44. The secondary sheet 11 has a flap 45 die cut along line 46 in appropriate shape to represent a toothpaste tube, such flap being appropriately imprinted. The primary and secondary sheets may be interengaged in the manner shown in Fig. 10 whereupon a comparatively short portion of lche squirt of tooth paste will appear to have been emitted from the tooth paste tube, it being clear that the flap 45 is in registry with design 44. The primary sheet is notched at 47 to provide a nger hold by means of which secondary sheet 11 may be disengaged from primary sheet 10 by exertmg a force in the direction of the arrow seen in Fig. 12, whereupon the flap 45 will be Withdrawn through slit 4-3. As the flap 45 is progressively withdrawn through slit 43 from the initial condition of Fig. l0, to the disengaged condition of Fig. 12, more and more of the design 44 will be exposed, to give the visual effect of increasing emission of tooth paste from the tube.

In the embodiment of Figs. 13-15, a horizontal slit 51 is present in primary sheet 10 and a design 52 is imprinted on primary sheet 10 adjacent to such slit S1. In this case, the design is in the form of an inverted hat. A flap 53 is present in secondary sheet 11, formed by die cutting along line 54. A design 55 complementary to that appearing on the primary sheet 10 is irnprinted on ap 53. A notch 56 is disposed above slit 51 in the upper edge of primary sheet 10. The primary and secondary sheets 10 and lil, respectively, may be interengaged by passing flap 53 through slit 51 in such manner that ap 53 lies predominantly behind primary sheet 10 when the -two sheets are in the assembled condition as is indicated in Fig. 13. Because of the presence of notch 56, the secondary sheet may be disengaged from the primary sheet by grasping the secondary sheet and pulling it upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow seen in Fig. l5, whereupon flap 53 will be withdrawn from engagement with slit 51. in this case, the visual etect will be of a rabbit being Withdrawn from a hat. The secondary sheet 11 is perforated or scored along line 57 to permit division of the secondary sheet 11 into two portions, one of which may serve as a return post card.

Where I have above referred to scored or perforated lines in connection with the various embodiments above described, it will be understood that both such kinds of line as well as equivalent aids in separating a card or the like into a plurality of parts may be used. The generic term impressed separation line will be used to embrace such structural expedients.

VWhile I have described and illustrated a variety of embodiments of my invention, it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made in such disclosure, and even though such changes and modifications occur, the ambit of my invention will extend thereto'.

I claim:

1. A mailing device comprising a front and back sheet, said back sheet constituting a unitary business reply card, a slot in said front sheet adjacent to an edge of said sheet, a flap cut out of said back sheet and being secured to said sheet along one side of said flap, said ila extending through said slot in said front sheet and overlying and engaging said front sheet, the edge of said back sheet adjacent to the hap being substantially hush With the edge of the front sheet when the two sheets are fully engaged, and said line of securement of said flap being in alignment with said slot2 said back sheet being movable to disengage and separate the two sheets, the measure of movement of said back sheet bebeing equal to the amount of movement of said flap from overlying engagement with said front sheet.

2. A mailing device as defined in claim 1, said slot in said front sheet being adjacent a vertical side edge of said sheet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,176,928 Simmonds Mar. 28, 1916 1,898,308 Miller Feb. 21, 1933 1,902,121 Gallagher Mar. 21, 1933 2,138,250 Lee NOV. 29, 1938 2,285,807 Cloutier .Tune 9, 1942 2,324,777 Holmstrom July 20, 1943 2,708,068 Guttman May 10, 1955

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