US3259304A

US3259304A - Postcards

Info

Publication number: US3259304A
Application number: US458647A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lawrence F Tichnor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-05-25
Filing date: 1965-05-25
Publication date: 1966-07-05
Anticipated expiration: 1983-07-05
Also published as: GB1063394A

Description

United States Patent 3,259,304 POSTCARDS Lawrence F. Tichnor, Brookline, Mass. (76 Atherton St., Jamaica Plain, Mass.) Filed May 25, 1965, Ser. No. 458,647 5 Claims. (Cl. 229-92.8)

The present invention rel-ates to postcards and more particularly to a multiple function postcard device for effi cient display and sale of postcards. The device of this invention greatly reduces cost of production and vending of postcards while enhancing the sales appeal of the postcards to the consumer.

Picture postcards have for a long time been in widespread use throughout the world. Such cards are often produced by lithographing or otherwise reproducing scenic or other graphic illustrations on one side of a large sheet and printing informational material on the rear side. The sheet is then divided as by cutting at the factory to form individual cards. Each card is then banded along with other identical cards and sold to mechandisers. Retail mechandisers normally display and vend such picture postcards in racks having individual compartments for identical cards.

Production and vending of picture postcards as individual units has certain disadvantages. The price of cutting, banding and boxing a plurality of identical cards in saleable packages is high. Moreover, the conventional compartmented display racks are expensive. These racks necessarily require large rack surface areas and consequently specially designed bulky racks. Servicing of such racks by the retailer or supplier necessarily involves a review of each compartment to check the number of cards remaining after a period of sales. This servicing is extremely time consuming particularly where large numbers of different pictorial illustrations are represented on individual cards as is common.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a multiple function postcard device for efficient, relatively low cost display and sale of postcards.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple function postcard device in accordance with the preceding object which can be relatively easily produced at high speeds and relativelylow cost per individual unit.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a multiple function postcard device in accordance with the preceding object which presents a plurality of picture postcards in an integral unit suitable for use as collectors items.

According to the invention, a multiple function postcard device for efficient display and sale of postcards comprises :a single sheet of paper material. The sheet has a plurality of individual postcard panels extending in a row with each of the postcard panels having a graphic illustration on a front side of the sheet and printed material on a back side of the sheet. An advertising panel is removably attached to one end of the row and carries lettering on the front side of the sheet for advertising and promoting the sale of the row of cards. A plurality of tear lines are formed in the sheet separating each one of the panels from another enabling the postcard panels to be easily separated from the sheet by the hands of a user. The tear lines are arranged substantially parallel to each other. Means are provided on the advertising panel for hanging the sheet with the advertising panel uppermost and the postcard panels extending downwardly substantially in a vertically extending row. Preferably the sheet is fiat and extends in a single plane enabling display of all of the postcards on the sheet merely by hanging the device from a suitable hook.

It is an important feature of this invention that a single inexpensive hook can be used to merchandise a plurality of different graphically illustrated postcards thereby minimizing the size and cost of display racks. Since a plurality of cards, each preferably having a different graphic illustration, are produced on a single sheet, the cost of separating, banding and displaying the postcards is substantially reduced. In fact, when a sheet carrying six different postcards is produced in accordance with this invention, the cost per card of separating, handing and packaging can be reduced by at least 50%. The cost of vending the device of this invention is greatly reduced since the paper work involved in invoicing, shipping, etc. is greatly reduced over similar costs involving individual unit cards.

Still another feature of the present invention is the opening of new markets for picture postcards. Selected collections of scenic views of a particular location can be promoted for sale as collectors items or souvenirs of a users visit.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention are more fully described in the following specification when read in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a multiple function postcard device in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view thereof.

With reference now to the drawings and more particularly FIG. 1, a multiple function postcard device 10 is illustrated. The device 10 has six postcard panels 12 arranged in a row with each panel carrying different pictorial representations on a first side of sheet 11. The rear side of each postcard panel 12 is preferably printed as a conventional postcard having stamp blocks 13 and message divider lines 14 as is conventional in the picture postcard art. The postcard panels 12 preferably form a row of rectangular postcards as shown and have attached to their upper end an advertising panel 15 which is preferably printed with advertising and promotional material for the cards at least on its front side as shown in FIG. 1. The rear side of the advertising panel 15 shown in FIG. 2, may be blank or printed with other promotional material.

Preferably the postcards formed by each panel 12 have a length of from about 4 /2 to 8" and a width of from about 3 to 4 /2 as is conventional in the art.

Tear lines 16 extend preferably parallel to each other and between each postcard panel and the advertising panel to allow for ease of separation of the row of postcards from each other and from the advertising panel. A hole 17 passes from front to backside of the integral sheet 11 to allow the device to be hung from a hook for display enabling all of the pictorial representations to be presented to the eye of a prospective purchaser as a collection.

The sheet 11 which comprises the base of the strip or row of panels is integral and preferably made of a paper material of the type conventionally used for picture postcards. Thus, the paper material is relatively stiff and the entire row of advertising and postcard panels is substantially flat or planar.

The tear lines 16 formed in the sheet 11 are preferably rows of perforations but may be spaced pressed lines or dots or other weakening means. Preferably the tear lines 16 leave the sheet 11 substantially stiff and planar so that the device can be displayed as a unit showing each of the different pictorial representations of the picture postcards.

The postcards formed by the panels 12 preferably each contain different scenic or other pictorial representations. However, in some cases it may be desirable that each card carry the same representation. The pictorial representations can be lithographed simultaneously along with printing of the advertising panel and back of the sheet. A plurality of devices 10 can be formed and cut from each other during production. Similarly the hole or aperture 17 can be punched during the cutting process.

In use, the device 10 is preferably hung along a vertical axis from a hook passing through aperture 17. Thus, a plurality of postcards can be displayed using only a single hook which can be mounted on a relatively small panel or other support without the need for a bulky rack to contain individual cards.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations thereof are possible. For example, although six postcard panels have been described, larger or smaller numbers of postcards may be formed in a row in accordance with this invention. Although a single row of postcards is shown in the preferred embodiment having two parallel side edges, it is also possible to form two adjacent side by side rows of postcards on a single integral sheet of paper material in accordance with this invention. In view of the many variations possible, this invention is to be limited only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple function postcard device for efficient display and sale of postcards, said device consisting essentially of a single sheet of paper material,

said sheet comprising a plurality of individual postcard panels arranged substantially in a single plane and extending in a row,

each of said postcard panels having a graphic illustration on a front side of said sheet and printed material on a backside of said sheet,

an advertising panel removably attached to one end of said row and carrying indicia on said front side of said sheet,

a plurality of tear lines formed in said sheet separating each one of said panels from another whereby said postcard panels can be easily separated from said sheet by a user,

and means on said advertising panel for hanging said sheet with said advertising panel uppermost and said postcard panels extending downwardly therefrom in said row and having substantially all of the graphic illustrations presented to the eye in their correct viewing positions when the row is so arranged.

2. A postcard means in accordance with claim -1 wherein sides of said postcard panels define parallel sides of said sheet and said hanging means comprises an aperture defined by said advertising panel.

3. A postcard device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said postcard panels have a length of about 4 /2 to 8 inches and a width of about 3 to 4 /2 inches.

4. A postcard device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said tear lines are parallel to each other and comprise lines of perforations.

'5. A multiple function postcard device for efficient display and vending of postcards, said device consisting essentially of a single sheet of paper material, said sheet comprising a plurality of individual postcard panels arranged substantially in a single plane and extending in a flat row,

each of said postcard panels having a length of about 4 /2 to 8 inches and a width of about 3 to 4 /2 inches and carrying a graphic illustration on a front side of said sheet and printed material on a backside of said sheet, 7

a plurality of perforated tear lines formed in said sheet separating each one of said panels from another whereby said postcard panels can be easily separated from said sheet by a user to form individual postcards,

said tear lines being arranged substantially parallel to each other,

and means comprising an aperture on said advertising panel for hanging said sheet with said advertising panel uppermost and said postcard panels extending downwardly therefrom in said row and having substantially all of the graphic illustrations presented to the eye in their correct viewing positions when the row is so arranged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 817,663 4/1906 Pifer 22992.8 X 2,345,342 3/1944 Kahn 22974 2,365,789 12/1944 Weinschenk 22992.8

FOREIGN PATENTS 9,023 of 1904 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner.

Claims

1. A MULTIPLE FUNCTION POSTCARD DEVICE FOR EFFICIENT DISPLAY AND SALE OF POSTCARDS, SAID DEVICE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SINGLE SHEET OF PAPER MATERIAL, SAID SHEET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL POSTCARD PANELS ARRANED SUBSTANTIALLY IN A SINGLE PLANE AND EXTENDING IN A ROW, EACH OF SAID POSTCARD PANELS HAVING A GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION ON A FRONT SIDE OF SAID SHEET AND PRINTED MATERIAL ON A BACKSIDE OF SAID SHEET, AN ADVERTISING PANEL REMOVABLY ATTACHED TO ONE END OF SAID ROW AND CARRYING INDICIA ON SAID FRONT SIDE OF SAID SHEET, A PLURALITY OF TEAR LINES FORMED IN SAID SHEET SEPARATING EACH ONE OF SAID PANELS FROM ANOTHER WHEREBY SAID