US3338500A

US3338500A - Envelope

Info

Publication number: US3338500A
Application number: US445431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald H Bushey
Original assignee: United States Envelope Co
Current assignee: United States Envelope Co
Priority date: 1965-04-05
Filing date: 1965-04-05
Publication date: 1967-08-29
Anticipated expiration: 1984-08-29

Description

D. H. BUSHEY Aug. 29, 1967 ENVELOPE 'Filed April 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGZ.

FIGB.

INVENTOR. DON ALD H. BU SH E Y Aug- 29. 1967 D. H. BUSHEY 3,338,500

ENVELOPE Filed April a, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DONALD H. BUSHEY BYVQ MMU AGENT 3,338,500* Patented Aug. 29, 1967 3,338,500 ENVELOPE Donald H. Bushey, Shrewsbury, Mass., assignor to United States Envelope Company, Springfield, Mass., a corporation of Maine Filed Apr. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 445,431 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-8.5)

ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A pre-closed coin envelope is provided having a slot through which coins or other similar thin articles may be inserted into the envelope pocket. On the inside of the envelope is a tab, located adjacent the slot, which prevents an article, once received in the envelope, from escaping by passing back through the slot.

This invention relates in general to envelopes, and more specifically to the so-called coin envelopes.

Pre-closed envelopes having a slot in a panel thereof for the insertion of coins are well known in the art. Such envelopes are widely used today for church collections and the like. While these envelopes are generally known as coin envelopes, actually bills, checks, et-c. can just as easily be used and the coin envelope is equally effective. Such envelopes may also be used for parts such as small electrical devices, small tools, and many other articles which are suitable for packaging in envelopes for safe-keeping. l

An object of the present invention is to provide a coin type envelope which is constru-cted to protect against the contents falling out.

Another object of this invention is t-o provide a simple envelope which can easily rbe manufactured on conventional envelope manufacturing equipment.

A further object of this invention is to provide an envelope which, even though the slot is fully protected against the contents falling out, the slot is not obstructed so as to hinder the entrance of coins, folded paper, or any other object which may be inserted in the envelope.

Further objects will appear from the following description of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a plan view of the back of an envelope according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE l, but for clarity, omitting the contents of the envelope shown in FIGURE 1;'

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a blank from which the euvel-ope according to my invention is made;

FIGURE 3A is a partial plan View of a blank showing a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the envelope according to my invention is made;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged section view substantially along the same line as FIGURE 2, but showing the envelope in inverted position and containing an article;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged section view similar to FIG- URE 5, but showing the Iarticle in another position.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes generally an envelope according to my invention, made of paper or the like, having a front panel 12 and a bottom flap 14. In lthe illustrated embodiment of my invention, the bottom flap 14 is somewhat smaller than the front panel 12 and is connected thereto by a fold line 16. Bottom flap 14 is connected along its sides to the front panel 12 by means of the small side flaps 18 and 20, which are connected to the front panel by means of the fold lines 22 and 24. As illustrated in FIGURES l and 2, the bottom ap 14 ends short of the top of the front panel 12.

The top ilap 26 is connected to the edge of the front panel 12 by means of the fold line 28, and is the last of the flaps to be folded. Top flap 26 is adhesively connected to the underlying portion of the bottom flap 14. The flaps 14, 18, 20, and 26 all combine to make up the back panel.

To provide means for inserting coins or other objects in the envelope, a slot 30 is formed in the back panel of the envelope, which, in this instance, is in top flap 26. The slot 30 is spaced a short distance from the fold line 28 and extends generally parallel thereto. Slot 30 is preferably located adjacent the edge 32 of the bottom flap 14, just slightly offset therefrom towards the outer edge of the envelope, for reasons which will be more fully described hereinafter.

To provide means for preventing the contents of the envelope from sliding out, the bottom flap 14 is provided with a small tab 34 connected thereto along the edge 32 by means of the fold line coincident with the edge 32. It is preferred that the tab 34 extend for substantially the entire length of the slot 30, but this is not absolutely necessary for proper functioning of the envelope. The tab 34 is relatively short in relation to the height of the envelope, the edge 36 thereof terminating at least a distance from the edge 16 greater than either the length X or Width Y of an object which is to be inserted therein. The positioning of the slot 30 and the adjacent edge 32 is also such that the distance from the top edge 28 is less than the length X or width Y of an object to be inserted. It may be desirable in some instances to provide slots 38 and 40 along the line 32 at the ends of the tab 34 to aid the tab 34 in being freely foldable along the fold line 32. Thus, when the article C is inserted in the envelope through slot 30, it drops, or may be pushed down past the tab 34 which does not obstruct entrance of the article C, towards the bottom edge 16. Once the article C slides past the edge 36 of the tab 34, the tab 34 unfolds and acts as a shield to prevent the article C from getting to the slot again, as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. In FIGURE 5, the article C has not moved past the tab 34, and is thus prevented from getting to the slot 30. However, in FIGURE 6, the article C has moved all the WayA to the edge of the envelope, but in moving past the tab 34, it turned tab 34 over -to cover up the slot 30 from the inside. Thus, the article C is retained in the envelope by the tab 34 in either case.

The envelope as hereinbefore described is made from a blank such as that shown in FIGURE 3. This is one preferred form of the invention, but of course there are other Variations. For instance, the flaps 18 and 20 could be omitted, and the bottom flap 14 adhesively connected to the front panel 12.

Referring to FIGURE 4, the envelope 10 is made from the blank shown in FIGURE 3 by first folding the side flaps 18 and 20. An adhesive 46 is then applied to the flaps 18 and 20. Tab 34 is then folded substantially so as to fall back between the front panel 12 and bottom flap 14. Bottom flap 14 is next folded along fold line 16 to form the pocket and become adhesively connected to the side flaps 18 and 20. Top ap 26 is folded along fold line 28 such that the portion of flap 26 having the adhesive 46 contacts the bottom flap 14. The residual resiliency in tab 34 allows same to spring up enough to catch the article C, either preventing it from sliding by, 0r if it does slide by, then unfolding to the position shown in FIGURE 6 to shield the slot 30.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have invented an envelope into which articles may be inserted, but such articles are prevented from sliding out, and that shaking the envelope around after loading further enhances the security, in that the force of the contents folds a shield in place over the slot from the inside.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, steps, and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pre-closed envelope for receiving and retaining a generally thin article such as a coin or the like, said envelope including a generally rectangular front panel and a generally rectangular back panel joined at their edges and forming a pocket there-between, said envelope edges including top and bottom edges and two side edges, a slot in one of said panels oriented generally parallel to said top and bottom edges of said envelope and spaced in its entirety from all four of said edges, and a tab inside of said pocket fixed relative to said one panel and having a fold line at one edge thereof extending generally parallel to said slot and located adjacent one side of said slot, said tab in the direction normal to said fold line having a dimension less than the spacing between said fold line and either of said top and bottom edges of said envelope so as to be movable between an open position at which it extends from said fold line away from said slot to permit the insertion of an article into said pocket through said slot and a closed position at which it extends from said fold line toward said slot, said tab further having such a dimension normal to said fold line that when in said closed position it extends beyond the side of the slot opposite from said fold line so as to prevent the escape through said slot of an article already in said pocket.

2. A pre-closed envelope for receiving and retaining a generally thin article such as a coin or the like, said envelope including a front panel and back panel joined at their edges and forming a pocket therebetween, a slot in one of said panels oriented generally parallel to one edge of said envelope and spaced in its entirety from said one edge by a substantial distance less than the minimum dimension of an article with which said envelope is to be used so that such an article in being inserted into said pocket through said slot must be moved in a direction generally away from said edge, and a tab inside of said pocket fixed relative to said one panel and having a fold line at one edge thereof extending generally parallel to said slot and located adjacent said slot on the side thereof opposite from said one envelope edge, said tab in the direction normal to said fold line having a dimension less than the spacing between said fold line and said one envelope edge so as to be movable about said fold line between an open position at which it extends from said fold line in a direction generally away from said one envelope edge to permit the insertion of an article into said pocket through said slot and a closed position at which it extends from said fold line in a direction generally i toward said one envelope edge, said tab further having such a dimension normal to said fold line as to extend beyond the side of said slot opposite from said fold line when in said closed position to prevent the escape through said slot of an article already in said pocket.

3. An envelope as dened in claim 2 further characterized by said one panel being comprised of at least two ilaps, one of said flaps having an edge spaced from said one edge of said envelope and the other of said flaps extending from said one edge of said envelope toward and beyond said edge of said one ap, said other flap overlying said one llap and being sealed thereto along said edge of said one ap, said slot being formed in said other iiap between said one edge of said envelope and said edge of said one ap and said tab being joined at its fold line to said edge of said one ap.

4. A pre-closed envelope for receiving and retaining a generally thin article such as a coin or the like, said envelope being made from a single blank of sheet material and including a generally rectangular front panel having top and bottom edges and two side edges, a bottom flap connected with said front panel by a fold line extending along said bottom edge of said front panel and folded about said fold line so a-s to overlie the back surface of said front panel, said bottom flap having an upper edge spaced below said top edge of said front panel, a top ap connected with said front panel along a told line extending along said top edge of said front panel, said top flap being folded about said fold line and overlying at least a part of said bottom ap, means adhesively securing said top flap to said bottom flap adjacent said upper edge of said bottom flap, a slot in said top flap oriented generally parallel to said top edge of said front panel and located between said top edge of said front panel and said upper edge of said bottom ap, and a tab connected with said bottom flap along a fold line extending along said top edge of said bottom ap, said tab in the direction normal to its said fold line having a dimension less than the spacing between such fold line and said top edge of said front panel, said tab being movable about its said fold line between an open position at which it extends from such fold line away from said slot to permit the insertion of an article into said envelope through said slot and a closed position at which it extends from said fold line toward and beyond said slot so as to close said slot to prevent the escape therethrough of an article already in said envelope.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,048,125 12/1912 Bachmann 229-85 1,239,143 9/1917 Van Horn 229-85 2,726,030 12/1955 Levin 229-85 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A PRE-CLOSED ENVELOPE FOR RECEIVING AND RETAINING A GENERALLY THIN ARTICLE SUCH AS A COIN OR THE LIKE, SAID ENVELOPE INCLUDING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FRONT PANEL AND A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR BACK PANEL JOINED AT THEIR EDGES AND FORMING A POCKET THEREBETWEEN, SAID ENVELOPE EDGES INCLUDING TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES AND TWO SIDE EDGES, A SLOT IN ONE OF SAID PANELS ORIENTED GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID ENVELOPE AND SPACED IN ITS ENTIRELY FROM ALL FOUR OF SAID EDGES, AND A TAB INSIDE OF SAID POCKET FIXED RELATIVE TO SAID ONE PANEL AND HAVING A FOLD LINE AT ONE EDGE THEREOF EXTENDING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SLOT AND LOCATED ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID SLOT, SAID TAB IN THE DIRECTION NORMAL TO SAID FOLD LINE HAVING A DIMENSION LESS THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID FOLD LINE AND EITHER OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID ENVELOPE SO AS TO BE MOVABLE BETWEEN AN OPEN POSITION AT WHICH IT EXTENDS FROM SAID FOLD LINE AWAY FROM SAID SLOT TO PERMIT THE INSERTION OF AN ARTICLE INTO SAID POCKET THROUGH SAID SLOT AND A CLOSED POSITION AT WHICH IT EXTENDS FROM SAID FOLD LINE TOWARD SAID SLOT, SAID TAB FURTHER HAVING SUCH A DIMENSION NORMAL TO SAID FOLD LINE THAT WHEN IN SAID CLOSED POSITION IT EXTENDS BEYOND THE SIDE OF THE SLOT OPPOSITE FROM SAID FOLD LINE SO AS TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE THROUGH SAID SLOT OF AN ARTICLE ALREADY IN SAID POCKET.