US3606138A

US3606138A - One-piece envelope with integral,detachable coupons contained therein

Info

Publication number: US3606138A
Application number: US851857A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert D Allison
Original assignee: United States Envelope Co
Current assignee: United States Envelope Co
Priority date: 1969-08-21
Filing date: 1969-08-21
Publication date: 1971-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-20

Abstract

AN ENVELOPE ENCLOSING A NUMBER OF COUPONS IS MADE FROM A SINGLE BLANK OF PAPER OR THE LIKE, WHICH BLANK ALSO INCLUDES THE COUPONS. A POTENTIAL SEPARATION LINE EXTENDS ALONG EACH OF THE FOUR EDGES OF THE FINISHED EVELOPE AND, BY TEARING OR CUTTING ALONG THESE FOUR LINES, THE COUPONS CONTAINED WITHIN THE ENVELOPE ARE SEPARATED FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FROM THE ENVELOPE. THE FRONT AND REAR PANELS OF THE ENVELOPE MAY ALSO INCLUDE COUPON PORTIONS WHICH ARE SEPARATED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE ENVELOPE AND FROM THE OTHER COUPONS BY TEARING OR CUTTING ALONG THE POTENTIAL SEPARATION LINES.

Description

Sept 20, 1971 R D. ALUSON 3,606, 38

- cum-21mm ENVELOPE wnn INTEGRAL,DETACHABLE Filed Aug. 21, 1969 COUPONS CONTAINED THERE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

FIG. 2

INVENTOR ROBERT l)v ALLISON BY A Q4 6 ATTORNEYS Sept. 20 R. D. ALLISON ONE-PIECE ENVELOPE WITH INTEGRAL,DETACHABLE C RBI Filed Aug. 21, 1969 mm CONTAINED THE N s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 4 1

Se t. 20 l p 971 R. D. ALLISON ONE-PIECE ENVELOPE WITH INTEGRAL,DETACHABLE Filed Aug. 21, 1969 COUPONS coNTAlNED THERE 3 Sheets-Sheet :s

United States Patent 3,606,138 ONE-PIECE ENVELOPE WITH INTEGRAL, DETACHABLE COUPONS CONTAINED THEREIN Robert D. Allison, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to United States Envelope Company, Springfield, Mass. Filed Aug. 21, 1969, Ser. No. 851,857 Int. Cl. B65d 27/34 US. Cl. 229-70 22 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An en'velope enclosing a number of coupons is made from a single blank of paper or the like, which blank also includes the coupons. A potential separation line extends along each of the four edges of the finished envelope and, by tearing or cutting along these four lines, the coupons contained within the envelope are separated from one another and from the envelope. The front and rear panels of the envelope may also include coupon portions which are separated from the remainder of the envelope and from the other coupons by tearing or cutting along the potential separation lines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to envelopes made from folded blanks of paper or other sheet material, and deals more particularly with such envelopes particularly designed to contain other items, such as coupons, similarly made of paper or other sheet material.

The envelope of this invention is one wherein coupons or other similar items contained therein are made from the same blank of sheet material as the envelope itself, so that the envelope and the coupons may be formed simultaneously on a single machine with the machine folding the blanks so as to cause the coupons to be enclosed and sealed in the envelope. The envelope is so constructed as to allow the recipient to open it by severing it along multi ple separation lines, with this severing also serving to release a plurality of coupons or similar items which, may, for example, be redeemable special offer promotional coupons such as used in magazines, newspapers or cooperative mailings in connection with various advertising or promotional schemes, or they could be stamps or advertising slips. The envelope with its coupons, therefore, may be used to provide an economical advertising media for persons or concerns who wish to promote their own products or services without participating in cooperative type mailings, or distributions with other persons or concerns. The envelope may also be used in conjunction with a promotional game or contest of the type often used in retail merchandising, the coupons contained therein forming a part of such a game or contest, and being concealed prior to the envelope being opened.

The potential separation lines along which the various parts of the envelope are severed to open it and release its coupons are preferably lines along which the envelope blank is weakened by perforations, slits or the like so as to allow the severing to be readily accomplished by manually tering the envelope along such lines, and in the detailed description which follows the potential separation lines are described as such weakened lines. It should be understood, however, that this weakening of the potential separation lines is not essential to the broader aspects of the invention, and in some cases the weakening may be omitted and the location of the potential separation lines merely indicated by visible markings, such as printed lines or printed lines of dots, on the outer surface of the front or rear panel, or both, of the envelope with the envelope 3,606,138 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention resides in an envelope containing at least one enclosed coupon. The envelope is made of front and rear panels folded along a common fold line into overlying relationship with one another, and the coupon is formed by another panel folded along another fold line into a position between the front and rear envelope panels. The front and rear envelope panels are adhesively joined to one another along the three edges thereof other than the edge formed by the common fold line and inboard of the sealing means of each such edge is a potential separation line extending across both the front and rear panels parallel to the edge. The third panel includes a potential separation line registered with the one of the potential separation lines of the envelope panels so that by severing along the potential separation lines of the envelope panels, the envelope is both opened and the coupon portion of the third panel also separated from the front and rear panels of the envelope. The third panel preferably extends along and is integral with both the front and rear panels of the envelope and is folded along a continuation of the fold line between the envelope front and rear panels to form two overlying sub-panels each providing a coupon, and preferably a fourth panel similar to the third panel is joined to another edge of the envelope front and rear panels to provide two additional coupons. The potential separation lines may be defined by perforations, slits or other weakening means to allow severing of the envelope blank by tearing along such lines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of an envelope embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the envelope of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the marginal portions of the envelope separated from the coupon portions thereof by tearing along the weakened lines.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the envelope of FIG. 1 is made, this view being in a scale reduced from that of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing the blank in its first stage of folding.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but shows the blank in its second stage of folding.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but shows the blank in its third stage of folding.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 show an envelope 10 embodying this invention in its finished sealed condition, and FIG. 3 shows the same envelope in an opened condition. Referring to these figures, the envelope 10 includes a front panel 12, shown in FIG. 1, and a rear panel 14 shown in FIG. 2. At its upper ends, the front panel 12 includes a sealing flap 16 which is folded relative to the remainder of the front panel 12 along an upper horizontal fold line 18 into overlying relationship to the upper marginal portion of the rear panel 14 to which it is sealed by suitable adhesive 70.

As shown in FIG. 1, the front panel 12 includes two vertical

potential separation lines

20 and 22, weakened by perforations or slits, which extend thereacross with each spaced inboard a small distance from a respective one of the vertical side edges of the front panel. Likewise, two other horizontal

potential separation lines

24 and 26, weakened by perforations or slits, extend across the front panel 12 with each of these lines also being spaced a small distance from a respective one of the horizontal edges of the front panel. The four weakened

lines

20, 22, 24 and 26, therefore, define and surround a central portion 28 of the front panel, referred to hereinafter as a coupon portion, and also define four

marginal envelope portions

30, 32, 34, and 36 each located between one of the weakened lines and the adjacent edge of the front panel.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rear panel 14 includes four similar weakened potential separation lines 38,

4t

42 and 44, registered with the corresponding weakened lines of the front panel. That is, the

lines

20 and 40 are registered with one another, the

lines

22 and 38 are registered with one another, the

lines

24 and 42 are registered with one another, and the

lines

26 and 44 are registered with one another. The four weakened

lines

38, 40, 42, and 44 of the rear panel surround and define a rectangular central portion 46, referred to as a coupon portion and, also, define the

marginal envelope portions

30, 32, 34 and 36.

Referring to 'FIG. 3, this figure shows the envelope as viewed from the front with the

marginal portions

30, 32, 34 and 36 thereof removed therefrom by tearing along the registered weakened lines of the front and rear panels. From this figure, it will, therefore, be understood that by so removing the marginal portions of the envelope, the

coupon portions

28 and 46 are separated from one another and from the remaining portions of the envelope and may be used, if desired, as individual coupons or other such items. Also, the removal of the marginal portions also separates and makes available four

other coupons

48, 50, 52 and 54, located between the.

coupon portions

28 and 46 and of substantially the same size and shape as the

portions

28 and 46.

The

coupons

48, 50, 52 and 54 are located within the envelope 10 prior to its being opened, and the manner in which they are provided may best be understood by reference to FIGS. 4 to 7, which show the blank 56 from which the envelope and coupons are made and the manner in which the blank is folded and sealed to form a finished envelope, together with FIG. 8 which shows a cross-section through a finished envelope. Considering first FIG. 4, this figure shows the blank 56 in plan form. As shown in this figure, the blank includes the front panel 12 and rear panel 14 which are joined to one another by a common horizontal fold line 58. Connected to the left hand edge of both the front panel and the rear panel is a third panel 60 which extends along parts of both the front and rear panels and is joined thereto along another fold line 62. A similar fourth panel 64 extends along and is connected to parts of both the front panel and the rear panel along another fold line 66 at the right handedge thereof.

In making the envelope 10 from the blank 56 of FIG. 4, the third panel 60 is first folded along the fold line 62 into overlying relationship with the front and

rear panels

12 and 14 as shown in FIG. 5. Next the fourth panel 64 is folded along the fold line 66 to bring it into overlying relationship with the third panel 60 as shown in FIG. 6. The front and rear panels and the third and fourth panels are then folded along the common fold line 58 to the position shown in FIG. 7. Before this is done, however,

strips

68, 68 of adhesive are applied to the lower marginal portions of the

flaps

60 and 64, as shown in FIG. 6, so that after the blank is folded from the FIG. 6 stage to the FIG. 7 stage, the

adhesive strips

68, 68 will serve to seal the right and left hand edges of the envelope. A strip 70 of adhesive is also applied to the seal flap as shown in FIG. 6 and is used to secure the seal flap to the rear panel after the sealing flap 16 is folded along the fold lines 18 to bring it into overlapping relationship with the rear panel, the folding along the fold line 18 occurring after the stage of FIG. 7 to form. the finished envelope as shown in section in FIG. 8.

Returning to FIG. 4, it will be understood from the preceding description of the folding process that the third panel 60 is, during folding, folded along a continuation 58a of the fold line 58 and is, thereby, divided into two

sub-panels

72 and 74. The sub-panels '72 and 74 each have a weakened potential separation line 76 extending thereacross which registers with the weakened

lines

20 and 40 of the front and rear panels in the finished envelope. The first sub-panel 72 includes a horizontal weakened potential separation line 26a which is a continuation of the weakened line 26 of the front panel and which registers with the line 26 in the finished envelope. Likewise, the second sub-panel 74 includes a horizontal weakened potential separation line 44a comprising a continuation of the weakened line 44 of the rear .panel and which registers with the weakened line 44 in the finished en velope. The portion of the sub-panel 72 defined by the weakened line 76, the weakened line 26a, and the other two edges of the sub-panel 72 constitutes the coupon 48 of FIG. 3. Similarly, the sub-panel 74 includes the coupon 54 of FIG. 3, this coupon being defined by the weakened line 44a, and the weakened line 76, and the other two edges of the sub-panel 74.

The fourth panel 64 is generally similar to the third panel 60, and during the folding process is folded along the fold line 58b, forming a continuation of the fold line 58, to form two sub-panels 78 and 80. A vertical weakened potential separation line 82 extends across both the sub-panels 78 and 80, and in the finished envelope registers with the weakened

lines

22 and 38 of the front and rear panels. A weakened potential separation line 26b, forming a continuation of the weakened line 2'6, extends lengthwise across the sub-panel 78 and another weakened potential separation line 44b, forming a continuation of the weakened line 44, extends lengthwise across the sub-panel 80. The sub-panel 78 provides the coupon of FIG. 3 and the sub-panel 80 provides the coupon 52 of FIG. 3.

In the finished envelope 10, therefore, the weakened

lines

26, 44, 26a, 44a, 26b and 44b all register with one another and are severed as the lower marginal portion 36 is removed from the envelope as shown in FIG. 3. Likewise, the weakened

lines

24 and 42 are registered in the finished envelope and are severed when the upper marginal portion 34 is removed from the envelope, the weakened

lines

20, 40 and 76 register with one another along the left hand edge of the envelope and are severed when the left hand marginal portion 32 is removed; and the weakened

lines

22, 38 and 82 registerwith one another along the rig-ht hand edge of the envelope and are severed when the right hand marginal portion 30 is removed. It should be particularly noted from FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 that the third panel is of such a length that when folded along the fold line 62, it extends beyond the weakened

lines

20 and 40, 'but stops short of the weakened

lines

22 and 38. Likewise, the fourth panel 64- is of such a length that when folded along the fold line 66, it extends beyond the weakened

lines

22 and 38 but stops short of the weakened

lines

20 and 40. Also the vertical dimension of each

interior coupon

48, 50, 52 and 54 is slightly less than the spacing between the

lines

24 and 26 or between the

lines

44 and 42. Therefore, each of the

interior coupons

48, 50, 52, and 54 are severed along only two lines of weakening during the opening of the envelope in order to separate them from one another and from the remainder of the envelope.

In the use of the envelope 10, the

interior coupons

48, 50, 52 and 54 may in some cases be the only ones used as coupons, but if desired in other cases, the

coupon portions

28 and 46 of the front and rear panels respectively may also be printed and used as coupons or similar items. It should also be understood that although the envelope 10 illustrated in the drawings has been shown to include four interior coupons, it could be designed to provide any lesser number of such coupons. For example, by omitting either one of the third or fourth panels, the envelope may be made to include only two interior coupons, and by using only one-half of one of the third or fourth panels, either with or without the other panel, the envelope may be made to include either one or three interior coupons. Also, it should be noted that where the

portions

28 and 46 are not intended to be used as coupons the horizontal weakened registered

lines

24 and 42 may be omitted as it is not necessary that the envelope be severed along these lines to release the interior coupons.

I claim:

1. An envelope containing an enclosed coupon which envelope and coupon are made from a single blank of sheet material, said envelope and coupon comprising a single blank of sheet material including a rectangular front panel and a rectangular rear panel joined to one another along a common first fold line and folded relative to one another along said first fold line into overlying relationship, a third panel joined to at least one of said front and rear panels along a second fold line and folded along such second fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, two parallel potential separation lines extending across said front panel perpendicular to said first fold line, another potential separation line extending across said front panel parallel to said first fold line and spaced a substantial distance therefrom, said three potential separation lines and said first fold line surrounding a rectangular coupon portion of said front panel and each of said three potential separation lines defining a marginal portion between it and the adjacent edge of said front panel, three potential separation lines extending across said rear panel each registered with a respective one of said three potential separation lines of said front panel, said three potential separation lines of said rear panel and said first fold line surrounding a rectangular coupon portion of said rear panel and each of said three potential separation lines of said rear panel defining a marginal portion between it and the adjacent edge of said rear panel, said third panel extending from said second fold line to and beyond the adjacent one of said three potential separation lines of said front panel, a potential separation line extending across said third panel and registering with said adjacent one of said potential separation lines of said front panel and at least in part defining a coupon portion of said third panel, and means for sealing said front panel to said rear panel along the three edges thereof not including said first fold line so that when said front, rear and third panels are severed along all of said potential separation lines, said coupon portions of said front and rear and third panels are separated from said marginal portions and from said sealing means.

2. An envelope as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

3. An envelope as defined in claim 1 and containing at least two enclosed coupons, said envelope being further characterized by a fourth panel joined to at least one of said front and rear panels along a third fold line and folded along said third fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, said fourth panel extending to and beyond the adjacent one of said three potential separation lines of said front panel, and a potential separation line extending across said fourth panel in registry with said latter adjacent one of said three potential separation lines.

4. An envelope as defined in claim 3 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

5. An envelope containing an enclosed coupon which envelope and coupon are made from a single blank of sheet material, said envelope and coupon comprising a single blank of sheet material including a rectangular front panel and a rectangular rear panel joined to one another along a common first fold line and folded relative to one another along said first fold line into overlying relationship, a third panel joined to at least one of said front and rear panels along a second fold line and folded along said second fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, two parallel potential separation lines extending across said front panel parallel to two edges of said front panel, two other parallel potential separation lines of said front panel, said four potential to the other two edges of said front panel, said four potential separation lines defining and surrounding a rectangular coupon portion of said front panel and defining a marginal portion between each edge of said front panel and said coupon portion of said front panel, four potential separation lines extending across said rear panel each registered with a respective one of said four potential separation lines of said front panel, said four potential separation lines of said rear panel defining and surrounding a rectangular coupon portion of said rear panel and defining a marginal portion located between each edge of said rear panel and said coupon portion of said rear panel, said third panel extending from said second fold line to and beyond the one of said two potential separation lines passing across said front panel parallel to said second fold line which is closer to said second fold line and terminating short of the other of said latter two potential separation lines, a potential separation line extending across said third panel in registry with said closer potential separation line and at least in part defining a coupon portion of said third panel, and means for sealing said front panel to said rear panel along the three edges thereof not including said first fold line so that when said front and rear and third panels are severed along all of said potential separation lines said coupon portions of said front and rear and third panels are separated from said fold lines and from said sealed means and become individual coupons separated from one another.

6. An envelope as defined in claim 5 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

7. An envelope as defined in claim 5 further characterized by said third panel extending along at least a part of both said front panel and said rear panel and being folded upon itself along a continuation of said first fold line to form two sub-panels, and a potential separation line extending across each of said sub'panels of said third panel in registry with the one of the two potential separation lines passing across said front panel parallel to said first fold line which is closer to said first fold line.

8. An envelope as defined in claim 7 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

9. An envelope as defined in claim 5 further characterized by a fourth panel joined to at least one of said front and rear panels along a third fold line and folded along said third fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, said fourth panel extending from said third fold line to and beyond the one of the two potential separation lines passing across said front panel parallel to said third fold line which is closer to said third fold line and terminating short of the other of said latter two potential separation lines, and a potential separation line extending across said fourth panel in registry with said latter closer potential separation line and at least in part defining a coupon portion of said fourth panel.

10. An envelope as defined in claim 9 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

11. An envelope as defined in claim 9 further characterized by both said third and fourth panels each extending along a part of both said front and rear panels and each being folded upon itself along a continuation of said first fold line to form two sub-panels, and a line of 7 potential separation extending across each of the two sub-panels of each of said third and fourth panels which latter line of potential separation is registered with the one of the two potential separation lines passing across said front panel parallel to said first fold line which is closer to said first fold line.

12. An envelope as defined in claim 11 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

13. A coupon as defined in claim 11 further characterized by said front panel including a sealing flap ioldable along a fourth line parallel to said first fold line into sealing relationship with said rear panel, and an adhesive means sealing said seal flap to said rear panel, said seal flap extending from said fourth fold line toward said first fold line and terminating short of the one of the two potential separation lines of said front panel extending parallel to said fourth fold line which is closer to said fourth fold line.

14. An envelope containing a plurality of enclosed coupons which envelope and coupons are made from a single blank of sheet material, said envelope and coupons comprising a single blank of sheet material including a rectangular front panel and a rectangular rear panel joined to one another along a common horizontal first fold line and folded relative to one another along said first fold line into overlying relationship, a third panel joined to both said front and rear panels along a vertical second fold line forming one vertical edge of said front and rear panels and folded along said second fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, said third panel being also folded upon itself along a continuation of said horizontal first fold line so as to form two sub-panels, two spaced horizontal potential separation lines and two spaced vertical potential separation lines extend across said front panel which four potential separation lines define and surround a rectangular coupon portion of said front panel and define a marginal portion between each edge of said front panel and said coupon portion thereof, four potential separation lines extending across said rear panel and each registered with a respective one of said four potential separation lines of said front panel, said four potential separation lines of said rear panel defining and surrounding a rectangular coupon portion of said rear panel and defining a marginal portion located between each edge of said rear panel and said coupon portion of said rear panel, said third panel extending from said vertical second fold line to and beyond the one of said two vertical potential separation lines of said front panel which is closer to said second fold line and terminating short of the other of said latter two potential separation lines, a vertical potential separation line extending across each of said sub-panels of said third panel in registry with said closer one of said two vertical potential separation lines of said front panel and at least in part defining a coupon portion of each of said sub-panels of said third panel, a horizontal potential separation line extending across each of said sub-panels of said third panel in registry with the one of said two horizontal potential separation lines of said front panel which is closer to said first fold line, each of said sub-panels of said third panel extending from said latter potential separation line toward and terminating short of the other of said horizontal potential separation lines of said front panel, and means for sealing said front panel to said rear panel along the three edges thereof not including said first fold line so that when said front and rear and third panels are severed along all of said potential separation lines said coupon portions of said front and rear and third panels are separated from said fold lines from said sealing means and become individual coupons separated from one another.

15. An envelope as defined in claim 14 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

16. An envelope as defined in claim 14 further characterized by a fourth panel joined to both said front and rear panels along a vertical third fold line and folded along said vertical third fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, said fourth panel also being folded upon itself along a continuation of said horizontal first fold line to form two separate sub-panels, said fourth panel extending from said vertical third fold line beyond the one of said two vertical potential separation lines of said front panel which is closer to said third fold line and terminating short of the other of said two latter vertical potential separation lines, a vertical potential separation line extending across each of said sub-panels of said fourth panel in registry with said latter closer one of said two vertical potential separation lines of said first panel and at least in part defining a coupon portion of each of said sub-panels of said fourth panel, a horizontal potential separation line extending across each of said subpanels of said fourth panel in registry with the one of said horizontal potential separation lines which is closer to said first fold line, each of said sub-panels of said fourth panel extending from said latter horizontal potential separation line toward but terminating short of the other of said horizontal potential separation lines of said front panel.

17. An envelope as defined in claim 16 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

18. An envelope as defined in claim 16 further characterized by said sealing means including a line of adhesive joining the two sub-panels of said third panel to one another Within the marginal portion thereof located between said second fold line and the adjacent vertical potential separation lines of said sub-panels, and a line of adhesive joining said two sub-panels of said fourth panel to one another and located in the marginal portions thereof located between said third fold line and the adjacent vertical potential separation lines of said latter sub-panels, a sealing flap on said front panel connected to the hori zontal edge thereof opposite from said first fold line, and adhesive means sealing said sealing flap to said rear panel within the marginal portions of said rear panel located between the horizontal edge thereof opposite from said first fold line and the adjacent horizontal potential separation line of said rear panel.

19. An envelope containing a plurality of enclosed coupons which envelope and coupons are made from a single blank of sheet material, said envelope and coupons comprising a single blank of sheet material including a rectangular front panel and a rectangular rear panel joined to one another along a common horizontal first fold line and folded relative to one another along said first fold line into overlying relationship, a third panel joined to both said front and rear panels along a vertical second fold line forming one vertical edge of said front and rear panels and folded along said second fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, said third panel also being folded upon itself along a continuation of said horizontal first fold line so as to form two subpanels, a vertical first potential separation line extending across said front panel parallel to and spaced a short distance from said vertical second fold line, said two subpanels of said third panel and said rear panel each having a potential line of separation extending vertically thereacross into registry with said vertical first potential separation line of said front panel, said front panel also having a horizontal second potential separation line extending horizontally thereacross parallel to and spaced a short distance from said horizontal first fold line, and said two sub-panels of said third panel and said rear panel each having a potential separation line extending horizontally thereacross in registry with said horizontal second potential separation line of said front panel whereby when said front and rear panels and said two subpanels are severed along said vertical and horizontal potential lines of separation parts of said sub-panels of said third panel are separated from the remaining portions of said envelope and become individual coupons separated from one another.

20. An envelope as defined in claim 19' further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn therealong.

21. An envelope as defined in claim 19 further characterized by a fourth panel joined to both said front and rear panels along a vertical third fold line and folded along said vertical third fold line into a position between said front and rear panels, said fourth panel also being folded upon itself along a continuation of said horizontal first fold line to form two separate subpanels, a vertical third potential separation line extending across said front panel parallel to and spaced a short distance from said vertical third fold line, each of said subpanels of said fourth panel and said rear panel having a vertical potential separation line extending thereacross in registry with said vertical third potential separation line of said front panel, said third panel extending from said vertical second fold line to and beyond said vertical first potential separation line of said front panel and terminating short of said vertical third potentinal separation line of said front panel, said fourth panel extending from said vertical third fold line beyond said vertical third potential separation line of said front panel and terminating short of said vertical first potential separation line of said front panel, and said two sub-panels of said fourth panel each having a horizontal potential separation line extending thereacross in registry with said horizontal potential separation line of said front panel.

22-. An envelope as defined in claim 21 further characterized by said blank being weakened along each of said potential separation lines so as to allow it to be readily manually torn thcrealong.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 642,272 1/1930 Tissot 22992.7 2,137,516 11/1938 West 229-92] 3,426,961 2/ 1969 Allison 229- 3,374,940 3/1968 Allison 229-70 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 22966, 85, 92.7

mg UNITED STATES PAEENT GFFECE CERTEHCATE OFF CQRRECTION Patent No. 3,606, 138 .Dated September 20, 1971 Inventor-( Robert D. Allison It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

F1 Col. 1, line 63, "tering" should be --tearing'--.

Col. 6, line 8, following "lines" insert --extending across said front panel parallel to the other two edges--;

Col. 6, line 9, delete the entire line; Col. 6, line 10, delete "tential". C01. 6, line 35, "sealed" should be --sea1ing-. Col. 7, line 13, following "fourth" insert --fo1d--.

C01. 7 line 37, "extend" should be --extending-.

3 C01. 10, line 2, "potentinal" should be -p01:entia1--.

Signed and sealed this 2lst day of March 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents