US453132A - Charles rowland - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

C. ROWLAND.

PLATE EoLDTNe LETTEE SHEET. No. 453,132.

Patented, May 26, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ROVLAND, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PLATE-FOLDING LETTER-SHEET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,132, dated May 26, 1891.

i Application led August 27, 1889. Serial No. 322,094. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Se it known that I, CHARLES ROWLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashlngton, in the District of Columbia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Plate- Folding Letter-Sheets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel letter-envelope sheet Which can be folded and refolded on an approximately rigid base-gage to produce a iiat rectilinear package suitable for mailing like an ordinary letter, and wherein the base-gage is inclosed by the folding and refolding of the sheet and the latter sealed upon itself to receive the Written address.

To such end the invention consists in the letter-envelope sheet hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a vieW of the inner face of my improved plate-foldin g letter-sheet provided With the flat strip or bar. Fig. 2 is a view of the outer face of the same. Fig. 3 represents a portion of a letter-sheet provided with an attached dat and stiffened strip-plate or bar having projecting ends that are adapted to and will protect the edges and corners of the letter-sheet from injury When the packet is dropped into av mail-receptacle, said projecting ends of the plate, strip,v or bar being formed with shoulders that also serve as guides to keep the letter-sheet or paper evenly in place While being folded around the flat strip or bar. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved plate-folding lettersheet or packet prepared for mailing.

In carrying my invention into effect, I take a rectangular paper sheet A, of any suitable size for correspondence, bills, or statements -of account, ttc., and permanently attach to one end thereof a iiat strip, plate, or bar B, composed of paper, card-board, cloth, wood veneer, or other suitable material adapted to form a sufficiently stiff base on which to smoothly roll or fold the letter-sheet after it has been written on. The dat strip or barB extends entirely across one end of the lettersheet A, preferably the upper end .of said sheet, as shown, and its Width is such as to adapt it to serve as a gage for the Width of the packet, which is formed by closely folding or rolling the letter-sheet around said strip, plate, or bar. By extending the iiat strip or bar B entirely across the sheet A, it stiitens the folded packet throughout and prevents its edges from becoming curved or frayed. If desired, the iiat strip or bar B may be of greater length than the width of the sheet A, so as to extend at each end beyond the edges of said sheet, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the projecting ends of the strip or bar being thus somewhat better adapted to protect the ends and corners of the folded packet from tearing or becoming otherwise injured by handling or in dropping the packet into a letterbox or other receptacleformail-matter. Such protection may be still further afforded by providing the projecting ends of the stiffened plate, strip, or bar B with shoulders C, that also serve as guides to facilitate even, smooth,

and regular folding or rolling of the papersheet around said strip or bar. To prevent these projecting shoulders from catchinginto other mailmatter they may be slightly rounded at the corners. Besides serving` as a comparatively rigid and flat base or spool on which to fold or roll the vattached lettersheet, the flat strip or bar B presents a surface on Which a letter-heading, a bill-head, 0r appropriate advertising matter can be displayed. The entire inner face of the letter-sheet A, above the lower-most folding-line D, Fig. 1, can be utilized for writing. A Writing-space is also afforded by the reverse face or back of the letter-sheet above the line E, Fig. 2, and also by both faces of the plate or strip B, if desired. The lineA D and the dotted or broken transverse lines F, G, and II indicate the lines on Which the letter-sheet is folded along and against the opposite edges of the plate or strip. Of course thenumber of folds will depend on the relative proportions of the letter-sheet and its attached plate or strip. The lower end of the letter-sheet forms a selfsealing flap K, the inner face of which is provided With adhesive material, and this flap may have a line of perforations L, through Which the sealed packet can be readily opened without defacing the writing.

The sheet A and strip B can both be Written on above the lines D and E, and then the paper-sheet A is to be closely and evenly folded or rolled around the plate or strip B IOO as a gage and secured by means of theselfsealing flap. The lower exposed portion of the back of the letter-sheet serves, asin the ordinary envelope, for superscription attachment of postage-stamp, postmarking, &c. By making the plate or strip B sufficiently rigid the packet when folded and sealed cannot be sprung between the fingers, so as t0 render its Written contents visible from the ends. If desired, these letter-sheets and attached strips or plates can be furnished in tablet form for use as required.

That I claim as my invention is- A folding and refolding letter-envelope sheet having,r at one extremity an adhesive CHARLES ROWLAND.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. NORRIS, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD.

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