US519944A

US519944A - Envelope

Info

Publication number: US519944A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1911-05-15

Description

(N0 Mddel.) W. H. ELDRIDGE.

ENVELOPE. No. 519,944. Patented May 15, 1894.

IW'VEJVTOR 80m .E 221 12296.

Attorney UNiTnn PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM H. ELDRIDGE, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,944, dated May 15, 1894.

Application filed October 9, 1889- Serial No. 32 (N -l To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ELDRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Omaha, county of Douglas, State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Envelopes, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in envelopes and openers therefor, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

[-leretofore an envelope opener has been provided by gluing a string or thread Within the envelope and allowing one end of the same to project or extend beyond the sealing flap, so that the string can be readily grasped by the fingers to manipulate the thread by merely pulling down one end of the same; but this method of securing the opening string is objectionable because the envelope is liable to be glued beyond the protruding end of the string, thus rendering the protruding end thereof difficult of access, and besides the glued thread is liable to rot or decay and become useless.

Another method of opening an envelope which has heretofore been practiced consists of a string secured to the envelope by means of clips which conceal the ends of the string; and also by a narrow strip of paper which is provided at one end with a lip which is adapted to fold upon itself and retain the end of the string and secured at the top by another fold. An opener of this class is objectionable because the clips interfere with the free and ready insertion of the letter into the envelope, and the exterior appearance of the envelope is rendered bulky and unsightly.

The object of my invention is to overcome the difliculties above stated, and provide an envelope with an opener Which will lie flat within the envelope to avoid making it bulky,

, not interfere with the insertion of the letter,

fold at the corner-of the envelope and its other end extending or projecting beyond the envelope, so as to be readily accessible. arrangement and method of securing the thread or string, the latter can be located at the lower or bottom edge or at one side or end edge of the envelope; but when the thread is arranged at the side or end edge so as to project beyond the sealing flap, Iprefer to secure the protruding free end ofthestring or thread in place by means of a foldable lip which is made integral with the envelope and is adapted to fold over the thread and be secured to envelope by glue or otherwise.

To enable others to more readily understand my invention, I. will now proceed to a detailed description thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of an envelope blank, from which the envelope is made or folded to secure the thread or string thereto. Fig. 2 is a view of the envelope partly folded. Fig. 3 is a sectional view. Fig. aisaview of a modified form of the blank, and Fig. 5 is a sectional View of an envelope made from the blank shown in Fig. 4, with the thread or string therein.

I will first describe my preferred construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which the numeral 1 designates the blank, which has the usual end flaps 2, 3, the side flap 4, and the sealing flap 5, this blank being of the common form.

In order to carry my invention into effect, I provide the blank with a reinforcing flap, 6, which is located at thejuncture of the side flap 4 and one end flap 3, and the score lines w and y of the said flaps are extended across the reinforcing flap 6 to indicate the lines on which said flap is folded. When the envelope is made up, the end flaps 2, 3, are folded inward toward each other and secured together, in the ordinary manner; and as the flap 3 is folded, the reinforcing flap 6 is folded, along the line on, upon the side flap 4:, after which the side flap and reinforcing flap, 4:, (5, are folded upon the end flaps 2, 3, thus completing the envelope, the last mentioned fold of the reinforcing flap being along the score line y, as shown. By thus making and folding the blank, I provide a peculiar reinforcing flap at By this ICO flap is glued a thread or string 7 which extends within the envelope along one end edge thereof, and has its free end protruding beyond the opposite angle orcorner of the envelope, at the sealing flap. In order to hold this protruding free end of the string or thread in place so that it is readily accessible at all times and is not liable to interfere with the letter when the latter is inserted in the envelope, I provide a tongue 8, which is made integral with the envelope blank, at the termination of the end flap 3 thereof. This tongue is adapted to be bent or folded upon itself, over the free end of the thread or cord, and united by gluing or otherwise to the blank 1, so as to confine the. end of the string in place.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. at and 5, the thread or string is located at the lower bottom edge of the envelope, which is especially adapted for inclosing packages. As shown in Fig. 4, the blank has a square side flap 4 in lieu of the tapering side flap shown in Fig. 1; and at the juncture of the side and one end flap, i and 3, of the blank, I have provided the reinforcing flap, 6, having the score lines 00 and y, and adapted to be folded between the side and end flaps in the manner hereinbefore described, to form the reinforcing fold at one corner of the envelope. The thread or string is secured at one end to this reinforcing fold, extends within the envelope along the lower bottom edge thereof, and protrudes slightly beyond the opposite corner or angle of the envelope-so as to be easily grasped by the fingers when it is desired to open the envelope.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings. It will be seen that the reinforcing tlap 6, when turned into its final position provides a pocket, auxiliary, or supplemental, to the main inclosure of the envelope, in which pocket the end of the cord can be concealed and securely fastened. The device herein, in this respect, differs from those in which the ends of the cord tape or wire projected at both ends to points outside of the envelope and hung free.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as. new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, an envelope having at one of its angles or corners a reinforcing fold formed by bending a flap which is made integral with the envelopeblank and located between one side flap and an end flap of said blank, the reinforcing fold being arranged between the side and end flaps, and a thread or string arranged within the envelope, along one of the flap creases thereof, and secured at one end between the folds of the reinforcing flap, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of September, A. D. 1889.

WM. H. ELDRIDGE.

Witnesses:

L. D. SPALDING, F. L. EGLESTON.