US606498A - Envelop-fastener - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

W. BARNARD.

ENVELOP PASTENER.

Patented. June 28, y1898 ma mms PETERS cn. PHOTO-uwe., wAsummoN n. c.

lJNrrun STATES WILLIAM ABARNARD, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENvELoP-I-'ASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,498, dated June 28, 1898.

Application filed February 3, 1898.` Serial No. 668,995. (No model.) h

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM BARNARD, a subject of the Queen of Great-Britain, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Envelop-Fasteners, of which the fol'- lowing is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a new and useful improvement in envelop-fasteners; andthe object thereof is to provide an improved form of fastener for envelops for the mailing of catalogues, pamphlets, seeds, samples of merchandise, tbc., of such construction that the envelop may be readily opened and closed by the post-office officials when desired; and a further `object of my invention is to accomplish this result by the use of a single piece of metal.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the Y same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-m Figure l is a view of the rear portion of an envelop having my improved fastener attached thereto;` Fig. E?, a central section of such an envelop, showing the fastener before used; Fig. 3, aview similar to Fig. I, the iiap of the envelop being closed and secured by the fastener; Fig. 4, a central section of Fig. 3, showing the folding of the fastener and end of the flap in their relative position; Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. l with one of the side liaps turned back to illustrate the manner of attaching the fastener to this flap; Fig. 6, a cross-section of the' envelop, taken through the fastener and showing the manner of attaching the same to the side flap; Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 6, but illustratingranother manner of attaching the fastener to the side flaps; Fig. 8, a detailof the fastener of the form adapted to be attached to the side Hap in conjunction with a backing; Fig. 9, a slightly-modified form of fastener having four prongs for attachment to the side iiaps without the use of a backing; and Fig. 10, a slight i modification in which another form of my improvement is shown, whereby but a single bend of the metal clip is necessary to close the envelop.

In carrying out Iny invention as here embodied I form a fastener A from a single piece of sheet metal, preferably soft brass, in such manner as to produce the indentations B therein, the object being to form a narrow line at two points upon the fastener, so as to facilitate the bending thereof upon these lines. Prongs D are also formed with the fastener for the purpose of attaching it to the side flap E of the envelop, and it is preferable in practice that a backing F, of cloth or other suitable material, be attached to the inner surface of the iiap prior to the securement of the fastener thereto in order that the prongs when passing through the iiap and backing may be bent inward against the backing, and thereby secure a better hold and avoid the tearing out of theprongs. When an envelop thus provided with my improved fastener is to be used, the flap G is closed in the usual manner,the end thereof falling upon the fastener, but reaching only to the lower indentation, and to `secure this liap in place it is only necessary to bend the lower portion of the fastener thereon and again fold the remaining section of the fastener upward,which will carry with it the end of the envelop, producing the effect shownin Figs. 3 and 4,wh'ich will afford a firm fastener and yet permit the opening of the envelop without injury to the fastener by a reversed operation.

Although my improved fastener may be attached to any ordinary envelop with apointed iiap, I prefer that the extreme end of the flap should be slightly rounded, which affords a better hold and facilitates the manipulation of the fastener. Of course I do not wish to limit myself to any particular form of fastener, since it could be operated without the indentations, or these indentations maybe of any desired form and arrangement; vbut the form I have here shown produces a neat ,appearance when the envelop is closed, as shown in Fig. 3, and may have a trade-mark or configuration upon the surface which is thus eX- posed.

In Fig. 9 a fastener is illustrated having four prongs H, and this form is especially IOO adapted for use when it is desired to attach a fastener directly to the side flaps of the envelop without a backing, and in so doing the prongs are forced through both of the side` flaps. The latter will thereby be more tightly secured together and may only be glued prior to the securement. Such a method of securement is shown in section in Fig. 7.

It is 'to be noted that a fastener made in accordance with my improvement when securing the closing-flap of an envelop presents no projections which could be easily entangled with surrounding objects, and this is an important feature, since heretofore many envelop-fasteners have presented this objection to a serious degree. l

Among the principal advantages of my imf provement are its exceeding simplicity andf cheapness of manufacture and the fact that no time is lost in matching the flap with the fastener, so that the same may be closed and secured by persons of little or Ino skill, andA yet when secured cannot by any possibility become accidentally unfastened, whileat the same time permitting the opening of the en- A velop when occasion requires.

The modification shown in Fig. lOiconsists in the clip a, made of sheet metal, in which the slot b is formed, and through this slot the ,p end of the closing-flap, which is formed for that purpose, as indicated at d, maybe passed, after which the bending of the clip upon the lines indicated at e will firmly hold .the -fiap against accidental displacement. f

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful isi l. In combination with an envelop, a fastenerattached to the body of the envelop, said fastener having indentations in the edges thereof to produce sections adapted to fold one upon another, as and for the purpose described.

2. As a new. article of manufacture, an envelop-fastener consisting of a single piece of metal having prongs by means of which it may be attached to an envelop, and sections adapted to fold one upon the other and in conjunction with the end of the closing-flap of the-envelop, as specified.

3. As a new article of manufacture, anenvelop-fastener consisting of a single piece of sheet metal having prongs formed thereon for attachment to the body of the envelop, `and indentations in the edges thereof to produce 4sections adapted to fold one npon the other, yas and for lthe purpose set forth.

4c. Incombination, an envelop having side iiaps and a closing-Hap, a fastener consist-ing vof a single pieceiof sheet metal having prongs whereby it is secured to the side iiaps, and

yindentations formed in the sides thereof for :producing sections adapted .to fold one .upon the other in conjunction with the Yendsof the :closing-Hap, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- 1fixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM BARNARD.

Witnesses:

R. M. PIERCE, H. B. I-IALLooK.

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