US846345A - Seal-envelop. - Google Patents

Description

No. 846,345. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

W. H. REED.

SEAL ENVELOP.' APPLICATION FILED .nmz, 190s.

TH: NoRms rsrtxs cm, WASHINGTON, n. c- 7 WILLIAM HENRY REED, OF

PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEAL-ENVELOP- Specification of Letters Patent.

ratented March 5, 1907.

Application filed January 2,1906. Serial No. 294,140.

To (LZZ whom 712% may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY REED, a citizen of the United States, residing Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a Seal- Envelop, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in envelops, and relates more especially to that class which are provided with a seal as an additional security to prevent tampering with the envelop and its contents.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, convenient, and secure envelop and seal for the purpose of sending through the mails or otherwise transporting valuable papers, moneys, &c., whereby if the envelop and seal are intact the receiver of same may be positively sure that the contents of the envelop have not been molested during transportation.

The invention therefore contemplates the production of a construction of envelop and seal which will prevent access to the contents of the envelop without first destroying either the envelop itself or the seal applied thereto and in which any attempt to remove the seal would result in destroying the envelop or defacing it to such an extent as to be quickly detected.

With these general objects in view the invention consists in the combination, with an envelop, of a metal clasp having a portion inserted in the envelop behind the flaps thereof and a portion pressed against the outer side of the envelop, said latter portion having points or teeth which are forced through the flaps and are clenched on the inner side thereof.

The invention further consists in the peculiar construction of the envelop and the seal used in connection therewith, all as hereafter fully described, and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the outer portion of the metal clasp being bent back and portions of the envelop broken away to show the end flaps and disposition of the clasp with relation thereto. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the envelop and clasp.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the metal clasp. I

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the clasp or seal.

application of the I Like letters and numerals of reference inl dicate like parts in all the views of the draw- In carrying out my invention I employ a metal clasp A, constituting the seal of the envelop, said clasp comprising a plate provided at one end with points or teeth a and at its other end adapted for turning or clenching said teeth when the clasp or plate is bent upon itself. The points or teeth a are preferably formed integrally at the sides and one end of the plate and are disposed at substantially right angles to the latter. The width of that portion of the plate which carries the teeth is narrower than that portion, as a, against which the teeth are brought when the plate is bent upon itself, so that the teeth or points at the sides may strike within the edges of said portion a, and the said plate is bent at one side its center on the line o Fig. 4, so that the end tooth may strike within the opposite end of the plate. (See Fig. 5.) It will be readily seen, therefore, that when the plate or clasp is bent upon itself and pressed together the teeth a being forced against the portion a of the plate will be turned or clenched. This provides that the teeth or points may be forced through several thicknesses of paper or other materialfor instance, the flaps of an envelopand will be clamped or clenched against the inner side thereof.

To provide that the teeth or points a may be turned inward, concaved depressions, as a are formed in the anvil portion a of the clasp, presenting inclined surfaces, which receive the ends of the points and turn them. These depressions are in the present instance struck or stamped in the plate, those adapted to receive the points or teeth at the sides of the clasp extending transversely across the plate, while the depression to receive the tooth at the end is disposed longitudinally, as shown.

In applying the clasp to an envelop the closing-flap Z) of the latter is provided with a slot, as 0, through which the toothed portion of the clasp is passed, the other or anvil portion a of the clasp being first inserted in the envelop to lie behind the several flaps at the meeting or overlapping portions thereof, so that when the closing-flap b is closed and the 4' toothed portion of the clasp pressed down upon the envelop the teeth will puncture through the superimposed flaps and striking against the curved surfaces of the anvil portion of the clasp said teeth will be clenched against the inner side of said flaps. Suflij cient pressure maybe exerted by the hand of the operator to produce this operation; but j the teeth will be more efl'ectively clenched by the use of a hammer or other instrument apl plying a sharp blow to the outer portion of j the clasp.

It will be readily seen that when the clasp is applied to the envelop in the manner hereinbelore described the said clasp will securely connect the several 'llaps of the envelop so i that access cannot be had by opening any ol said 'llaps without lirst destroying the seal and that as the teeth are turned or clenched against the inner side of the 'l'laps, where ac cess cannot be had for prying them open, the clasp cannot possibly be untast-ened without injuring the 'llaps to such an extent that detection would be evident. By this application of the clasp therefore an envelop could not be tampered with by the usual means ()i breaking the customary gum or wax seal and afterward renewing it, inasmuch as any attempt to remove this seal would necessarily result in injury to the flaps.

In opening the envelop after the seal. has been found intact one end 01 said envelop is cut open in the usual manner.

It will be understood, of course, that the seal or clasp could be applied to the conventional form of envelop; but in order that the clasp may have a more secure hold on the flaps of the envelop such hips are preferably made wider than. usual, especially the end flaps, and in order to better protect the contents of the envelop from the anvil portion of the clasp when the latter is applied after the closing-flap is sealed by the usual gummed edges a gua'd-stiip is employed, such particular form of envelop being shown in the drawing and now described.

In making up the particular form of envelop herein shown the end flaps I) and b are made wider at their overlapping ends, (see Fig. 2,) and the side flap I) is also extended (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) and said flaps, as well as the closinglap 7), may be gummed as usual. This provides a more secure envelop, as it not only gives a better hold for the seal or clasp A, but also prevents the contents of the l sac,

drawn out from between envelop from being of the seal or clasp.

the flaps at either side Furthermore, to provide a pocket for the anvil portion a of the seal or clasp A the end flap N, which is the inner flap of the envelop, is formed with an extension 6 bent upon said l'lap so that the iree end of the former will extend above the upper edges of the llaps 1), b and 6 (see Fig. 3,) as well as above the slot 0 in the closing-flap b, so that said projecting end will serve to guide the anvil portion of the clasp or seal into the pocket. Of course the guard or guide strip 1) may be dispensed with in case the anvil portion of the clasp is inserted in the envelop before the closing-flap is closed.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that I produce a term of security-envelop that is simple and cheap in construction, effective in use, and especially adapted for the purpose o'l forwarding valuable papers, moneys, &c.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

The combination, with an envelop pro vided with flaps having wide overlapping ends, a slot in the closing-flap and a guardstrip formed integrally with the inner flap and projecting above the flaps and slot, of a seal or metal clasp for said envelop comprisii'lg a plate bent upon itseh"? to form two integral portions, one having spaced-apart teeth at its side edges and outer end with those teeth at the sides arranged in opposite pairs, ami the other or anvil portion of the clasp having transverse concave depressions and a depression at its end, the transverse depressions corresponding in width and arrangement with the pairs of teeth and all the depressions each having surrounding flat sur faces against which the flaps of the envelop bear while being punctured by the teeth, herein shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. I

W ll JLIAl l HENRY REED.

\Vitnesses:

W. M. MCCLURE, EDWARD SCOTT.

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