Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Wrapper – Letter sheets
Patent
1993-04-27
1994-09-13
Shoap, Allan N.
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Wrapper
Letter sheets
229 921, B65D 2714
Patent
active
053461207
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to blanks for handwritten, typed, printed and/or photocopied letters.
BACKGROUND
There is currently a trend towards saving raw materials, and particularly timber based products such as paper. Many letters and envelopes are now available in recycled paper, but the present invention is intended to produce a further saving in raw materials.
Existing Air Mail letter blanks which can be folded to form their own envelopes have the advantage that they save postage on the weight of an envelope. Such airmail blanks are printed and cut to shape in the manufacturing process in huge quantities. Whilst this is economical where large runs are concerned, this process is not suitable for smaller print runs where the cost would be prohibitive. A blank of the standard air mail letter shape will not pass through the most commonly used forms of printing machine.
Reply cards which can be folded in two and secured by peripheral adhesive are also known, but these are limited in size. A standard A4 letter embodying this principle would need to be made of heavy paper and would be inconvenient to handle.
An object of the present invention may be viewed as being to provide a form of letter blank which is capable of being printed in small quantities such as would be typical for letterheadings in the domestic and small business sectors, and which is both easy to use and results in a compact shape which is convenient for posting.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention proposes a letter blank which can be printed by an offset litho process and having two pairs of opposed edges, the blank including a substantially rectangular letter portion and adhesively coated marginal portions, and the arrangement being such that the blank can be folded to form its own envelope which can be secured by means of the marginal portions.
In one form of the letter blank the letter portion includes two mutually perpendicular folds which divide the letter portion into four substantially equal rectangular portions, and said marginal portions comprise two adhesively coated flaps provided on mutually adjacent edges of said blank.
In another form of the letter blank the marginal portions include user-removable portions which are defined by perforations such that, after printing, the said portions can be removed to leave at least two adhesively coated flaps for use in securing the blank when folded to form its own envelope.
The term "user-removable" is intended to include removal by the printer, although in most instances it is envisaged that the removable portions will be removed by the end user. The letter may more easily pass through a typewriter or the like if the removable portions are still in place. In addition, the term "perforation" is intended to cover holes of any shape, including slits.
In a further form of the blank there is a row of perforations between the marginal portions and the letter portion, and the blank includes three folds which are substantially parallel to each other and to a first pair of said opposed edges, said folds including a first fold disposed substantially mid-way between said first pair of edges, and two further folds, made in opposite directions to the first fold, disposed substantially equidistant either side of said first fold.
In each form of the letter blank it is preferred that: can stably abut a straight datum line, and an opposite trailing edge, perpendicular to said datum line and extend towards the leading edge for at least 10mm from a point 35mm from the datum line, substantially perpendicular to said datum line, are at least 8mm long, and lie within 35mm of the trailing edge, and which is at least 35mm long and is substantially perpendicular to said datum line and extends between 90mm and 55mm from said leading edge.
A blank meeting these criteria has the advantage that it can be printed by certain litho print machines. The first and second edge portions allow location by the front and rear adjustable paper guides in an offset litho machine such a
REFERENCES:
patent: 2872100 (1959-02-01), Coffin
patent: 3197121 (1965-07-01), Hayes, Jr.
patent: 3902655 (1975-09-01), Huffman
da Costa Damion A. G. R.
da Costa Simon R. G. R.
Dorman Ira S.
Pascua Jes F.
Shoap Allan N.
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