GB2323349A - Mail Holder with Embossed Stamp - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder 1 for items of mail has an impression 2 of a postage stamp in the top right hand corner. The impression may be embossed or debossed so as to be both visual and tactile and may have edging 3 to simulate the torn perforations of a stamp. The holder may be an envelope or a sleeve and may have indicia 5 thereon indicating a position for a stamp. In this case the impression 2 is made offset from but overlapping the indicia 5 to give the impression that an error has been made when sticking on the stamp. The impression 2 may be formed by rolling a calender roll which carries a detachable plate having the impression of the stamp. Such a holder may be folded from a blank.

Description

MAIL The invention relates to mail, and particularly to a holder such as an envelope for items of mail.

Mail order, or any other form of despatch of physical items of mail from business to business or business to domestic recipients is often sent in mail which is paid for by the sender under a licence from the mailing authority.

Such mail is marked with some such legend as "postage paid". The recipient of such mail, particularly if it is unsolicited, has a tendency to discard it, sometimes without opening it.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to seek to mitigate this disadvantage.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a holder for items of mail, comprising an impression of a postage stamp.

Using the invention provides a psychological thought in a recipient that the mail, despite being "postage paid" or mail order, is worthy of consideration, and the holder is opened and the contents considered. This is particularly so where the impression of the postage stamp is embossed or debossed, in other words where that impression may physically stand proud of the plane of a sheet forming, in use, a front sheet of the holder.

Thus the impression when debossed may give the appearance of a real stamp stuck onto the front of the holder (which will usually be an envelope, although it could be a sleeve of the kind as is often used to send magazines).

The "real" effect is enhanced when the holder may comprise an indicia such as a printed square or rectangle for indicating the position for a stamp to be stuck, and the impression may be displaced from the indicia. This provides the effect of an error in sticking on a stamp, when the impression is not superimposed squarely on the indicia, but may be displaced as by being overlapped therewith.

The impression may be formed by rolling in a blank of material such as paper used to form the holder or envelope.

It will be understood that according to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a blank of material adapted for folding to form a holder such as an envelope, comprising an impression of a postage stamp.

An envelope and blank therefor embodying the invention and hereinafter described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an envelope according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of an envelope according to the invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view from the front of a front sheet of an envelope according to the invention; and Fig. 4 is a scheniatic perspective view of the sheet of Fig. 3 from the rear.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by like numerals, there is shown a holder for items of mail, this holder comprising an envelope 1 which has an impression 2 of a postage stamp in the right hand corner of the envelope 1, where an actual postage stamp would be expected to be found by a recipient. The impression 2 is raised, or stands proud of a front sheet 4 of the envelope so that the impression 2 is both visual and tactile. The impression has an edging 3 to simulate the torn perforations of a stamp.

The front sheet 4 has a representation or indicia 5 showing where a stamp should be stuck, the impression 2 being displaced therefrom as shown to give the idea of an applied actual postage stamp.

The impression 2 is shown from the reverse of the front sheet 4 of the envelope in Fig. 4.

The impression 2 is embossed or debossed but in either event is proud of the front sheet when viewed from the front.

The impression 2 is pressed into the front sheet of the envelope 1 from the rear using a calendar, there being a calendar roll which carries a detachable plate which carries the impression of the stamp.

The carrier plate can be a card, or of metal.

Also, the impression can include a legend such as "Postage Paid" and/or a PPI Registration Number.

The front sheet forms part of a blank which is folded to provide the envelope.

Claims (10)

1. A holder for items of mail, comprising an impression of a postage stamp.

2. A holder according to Claim 1, the impression being embossed.

3. A holder according to Claim 1, the impression being debossed.

4. A holder according to any preceding claim, comprising indicia indicating a position for a stamp, and the impression being displaced therefrom.

5. A holder according to Claim 4, the indicia and impression being overlapped.

6. A holder according to any preceding claim, comprising an envelope.

7. A holder according to any preceding claim, the impression being formed by a rolling process.

8. A holder for items of mail, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A blank adapted for folding to form a holder such as an envelope, comprising an impression of a postage stamp.

10. A blank for folding to form a holder such as an envelope, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.