US3856198A - Interoffice envelope - Google Patents

Abstract

A two compartment interoffice envelope made from a unitary sheet of stock material folded to define a rectangular back panel, a rectangular intermediate panel hinged to one side of the back panel and folded against the back panel, a rectangular front panel having an opening therein hinged to the opposite side of the back panel and folded against the intermediate panel, a bottom flap hinged to the bottom edge of the back panel and folded against the front panel and a top flap hinged to the fourth edge of the back panel and cooperating with means carried by the front panel to secure contents placed within the envelope. Adhesive securing means are used to secure the front panel to the intermediate panel and to define a pocket adjacent to the opening in the front panel between the front panel and the intermediate panel. The bottom flap is adhesively secured to the front panel. Access to a pad carried in the pocket is available through the opening in the front panel. The top flap secures both material carried in the main body of the envelope between the back panel and the intermediate panel and in the pocket.

Description

1111 3,856,198 [4 1 Dec. 24, 1974 INTEROFFICE ENVELOPE [75] Inventor: Robert S. Daley, Worcester, Mass.

{73] I Assignee: Daley Inc, Worcester, Mass.

[22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1973 211 App]. No.: 391,885

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 264,227, June 16, 1972, abandoned, which is a continuation of .Ser. No. 34,494, May 4, 1970, abandoned.

52 u.s.c|. 229/71, 229/72 383,281 10/1932 Great Britain 229/72 Primary ExaminerWilliam Price Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Att0r ney,'Agent, or FirmNorman S. Blodgett'Gerry A. Blodgett [57 'ABSTRACT A two compartment inte roffice envelope made from a unitary sheet of stock material folded to define a rectangular back panel,- a rectangular intermediate panel hinged to one side of the back panel and folded against the back panel, a rectangular front panel having an opening therein hinged to the opposite side of the back panel and folded against the intermediate panel, a bottom flap hinged to the bottom edge of the back panel and folded against the front panel and a top flap hinged to the fourth edge of the back panel and cooperating with means carried by the front panel to secure contents placed within the envelope. Adhesive securing means are used to secure the front panel to the intermediate panel and to define a pocket adjacent to the opening in the front panel between the front panel and the intermediate panel. The bottom flap is adhesively secured to the front panel. Access to a pad carried in the pocketis available through the l opening in the front panel, The top flap secures both material carried in the main bodyof the envelope between the back panel and the intermediate panel and in the pocket.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FSJEHTEU M324 1974 3,856,198

sumlofz INVENTOR. ROBERT S. DALEY ATTORNEY Pmminnicz 3,856,198

sum 2 If 2 I FIGS.

INTEROFFICE ENVELOPE This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 264,227, filed June 16, 1972, now abandoned, which in tum is-a continuation of application Ser. No. 34,494, filed May 4, 1970, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application relates to an improved envelope and, more particularly, to an improved envelope for interoffice use. Heretofore, interoffice envelopes have had printed thereon a multiplicity of address spaces.

front panel 12. Securing means are provided on the front panel 12 and the top flap 14 so that when thetop flap 14-is secured to the front panel 12, both pockets 20, 21 are closed. The securing means can be in the form of a clip 22 attached to the front panel 12 and a After use, the last address was scratched out and a new address was written in the next available space. In addition to presenting a disorderly appearance, it is necessary to look carefully to determine the next destination for such an envelope. The life of such envelope is also limitedby the number of available spaces thereon.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION The interoffice envelope of this invention is composed of a unitary sheet which is folded so as to define a rectangular back panel having an intermediate panel hinged to-one side thereof and a front panel hinged to the opposite side thereof. The intermediate panel is folded against the back panel and the front panel is folded against the intermediate panel. Abottom panel is hinged tothe back panel and'is folded against the front panel. A stop panel is hinged to the top of the back panel and is folded against and can be secured to the front p'anel. The envelope thus provides two pockets, the first between the back panel and the intermediate panel and the second between the intermediate panel and the front panel. An opening is provided in the front panel so that a pad placed in the second pocket'is visible from the exterior of the envelope.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS v The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its strucural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED I EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a unitary sheet is scored to provide fold lines which define a rectangular back panel 10, a rectangular intermediate panel 11, a rectangular front panel 12, an end flap l3 and a top flat 14. I

The front panel l2 has an opening 15. In the assembly of the interoffice envelope, the intermediate panel 11 is folded along score line 16 to overlie the back panel 10. The front panel 12is folded along. score line 17 to overlie the intermediate panel 11. The bottom flap 13 is folded along score line 18 to overlie a portion of the front panel 12 and is adhesively secured thereto by ad corresponding hole 23 in the top flap 14. The limits of the second pocket 21 can be controlled by using adhesive securing means to secure that portion of the front panel 12 to the intermediate panel 11 to define the limits of the pocket 21. These adhesive securing means can take the form of adhesive strips 24 which can be applied to either the back of front panel 12 or the corresponding side of intermediate panel 11.

In the use of the present invention, material 26 to be forwarded is placed in the first pocket 20. A routing pad 27 is placed in the second pocket 21. The top flap 14 is secured to the front panel 12 by securing means 22, 23 closing both pockets 20, 21 in one operation. The routing pad 27 can consist of a plurality of ruled sheets each being divided into a plurality of spaces for addresses. Thus, the useful life of the envelope can be extended indefinitely, being limited only by the durability of the materials from which it is constructed. When one sheet has been used up, the pad 27 can be removed from the pocket 21, the top sheet removed and the pad 27 reinserted. Access to the surface of the pad 27 is had through the opening 15 in the front panel 12 eliminating the necessity for removal of the pad 27 for each use. Holes 28 which are in alignment are provided in the back 10, intermediate 11 and front 12 panels so that one using the envelope 'can readily determine the presence of material therein. I

In order to facilitate the insertion of thepad 27 into the pocket 21, the leaves of the padare provided with a cement coating 29 along the bottom edge and one side. In this way, individual pages can be readily removed and, yet, when the pad is re-insertedin the pocket, there is no danger of the top sheets curling, or getting caught, and becoming detached.

' In FIG. 5 is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the fasteners 31a and 31b for attaching the flap 32 to the body 33 of the envelope is formed as strips of the substance known as Velcro manufactured by the Velcro Corporation, 681 Fifth Avenue, New York,

'New York, shown and described in US. Pat. No.

2,717,437; 3,009,235; and 3,154,837. The male fastening 31a consists of a strip of very small plastic strips, while the female fastening means 31b consists of a strip of plastic fibre in a padded or fluffy condition.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from. the material spirit thereof. It is'not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus-described, what is claimed-as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A dual pocket interoffice envelope composed of a unitary sheet, scored and folded to define a rectangular back panel, an intermediate panel hinged to one side 7 back panel and foldedover and against said back panel, a front panel hinged to the opposite side of said back panel and folded over and against said intermediate panel and substantially completely covering the same, the front panel and the intermediate panel acting as front and back walls of a pad pocket, said front panel back panel and folded over and against said front panel, securing means on said back panel and having means thereon to cooperate with the securing means on said front panel to close notonly a relatively large main pocket formed between the back panel and the intermediate panel, but also the relatively small pad pocket'formed between the intermediate panel and the front-panel, and spaced lines of adhesive applied between the intermediate panel and the front panel to define the limits of the second pocket to size substantially the same as the pad to maintain the indicia in registry with the window despite handling of the envelope.

2. A dual pocket interoffice envelope as recited in claim 1, wherein the envelope is provided with a plurality of aligned holes in the front, intermediate and back panels thereof to provide visual indication of the presence of material therein.

Claims (2)

1. A dual pocket interoffice envelope composed of a unitary sheet, scored and folded to define a rectangular back panel, an intermediate panel hinged to one side back panel and folded over and against said back panel, a front panel hinged to the opposite side of said back panel and folded over and against said intermediate panel and substantially completely covering the same, the front panel and the intermediate panel acting as front and back walls of a pad pocket, said front panel having a window therein, a pad residing in the pad pocket each sheet of which is printed with indicia in registry with the window for a series of successive addresses, a bottom flap hinged to the bottom of said back panel and folded over and against said front panel, securing means on said back panel and having means thereon to cooperate with the securing means on said front panel to close not only a relatively large main pocket formed between the back panel and the intermediate panel, but also the relatively small pad pocket formed between the intermediate panel and the front panel, and spaced lines of adhesive applied between the intermediate panel and the front panel to define the limits of the second pocket to size substantially the same as the pad to maintain the indicia in registry with the window despite handling of the envelope.

2. A dual pocket interoffice envelope as recited in claim 1, wherein the envelope is provided with a plurality of aligned holes in the front, intermediate and back panels thereof to provide visual indication of the presence of material therein.

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