Title:
Pocket-forming member with window therein
Document Type and Number:
United States Patent 3921319
Abstract:
This invention relates to an adhesive-backed label-like member with a centrally located window therein capable of cooperating with a supporting medium to define a pocket upon removal of a protective covering from selected areas.
Inventors:
Application Number:
05/287991
Publication Date:
11/25/1975
Filing Date:
09/11/1972
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Export Citation:
Primary Class:
Other Classes:
40/776, 229/71
International Classes:
G09F3/18; G09F3/08; G09F3/18
Field of Search:
40/158,159,10 229/68,71,72,74
US Patent References:
| 1181098 | April 1916 | Lambert | ||
| 1257111 | February 1918 | Phillips | ||
| 2148686 | Mailing envelope | February 1939 | Durand | |
| 2843310 | Shipment data holder | July 1958 | Hopkins | |
| 2893144 | Index tabs | July 1959 | Cunningham | |
| 3370365 | Means for securing a packing slip to a package | February 1968 | Vosbikian | |
| 3525470 | SEALABLE ENVELOPE FOR PACKING SLIP OR THE LIKE | August 1970 | Carrigan | |
| 3592381 | POCKET-FORMING DEVICE FOR LIBRARY CARDS | July 1971 | Brody | |
| 3658239 | ENVELOPE STRUCTURE | April 1972 | Foutz |
Primary Examiner:
Michell, Robert W.
Assistant Examiner:
Contreras, Wenceslao J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Spangler Jr., Edwin L.
Claims:
What is claimed is
1. The label-like member which comprises: an opaque sheet having a centrally located opening therein; a coating of non-drying adhesive on the back of the opaque sheet; and a transparent sheet of glassine material cut into three separate sections each of which is attached for independent removal to the adhesive coating as a protective cover therefor, said cover having a first window forming section covering the centrally located opening in the opaque sheet so as to leave a border area with the adhesive exposed across the bottom and along sides of said sheet as well as an uncovered flap area across the top, a second border covering section detachably affixed to said exposed border area, and a third flap covering section detachably affixed to said uncovered flap area, said first and third sections cooperating with one another and with the adhesive on the border area upon removal of the second section therefrom to define an upwardly opening pocket when glued to a supporting surface, and said flap area providing means for closing the entrance to said pocket upon removal of the third section therefrom.
2. The label-like member as set forth in claim 1 in which: the flap area comprises a tab integrally formed along the top margin projecting thereabove intermediate the side margins; and, in which the first section extends upwardly all the way to the lower margin of the third section that covers said tab.
3. The label-like member as set forth in claim 2 in which: gaps are left along the top margin separating the second and third sections; and, in which the first section extends all the way to the top margin so as to leave no exposed adhesive within said gaps.
1. The label-like member which comprises: an opaque sheet having a centrally located opening therein; a coating of non-drying adhesive on the back of the opaque sheet; and a transparent sheet of glassine material cut into three separate sections each of which is attached for independent removal to the adhesive coating as a protective cover therefor, said cover having a first window forming section covering the centrally located opening in the opaque sheet so as to leave a border area with the adhesive exposed across the bottom and along sides of said sheet as well as an uncovered flap area across the top, a second border covering section detachably affixed to said exposed border area, and a third flap covering section detachably affixed to said uncovered flap area, said first and third sections cooperating with one another and with the adhesive on the border area upon removal of the second section therefrom to define an upwardly opening pocket when glued to a supporting surface, and said flap area providing means for closing the entrance to said pocket upon removal of the third section therefrom.
2. The label-like member as set forth in claim 1 in which: the flap area comprises a tab integrally formed along the top margin projecting thereabove intermediate the side margins; and, in which the first section extends upwardly all the way to the lower margin of the third section that covers said tab.
3. The label-like member as set forth in claim 2 in which: gaps are left along the top margin separating the second and third sections; and, in which the first section extends all the way to the top margin so as to leave no exposed adhesive within said gaps.
Description:
Not infrequently occasions arise in which two mailing pieces go to the same addressee, one of which will qualify for bulk rate postage while the other must be sent first class. If the bulk rate item is insignificant insofar as increasing the postage required on the first class item or, perhaps, the cost of packing the bulk rate item separately is more than the increase in postage if it were sent first class, the usual practice is to send both first class. Unfortunately, there are situations in which it becomes prohibitively expensive to send the bulk rate item first class. Noteworthy among the latter are metal license plates which qualify for bulk rate postage; whereas, the registration certificates, ownership fee cards and the like that accompany the plates must go first class.
The usual solution to the above problem is to use two complete envelopes, one of them containing the bulk rate item while the other houses the first class item and includes a window through which the mailing address can be seen. The first class envelope has the reverse side or back thereof provided with some means for attaching it permanently to the face of the bulk rate envelope, usually adhesively. Such a set-up, while widely used, is both expensive and time consuming to use.
It has now been found in accordance with the teaching of the instant invention that these and other undesirable features of the prior art mailing envelopes for handling bulk rate and first class items in a single unitary assembly can, in large measure, be eliminated through the use of a simple adhesive-backed label-like member with a window therein that can be attached to the face of an ordinary envelope, even a polyethylene one, so as to cooperate therewith to define a sealable pocket upon removal of a protective covering from selected border areas. Such members are readily adaptable to being made up in long strips, the individual label-forming elements of which are separated one at a time from a continuous backing strip immediately prior to their being attached to the main bulk rate envelope or other support. The glassine material, in addition to forming the window in the customary manner, provides a protective cover for the non-drying adhesive until it is ready to be attached to the face of support. The glassine covering includes both a permanentaly attached window-forming portion and a removable border forming marginal portion separated from the latter by a die-cut seam. The border forming portion comprises an unbroken ladder-like continuous strip holding several of the pocket-forming portions of the label along with a second part that provides a protective cover for the tab at the top of each one. Removal of the ladder-like portion exposes selected areas of adhesive which, upon being fastened down upon a suitable supporting surface such as the face of the bulk rate envelope, cooperates therewith to define an upwardly opening pocket. Removal of the protective covering from the tab or flap, on the other hand, enables the open edge along the top to be sealed.
The label-like element is particularly useful in that it will stick to a polyethylene bag which is much less expensive than the heavy manila envelope now used for packing and shipping license plates. Bags of this type can be heat-sealed shut to produce an inexpensive substitute for the usual bulk rate envelope.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved label-like element adapted to cooperate with a suitable support therefor to define a pocket.
A second objective of the invention forming the subject matter hereof is the provision of a label with a window therein that is ideally suited for use as a first class "piggyback" envelope when attached to a bulk-rate envelope of conventional design.
Another object of the within-described invention is to provide a label forming member susceptible of being attached to even polyethylene bags as a means for producing an exterior pocket thereon.
Still another objective of the invention disclosed and claimed herein is to provide a window label with a protective cover over its adhesive backing, such cover having three distinct and separate parts, two of which are removable while the third remains in place to define the window.
An additional object is the provision of a device of the type aforementioned that can be fabricated in rolls, the individual elements of which are separated from one another one at a time immediately prior to use.
Further objects are to provide a double envelope combination which is inexpensive and easy to use, one that is adaptable to automated manufacture and assembly, and a unit of the type aforementioned that is particularly well-suited for use in shipping license plates at bulk rates together with the registration certificates at first class rates.
Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings that follows, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a portion of a strip of the label-like elements;
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a single unit showing corners of the removable portions of the protective glassine covering curled back to expose the non-drying adhesive therebeneath;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view to a reduced scale showing the label-like member attached in pocket forming relation onto the face of a bulk rate envelope, portions of the latter having been broken away to reveal a license plate inside thereof;
FIG. 4 is an edge view of the assembly of FIG. 3 but to the same scale as FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the upwardly opening pocket and the address card being inserted therein;
FIG. 5 is an edge view similar to FIG. 4 and to the same scale showing the assembly just prior to the fastening down of the tab; and,
FIG. 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 3 showing the several layers of the finished assembly including even the address card.
Referring next to the drawings for a detailed description of the present invention and, initially, to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 for this purpose, reference numeral 10 has been chosen to represent in a general way the label-like element in its entirety while numeral 12 designates the supporting medium with which it combines to define the pocket 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the individual label-like elements 10 are conveniently and preferably joined together in end-to-end relation so as to produce a strip 16. The die-cut seam 18 penetrates only the top layer of opaque base material 20; whereas, as will be explained presently, the backing material that forms the protective cover over the adhesive 22 is continuous along the outside edges to form the connecting link therebetween.
The base material is ordinary opaque paper stock 20 upon the backside of which is coated a non-drying adhesive 22 of the type commonly used on name tags and the like. Such an adhesive is especially useful in this application because it is one of the few that will stick to polyethylene and, as will appear presently, using a polyethylene bag as the supporting medium 12 has certain very definite economic advantages.
A couple of structural features are worthy of specific mention in connection with the base material before we proceed further and these are the centrally-located window opening 24 and tab 26 along the upper marginal edge. Window opening 24 is conventional being of a transversely-elongate generally rectangular shape adapted to display the name and address of an addressee provided on a card or the like 28 placed therebeneath and in registry therewith.
Tab 26, in the particular form shown is semicircular and located midway between the side margins, however, such a shape is a matter of choice and it can, just as easily, be made to extend all the way across the top edge or at least the full width of pocket 14. Such alternatives are, of course, well within the skill of the art and the choice therebetween will usually be made with reference to the particular end use for which the label-like member is intended.
Directing the attention next to FIG. 2 which shows the back of the label-like member, it will be seen that the adhesive coating 22 is completely overlaid with a protective cover 30 that takes the form of a conventional transparent so-called "glassine" material of the type commonly used in window envelopes and as the removable protective covering over the non-drying adhesive on the back of name tags. The most important thing to note concerning the protective covering 30 is the fact that it is die-cut into three distinct parts, the first 30W being the more or less permanent window-forming portion covering window opening 24 in the base material. Portion 30W projects below the bottom edge of the window opening, beyond both side margins of the latter and all the way up to the bottom margin of tab 26 from which it is separated by die-cut seam or joint 32.
The marginal border portion 30B takes the form of a ladder-like chain linking the several label elements together in end-to-end relation. As this ladder is stripped free of the remainder of the label, the marginal adhesive-coated areas along both sides and across the bottom are uncovered ready for sticking to the supporting surface 12. At the same time, removal of the ladder results in a separation of the individual label elements that were held together in end-to-end relation thereby. In other words, once the border covering portion 30B of the protective cover is removed, the transverse die-cut seams 18 separating each label-like element 10 permit them to separate from one another. Actually, there is no need to tear the ladder-like chain up into individual U-shaped border-covering units as it can be left in chain form with the remainder of the label being stripped therefrom immediately prior to its being fastened to the supporting surface. Of course, each label-like element can, if desired, be made up as an individual unit rather than in strip form in which event the border covering portion 30B will be generally U-shaped and capable of being stripped from the adhesive prior to its being fastened to some surface 12 (FIG. 3) such as, for example, the polyethylene bag 34 in which metal license tags 36 are packaged. A glance at FIG. 2 will reveal that with the protective covering 30B removed and the label-like member stuck down on a suitable supporting surface, these elements thus adhesively attached together will cooperate with one another to define the pocket 14 in which the address card 28 is placed. By leaving the adhesive overlayed by an uninterrupted layer of protective covering extending from below the window opening all the way to the top of the label member, insertion and removal of material from the pocket is easily accomplished.
The final step in the procedure is to close the flap or tab 26 on the open top margin of pocket 14. To do so, the next of the three portions of the protective covering, namely tab cover 30T is removed to expose the adhesive 22 therebeneath; whereupon, it can be stuck down onto the supporting surface 12. As previously mentioned, the tab can be made wider to form a flap and thus seal the pocket all the way across.
FIGS. 4 and 5, to which reference will now be made, reveal the pocket 14 and the several elements that cooperate to define same. In FIG. 4, the pocket is shown in open position with the address card being placed therein. At this point, the tab cover 30T is still in place as shown. In FIG. 5, on the other hand, the card is in place in the bottom of the pocket, the tab cover 30T has been removed and the tab 26 has been stuck down on the supporting material.
Finally, with reference to FIG. 6, a further enlarged fragmentary sectional detail shows the various layers of paper 20, adhesive 22, glassine 30, address card 28 and polyethylene supporting material 12. Window opening 24 as well as the semicircular notch 38 along the edge of the label-like element are also shown.
The usual solution to the above problem is to use two complete envelopes, one of them containing the bulk rate item while the other houses the first class item and includes a window through which the mailing address can be seen. The first class envelope has the reverse side or back thereof provided with some means for attaching it permanently to the face of the bulk rate envelope, usually adhesively. Such a set-up, while widely used, is both expensive and time consuming to use.
It has now been found in accordance with the teaching of the instant invention that these and other undesirable features of the prior art mailing envelopes for handling bulk rate and first class items in a single unitary assembly can, in large measure, be eliminated through the use of a simple adhesive-backed label-like member with a window therein that can be attached to the face of an ordinary envelope, even a polyethylene one, so as to cooperate therewith to define a sealable pocket upon removal of a protective covering from selected border areas. Such members are readily adaptable to being made up in long strips, the individual label-forming elements of which are separated one at a time from a continuous backing strip immediately prior to their being attached to the main bulk rate envelope or other support. The glassine material, in addition to forming the window in the customary manner, provides a protective cover for the non-drying adhesive until it is ready to be attached to the face of support. The glassine covering includes both a permanentaly attached window-forming portion and a removable border forming marginal portion separated from the latter by a die-cut seam. The border forming portion comprises an unbroken ladder-like continuous strip holding several of the pocket-forming portions of the label along with a second part that provides a protective cover for the tab at the top of each one. Removal of the ladder-like portion exposes selected areas of adhesive which, upon being fastened down upon a suitable supporting surface such as the face of the bulk rate envelope, cooperates therewith to define an upwardly opening pocket. Removal of the protective covering from the tab or flap, on the other hand, enables the open edge along the top to be sealed.
The label-like element is particularly useful in that it will stick to a polyethylene bag which is much less expensive than the heavy manila envelope now used for packing and shipping license plates. Bags of this type can be heat-sealed shut to produce an inexpensive substitute for the usual bulk rate envelope.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved label-like element adapted to cooperate with a suitable support therefor to define a pocket.
A second objective of the invention forming the subject matter hereof is the provision of a label with a window therein that is ideally suited for use as a first class "piggyback" envelope when attached to a bulk-rate envelope of conventional design.
Another object of the within-described invention is to provide a label forming member susceptible of being attached to even polyethylene bags as a means for producing an exterior pocket thereon.
Still another objective of the invention disclosed and claimed herein is to provide a window label with a protective cover over its adhesive backing, such cover having three distinct and separate parts, two of which are removable while the third remains in place to define the window.
An additional object is the provision of a device of the type aforementioned that can be fabricated in rolls, the individual elements of which are separated from one another one at a time immediately prior to use.
Further objects are to provide a double envelope combination which is inexpensive and easy to use, one that is adaptable to automated manufacture and assembly, and a unit of the type aforementioned that is particularly well-suited for use in shipping license plates at bulk rates together with the registration certificates at first class rates.
Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings that follows, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view showing a portion of a strip of the label-like elements;
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of a single unit showing corners of the removable portions of the protective glassine covering curled back to expose the non-drying adhesive therebeneath;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view to a reduced scale showing the label-like member attached in pocket forming relation onto the face of a bulk rate envelope, portions of the latter having been broken away to reveal a license plate inside thereof;
FIG. 4 is an edge view of the assembly of FIG. 3 but to the same scale as FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the upwardly opening pocket and the address card being inserted therein;
FIG. 5 is an edge view similar to FIG. 4 and to the same scale showing the assembly just prior to the fastening down of the tab; and,
FIG. 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 3 showing the several layers of the finished assembly including even the address card.
Referring next to the drawings for a detailed description of the present invention and, initially, to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 for this purpose, reference numeral 10 has been chosen to represent in a general way the label-like element in its entirety while numeral 12 designates the supporting medium with which it combines to define the pocket 14. As shown in FIG. 1, the individual label-like elements 10 are conveniently and preferably joined together in end-to-end relation so as to produce a strip 16. The die-cut seam 18 penetrates only the top layer of opaque base material 20; whereas, as will be explained presently, the backing material that forms the protective cover over the adhesive 22 is continuous along the outside edges to form the connecting link therebetween.
The base material is ordinary opaque paper stock 20 upon the backside of which is coated a non-drying adhesive 22 of the type commonly used on name tags and the like. Such an adhesive is especially useful in this application because it is one of the few that will stick to polyethylene and, as will appear presently, using a polyethylene bag as the supporting medium 12 has certain very definite economic advantages.
A couple of structural features are worthy of specific mention in connection with the base material before we proceed further and these are the centrally-located window opening 24 and tab 26 along the upper marginal edge. Window opening 24 is conventional being of a transversely-elongate generally rectangular shape adapted to display the name and address of an addressee provided on a card or the like 28 placed therebeneath and in registry therewith.
Tab 26, in the particular form shown is semicircular and located midway between the side margins, however, such a shape is a matter of choice and it can, just as easily, be made to extend all the way across the top edge or at least the full width of pocket 14. Such alternatives are, of course, well within the skill of the art and the choice therebetween will usually be made with reference to the particular end use for which the label-like member is intended.
Directing the attention next to FIG. 2 which shows the back of the label-like member, it will be seen that the adhesive coating 22 is completely overlaid with a protective cover 30 that takes the form of a conventional transparent so-called "glassine" material of the type commonly used in window envelopes and as the removable protective covering over the non-drying adhesive on the back of name tags. The most important thing to note concerning the protective covering 30 is the fact that it is die-cut into three distinct parts, the first 30W being the more or less permanent window-forming portion covering window opening 24 in the base material. Portion 30W projects below the bottom edge of the window opening, beyond both side margins of the latter and all the way up to the bottom margin of tab 26 from which it is separated by die-cut seam or joint 32.
The marginal border portion 30B takes the form of a ladder-like chain linking the several label elements together in end-to-end relation. As this ladder is stripped free of the remainder of the label, the marginal adhesive-coated areas along both sides and across the bottom are uncovered ready for sticking to the supporting surface 12. At the same time, removal of the ladder results in a separation of the individual label elements that were held together in end-to-end relation thereby. In other words, once the border covering portion 30B of the protective cover is removed, the transverse die-cut seams 18 separating each label-like element 10 permit them to separate from one another. Actually, there is no need to tear the ladder-like chain up into individual U-shaped border-covering units as it can be left in chain form with the remainder of the label being stripped therefrom immediately prior to its being fastened to the supporting surface. Of course, each label-like element can, if desired, be made up as an individual unit rather than in strip form in which event the border covering portion 30B will be generally U-shaped and capable of being stripped from the adhesive prior to its being fastened to some surface 12 (FIG. 3) such as, for example, the polyethylene bag 34 in which metal license tags 36 are packaged. A glance at FIG. 2 will reveal that with the protective covering 30B removed and the label-like member stuck down on a suitable supporting surface, these elements thus adhesively attached together will cooperate with one another to define the pocket 14 in which the address card 28 is placed. By leaving the adhesive overlayed by an uninterrupted layer of protective covering extending from below the window opening all the way to the top of the label member, insertion and removal of material from the pocket is easily accomplished.
The final step in the procedure is to close the flap or tab 26 on the open top margin of pocket 14. To do so, the next of the three portions of the protective covering, namely tab cover 30T is removed to expose the adhesive 22 therebeneath; whereupon, it can be stuck down onto the supporting surface 12. As previously mentioned, the tab can be made wider to form a flap and thus seal the pocket all the way across.
FIGS. 4 and 5, to which reference will now be made, reveal the pocket 14 and the several elements that cooperate to define same. In FIG. 4, the pocket is shown in open position with the address card being placed therein. At this point, the tab cover 30T is still in place as shown. In FIG. 5, on the other hand, the card is in place in the bottom of the pocket, the tab cover 30T has been removed and the tab 26 has been stuck down on the supporting material.
Finally, with reference to FIG. 6, a further enlarged fragmentary sectional detail shows the various layers of paper 20, adhesive 22, glassine 30, address card 28 and polyethylene supporting material 12. Window opening 24 as well as the semicircular notch 38 along the edge of the label-like element are also shown.