U.S. patent number 3,883,069 [Application Number 05/307,104] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-13 for booklet with attached envelopes.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Compak Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to John K. Volkert.
United States Patent |
3,883,069 |
Volkert |
May 13, 1975 |
Booklet with attached envelopes
Abstract
A booklet for distributing printed material and a return
envelope to a recipient. The booklet is formed from a single
pre-printed sheet and includes side-by-side envelopes which are
separable from each other. Portions of the booklet pages may also
be made separable for return in the envelopes.
Inventors: |
Volkert; John K. (Northfield,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Compak Systems, Inc.
(Northfield, IL)
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Family
ID: |
26870113 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/307,104 |
Filed: |
November 16, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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174321 |
Aug 24, 1971 |
3718277 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
229/301; 281/3.1;
229/68.1; 229/69 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
27/06 (20130101); B65D 27/34 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
27/06 (20060101); B65D 27/34 (20060101); B65D
27/00 (20060101); B65d 027/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;229/68R,69,73
;281/3R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Garbe; Stephen P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fitch, Even, Tabin &
Luedeka
Parent Case Text
This application is a division of my present application Ser. No.
174,321, filed Aug. 24, 1971 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,277.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A single, folded, printed blank for forming a booklet for
distributing printed material and return envelopes to a recipient,
said folded blank comprising a plurality of superimposed panels
interconnected to one another along spaced parallel horizontal fold
lines
A. one of said panels being folded upon itself along an
intermediate horizontal line and secured in such folded condition
by adhesive to provide side-by-side envelope pockets and an
envelope flap for each pocket,
1. said one panel having a strip of envelope adhesive on each of
said envelope flaps, and
2. said one panel having a line of weakness intermediate of
adjacent envelopes to facilitate separation thereof from each
other,
B. at least one other of said panels being provided with a line of
weakness to facilitate the separation of a portion thereof which is
insertable into one of said envelope pockets,
C. said panels being arranged in superimposed relation to one
another,
D. said panels being interconnected to one another along a common
vertical line perpendicular to said intermediate line and also
being foldable about said common vertical line to create a booklet;
and
E. said horizontal intermediate line being located slightly
vertically above the lowermost of said parallel fold lines, so that
it is unaffected when the upper and lower edges of said folded
printed blank are removed to cause said panels to become separate
sheets.
2. A single, folded, blank in accordance with claim 1 wherein there
are at least two superimposed panels in addition to said one panel,
wherein said one panel is adhesively attached in said folded
condition to provide at least four side-by-side envelopes and
wherein an adjacent superimposed panel in surface-to-surface
contact with said one panel has a plurality of lines of weakness to
define said separable portions.
3. A single, folded, blank in accordance with claim 2 wherein said
plurality of lines of weakness in said adjacent panel are defined
by lines of perforations and wherein the same lines of perforations
also are formed in said one panel and therein facilitate the
separation of said side-by-side envelopes from each other.
4. A single, folded, blank in accordance with claim 1 wherein at
least one of said panels is provided with holes along said common
line, and wherein adhesive penetrates through said holes and
interconnects said superimposed panels.
5. A single, folded, blank in accordance with claim 4 wherein at
least three panels are provided in addition to said one panel and
wherein said holes are provided in at least the two panels in the
middle of said superimposed group.
Description
The present invention relates to a printed article adapted to be
sent through the mail or otherwise distributed. More particularly,
the invention relates to such articles which include a multi-page
booklet and a postal card or envelope for use by the recipient.
When advertising a product or a service with printed material
mailed or otherwise distributed in large volume to potential
customers, it is highly desirable to provide the customers at the
same time with means such as a return postal card or envelope which
will enable them to respond to the advertisement by placing an
order, requesting further information, etc. A conventional way of
accomplishing this is to distribute the advertising material plus a
self-addressed postal card or envelope together in an outer
envelope. However, this approach makes it necessary to print the
materials separately and insert them in the envelopes, resulting in
a relatively costly operation.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved printed
booklet and method of forming same from a single sheet of
pre-printed paper stock folded upon itself to provide a plurality
of return envelopes within the booklet.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent
with reference to the following description and the accompanying
drawings.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank or sheet of paper stock adapted to
be formed into a booklet suitable for carrying advertising or other
printed information;
FIGS. 2 through 8 show the blank of FIG. 1 as it appears in various
stages of its formation into a booklet; and
FIG. 9 shows a booklet formed by the method shown in FIGS. 2
through 8.
There is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9 the formation of a
booklet 110 (FIG. 9) formed of a single pre-printed sheet or blank
112 and which includes a plurality of self-contained detachable
envelopes 114 and a plurality of coupons, detachable slips 116 in
the form of application forms, etc., includible within the
envelopes. The booklet thus finds particular advantage when a
single booklet carries the advertisements of several
advertisers.
More particularly, the blank 112 as seen in FIG. 1 is adapted to be
folded transversely to provide panels 118, 120, 122, 124, and 126.
Although the blank is not folded in FIG. 1, the locations of the
fold lines are shown in phantom and are designated by the numerals
128, 130, 132, and 134. The reverse sides of the panels shown in
FIG. 1 are indicated by the numeral assigned to that panel,
followed by the suffix a.
It should be understood that the blank 112 is pre-printed on both
sides prior to folding or gluing to provide any advertising message
desired and also to provide an address on the envelopes 114 as well
as a postage paid imprint (not shown). In addition, holes 136 are
provided in the panels 124 and 126 to allow for the passage of
adhesive through these panels, in a manner hereinafter described,
these holes being provided on a line 138 located centrally of all
the panels and extending transversely of the fold lines previously
referred to.
In the preferred illustrated embodiment, the booklet 110 is formed
by first providing a strip 140 of a remoistenable envelope adhesive
on the panel 120, this strip extending transversely of the
centerline 138 adjacent to but spaced from the location of the fold
line 130 which separates the panels 120 and 122. The adhesive
facilities the sealing of the envelopes 114 when they are detached
from the booklet. Thus, the remoistenable adhesive is allowed to
dry prior to a completion of the folding operation. Normally,
however, the drying is completed in a matter of seconds.
Alternatively, two alignable strips of adhesive which have affinity
only for each other could be provided for sealing the envelopes,
one strip being provided at the location of the strip 140, as
shown, and the other strip being provided on the surface 118a of
the panel 118.
In a second and succeeding step, a quick-setting adhesive is
applied to the panel 120 in the form of five spaced strips 142
which extend parallel to one another and to the centerline 138
(FIG. 2). These strips 142 extend from the first fold line 128,
which separates the panels 118 and 120, in the direction of the
strip 140 of remoistenable adhesive but terminate short of the
strip 140. The panel 118, which includes one edge 143 of the blank
or sheet 112, is then folded along the first fold line 128 into
face-to-face relation to the panel 120 (FIG. 3) and is secured or
bonded in such position by the strips 142. The panel 118 thus
cooperates with the panel 120 to form the pockets of four envelopes
114, although it should be apparent that the pockets of only two
envelopes would be provided if two of the strips 142, designated by
the suffix a, were eliminated. It should be noted that the panel
118 as measured along the line 138 between the edge 143 and the
fold line 128 is of lesser width than the panel 120 as measured
along the line 138 between the fold lines 128 and 130 so that the
edge 143 does not extend to the strip 140 of remoistenable
adhesive. The portion of the panel 120 above the envelope pockets
thereby defines flaps for the envelopes 114. Also, the strips 142
of adhesive are of a lesser length than the width of the panel 118
and so do not extend to the free edge of the panel when it is
folded.
The blank 110 is then folded along the fold line 132 separating the
panels 122 and 124. FIG. 4 illustrates the folding of the blank
along fold lines 128 and 132, while FIG. 5 illustrates the blank as
thus folded, but from the reverse side, with panels 124 and 126
facing outwardly. It will be appreciated that FIG. 4 is
illustrative only and that when the folding along line 132 takes
place, the folding along line 128 has already been
accomplished.
With the blank in the position shown in FIG. 5, an adhesive is
placed along the line 138 of panels 124 and 126, and a portion of
this adhesive penetrates the holes 136 so as to contact the
underlying panels 120 and 122. The blank is then folded along lines
130 and 134, which lines became superimposed during the previous
folding along line 132. FIG. 6 illustrates this folding
diagrammatically, with the folding of the panel 118 along line 128
shown as not having been completed whereas in actual practice this
folding has already been accomplished.
By virtue of the gluing and folding thus far described, panel 118
is glued to panel 120, and panels 120, 122, 124 and 126 are all
glued to each other along the centerlines 138 of each panel. In
addition, the panels are attached along essentially common fold
lines 128, 130, 132 and 134 at their edges.
The blank, as shown in FIG. 7, is then perforated along lines 144
as well as along lines 138 to provide lines of weakness located
approximately midway between the center lines 138 and each of the
free lateral edges of the blank.
It should be noted from FIG. 7 that the first fold line 128 is not
superimposed on the fold line 132 but is spaced therefrom due to
the fact that the panel 120 is of a lesser width than the interior
panels 122 and 124. This feature is significant because, in the
final steps of forming the booklet 110, the blank folded as shown
in FIG. 7 and containing the fold line 132 is cut between fold
lines 128 and 132. This removes the portion of the blank containing
fold line 132 but not the portion containing fold line 128 and,
thus, does not alter the pockets of the envelopes 114. This cut
separates panels 122 and 124 to provide separate pages. Likewise, a
small portion of the blank as seen in FIG. 7 adjacent and including
the fold lines 130 and 134 is cut away to separate the panel 120
from the panel 122, and to separate the panel 124 from the panel
126. However, the panels all remain attached by virture of the
adhesive applied at the centerline 138, which adhesive penetrated
the holes 136. The blank can then be folded along lines 138 to
provide the booklet 110. As an alternative, the blank could have
been folded along lines 138 prior to cutting as shown in FIG.
8.
After the folded blank has been cut, all of the pages become
separable, being attached only along the line 138. In addition, and
by virture of the perforations, various portions of the booklet can
be detached from the remaining portions. For example, the four
envelopes 114, located at the center spread of the booklet, can be
detached along lines of perforation 144 and 138. Likewise, portions
116 of each of the remaining pages can be detached along the same
lines of perforation for insertion into the envelopes. These other
portions can be printed to provide return coupons, order forms for
merchandise, application forms for insurance, etc. The booklet may
contain the advertisements of several advertisers, with each
envelope being returnable to a different advertiser.
The booklet itself can be mailed in the form shown in FIG. 9, in
which case an outer surface might bear a postage permit imprint and
provide a space for a tape bearing the name and address of the
addressee. A suitable means such as a seal or stamp (not shown)
could be provided at the free end edges of the pages to maintain
them in a closed position.
In forming the booklet, it is possible to provide slightly larger
than usual perforations along the line 138 and to thereby dispense
with additional holes 136. Also, a tear strip could be provided
along the fold lines 132, 130 and 134 which the recipient could
remove and thereby himself separate the pages, thus eliminating the
necessity of cutting the pages apart prior to delivery to the
recipient.
While certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown
and described, it should be apparent that various modifications may
be made therein without departing from the scope of the
invention.
Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the
following claims.
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