Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1165285
A PEEL BACK MAILER
This invention relates to a peel back mailer. More
particularly, this invention relates to a continuous mailer
assembly. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a
mailer which incorporates a return mail envelope therein.
Heretofore, various types of continuous mailer assem-
blies have been known which provide a series of envelopes which
can be mailed and which incorporate return mail envelopes therein
for return mail purposes. Generally, these continuous mailer
assemblies have been made of multi-ply construction with the
various plies forming the front and back ply of a mailer while
the same or other plies form a return mail envelope. In one
particular case, it has been known to secure an intermediate
ply to a back ply to form a return mail envelope and to provide
the intermediate ply with a tear-off flap to permit a flap on
the back ply to be folded over the remainder of the inter-
mediate ply to seal the return mail envelope. In this case,
the front ply of the envelope is removed in order to expose
the intermediate ply so that the tear-off flap can be removed.
The remaining insert plies can then be processed in various
matters with at least one of the insert plies being inserted
into the return mail envelope. Thereafter, the upper edge of
the back ply can be folded over to seal the return mail en-
velope.
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Such envelopes, however, require manual removal of
the tear-off flap of the intermediate ply in order to obtain a
return mail envelope. In some cases, removal of the tear-off
flap has been cumbersome and, in other cases, removal of the
5 tear-off flap may damage the remainder of the insert ply to
such an extent that the return mail envelope may not be useable.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to
provide a mailer of a construction wherein a return mail envel-
ope incorporated therein is readily accessable.
It is another object of the invention to provide a
continuous mailer assembly of mailers which incorporate return
mail envelopes therein in a simple manner.
It is another object of the invention to remove a
flap of a return mail envelope of a continuous mailer assembly
in a relatively easy and efficient manner.
Briefly the invention provides a mailer which is
comprised of a first ply (e.g. a front ply), a second ply (e.g.
a back ply) including a flap portion having adhesive means
thereon facing the first ply and an intermediate ply between
the first and second plies. The intermediate ply includes a
body portion and a tab portion which is removably secured to
the body portion. In addition, the body portion is secured
to the second ply to define a pocket ana releaseably secured to
the first ply for rem~val therefrom while the tab portion is
secured to the first ply for removal therewith from the
body portion to permit olding of the flap portion over the
body portion.
The mailer may also include at least one insert ply
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between the body portion of the intermediate ply and the front
ply. In such a case, the insert ply is of a sizé smaller than
the body portion in order to permit the front ply to be re-
leaseably secured to the body portion of the intermediate ply
as well as to be able to fit within the pocket formed between
the back ply and the intermediate ply.
Any suitable means may be used to releaseably secure
the body portion of the intermediate ply to the first ply. For
example, the means may be in the form of a plurality of spaced
apart glue spots between the body portion and front ply.
In addition, the mailer has a removable stub on each
ply along each of two opposite edges. These stubs are secured
to each other in overlying relation, for example by adhesive
means, for coincident removel.-
The invention also provides a continuous mailer
- assembly which is composed of a plurality of mailers construct-
ed in the above manner. Specifically, the continuous mailer
assembly is comprised of three continuous webs which are dis-
po8ed in overlying relation as well as various non-continuous
webs between two of the continuous webs. Each of these webs
has a removable strip with control line holes aiong each of
two opposite marginal edges, a longitudinal line of weakening
adjacent each marginal edge to define a removable stub and a
plurality of transverse lines of weakening to sub-divide the
webs into a series of individual mailers.
; The continuous mailer may also have an additional
longitudinal line of weakening in each of the overlying webs in
order to further divide the webs into two series of individual
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mailers which are disposed in side-by-side relation.
In use, the continuous mailer assembly is processed
through automatic equipment, such as a computer printer, via
the control line holes. At this time, printed information can
be applied to the face of the front ply of each mailer while
additional information is applied in known fashion to the
underlying intermediate ply and insert plies. Thereafter, the
strips containing the control line holes can be removed and the
individual mailers removed from the assembly for mailing
purposes. Upon receipt of a mailer by an addressee, the stubs
along the marginal edges of the mailer are removed. Next,the
front ply is peeled back and removed from the mailer. At this
time, since the tab portion of the intermediate ply is secured
to the back of the front ply, the tab portion is also removed
lS simultaneously. Thus, the return mail envelope formed by the
body portion of the intermediate ply and the back ply is
immediately ready for use. One or more of the inserts or other
items can then be placed in the return mail envelope and the
exposed flap on the back ply of the return mail envelope folded
downwardly over the front face of the intermediate ply to seal
the pocket. The closed return mail envelope can then be return-
ed via the mail to the original sender. To this end, the
address of the original sender may have been printed on the face
of the intermediate ply when processed through the automatic
equipment,
AlternatiYely~ the information regarding the sender
and addressee may be applied to the front face of the inter-
mediate ply of the return mail envelope.
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It is to be noted that the mailer may be oriented such
that the tab portion is secured to the ba~k ply with the back
ply being peelable from the remaining plies. The remaining
plies will thus form a return mail envelope as in the~same manner
as above.
- These and other objects and advantages of the inven-
tion will become more apparent from the followint detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
wherein:
Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a continuous
mailer assembly constructed~in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates a partial broken-away view of the
continuous mailer assembly of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 illustrates a mailer constructed in accordance
with the invention;
Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the
mailer of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the return
mail envelope and inserts which are incorporated in the mailer
of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the return
mail envelope in a closed condition.
Referring to Figs, 3 and 4, the mailer 10 includes
a front ply 11, a back ply 12, and intermediate ply 13 and
one or more in9ert plies 14.
The ~ront ply 11 is of any suitable shape, such as a
rectangular shape and has a front face for receiving informa-
tion thereon as shown in Fig. 2,
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The back ply 12 is of a size equal to the size of the
front ply 11 and includes a transverse line of weakening 15
which defines a flap portion 16 extending across the width of
the ply 12. The flap portion 16 has an adhesive means, for
example in the form of spaced apart blocks 17 of a water-
activated adhesive, facing the back of the front ply 11. In
addition, a series of glue spots 18 are disposed in alterna-
tion with the adhesive blocks 17 in order to removably secure
the front ply 11 to the back ply 12. It is to be noted that
the blocks of adhesive 17 are secured only to the back ply 12
and are not adhesively secu~ed to the front ply 11. To this
end, the adhesive is subsequently activated for use as described
below.
The intermediate ply 13 is located between the front
ply 11 and back ply 12 and includes a body portion 19 and a tab
portion 20 which is removably secured to the body portion 19,
for example via a line of weakening or perforations 21. The
body portion 19 is secured to the back ply 12 along three edges
via a pair of longitudinal glue lines 22 and a transverse glue
line 23 so that an open-ended pocket is formed. In a similar
manner, the tab portion 20 is secured to the front ply 11 for
removal therewith via a longitudinal glue line 24 and a trans-
verse glue line 25 (see Fig. 2). Longitudinally spaced glue
spots 26 may also be used to secure the tab portion 20 to
the front ply 11 along the upper edges as viewed in Fig. 4.
~he body portion 19 is also removably secured to the front ply
11 via a series of glue spots 27, e,g. located along the lower
edge~ of the plies 11, 13. As shown in Fig. 4, the line of
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weakening 15 in the back ply 12 is located above the plane of
the line of weakening 21 defining the removable tab portion 20
in the intermediate ply 13.
The insert plies 14 are located between the body
portion 19 of the intermediate ply 13 and the front ply 11 above
the glue spots 27 as viewed. In addition, each insert ply 14
is of a size smaller than the body portion 19 in order to fit
within the pocket defined between the intermediate and back
plies 13, 12.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the continuous mailer
assembly 28 is constructed to provide a series of individual
mailers 10. To this end, the assembly 28 includes three contin-
uous webs of paper 29, 30, 31 which are disposed in overlying
relation. Each of these webs 29, 30, 31 has a removable strip
32 with control line holes 33 therein along each of two opposite
marginal edges. In addition, each web 29, 30, 31 has a longitu-
dinal line of weakening 34 adjacent each marginal edge in order
to define a removable stub 35 as well as a plurality of trans-
verse lines of weakening 36 to divide the webs 29, 30, 31 into
? a series of individual mailers 10. The individual stubs 35
of each web 29, 30, 31 is secured to an adjacent stub 35, for
example via a line of glue (not shown), for coincident removal.
In use, the continuous mailer 28 is processed in
various types of automated equipment so as to impart various
information at least on the face of each mailer 10. Thereafter,
the strips 32 containing the control line holes 33 are stripped
from the assembly 28, Next, the individual mailers 10 are
; ~eparated from each along the lines of weakening 36 and mailed
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in usual manner.
Upon receipt of a mailer 10, the recipient or addressee
removes the stubs 35 from each side of the mailer 10 and slowly
peels back the top ply 11 as indicated in Fig. 3. During this
time, the tab portion 20 of the intermediate ply 13 is simultan-
eously removed with the front ply 11 due to the securement of
the tab portion 20 to the front ply 11 via the line of glue 24.
In this respect, the glue spots 18 permit the tab portion 20 to
release from the back ply 12 while the glue spots 27 permit the
front ply 11 to release from the body portion 19 of the inter-
mediate 13. The insert plies 14 can then be processed in suit-
able manner. At this time, the body portion 19 of the inter-
mediate ply 13 and the back ply 12 form a return mail envelope
with an open pocket which is ready to receive an insert ply 14.
As shown in Fig. 5, one or more insert plies 14 may
be inserted into the pocket on the return mail envelope. There-
after, the flap 16 of the back ply 12 is folded over along the
line of weakening 15 and sealed against the front face of the
body portion 19 by activation of the adhesive blocks 17. The
closed return mail envelope 37 (Fig. 6) can then be processed
in the usual manner for mailing.
The invention thus provides a peel back mailer which
can be readily constructed and manipulated in order to provide
a readily accessable return mail envelope. Since the tab
portion of the intermediate ply is removed simultaneously with
the front ply, there is no need to perform subsequent opera-
tions in order to obtain a return mail envelope.
It is to be noted that the removable tab portion may
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be secured to the back ply. In this case, the body portion of
the intermediate ply is permanently secured to the back of the
front ply in order to provide the return mail envelope.
The continuous mailer assembly may also have a
longitudinal line of weakening down the middle in order to
form two series of individual mailers in a side-by side relation-
ship.
