FOLDERS FOR DOCUMENTS

CHEMISES POUR DOCUMENTS

English Abstract

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ABSTRACT
A method of forming a folder of documents and a
folder for putting the method into effect. The folder has
folds or creases defining a spine between a front and
a back cover of the folder, and side folds spaced from
the spine folds. An adhesive strip covered with a
protective film is applied to the interior of the folder
along the spine in a region delimited by the side folds.
In use the protective film is removed , a sheaf of
documents, preferably stapled together is permanently
secured in the folder so that documents cannot be removed
without detection.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined
as follows:
1. A folder for documents comprising a sheet
of thin, flexible material having first and second
parallel spine folds or creases to define a first
cover, a spine area, and a second cover; a side fold or
crease in the first cover of the folder, said side fold
or crease being adjacent and parallel to said first
spine fold; a double-sided adhesive covering the area
defined by the side fold in said first cover and a
region in the second cover adjacent and parallel to the
second spine fold and extending into said second cover
approximately the same distance as said side fold from
said first spine fold; and a removable protective film
covering said double-sided adhesive.
2. A folder for documents comprising a sheet
of thin, flexible material having first and second
parallel spine folds or creases to define a first
cover, a spine area, and a second cover; a first side
fold or crease in the first cover of the folder, said
first side fold or crease being adjacent and parallel
to said first spine fold; a second side fold or crease
in the second cover of the folder, said second side
fold or crease being adjacent and parallel to said

second spine fold; a double-sided adhesive covering the
area defined by the first side fold and the second side
fold; and a removable protective film covering said
double-sided adhesive.
3. A method of forming a folder of documents
comprising the steps of:
a. securing a sheaf of documents along
the spine edge thereof;
b. inserting the sheaf of documents into
a folder which comprises a sheet of
thin, flexible material having first
and second parallel spine folds or
creases which define a first cover, a
spine area, and a second cover; a
side fold or crease in the first
cover of the folder, said side fold
or crease being adjacent and parallel
to said first spine fold; a
double-sided adhesive covering the
area defined by the side fold in said
first cover and a region in the
second cover adjacent and parallel to
the second spine fold and extending
into said second cover approximately
the same distance as said side fold
from said first spine fold; the spine

edge of said sheaf of documents being
in line with and in contact with the
spine area of said folder;
c. folding said folder over said sheaf
of documents, and
d. pressing the outside of the folder in
the area covered by the double-sided
adhesive whereby the sheaf of
documents is securely bound therein.
4. A method of forming a folder of documents
comprising the steps of:
a. securing a sheaf of documents along
spine edge thereof;
b. inserting the sheaf of documents into
a folder which comprises a sheet of
thin, flexible material having first
and second parallel spine folds or
creases to define a first cover, a
spine area, and a second cover; a
first side fold or crease in the
first cover of the folder, said first
side fold or crease being adjacent
and parallel to said first spine
fold; a second side fold or crease in
the second cover of the folder, said
second side fold or crease being
adjacent and parallel to said second

spine fold; a double-sided adhesive
covering the area defined by the
first side fold and the second side
fold; the spine edge of said sheaf of
documents being in line with and in
contact with the spine area of said
folder;
c. folding said folder over said sheaf
of documents, and
d. pressing the outside of the folder in
the area covered by the double-sided
adhesive whereby the sheaf of
documents is securely bound therein.

Description

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FOLDERS FOR DOC~MENTS-
The present invention relates to a method of
forming a folder of documents and to a folder for docu-
ments such as reports or staternents of account.
Folders are known which have two parallel fold lines or
creases that are spaced apart by a distance equal to
the thickness of the completed folder, to define a
spine. The sheets are inserted in the folder and are
secured by staples.
Such known folders can be disassembled, docu-
ments removed and folder assembled once again in such a
way that the interference with the folder cannot be
detected. This is a disadvantage.
There are also folders incorporating flex-
ible, pre-bent me~allic strips to be passed through
holes in the sheets and bent back onto the top side of
the sheaf. Documents can also be removed from such
folders without detection.
It is further known to assemble documents in
a sheaf by dipping the spine edge of the documents in
adhesive. The glued sheaf is then inserted in the fol-
der and secured there by staples.
Although this prevents the undetected removal
of documents, the procedure is difficult and time-
consuming.
One object of the invention is to avoid the
above-mentioned disadvantages.

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According to one aspect of the present invention, I
propose a method of forming a folder of documents
comprising securing the documents together along the
spine edge thereof, inserting the sheaf of documents in
a cover of flexible material having adhes~ve applied
thereto in the region of the spine, whereby at least
the top and bottom document in the sheaf are attached
to the cover.
The invention also includes a folder for putting the
10 above method into effect and accordingly, I further
propose a folder for documents comprising a sheet of
flexible material in which spaced folds or creases
define a spine between a front and back cover of the
folder, and having a further side fold in at least the
15 front cover of the folder to the interior of which
adhesive covered by a removable protective film is
applied in the region of the spine.
Folders for documents according to this invention
can be packed and tranported in cartons, and stored
20 for as long as necessary before use.
Furthermore, folders of documents can be assembled
by the user without special technical knowledge.
The side folds serve to define the region along the
spine in which glue is to be applied during manufacture

3 ~2~599
of the folder. Also the glue is not overloaded in the
completed folder and further, the sheets can be bent
about a sharp pre-bent edge.
When there are two side folds either of the covers
can be designated the front cover when being printed.
In a preferred embodiment adhesive is applied in the
form of a double-sided adhesive strip, one side of which
adherPs to the interior of the folder and the other side
o~ which is covered by a protective film or foil for
10 removal when required for use. The adhesive strip
may be inserted before printing of the cover which may
be an advantage during the process of manufacture.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described
by way of example with reference to the accompanying
15 drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematical perspective view of an
open cover for a folder, in accordance with
the invention;
Figure 2 shows the cover of Figure 1, but with inserted
two-sided glue strip;
Figure 3 is a perspective drawing of a nearly completed
folder in accordance with the invention.
The cover shown in Figure 1 has two spine folds or
creases 2,3 and two side folds or creases 4,5.

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The spine folds and side folds are arranged symmetrically
about the centre line of the cover.
The cover may be made of cardboard, plastic or
other suitable material.
S Text can be transferred to the cover by printing.
As shown in Figure 2 adhesive is applied between
the two side folds 4,5 in the form of a double-sided
strip 6 one side of which adheres to the cover ~nd the
other side which is covered by a protective film or foil.
The glue strip has the same width as the interval
between the side edges.
As shown in Figure 3 the folder is assembled by
attaching the documents 7 together adjacent to the spine
edge thereof, using staples 8. The documents may,
15 however, be attached together in any convenient manner.
Then the protective film is removed from the adhesive
strip 6 and the sheaf 7 is inserted in the folder so
that the rear edge is in line with the spine fold 2.
The underside is then secured by pressing the sheaf of
20 documents onto the adhesive strip. Then the cover is
folded about the spine fold 2 and the sheaf is glued
on along the spine. The cover is eventually folded
about the spine fold 3 and the top side in the report

i 2 21 5 9 9
is glued onto the front cover. When the report is
to be read, it is opened. The front cover is folded
along the side fold 5 which forms a rigid edge by folding
all sheets in the report.