Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND A~TD SU~MARY OF THE IN~ENTION
This invention relates to business form assemblies,
and more particularly, to such assemblies providing mailers.
An ob~ect of this invention is to provide an
improved cut sheet ~usiness forrn assembly of at least two cut
sheets for collation and sealing into at least one mailer per
assembly.
In a principal aspect, the invention is a cut sheet
mailer business form assembly comprising a message sheet and a
cover sheet. The message sheet has a longitudinal dimension
between end edges along a longitudinal axis and a transverse
dimension between marginal edges along a transverse axis.
Marginal lines of perforations extend along the marginal edges
fully between the end edges. Transverse, end lines of per-
lS forations extend along the end edges only between the marginal
lines of perforations.
~he message cover sheet has a longitudinal dimension
between cover sheet end edges equal to the longitudinal
dimension of the message sheet, and a transverse dlmension
between cover sheet marginal edges equal to the transverse
dimension of the message sheet. The cover sheet is super-
imposed upon the message sheet and has marginal lines of
adhesive along the cover sheet marginal edgesO These adhesive
lines extend fully between the cover sheet end edges and are
nearer the cover sheet marginal edyes than the message sheet
marginal perforation lines are to the message sheet marginal
edges. Transverse, end lines of adhesive are along ~he cover
sheet end edges, extending fully between the cover -sheet
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marginal edges and being nearer the cover sheet end edges than
the message sheet end perforation lines are to the message
sheet end edges. Preferably, a cover sheet marginal line of
perforations is adjacent to one of the messase sheet marginal
lines of perforations. The marginal and end lines of adhesive
adhere the cover sheet to the messase sheet.
Other objects, advantages and features are part of
the detailed description of the preferred embodiment. The
detailed description follows a brief description of the draw-
ing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The preferred embodiment of the present invention
will be described in relation to the accompanying drawing, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred cut sheet
mailer of the invention, with a corner of a cover sheet turned
back pictorially to reveal detail;
FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the cut
sheet mailer of FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken along line 3-3
of FIG. l; and
FIG. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of an aiter-
nate, preferred cut sheet mailer of the invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE P~EFERRED EMBODIMENT
-
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the preferred embodiment of
the invention is a cut sheet mailer business form assembly 4
comprising a message sheet 5, a top cover sheet 6 and a bottom
cover sheet 7. As will be described, when the assembly 4 is
completed, the sheets 5, 6, 7 are adhered to each other
totally about their peripheries and across their centers. The
sheets 5, 6, 7 are shown separated in FIG. 2 as they would be
before assembly completion.
The message sheet 5 is rectangular. It has a longi-
tudinal dimension between a straight upper end edge 8 and a
straight and parallel lower end edge 9. It has a transverse
dimension between straight, parallel, marginal edges 10, 11.
The sheet 5 has no pin feed holes, but may be cut from a
continuous web.
A first message sheet marginal line of perforations
12 extends along but spaced from the first message sheet
marginal edge 10. A second message sheet marginal line of
perforations 13 extends along but spaced from the second mes-
sage sheet marginal edge ll. The lines 12, 13 extend longi-
tud~nally, fully between the message sheet end edges 8, 9~
The marginal edge 10 and line 12 define a first longitudinally
extending margin 14 of the sheet 5. The edge 11 and line 13
define a second longitudinally extending margin 15.
A first, transverse end line of perforations 16
extends along ~ut spaced from the end edge 8. A second,
transverse end line of perforations 17 extends along but
spaced from the end edge 9. The lines 16, 17 extend only
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between the marsinal perforation lines 12, 13. The edses 8, 9
and lines 16, 17 define end strips 18, 19 on the sheet 5. , ~,/r
Preferably, end strips 18, 19 have longitudinal widths~equal
to each other. ~/
At least a pair of adjacent, parallel, non-end lines
of perforations 20, 21 extend transversely across the sheet 5,
only between the marginal perforation lines 12, 13. The lines
20, 21 and the lines 12, 13 define a central strip 22 on the
sheet 5.
The lines 16, 20 and the upper portions of the lines
12, 13 define a first, upper message area 23. The lines 17, 21
and the lower portions of the lines 12, 13 define a second,
lower messaqe area 24. The messase areas 23, 24 are for two
distinct messages, or duplicate messages. As will be
described, the central strip 22 is cut to separate the message
areas 23, 24.
The top cover sheet 6 has a longitudinal dimension
between top cover sheet end edges 25, 26 equal to the longi-
tudinal dimension of the message sheet 5 between its edge ends
8, 9. The top cover sheet 6 also has a ~ran~verse dimension
between top cover sheet marginal edges 27, 28 equal to the
transverse dimension of the message sheet 5 between its
marginal edges 10, 11. A single marginal line of perforations
29 extends longitudinally along the top cover sheet marginal
edge 28. The line 29 defines a marginal strip 30 on the sheet
6, which has a transverse width less than the width of the
message sheet margins 14, 15. Other than for line 29, sheet 6
has no perforations.
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Within the marginal strip 30, and within a marginal
area along the cover sheet marginal edge 27 having the same
~ransverse width as the strip 30, the sheet 6 has marginal
lines of adhesive 31, 32. The adhesive lines 31, 32 extend
fulLy between the top cover sheet end edges 25, 26. The
adhesive lines are joined along the end edges 25, 26 by trans-
versely extending, end lines of adhesive 33, 34. The lines
33, 34 are within end areas having longitudinal widths equal
to or less than the widths of the message sheet end strips 18,
19. The adhesive lines 31, 32, 33, 34 circumscribe the
periphery of the sheet 6. As most preferred, the adhesive
lines 31-34 are a heat sealable adhesive. When heated, with
the sheet 6 superimposed on the sheet 5, the adhesive adheres
sheet 6 to sheet 5, outward of the perforation lines 12, 13,
16, 17 of the sheet 5 and in the margins 14, 15 and end strips
18, 19. The perforation lines 12, 13, 16, 17 remain useful to
separate the message areas from the margins 14, 15 and end
strips 18, 19. Pressure sensitive or remoistenable adhesive
may be employed as an alternate to the heat sealable adhesive.
The marginal adhesive lines 31, 32 are also joined
by a wider, transversely extending, non-end line of adhesive
35. The line 35 is located on the sheet 6 to be disposed
between the central portion lines ~0, 21 of the sheet 5 when
the sheets 5, 6 are superimposed as described above. The
adhesive line 35 is also preferably heat sealable. When
heated, with the sheets 5, 6 superimposed, the adhe~ive line
35 joins the sheet 6 to the central strip 22 of the sheet 5.
The sheets 5 and 6, so adhered, form a mailer
assembly useful with or without the sheet 7. If used without
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the sheet 7, as in FIG. 4, the assembly forms two message
units which may be separated by a cut transversely across the
central strip 22, cutting the adhesive line 35 in two parts.
Each separated message unit remains sealed, and may be opened
S by removal of the top cover sheet marginal strip 30, with the
message sheet margin 14, along the perforation lines 29, 12.
Since the perforation line 29 is offset from the line 12, an
edge is created that can be manually grasped. A message area,
such as 23, may then be separated from its message unit, along
the perforation lines such as 16, 20, 13. As most preferred,
all the transverse perforation lines 16, 20, 21, 17 are
progressive, in that perforation size is large toward the edge
10, and is progressively reduced toward edge 11. These
progressive perforations facilitate separation of the message
areas.
When the assembly has a back cover sheet, the
preferred back cover sheet 7 has longitudinal and transverse
dimensions equal to those of the cover sheet 6. The sheet 7
also has a pattern of adhesive lines identical to that of
shèet 6, and the same reference numbers are used to identify
the adhesive lines on sheet 7 as are used on sheet 6. The
shéet 7 may be a combined second message and bottom cover
sheet.
The preferred embodimen~ of the invention is now
described. The assembly may be fed into a collatins and seal-
ing machine with messages preprin~ed on the message areas.
The sheets may be automatically collated, sealed together and
the messase units severed. If preferred, the message units
may be self-contained envelopes with transparent-covered
windows, such as windows 36, 37, shown on sheet 6.
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The preferred embodiment may be varied, without
departing from the invention. As an example, the adhesive
line 35 and paired perforation lines 20, 21 may be repeated,
to form three or more message units per assembly. Therefore,
to particularly point o~t and distinctly claim the subject
matter regarded as invention, the following claims conclude
this specification.
