Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SHORT LENGTH MAILER STRUCTURE AND
METHOD OP MANUFACTURE
This invention relates to a short length mailer
structure and method of manufacture and, more particularly,
to a business form suitable for mailer usage which eliminates
disadvantageous tenting while maintaining precision of
register of the interior plies.
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BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF INVENTION:
Since the introduction of mailer forms with Pat-
ent No. 3,104,799, there have been a steady series of im-
provements. Patents 3,339,827, 3,777,971 and 3,830,141
concerned increasing the freedom of the inside plies and
means to control the position o~ the inside ply while inside
the mailer to provide accurate registration of the computer
printout.
Patent No. 4,095,965 shows a mailer structure that
best combines the various objectives in a maller form,
accurate position and control of the inside ply, minimum
tenting, economical use of paper stock in manufacture and
ease of opening the mailer and removal of the contents.
The difficulty of accomplishing these objectives
in manufacturing is increased when length of the mailer
is short. Mailers of 3-1/2 to 4" in length are particularly
difficult. The size of the die cutting elements in order
to be rigid enough to perform a relia~le function lirnits
the minimum length of the cut piece that can be given control
after it is cut off. It is understandable that the longer
the time and distance that the cut insert is without positive
control, the less accurate will be its po~ition lnside the
mailer and less reliable the production process.
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*U.5. Patent Numbers
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Broadly the invention provides a business form
having a plurality of Eold lengths for mailer usage
comprising top and bottom plies having longitudinally
extending edges, at least one edge being e~uipped with a
control margin. At least one intermediate ply is
between the top and bottom plies and includes a series
oE at least two form lengths constituting a fold length.
The top and bottom plies have transverse lines of
weakness every form length and a line of potenti~l
folding at each fold length. The intermediate ply
terminates a spaced distance short of the lines of
potential folding and further is partially discontinuous
about each line of weakness, and adhesive means joining
the plies to~ether.
More particularly, the improvement of this
invention is to cut the inside plies free only once each
fold length. Typically 3-2/3 or 4" mailers are folded
every 11 or 12" and 4-l/4" mailers every 8-1/2".
Consider the 4-l/4" size for e~ample. The
inside ply is typically cut to 3-1/2" long using a
cutoff cylinder of 17 or 25~1/2" circumference. It
can be seen that mechanical elements, rollers and
such that can be fit in close enough to
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the cutoff cylinders to engage the 3-1/2" length beore it
is cut off and no longer controlled by the length of web
feedlng it into the cutting station would be so small as to
lack the rigidity and strength necessary for reliable
function in manufacture.
When these short lengths are handled in production
according to this invention using the 4-1/4 length as an
example, the inside plies would be cut from the infeeding
web once every 8-1/2" with the inside plies having a
length of 7-3/4". This is more than twice the length of
a single inside ply.
A dle cut chip is still removed between the two
4-1/4" portions of the inside plies so each portion can re-
tain its ease of removal from the mailer but a portion (or
portions) join the two 3-1/2" portions so that they can ~e
handled for purposes of control in manufacturing as one
piece. This method not only gives a much longer length
with its easier control but also reduces the number of cut
pieces by 1/2 (or 1/3) so there are fewer of these difficult
pieces to be processed per 1000 forms lengths. This again
improves manufacturing reliability.
By retaining the complete cutoff at each fold length,
all of the tent reducing qualities of the mailer form
are retained. The absence of a complete cutoff at the inter-
mediate form length where the form is not to be folded does
not increase tenting. Tenting is created only when thecontinuous form is folded causing some plies to fold along
a longer path than others.
The invention is described in conjunction with the
accompanying drawing in which a perspective view of a portion
of a mailer assembly is shown,
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In the illustration given the numeral 10 designates
generally an assembly of stuffed sealed envelopes and, for
ease of presentation, only three fold lengths are presented.
The fold lengths are designated 11, 12 and 13, respectively,
and are defined by lines of potential folding as at 14, 15,
16 and 17. These are normally provided in the form of
transverse lines of perforation extending across the
webs constituting the stuffed sealed envelope assemblies.
In normal practice, the webs are fan-folded, i.e., zig-zag
or accordion folded so as to be packed in rectangular
containers for shipment from the place of manufacture to the
customer's place of use. Conventionally, the ~ig-zag
folded forms are advanced through a computer printer for
imprinting with addressee and other information such as
lS billing, grades, etc.
In the illustration given, ~he fold length is
8-1/2", viz., the distance between lines 14-15, 15-16,
16-17, etc. Intermediate the fold lines are provided
lines of weakening as at 18 relative to the fold length
11. This divides the fold length 11 into two envelope
assemblies 19 and 20.
To provide the various assemblies, the form
is provided with a continuous top ply 21, a continuous
bottom ply 22 and one or more discontinuous intermediate
plies 23.
In accordance with the invention, the intermediate
ply or plies 23 are completely discontinuous adjacent each
line of potential folding 14-17 and are only partially
discontinuous adjacent each line of weakness 18 defining
a form length. More particularly, it will be noted that
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each intermediate ply in the portion bridging the line
of weakness 18 is equipped wlth an integral attaching
portion 24 -- see the upper central portion of the drawing.
This attaching portion performs a number of functions.
First, it enables the intermediate plies to be long
enough so as to satisfactorily and reliably bridge the
spacing between cutoff and downstream control elements
in the collator. Second, it occurs at a por~ion of the fold
length which is not folded so as to avoid any problem
of tenting. Thirdly, it constitutes only a minor portion
of the width of the intermediate ply or plies so as to
provide minimal resistance to bursting.
The invention can be further appreciated from
the method of manufacture set down below.
METHOD OF MAN~FACTURE:
In producing the inventive form on a conventional mailer
collator, the bottom web 22 is previously provided with
a control maryin or margins along the longitudinal edges
25 and 26. In the illustration given, each edge is equipped
with a control margin including line holes 27. Thereafter
the bottom web 22 is equipped with transverse glue lines
as at 28 and 29 adjacent each fold line 14-i7, and further
transverse glue lines as at 30 and 31 adjacent each line
of weakness defining a ~orm length. The bottom ply is
also provided with longitudinally extending glue lines
as at 32 and 33.
The intermediate ply or plies 23 are previously
printed and, in the illustration given, equipped with line
holes 34. Incident to cutoff, a chip is removed to provide
the discontinuity 35. Thereafter, the intermediate ply or
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plies are brought into register with the bottom ply 22
and thereafter the top ply 21 whlch has been previously
printed, equipped with line holes and further equipped
with a longitudinal line of adhesive on its un~erside
as at 36 is brought into contact with the intermediate
and bottom plies.
OPERATION:
After the fanfolded assemblies have been delivered
to the customer's plant, they are normally processed through
the computer printer where addressee and other pertinent
information is imprinted thereon. Normally, the top and
intermediate plies are constructed of carbonless paper
or carbonized areas so as to develop the imprint ~rom the
computer printer although in some instances, carbon
interleaves may be employed.
After the continuous series of envelope assemblies
has been suitably imprinted, the control margins are trirnmed
and the various envelopes 19-20 are burst apart along the
lines of potential folding 14-17 and along the lines of
weakness between form lengths as at 18. Thus, it will be
seen that the lines of potential folding 14-17 perform
a dual purpose in not only developing the positions of
folding but also perform the same bursting function as the
intermediate lines of weakness 18.
The invention can be advantageously employed
where the intermediate plies do not have line holes as
at 34. For example, the intermediate plies need not
extend all the way to the edge 25 but can have an edge
slightly inward of the line holes 27.
It is also possible within the scope of the
invention to provide the attaching portion or means
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24 along both edges of the intermediate ply or plies
23 or, for that matter, in a position more central.
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