Self-supporting transparent jacket for data sheets or the like

A self-supporting transparent jacket for mounting and protecting display articles such as stamps, coins, samples of material, photographic prints, small or large sheets or cards and the like having information contained thereon, and for attaching said articles to a supporting surface, comprising in combination:

• a. a single, rectangular, transparent thermoplastic front panel of material selected from the group consisting of polyvinylchloride and polyurethane, said front panel being adapted to overlie the article and protect the same while permitting it to be fully viewed,
• b. a pair of separate, elongate, ribbon-like border strips extending respectively along the back of one pair of opposite narrow border portions of the front panel,
• c. means securing the border strips along at least one elongate narrow edge portion and each along two transverse narrow edge portions thereof to corresponding narrow edge portions of the front panel so as to form a shallow, pocket-like receiving space thereby which is located at one border portion of the front panel, thereby to lock in the display article along three sides,
• d. said securing means being characterized by extrusion of the material and comprising electronically heat-sealed and formed joints between said edge portions of the border strips and edge portions of said front panel, said joints being permanently deep-fused and presenting configured surface areas at the front of the jacket,
• e. inner portions of said border strips underlying and being coextensive with said narrow border portions of the front panel, said inner portions of the border strips being free of said narrow border portions whereby a sheet-like article of the proper size can have one of its edge areas inserted and interposed between said front panel and one of said border strips in the shallow receiving space formed thereby, so as to positively postition the sheet-like article along three adjoining sides with its front face in full view behind the front panel,
• f. a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating on the back surfaces of at least one of the border strips,
• g. release paper temporarily covering and adhered to said pressure-sensitive adhesive coating,
• h. the width of the elongate ribbon-like border strips being each substantially less than one-half the distance between said opposite narrow border portions of the rectangular front panel,
• i. said electronically heat-sealed and formed joints of the front panel and border strips being constituted of the narrow edge portions thereof, which edge portions are heat-fused to one another and which constitute the said securing means,
• j. one of said border strips having both of its elongate, narrow edge portions free and unattached,
• k. said one border strip along its entire length extending beyond the adjoining edge of the front panel so as to be exposed at the front of the jacket, thereby to enable a display article to be readily inserted behind the front panel and in front of said one border strip, with the jacket in place on a supporting surface.