US 5,346,123 AGranted

Mailer type business form and intermediate with built in reply envelope

AssigneeMoore Business Forms, Inc.

InventorLeo Lombardo

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Abstract

A mailer type business form, and intermediate, are constructed from a single sheet of paper having four virtually identically sized panels, the sheet folded about an intermediate fold line, and then two other fold lines, to form a four ply mailer. First and fourth panels of the intermediate define the third and fourth plies of the mailer, and provide a return envelope sealed along three edges and open at the fourth, with a flap provided with a rewettable adhesive strip at the open edge. The second and third panels are held together by longitudinal strips of adhesive adjacent the longitudinal edges of those panels, with perforations provided in the second and third panels (but not the first and fourth panels) to allow removal of the connecting adhesive. The fold lines connecting the first and second panels and third and fourth panels are preferably perforations, and a longitudinal perforation is provided in the second panel to form the statement and reminder portions. All variable printing on the intermediate is provided on the second face of the sheet (which includes the outgoing address in the third panel, and the reply address in the first panel) so that the mailer may be constructed by simplex imaging.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A mailer type business form intermediate comprising:

a sheet of paper having first and second opposite parallel longitudinal edges;
first and second opposite end edges;
a first face adapted to provide the majority of the interior of a mailer when constructed from the sheet;
and a second face adapted to provide the exterior of the mailer when constructed;
first, second and third fold lines formed in said sheet perpendicular to said longitudinal edges, and dividing said sheet into, in sequence, first, second, third, and fourth panels of virtually identical size, said first panel being defined by said first end edge and said first fold line, and said fourth panel by said second end edge and said third fold line;
a first machine-activated adhesive pattern provided on said first face of at least of said first and fourth panels for joining said first and fourth panels together along said longitudinal edges and adjacent said first and third fold lines for forming a replay envelope when said sheet is folded about said second fold line;
first and second longitudinal lines of weakness formed in said second and third panels parallel to and adjacent, and spaced from, said first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, said lines of weakness defining with said longitudinal edges first and second longitudinal margin portions;
second and third machine-activated adhesive patterns, disposed on said first face of said sheet in said first and second longitudinal margin portions for holding said second and third panels together when said sheet is folded about said second fold line,
a first end line of weakness formed in said sheet parallel to and adjacent, and spaced from, said second end edge to define a first end margin portion;
a fourth fold line formed in said sheet parallel to and adjacent, and spaced from, said first end edge to define a reply envelope flap portion;
a recipient-activated strip of adhesive disposed on said first face of said reply envelope flap portion;
fourth machine-activated adhesive patterns disposed on said first face of said sheet in at least one of said first end margin portion and reply envelope flap portion, said fourth patterns comprising widely spaced shapes of adhesive for tacking said first and second end edges of said sheet together when said sheet is folded about said second fold line to provide a mailer;
and
fifth machine-activated adhesive patterns disposed on said second face of said sheet in at least one of said first and second panels, and third and fourth panels;
said fifth adhesive patterns in one of said reply envelope flap and said first end margin, and adjacent said second fold line, respectively, said first patterns comprising widely spaced shapes of adhesive for tacking at least one of said first and second panels, and third and fourth panels, together when said sheet is folded about said first, second and third fold lines, to provide readily releasable attachment therebetween.

12 more elements

A multi-ply mailer with a built in reply envelope, comprising:

first, second, third, and fourth plies of virtually identical dimensions, each having first and second faces, longitudinal edges, and end edges;
said first ply having outgoing address indicia imaged on said first face thereof, said first face being an exterior face of said mailer;
first and second adhesive patterns for connecting said second face of said first ply to said first face of said second ply together in margin portions adjacent said longitudinal edges of said first and second plies;
first and second longitudinal lines of weakness disposed on the opposite side of said first and second adhesive patterns from said longitudinal edges for allowing detachment of said first and second plies adjacent said longitudinal edges;
said first face of said third ply having reply address indicia imaged thereon;
a third adhesive pattern disposed between said second face of said third ply and said first face of said fourth ply for connecting said third and fourth plies together along three edges thereof to form a reply envelope;
said third and fourth plies being devoid of longitudinal lines of weakness;
and
a fourth adhesive pattern disposed between said second face of said second ply and said first face of said third ply along at least one end edge thereof, and not along said longitudinal edges thereof, said fourth adhesive pattern comprising widely spaced shapes of adhesive for tacking said second and third plies together to provide readily releasable attachment therebetween, said second ply second face and said third ply first face being devoid of longitudinal adhesive patterns.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.