Billfolder and method of making

Claim 2

A billfolder comprising a folded body portion and an attached partition hinged to the body portion at one longitudinal edge of the latter, said body portion and partition formed from initially flat blank means and said blank means formed of fabric coated on opposite sides with thermoplastic material, whereby adjacent wall faces of the billfolder body portion and partition may be permanently heat sealed in assembled relationship to produce storage compartments and a coin cup on the billfolder without the necessity for separately formed adhesive material.

Claim 5

In a billfolder, a coin storage pocket, and a flexible coin dispensing cup hingedly secured to one end of the billfolder and forming a closure element for the coin storage pocket when the billfolder is in a folded closed condition, said cup extendable longitudinally of the billfolder to a use position in advance of the mouth of the coin storage pocket, said extended coin cup tending to assume a flat configuration until opened by manual pressure on the opposite side edges thereof, the improvement comprising a spring element inserted into the coin cup and having parts lying in two divergent planes whereby the spring element serves automatically to open the cup for the reception of coins from said storage pocket when the cup is extended to said use position, the spring element yielding and lying in a single plane with the cup when the cup is shifted to a closed position with relation to the billfolder and said coin storage pocket and is secured in such closed position, the coin cup then returning to a normal substantially flat condition.

Claim 6

In a billfolder, a coin storage pocket, and a flexible coin dispensing cup hingedly secured to one end of the billfolder and forming a closure element for the coin storage pocket when the billfolder is in a folded closed condition, said cup extendable longitudinally of the billfolder to a use position in advance of the mouth of the coin storage pocket, said extended coin cup tending to assume a flat configuration until opened by manual pressure on the opposite side edges thereof, the improvement comprising a spring element inserted into the coin cup and having parts lying in two divergent planes whereby the spring element serves automatically to open the cup for the reception of coins from said storage pocket when the cup is extended to said use position, the spring element yielding and lying in a single plane with the cup when the cup is shifted to a closed position with relation to the billfolder and said coin storage pocket and is secured in such closed position, the coin cup then returning to a normal substantially flat condition.

Claim 7

The structure of claim 3, and a flexible stop element disposed at the mouth of the coin storage pocket and serving to close said mouth and prevent premature discharge of coins from said pocket prior to opening said mouth with manual pressure on the opposite sides of the billfolder.

Claim 8

The structure of claim 4, and said stop element comprsing a rubber-like strip extending across the mouth of said coin storage pocket and adhered to one side wall of said pocket, said strip yielding to allow normal opening of the mouth of said pocket when coins are to be dispensed therefrom.

Claim 9

In a billfolder, a main blank formed of fabric and having a thermoplastic coating on both opposite sides thereof permitting direct heat sealing of various portions of the blank with other portions, the main blank having folding lines dividing the main blank into panels facilitating the formation of the finished billfolder, and an auxiliary blank formed of fabric and being coated on both opposite sides with thermoplastic, whereby the auxiliary blank is directly heat sealable to the main blank at one localized area, the auxiliary blank having folding lines to facilitate folding the auxiliary blank with portions of the main blank in the formation of a billfolder partition.

Claim 10

In a billfolder, a main blank formed of fabric and having a thermoplastic coating on both opposite sides thereof permitting direct heat sealing of various portions of the blank with other portions, the main blank having folding lines dividing the main blank into panels facilitating the formation of the finished billfolder, and an auxiliary blank formed of fabric and being coated on both opposite sides with thermoplastic, whereby the auxiliary blank is directly heat sealable to the main blank at one localized area, the auxiliary blank having folding lines to facilitate folding the auxiliary blank with portions of the main blank in the formation of a billfolder partition.

Claim 11

A billfolder comprising an elongated body portion defining one side wall of a flexible compartment for paper bills and being foldable transversely substantially at the longitudinal center of the body portion, said body portion having two thicknesses of flexible sheet material throughout its length and a third thickneSs of said material being mounted upon approximately one-half of the interior side of the body portion and forming one wall of a longitudinal pocket in the body portion, means forming an elongated flexible partition on the billfolder in superposed relation with the body portion and being foldable transversely with the body portion when the billfolder is closed, means forming a flexible coin cup on corresponding ends of the body portion and partition and said last-named means serving to join the body portion and partition adjacent one end of the partition, the partition also being hinged along one longitudinal edge to the corresponding edge of the body portion, and interlocking sliding tongue and slot connection means on the interior wall of the body portion immediately above the transverse folding line of the body portion and partition and serving to prevent buckling and wrinkling of the body portion when the billfolder is folded.

Claim 12

A billfolder comprising an elongated body portion defining one side wall of a flexible compartment for paper bills and being foldable transversely substantially at the longitudinal center of the body portion, said body portion having two thicknesses of flexible sheet material throughout its length and a third thickneSs of said material being mounted upon approximately one-half of the interior side of the body portion and forming one wall of a longitudinal pocket in the body portion, means forming an elongated flexible partition on the billfolder in superposed relation with the body portion and being foldable transversely with the body portion when the billfolder is closed, means forming a flexible coin cup on corresponding ends of the body portion and partition and said last-named means serving to join the body portion and partition adjacent one end of the partition, the partition also being hinged along one longitudinal edge to the corresponding edge of the body portion, and interlocking sliding tongue and slot connection means on the interior wall of the body portion immediately above the transverse folding line of the body portion and partition and serving to prevent buckling and wrinkling of the body portion when the billfolder is folded.

Claim 13

The structure of claim 7, and expansion spring means carried by the flexible coin cup and operable to expand the cup to a coin receiving configuration when the cup is in an extended use position relative to the body portion and partition, and engageable fastener means on the coin cup and body portion for securing the coin cup in a closed position folded around the body portion and partition, said expansion spring being then held in a substantially flattened condition within the folded and secured coin cup.

Claim 14

A main blank for use in constructing a billfolder said blank being formed of flexible fabric coated on both sides with flexible thermoplastic, said blank having permanent creases formed therein by heated die means to facilitate folding of the blank into the configuration of a billfolder embodying compartments for bills, cards, coins and keys, and interfitting projection means carried by the opposite sides of the blank and movable into registration when the blank is folded into a rectangular tubular form, and a heat seal permanently joining the interfitting projection means along their registering edges.

Claim 15

A main blank for use in constructing a billfolder said blank being formed of flexible fabric coated on both sides with flexible thermoplastic, said blank having permanent creases formed therein by heated die means to facilitate folding of the blank into the configuration of a billfolder embodying compartments for bills, cards, coins and keys, and interfitting projection means carried by the opposite sides of the blank and movable into registration when the blank is folded into a rectangular tubular form, and a heat seal permanently joining the interfitting projection means along their registering edges.

Claim 16

The structure of claim 9, and said interfitting projection means comprising a tapered tongue on one side of the blank projecting outwardly of such side, and a V-shaped notch in the opposite side edge of the blank extending inwardly of such side edge, the centers of said notch and tongue being in alignment across the blank to facilitate registration when the blank is folded into said tubular form.

Claim 17

The structure of claim 9, and said tapered tongue and V-shaped notch being so arranged on the main blank that upon completion of the billfolder the tongue and notch are disposed deeply in the bill compartment close to the main longitudinal folding line of the partition and billfolder body portion so as to be substantially concealed from view.

Claim 18

The structure of claim 9, and said main blank having a mechanically interlocking tongue and slot on spaced lateral portions thereof prior to folding the main blank, said tongue entering the slot in interlocking self-adjusting relationship therewith in the completed billfolder to facilitate folding the billfolder transversely without wrinkling or buckling.

Claim 19

The structure of claim 12, and said slot having a short notch extension at its outer end and said tongue being recessed at a corresponding location on the tongue to allow the tongue to move upwardly longitudinally in the completed billfolder sufficiently to avoid the point of maximum bending in the transverse folding of the billfolder thus assuring smooth rounded corners on the billfolder at the point of main transverse folding.