Patent US5031332A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5031332A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Envelope address-positioning guide
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-12-11
•
Granted: 1991-07-16
•
Expires: 2010-12-11
Abstract
Abstract A folding type of envelope-addressing guide is provided with a base plate 2 having a location ruler 4 at a bottom edge and a hinged cover plate 1 with address-positioning edges 12 and 21 that overlay the base plate 2 that is equal to maximum thickness of letters 9 that can be machine sorted. Line guides and instructions 22 are provided to facilitate machine-sortable addressing and effective handling of personal letters and occasional business letters the same as for mass-mailing business letters according to applicable mailing rules and regulations.
Inventors
- 👤 Frederick S. Newman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 19:38
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C3/00; B07C3/18; G; G06; G06K; G06K19/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
291 words
An envelope address-positioning guide comprising: a base plate having select width and length in relationship to select mail envelopes; a location ruler parallel to the base plate positioned at a distance from the base plate that is equal to maximum thickness of the select mail envelopes; a ruler attachment means in attachment relationship between a bottom portion of the base plate and a bottom portion of the location ruler; a top edge of the location ruler parallel to a top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from the top wall of the ruler attachment means that is equal to a distance from a bottom of select envelopes to a bottom of address indicia to be positioned selectively on the select mail envelopes; a cover plate having a left edge swivelably attached to a left edge of the base plate and swivelable with a swivelable cover-attachment means to a position parallel to the base plate; a cover-plate left guide edge perpendicular to the top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from an inside wall of the swivelable cover-plate attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance between a left edge of address indicia and a left edge of select mail envelopes on which the address indicia is to be positioned; and a cover-plate top guide edge parallel to the top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from the top wall of the ruler attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance from a bottom of select mail envelopes to a top of address indicia to be positioned selectively on the select mail envelopes and extending from the cover-plate left guide edge to a right edge of the cover plate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
291 words
An envelope address-positioning guide comprising: a base plate having select width and length in relationship to select mail envelopes; a location ruler parallel to the base plate positioned at a distance from the base plate that is equal to maximum thickness of the select mail envelopes; a ruler attachment means in attachment relationship between a bottom portion of the base plate and a bottom portion of the location ruler; a top edge of the location ruler parallel to a top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from the top wall of the ruler attachment means that is equal to a distance from a bottom of select envelopes to a bottom of address indicia to be positioned selectively on the select mail envelopes; a cover plate having a left edge swivelably attached to a left edge of the base plate and swivelable with a swivelable cover-attachment means to a position parallel to the base plate; a cover-plate left guide edge perpendicular to the top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from an inside wall of the swivelable cover-plate attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance between a left edge of address indicia and a left edge of select mail envelopes on which the address indicia is to be positioned; and a cover-plate top guide edge parallel to the top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from the top wall of the ruler attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance from a bottom of select mail envelopes to a top of address indicia to be positioned selectively on the select mail envelopes and extending from the cover-plate left guide edge to a right edge of the cover plate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 1 and further comprising: envelope size indicia on a top surface of the base plate indicating minimum width and length and maximum width and length of the select envelopes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein the size indicia are lines indicating minimum and maximum width and length of envelopes which are acceptable by applicable postal regulations for automated mail sorting.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein the size indicia are lines indicating minimum and maximum width and length of envelopes which are acceptable by applicable postal regulations without additional charges for large-sized envelopes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 and further comprising: addressing guides on how to use this envelope address-positioning guide positioned on a surface thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 and further comprising: mailing instructions for handling and sending mail effectively positioned on a surface of the envelope address-positioning guide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 and further comprising: postage rates positioned on a surface of the envelope address-positioning guide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein width of the base plate from bottom to top is eight inches, length of the base plate is twelve inches, and length of the location ruler is twelve inches.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein width of the location ruler above the top surface of the ruler attachment means is seven-eights of a inch, and distance of the top guide of the cover plate from the top surface of the location ruler is one-and-one-half inches.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein width of the location ruler above the top surface, of the ruler attachment means is seven-eights of a inch, distance of the top guide of the cover plate from the top surface of the location ruler is one-and-one-half inches, and distance from the inside wall of the swivelable-attachment means to the left guide of the cover plate is one inch.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein width of the location ruler above the top surface of the ruler attachment means is seven-eights of an inch, distance of the top guide of the cover plate from the top surface of the location ruler is one-and-one-half inches, distance from the inside wall of the swivelable-attachment means to the left guide of the cover plate is one inch, width of the base plate from bottom to top is eight inches, length of the base plate is twelve inches, and length of the location ruler is twelve inches.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
120 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein width of the location ruler above the top surface of the ruler attachment means is seven-eights of an inch, distance of the top guide of the cover plate from the top surface of the location ruler is one-and-one-half inches, distance from the inside wall of the swivelable-attachment means to the left guide of the cover plate is one inch, width of the base plate from bottom to top is eight inches, length of the base plate is twelve inches, length of the location ruler is twelve inches, and distance from the top surface of the base plate to the intermediate inside wall of the location ruler is three-sixteenths of a inch.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 2 wherein increments of the positioning ruler are inches with half-inch increments midway between each.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
84 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 1 wherein the base plate and the cover plate are comprised of rigid and selectively thick material and the swivelable attachment means is a rigid-walled hinge with plates thereof attached to left walls of the base plate and cover plate at distances from a hinge pin to each plate that combined distances from both sides of the hinge pin total a select distance between the base plate and the cover plate when swiveled parallel to each other.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 14 wherein the cover plate is transparent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 1 wherein the base plate, positioning ruler and cover plate are portions of a single selectively-rigid sheet of material with swivelable relationship between a base-plate left edge and a cover-plate left edge of a swivelable connection between the base plate and the cover plate and with swivelable relationship between a base-plate bottom edge and a location-ruler bottom edge.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
91 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 1 wherein the base plate and the cover plate are separate selectively-rigid sheets of material with a selectively rigid sheet of material three-sixteenths of an inch wide between their left edges which are joined to the base plate and cover plate with flexible material and the location ruler is a separate selectively rigid sheet joined to the base plate with a rigid wall three-sixteenths of an inch wide between a bottom edge of the base plate and a bottom edge of the positioning ruler.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
178 words
An envelope address positioning guide according to claim 17 wherein width of the location ruler above a top surface of the rigid wall by which the location ruler is attached to the base plate is seven-eights of an inch, distance of the top guide of the cover plate from the top surface of the location ruler is one-and-one-half inches, distance from an inside wall of the rigid sheet of material between the base plate and the cover plate to the left guide of the cover plate is one inch, width of the base plate from bottom to top is eight inches, length of the base plate is twelve inches, length of the location ruler is twelve inches divided in one-inch numbered increments with one-half-inch markings midway between each, distance from the top surface of the base plate to the intermediate inside wall of the location ruler is three-sixteenths of a inch, and further comprising: envelope size indicia on a top surface of the base plate indicating minimum width and length and maximum width and length of select envelopes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
An envelope address-positioning guide according to claim 18 wherein size indicia on a top surface of the base plate are lines indicating minimum and maximum width and length of envelopes which are acceptable by applicable postal regulations without additional charges for off-sized envelopes.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
414 words
A method for using an envelope address-positioning guide comprised of a base plate; a cover plate with the left edge swivelably attached to a left edge of the base plate with a select distance between left edges of the base plate and cover plate; a location ruler with its bottom edge attached to a bottom edge of the base plate with a select distance between the location ruler and the base plate in parallel relationship; a select width of the location ruler from a top wall of a means of attachment of the location ruler to the base plate parallel to a bottom edge of the base plate; a cover-plate left guide edge perpendicular to a top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from an inside wall of the swivelable cover-plate attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance between a left edge of address indicia and a left edge of select mail envelopes on which the address indicia is to be positioned; and a cover-plate top guide edge parallel to a top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from the top wall of the ruler attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance from a bottom of select mail envelopes to a top of address indicia to be positioned selectively on the select mail envelopes and extending from the cover-plate left guide edge to a right edge of the cover plate, said method comprising the following steps: positioning an envelope to be addressed on a top edge of the ruler attachment means between intermediate surfaces of the base plate and the location ruler; buttressing a left end of the envelope against the means of attachment of the base plate to the cover plate; swiveling the cover plate to a position of contact with the envelope buttressed against the top edge of the ruler attachment means and the means of attachment of the base plate to the cover plate; removably marking the envelope lightly with indicia of a select rectangular area within bounds of a top edge of the location ruler, a bottom of the cover-plate top guide edge, an inside wall of a cover-plate left guide edge and a select distance in inches from a right end of the envelope; selectively printing an address on the envelope within the select rectangular area; and assuring select thickness of the envelope with contents in relationship to distance between the location ruler and the base plate.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
414 words
A method for using an envelope address-positioning guide comprised of a base plate; a cover plate with the left edge swivelably attached to a left edge of the base plate with a select distance between left edges of the base plate and cover plate; a location ruler with its bottom edge attached to a bottom edge of the base plate with a select distance between the location ruler and the base plate in parallel relationship; a select width of the location ruler from a top wall of a means of attachment of the location ruler to the base plate parallel to a bottom edge of the base plate; a cover-plate left guide edge perpendicular to a top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from an inside wall of the swivelable cover-plate attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance between a left edge of address indicia and a left edge of select mail envelopes on which the address indicia is to be positioned; and a cover-plate top guide edge parallel to a top wall of the ruler attachment means at a distance from the top wall of the ruler attachment means that is equal to a select minimum distance from a bottom of select mail envelopes to a top of address indicia to be positioned selectively on the select mail envelopes and extending from the cover-plate left guide edge to a right edge of the cover plate, said method comprising the following steps: positioning an envelope to be addressed on a top edge of the ruler attachment means between intermediate surfaces of the base plate and the location ruler; buttressing a left end of the envelope against the means of attachment of the base plate to the cover plate; swiveling the cover plate to a position of contact with the envelope buttressed against the top edge of the ruler attachment means and the means of attachment of the base plate to the cover plate; removably marking the envelope lightly with indicia of a select rectangular area within bounds of a top edge of the location ruler, a bottom of the cover-plate top guide edge, an inside wall of a cover-plate left guide edge and a select distance in inches from a right end of the envelope; selectively printing an address on the envelope within the select rectangular area; and assuring select thickness of the envelope with contents in relationship to distance between the location ruler and the base plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-15 | 1995-01-14 | 1995-07-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-15 | 1999-01-14 | 1999-07-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-07-15 | 2003-01-14 | 2003-07-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |