Moore U.s.a., Inc.

Moore North America, Inc.

Wayne C Peterson

Leo Lombardo

John J Vichinsky, Jr

Will Hutchinson

Stanley C Chess

Jimmie A Harrod

Mark S Casper

Terry K Cannon

Theodore Michael Chappell

A pocket containing business form, an intermediate for producing the form, and method of producing the business form, provide optimum securement of the panels of the form together with adhesive by providing the adhesive at and along the side edges rather than merely adjacent the side edges. The form may be produced from a web or sheet by moving it in a first direction, applying adhesive patterns (preferably pressure activated cohesive) to the web or sheet along the first direction adjacent but spaced from first and second side edges and at and along a plurality of centerlines between the side edges, and slitting or cutting the web or sheet along the first direction at the adhesive patterns so that adhesive is provided on both sides of each cut or slit, to provide a plurality of forms (e.g. four forms) with form side edges having adhesive at and along the form side edges. If in a web configuration the web is ultimately formed into a sheet, and the sheet is folded (e.g. eccentrically Z-folded) to form a pocket and the form is sealed in the folded configuration by activating the adhesive.

Pressure seal pocket business form production

A mailer type business form is constructed from an intermediate having a plurality of pressure activated cohesive cooperating patterns, and a card is mounted on or with the intermediate. Despite the fact that a card is included, because of the provision of surface manifestations in the intermediate, and/or because of the relative thicknesses of the card and the intermediate, the mailer may be sealed by steam rolling rather than requiring selective edge sealing. A surface manifestation may comprise a cutout with a patch, or a folded over portion of the intermediate, retaining the card with the intermediate during processing. Alternatively, first and second thinned portions of the sheet of paper, disposed on opposite sides of a fold line so as to cooperate and hold the card when the sheet is folded about the fold line, may be provided, the thinned portions provided by embossing, for example. The card typically has a thickness substantially equal to or less than that of the intermediate; for example, the card may have a thickness of about 7 mil, while the sheet of paper forming the intermediate is 38 pound ledger paper, which also has a thickness of about 7 mil.

Pressure seal form production

A Z-fold mailer type business form intermediate using patterns of pressure activated cohesive has the cohesive in patterns for both sealing along the end and side edges of the final form in the form of discrete elements spaced from each other in such a way that when the business form is in either roll or stack format the individual cohesive elements substantially do not overlap each other. The cohesive elements typically are in the form of rectangles for example those along the end edges and the fold lines having a length of about 0.9 cm with space in between them of about 1.3 cm. The cohesive patterns along the side edges may be spaced from each other not only in a dimension parallel to the end edges, but also where cohesive patterns are provided on opposite faces of the second panel of the intermediate, they may be positioned so as not to overlap in a dimension parallel to the side edges.

Segmented roll product for enhanced cohesive

A business form intermediate with pressure activated cohesive in separable side margins is otherwise conventional except for the particular patterns of cohesive. The patterns prevent cupping (i.e. flexing or distortion) of the vertical edges. Substantially straight line series of substantially rectangular spots having dimensions about &frac14; inch by &frac18; inch, and spaced from each other about &frac12; inch, are preferably provided, along the vertical (side) edges of the intermediate on at least one face, and preferably both faces (not staggered horizontally, but not significantly vertically overlapping, from one face to the other).

Pressure seal form configurations which reduce printer jams

A packing list or bill of lading may be easily manufactured from an intermediate comprising a single sheet of paper so that the form can be printed in either cut sheet or continuous format in a simple manner with a minimum amount of adhesive for attaching the form to a package, and with a maximum useful area on the form for informational indicia. The business form is constructed typically by Z or eccentrically Z-folding an intermediate about first and second fold lines to define three plies with aligned first and second lines of weakness formed in the plies substantially parallel to the first and second side edges of the plies and defining first and second detachable side strips preferably between about 1-1.25 inches wide. Patterns of pressure activated cohesive hold the detachable side strips of the plies to each other, and patterns of pressure sensitive adhesive covered by release strips and disposed only in the detachable side strips hold the form in contact with a package when the release liners are removed. Informational indicia may be imaged on both the top and bottom faces of both the second and third plies between the first and second lines of weakness, while the first ply top face has outgoing address indicia, as well as instructional indicia on how to detach the business form from a package. Informational indicia may also be imaged on the bottom face of the first ply.

Multiple part Z-fold mailer

A license plate decal is provided on a folded (e.g. Z-folded) business form which acts as a carrier for the decal. A cut out is formed in a panel of the mailer and a patch (such as a glassine patch) is adhesively secured at a peripheral portion to the mailer panel and a release coating is provided on at least a significant part of the central portion of the patch. The decal adhesive engages the release coating so that the decal and its associated pressure sensitive adhesive may be readily removed from the patch. The patch may be secured to the paper on either face thereof; if secured at the bottom face, the patch and decal can flex into the cutout to provide a minimum thickness when in a stack of mailer intermediates. Where the patch is secured at its top face, the maximum thickness of the patch and decal combination is preferably about 0.008 inches, which is significantly less than the thickness at the decal in prior art carriers.

Pressure seal license plate decal

A mailer type business form intermediate, and business form produced from the intermediate, have an included postcard which is used as a reply piece. The mailer may be a C-fold mailer, with a window (e.g. die cut-out) formed in one of the panels which overlies the outgoing address indicia formed on a face at the postcard. Check-off indicia is preferably provided on the postcard to optimize response, and tear-off strips along the side edges of the mailer are preferably held together with pressure sensitive cohesive. Tacking pressure sensitive adhesive may also be provided along edges of the die cut-out panel and the postcard-securing panel, exterior of the postcard.

C-fold return postcard mailer

In the production of mailer type business forms, particularly from a web in a roll configuration having a plurality of business form intermediates, with pressure sensitive cohesive, the problem of cohesive blocking (sticking together) at inopportune times is avoided by spacing substantially linear patterns of the cohesive disposed in the detachable side edges of the intermediates so that when the intermediates are in the roll configuration the cohesive from one intermediate does not engage the cohesive from another. Preferably the cohesive patterns on one face of the intermediate are spaced from the parallel cohesive patterns on the second face of the intermediate by about 1-15 mm, preferably about one centimeter. Transversely extending patterns of cohesive also may be positioned so that they too do not engage in the roll configuration, even though engagement of the transverse patterns is much less of a problem because the potential areas for engagement are few when the intermediates are in the roll configuration.

Pressure sensitive cohesive patterns for Z fold and C fold business forms

A business form intermediate with pressure activated cohesive in separable side margins is otherwise conventional except for the particular patterns of cohesive. The patterns prevent cupping (i.e. flexing or distortion) of the vertical edges. Substantially straight line series of substantially rectangular spots having dimensions about 1/4 inch by 1/8 inch, and spaced from each other about 1/2 inch, are preferably provided, along the vertical (side) edges of the intermediate on at least one face, and preferably both faces (not staggered horizontally, but not significantly vertically overlapping, from one face to the other).

Growing community of inventors

Manchester, NH, United States of America

Wayne C Peterson