Improvements in or relating to bags

Abstract

 This invention is concerned with a bag intended to receive cash and other documentation to be paid in at a bank and which comprises a front sheet and a backing sheet and the front sheet and backing sheet being heat sealed at their side edges and also heat sealed transversely with the transverse heat seal extending between the side edges and located substantially midway between the end edges of the sheets to form two pockets with one pocket having an opening at one of its outer ends and the other pocket being formed by folding over one of the sheets and a line of adhesive is provided and the folded over portion of the sheet has microprinting applied to it and the folded over edges of the one sheet of the pocket is closely adjacent the edge of the other sheet and so that the bag is closed by folding over the adhesive into contact with the edges of the folded over pocket and the microprinting and to seal the two pockets closed.

Description

[0001] This invention has reference to bags and has particular reference to bags suitable for use more especially in banks and other establishments where a customer desires to pay in money in the form of notes, coin, cheques or other documents.

[0002] In the Specification of our Patent No. 2081215 there is described a bag primarily intended to receive a container for blood or other sample and a form and comprising a front sheet and a backing sheet folded over at one end with its one folded edge positioned closely adjacent to the adjacent edge of the front sheet and the front sheet and backing sheet being heat sealed at their side edges and also heat sealed transversely with the transverse heat seal extending between the side edges and located between the edge of the front sheet adjacent the edge of the folded backing sheet and the opposite edge of the front sheet to form one compartment with an opening to receive a form and to form another compartment to receive a container and the backing sheet extending beyond the front sheet to form a flap and this flap having a line of adhesive applied to it to enable the other compartment to be sealed.

[0003] It is the current practice in banks for customers to queue at one or more bank counters and be dealt with in sequential order. Delay is often caused by having a customer with a large amount of money and /or cheques to be paid in together with accompanying documentation at the counter and following customers feel agrieved by having to wait until all the monies have been transacted. It is also the practice for banks to have a night safe in which customers may deposit heavy material bags containing cash in the form of notes, coin or cheques together with accompanying documentation during and out of business hours.

[0004] The bags are locked and are opened next morning in the presence of the customer or his representative and the contents of the bag are checked. This is time consuming. It is also proposed to provide in banks and other establishments during office hours a special box to receive envelopes containing notes, coin and documentation and to issue a receipt for the package.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bag to receive bank notes, coin, cheques and documentation etc. for depositing in a bank.

[0006] According to the present invention, a bag intended to receive cash and other documentation to be paid in at a bank and which comprises a front sheet part and a backing sheet part and the front sheet part and backing sheet part being secured together at their side edges and also heat sealed transversely with the transverse heat seal extending between the side edges and located substantially midway between the end edges of the sheets to form two pockets with one pocket having an opening at one of its outer ends and the other pocket being formed by folding over one of the sheet parts characterised in that a line of adhesive is provided and the folded over portion of the sheet part has microprinting applied to it and the folded over edge of the sheet part of the pocket is closely adjacent the edge of the other sheet part and so that the bag is closed by folding over the adhesive into contact with the edges of the folded over pocket and the microprinting and to seal the two pockets closed.

[0007] A bag in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bag,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the bag

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the bag about to be sealed closed and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified bag

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings there is shown a bag composed of transparent plastics material formed from two sheet parts of such material one constituting a backing sheet 1 (shown at the back in Fig. 1) and the other constituting a front sheet 2 (shown at the front in Fig. 1) The sheets are heat sealed together at their side edges at 4 and by a transverse heat seal 8 located substantially midway of the end edges of the bag to form two pockets, 3,3a with the heat seal 4. The backing sheet 1 is folded over at one end as shown at the top of Figs. 1 and 2 with its folded edge la positioned closely adjacent to and abutting one edge 2a of the front sheet 2 to form a pocket 3, The pocket 3 is enclosed at its side edges by the heat seals at 4 and with the fold of the backing sheet constitutes a pocket enclosed on four sides with an opening between the adjacent side edges la, 2a. The position of the abutting edges la, 2a of the pocket is defined by a pair of indicator arrows 3b. The other pocket 3a is formed by the front sheet 2 and backing sheet 1 with the end edge of the backing sheet extending beyond the adjacent end edge 2b of 'the front sheet of the other pocket 3ato form a flap 5 and a line of adhesive 6 is applied across the flap 5 and this line of adhesive is covered by a barrier coating 7. The position of the line of adhesive 5 is defined by a pair of indicator arrows 5b. The adhesive 6 and the barrier coating 7 may be of the kind known as Steratape, manufactured by Stirling Coated Materials or other brands and the adhesive of which is suitable for securing together sheets of transparent plastics material. Alternatively the flap may be coated with hot melt adhesive 6 and covered. The part of the folded over part of the backing sheet adjacent the folded edge la is provided with two areas of microprinting 9a, 9b each area comprising a plurality of lines of print bearing the name of the Bank issuing the bags or other data.

[0008] The front sheet 2 has the same width as the backing sheet 1. The pocket 3a adjacent to the line 6 of heat seal is intended to receive non cash items such as cheques, credit and other documents and the pocket 3 is to receive cash only that is bank notes and coins.

[0009] A line of tear off perforations 10 is provided in both the backing sheet 1 and front sheet 2 within the first pocket 3a adjacent to the transverse line of heat seal 8 to enable the pocket 3a to be detached from the remainder of the bag to enable the pocket to be opened and the contents of the pocket processed. Likewise a line of tear off perforations 11 is provided in the backing sheet 1 and closely adjacent to the position where the folded edges la, 2a abut one another to enable the cash to be extracted from the pocket 3.

[0010] These lines of tear off perforations should be able to be torn off to enable access to be provided to the contents of the bags but be firm enough so that the perforations are not burst during depositing of the bag or disturb the nature of the cash compartment

[0011] The rear face of the bag (the opposite face to that shown in Fig. llis printed with the logo of the bank where the bags are to be deposited and sealing instructions to the customer. There is also provided an area (of white ink or a label) to enable the customers name and address to be inserted as well as a breakdown of the contents of the bag to be filled in by the customer. The pockets of the bag are preferably provided with air escape holes 12 to avoid bursting by ballooning. Alternatively a plurality of microholes are provided to permit the escape of air. The transparent pleastics material from which the bag is made is preferably polyethylene hut may be of other thermoplastics material or of nylon. Conveniently, the bag shown in Fig. 1 may have a width ( between the lines 4 of heat seal) of five and three-quarters of an inch (150 millimetres) and the pocket 3a be large enough to accommodate a £5O Bank of England note laid flat (say 170 mm x 95 mm) and to accommodate a maximum of 140 such notes and has a depth of nine and three quarter inches (23.25 cms) with the flap 5 having a depth of one inch (2.54 centimeters). The pocket 3 may have a depth of 11 and one quarter of an inch (29 centimeters) and the edges la, 2a be positioned 2 (two inches) (5.08 centimeters) from the outer side of the compartment 10 and be able to accommodate a maximum size of cheque (210 mm x l02 mm) laid flat and a maximum of 20 cheques of such size or an access envelope (size 203 mm x 102 mm) containing 20 vouchers, or a credit form (size 203 mm x 102 mm) laid flat.

[0012] When a customer desires to deposit cash and cheques and other supporting documents at the bank he takes a bag as hereinbefore described and inserts cash 13 into the cash pocket 3 and inserts the cheques and documents 14 into the document pocket 3a (see Fig. 3).

[0013] The barrier coating 7 is removed from the adhesive on the flap 5 and the bag is folded so that the line of adhesive 6 overlies the two abutting edges la, 2a. The position of the fold is defined by the two sets of indicator arrows 3b, 5b which are aligned. In this position the line of adhesive seals the pocket 3 but also overlies the line of microprinting adjacent to the abutting edges la, 2a to ensure that if the bag is tampered with such tampering will become apparent (due to the distortion of the microprinting). Such tampering will be very apparent as one area of microprinting is tampered with and the other area still untampered). By virtue of the folding over of the bag the pocket 3a is also closed.

[0014] The bag with its contents is then deposited at a deposit box at the bank where the lines of perforation are detached and the cash and documents processed by staff away from the main service area.

[0015] It is preferred that the ink by which the lines of microprinting is effected is of the soluble kind as is more fully described in the European Patent Specification No. 0105581.

[0016] Fig. 4 shows a modified bag similar to the bag shown in Figs. 1 and which has a line of adhesive 15 covered by a barrier coating 16 similar to the line of adhesive 6 and barrier coating 7. Indicator means (not shown) and consisting of an indicator line or indicator arrows similar to the indicator arrows 3a, 5a shown in Fig. 1 are provided. It is arranged that the line of adhesive 6 on the flap 5 is folded over the mouth of the adjacent bag 3a to cover the mouth of the bag 3a and to seal the bag. The line of adhesive 15 covers the edges la, 2a of the folded over edges of the pocket 3 and the microprinting 9a, 9b to seal the bag closed. Thus the two pockets 3, 3a of the bag are effectively sealed closed by the respective lines of adhesive,

[0017] Although the bag has been described made of two separate sheet parts heat sealed together the bag may alternatively be made from one sheet of transparent plastics material folded into a backing sheet part with the other side edge heat sealed or made from a tube but inserting cuts at appropriate locations.

Claims

1. A bag intended to receive cash and other documentation to be paid in at a bank and which comprises a front sheet part and a backing sheet part and the front sheet part and backing sheet part being secured together at their side edges and also heat sealed transversely with the transverse heat seal extending between the side edges and located substantially midway between the end edges of the sheet parts to form two pockets with one pocket having an opening at one of its outer ends and the other pocket being formed by folding over one of the sheets characterised in that a line of adhesive is provided and the folded over portion of the sheet has microprinting applied to it and the folded over edges of the one sheet part of the pocket is closely adjacent the edge of the other sheet part and so that the bag is closed by folding over the adhesive into contact with the edges of the folded over pocket and the microprinting and to seal the two pockets closed.

2. A bag according to claim 1 having a line of transverse tear off perforations in the one pocket to enable the pocket to be opened for cash processing purposes.

3. A bag according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the other pocket has a line of tear off perforations to enable the pocket to be opened and the cash removed.

4. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims having a second line of adhesive to close additionally the mouth of the one pocket so the lines of adhesive secure closed respective pockets of the bag.

5. A bag according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein the line of adhesive on the flap is covered by a barrier coating.

6. A bag according to any one of the preceding claims having an area capable of receiving a stamp to confirm the bag has been deposited at a bank.

Drawing