IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING BALES AND BOXES OF GOODS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Clark, of Newton Heath, Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, India-rubber Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING BALES AND BOXES OF GOODS."
Sealed the 23rd July 1867, and dated the 25th January 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
January 1867.
I, JAMES CLARK, of Newton Heath, Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, India-rubber Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PACKING BALES AND BOXES OF GOODS," to be as
follows:-
In packing bales of goods under pressure, as usually practised, an outside
wrapper of fibrous material is employed, and over this iron hoops. are
fastened by studs or rivets. I própose to use a covering of sheets of metal
which may be considered as a substitute for the outside wrapper and hoops
usually employed.
In carrying out my Invention I propose to use one sheet of metal at the
top of the bale and another at the bottom placed in the press together with
the goods. When the bale has been pressed to the desired dimensions the
edges of the sheets of metal are brought together and fastened by rivets,
studs, or by similar means. The sheets of metal may also be sufficient in

page_text: number to cover the ends as well as the other parts of the bale, or the said
ends may be protected by ordinary wrappering. If it be desired to make the
bale water-tight I solder the edges of the metal.
According to another method of packing bales of goods, I use the ordinary
wrappering and join the edges thereof with india-rubber cement or other such
adhesive material instead of by stitching, which is the method commonly
adopted. As a substitute for the ordinary tin lining of packing cases I
propose to cover the several parts which are to form the case with an india-
rubber or other such waterproof and adhesive material; when, therefore, the
said parts are brought together and nailed the adhesive surfaces will be
brought closely together and make water-tight joints.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said James Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
July 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CLARK, of Newton Heath, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, India-
rubber Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Clark, Her special license that I, the said James
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Island, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PACKING BALES AND BOXES OF GOODS," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said James Clarke, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters. Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Clark, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention consists, firstly, in the use of sheets of metal for covering
bales of goods, so as to preserve them from damage consequent upon their
transit, and at the same time to lessen the measurement bulk, and so effect an
economy in freight.
In carrying out my Invention I place a sheet of iron or other metal of the
requisite size on the bottom of the press usually employed, and upon the said
sheet of metal the goods, and upon the top thereof another sheet of metal;
the pressure is then applied and when sufficient has been obtained the top and
bottom sheets of metal are turned over by wooden mallets, or other convenient
means on to the sides of the bale until they overlap each other, after which
they are fastened together by rivets or in any other ordinary and convenient
manner, so that they are held firmly together, and inasmuch as the metal
covering will not stretch to any appreciable extent the bale will be found to
be of smaller dimensions than if it were covered with canvas in the ordinary
manner, and fastened with iron hoops. The ends of the sheets of metal may
be fastened together by the same arrangements as are now employed for
fastening hoops upon bales of goods; I prefer to fasten the rivets on to one of
the sheets of metal before it is placed in the press, and to punch suitable holes
in the other sheet of metal, so that when the pressure has been applied and
the said sheets are bent over to lap each other, as above mentioned, the per-
forations and rivets become coincident in position and the fastening is made,
as now practised, when hoops only are employed; other methods, however, of
adapting other rivets or fastenings may be adopted, as is well understood, as,
for instance, that arrangement in which studs with oblong heads are employed,
and which upon being turned are caused to bring their elongated heads trans-
versely to the perforation. In many cases the metal covering for the top,
bottom, and sides of the bale, as above described, may be sufficient protection
for the bale, the ends being covered by canvas or other such material; in
other cases, however, it may be desirable to provide a metallic covering for the
said ends, in which cases the top or bottom sheet of metal, or both of them,
may be so shaped that they will fold at the ends and meet and overlap; or,
according to another method, separate sheets of metal may be employed to
protect the said ends, methods of accomplishing which I will now proceed to
describe by aid of the accompanying Diagrams.
Fig. 1 represents one of the sheets of metal, above described, to be turned
over when the bale is pressed to the required dimensions for the protection of
the sides only, such turning over taking place at the dotted lines; but when a

page_text: protection for the ends of the bale is required then the said sheets of metal
may be formed as at Fig. 2, and the parts a, b, being turned over will form a
protection for the ends, one-half being carried by the upper end, the other
half by the lower sheet; the edges of the parts a, b, may be riveted to the
corresponding parts upon the other sheet, as in the cases of the sides. In
this instance, however, the ends would be fastened in one direction only, and
the vertical parts c, d, would not be fastened; Fig. 3 shews how that may be
accomplished. In this case the sheet of metal is slit according to the lines
e, f, so that when turned over according to the dotted lines one half of a box
is formed, the other half being in a similar manner produced by the other
sheet of metal, and these two portious are rivetted together while the bale is
in the press. Figs. 4 and 5 shew a method by which the protecting parts for
the ends of the bale may be in separate portions from the side plates; Fig. 4
represents, say, the bottom sheet of metal in the press provided with slits e, f,
extending for a short distance into the metal, so that when turned over
according to the dotted lines a narrow flange is formed around the ends of
the bale, as seen in the elevation at Fig. 5, and to these flanges on the inside
or the outside end plates are rivetted. If great protection against damp be
desired I solder or braze the sheets of metal where they lap each other,
instead of or in conjunction with rivets or studs as above described. In order
to give strength to the sheets of metal above mentioned, and especially at
those places where the rivets are fastened and where the perforations are
made, I use such sheets of metal made as shewn at Figs. 6 and 7, there being
bands rolled or otherwise produced thereon of greater thickness than the
other parts of the said sheets, and at these thicker portions I attach the
rivets, and punch the perforations to receive them. If desired the usual
wrappering may be used in conjunction with the above-described sheets of
metal.
Another part of my Invention consists in making the edges of the usual
outside canvas or other such covering for bales adhesive, so that when the
said edges are brought together and overlapped they shall fasten and adhere
firmly together, and obviate the necessity for stitching with twine usually
adopted. I render the said edges adhesive by coating them with india-rubber
solution for about two inches in breadth, but other adhesive solutions may be
employed.
Another part of my Invention relates to waterproof lining for wooden boxes
as a substitute for the tin cases ordinarily in use for lining wooden boxes for
packing goods. For the purpose of this part of my Invention I take the
several parts of a wooden box cut out ready for being joined together, and

page_text: cover the surfaces intended for the inside with waterproof material of any
suitable kind, that known as Clark's Patent waterproof felt will answer the
purpose; and I also make the said waterproof covering extend over the edges
of the several parts of the intended box; I then nail the said parts together,
taking care that the said waterproof material is made sufficiently adhesive
where it covers the edges of the timber, and that the joints of the box or the
parts where nailed together adhere. When the goods are packed in the box
the lid with its waterproof covering is adapted as above described, and
waterproof joints are thus obtained throughout.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that I claim as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,
Firstly, the use of sheets of metal for covering bales of goods in place of or
in combination with the usual wrappering.
Secondly, joining the edges of the usual wrappering with an adhesive
material.
Thirdly, I claim obtaining waterproof joints for wooden packing boxes, in
the manner above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES CLARK.
L.S.)