IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG MAKING MACHINERY
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Rankin, of 4, Harman Street, Kingsland Road,
in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturing Stationer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG MAKING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Rankin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1880.
HENRY RANKIN, of 4, Harman Street, Kingsland Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturing Stationer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG MAKING
MACHINERY,"
My Invention is designed to manufacture from an endless roll, ream, or piece of
paper, or other textile fabric or fibrous material, either separately or combined,
bags or envelopes for any purpose in a cheap and expeditious manner.
My apparatus consists of a case of wood or other suitable material containing
the operating rollers and other part which may be conveniently rotated by any
external handle or appliance, and are connected so as to run simultaneously by
catgut and grooved wheels, or other suitable means. The case is covered with a flat
top or table, upon which the paper, textile, or other fibrous material may be placed
when in the ream or sheet before being fed into the machine in a folded and
prepared condition.
The folded sheet of paper, textile, or other fibrous material is fed directly into a
hopper mouth at one end of the machine, a narrow strip at each side of half the
folded sheet having been first cut off or otherwise removed.
The folded sheet thus prepared is at once seized by two sets of travelling tape
which pass it first over a double pasting roller.
This applies two narrow strips of paste to the edges of the narrowed portion
of the folded sheet before described.
The pasted sheet is then fed between two bent folding pieces of sheet metal of
peculiar construction which fold over the projecting edges of the unpasted fold.
This laps the sides of one half of the folded sheet over the pasted edges of the other
half, and thus forms the closed sides of a bag or envelope.

page_text: In order to firmly close these sides the lapped edges are passed through pinching
rollers which thus press them firmly together and make a tight joint. The fold in
the sheet makes the bottom of the bag, which is thus complete. Should it not be
desired to cut or reduce one half of the folded sheet narrower than the other half, I
use such suitable metal folding pieces as will effect a double fold of the double edge 5
of the two halves folded sheet together.
To enable my apparatus, as before described, to take paper, textile, or other
fibrous material direct from the endless roll, I add above the hopper mouth a
suitable cutting knife or stamp, and a folding bar to press down the folded sheet
between a pair of rollers into the hopper of the machine. This part of my 1
apparatus may be detachable at will so as to make the machine suitable for taking
sheets folded and prepared by hand and for taking the material direct from an
endless roll or web.

page_text: r
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Rankin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th April
1881.
HENRY RANKIN, of 4, Harman Street, Kingsland Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturing Stationer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG MAKING
MACHINERY."
My Invention is designed to manufacture from an endless roll, ream, or piece of
paper or other textile fabric, or fibrous material, either separately or combined,
bags or envelopes for any purpose in a cheap and expeditious manner.
My apparatus consists of a case of wood or other suitable material containing
the operating rollers and other parts which may be conveniently rotated by any
external handle or appliance, and are connected so as to run simultaneously. by
catgut and grooved wheels, or other suitable means. The case is covered with a
flat top or table upon which the paper, textile, or other fibrous material may be
placed when in the ream or sheet before being fed into the machine in a folded and
prepared condition.
The folded sheet of paper, textile, or other fibrous material is fed directly into a
hopper mouth at one end of the machine, a narrow strip at each side of half the
folded sheet having been first cut off or otherwise removed.
The folded sheet thus prepared is at once seized by two sets of travelling tape
which pass it first over a double pasting roller.
This applies two narrow strips of paste to the edges of the narrowed portion of
the folded sheet before described.
The pasted sheet is then fed between two bent folding pieces of sheet metal of
peculiar construction, which fold over the projecting edges of the unpasted fold.
This laps the sides of one half of the folded sheet over the pasted edges of the other
half, and thus forms the closed sides of a bag or envelope.
In order to firmly close these sides the lapped edges are passed through pinching
rollers which thus press them firmly together and make a tight joint. The fold in
the sheet makes the bottom of the bag, which is thus complete. Should it not be
desired to cut or reduce one half of the folded sheet narrower than the other half, I
use such suitable metal folding pieces as will effect a double fold of the double edge
of the two halves of the folded sheet together.
To enable my apparatus as before described to take paper, textile, or other fibrous
material direct from the endless roll, I add above the hopper mouth a suitable
cutting knife or stamp and a folding bar to press down the folded sheet between a
pair of rollers into the hopper of the machine. This part of my apparatus may be
detachable at will, so to make the machine suitable for taking sheets folded and
prepared by hand, and for taking the material direct from an endless roll or web.
And in order that my Invention may be better understood I now proceed to
describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had to the Figures and
letters marked thereon.
Sheet I. shows the general arrangement of the bag-forming machine; Figure I. is.
a sectional elevation; and Figure II. an end elevation; Figure III. being a plan of
my improved machine to make bags from paper already cut and folded. Like letters
refer to like parts in each of the Figures.
A, A, are two cast iron frames forming with suitable stretchers B, B, and a
wooden top c, the case or framework of my machine. Carried in suitable bearings
on this frame are the rollers D, D, which carry the travelling tapes E, E.
The paper when folded is fed into the hopper F, which has one adjustable
side F, and which narrows down at the bottom to nearly the proper size of the
bag, so as to guide it truly and squarly into the travelling tapes E, E.

page_text: At the mouth of the hopper are fixed two guide plates G, G, one of which is
adjustable by the set screws H. These guide plates are set on each side of
receiving tapes E, E, and narrowed at the farther end to the exact width of the
bag, which is then accurately adjusted in position on the tapes; should the bag be
larger than the proper size it is checked by these guides and prevented from passing
further into the machine. If of proper width, the bag is carried on between the
tapes E, E, over the roller D so as to pass the pasting rollers K, K. These rollers
are two in number, one on each side; where the strip of paste is required the
rollers K revolve in a trough of paste L and are scraped clean at the sides by the
fixed scrapres M.
The folded paper now pasted on the over hanging flaps of its two edges passes
over the roller D' and thence to the folders N, one on each side.
These folders are bent pieces of sheet metal shown in detail in Figure 4. They
are convoluted once or twice according to the folds that are required for making the
bag. If one edge on each side of the folded paper has been removed before it was
fed into the machine the single folder N is all that is required to turn the over-.
lapping edge on the other pasted side. If however no edges of the folded sheet are
removed a double fold will be required to make a firm edge on the strips of paste:
The double convoluted folder N¹ is used in that case.
Whilst the folded paper or bag is passing the folders N pressing rollers O, shown
in detail in Figure 5, are used to press the tapes more forcibly upon the bag, so as to
overcome the resistance of the folders. These rollers O are carried on spindles
which run in bearings capable of vertical motion in slots. The pressure on the rolls
is produced by the springs P and the adjusting set screws P¹.
After the bag has been thus folded the grip rollers Qpress the folded edges upon
the pasted strip so as to ensure sound adhesion; these grip rollers, shown in detail
at Figure 6, are also pressed together by a spring and adjusting set screw Q¹.
The bag thus delivered, is delivered by the separating of the tapes E, E, into the
receiving box R, which has an adjustable side R³ and end R¹¹ to suit any size of bag
so as to collect them in a uniform heap.
The tapes E, E, are kept stretched to a proper tension by riding pulleys D", D",
one to each tape, which are adjustable by thumb screws so as to give any required
tension.
The travelling tapes are driven by the drum D' which is on the main shaft V,
to which is attached the fly wheel T, which is rotated either by a handle, by a foot
treadle, or other means. The pasting rollers K are driven by a catgut band X from
the main shaft V.
The case or frame is conveniently covered over by a wooden table S, upon which
the paper may be piled when used from the ream.
Sheet II. shows the arrangement of my improved machine when the paper is
taken from a roll or continuous web. Figure I. is a sectional elevation; Figure II.,
an end elevation; Figure III., a plan; Figure 4, detail of cutting knives, and
Figure 5, detail of ratchet feed.
The paper is wound round the reel A, and from it the paper is led between the
two feed rollers B, B¹, it is thus fed forward over the table C and on to the travelling
tapes D. The knife E fixed to the rocking lever F cuts off a sheet of the required
length as it descends past the edge of the cutting table C. The cut sheet of paper
is then led forward by the travelling tapes D until it reaches the stop G which is
adjustable. On coming into that position a cutting stamp H with knives H'
on each side may be used if required, or cutting wheels to cut a strip off each side
of half the paper. On reaching the stop G the folding bar K descends and pushes
the paper in a folded condition between the feed rollers L, L, which deliver it into
the hopper M of that part of the bag making machine before described, where it is
further folded and pasted into a complete bag 1.
The rocking of the knife and folding lever F is effected by the throw of a
crank N and a connecting rod O. This rocking motion also operates a ratchet

page_text: feed P, by which an intermittent rotary feed motion is given to the roller B', which
thus draws forward the required size of paper sheet.
The travelling tapes D run on rollers Q, Q', one of which Q¹ is driven by catgut
from the main crank shaft R; this may again be driven by a catgut or band from
the main shaft V in the lower part of the machine, which is operated by handle,
foot treadle, or other power.
And having now fully described and ascertained the nature and object of my said
Invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, be it known that
what I desire to claim and protect by my Letters Patent is,―
First. The use of folders of thin sheet metal in a bag making machine for the
folding over of the sides to make a pasted joint, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second. The combination in a bag making machine of an adjustable hopper,
guides, travelling tapes, pasting rollers, folders, and grip rollers, substantially as
herein before described.
Third. The combination of a cutting and folding apparatus for making suitable
folded sheets with the pasting and forming portion of a bag making machine,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Rankin, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty first day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
In the presence of
S. P, WILDING,
Patent Agent,
23, Rood Lane,
London, E.C.
HENRY RANKIN. (LS.)