IMPROVEMENTS IN BAGS FOR TRANSMITTING SAMPLES OR MATERIALS BY POST OR OTHERWISE."
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Girdwood, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BAGS FOR TRANSMITTING SAMPLES OR MATERIALS BY POST OR OTHERWISE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Girdwood at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1868.
I, ROBERT GIRDWOOD, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian
North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BAGS FOR TRANSMITTING SAMPLES OR MATERIALS BY POST
OR OTHERWISE," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to bags such as may be used for transmitting
samples or materials by post or otherwise, and has principally for its
object to obtain increased security for the contents of such bags,
particularly when consisting of small seeds or powder, whilst permitting
them to be easily examined in accordance with postal regulations.
The Invention consists in making the bag of paper or other suitable
material with narrow covering folds along one end and one side; in

page_text: pasting or cementing the end fold completely across; in pasting or
cementing the side fold from the closed end to within a short distance of
the other end; and in making two folds diagonally at the open end in
such a way that the point formed by the first of the two diagonal folds
can be inserted and held under the unpasted part of the side fold. In
making the diagonal folds the first one is made so as to fold the corner
with the unpasted side fold turned over upon the other side of the bag,
and the second one is made across the first which brings down the point
into position for being inserted under the side fold. With this arrange-
ment the diagonal folds completely prevent the egress of seeds or powder.
If further security is wished, any convenient metal clip may be applied to
the overlying parts of the diagonal folds without perforations being made
through into the interior of the bag.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Robert Girdwood in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
GIRDWOOD, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first
year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Robert Girdwood, Her special licence, that I, the
said Robert Girdwood, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others, as I, the said Robert Girdwood, 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 Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAGS FOR TRANSMITTING SAMPLES
OR MATERIALS BY POST OR OTHERWISE," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Robert Girdwood, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause

page_text: 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 Robert Girdwood, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying.
Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to bags, such as may be used for transmitting
samples or materials by post or otherwise, and has principally for its
object to obtain increased security for the contents of such bags
particularly when consisting of small seeds or powder whilst permitting
them to be easily examined in accordance with postal regulations.
The Invention consists in making the bag of paper or other suitable
material with narrow covering folds along one end and one side; in
pasting or cementing the end fold completely across; in pasting or
cementing the side fold from the closed end to within a short distance of
the other end; and in making two folds diagonally at the open end in
such a way that the point formed by the first of the two diagonal folds
can be inserted and held under the unpasted part of the side fold.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet
of explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing
my improved sample bag in the different stages of its formation.
Figure 1 represents the sheet of paper or other suitable material as
cut into the requisite shape and as laid flat and entirely unfolded. The
dotted lines indicate the folds to be made.
In Figure 2 the material is represented as having been folded at the
line 1-2, and as having had the narrow covering folds 2-3 and 3-4
laid over. The end fold 2-3 is pasted down or cemented completely
across, but the side fold 3-4 is pasted down or cemented from the
bottom end 3 up to the dotted line 5 only, the remainder from 5 to 4
being left uncemented. To close the bag thus formed, the corner
1-4-5 is first folded along the line 1-5 over upon the other side,
and the bag being then turned over presents the appearance shown in
Figure 3. The point 6-1-7 is next folded down along the line 6-7,
and is finally inserted under the uncemented part 5-4 of the side fold,
the closed bag presenting the appearance shown in Figure 4. With this

page_text: arrangement the diagonal folds 6-7-5 completely prevent the egress
of seeds or powder. If further security is wished, any convenient
metal clip may be applied at 8 to the overlying parts of the folds; or
a thread or string may be tied through a hole punched for the purpose
through the folds in the manner indicated by the dotted circles without
perforations being made through into the interior of the bag.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but
that what I believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
making of bags for transmitting samples or materials by post or other-
wise, substantially in the improved manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Girdwood, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
ROBERT GIRDWOOD. (L.S.)