IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER BAGS OR ENVELOPES."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William John Burley, of Southwark, in the County of
Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR MAKING PAPER BAGS OR ENVELOPES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William John Burley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th February 1880.
WILLIAM JOHN BURLEY, of Southwark, in the County of Surrey. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER BAGS OR ENVELOPES."
My Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for making paper bags or
envelopes, and especially to that form of such machinery described and shewn in
the Specification and Drawings of Letters Patent for "Improvements in Means
or Apparatus for the Manufacture of Paper Bags or Envelopes," granted to Henry
Spence, dated July 1st, A.D. 1861, and numbered 1674, in which a machine is
described and shewn, consisting of two longitudinal trams connected by transverse
bars, and supported by legs.
This frame carries platforms or tables supporting a roll of paper, and a roller
having a notched or grooved wheel turning in a paste trough, and two adjustable
rollers or pulleys.
A serrated edged plate attached to an elongated arm is supported by a yoke at
one end, and rests upon the lower of a pair of driving rollers, between which the paper
is drawn after having one of its edges pasted, and having been folded round the
serrated edged plate by discs and guides upon the latter. An upper serrated knife is
adjusted above the serrated blade but a short distance behind the latter. An adjustable
breaker bar is fixed upon a shaft revolving in bearings at one side of the apparatus,
and is driven by toothed wheels and pinions, so that when the folded paper has passed
sufficiently beyond the serrated edges to have entered between two rollers arranged
in advance of them the breaker bar strikes the paper from below and tears it off,
the length so torn off forming the bag or envelope, and being carried forward
between another pair of rollers until its leading serrated edges are above a smaller
pair of rollers arranged side by side and driven by an endless cord.
A creaser
blade is then depressed against the edge of the bag, and folding the serrated flap
forces it between the rollers after having pasted its inner edge with paste trans-
ferred to a triangular piece upon the blade from a paste feeding roller, against which
it is pressed at the upper part of its stroke, the necessary vibrating motion being
Dine J1

page_text: communicated to the creasing blade by a connecting rod driven by a crank upon
the axis which carries the breaker bar.
In machinery or apparatus constructed and arranged according to the Specification
and Drawings just referred to, it is found that great loss. of time is incurred when it
is required to alter the adjustment of the different parts of the machine in order to
make bags or envelopes of different lengths or sizes.
In such cases it is necessary to alter separately the position of each of the
bearings, in which are carried the rocking shaft which actuates the creasing blade,
and those of the bottom folding rollers, as well as the support for the paste vessel
or box.
Moreover it is necessary to adjust the length of the endless cord which drives
the bottom folding rollers, and of the connecting rod which actuates the bar carrying
the creasing blade, and my present Invention has for its objects improvements
in the construction and arrangement of the several parts of the machine which
require alteration as just described, so that they can be very quickly and accurately
altered and adjusted when requisite. For this purpose I make a saddle or plate
fitting upon the end of the trams or frame of the apparatus, and capable of moving
horizontally in the direction of the length of the latter. I fix this plate or saddle
in any position to which it has been adjusted by means of a bolt or screw attached
to the saddle, which grips the frame when desired, and I move the saddle into any
desired position by means of a lever and connecting link actuated by a handle, or
by a toothed rack and pinion, or an endless screw and nut.
Upon the plate or saddle so arranged I make or fix a support which carries the
paste vessel, the bearings for the bar which carries and actuates the creasing blade,
and the bearings which carry the rollers between which the bag is forced by the
creasing blade. In this way when it is desired to alter the distance between the
parts of the apparatus just described and the serrated edges against which the bag
is torn off by the breaker bar, the whole of them are moved, adjusted, and fixed in
a very short time and at one operation, their position being adjusted by a series of
marks made upon the frame of the machine; and in order to adjust the length
of the endless cord which drives the creasing rollers when such alteration of position
is made I fix a toothed pinion upon the axis of the wheel or pulley which drives
the cord, and I drive this toothed pinion by a corresponding toothed wheel upon
the axis of one of the rollers between which the paper passes before it leaves the
serrated blades. The centre of the axis which carries the toothed pinion and pulley
can be moved and adjusted in a circular alot, the centre of which coincides with the
centre of the driving pinion, and in this way the cord can be instantly slackened or
tightened as desired by altering the position of the axis in the slot.
For the same reason I make the length adjustable of the connecting rod which
actuates the creasing blade by means of a lever upon the bar which carries the
latter, the length of which lever is itself preferably adjustable. The length of the
connecting rod may be altered, as described, by making one part of it slide in or
against the other part, or by making it slide through an opening in a pin which
works in a block fixed to the lever. I make marks upon the lever corresponding
with those upon the frame of the machine or sliding saddle, so that the exact
position can be exactly determined and fixed.
I sometimes also make the position of the supports which carry the upper serrated
blade adjustable.
For this purpose I make a support at each end of the said blade, and I attach
these supports to bars passing through guides, in which they can be fixed in any
desired position.
By my improved methods of constructing and arranging the parts of the machine
great economy of time and labour is effected when the adjustment of the apparatus
requires to be altered.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William John Burley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th
August 1880.
WILLIAM JOHN BURLEY, of Southwark, in the County of Surrey. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING PAPER BAGS OR ENVELOPES."
My Invention relates to machinery or apparatus for making paper bags or
envelopes, and especially to that form of such machinery described and shewn in
the Specification and Drawings of Letters Patents for "Improvements in Means or
Apparatus for the Manufacture of Paper Bags or Envelopes," granted to Henry
Spence, dated July 1st, A.D. 1861, and numbered 1674, in which a machine is
described and shewn consisting of two longitudinal frames connected by transverse
bars and supported by legs. This frame carries platforms or tables supporting a roll
of paper and a roller having a notched or grooved wheel turning in a paste trough,
and two adjustable rollers or pulleys. A. serrated edged plate attached to an
elongated arm is supported by a yoke at one end and rests upon a roller near the
centre, whilst its other end rests upon the lower of a pair of drawing rollers between
which the paper is drawn after having one of its edges pasted, and having been
folded round the serrated edged plate by discs and guides upon the latter. An upper
serrated knife is adjusted above the serrated blade but a short distance behind the
latter. An adjustable breaker bar is fixed upon a shaft revolving in bearings at
one side of the apparatus, and is driven by toothed wheels and pinions, so that
when the folded paper has passed sufficiently beyond the serrated edges to have
entered between two rollers arranged in advance of them, the breaker bar strikes
the paper from below and tears it off, the length so torn off forming the bag or
envelope, and being carried forward between another pair of rollers until its leading
serrated edges are above a smaller pair of rollers arranged side by side and driven
by an endless cord. A creaser blade is then depressed against the edge of the bag
and folding the serrated flap forces it between the rollers after having pasted its
inner edge with paste transferred to a triangular piece upon the blade from a pasto
feeding roller, against which it is pressed at the upper part of its stroke, the
necessary vibrating motion being communicated to the creasing blade by a
connecting rod driven by a crank upon the axis which carries the breaker bar. In
machinery or apparatus constructed and arranged according to the Specification
and Drawings just referred to, it is found that great loss of time is incurred when
it is required to alter the adjustment of the different parts of the machine in order
to make bags or envelopes of different lengths or sizes. In such cases it is
necessary to alter separately the position of each of the bearings in which are
carried the rocking shaft which actuates the creasing blade, and those of the bottom
folding rollers, as well as the support for the paste vessel or box. Moreover it is
necessary to adjust the length of the endless cord which drives the bottom creasing
rollers, and of the connecting rod which actuates the bar carrying the creasing
blade, and my present Invention has for its objects improvements in the construction
and arrangement of the several parts of the machine which require alteration as
just described, so that they can be very quickly and accurately altered and adjusted
when requisite. For this purpose I make a saddle or plate fitting upon the end of
the frame of the apparatus and capable of moving horizontally in the direction of
the length of the latter. I fix this plate or saddle in any position to which it has
been adjusted by means of a bolt or screw attached to the saddle which grips the
frame when desired, and I move the saddle into any desired position by means of a
lever and connecting link actuated by a handle or by a toothed rack and pinion,
or an endless screw and nut.
Upon the plate or saddle so arranged I make or fix a support which carries the
paste vessel, the bearings for the bar which carries and actuates the creasing blade,

page_text: and the bearings which carry the rollers between which the bag is forced by the
creasing blade. In this way, when it is desired to alter the distance between the
parts of the apparatus just described, and the serrated edges against which the bag
is torn off by the breaker bar, the whole of them are moved, adjusted, and fixed in
a very short time and at one operation, their position being adjusted by a series of
marks made upon the frame of the machine. And in order to adjust the length of
the endless cord which drives the creasing rollers, when such alteration of position
is mado I fix a toothed pinion upon the axis of the wheel or pulley which drives
the cord, and I drive this toothed pinion by a corresponding toothed wheel upon
the axis of one of the rollers between which the paper passes before it leaves the
serrated blades. The centre of the axis which carries the toothed pinion and
pulley can be moved and adjusted in a circular slot, the centre of which coincides
with the centre of the driving pinion, and in this way the cord can be instantly
Blackened or tightened as desired by altering the position of the axis in the slot.
For the same reason I make the length adjustable of the connecting rod which
actuates the creasing blade by means of a lever upon the bar which carries the
latter, the length of which lever is itself preferably adjustable. The length of the
connecting rod may be altered as described by making one part of it slide in or
against the other part, or by making it slide through an opening in a pin which
works in a block fixed to the lever. I make marks upon the lever corresponding
with those upon the frame of the machine and sliding saddle, so that the exact
position can be exactly determined and fixed. I sometimes also make the position
of the supports which carry the upper serrated blade adjustable. For this purpose
I make a support at each end of the said blade, and I attach these supports to bars
passing through guides in which they can be fixed in any desired position.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of my Invention. Figure 1 is a
side view, partly in section, and Figure 2 is a plan of a machine. a, a¹, are the
two longitudinal frames of the machine, connected by transverse bars, and supported
by legs b, b; c is a table having bearings d, d', carrying a roll of paper, bearings
d², d³, carrying a roller d', bearings e, e¹, carrying a roller f, which has connected
to it a narrow rough edged roller turning in the paste vessel h, and bearings i, i,
carrying the folding pullies k, k¹. A thin longitudinal plate having its front edge
serrated at m is supported from the bracket n, and rests upon the rollers o and o'
passing between the rollers p, p', between which the paper is drawn after having
its longitudinal edges folded over by folders and guides at r, one of these edges
having been previously pasted as it passes over the pasting roller in the vessel h.
An upper serrated knife blade s is adjusted above the serrated edge m at a short
distance behind the latter. A bearing t carries a shaft made to revolve by toothed
wheels actuated by the drawing rollers p, and carrying at its inner end a
balanced crank or plate u from which projects the breaker bar v, which passes up
at intervals in front of the serrated edges m and 8, and breaks or tears off a length
of the pasted and folded paper sufficient to make a bag just after the said length
has entered between the pair of rollers w, w¹, which are also actuated at the proper
speed by the toothed wheels w². The paper bag is then carried further forward by
another pair of adjustable rollers x, x¹, until its leading serrated edges are exactly
above a pair of small rollers y, y¹, actuated by the pullies and endless cord or
band Z. At this moment a creaser blade A attached to the levers B, B¹, fixed
upon the axis C which turns in the bearings D, D¹, is depressed by means of the
lever E, connecting rod F, and crank G, and folds the edge of the bag and forces it
between the rollers y, y¹, the edge of the paper having been first pasted by the
pasting appliance H upon the blade A, the piece H at the upper end of its stroke
being pressed against the roller I, which is made to revolve slowly in the paste
vessel K. The paper bags thus completed are conveyed away between endless
bands or tapes passing round adjustable rollers, as shewn at L. M is a transverse
saddle or plate capable of sliding longitudinally upon the frames a, a'. This
saddle (which is shewn separate at Figure 3) can be moved quickly and readily
into any desired position by means of a lever and connecting link, or an endless

page_text: screw and nut, or racks and pinions, or other convenient means, and is fixed in its
desired position by means of one or more clamps or bolts and nuts, as shewn at N,
and I make indicating marks or divisions upon the frame, as shewn at O, Figure 1,
so that the precise position can be exactly and readily determined. Upon the
saddle M are fixed a support which carries the paste vessel K at P, the bearings D, D¹,
which carry the axis C, and the bearings R, R', which carry the pressing rollers y, y¹.
By these means when it is desired to alter the distance between the parts of the
apparatus just described, and the serrated edges m and 8 to suit different sizes of
bags, the whole of them are moved, adjusted, and fixed simultaneously and at one
operation. For the same purpose in order to vary and adjust the length of the
endless cord 2, which drives the creasing rollers y, y', I fix a toothed pinion upon
the axis of the pulley 8 which drives the cord z, and I drive this toothed pinion by
a corresponding toothed wheel upon the axis of the roller p or the intermediate
wheel p. The centre of the axis which carries the pulley s is adjustable in a
circular slot concentric with the axis of the roller, and the cord Z can thus be
instantly slackened or tightened as desired by altering the position of the axis in
the slot. The length of the connecting rod F is also made readily adjustable for
the same purpose, as shewn on a larger scale at Figures 4 and 5, in which T is the
connecting rod actuated by the crank G, and driving the lever E, the effective
length of which is made adjustable by means of the slot U, in which is fitted the
pin V carrying a slot in which the end of the connecting rod fits and is fixed.
Divisions are marked upon the rod, as shewn, corresponding with those upon the
frames, so that its proper position can be at once determined. In order to alter
and adjust the position of the upper serrated blade 8, I fix it to a support 1 at each
end, and I connect to these supports bars 2, 3, which slide in guides 4, and can be
fixed in them in any position. The position of the guides r is shewn made
adjustable by fixing them to the guide bars, which can be fixed in any desired
position in the supports 2. By my improved methods of constructing and
arranging the parts of the machine, as described and shewn in the Drawing, great
economy of time and labour is effected when it is required to alter the adjustment
of the machine.
Having now described my Invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I do not claim the method of and apparatus for making paper bags or
envelopes from a continuous roll, but I claim, the method of arranging the parts
which require alteration and adjustment upon a moveable support, in such manner
that the alteration and adjustment can be quickly and easily effected, substantially
as described and shewn in the Drawing; also, in combination with the said
method of arrangement, marks, or indices by which the adjustment is facilitated,
substantially as described and shewn; also, in combination with the said method
of arrangement, the method of varying the length of the connecting rod which
actuates the creasing blade, and the marks or indices by which such length is
determined, substantially as described and shewn; also, the method of altering
and adjusting the position of the upper serrated blade, substantially as shewn;
also, the method of adjusting the position of the pulley which drives the creasing
rollers, substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Burley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this 6th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1880.