IMPROVED MEANS FOR CLOSING OR SECURING THE MOUTHS OF PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Léon Planche, of the Firm of Planche, Brothers, of Rue
Mazagran, 5, Paris, in the Republic of France, Paper Manufacturers, for an
Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS FOR CLOSING OR SECURING THE MOUTHS OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Léon Planche at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st May 1880.
LÉON PLANCHE, of the Firm of Planche, Brothers, of Rue Mazagran, 5, Paris, in
the Republic of France, Paper Manufacturers. "IMPROVED MEANS FOR CLOSING
OR SECURING THE MOUTHS OF PAPER AND OTHER BAGS CONTAINING ARTICLES
OF MERCHANDISE.'
"
Hitherto it has been customary for grocers, druggists, and others, to secure the
bags in which they send out their wares with string or twine, a method which has
the disadvantage of taking up much time and of being costly, as the value of the
string or twine is nearly as much as that of the bag itself.
Now the object of the present Invention is to provide a means for closing or
securing the mouths of the bags containing articles of merchandise in a facile and
expeditious manner, and without the necessity for using string or twine.
To this end I form the bag in the ordinary manner, and I secure, preferably
during the course of manufacture, in any convenient manner to one side of the bag
one end of a band or strip of strong paper or other suitable material, and to the
other side I also suitably secure by its ends and transversely of the bag a small
strip of the same material as the band or of metal, in which a simple straight cut
or one or two slots are made so as to form a kind of buckle. When the bag is
filled the mouth is folded in, in the ordinary manner, and the long strip is brought
over the top of the bag and passed under the transverse strip. The free end is
then turned up and is passed through the cut or slots in the transverse piece and
the fastening up is securely effected.
Instead of the cut or slots in the transverse piece, I may have two such pieces
placed one above the other a slight distance apart, the long band being passed
downward under both, and upwards over the lower and under the upper piece, or
the upper piece may take the form of a loop on the band.
Or I may make the band and buckle in one piece, in which case the band will go
all round the bag. Or the band may be fixed at one end to the bag, the other end
being pierced with holes to receive paper or metal buttons fixed to the bag, or a
small piece of india rubber or of some elastic tissue may be adapted to the band to
fasten on to the button.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Léon Planche in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th November
1880.
LEON PLANCHE, of the Firm of Planche, Brothers, of Rue Mazagran, 5, Paris, in
the Republic of France, Paper Manufacturers. "IMPROVED MEANS FOR CLOSING
OR SECURING THE MOUTHS OF PAPER AND OTHER BAGS CONTAINING ARTICLES
OF MERCHANDISE."
Hitherto the mouths of paper and other bags used by grocers, confectioners,
druggists, chemists, ironmongers, and others, in which to send out their wares have
been closed by folding-in the upper part of the bag in a manner suitable to prevent
the exit of the contents, and the parcel has then been tied up with twine or string,
which has first to be crossed and afterwards firmly knotted to make it secure.
This method has the disadvantage of taking up much time and of being costly,
inasmuch as the value of the twine or string is nearly equal to that of the bag
itself.
Now the object of the present Invention is to avoid these disadvantages by
providing means for closing or securing the mouths of bags containing articles of
merchandise in a strong, facile, and expeditious manner without the use of twine or
string.
To this end I form the bag in the ordinary manner, and I secure (preferably
during the course of manufacture) to one side thereof and at about the middle of
its depth by pasting, sewing, or otherwise, one end of a band or strip of strong
paper, cloth, or other suitable material. To the opposite side of the bag I suitably
secure by its ends and transversely of the bag a short strip of the same material as
the band or of thin metal, in which a simple straight cut or one or two slots are
made.
The length of the paper or other band will depend upon the size of the bag to
which it is to be applied, but it should be sufficiently long to reach within a short
distance of the bottom of the bag when it is full and the mouth is folded down.
When the bag is filled the upper part or mouth is folded down in the ordinary
manner, the band or strip of paper or other material is then drawn tightly over the
top of the bag, and the free end of the band is inserted under the transverse strip.
This end is next turned up and passed through the cut or slot in the transverse
piece and the fastening up is securely effected. When two slots are used, the free
end of the band will be passed behind the transverse piece, out at the lower slot,
and in through the upper slot. Instead of the transverse pieces described above,
two smaller pieces may be secured transversely to the bag a slight distance one
above the other, or a single transverse piece in conjunction with a loop fixed on the
band of paper may be used. Or the band of paper or other material may be formed
with stop pieces or ears, which will be retained by the lower edge of the transverse
pieces when pushed under them.
The band of paper can also be made to go round the bag, in which case it is
preferred that it shall be pasted thereto at one or more points in its length. One
end of this band will be formed like a buckle to receive the other end, or the
buckle piece may be made of paper, metal, or other material, and attached to the
band in any convenient manner.
One end of the paper or other band may also be pierced with a row of holes to
take over buttons or studs fixed to the bag, or a sinall ring of india rubber or of
elastic fabric may be adapted to the band to fasten onto a button.
It will be evident that the above forms of fastenings may also be applied to
envelopes and other receptacles used by tradesmen, such as enumerated above, for
the purpose of enclosing or putting up their wares.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn as examples some of the various
forms which my improved means of closing or fastening-up paper and other bags
may take.
Figures 1 and 2 shew in side and front elevation a bag filled with articles of
merchandise, the mouth folded down and completely closed or fastened up by a
strip or band of paper A, which has been secured to the bag at the point a during
the manufacture of the bag. On the opposite side of the bag is the piece B which
is provided with a slot or plain cut b³. This piece B is pasted or secured to the
bag S at the parts b', b', only. When the bag is filled and the mouth folded in, it
remains only to complete and secure the fastening, and for that purpose the band A
is first drawn tightly over the top of the bag, and the free end a¹ is passed between
the bag and the piece B; this end is then turned up and passed through the cut or
slot 6, and a perfectly secure fastening is thus obtained.
Figures 3 and 4 shew in side and front elevation a similar mode of fastening the
bag, but in this case the piece C is secured firmly to the bag by three of its
sides p, p, and is provided with two slots c, c', which leave between them the
small bar c². The free end of the band A is passed behind the piece C and out
below the bar c². It is then turned up as before and passed through the slot c, see
Fig. 3.
In Fig. 10 I have shewn in front elevation a modification of the last described
fastening. In this case the band A is provided at the extremity of its free end
with ears B, which are folded over to allow the band to pass under the bar c¹ of
the piece C, and are afterwards opened to form stops by which the band is securely
held.
Fig. 7 shews in front elevation a bag provided with another form of fastening.
In this Figure two small strips g, g', are secured separately (one a short distance
above the other) by their extremities to the bag S, thus replacing the slotted
piece B. The securing of the band A is effected in the manner described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2.
In Fig. 8 only one small strip h is secured by its ends to the bag S, but a loop h¹
is fixed to the band A to receive the free end thereof after it has been passed under
the strip h.
In Fig. 9 only one strip his employed, the band A after passing under the strip h
being held by means of a stop a cut or punched in the band, as shewn.
Fig. 6 shews in perspective the bag S completely surrounded by a band A³.
This band A2, which it is preferred to secure to the bag at one or more points in its
length, is enlarged at one end and has two transverse cuts or slots k, k², made
therein to receive the end a² of the band A2 in the manner shewn with reference to
Figs. 3 and 4.
Or instead of the enlargement at the end of the band, a buckle in cardboard or
metal with two slots may be secured to the band by pasting or otherwise.
Fig. 5 shews in perspective a bag closed by means of a band of paper in
conjunction with an elastic ring. The paper terminates in a loop in which is
held a ring m of india rubber or elastic fabric. When it is desired to secure the
bag, the elastic ring is passed over a button n of paper or other material fixed to
the bag by which it is firmly held.
If it be desired to add to the closing band a loop by which to carry the parcel, it
will be necessary only to take a piece of string or other material of suitable length,
and secure it either by its ends to the band, or knot it underneath the band after
having previously passed its ends through holes provided for the purpose.
Having now described the nature of my Invention of "Improved Means for
Closing or Securing the Mouths of Paper and other Bags Containing Articles of
Merchandise," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish
it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I
claim,―
The means, substantially as herein shewn and described, for closing or securing

page_text: the mouths of bags or similar receptacles used by grocers, confectioners, druggists,
and others for containing articles of merchandise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Léon Planche, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
LEON PLANCHE (L.S.)