IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND PRINTING OF PAPER BAGS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Patrick Meehan, of Dublin, in the County of Dublin,
Ireland, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC MACHINERY FOR
THE MANUFACTURE AND PRINTING OF PAPER BAGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Patrick Meehan at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st January 1880.
IMPROVE-
PATRICK MEEHAN, of Dublin, in the County of Dublin, Ireland.
MENTS IN AUTOMATIC MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND PRINTING OF PAPER
BAGS."
46
In carrying out my said Invention I place the drum containing the roll of paper
on an elevated stage or platform immediately over the manufacturing machine, and
upon this stage or platform I fix the printing and counting apparatus in such a
manner that as the paper is unwound from the roll it is printed on its proper side
and is caused to pass backwards under the cylinder below, and thence forward,
becoming in its course pasted on edge and folded longitudinally into tube form by
means of the usual screw or auger shaped guides.
When the paper in this tube form reaches the proper position a knife of the
guillotine shape descends, cutting off the precise length necessary to form the bag
required to be made. This knife is provided with an arm which operates a flyer
or apron frame for the purpose of opening the bottom end of the paper tube.
A communication is now established by means of flexible piping, with an air
exhaust pump, which, by the operation of suction acting on the outer surface of the
lips of the paper tube, cause them to open or expand to a gaping position, in which
condition they are held by grippers until the descent of the knife edged "creaser,"
which latter being charged with paste rapidly pastes and folds the first lap; the
partly formed bag is drawn between pressure rollers actuated by reverse gearing
sufficiently far to press and thus complete the first lap or fold; the bag is then
carried forward upon rollers under a second knife edged "creaser," which is also
charged with paste, and descending at the proper moment pastes and folds the
remaining laps, thereby completing the bag, which is now delivered folded and
pressed ready for use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Patrick Meehan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st July
1880.
PATRICK MEEHAN, of Dublin, in the County of Dublin, Ireland. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN AUTOMATIC MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE AND PRINTING OF PAPER
BAGS."
This Invention consists of improvements in automatic machinery for printing
and manufacturing paper bags in a simpler and more economical manner than
any means hitherto employed, so far as I am aware.
In describing the mode in which I carry out the said Invention in my
Provisional Specification I proposed to mount the drum containing the roll of paper
on an elevated stage or platform immediately over the manufacturing machine, and
also to place upon said stage or platform the printing apparatus, so that the paper
as it was unwound from the roll should be printed on its proper side and passed
backwards under a cylinder placed below, and thence forward, becoming in its
course pasted on edge and folded longitudinally to form the paper tube.
In practice I find that this arrangement is not desirable, and propose to substitute
in lieu thereof the following, which will be best understood when described in
connection with the accompanying Drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of a machine constructed and arranged
according to my said Invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of
same; Fig. 3 is a transverse view, partly in section, on line X, X, Fig. 2; Figs. 4, 5,
and 6 are detail views of the flyer or apron frame, the guillotine or cutting knife,
and the exhaust pump, showing the cam for working same.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views. A, A, represents
the framework of the machine; B, the drum containing the roll of paper; C, the
supporting roller over which the paper passes, to the off end of which is attached a
grooved wheel revolving in a paste trough, whereby the margin of the paper is
pasted on its passage through the guide pulleys D and the ordinary screw or augar
shaped scrolls for the purpose of being bent over longitudinally to form the tube or
body of the bag; E is a roller round which the paper tube or ribbon next passes in
its course to be printed and converted into bags, as required. The printing
apparatus is shown at F supported on pillars attached to the main frame of the
machine; b is a flat india rubber pad between which and the type holder a the
paper or ribbon passes in its onward course; a, a, are ink rollers which, moving
underneath the type holder, convey ink to the same.
Here it is necessary to observe that the advance of the paper is momentarily
arrested at stated intervals for the double object of receiving the type impression
and also allowing the knife to cut the tube or ribbon to the proper length for the
bag required. This temporary suspension of motion is produced by ordinary cam
or reverse gearing.
This tube or ribbon having thus received its impression of type advances to the
pressure rollers c, c, which act as feeders to the knife G.
This knife is of the guillotine shape, as shown in detail, Fig. 5, and is operated
by the cam d on the longitudinal shaft e; the tube or ribbon upon encountering
this knife is cut to the desired length for making the paper bag. To the face of
this knife is attached an arm f which operates the flyer (see Fig. 4) playing on the
faces K, K, which latter communicate with the air exhaust pump or chamber H by
means of the air tubes k, k, so that by the action of suction operating through the
said air tubes on the outer surface of the lips of the paper tube or ribbon the same
are obliged to open or expand to a gapping position, as seen at 8 in Fig. 3, in which
condition they are held by the grippers or fingers 1, 1, until the descent of the
creasing blade L, which latter being charged with paste by the paste roller o rapidly

page_text: falls, creasing and folding the first lap of the bottom of the bag, and delivers same
at the moment when the machine is actuated by reverse gearing between the
rollers c¹, c¹, whereby the partly formed bag is carried sufficiently far back to have
the first lap or fold pressed, after which it again resumes a forward motion and comes
in collision with the creasing blade L', which being operated in a similar manner to
the first described creasing blade pastes and folds the remaining lap of the bottom
of the bag, and delivers same through a pair of rollers suitably placed, by which it
is pressed and finally trust through a series of rollers marked 3, 3, and discharge
complete from the machine at y¹, y¹.
The exhaust in the pump or air chamber H is produced by the piston rod b'
worked by the cam h on the cam shaft e and the spiral springs g', g'. J represents
the standards which carry the flyer or apron frame swinging on pivots i, i, and is
shown fully open at Fig. 3 and in detail, Fig. 4.
The grippers or fingers l, l, are operated by the small cams p, p.
on the driving shaft P of the machine, upon which latter the
mounted and communicates motion to the cam shaft c.
M is a pulley
bevel wheel t is
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner in
which the same may be applied in practice, I would have it understood that what
I consider new and useful, and therefore claim as my Invention is,-
First. The combination and arrangement of machinery constructed and operating
in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein described and set forth.
Secondly. The application of suction in the manufacture of paper bags, whereby
the lips of the paper tube are caused to open or expand, in the manner and for the
purpose substantially as specified.
Thirdly. The combination and arrangemant whereby the partly formed bag is
carried backward for the purpose of completing the first lap of the bottom of the
bag, substantially in the manner as herein described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Patrick Meehan, have hereunto this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
DATK
RATT & AT