Improvements in Packages for Tea.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Packages for Tea.
I, RODERICK MCLEOD, Junr., of 7, Royal Exchange, Edinburgh, in the
County of Midlothian, North Britain, Tea Merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
According to the present custom of packing tea to be sold in quantities it is placed
oosely in a box or chest which is lined with lead, and the chest is then nailed up.
There is however a great disadvantage in this method of packing tea, inasmuch as
when the chest is once opened and a quantity of tea taken out it is somewhat
difficult, if not altogether impossible, to close it up again so as to keep it air-tight.
Besides this it is very troublesome opening and closing the chest every time a
quantity of tea is required to be taken out.
The object of my invention therefore is to get over this difficulty by making
air-tight packages and packing the tea into these, and afterwards placing them in a
chest.
I have appended two sheets of drawings which will more fully illustrate my
invention; of which
Figure 1 is an exterior view of the sheets of paper and lead, and showing in
dotted lines the folds.
Figure 2 is a plan of the sheets of lead for the top and bottom covers.
Figure 3 is a perspective view, drawn to a small scale, showing the block round
which the sheets are placed to make the package.
Figures 4 and 5 are views of the blocks used for making the folds for joining the
two edges together.
Figures 6 and 7 show the operation of making the folds for joining the edges
together.
Figure 8 is a view showing how the edges are joined together.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the packet complete.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of a number of these packages ready for the
chest to be placed round them.
In carrying my invention into practice I first take a sheet of thin lead B, about
twice as long as it is broad, and on the inner side of this I place a sheet of tea
I then take these sheets
paper A, being somewhat broader than the sheet of lead.
and place them round a block F, when the four sides of the package are made. I
then take the block C and place it against the two projecting edges of the lead,
and by means of another block or presser D, which has a strap F attached to it to
enable the hand to grasp it, turn the edges over the block C, as shown in Figure 7,
after which I take away the block C and press down the folded edges, thus
completing the joint. When this is done I close the bottom end of the package by
folding the projecting ends of the paper. This package is then placed inside an
iron casing and it is filled with tea by means of the machine described in the
Specification of my Application for Patent of even date herewith. The top of the
package is then closed by folding the projecting edges of the raper at the top,
after which I cover both the top and bottom of the package with a sheet of thin
lead E, and I connect these with the package by overlapping, and the overlapping
edges are again folded over and pressed down, thus making a complete air-tight
package, as shown in Figure 9. The packages are then built up or put together
according to the number of pounds to be in the chest, as shown in Figure 10, and
the four sides of the wood are then placed over the packages and nailed together,
after which the top and bottom are likewise put on, and the chest is then labelled.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
claim is :-
Air-tight packages for holding tea, constructed substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of March 1891.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.