Improvements in Packing for Bottles and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 2nd Oct.,
1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Packing for Bottles and the like.
I, HOWARD ANCEL LEAK, Gentleman, residing at No. 510 Spruce Street, in
the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, U.S.A., 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in packing for bottles and the like; and
it consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, herein-
after shown, described and claimed.
My object is to produce sheets of packing for bottles and the like, out of native
material, and in carrying out the principles of my invention, I attain this object
by taking sheets of straw paper or the like, coating one side of the paper with a
suitable flexible glue and the sprinkling granulated pith-upon the glue, thus
causing the pith to stick to the paper.
In preparing the pith, I take corn stalks, corn cobs, sunflower stalks, or other
suitable growths of vegetation and extract the piths; then 1 chop or cut the piths
as near a uniform size as
into a granular mass, the particles of which are
possible. The size of the larger particles determines the thickness of the packing.
Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a pith after it has been extracted. Fig. 2
is a view in perspective showing the lines upon which the pith is cut in reducing
it to a granular form. Fig. 3 is a plan of a piece of sheet packing ready for
use. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of the packing.
The pith is extracted in pencil form, as shown in Fig. 1; then it is cut longitu-
dinally of the pencil and upon the vertical lines 5 and the horizontal lines 6,
and it is cut transversely upon the lines 7 and 8. This produces a granular
mass, the individual particles of which are substantially cubical in form. The
distances between the lines 6 and between the lines 7 and 8 are substantially
equal and the thickness of the packing produced is equal to the distance between
The
any corresponding ones of said lines, plus the thickness of the paper.
sheet 9 may be of straw paper, or any other suitable flexible substance, and it
is coated upon one side with a flexible glue and the granular mass of pith is
spread upon the glue, thus causing the pith to stick to the paper, or at least a
sufficient amount of the pith. After the glue is dried, the particles of pith which
fail to stick are brushed away, or the paper is turned bottom upwards,
and the particles fall away; then the packing is run between rollers set a fixed
distance apart and the large particles of pith and those which have become fastened
in position with their corners projecting upwardly are pressed slightly, thus
rendering the packing even in thickness. The larger part of the cubical particles
of pith will present a flat side to the paper, and consequently, will present a flat
side away from the paper, but the particles of pith which are uneven in form and
of irregular sizes will present corners and edges both to the paper and away from
the paper, thus making the packing slightly rough, but this roughness is remedied
by passing the packing between the rollers.
The packing thus produced may be accurately graded in thickness, will present
an even surface to the bottles and the like, and will stand a large amount of

page_text: hard usage without breaking the bottles, or damaging the other goods which may
be contained or wrapped in the packing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare-that what
I claim is:
1. As a new element in the manufacture of packing for bottles and the like,
piths extracted from vegetation, substantially as specified.
2. As a new element in the manufacture of packing for bottles and the like,
the piths of vegetation extracted and reduced to a granular mass, substantially
as specified.
3. As a new element in the manufacture of packing for bottles and the like,
piths of vegetation extracted and reduced to a granular mass, the particles of
said mass being substantially cubical in form; substantially as specified....
4. The herein described method of making packing for bottles and the like,
which consists of extracting the pith from vegetation, reducing said pith to a
granular mass and causing said mass to stick to a sheet, substantially as specified.
5. As a new article of manufacture, the herein described packing, consisting
of a suitable flexible sheet and the granulated pith of vegetation stuck to one
side of said sheet, substantially as specified.
Dated the 28th day of July 1897.
HIGDON, LONGAN, & HIGDON;"
Agents for Applicant.