An Improved Rotary Machine for Making Self-opening Paper Bags of various Sizes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Rotary Machine for Making Self-opening Paper Bags
of various Sizes.
We, BIBBY & BARON LIMITED, of New Bridge Paper and Paper Bag Works,
Bury, in the County of Lancaster, and JOB DUERDEN, of 69, Bankfield Terrace,
Bury, aforesaid, Manager to the said Firm, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
Our said invention relates to improvements in that class of apparatus, known as
rotary paper bag making machines for making self-opening paper bags, wherein
paper led from a roll or batch is successively folded, severed, pasted and acted upon
to produce finished bags as is well understood.
The object of our invention is to construct a machine which shall be more efficient
and certain in action and upon which bags of different sizes can be produced by a
slight adjustment and alteration of parts.
To render our invention more clear we have attached hereto ten sheets of
illustrative drawings to which we will throughout the following description
refer.
In the said drawings.
Fig. 1 shows, in diagramatic form, a longitudinal section of a machine constructed
in accordance with our invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the pneumatic former, the remainder of the figure
appearing on Sheet 3, for want of space.
Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig 2.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the drawing, slitting and severing section of the
machine.
Fig. 4 shows a modification.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 shows in side elevation the diamond folding, pasting and final folding
sections of the machine.
Fig. 6 (Sheet 10) shows a front view of the forming fingers.
Tig. is a plan of Fig. 8.
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the cams which actuate the final folding levers.
Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 shows the paste supply box in side elevation and Fig. 11 is a plan of the
same.
Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 show bags at the various stages of formation.
A roll of paper a, of suitable width, from which the bags are to be formed is
carried in suitable bearings a¹ attached to the frame of the machine, the bearings
being preferably fixed at such a height as not to necessitate the bending of the
attendant's knees in getting a fresh roll into position. The sheet of paper a, from
the roll, first passes over a guide roller a² to the marginal pasting device a³ where
by means of the paste wheel at a continuous supply of paste is applied to one
margin.
Leaving the pasting device, the strip of paper passes under the inclined guide b
to the pneumatic former c around which, owing to the exhaustive action of the air
Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the cams which actuate the final folding levers.
Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 shows the paste supply box in side elevation and Fig. 11 is a plan of the
same.
Figs. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 show bags at the various stages of formation.
A roll of paper a, of suitable width, from which the bags are to be formed is
carried in suitable bearings a¹ attached to the frame of the machine, the bearings
being preferably fixed at such a height as not to necessitate the bending of the
attendant's knees in getting a fresh roll into position. The sheet of paper «, from
the roll, first passes over a guide roller a² to the marginal pasting device a³ where
by means of the paste wheel at a continuous supply of paste is applied to one
margin.
Leaving the pasting device, the strip of paper passes under the inclined guide b
to the pneumatic former c around which, owing to the exhaustive action of the air

page_text: in the former, and under the direction of guide fingers not shown, the strip
assumes the form of a "satchel" tube. This tube of paper clinging to the former,
as it is drawn along has its pasted and unpasted margins or edges lightly pressed
together by the spring presser bowls c¹ so that a continuous tube of paper leaves
the former c.
.
The former c is provided with expanders or adjustable strips c5 carried on slidable
spindles co held by pinching screws c7 so that by adjustment of these expanders or
strips nearer to or further from the body of the former e different widths of
satchel tubes may be made as required. The former is also provided with air holes c²,
regulating valve c³ and is supported by bearings c carried in suitable brackets so
as to allow of adjustment.
From the former c the tube of paper passes to the drawing, slitting and severing
section of the machine more clearly seen in Figs. 4 and 5, Sheets 4 and 5. The
drawing rollers are lettered d the upper roller being provided with transverse
slitting knives d¹ (see Fig. 5) which work in slits or ways cut in the lower drawing
roller, so that the rollers not only fulfil the function of drawing rollers, but by reason
of the knives d' also produce at intervals the two longitudinal slits seen in the
leading end of the bag blank Fig. 12. The slitting knives d¹ might of course be
carried by the lower roller.
The nip of the drawing rollers may be regulated by adjusting the screwed
nuts d².
Instead of the slitting knives being carried by the drawing rollers d they might if
desired be independently mounted on the upper shaft, the drawing rollers in this
case being carried on bosses driven by spur pinions d from the lower shaft. By
this arrangement whilst a constant surface speed is imparted to the slitting knives,
the drawing rollers have a variable speed imparted to them according to
the number of teeth in the pinions d of the particular lower roller in
use, the
blanks being thus fed more or less quickly over the knives so that the slits are
made at greater or less intervals and longer or shorter "satchel " tubes produced.
This arrangement is indicated in Fig. 4.
The continuous tube of paper having been duly slit as described, is fed forward by
the drawing rollers d to the severing knife, the transverse slitting knives going
out of action for the time being.
The severing arrangement consists, of an upper and lower roller e, the lower roller
being provided with a serrated cutting knife el which works into a groove or way e²
cut in the upper roller e, although this arrangement may be reversed and the knife
be carried by the upper roller.
The rollers e sever the paper tube at intervals during their revolution so that
blanks as per Fig. 12 are produced in regular sequence and fed forward to the
diamond folding section of the machine more clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.
The diamond folding device, acting in conjunction with other parts, folds the
blank into the form shown in Fig. 13, that is to say into the first diamond fold,
in a manner to be hereafter described.
The
The bag as it leaves the severing rollers e passes to an oscillating carriage f
mounted on a shaft g and having a suitably formed top f. This carriage is
oscillated towards and from the severing rollers, by means of a connecting rod h¹
worked from the centre of an excentrically mounted disc see Fig. 4.
oscillating carriage f also carries a nipping plate i which is raised from and lowered
towards the top fl of the carriage by means of a reciprocating connecting rod k.
This connecting rod is attached to a bell crank lever pivotted at the forward
end of the bell crank pivotally engaging the lever 2 which lever is attached to one
side of the nipping plate i the lower end of the lever being connected to a hinged
link . A similar system of links sustains the opposite side of the nipping plate as
is usual. By this arrangement reciprocation of the rod k brings about the requisite
movement of the nipping plate i.
The connecting rod k is jointed by a link k¹ with the rod h¹ the link k¹ carrying at
its lower end a bowl k² working in a cam groove cut in the face of the excentrically

page_text: mounted disc h, so that the revolution of the disc h not only causes the carriage ƒ to
oscillate towards and from the severing rollers, but compels the nipping plate i to
approach and recede from the top f¹ of the oscillating carriage.
The severed tube of paper passing to the oscillating carriage f is caught between
the top f¹ and the descending nipping plate i during the swing of the carriage.
The diamond folders which are lettered are of the usual angular plate form
shown in the drawings and may be of sufficient size for the largest bag to be inade
on the machine.
To fulfil their object, it is necessary that both halves of the folders shall have a
movement towards and from the longitudinal centre of the machine, and also, that
the halves shall be free to turn or vibrate through a semi-circular path, from a
practically horizontal to a horizontal position and vice versa.
This result is brought about as follows.
The movable halves are secured to short shafts 12, supported in bearings or
carriers (³ formed on or attached to the upper ends of pivotted levers m so that any
motion imparted to the shafts 2 is communicated to the movable diamond halves 11.
The non-vibrating halves are secured by clips to reduced extensions of the
bearings or carriers ³ as indicated in plan view Fig. 7.
These non-vibrating halves hold down the lower web of the satchel tube whilst
the combined action of the various parts is folding the bag bottom, such halves
ensuring the formation of the under and leading angular fold as indicated in Fig. 13
of the drawings.
Both the vibrating and non-vibrating diamond halves are caused to move inwards
and outwards by means of the levers m which are pivotted at m¹ such levers being
actuated by cams n secured on the shaft g. During the revolution of the cams the
pivotted levers m are rocked on their centres thereby bringing about such inward
and outward movement of the diamond folders.
To impart movement to the vibrating halves of the folders we employ the
following means.
On the outer end of each short shaft 2 we mount small pinions o which gear with
racks p these racks and pinions o, p, being housed within the carriers ³. The
lower ends of the racks are flexibly connected by springs p₁ with short
spindles p2 carrying anti-friction bowls p³.
These anti-friction bowls p³ run on tappets pt (see Fig. 6A Sheet 6) carried by the
shaft g so that on the revolution of the tappets, the short spindles 2 guided by
the brackets 5 carried from the bosses po, are at times thrust upward, and acting
through and against the springs pl, operate the short racks p and consequently the
pinions o, thereby causing the requisite vibration of the inovable diamond folder
halves . The action of the tappets p is timed so that the movable diamond folder
halves shall commence their semi-circular movement just as the folders have
moved in to fold the bag to the form shown in Fig. 13.
The tappets p are provided with rims which guide the anti-friction bowls pa
as will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 7.
Acting in conjunction with the diamond folder halves are the forming
fingers qq and the presser plater and by the combined action of these means the
diamond fold shown in Fig. 13 is produced.
Upon a fixed shaft q2 are loosely mounted bearings q³ these bearings supporting
the forming fingers q q¹ which fingers are geared together by sector teeth so that
the finger q is caused to partake of any motion imparted to the finger q¹ (see
Fig. 6 Sheet 10).
These bearings q³, and consequently the fingers 9 q¹ are arranged to swing on the
fixed shaft towards and from the diamond folders by the following means
connected to the sleeve from the which the finger bearings are carried is a
link q jointed to a pendent rod q the lower end of this rod being connected to a
lever q which is attached at q7 to a fixed stud carried from the shaft g.
The lever q carries a bowl q³ working in a cam groove in the cam qº the revolution

page_text: of which causes the lever q to oscillate, raising and lowering the rod q which in turn
causes the fingers q q¹ to swing towards and from the diamond folders.
In addition to their swinging motion, it is necessary for the fingers q q¹ to slightly
revolve so as to cause the lower pronged ends q* to move from the position shown in plan
view Fig. 7 (where they diverge by about 90°), to a position parallel with each other,
and from such parallel position back again into the position shown in Fig. 7. To
effect this result, as before stated, the fingers q q¹ are geared together by sector teeth
and the finger q¹ carries a bowl q10 working in a cam groove q¹ formed in a cam glz
secured to the shaft q². Thus, as the fingers swing to and fro, the bowl q10 running
in the cam groove causes the finger q¹ to partially revolve, the finger q following, so
that the pronged ends q* turn towards and from each other.
The presser plate which folds down over the diamond halves 1, and
nipping plate and completes the formation of the bag bottom is carried on the
shaft and is actuated in the following manner.
The sleeve attached to the presser plater carries an extension 2 to which is jointed
the pendent rod which in its turn is connected to the lever 4 which is pivotted on
the fixed stud 5. The lever 74 carries a bowl 70 running in a cam groove +7 formed
in the cam 8 so that the revolution of the cam compels the lever 4 to oscillate
raising and lowering the rod and thereby vibrating the presser plate as
required.
Having described the mechanism for producing the diamond fold, at some length,
we will now endeavour to make clear to the reader the action of such mechanism in
producing the desired result.
The severed tube of paper, leaving the severing rolls in the form seen in Fig. 12,
is received by the oscillating carriage f and at once held by the descending nipping
plate the leading end of the bag being slightly distended or opened due to its
forward movement through the atmosphere so that the forming fingers can enter
the open end without difficulty.
The carriage with the bag blank, swings towards the diamond folders which at
once move in and enter the ways left at the sides of the paper tube, the prongs_q*
(which lie at an angle of 90 degrees to each other) immediately afterwards passing
into the open end of the bag whereupon the vibrating halves commence their semi-
circular movement.
Whilst the diamond folders and forming fingers are going through their operations
and the bag blank is held by the nipping plate i, the presser plate is caused to
oscillate or descend towards the diamond halves and nipping plate i and finish
the diamond fold, which is thus produced by the combined action of the various
parts.
The presser plate is cut away at the centre so as not to interfere with the action
of the forming fingers q q³.
The diamond folders when they have performed their function move outwards in
opposite directions from the bag and the longitudinal centre of the machine as will
be well understood.
Immediately the nipping plate i and presser plate r have performed their duty
and risen releasing the momentarily pressed bag the forming fingers (which still remain
in the angles of the leading end of the formed bag bottom) guide the bag to the bite
of the drawing rollers s.
During the swing of the forming fingers q q¹ towards the drawing rollers & the
bowl q10 running in the cam groove q¹¹, causes the forming finger q¹ to partially
revolve and the sector teeth on this finger gearing with similar teeth on the other
forming finger g compel such finger also to partially revolve, so that by the time the
drawing rollers & have taken a hold on the partially formed bag the pronged ends q*
of the fingers lie parallel and so pass out of the fold of the bag bottom towards the
advancing carriage f for the next bag blank.
The bag blank, in the exact form as shown in Fig. 13, is now fed along by the
drawing rollers s of the pasting and final folding section of the machine, towards the

page_text: revolving paste rollers t, t¹ from the upper of which the supply of paste necessary to
stick the two final folds is obtained.
The paste box u, which contains the supply of paste for transmission to the paster
or upper paste roller t, is clearly shown in Figs. 10 and 11 Sheet 9. It consists of an
inclined trough u¹ having a sliding plate 2 working in "vee' ways formed in the
bottom of such trough.
"
By adjusting such sliding plate u² by means of the adjusting screw u³ working in
the nut on the back of the plate u², towards or from the transferring roller us, the
amount of paste supplied to such transferring roller may be readily regulated.
To prevent the inner edges of the folded bag bottom from rising and to keep the
same as flat as possible whilst passing between the drawing rollers 8 and the pasting
rollers t, t¹ flat guiding strips 81 are employed, beneath which the folded bag is
arranged to pass.
These strips are continued past the paste rollers so as to prevent the bag blanks
from ronning round the paster roller t.
The upper paste roller t receiving its supply of paste from the transferring roller us
applies the same to the travelling bag blank, which, duly pasted, as in Fig. 13, passes
onward to the first folder v worked by the vibrating levers v centred at v².
As the partially formed bag is fed forward towards the first fold roller
descending vibration folder v strikes the bag blank on the line +
the
+ and
in conjunction with the rollers 1, vs produces the first final fold on the bag bottom.
exactly as shown in Fig. 14.
The descending folder takes the bag to the nip of the roller #1 and first fold top,
roller ³ between which the blank is duly folded, pressed and carried forward.
Leaving the roller the bag passes between the top fold roller 3 and a guide"
roller to the second and final folder w. To ensure the
passage of the bag between
the top roller v3 and the guide roller v guide strips v are arranged to project upward
between the roller and the guide roller v4.
*
The bag advancing between the 1st fold roller v³ and the guide roller over the
second guide roller is struck on the line *
by the 2nd final folder w
carried by the levers w¹ centred at to².
The action of this 2nd final folding lever is to fold the bag upon itself along the
line*
* and thus cause the bag to assume the form indicated in Fig. 15.
The descending folder v in this case strikes the bag, carrying the same down to the
nip of the guide roller and the second fold roller ve between which the bag is
completed, being finally folded, pressed, and delivered in the form shown in Fig. 15
on to the usual travelling felt. In passing along such felt the folded over bag
bottom is turned down into line with the body of the bag by a travelling cord so
that the bags travel to the drying cylinder in the form indicated in Fig. 16 as is
usual.
The vibrating levers v₁, w which carry the folders or folding bars v and w, are
carried on rock shafts 2 2 which are actuated by means of levers v to which carry
bowls running in cam grooves 200 formed in revolving cams 10 10, the
revolution of such cams causing the folding knives to vibrate at the required times
as will be readily understood. The cams 10 10 and side levers 7 w³ are more clearly
shown in Figs. 8 and 9 Sheet 8.
The whole of the revolving shafts and parts are driven from the main shaft by spur
gearing in the usual manner as is clearly indicated in the drawings and we have
thought it unnecessary to follow the several trains of spur pinions throughout the
foregoing specification.
When it is desired to adapt the machine for the purpose of making bags of another
size (a roll of paper of a suitable width having been got into position) the former is
altered by moving the strips 5 so as to produce a wider or narrower satchel tube the
drawing rollers are arranged to convey the tube more quickly or slowly past the
slitting and severing knives, and the relative positions of the cams 1010 on the shaft
adjusted so that the folding levers v, w, may act at the correct times as required.
The angles of the diamond halves are as before stated preferably sufficiently extended

page_text: to cope with the largest size of bag to be made so as not to necessitate change although
of course we may change the diamond balves for various sizes. Thus by these slight
adjustments and alterations the various sizes of bags within the scope of the machine
are produced.
The relative alterations in the speeds of the drawing rollers and parts necessary in
producing bags of different sizes it will be understood can readily be brought about
either by such an arrangement as is indicated in Fig. 4A or by the use of change
gearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we would have it understood
that we are aware that various separate and minor combinations comprised in our
improved machine, for producing certain operations necessary in forming a paper bag
of the indicated kind, are not in themselves new and we hereby make no claim thereto,
but we declare that what we claim is:
1) The general arrangement, construction and combination of mechanism, forming
the improved rotary paper bag making machine for making self-opening paper bags
in one or more sizes, acting in the manner, and substantially as hereinbefore set forth
and shown.
2) In a machine of the indicated nature for making self-opening paper bags in various
sizes the combination of the expansible former c with the indicated slitting and
severing mechanisms for producing various widths and lengths of "satchel " tubes, in
the manner, and substantially as hereinbefore set forth and shown particularly with
reference to Sheets 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings.
3) The improved method of actuating the movable diamond folder halves ¹, by
means of a sliding spindle worked from a tappet such as ps, in the manner, and sub-
stantially as hereinbefore set forth and shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings.
For the Applicants,
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 5, John Dalton Street, Manchester.