IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR HOLDING OR PACKING BOTTLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Packham, Telegraphic Engineer and Manufacturing
Chemist, and John Pelton, Grocer and Wine Merchant, both of Croydon, in
the County of Surrey, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
OR APPLIANCES FOR HOLDING OR PACKING BOTTLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Packham and John
Pelton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th March
1881.
JAMES PACKHAM, Telegraphic Engineer and Manufacturing Chemist, and JOHN
PELTON, Grocer and Wine Merchant, both of Croydon, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR HOLDING OR PACKING
BOTTLES."
This Invention has for its object to provide a substitute for straw, straw
envelopes, or other loose packing material employed as a separating medium or
buffer for enabling bottles to be quickly and securely packed for transport.
Straw as a packing material requires experienced and practical workmen to
ensure safe carriage of the bottles; it is also objectionable from its general
untidyness and from its continuously increasing valve, and also from the fact of
its not being usable for more than one journey.
Straw envelopes are expensive and occupy much time in packing and
unpacking.
Specially prepared packing cases have been so arranged as to avoid the use of
straw and other like materials by the employment of rigidly fixed partitions
adapted to form cells or chambers to separate and hold the bottles to be packed.
Such partitions have also been made to form a rigid framework to fit within a
case, or have been held at their ends in grooves in the case, so that they could only
be used with specially prepared cases.
According to our Invention we employ a series of thin flexible laths or strips,
connected together at alternate ends by metallic or other attachments in such
manner that they may when out of use be folded up, that is, made to lie close

page_text: together so as to occupy but a small space; or when placed into a box, case, or
basket for packing bottles, may be extended so as to form in it a number of
contiguous triangular compartments with the points of the triangles alternately in
opposite directions.
In packing the bottles a single bottle is to be placed in each compartment with
its neck end towards the point of the triangle, and each thin lath then forms a
division between the sides of two bottles lying together, with their bases in
opposite directions, that is, as known in the wine trade as neck to neck. Any
desired number of layers of bottles may be thus packed horizontally one above
.the other, a layer or sheet of some suitable material being interposed between the
successive layers.
The advantages obtained by packing bottles in this manner are,-
1st. That the compound zig zag folding divisions are adapted for use with any
commonly constructed outer case, box, or basket without grooves.
2nd. That in consequence of the case or box not requiring to be grooved to
secure the fixture of the divisions, the employment of complicated machinery for
forming such grooves is avoided, and a saving is also effected in the cost of
construction, and there is also a saving of material effected, as the boxes or cases
not requiring to be grooved may be made of thinner wood.
3rd. Greater facilities in packing are attained by the application of our
Invention, skilled hands are not necessary, greater rapidity is secured, and when
the articles packed have arrived at their destination, and the bottles have been
removed, the folding partitions may be also removed, and the case, box, or basket,
not being disfigured or injured is applicable for other use, and if desirable the
folding partitions can be packed up in a minimum of space and returned for future
use.
4th. By reason of the capability of our folding partitions being packed in a
small space they may be conveniently despatched or exported to far off destinations
at small cost.
5th. The folding partitions may also be used for dividing bottles in bins as well
as in cases, and so securing their safety when packed by preventing them from
rolling together or breaking by lateral pressure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Packham and John Pelton in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 16th September 1881.
JAMES PACKHAM, Telegraphic Engineer and Manufacturing Chemist, and JOHN
PELTON, Grocer and Wine Merchant, both of Croydon, in the County of Surrey.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PACKING OR HOLDING BOTTLES."
86
This Invention has for its object to provide a substitute for straw envelopes or
other loose packing material employed as a separating medium or buffer for enabling
bottles to be quickly and securely packed for transport.
Straw as a packing material requires experienced and practical workmen to
ensure safe carriage of the bottles; it is also objectionable from its general
untidyness, and from its continuously increasing value, and also from the fact of its
not being useable for more than one journey.
Straw envelopes are expensive and occupy much time in packing and
unpacking.
Specially prepared packing cases have been so arranged as to avoid the use of
straw and other like materials by the employment of rigidly fixed partitions adapted
to form cells or chambers to separate and hold the bottles to be packed.
Such partitions have also been made to form a rigid framework to fit within a
case, or have been held at their ends in grooves in the case so that they could only
be used with specially prepared cases.
According to our Invention we employ a series of thin flexible laths or strips
connected together at alternate ends by metallic or other attachments, in such
manner that they may when out of use be folded up, that is, made to lie close
together so as to occupy but a small space, or when placed into a box case, or
basket for packing bottles, may be extended so as to form in it a number of
contiguous triangular compartments with the points of the triangles alternately in
opposite directions.
In packing the bottles a single bottle is to be placed in each compartment with
its neck end towards the point of the triangle, and each thin lath then forms a
division between the sides of two bottles lying together with their bases in opposite
directions, that is, as known in the wine trade as "neck to neck." Any desired
number of layers of bottles may be thus packed horizontally one above the other, a
layer or sheet of some suitable material being interposed between the successive
layers.
The advantages obtained by packing bottles in this manner are,-
1st. That the compound zig zag folding divisions are adapted for use with any
commonly constructed outer case, box, or basket without grooves.
2nd. That in consequence of the case or box not requiring to be grooved to
secure the fixtures of the divisions, the employment of complicated machinery for
forming such grooves is avoided, and a saving is also effected in the cost of
construction, and there is also a saving of material effected, as the boxes or cases
not requiring to be grooved may be made of thinner material.
3rd. Greater facilities in packing are attained by the application of our
Invention, skilled hands are not necessary, greater rapidity is secured, and when
the articles packed have arrived at their destination, and the bottles have been
removed, the folding partitions may be also removed, and the case, box, or basket,
not being disfigured or injured is applicable for other use, and if desirable the
folding partitions can be packed up in a minimum of space and returned for
future use.
4th. By reason of the capability of our folding partitions being packed in a

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS,
Figure 1 is a plan of a box (seen open), and in which bottles are packed by.
means of our apparatus.
Figure 2 shows separately in plan a set of connected laths or strips a, a, such as
is employed in packing one layer or row of bottles in the box; the connected
laths or strips are spread out, as when receiving the bottles they form the walls of
angular compartments in which the bottles are placed. Figure 3 is a plan of the
same set of laths or strips closed together; Figure 4 is a side view, and Figure 5
an end view of the same. Thin wood is the material which we prefer to employ
with the laths or strips a, a, and we connect them together at their end by bands
of thin tin plate lapped around them, as seen at a¹, a¹, see Figures 4 and 4*.
Each metal band is fastened by a tack. The way in which the bottles are laid in
between the laths or strips is clearly seen in Figure 1. The elasticity of the laths
or strips aids to a great extent in retaining the bottles in their places.
To separate the bottles of successive rows which are laid one over the other, we
employ very thin boards of wood b, b; a plan of one of these boards is shewn at
Figure 6, and at end view at Figure 7, and Figure 8 is a front view of the stock of
bottles as it lies in the box, and as it would appear if the front of the box were
removed. The boards or strips of wood b are laid upon the cylindrical parts of the
bottles, and serve to support the bottles of the next row, as is seen in Figure 7.
The box may have blocks in it at c, c, in Figure 1, to prevent these boards from
.shifting. The blocks c may be nailed in place or they may be loose.
The same apparatus and arrangement is applicable in packing bottles in bins.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim the apparatus for
packing or holding bottles in boxes or bins, consisting of laths or strips a, a,
connected together by their end so as to form the sides or walls of a number of
angular compartments, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Packham, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
JAS. PACKHAM. (L.S.)