APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE "MAKING-UP" OR PACKING OF SUGAR AND OTHER ARTICLES OF GROCERY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Francis at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th June
1859.
I, EDWARD FRANCIS, of Wrexham, in the County of Denbigh, Grocer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "APPARATUS FOR
FACILITATING THE "MAKING-UP" OR PACKING OF SUGAR AND OTHER ARTICLES OF
GROCERY AND OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object apparatus to facilitate the packing of sugar
and other substances in sheets of paper or other suitable material, and con-
sists of a table, immediately below the surface of which is fitted a die or
forming mould of an inverted conical shape, on the side of which is formed a
vertical or diagonal groove, in which a rod which passes through the bottom of
the mould, works up and down by the action of the foot of the operator and a
counter-weight or spring; the head of this rod is fitted with a small hook,
or by preference a pair of small gripping jaws, one or both of which may be
provided on the inner surface with barbs or small teeth. These gripping jaws
are so arranged that on their ascent they are open, and on arriving at or a
little above the surface of the table they close, taking hold of the edge of a suit-
ably shaped sheet of paper, or other suitable material, which is fed thereto in
the same way that sheets of paper are supplied to printing machines, which
by the down action is drawn into the mould by which the required form is

page_text: given thereto. Immediately above the mould or forming die a small hopper
is mounted, so that it is capable of receiving a vertical reciprocating motion,
and on one side of the hopper, and near thereto, is placed the scale of the
balance used to weigh the sugar or other substance capable of being packed,
in the same way. The weighing scale may be of such a form and mechani-
cally arranged, that the contents may be discharged into the hopper on the
down draught either by the action of the hand or foot of the operator.
After the sugar or other substance has been weighed and passed through
the hopper into the receptacle in which it is to be enveloped on the elevation
of the hopper, three or more horizontal sliding plates or folding flaps, or hori
zontal semi-revolving arms which come into play one after the other_by
the action of the foot of the operator, are used to close the open end of the
package, which is then elevated in the forming mould by the action of the
up-stroke of the rod, which carries down the paper.
This apparatus may be readily modified to be applicable to the packing of
dry substances in a square, cylindrical, or other form, by means of a matrix of
the required shape, fitted with a piston at the bottom for the purpose of dis-
charging the package when formed; in which case it is prefered to dispense.
with the nipping jaws, and to substitute suitably shaped plungers, upon which
the paper or other material to be used is folded, or upon which bags can be
placed. When vertical sided packages are to be formed, it is prefered to
construct the vertical sides of the forming mould so that they can expand and
contract laterally.