A NEW AND USEFUL PAPER BAG MACHINE
Year: 1885

page_text: We, WILLIAM A. LORENZ and WILLIAM H. HONISS, both of Hartford, Connecticut,
one of the United States of America, and both inventors and mechanical engineers,
do bereby declare the nature of our invention for "A NEW AND USEFUL PAPER BAG
MACHINE," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This machine automatically manufactures a roll of paper, into square bottom
paper bags, at a high rate of speed.
Figure 1, of the accompanying nine sheets of drawings, is a plan view of a length
of tucked paper tube, manufactured by this machine at an intermediate stage of its
work, and called by us a blank; and Figures 2 and 3 are an end and a perspective
view, respectively, of the same blank. Figures 4 to 10 inclusive, are perspective
views of a series of transformations, which the blank undergoes in being made by
the machine into the completed bag shown in Figure 8. Figure 11 is a side view
of that part of the machine which manufactures a continuous roll of paper, into
continuous tucked paper tubing like that from which the blank of Figures 1, 2,
and 3 is severed. Figure 12 is a section, looking upward, on the line a, b, of
Figure 11. Figure 13 is a section on the line c, d, of Figure 12. Figures 1+, 15,
and 16, are sections on the lines e, f; g, h, and i, j, respectively, of Figure 11.
Figure 17 is a plan view of that part of the machine of which Figure 11 is a side
view. Figure 18 is a section on the line k, l, of Figure 11. Figure 19 is a side view
of part of that portion of the machine which manufactures continuous tucked paper
tubing into square bottom paper bags. Figure 20 is a plan view of the same part.
Figure 21 is a section on the line m, n, of Figure 20, looking towards the right.
Figure 22 is a side view of the reciprocating carriage, and mechanism connected
therewith. Figures 23 to 26, inclusive, are perspective views of the diamond folding
mechanism. Figure 27 is a side view of the right hand part of that portion of the
machine which manufactures continuous tucked paper tubing into square bottom
paper bags, this being the extreme right hand part of the entire machine. Figure 28
is an elevation of the right hand end of the machine. Figures 29 and 30 are
vertical sections on the line o, p, of Figure 28, looking in the direction of the arrow
adjacent to that line. Figure 31 is a side view of one of the side clips shown in
Figures 29 and 30. Figure 32 is an end view of a pair of said side clips.

page_text: The numeral 1 indicates a bag blank, severed from a continuous tucked paper
tube, and having two inwardly projecting tucks 2 and 3, and four longitudinal
slits 4, 5, 6, and 7; the tucks extending the entire length of the blank, and the slits
extending only a short distance into one end thereof, as shown in Figures 1 to 3.
The form which we call the diamond, is that shown in the right hand part of
Figure 4, and marked with the numeral 8, near its center. The ends of the diamond
are called flaps by us, and are marked 9 and 10, respectively. The numeral 11
indicates the place where one side of the diamond laps over the other side, in order
to prevent paste from entering the bag, and to make the bag smooth on the inside
of its bottom. A line of paste, 12, is placed on both sides of the lap 11, and across
one end of that lap in the location shown in Figure 5. The flap 9 is folded over
upon the middle rectangular portion of the diamond in Figure 6. In Figure 7 that
rectangular portion and that flap, are folded over upon the flap 10, and the bag is
thus completed. In Figure 8, the rectangular portion of the diamond, with both
flaps adhering to it, and now constituting, with them, the bottom of the bag, is
folded back to the position it occupied in Figure 6, and thus assumes the form in
which we prefer to pack it with others in bundles for sale or shipment. In Figure 9
the bag is partly opened out, and in Figure 10 it is entirely expanded.
The numeral 13 indicates a shaft, in the center of a continuous roll of paper,
which is firmly held thereon by the removable truncated cones 14 and 15; and
which shaft rests in upwardly opening bearings, in the outer ends of the brackets 16
and 17; which brackets are bolted to the frame of the machine, and support the
rack shafts 18 and 19, respectively. The slides 20 and 21 reciprocate on those
rack-shafts, respectively, and are provided with bearings for the support of the
shafts 22 and 23. The shaft 22 carries the roller 24, which roller is provided with
the fixed flange 25, and the shaft carries also the loose flange 26, which is pressed
against the adjacent end of the roller by the spring 27. The distance between the
two flanges is equal to the width of the rolled paper, and the center of this distance
is on a line with the longitudinal center of the machine. The shaft 23, is provided
with pinions 28 and 29, which mesh with the racks on the rack-shafts 18 and 19,
respectively. The friction pulley 30 is splined to the shaft 13, and its periphery is
pressed by the band 31, one end of which band is attached by means of the spiral
spring 32, to a post projecting from the slide 21, and the other end of which band
is attached by means of the spiral spring 33 to a post projecting from the bracket 17.
The guide roll 34 turns in bearings in the brackets 35 and 36, the latter of which
also supports the paste dish 37, and furnishes a bearing for the stud 38, upon which
the paste disk 39 revolves.
The numeral 40 indicates an apron attached to the larger end of the hollow
former 41. The corner rolls, 42 and 43, turn on pivots adjacent to the two sides of
the hollow former, at the places where the two diagonal edges of the apron are
joined thereto; and the tucking-in roll 44 turns on an inclined axis, under the
hollow former; while the pressing roll 45 revolves on trunnions which turn in
bearings in the head 40; which head has a projection 47, and is pivoted to the
upper end of the bracket 48. A bolt 49 is pressed upward against the projection 47,
by the spiral spring 50, the tension of which is adjustable by the set screw 51.
The former 41 is hollow throughout its length, except at its smaller end, and is
provided, at its larger end, with the outward opening 52, through which air is
continuously drawn by the fan 53, turned by the pulley 54, and the belt 55. The
former, 41, is equal in width throughout its length, as shown in Figure 17, and its
larger portion is uniform also in height, as shown in Figure 11. This rectangular
part has a series of openings 56, and 57, from the interior of the former, through
its bottom wall, on the two sides, respectively, of the longitudinal center of that
bottom. Each of these series of openings communicates with one of the series of
grooves 58 and 59, respectively, all of which are cut on the outer surface of the
bottom wall of the former, and extend diagonally backward from the openings with
which they respectively communicate, to the adjacent edges of that surface. The
upper and lower walls of the smaller part of the former converge to a junction, as

page_text: shown in Figure 11, but retain their full width; while the two side walls of the
Thus
same part converge towards a junction, but do not retain their full width.
the four walls of that part of the former, are so formed and fixed as to produce the
continually deepening and narrowing tuck recesses 60 and 61, the bottoms of which
may be flat, as shown in Figure 14 to 16, or may be concaved or otherwise outlined,
in cross-section. The inward openings 62 and 63 extend through the two tapering
side walls of the hollow former, respectively, and thus constitute direct communi-
cations between the two tuck recesses and the interior of that former.
The drawing rolls, 64 and 65, are shown in the right hand parts of Figures 11
and 17, and in the left hand parts of Figures 19 and 20, respectively. They turn
with the shafts 66 and 67, and those shafts are provided with equal gears meshing
together. The lower one of these gears meshes with the gear 68, which is driven
by the fixed pulley 69, on the stud 70, and which pulley is driven by the belt 71
in the direction indicated by the arrow, adjacent thereto in Figure 19. A loose
pulley 72 is on the stud 70, adjacent to the fixed pulley 69. The cutting rolls 73
and 74, turn with the shafts 75 and 76, respectively, and those shafts are also
provided with equal gears meshing together; and the lower one also meshes with
the gear 68. The severing knife 77 extends lengthwise across the periphery of the
cutting roll 73, and cuts against the elastic pad 78, which is embedded lengthwise
in the opposite periphery of the roll 74. The double slitting knife 79 is also fixed
to the roll 73, adjacent to the cutting knife, and so placed as also to cut against
the pad 78, and to produce the slits 4 to 7 in the blank of Figures 1 to 3.
The carriage 80 reciprocates on the ways 81 and 82, and carries a presser plate 83,
a lifting plate.84, and a pair of tuck arins 85 and 86; which arms are provided
with the triangular ends 87 and 88, and the triangular tuck-wires 89 and 90,
respectively. The carriage travels between two side folder plates 91 and 92, which
swing downward upon the carriage when it is in its forward position. A concave
plate 93 is placed in front of the carriage, and adjacent to the cylinder, to direct the
presented end of the tucked paper tube on the carriage, upward upon the cylinder's
periphery. The turning fingers 94 and 95, 96 and 97, are rigidly fixed to brackets
extending upward from the frame of the machine, one of each pair of said 'fingers
being on the opposite side of the carriage from its mate, and the last mentioned
pair being somewhat longer than the other. The carriage 80 is driven by one or
more connecting rods 98 and 99, cranks 100 and 101, and gears 102 and 103, which
gears derive continuous rotary motion from the train of intermediate gears 104, 105,
106, 107, and 108, which latter gear meshes with the gear which is keyed to the
shaft 76.
The presser plate 83 is pivoted on ears to the carriage 80, at the point indicated
by the numeral 109 in Figure 19, and at a corresponding point on the other side of
the carriage 80, and is worked by duplicate mechanism on both sides of the
carriage, each set of which mechanism consists of the arm 110, the rock-shaft 111,
the arm 112, the connecting rod 113, the slide 114, the spring 115, the roller 116,
and the cam 117. This cain, and its duplicate on the opposite side of the machine,
are fixed to the crank pins of the cranks which work the carriage, and operate
against the action of the spring 115 and its duplicate, and are so shaped as to rock
the shaft 111, and thus raise and lower the presser plate, at the times hereinafter
mentioned.
The lifting plate 84 is pivoted to the carriage 80, at the point indicated by the
numeral 118 in Figure 19, and at a corresponding point on the other side of the
carriage, and is lifted and lowered alternately by the roller 119 running on the cam
rail 120.
Each of the tuck arms 85 and 86, is pivoted to a vertical rock-shaft 121, and is
made to vibrate, with that shaft, by means of the arm 122, the roller 123, the
switch cam 124, and the springs 125 and 126, the special function of the spring 126
being to draw the two switch cams together after the two rollers 123 have passed
their ends.

page_text: The side folder plates 91 and 92 are both shown in Figures 20, 24, and 26, and
one of them appears in Figure 19, as hinged to a bracket 127, which projects from
the cross bar 128; from which also, on the other side of the machine, the bracket
projects which carries the other plate. The mechanism that works both of these
plates is shown in Figure 21, but that part thereof which works the plate 91 is
omitted from Figure 20, because it is merely a counterpart of what works the
plate 92. Each working mechanism consists of the sector 129, the sector ended
lever 130, the roller 131, and the cam 132, and both are worked by the shaft 133,
and the gear 134; which gear meshes with the gear 135; and receives motion
therefrom.
The vibrating finger 136, is attached to the shaft 137; which shaft is worked by
the bevel pinion 138, and the bevel gear 139; and which gear is attached to the
hub or fulcrum end of the sector ended lever 130, so as to rock with the vibrations
of that lever.
The presser roller 140 turns with the shaft 133, and presses the paper blanks
down upon the periphery of the cylinder 141, which turns with the shaft 142, and
receives motion through the gear 135, from the gear 106.
The cylinder 141 is provided with a series of three grippers, 143, 144, and 145,
arranged, at equal distances apart, around the central zone of its periphery, and
rocked on shafts extending through the cylinder, parallel with its axis, and near its
periphery, and closed and opened by dogs, on the ends of those shafts, colliding with
studs 146 and 146ª, respectively, fixed in the adjacent frame work.
This gripper
motion on a cylinder is similar to those used on printing presses, and therefore
needs not to be more particularly described. The cylinder 141 is also provided
with three pairs of side grippers, 147, 148, and 149; each pair of which is pivoted,
as shown at 150 in Figures 31 and 32. The lower end of each gripper of each pair
is provided with a pin engaging with a spiral cam groove, which encircles the
cams 151 and 152, respectively, and which cams are fixed to the shaft 153, and
which shaft passes through the cylinder 141, parallel to its axis, and is worked by
a dog 154, colliding with studs 155 and 1550, respectively, fixed to the frame of the
machine. The presser plugs 156 and 157, worked by springs in opposite directions,
press against one side or the other of the angular projections which extend sidewise
from the pivoted point of those grippers, respectively, and thus keep them opened
or closed as they may have been left by the operation of the cams which open and
close them.
The pasting roll 158 turns with the shaft 159, which is turned by the gear 160,
meshing with the gear 135. The pasting roll consists of a segment of a disk, the
periphery of which has two parallel pasting surfaces, connected at one end by
a curved transverse continuation of both. The distributor roll 161 turns on the
shaft 162, with its edge in a basin of paste, and applies paste to the pasting roll
whenever the pasting surfaces of the latter are in contact therewith. To prevent
the paste from being applied to the surface of the cylinder 141, when no bag blank
is present, the periphery of the cylinder is provided with two grooves, 163 and 164.
These are somewhat wider than the working surfaces of the pasting roll, and are
directly under them, and are connected by a curved continuation of both, to match
the transverse connection of the two pasting surfaces.
The bifurcated folder blade 165 turns with the rock shaft 166, and is worked by
an arm and rod from the lever 167; which lever derives a vibratory motion, at
proper intervals, from the cam 168, on the shaft 169; and that shaft is driven by
the gear 170, meshing with the gear 135. The bar 171 extends from side to side
of the frame of the machine, in the place indicated in Figures 27, 28, and 29.
The rocking box 172 is fixed to the rock shaft 173, and is worked by an arm
and rod from the lever 167, which lever vibrates the folder blade 165, and the
rocking box 172, alternately, to and from each other, as shown in Figures 29
and 30.
The pinching blade 174 is fixed to the rock shaft 166, between the two parts of
the folder blade, and on the opposite side of that shaft.

page_text: The tape roller 175, turns with the shaft 169, and two other tape rollers 176
and 177 turn with the shafts 178 and 179, respectively, and are worked by the
gears 180 and 181; which gears derive their motion through the intermediate 182,
from the gear 135. The tape 183 runs on the rollers 175 and 176; while the
tape 184 runs on the roller 177 and on the small tape roller 185. The plate 186 is
fixed, as shown in Figures 27, 28 and 29, to guide the presented end of the paper
blank from the cylinder to the tapes
The feeler 187 and the hook 188, are both pivoted to the end of the arm 189, on
the shaft 169, and are pressed outward by the spring 190. One of the recesses, 191,
in the cylinder 141, receives the feeler as it revolves with the shaft 169, whenever
there is no paper blank upon the cylinder to prevent the feeler entering that recess.
In that event the hook 188 is forced outward by the spring 190, and collides with
the dog 192, on the rock shaft 193. That shaft is thus forced to oscillate, and,
through the arm 194, the rod 195, the bell crank 196, and the rod 197, to depress
the catch 198. That depression allows the spring 199 to work the shipper rod 200,
and that rod shifts the belt from the fixed pulley 69 to the loose pulley 72, and thus
stops the machine, whenever either of the recesses 191 in the cylinder 141, is not
covered by a paper blank.
The general mode of operation of this machine is as follows:
The paper is continuously drawn from the roll of paper, around the rolls 24
and 34, over the apron 40, and around the former 41, by the drawing rolls 64
and 65; and is kept constantly in position with its longitudinal center on a line
with the longitudinal center of the former 41, by means of the flanges 25 and 26,
which flanges are kept constantly in contact with the adjacent part of the borders
of the ends of the roll of paper, by means of the roller 24, which continually and
evenly advances toward the shaft 13, as the roll of paper is unrolled. This advance
decreases the tension on the springs 32 and 33, and thereby diminishes the retarding
power of the band 31, as the roll of paper lessens in diameter: a result rendered
desirable by the corresponding diminution of the momentum of the mass of rolled
paper, and the corresponding shortening of the leverage, with which the unrolled
portion of the paper pulls upon the paper roll to unroll it. As the paper passes the
paste disk 39, it receives a continuous line of paste on one of its borders, as
indicated in Figure 11; and that border is tucked under the other, by the tucking-
in-roll 44, after the corner rolls 42 and 43 have folded the paper closely around the
sides of the rectangular part of the former 41, and defined the two lower corners of
the rectangular untucked paper tube, and while the borders of the paper are being
drawn up against the bottom of the former 41 by suction, caused by the fan 53,
and exerted from the inside of the hollow former, through the openings 56 and 57,
and along the grooves 58 and 59. The two borders of the paper are then pre-sed and
pasted together by the presser roll 45, and a rectangular paper tube, coincident in
cross section with the rectangular part of the former 41, is thus produced. That
rectangular tube is drawn down into the tucked form shown in Figure 1 to 3, by
the suction which is exerted from the inside of the former, through the openings 62
and 63, and which operates to make the paper enter the tucked recesses 60 and 61.
The openings 50 and 57, and the grooves 58 and 59 may be dispensed with, but
the openings 62 and 63, and the suction operating through them, are quite
important.
The continuous tucked paper tubing is delivered by the drawing rolls 64 and 65
to the cutting rolls 73 and 74, and the latter rolls operate to sever it into blanks
like that of Figures 1 to 3, and to deliver those blanks, one by one, to the carriage SO,
at the moment of such severance, and soon after the carriage begins its forward
stroke. As the carriage moves forward, the presser plate 83 presses the blank down
upon the carriage at that part of its length indicated in that behalf in Figure 24,
thus causing its forward end to gap open, as shown in that Figure. Then the
triangular ends 87 and SS of the tuck arms, together with the triangular tuck
wires 89 and 90 enter the respective tucks of the blank, as shown in the same
Figure; by which time the carriage has advanced far enough to raise the lifting

page_text: plate 84, up against the lower side of those triangular ends, and to make those
triangular wires collide with the turning fingers 96 and 97, respectively, and those
fingers thus force those wires to oscillate into the positions shown in Figure 25.
That oscillation, in combination with the downward pressure of the presser plate 83,
and the triangular ends 87 and 88, operates to open out the forward end of the
blank into the box-like form shown in the last named Figure. Then the vibrating
finger 136, strikes the inside of the forward wall of that box-like form, at the center
of its border, and forces that wall outward; while the side folder plates 91 and 92
fold down from the position shown in Figure 25 to that shown in Figure 26, and,
completing the work begun by the vibrating finger, press the box-like form down
into the diamond form shown in Figures 4 and 26. By this time the tuck arins 85
and 86 are withdrawn from all contact with the blank, and the presser plate is
lifted enough to release the bag therefrom. As the carriage returns for another
blank, the turning fingers 94 and 95 restore the tuck wires 89 and 90 to their
former positions, as shown in Figure 23.
The blank of Figure 4 is directed to the upper side of the cylinder 141, by
the concave plate 93, and the forward extremity thereof is seized and held by the
gripper 143, 144, or 145, as either may be adjacent, while one of the three pairs of
side grippers press downward upon the borders of the blank, about midway to its
other end, as indicated at q, q, in Figure 5. Then as the cylinder 141 revolves, it
carries the blank under the pasting roll 158, which roll applies the double line of
paste 12 to the diamond. Then the center gripper is opened and the forward
extremity of the blank springs outward from the periphery of the cylinder and
over the bar 171 of Figure 27. Thereupon the bifurcated folder blade 165 descends
from the position shown in Figure 30, to that shown in Figure 29, and strikes the
blank on its borders outside of the paste line 12, and along the dotted line r, r, of
Figure 5, and thus folds the blank over into the form of Figure 6, by tucking it
between the bar 171, and the cylinder 141. The revolving cylinder 141 then carries
the forward end of the blank of Figure 6 into the rocking box 172, whereupon that
box folds the blank over on the line 8, 8, of Figure 6 into the form of Figure 7. At
that time the pinching blade 174 enters the box 172, and presses upon the fold
which has been made by the folder blade 165. Then the side grippers are released
from the blank, and the blank is directed by the plate 186 to the tapes 183 and 184,
and by them is ejected from the machine, or is transferred to a drying apparatus
not shown in this application.
Whenever the machine is stopped automatically by the feeler 187, entering an
uncovered recess 191, or is stopped intentionally by other means, the momentum of
the paper roll may make it continue to unroll a short time; but in that case the
spring 33 will immediately reroll it in the act of equalizing the tension between it
and the spring 32, which tension is always made unequal, when the machine is in
operation, by means of the friction of the pulley 30 being exerted on the band 31
in the direction indicated by the adjacent arrow.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we jointly claim is
1. A former for making tucked paper tubing, constructed substantially as
described, and combined with pneumatic mechanism, substantially as described, for
forcing the walls of the tubing into substantial conformity with the shape of the
former.
2. The combination of the hollow former 41, having the outward opening 52,
and the inward openings C2 and 63, with mechanism for drawing air from the
interior of the former.
3. The combination of a former having a rectangular part, corresponding in
cross-section with the untucked paper tube formed thereon; with the rolls 42
and 43, for guiding the paper to the former, and for defining the two lower corners
of the rectangular untucked paper tube, all substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The combination of a former, having a rectangular part corresponding in
cross-section with the untucked paper tube formed thereon; with the inclined
apron 40, joined to the former; and with the rolls 42 and 43 for guiding the paper
from the apron to the the former, and for defining the two lower corners of the
rectangular untucked paper tube; all substantially as described.
5. The combination of the roller 24; the two slides 20 and 21; the two racks 18
and 19; the shaft 23; and the two pinions 28, and 29; substantially as described.
6. The combination of the roller 45%; the head 46; the bolt 49; and the
spring 50; substantially as described.
7. The combination of the carriage 80, operated by the connecting rod 98, the
crank 100, and the gear 102; with the presser plate 83, operated by the connecting
rod 113, the cam 117, and the spring 115; substantially as described.
8. The combination of the carriage 80; the switch cams 124; the springs 125;
and the tuck arms 85 and 86; substantially as described.
9. The combination of the finger 136, and the shaft 137, both rocking substan-
tially as described; with the carriage 80, reciprocating substantially as described;
all operating to deliver the forward end of the diamond, to the cylinder 14];
substantially as described.
10. The combination of the pinching blade 174, and the rocking box 172; both
operating together to flatten the fold at the line rr; substantially as described.
11. The combination of the cylinder 141; the feeler 187; the hook 188; the
spring 190; and the arm 189; all operating together in such a way as that when
the point of the feeler enters one of the recesses 191; the said mechanism will
stop the machine by shifting the belt to the loose pulley 72, through intermediate
mechanism substantially 'as described.
Dated this second day of November 1885.