Improvements in Paper Bag Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th July, 1894-Accepted, 15th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Paper Bag Machines.
We, WILLIAM BURRAGE PURVIS, of 336 Lombard Street, in the City and
County of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Inventor, and JAMES EYRE HAYS, of 519 Linden Street in the City and
County of Camden, State of New Jersey, United States of America, Lawyer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to machines for forming or folding the ends of paper tubes
into the proper folds for making the bottoms of paper bags, and is especially
concerned with the formation of a satchel square bottom from a bellows side fold
tube.
A bellows side fold tube is a tube of paper having the sides folded in like a
bellows. The end of this bellows folded tube is shaped or creased into a square
bottom so that a bag of rectangular cross section is obtained.
To form this satchel square bottom on the end of the tube the faces of the paper
are drawn apart so as to shape the end of the tube into a square box shape, forming
in the bellows side folds angular creases or diamond folds. The faces which are
provided with slits upon their ends are then drawn out into the same plane at right
angles to the length of the tube, the sides are folded in, and the drawn out faces
with the flaps formed by the slits in their ends are folded over upon the folded
sides and pasted, thus forming the finished satchel square bottom on the end of the
paper tube.
Heretofore it has been proposed to form the satchel square bottom upon a bellows
side fold tube by means of appropriately constructed perforated suction formers,
between which the sections of the paper tube have been conducted by suitable
carriers, the suction through the perforations of the formers drawing out the
paper of the end of the tube and breaking it into the proper creases or folds.
In the present invention, instead of moving the paper tube between the stationary
formers, the tube is carried by reciprocating formers which are caused to
move apart or open up during the reciprocation and thus break into the proper
creases or folds the paper which adheres to the perforated formers by the suction
created in them.
We shall now describe the construction of the machine.
In a suitable frame are guided two reciprocating carriers located one above the
other. To each carrier at its front is hinged a suction former, consisting of two
hollow sections hinged together and provided with perforated faces. Each section
of the formers is connected by a flexible tube with a suction pipe with which
suction is created by any suitable device, as a fan. The carriers and their suction
formers are located one above the other and separated so that the paper tube
sections may lie between them. By suitable feeding devices the tube sections are
fed between the carriers and their formers.
The carriers are then brought together by suitable mechanism so as to clamp and
firmly hold the paper tube leaving the end, which is to be formed into the bottom,
lying loosely between the two section formers. By suitable mechanism, such as a
rocking lever or levers, the carriers are reciprocated forward, carrying with them
the paper tube. As the carriers and their formers reciprocate, the hinged formers
are caused to move apart, and the two sections of each former are caused to
change their angular relation to one another. When the carriers and their
formers have partially completed the reciprocation, the sections of the formers
occupy a substantially rectangular relation. These movements of the formers are

page_text: As
caused by suitable cams which act upon the formers as they reciprocate.
the faces of the paper which lies between the formers adheres to the perforated
faces owing to the suction, these faces are drawn out and the end of the tube is
broken first into the square box shape. This forms in the bellows sides angular
creases or diamond folds.
As the reciprocation of the formers continues, the cams, acting upon the sections
of the formers, open them out fully, into a position transverse to the carriers, so as
to draw out the paper of the tube from the square box shape into a plane
transversely to the length of the tube. At the same time the side portions of the
paper are folded over by hinged folding wings, carried by the carriers and operated
by cams or fingers so as to fold over upon the opened suction formers.
The carriers by which the body of the paper tube is held are then automatically
unclamped so as to release the tube, which, with its partly formed bottom, is taken
from the formers by suitable stripping devices and carried to the final pasting and
folding rollers. By these devices the flaps formed by the drawn out faces are
pasted and folded one upon the other making the finished bottom.
To assist in the formation of the preliminary box shape on the end of the bag,
auxiliary fingers may be employed, adapted to move into the bellows side folds and
more perfectly form the angular side creases or diamond folds. These fingers are
pivoted to the suction formers and are acted upon by suitable mechanism as the
formers are reciprocated, so that they are caused to swing over the faces of the
formers adjacent to the sides, thus acting upon the bellows side folds of the paper
and more perfectly forming the angular creases or diamond folds.
To properly feed the tubes to the carriers suitable feeding rollers may be
employed with mechanism to separate the rollers to positively release the tube at
the instant it is clamped by the carriers.
If desired, a blast of air may be blown into the end of the paper while it is
being opened by the formers, to assist the suction of the formers in making the
proper folds.
The tube feeding rollers, bottom formers, and final pasting and feeding rollers are
driven by suitable power devices, and are preferably connected by gearing or
power transmitting connections, so as to be properly timed in the relative
operations.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1893.
WILLIAM BURRAGE PURVIS.
JAMES EYRE HAYS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Paper Bag Machines.
We, WILLIAM BURRAGE PURVIS, of 336 Lombard Street, in the City and
County of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Inventor, and JAMES EYRE HAYS, of 519 Linden Street, in the City and County
of Camden, State of New Jersey, United States of America, Lawyer, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The invention relates to machines for forming the bottoms of paper bags, and
particularly to that class of machines designed for forming what is known as a
satchel square bottom on a bellows side fold tube.
The formation of a bag bottom of this character has presented many difficulties
owing to the peculiar manner in which the paper must be creased and folded; and

page_text: the present invention is designed to impart to the paper the necessary creases and
folds and to form the bag bottom neatly and with rapidity.
In carrying out the invention we employ movable suction formers, between
which the end of the paper tube which is to be folded is carried, and by means of
suitable mechanism we cause these formers to move apart so that the paper of the
end of the tube, which adheres to their suction faces, is opened up and folded in
the manner required.
In connection with these moving suction formers we may, and preferably do,
employ auxiliary folding and creasing devices which act at proper times to assist
the suction of the moving formers in opening, creasing and folding the paper.
Other parts of my improvements relate to the devices for feeding the cut paper
tube sections to the bottom forming devices, and also to the device for clamping
and holding the tube sections while their ends are being folded by the bottom
forming devices and releasing the sections when the bottom forming devices have
completed their operations.
The invention also embraces many improvements in construction and in com-
bination of parts, all of which are hereinafter fully set forth and claimed. Reference
being had to the accompanying drawings in which :
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a paper bag machine embodying our improvements;
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of the machine;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine;
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line - of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the detached bottom
formers;
Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the suction formers partially open;
Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the suction formers on the
line y-y of Fig. 5;
Figs. 8 and
are similar views on a rednced scale showing different positions
assumed by the suction formers;
Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are perspective views of the paper tube illustrating
different steps in the formation of the bag bottom;
Fig. 15 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the final folding and pasting
apparatus showing a construction which may be employed for adjusting that
apparatus to suit paper bags of different sizes; and
Fig. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Fig. 4 showing the bottom
formers in the position of delivering the tube sections to the final folding and
pasting apparatus.
A is the main frame of the machine. B is the tube forming apparatus adapted
for forming the paper into the bellows side fold tube. This apparatus may be of
the usual well known construction, and as it forms no part of the present invention
has not been shown in detail. B B are the flattening feed rolls of the tube
former, by which the bellows side fold tube made on the tube forming apparatus is
fed to the cutters B2, B³, by which it is cut in the proper sections. These
cutters B2, B, preferably consist of a stationary cutter B2 and a revolving
cutter B³, but as they form no essential part of the present invention they may be
varied in any way desired.
B³, B, are the stripping rolls which take the cut tube sections from the cutter B2
and convey them to the feed rolls B, B, by which the sections are fed to the
bottom forming or folding devices. These bottom forming or folding devices
consist of the suction formers H, H, which may be hinged to the carriers C, C.
The carriers C, C, are two transversely arranged frames located one above the
other and adapted to be reciprocated back and forth in the machine.
For the purpose of reciprocating the carriers C, C, I have shown a lever D
connected with the carriers and operated through a link E by a crank E² on a
shaft e.
The suction formers H, H, are hinged as at to the carriers C, C, and consists
each of two sections H' and H2 hinged together as at h' and provided with perforated

page_text: suction faces d', d². The tube sections from the feed rollers B, B+, are fed
between the carriers C, C, with the ends which are to be formed into the bottoms
of the bag lying between the suction formers H, H. The paper tubes when thus
fed with their ends between the formers H, H, are clamped by suitable clamping
devices so as to hold the body of the paper firmly while the formers H, H, are.
operating on the free end, and these clamping devices are arranged to be released
when the formers have finished their operations upon the paper.
The preferable construction which we employ for thus clamping and releasing
the tube sections is described hereafter.
"
G is a guide or feed chute arranged between the feed rollers B, B*, and the
formers H, H, through which the tube sections are guided between the formers.
I are flexible tubes connecting each of the sections of the formers H, H, with a
suction flue J, in which suction is created by any convenient device, such as a fau
or blower. During the reciprocation of the formers H, H, with the carriers C, C,
the sections H', H³, and H2, H2, are caused to move apart and change their relative
angular positions so that the paper, which adheres to their perforated faces by
reason of the suction from the flue J, is broken or folded into the proper creases.
These movements are imparted to the suction formers by means of cams M, N,
and M, N, located respectively above and below the formers, against which the
sections of the formers are held by means of springs f,, so that during the
reciprocation of the formers with the carriers C, C, the sections H', H', and H2, H²,
are caused to move apart and fold the paper.
In Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, the successive positions assumed by the formers under the
action of the cams M, N, are shown, and in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, are shown the
different positions assumed by the end of the paper tube under the action of these
moving formers. The sections H¹ and H of the formers may be provided
respectively with fingers L and O adapted to run in contact with the faces of the
cams M, N, and these fingers may be provided with friction rollers / and o.
R, R, are folding wings hinged as at r on each side to the carriers C, C, and
adapted to be folded over upon the faces of the open suction formers H, H. These
wings are acted upon by the cam arms S, S, arranged in front of the machine,
so as to fold down the wings R, R, upon the open formers when the carriers C, C,
are moved forward.
R' are springs acting on the wings R to normally hold them open. The
wings R, R, may be provided with cain pieces R2 adapted to make contact with
the cams S, S.
The partially folded paper tube is stripped from the formers H, H, and passed
through final folding and pasting devices, which may be of any convenient
construction. Many forms of these devices are known in the art but for the
purpose of illustration we have shown one form of folding and pasting devices.
As shown these devices are as follows:
C is a gripping roller arranged in front of the formers H, having a gripping
jaw c¹ of well known construction adapted to grip the flap of the partially folded
paper tube and strip the tube from the formers H, H, the gripping jaw being
operated by a cam in the well known manner. C is a feed roller acting in
connection with the roller C to strip the tube from the formers and feed it
between the rollers C, C, by one of which paste may be applied to the partially
formed bottom. C' is a flattening roller in the rear of the lower roller C, and
C8 is a second flattening roller below the same roller Co,
D' is the first folder for folding over the first end flap upon the bottom and
directing the bag between the rollers C6, C7.
D2 is a second folder for folding over the second end fold upon the bottom and
directing the finished bag between the rollers C, C, whence it may fall to a
carrier D³. The folders D' and D2 are reciprocating plates carried on rocking
arms D operated through rods D³ from cams D on the shaft of one of the
rollers, as C.
V, V, are two pivoted folding fingers carried by each former H adjacent to

page_text: the hinge point between the sections H1, H2, and movable across the face of the
sections adjacent to their edges when they are partially opened up. These movable
folding fingers enter the sides of the partially open bellows side fold and assist the
suction of the opening formers in shaping the diamond side folds and in breaking
the paper into the box shape shown in Fig. 12. These fingers V, V, are shown
pivoted, as at v², upon frames or supports carried by the sections H2. V₁, V', are
springs acting on the fingers, as upon pins carried thereby to normally hold the
fingers out. Ware spring pins carried in the frames and adapted to engage the
fingers V, V, and hold them locked against the action of the springs V, VI, when
the fingers are turned in. These pins are normally held out of action by the rear
portions of the fingers V which exten over the pins when the fingers are in
inoperative positions as shown in Fig. 5. When, however, the fingers are moved
upon their pivots so as to throw their front ends over the faces of the former
sections, the rear ends are moved from over the pins W, which are projecte l'
forward by their springs and enter notches or recesses in the rear of the fingers.
Ware projections located in front of the formers H, H, adapted, when the
formers reach the end of their forward reciprocation, to strike the extended ends
of the springs w, which carry the pins W, and depress them, retracting the pins W
and permitting the fingers V, V, to be moved back by the springs Vi
Xare hooks or fingers carried by the stationary frame of the machine, adapted
to catch or strike the rear ends of the fingers V, V, as they are carried forward by
the formers and throw the outward ends of the fingers over the face of the
formers, so as to enter the sides of the paper tube. These fingers or hooks X
are so located that they will act upon the fingers V when the formers reach that
position in their movements that they are in the act of opening up the paper tube
to form the square box shape. At this moment the hooks engage the ends of the
fingers Vand move their outer ends inward over the paper in the angular or
diamond side folds. This movement of the fingers V into the open sides of the
paper tube assists the suction of the formers in properly shaping the creases and
prevents rumpling of the paper. The instant the fingers V, V, are thus moved
in by the hooks X they are locked by the spring pins W and remain locked until
the formers H, H, have reached such a position that the projections W' strike the
projecting ends w of the wires, and thus retract the pins W and permit the fingers V.
to return to their normal position under the actions of the spring V
For the purpose of clamping the paper tube section while it is being operated
by the opening suction formers H, H, any suitable device may be employed. We
prefer to clamp the paper between the carriers or frames C, C, and for this purpose:
we employ the following construction.
The upper carrier, or frame, C is hinged at the rear to the lower carrier, or to a
common frame, as at c, with sufficient space intervening to admit the paper tube
sections. The other end of the carrier is free to fall with its edge in contact with
the lower carrier so as to clamp the paper tube between the two edges (see dotted
lines in Fig. 7).
C is a projecting arm carried by the upper carrier. (2 is a dog pivoted to the
lower carrier C, or to the frame which carries it. One of these parts, as C¹, is
provided with a pin or lug c', and the other, as C2, with a notch c² adapted to
engage the lug e', thereby holding the movable frame or carrier C in a raised
position, as is shown in full lines in Fig. 7. The dog may be held normally
raised by a spring C³. O' (Fig. 4) is a spring dog carried by the frame A. of the
machine, or by a suitable bracket thereon, located above the dog C² and in position
to strike it when the carriers C, C, commence their forward movement.
spring dog O¹ is held against movement forward but is free to swing back against.
the action of its spring. When the carriers start to move forward after the paper
tube has been fed between them, the dog O' strikes the dog C² and releases it from
the arm C, permitting the upper carrier to drop and clamp the tube, as shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 7.
The
O2 is a stop located at the front of the machine in position to strike the arm C

page_text: and thereby lift the upper carrier C to unclamp the paper tube. When the upper
carrier C is thus lifted the dog C2 snaps into engagement with the arm C¹ and
locks the upper carrier in its raised position. When the parts move back the
dog C² strikes the dog O' and pushes it aside without being operated by it, so that
the carriers C, C, remain locked open, as shown in full lines in Fig. 7, in position
to receive the next paper tube.
For the purpose of positively releasing the tube sections when they are fed to
the carriers C, C, so that there may be no back pull upon them, we prefer to
construct the feed rollers B, B, so that they will act to positively release the
tube. For this purpose the shaft of the upper feed roller B' is journalled in sliding
boxes p carried by the arms P, P, which are intermittently reciprocated by bell
cranks P¹ operated by cams P2 on a shaft f¹ (see Figs. 2 and 4). By this means
the upper feed roller B is intermittently lifted to positively release the paper tube
which is being fed between the rollers. The operation of the parts may be so
timed that the releasing of the tube by the roller B will take place at the moment
it is clamped by the carriers C, C.
To prevent the wrinkling of the paper when the tube is stripped from the formers
and passes to the final folding and pasting devices, we employ a smoothing plate Q
which reciprocates back and forth over the partially folded end of the tube when
it has reached the form shown in Fig. 13. For the purpose of reciprocating the
smoothing plate Q, I have shown it carried upon a rock shaft Q which is operated
from a cam Q2 on the shaft of the roller C through an arm Q³. By this means
the smoothing plate Q is reciprocated back and forth so as to move in contact with
the folded bottom of the tube as it is stripped from the formers, keeping it flat and
preserving the folds made by the suction formers. P is a guide plate adjacent to
the stripping roller C which acts to guide the flap of the folded tube to the rollers.
The outer edge p' of this plate P4 may be rounded or turned.
The particular manner in which the power is imparted to the various parts
of the machine is not material, but for the purpose of illustration we have
shown the following power transmitting devices and connections:
A is the driving pulley on the main driving shaft a whence the various
movements are imparted to the different operative parts of the machine through
suitable power transmitting connections. From a gear wheel A2 on the shaft a
motion is transmitted through a suitable train of gears A³, A' to the driving
gears A, A of the rollers B and B³ respectively, and from a pinion D' on the
shaft of one of the rollers B³ motion is transmitted through the intermediate
gear D to the driving gear D' of the feeding rollers B. From a pinion F' on the
shaft motion is transmitted through intermediate gear F2 to the driving gear F³ of
a counter shaft f'; and from the driving gear F³ to the gear F* on the crank
shaft e by which the lever D is operated. From the driving gear F³ on the shaft f¹
power is transmitted through the train of intermediate gears G' to the driving
gear G² of the stripping roller C³, which, through the gear G³, drives the gripping
roller C. Through an intermediate gear 9, gears G of the rollers C, C and C³
are driven from the gear G². The swinging cutter bar B is operated from
elliptical gears H on a longitudinal counter shaft h³, driven by bevel gears H³
from a counter shaft hand gear H operated from the gear A² on the driving
shaft. a.
As I find that in some cases an intermittently acting suction through the
perforated faces d', d' of the formers H'H' is advantageous in forming the paper
into the proper folds, I employ a damper in the flue J and this damper is vibrated
by a cam Jon the shaft f¹, the rapid vibration of the damper in the flue producing
a rapid pulsatory action in the suction.
We shall now describe the operation of the machine:
The paper from the usual roll is formed into a bellows side fold by the tube
forming apparatus B in the usual well known manner. This tube passes under the
rollers BB', over the stationary cutter B2, and is cut into the proper lengths or
sections by the moving cutter B³. The tube sections thus cut are taken from the

page_text: cutters by the rollers B³, B3 and are delivered to the feed rollers B', B' by which
they are fed through the chute G between the frames C, C to the formers H, H,
with their ends which are to he formed into the bottom of the bag lying between
the perforated faces of the sectional suction formers. The instant the paper tub
reaches this position the reciprocation of the frames C, C through the action of
the lever D commences. The dog on the lower carrier C strikes the dog (
and is disconnected from the arm C', so that the upper carrier C drops with its
forward edge in contact with the forward edge of the lower carrier C, clamping
the paper of the tube between the two carriers. At the same time the upper feed
roll B is lifted by the arms P so as to positively release the paper and prevent
the possibility of any drawing back. The paper tube thus clamped is carried
forward by the carriers C, C and as the former sections H1, H2 move forward
they are guided apart by the cams M, M, N, N, the cams M, M. acting on the
forward sections H' and the cams N, N, on the rear sections H2. The former
sections are first opened as shown in Fig. 6 and the paper which adheres to the
perforated faces of the formers is drawn up from the condition shown in Fig. 10
to that shown in Fig. 11, the end being partially opened. As the forward
movement continues the formers are still further moved by the action of the
cams M, N, and their sections assume an approximately right angular position as
shown in Fig. 8 drawing the paper of the tube into the square box shape shown
in Fig. 12. While the formers are being moved into this position, however, the
projections or hooks strike the rear ends of the fingers V and move them into the
expanding sides of the bellows fold, assisting the suction of the formers in breaking
the paper into the square box shape and forming the diamond side folds incident
thereto. When these fingers are thus turned in by the projections or hooks they
are locked by the spring pins W. As the formers continue to move forward the
cams open the outer sections H' as shown in Fig. 9, drawing the paper of the tube
from the square box shape shown in Fig. 12 to the condition shown in Fig. 13.
While this operation is taking place the side wings R, R, are acted upon by the
cams S, S and are folded in laterally over the open faces of the formers so as to
fold down the faces of the paper into the condition shown in Fig. 13. When the
paper tube is thus folded the formers have reached the end of their reciprocation,
and the projecting ends w of the wires, which carry the spring pins W, are struck
by the projections W' to retract the pins from engagement with the finger V and
permit the fingers to move back under the action of the springs V₁. At the same
time the projection or stop 2 strikes the arm C¹ of the upper carrier C and
elevates it so as to unclamp the paper tube. At this time the dog C snaps into
engagement with the arm C' and locks the upper frame cr carrier C in its
raised position. The lower flap of the folded bottom of the paper tube is seized by
the gripping jaw of the roller C₁ and is stripped from the formers; and as it.
passes from the formers the smoothing plate Q reciprocates over the folded bottom
keeping it flat and preventing wrinkling. The tube then passes between the final
folding and pasting devices and is operated upon in the usual and well known manner.
The paste is applied by the pasting roller the flap is folded over by the first.
folder D' directing the bag downward between the rollers C6, C7 where it is acted
upon by the second folder D2 which folds over the second flap, and directs the bag
between the rollers C8, C, whence it falls in a finished condition and is carried off
and dried. Meanwhile the formers H, H, and the carriers C, C move back into
their first position and receive the next paper tube, when the operation proceeds as
before.
When the suction formers of the machine are changed to construct bags of a
different size it becomes necessary to adjust the stripping devices so that they may
be located in proper position to act upon the larger or smaller bag bottoms. For
this purpose the stripping, pasting and final folding devices may be arranged in a
movable frame L' (see Fig. 15) which may be raised or lowered in the stationary
frame A so as to elevate or lower the stripping rollers in a proper position to take
the bag sections from the formers.

page_text: For the purpose of illustration we have shown worms L' engaging with
racks L³ on the movable frame L', by means of which the frame L' may be raised
or lowered.
The invention is not limited to any details of construction shown for the purpose
of more clearly illustrating the improvements, as it is evident that these details
may be varied without departing from the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
First. The paper bag machine constructed and operating substantially in the
manner described and shown.
Second. A paper bag machine having sectional suction frames which are moved
apart and have the angular relations of their sections changed to form the paper
into the proper folds.
Third. The mechanism for moving the suction frames apart and changing the
angular relation of their sections.
Fourth. The auxiliary folding fingers V acting in conjunction with the suction
frames.
Fifth. The side folding wings R, R, acting in conjunction with the suction
formers.
Sixth. The reciprocating smoothing plate Q acting on the folded bottom as the
bag section is delivered from the suction formers.
Seventh. The clamping devices for clamping the bag sections between the suction
formers and releasing them when the proper folds have been formed.
Eighth. The suction formers consisting of the hollow perforated sections H1, H2
hinged together.
Ninth. The mechanism for operating the auxiliary folding fingers V.
Tenth. The intermittently separated feeding rollers for delivering the tube
sections to the bottom forming devices.
Philadelphia June 28th 1894
Signed in the presence of:
H. L. MOTHERWELL.
Hм. L. EVANS.
WILLIAM BURRAGE PURVIS.
JAMES EYRE HAYS.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.