IMPROVEMENTS IN BAGS OR ENVELOPES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO CONTAIN SEEDS, FLOUR OR SIMILAR MATERIALS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN TOMLINSON, of 9 Red Lion Passage, Red Lion Square, in the County of
Middlesex,' Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BAGS OR ENVELOPES, CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO CONTAIN SEEDS,
FLOUR OR SIMILAR MATERIALS" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to bags or envolopes mado of paper or other suitable
material and chiefly designed to contain seeds, flour, or other materials in a finely
divided condition.
The bags or envelopes heretofore used for this purpose are made with a flap at
cach end, the flap at one end being folded over and secured by gum or other
adhesive substance, and the other flap coated or smeared on one side with some
adhesive substance, so that the said flap can be folded over and secured when
desired. But these flaps do not close the bag or envelope sufficiently to prevent
the escape therefrom at the corners of materials in the form of powder or in very
small particles. The object of my invention is to obviate this defect and to
provide a bag or envelope which can be tightly closed so that it will not permit
the escape of the material contained in it, however small may be the particles
thereof.
In carrying my invention into practice I unite with gum, or other adhesive
substance the two edges of the bag or envelope at one end thereof, and, in some
cases, also provide the said bag or envelope with a flap at this end, which flap
I fold over and.secure by means of some adhesive substance. I coat or smear with
adhesive substance the two edges of the bag or envelope for a short distance from
the other end thereof, so that these two edges can be firmly secured together when
desired. In some cases I also provide a flap at this end coated or smeared with
gum over the whole of one of its surfaces, so that it can be folded over and socured
when desired. By these means the bag or envelope can be closed so as to retain
within it materials in the form of very fine powder.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I, JOHN TOMLINSON, of 9 Red Lion Passage, Red Lion Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BAGS OR ENVELOPES CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO CONTAIN SEEDS,
FLOUR, OR SIMILAR MATERIALS" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
.
My invention relates to bags or envelopes chiefly designed to contain samples of
seeds, flour, or other substances in a finely divided condition.
Bags or envelopes as heretofore used for this purpose are usually made with a
flap at each end. One of these flaps is folded over and secured, by means of gum
or other adhesive substance, to the outer surface of the bag or envelope in the
manufacture thereof. The other flap is coated or smeared on one side with the
adhesive substance, so that it can be folded over and secured when the envelope is
to be closed. But these flaps do not close the bag or envelope in a sufficiently
tight manner to prevent the escape therefrom, at the corners, of flour, chemicals, or
other materials in the form of powder or in very small particles.
The main object of my invention is to obviate this defect and to provide a bag
or envelope which can be so tightly closed that it will not permit the escape of the
material contained in it, however small may be the particles thereof. For this
purpose, I apply gum or other adhesive material to the inner surfaces of the bag or
envelope at each end thereof, so- that these surfaces can be caused to firmly adhere
to each other and thus completely close each end of the bag or envelope, as
heroinafter set forth.
also provide the means hereinafter described for perinitting the impression of
postmarks or the like upon the envelope without the risk of injury to the same or
-its contents.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a plan shewing a piece of paper or other material ready to be folded
to form one of my improved bags or envelopes.
Figure 2 is a plan of the said bag or envelope.
Figure 3 is a plan of another bag or envelope made according to my invention,
and
Figure 4 is an edge view thereof.
Figure 5 is a plan shewing a modification of my invention.
In making a bag or envelope according to my said invention, the paper or other
material is cut to the shape shewn in Figure 1, for example, and the portion a and
flap al thereof are gummed and allowed to dry. The parts b, c are then gummed,
and the paper is folded on the lines 1, 2, so that the part b overlaps the part d as
shewn in Figure 2. These parts and the inner surfaces of the bag or envelope at c
are then caused to adhere together and the flap c is folded over and caused to
adhere to the outer surface of the bag or envelope. After the gum has been
allowed to dry, the bag or envelope is ready for use.
When the said bag or envelope is to be closed, the gummed inner surfaces
-

page_text: adhere together. The flap a' is then folded over and secured to the outer surface
of the bag or envelope. By these means, the bag or envelope can, as above stated,
bo.so tightly closed that it will retain within it flour.or other materials in the form
of very fine powder.
- I sometimes dispense with the flaps a³, c¹, and simply secure the two inner'
surfaces of the bag or envelope together at the ends thereof by means of adhesive
substance. An envelope without flaps is shewn in Figures 3 and 4. In either
case, I prefer to make a crease or fold in the envelope as shown at e in Figure 4, so
that, when the envelope is filled and closed, if the material contained therein should
press outward the sides thereof, there will be no tendency to separation of the
moistened, gummed surfaces, such as would exist if the envelope were not thus
creased or folded. This creasing or folding, moreover, facilitates the moistening of
the gummed surfaces inside the envelope without wetting the flour or other
material contained therein.
To prevent injury to the envelope or to the contents thereof, by the operation of
impressing the postmarks, I usually secure the two sides of the envelope together
for a considerable distance from the closed end thereof, for example, as indicated
by the dotted line 3 in Figuro 4. I thus strengthen this part and prevent the
entrance of the flour or other substance into the same. In some cases, however,
the paper or other material is so cut that the part designed to receive the impression
of the post-marks will consist of a single thickness of material, that is to say, it
will be an extension of one instead of both of the sides of the envelope. By these
means I greatly facilitate the operation of impressing the postmarks, as this
extension of the envelope is solid and has a flat surface which can be laid upon a
table or other rigid support. These extensions, therefore, serve in place of the
labels frequently used in connection with bags or envelopes for containing samples
of flour and similar materials. I sometimes print on the said extensions lines or
circles which enclose spaces for the postage stamps and post-marks, as shewn in
Figure 3.
'
This part of my invention is, obviously, applicable to other envelopes than those
herein before described.
I sometimes make the bag or envelope as shewn in Figure 5, so that it can be
easily opened by the postal authorities, for the inspection of its contents, and again
closed. For this purpose, I make a series of perforations f (of which there may be
any suitable number) at each side edge of the envelope near one end thereof; and
in these perforations, with the exception of those next the end edge of the envelope,
I insert eyelets. The inner surfaces of the envelope at this end thereof are gummed
as above described. When the envelope is to be closed, the sides thereof at this
end are caused to adhere together, and the envelope is then folded successively at
the dotted lines 4, 5, 6, so that the perforations of each series will coincide with
each other. An ordinary paper-fastener is then inserted and secured in each series
of perforations to prevent the unfolding of the envelope. When the envelope is to
be opened for the inspection of its contents, the paper-fasteners are taken out and
the gummed portion of the envelope is cut off, for example at the dotted line 4.
The envelope is subsequently closed by again folding the same as above described
and inserting the paper-fasteners. The said envelope will thus be kept com-
paratively tight although the gummed portion thereof has been removed.
Although I have hereinbefore described my improvements more particularly with
reference to sample bags or envelopes, they may, if desired, be applied to other
kinds of bags for holding flour or similar materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. A bag or envelope having gum or other adhesive substance applied to its
inner surfaces, as, and for the purpose, above specified.

page_text: Second. The improvements whereby I provido for permitting the impression of
postmarks or the like upon a bag or envelopo without risk of injury thereto or to
the contents thereof, substantially as set forth.
Third. The improved envelope manufactured substantially as described with
■reference to Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4, or Figure 5 of the drawings, for
the purposes specified.