US3081929A - Bag closure with unravel preventing means - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1963 R. J. WILLIAMS ETAL 3, ,929

BAG CLOSURE WITH UNRAVEL PREVENTING MEANS Filed Aug. 5, 1957 1 FIG. I.

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United States Patent 3,081,929 BAG CLOSURE WITH UNRAVEL PREVENTING MEANS Russell J. Williams, Clayton, and Charles V. Brady, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to Bemis Bro. Bag Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Aug. 5, 1957, Ser. No. 676,250 9 Claims. (Cl. 229-63) This invention relates to bags, and more particularly to unravelable stitch type closures for bags.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of unravelable stitch type closure constructions for bags, and particularly for multiwall paper bags, which may be easily unraveled to open the bag without the use of any tools, and which are practical and virtually foolproof; the provision of closures of this character which, while being easily opened when desired, are strong closures, adapted to withstand strains resulting from dropping or other rough handling of the bags; the provision of closures of this character adapted for unraveling of the entire line of stitching in one piece with assurance that there will not be any thread particles that may contaminate the contents of the bag; and the provision of closures of this character which are economical in respect to manufacture. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible. embodiments of the invention are illustrated, FIG. 1 is a view in elevation ofone end of a bag having a closure of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the upper right corner of the bag shown in FIG. 1;

' FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of the upper right corner of the bag shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the initial step in the opening of the bag;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating a modification;

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of the upper right corner of the bag shown in FIG. 4 illustrating the initial step in the opening of the bag;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged cross section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a view in elevation of a corner of a bag showing another possible modification; and,

FIG. 8 is a view in elevation of a corner of a bag showing still another possible modification.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a multiwall paper bag having an end closure of this invention is indicated at 1. For simplicity, the bag is shown as a two-ply bag, the inner ply being designated 3 and the outer ply 5. It will be understood that a multiwall bag usually will have more than two plies. As shown, the bag is a gusseted bag, the gussets being indicated at 7. The closure includes a paper tape 9 folded around the end of the bag. The tape may or may not be pasted to the bag. If it is pasted to the bag, the paste is applied along its side margins in narrow stripes. A line of stitching indicated at 11 is driven through the tape and through the walls of the bag securing together the walls adjacent the end of the bag. When the tape has its margins pasted to the bag by narrow stripes of paste, the line of stitching is located outward of the stripes of paste. The

' length of the tape 9 is greater than the width of the bag,

and the tape has end portions 13 and 15 which extend past the side edges of the bag. The stitching 11 extends completely throughout the length of the tape and, as shown, may be driven through a narrow paper ribbon 17 located on the side of the bag which is referred to as the needle side, this side being the side which faced the needle of the sewing machine employed for stitching.

In accordance with this invention, the stitching at 11 is of a single thread readily unravelable chain stitch type. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the single thread used for this stitching is designated 19. As will be understood by those conversant with the art, the stitching is formed by feeding the bag with the tape 9 folded around the end of the bag through a sewing machine having a needle which drives loops 21 of the thread 19 through the bag, thereby forming needle holes 23 in the bag, the loops extending from the needle side of the tape 9 through the needle holes to the other side of the tape, each loop being laid over on the said other side and extending through the preceding loop 21. This type of stitching is unraveled with ease by taking hold of that end of the thread which is at the trailing end of the stitching in relation to the passage of the bag through the sewing machine, this being the end of the thread at that end of the stitching in the direction in which the loops are laid over (the right .end of the stitching as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6 of the drawings herein). It will be understood that unraveling proceeds by successively pulling out the loops 21, the pulling out of each loop freeing the next loop so that it may be pulled out.

Further in accordance with this invention, the stitching 11 is anchored against unraveling at a point between that end of the tape 9 from which unraveling: progresses (its right end as viewed in the drawings) and the adjacent side edge of the bag (the right side edge of the bag). As

r shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this anchoring is effected by folding the end portion 15 of the tape which projects which is located somewhat outward from the side edge of the bag. The end portion 15 is folded over on the needle side of the bag. The adhesive 25 is preferably located inward from the very end of the end portion of the tape so that the very end of the tape may be readily grasped to rip the folded-over portion 15 away from the bag when it is desired to open the bag, and also to leave a short portion of the stitching which lies outward of the adhesive and is free of adhesive for easy grasping.

With the end portion 15 of the tape 9 folded back and adhered to the bag as above described, and hence with the end portion of the stitching from which unraveling progresses folded back with the tape and anchored to the bag, unraveling of the stitching such as might occur in the absence of any anchoring thereof is prevented even under severe strains such as may occur due to dropping or other rough handling of the bag. It will be observed that the thread is anchored to the tape at a point outward of the side edge of the bag, which means that the anchor is not subject to severe strains which, when the bag is dropped, come on the portion of the stitching which extends from one side edge of the bag to the other. With the anchor so located it is also insured that there will be no unraveling whatsoever of the stitching inward past the side edge of the bag such as would open up the bag and cause loss of its contents.

To open the bag shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, all that needs be done is to take hold of the folded-over end portion 15 of the tape 9 and pull it away from the bag so that it extends laterally outward free of the bag as illustrated in FIG. 3, then to take hold of the end of the thread on 3 the needle side of the bag and pull it. The thread will readily pull out of the adhesive 25 on the tape and then may be quickly unraveled and pulled out of the bag as one continuous length of thread without any possibility of loose bits or pieces of thread contaminating the contents of the bag, as is desirable for certain products, in particular food products for human consumption and animal feed. It will be understood that suitable instructions as to the pulling of the end of the tape and the pulling of the end of the thread may be printed on the bag.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modification which is in all respects the same as that of FIGS. 1 and 2 except that the end portion 15 of the tape, instead of being folded back on a line parallel to the side of the bag, is folded back on a line 29 angled outward at a 45 angle in the direction away from the end of the bag. FIG. 5 illustrates the end portion of the tape of the FIG. 4 bag as it appears when pulled free of the bag and made to extend laterally outward.

FIG. 7 illustrates another possible modification in which the end portion 15 of the tape is not folded back, being left to extend laterally outward from the side edge of the bag, and in which the stitching is anchored by means of a spot of adhesive 31 applied to the tape outward of the side edge of the bag and inward of the end of the tape. To open the bag in this case, it is simply necessary to grasp and pull the end of the thread.

FIG. 8 illustrates another possible modification similar to FIG. 7 except that instead of using a spot of paste for anchoring the stitching, there is used a staple 33 driven through the tape from the needle side and clinched around the stitching outward of the side edge of the bag and inward of the end of the tape. To open the bag in this case, the end of the thread may be pulled to pull the thread through the staple and release the thread loops to the left of the staple.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A bag having a member extending out from one side edge at one end thereof, a line of stitching driven through the walls of the bag and through said member and securing the walls together adjacent said end of the bag, the stitching being of a single-thread readily unravelable chain stitch type as to which unraveling progresses from one end thereof, the stitching extending to the outer end of said member and being unravelable from its end at the outer end of said member, and means releasably securing the thread to said member at a point between the outer end of said member and said side edge of the bag, the portion of the thread from said one end of the thread to said point being free to be released from said member, said means anchoring the thread against unraveling beyond said point until said portion of the thread is released and pulled to disengage the thread from said memher at said point, continued pulling of the thread resulting in unraveling thereof across the bag.

2. A bag as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means comprises adhesive.

3. A bag having an end closure constituted by a tape folded around the respective end of the bag and a line of stitching driven through the tape and through the walls of the bag and securing the walls together adjacent said end of the bag, the stitching being of a single-thread readily unravelable chain stitch type as to which unraveling proresses from one end thereof, the length of the tape being greater than the width of the bag and the tape having an extension beyond one side edge of the bag, the stitching extending to and terminating at the end of said extension of the tape and being unravelable from its end at the end of said extension of the tape, and means releasably securing the thread to the extension of the tape at a point between said end of the extension and said side edge of the bag, the portion of the thread from said end of the thread to said point being free to be released from the tape, said means anchoring the thread against unraveling beyond said point until said portion of the thread is released and pulled to disengage the thread from the tape at said point, continued pulling of the thread resulting in unraveling thereof across the bag.

4. A bag as set forth in claim 3 wherein said means comprises adhesive.

5. A bag as set forth in claim 3 wherein said extension is folded back on the bag and said means comprises adhesive securing said folded-back extension to the bag.

6. A bag as set forth in claim 5 wherein said extension is folded back on a line generally parallel to the side edge of the bag.

7. A bag as set forth in claim 5 wherein said extension is folded back on a line which is angled outward in the direction away from the end of the bag.

8. A bag as set forth in claim 3 wherein said extension is free of the bag and said means comprises a spot of adhesive applied to the thread and the extension.

9. A bag as set forth in claim 3 wherein said extension is free of the bag and said means comprises a staple driven through said extension and clinched around the stitching.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims (1)

1. A BAG HAVING A MEMBER EXTENDING OUT FROM ONE SIDE EDGE AT ONE END THEREOF, A LINE OF STITCHING DRIVEN THROUGH THE WALLS OF THE BAG AND THROUGH SAID MEMBER AND SECURING THE WALLS TOGETHER ADJACENT SAID END OF THE BAG, THE STITCHING BEING OF A SINGLE-THREAD READILY UNRAVELABLE CHAIN STITCH TYPE AS TO WHICH UNRAVELING PROGRESS FROM ONE END THEREOF, THE STITCHING EXTENDING TO THE OUTER END OF SAID MEMBER AND BEING UNRAVELABLE FROM ITS END AT THE OUTER END OF SAID MEMBER, AND MEANS RELEASABLY SECURING THE THREAD TO SAID MEMBER AT A POINT BETWEEN THE OUTER END OF SAID MEMBER AND SAID SIDE EDGE OF THE BAG, THE PORTION OF THE THREAD FROM SAID ONE END OF THE THREAD TO SAID POINT BEING FREE TO BE RELEASED FROM SAID MEMBER, SAID MEANS ANCHORING THE THREAD AGAINST UNRAVELING BEYOND SAID POINT UNTIL SAID PORTION OF THE THREAD IS RELEASED AND PULLED TO DISENGAGE THE THREAD FROM SAID MEMBER AT SAID POINT, CONTINUED PULLING OF THE THREAD RESULTING IN UNRAVELING THEREOF ACROSS THE BAG.

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