In what year did Margaret Knight initially file for the patent for her machine to make square-bottomed paper bags?
Answer
1870
Margaret Knight successfully identified the need for and designed the complex machinery required to produce square-bottomed paper bags, which represented a significant leap in packaging technology over the existing gusseted style. She formally submitted her application to the patent office to secure the intellectual property rights for this innovative machine in the year 1870. This initial filing marked the official start of the legal battle she would have to undertake, as the patent office initially rejected her claim based on a prior, less sophisticated patent held by Charles Annand from 1858, which she ultimately overcame to secure her own patent in 1871.

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