What was the typical description or shape of paper bags before Margaret Knight's innovation?
Answer
Flat-bottomed or "gusseted"
Prior to Margaret Knight's groundbreaking machine, the standard paper bags available for commercial use were typically flat-bottomed, a form often characterized by the term 'gusseted.' While these bags served the basic purpose of holding goods, they presented substantial practical inconveniences for both merchants and consumers. Because they lacked structural integrity when set down, these bags were difficult to keep open while filling, cumbersome to handle, and highly prone to tipping over once placed on a counter or floor. Knight's insight was specifically aimed at resolving this fundamental geometric failing by designing a mechanism that could produce a sturdy, self-supporting, flat-bottomed container.
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