Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1887
- Complete Left, 29th June, 1887. --
Complete Accepted, 29th July, 1887.
I JOSEPH COOK of 7 Carver Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows :-
This invention has for its object an improved device for closing the lids of boxes
and other such like articles by which great strength and compactness are combined
with remarkable efficiency and simplicity in construction. The invention is specially
applicable to such small articles as pocket match boxes and I will therefore explain it
as applied thereto :—
I construct the lid of the box so as to have either in combination with the hinge or
separately a block of metal formed like a blunt hook and so secured thereto as to hang
over the inner edge of the box when closed but when open it stands either in a line
therewith or slightly outside the line. Inside the body of the box I mount a tube or
case containing a spiral spring through which a rod passes having a stop or piston at
the bottom so that the spring is encased between the piston or stop and an inner ledge
at the top of the tube or case. This rod continues upwards and finishes with a hook
either slotted or solid which is cranked to pass over the rounded nose of the lid so that
when the lid is open the cranked part of the nose of the rod thereof still retains its
hold upon the nose upon the lid. The action is peculiar for while the lid is held
firmly and steadily open immediately it commences to close the leverage upon the nose
increases as it travels and the lid is closed with a powerful pull and so held. This
device takes but little room inside and is certain and lasting in its action.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: I JOSEPH COOK of 7 Carver Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object an improved device for closing the lids of boxes and
other such like articles by which great strength and compactness are combined with
remarkable efficiency and simplicity in construction. The invention is specially
applicable to such small articles as pocket match boxes and I will therefore explain it
as applied thereto.
I construct the lid of the box so as to have either in combination with the hinge or
separately a block of metal formed like-a-blunt hook and so secured thereto as to hang
over the inner edge of the box when closed but when open it stands either in a lino
therewith, or slightly outside the line. Inside the body of the box. I mount a tube
or case containing a spiral spring through which a rod passes having a stop or piston
at the bottom so that the spring is encased between the piston or stop and an inner
ledge at the top of the tube or case. This rod continues upwards and finishes with a
hook either slotted or solid which is cranked to pass over the rounded nose of the lid
so that when the lid is opened the cranked part of the nose of the rod thereof still
retains its hold upon the nose upon the lid. The action is peculiar for while the lid is
held firmly and steadily open immédiately it commences to close the leverage upon
the nose increases as it travels and the lid is closed with a powerful pull and so
held. This device takes but little room inside and is certain and lasting in its
action.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into
practice I have appended hereunto a sheet of drawings showing the invention applied
to a match box which will make the principle sufficiently clear to enable others to
extend its application to other similar articles.
Figures 1 are side and front elevation of the principal portion of the device A
separate from the box.
Figure 2 shows the device A placed in position in the box B with the lid C open.
Figure 3 shows the device A in its position in the box B but with the lid C
closed.
Figure 4 is a plan of the device as seen at Figure 2 but with a portion of the lid C
broken off so as not to impede the view.
Figure 5 is a section on line D. E. showing the mode of attaching the device A to
the box B.
It will be seen that the lid C is hinged at c¹ to the block of metal
with the hollow or recess c³ in which the point a' of the hook works.
which is formed
This block c³ is

page_text: soldered or otherwise fastened inside the lid or formed in any convenient manner
strongly as a part of the lid. The device A consists of a part casing or tube a² with
the horns a³ and at which go behind corresponding projections 61 and 62 which are a
part of or soldered or fastened to the inside of the box B or the tube or casing A
inay be simply soldered to the box B but I prefer the former because the device may
be manufactured separately and added to or removed from box at any time. The
point a¹ of the hook is united to the stem or rod as through the bent sides a which
leaves the hollow or hole a' in which the block c works. The casing A has a solid or
fast top end as against which the spring a abuts and the rod a passes through the
end a loosely and through the spring and finishes at the bottom with an enlargement a¹º.
The action is as follows:-When the lid A is open the point a¹ of the hook a bears in
the hollow or recess c³ or the block cat a point slightly to the left of pivot c¹ or in.
such a position as to tend to hold the lid open. Now immediately the lid is pressed
over by the fingers in the direction of closing the hollow c³ moves around the centre c¹
until it is brought to the right hand side of the pivot c¹ when the fall of the spring a³
tends to close it and the full strength of the spring is exerted at the longest leverage
when the box is quite closed as seen at Figure 3. "By this means the tendency for the
lid to gape open a little is avoided..
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
then is :-
The improved device for closing the lids of boxes and other such like articles of a
hook a¹ operated by a spring upon a nose or block around a pivot c¹ so as to increase
the leverage when the lid is closed substantially as herein set forth.
0011 1
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