Tea or other Substances of a like Nature.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 7th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 8th July, 1887.
Tea or other Substances of a like Nature.
I ARTHUR ANDREWS of No. 3 Elysium Row in the Town of Calcutta, merchant
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an improved chest or receptacle for
the packing storing and transporting of Tea and other substances requiring to be
protected from injury by air and water and which receptacle shall be light and strong
and so simple in its construction as not to require the services of any further skilled
labour than an ordinary Tea Garden mistry for its construction.
The disadvantages of the ordinary wooden Tea Chest lined with thin sheet lead as
at present used for the packing of Tea are its first cost, great weight and bulk
(which increases freight and dock charges) and want of uniformity, rendering
impossible the attainment of an uniform tare of packages of tea and the like.
According to my invention I construct a case of sheet Iron or other suitable metal
of a thickness sufficient to supply the necessary strength according to size of the
package. If it be required to make the packing case of Tin and of the same
dimensions as a full sized Tea Chest it will be of course necessary to join several
plates of tin together in the manufacture of a Box if, however sheet iron be employed
a full sized sheet may be constructed with three plates only. If the cases be con-
structed of Iron plates the inside should be lined with paper pasted or gummed to
the Iron and the outside of the case should be either covered with paper or painted
so as to prevent rust. The metal sheets composing the chest or case may be con-
nected together by being folded over and hammered down, no solder or rivets being
requisite. Or the plate forming the bottom of the chest may be of sufficient size to
extend say from one half to three quarters of an inch outside the four sides of the
chest and the projecting edges of this bottom plate bent at right angles, so that the
sheet with the edges thus bent will exactly fit in the end opening formed by the
four sides of the sheet into which opening it is forced until the upper part of the
bent edges are about a quarter of an inch from and within the edge of the metal
forming the said sides of the chest and the bottom is secured to the sides by rivets
or other suitable fastenings passing through the bent edge of the end or bottom

page_text: and the sheets of metal forming the sides. The overlapping edge or edges of the
sheet or sheets forming the sides of the chest is or are then turned over the
turned up edges of the bottom plate and hammered down tightly so as to make
the joint between the turned up edges of the end, and the four sides of the chest
watertight. To form the top of the chest the upper edge of the sheet or sheets of
metal forming the sides are bent over and against the inside surface of the chest
the width of the portion bent over being about one and a half inches. About an inch
in depth of the edge thus bent over is hammered close to the sides, so as to increase
the strength and rigidity of the chest and the remaining half inch is turned up from
the sides so as to form a V shaped trough or bed to receive the edge of the top or
lid of the chest which lid or cover is made to rest and fit closely into such trough
or lid so as to make an air and water tight joint. The top or lid is formed of a
separate sheet of metal cut to a size about one inch and a half larger on all sides
than the opening to be fitted. The edge of this piece of metal is bent downwards and
then upwards so as to form a rim of two thicknesses of metal the lower edge of which
rim fits into the V shaped trough or bed above described whilst the outer edge of
the lid projects about half an inch above the surface of the metal forming it, and
the hollow thus left is filled by a piece of wood of suitable size and thickness nailed
screwed or secured therein by other suitable means. The lid so constructed fits tightly
in the upper end of the sides of the Case and rests in the V shaped trough or bed
above described the upper surface being flush with the upper edges of the sides of
the chest and may be secured in position by nails driven through holes made for that
purpose in the upper edge of the sides and into the wooden portion of the lid or top.
In place of the V shaped trough herein before described the turned in edge of the
metal forming the sides of the box may be bent up at a more obtuse angle than the V
so that when the pressure of the lid comes upon the turned up edge it may give
somewhat and yet retain a position at right angles to the side of the chest. In this
case the lid is made close fitting but flush and without the downward projecting rim
above described and in order to make it more air tight it may have a strip of Jute
cloth or other suitable fabric nailed round the edge.
A suitable sunk metal or other handle may be let into the wooden cover of the lid
to facilitate the lifting off of the lid after the nails are removed from the sides, a
similar piece of wood may if considered advisable be fastened into the recess formed
in the lower end of the chest so as to bring the surface of that end flush with the
lower edges of the sides but this is not necessary.
The chest thus formed is very much lighter and thinner and consequently less bulky
than the ordinary lead lined wooden Tea Chest and a saving of freight is thus effected
the weight is from the nature of the material used absolutely uniform and the chest from
its peculiar construction although light is very much stronger and less liable to injury
in transit than the ordinary Tea chest. Another great advantage which the package
above described possess over the ordinary wooden Tea chest is the facility with which
it can be used for the storing of Tea during the process of manufacture which precedes
the final firing of the Tea for which the chests are frequently used. When the ordinary
lead lined wooden chests are used for this purpose it is necessary in order that the Tea
while waiting for the final firing operation should be kept in a receptacle which excludes
air, to partially solder down the lead lining which involves loss of time and expendi-
ture of labor and solder and also the damaging to a greater or less extent the lead lining.
Chests constructed according to this Invention can be used for this purpose without
any further closing than the mere putting on the lid as the projecting edge or rim
thereof fits closely into the V shaped trough or bed and thus excludes the air and
keeps the Tea perfectly for the time which it is necessary to store it.
T
J. HENRY JOHNSON,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the said Arthur Andrews.

page_text: Tea or other Substances of a like Nature.
I, ARTHUR ANDREWS of No. 3 Elysium Row in the Town of Calcutta, Merchant
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an improved chest or receptacle for
packing storing and transporting of tea and other substances required to be protected
from injury by air and water and which receptacle shall be light and strong and so
simple in its construction as not to require the services of any further skilled labour
for its construction than an ordinary Tea Garden mistry.
The disadvantages of the ordinary wooden Tea chest lined with thin sheet lead
as at present used for the packing of Tea, are its first cost, great weight and
bulk (which increases freight and dock charges) and want of uniformity, rendering
impossible the attainment of an uniform tare of packages of Tea and the like.
According to my invention which I will proceed to describe with reference to the
accompanying drawings I construct a case of sheet iron or other suitable metal of a
thickness sufficient to supply the necessary strength according to size of the package.
If it be required to make the packing case of tin and of the same dimensions as a full
sized Tea Chest it will be of course necessary to join several plates of Tin together in
the manufacture of a chest, if however sheet iron steel or like metals be employed a
full sized chest may be constructed with three pieces only, viz. one piece to form the
four sides and one piece each for the top and bottom of the chest. If the chest be
constructed of iron or steel plates the inside is preferably lined with paper pasted or
gummed to the iron or steel and the outside of the case either covered with paper or
painted so as to prevent rust, or the chest or the sheets composing it may be dipped in
molten lead or tin or the like the surfaces being previously prepared in the known
manner for the purpose of receiving the metal. In constructing a metal chest
according to my invention I take a sheet of metal of the requisite size to form the
body or four sides of the chest and bend about inch of each of the opposite ends
thereof in reverse directions as shewn at a Figure 1 and then bend the sheet at the
parts indicated by dotted lines so as to form a square tube as shewn by Figure 2, the
turned over ends being locked or hooked together and hammered down onto or
otherwise flattened against the side of the tube thereby forming a vertical seam at
about the centre of one of the sides of the tube. The tube thus made constituting the
four sides of the chest, is then placed on or over a suitable block so as to leave
projecting above the surface of the block say about half inch of the tube which
projecting edge is flattened onto the surface of the block and the corners turned in as

page_text: shewn at b Figure 3. The tube is then removed from the block to receive a plate
forming the bottom of the chest. The plate to form the bottom is of sufficient size to
extend say from one half to three quarters of an inch outside the four sides of the
chest, and the projecting edges are bent at right angles so as to form a rim as shewn
at c Figure 4 which plate when thus bent will exactly fit in the interior of tube forming
the four sides of the chest, into which it is forced until the upper part of the bent
edges or rim c come against the turned over or inwardly projecting rim b of the tube
as shewn in Figure 5. The rim b is next folded onto the rim c as shewn in Figure 6
and the chest thus partly formed is then replaced on the block and the bottom secured
to the sides by hanimering down or otherwise flattening onto the bottom plate the rim
and the projecting portion of the four sides of the chest as shewn by Figure 7 so as to
make the joint between the bottom and the four sides of the chest water tight. The
upper edge of the sheet or sheets of metal forming the sides of the chest may be bent
over against the inside surface and hammered close to the sides so as to increase the
strength and rigidity of the chest a portion of the said bent over part being turned up
from the sides so as to form a trough or bed as shewn at d Figure 8 to receive the
ribe provided on the lid or cover of the chest. The lid or cover which is preferably
made partly of wood lined or faced with metal should fit closely within the four sides
of the chest, the rib e resting in the trough or bed d with suitable intervening packing
so as to make an air and watertight joint. The rib e may be made separate and
attached to the cover or it may be formed on the sheet of metal forming the cover or
the lining thereof, by making the sheet about one inch and a half larger on all sides
than the opening or mouth of the chest, and bending the edges of this plate first down-
wards and then upwards so as to form the rim e of two thicknesses of metal the lower
edge of which will enter the trough or bed, d above described.
When the cover is placed in position the upper surfaces is flush with the upper
edges of the sides of the chest and is secured in position by nails or screws at g driven
through holes made for that purpose in the upper edge of the sides and into the
wooden portion of the lid or cover. In place of the trough hereinbefore described
the turned in edge of the metal forming the sides of the box may be bent up at an
angle so that when the pressure of the lid comes upon the turned up edge it may give
somewhat and yet retain a position at right angles to the sides of the chest. In this
case the lid is made close fitting but without the downward projecting rib e herein-
before described and the metal plate instead of being on the interior of the lid as
hereinbefore described may be on the exterior surface and provided with a downwardly
projecting rim embracing the four sides of the chest as shewn in Figure 9. In
order to make an air and water tight joint between the lid and the sides of the chest a
strip of jute, cloth, or other suitable fabric may be interposed between the wooden
portion of the lid and the sides of the chest and also between the turned up edge in
the interior of the chest and the lid, the said lid being secured in position in the chest by
means of nails or screws passing through the downwardly projecting rim on the lid
and through the sides of the chest into the wooden portion of the lid or cover.
If desired a metal or other handle may be let into a recess formed for the purpose in
the lid or cover to facilitate the lifting off of the lid after the nails or screws are
removed from the sides.
Chests constructed as described are much lighter and thinner and consequently less
bulky than the ordinary lead lined wooden tea chest, whereby a considerable saving is
effected in freight, whilst by reason of the nature of the material of which they are
made their weight will be uniform, and although the chests thus constructed are
lighter they are very much stronger and less liable to injury in transit than ordinary
Tea chests. Another great advantage obtained by the peculiar construction of chests
as described, over the ordinary wooden tea chest is the facility with which they can be
used for the storing of tea during the process of manufacture which precedes the final
firing of the tea.
It is necessary that the tea while waiting for the final firing operation should be
kept in a receptacle which excludes the air, and when the ordinary lead lined wooden

page_text: tea chests are used for this purpose the lead lining is partially soldered down which
involves loss of time and expenditure of labour and solder, and also the damaging to a
greater or less extent of the lead lining. Chests constructed according to this Invention
can be used for this purpose without any further closing than merely putting on the
lid, as the projecting edge or rim thereof fits closely into the trough or bed and thus
excludes the air and keeps the tea perfectly for the time which it is necessary to
store it.
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
•
FirstCases or chests, for containing tea and other substances required to
he protected from injury by air and water, constructed of metal substantially in the
manners hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Second: In a metallic case or chest constructed as described a trough or bed in the
interior for the reception of a rib or projection on the interior of the lid or cover
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 8
of the accompanying drawings.
Third: In a metallic case or chest constructed as described a lid or cover secured
in the chest substantially in the manner hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.