A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF METAL BOXES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hinks, of Birmingham; in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MANUFACTURE OF METAL BOXES."
Sealed the 27th February 1857, and dated the 7th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hinks at 'the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th October
'1856.
I,JAMES HINKS, of Birmingham, in. the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MANUFACTURE OF METAL BOXES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in manufacturing .boxes from sheet metal in the
manner herein after described. Although my Invention is applicable to boxes
of various forms, yet I will confine my description to a box of a cylindrical
form, as the nature: of my said. Invention can be more easily explained with
reference to a cylindrical.box.than by reference to a box of any other figure.
Itform from sheet metal, by stamping or otherwise, two circular discs to form
the ends of the cylindrical box,;. .the.sheet of metal, which when rolled up forms
the body of the cylinder, is operated upon in a press, by means of a pair of dies
or otherwise; so as to form a gutter on two opposite.edges of the said piece of
metal. When rolled up into a circular form the circular ends are inserted in
the circular gutters at the ends of the cylinder, and those edges of the rolled-
up plate which are parallel to the axis of the cylinder are at a sufficient
distancet apart to leave an opening.constituting the mouth or top of the box.
A guttor is formed by pressure along each straight edge of the opening, the

page_text: said gutters being in a horizontal plane. A piece of metal slides over the said
opening and constitutes the lid of the box; the said lid slides in the gutters on
the opposed edge of the opening. When the said lid is in its place it com-
pletes the cylindrical figure of the box. The ends may be fixed to the body
of the cylinder by means of solder. My Invention is applicable to boxes of
various figures having sliding lids.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Hinks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HINKS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
James Hinks, Her special licence that I, the said James Hinks, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Hinks, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF METAL BOXES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Hinks, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Hinks, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in manufacturing boxes from sheet metal, in the
manner herein-after particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying

page_text: Drawing. Although my Invention is applicable to boxes of various forms, I
will confine myself to the description of a box of a cylindrical form, as the
nature of my said Invention can be more easily explained by reference to a
cylindrical box than by reference to a box of any other figure.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in elevation, and Figure
2, in plan, a cylindrical match box constructed according to my Invention:
Figure 3 represents one end of the said box in elevation; and Figure 4
represents the other end of the said box also in elevation. It consists of the
following parts:-A cylindrical body a, nearly circular ends b, c, and the
sliding lid d. The discs b, c, forming the ends, are cut from sheet metal by
stamping or otherwise. The blank, Figure 5, which when rolled up forms the
body or cylinder a of the box, is operated upon by a press, carrying tools of
the form represented in vertical section in Figure 6. The sheet of metal e is
placed upon the lower dief against the stop or guide g, the die h is brought
down and the edge h' forces the metal into the groove f¹ and forms a gutter-
like depression along one edge of the blank, of the form represented in section
at i, Figure 7. A similar depression k is formed on the opposite edge of the
blank. The plate, Figure 7, is next bent into a cylindrical figure, as represented
in the end view, Figure 8; this is effected by the dies, represented in vertical
section in Figure 9. The blank, Figure 7, being placed upon the die l,
Figure 9, the cylindrical die or mandril m descends into the position represented,
carrying with it the plate of metal marked n in Figure 9; the said plate n is
thus bent into the figure, which in end view somewhat resembles the letter U.
The die o next descends and gathers in the ends n¹, n", of the plate n, (which
said ends before the descent of the said die o stand in a nearly vertical position ;)
the said ends n', n", are by the die o pressed into the form represented in
Figure 9, and also represented in Figure 8. I next form along the opposed
edges of the nearly cylindrical plate two grooves or depressions of the form
represented at o', o", in Figure 10; this is effected by means of a pair of dies,
shown in vertical section in Figure 11. The end n¹ of the plate n, Figure 9,
is laid upon the lower die p, Figure 11, and the upper die q is brought down
thereon; the said end' is thereby pressed into the form o¹, the end n" is
similarly treated and brought into the form o". When the ends are placed
in the cylinder, Figure 10, and attached by soldering, the box only requires the
insertion of the lid into the grooves or depressions o¹, o", when the said box is
completed, as represented in Figures 1 and 2. The operation performed by
the dies and tools, Figure 11, may be performed by a machine constructed as
represented in Figure 12. The partially formed box, in that stage of its
manufacture represented in Figure 8, is slipped upon the mandrils, Figure 12,

page_text: and held between the sail mandrils and the dier; the side dies.t, t', approach
and compress tho edges of the partially formed box between themselves and
the mandrilor dies, thereby, giving to the edges of the said partially, formed
box the form represented, atco, o", Figure 10. The motion, of the diest, t
is effected by the descent of the piecej u; the inclined ends.u, u", of the said
piece act upon, the inclined ends of the slides w, w, on which the dies t, t
are affixed, and: force the said slides and dies towards each other. I have not
thought it necessary to describe the details of the machines, the essential.or
working parts of which are represented in Figures 6, 9; 11, and,12, as..the
said machines differ, in no essential, respect from the machines commonly used
in pressing and shaping, metals, excepting in the particular.forms of the dies
or tools which I have:described.and.represented.
I do not confine myself to the use of..any particular machinery in carrying
my Invention into effect,imy. Invention consisting in. the mode of constructing
metal boxes, liowever; the.form required.may be given to the several parts.
My, Invention is applicable to the manufacture of boxes: having other than
a cylindrical figure, that, is to.say, boxes having an, elliptical; angular, or other
transverse section.
Having now described the.nature of my said Invention,. and the manner of
carrying the same into effect,. I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, and represented, as the same
may-be varied without departing from the nature of my said Iuvention; but
I claim as my Invention. the new or improved manufacture of metal.boxes
herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is
to say, the manufacture of, metal,boxes in which the body of the box and the
grooves in which the ends are fixed, and also those in which the lid slides, are
made of one piece of:sheet metal.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hinks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JOSEPH HINKS.
JAMES HINKS. (L:S.)