to Pack Tea or other Substances for Storage or Transit.
Year: 1889

page_text: to Pack Tea or other Substances for Storage or Transit.
I, SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, of Sirocco Works, Belfast, Ireland, Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:
The Invention has reference to metal boxes or chests of the kind described in the
Specification of a previous Patent No. 1513 of 1888.
The improvements relate specially to the construction of the flange and groove
connections of the sides and ends of the boxes or chests described in the said Specifica-
tion and consist of cortain modifications of same whereby the necessity of using
solder to secure the joint is entirely obviated. An important economy is thus effected
in their construction, with the further great advantage that when the hammered down
parts of the outer flanges which close and secure the joint as hereinafter described are
carefully turned up again, the boxes can then be taken asunder into their original
separate sheets, which pack closely together for convenience of transport and economy
of freight, and these sheets can easily be made up again into boxes and so used more
than once.
According to the present invention the flange and groove connection is made
with two of the flanges or folds and the groove on one sheet and a third flange
on the other sheet with which the connection is to be made. The two flanges
and groove may be formed on the sheet or plate either by double folding the
edge as hereinafter described or by rivetting or otherwise securing a suitable strip
along the inner side of it so that this strip forms the inner flange and the edge
of the plate the outer flange with a groove or space between them and the outer
flange is about double the width of the inner one and projects this extra width
beyond the inner flange. The edge of the corresponding plate on which the third
flange is to be formed, has this single flange so bent on it, that when it is insorted into
the groove of the double flange and the projecting edge of said double flange is
hammered down or otherwise closed tightly over the single flange, a joint is formed
which consists of the three flanges and a groove and of the hammered down or closed
LD

page_text: projecting edge which now forms a fourth flange. This joint connects the two plates
together in such a way that they are almost air-tight and can only be taken asunder
by turning the closed down edge or fourth flange up again, or by sliding the single
flange out of the other flanges end ways. This combination of four flanges and a
groove for connecting metal plates or sheets together at an angle to one another in the
formation of boxes or chests is hereinafter called the "quadruple flange and groove
joint" and metal boxes or chests in which the sides and ends are connected by this
quadruple flange and groove joint are called the "quadruple flange box or chest.'
The construction of the "quadruple flange box or chest" is effected as follows:-
The sheets for its sides and ends have in the first place to be cut larger than the sides
and ends they are intended to form, by so much as will allow for the required flanges
to be folded upon their edges and suitable pieces are cut out of the corners so that the
flanges may be folded as required without their overlapping and interfering with one
another.
The sides are preferably made of equal sized rectangular sheets or plates (in accord-
ance with one of the methods described in the said previous Specification) and the
two flanges or folds and groove above described are constructed along three of their
edges the fourth edge being bent over as a single flange as are also the four edges of
the end sheets or bottom and lid, and which are made to fit exactly into the grooves of
the double flanges. All the side sheets are thus similar in size and form, and are inter-
changeable and the bottom is a duplicate of the lid. These boxes will usually be made
of cubical form that is with four sides and two ends but they can also be made with
three, five, six or more sides, and two ends which are so formed as to correspond with
the number of the sides.
When the side sheets are all put together by inserting the single flanged edge of
each sheet into the groove between the double flanges of the sheet adjoining it, and
the projecting edges are turned down over same to form the fourth flange as above
described these sheets are so connected that they form a frame open at both ends, with
the double flanges and groove all round the open ends. The single flanges on the
bottom and lid or end sheets, fit exactly into the grooves of the said double flanges,
and when their projecting edges are hammered down to form the fourth flange, the
box or chest is then complete and securely closed. The special construction of the
quadruple flange and groove joints as above described gives great strength and firm-
ness to all the angles of this box or chest, and enables it to stand a great amount of
rough usuage without the corners or angles being crushed in or damaged.
The herein before described quadruple flange and groove joint may be applied to
plain flat sheets or plates in the construction of boxes or chests, but the boxes or
chests are preferably constructed with the sheets or plates strengthened or stiffened by
having ribs or corrugations impressed upon them in the manner described in the said
previous specification.
The detail construction of the quadruple flange and groove joint, and its application
to the construction of boxes or chests will be more fully understood by reference to
the accompanying drawings.
Figures 1 to 13 illustrate the application of the quadruple flange and groove joint
in the construction of boxes or chests of rectangular form with four sides and two
ends.
Figures 14 and 15 shew its application to the construction of boxes or chests in
which the sides are connected at acute and obtuse angles respectively.
Figure 1 is a cross section showing the two flanges and groove formed on the
edge of a sheet or plate by folding it.
Figure 2 is a cross section showing an alternative arrangement of the double flange
and groove in which the inside flange is bent inwards to obviate the flanges forming a
projection at the angles of the box as is the case in Figure 1 and also to give greater
strength and stiffness to the joint.
Figure 3 is a cross section, showing another alternative arrangement of the double
flange and groove, in which the inner flange is formed by means of a suitably bent
strip of metal rivetted to the sheet or plate near the edge.

page_text: -
Figure 4 is a cross section showing the sheet or plate with the single flange bent
upon it.
Figure 5 is a similar section to Figure 4 with the addition of a flute or hollow
impressed on the sheet close to the flange into which the fourth flange, that is to say,
the turned down edge of the double flange may be laid (as shown in Figures 9, 10
and 11) so as to be less exposed or liable to catch on other articles when the chest is
being handled.
Figure 6 is a cross section of the quadruple flange and groove joint when completed
and the two sheets joined together by it.
Figure 7 shows an alternative arrangement of the quadruple flange and groove
joint in which the double flange shewn in Figure 2 is connected to the single flange
as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 8 is an alternative arrangement of the quadruple flange and groove joint in
which the double flange shown in Figure 3 is connected to the single flange as shown
in Figure 4.
Figure 9 shows an alternative arrangement of the quadruple flange and groove
joint in which the double flange shewn in Figure 1 is connected to the single flange
as shewn in Figure 5.
Figure 10 is an alternative arrangement of the quadruple flange and groove,
joint in which the double flange shown in Figure 2 is connected to the single
flange as shewn in Figure 5.
Figure 11 shows an alternative arrangement of the quadruple flange and groove
joint in which the double flange shewn in Figure 3 is connected to the single flange
as shewn in Figure 5.
Figure 12 is a plan to a smaller scale of one of the side sheets with the corner
picces cut out to allow of the flanges being properly folded on it without overlapping
one another. The dotted lines in this Figure indicate the creasing lines of the folds.
Figure 13 is a cross section of four side sheets when fastened together as above
described.
Figure 14 is a cross section of three side sheets connected at acute angles by
the quadruple flange and groove joint.
Figure 15 is a cross section of five side sheets connected at obtuse angles by
the quadruple flange and groove joint.
The letters used to indicate the various different parts of the flanges represent the
same individual part in each figure and are as follows:-
A is the groove of the double fold.
B is the inside flange of the double fold.
C is the outside flange of the double fold, and which is made about double the
width of the inside flange.
D is the single flanged edge, the depth of which should correspond with and fit
exactly into the groove A of the double flange.
C is the fourth flange formed by hammering down or otherwise closing the pro-
jecting edge of the flange or fold Cover the single flange or fold D.
D' Figures 5, 9, 10 and 11 is the flute or hollow on the single flange sheet into
which the outer edge of the fourth flange can be laid.
The flanges may be folded into the shape shown in Figure 1 by the ordinary folding
machines used by tinsmiths. To form the double flange and groove shewn in Figure 2,
the sheet is usually first folded as shown in Figure 1 and then pressed in a die. A
suitable pressing machine for this purpose is shown in Figures 16 and 17, Figure 16
being a cross section and Figure 17 a front elevation of same. E is the die and G
the compressing bar moved up and down in guides F at each end, by eccentrics H on
shaft which is driven from the spindle K with spur wheels L, the pitch lines being
Hotted in Figure 16, M is the fly wheel and N the belt pulleys. In Figure 16
Pindicates one of the sheets double folded or flanged as shown in Figure 1 in position
n the machine before being pressed into the form shown in Figure 2. The stroke is
egulated so that the compressing bar does not come down "hard on the plate P,
but just close enough to give the flanges the required set, without causing an undue
"

page_text: strain on the bearings. The operation of this press and die in bending the flanges
and groove shown in Figure 1 into the form shown in Figure 2 is sufficiently evident
in the drawing itself to require no further explanatory description. Although this
particular appliance or method for forming the hereinbefore described double flange
and groove is especially adapted for the purpose, the edges of the sheets could be
bent by various tools or by merely hammering them into the form shown, without
using any special appliance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what mannor the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination of folds or flanges and groove to constitute what is herein-
before called the "quadruple flange and groove joint" wherewith the edges of metal
sheets or plates forming the sides and ends of metal boxes or chests are connected
together at the angles of same substantially as hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying drawings.
2. The manufacture of metal boxes or chests with metal sheets or plates the edges
of which connect together at the angles of same by the combined arrangement of
flanges or folds and groove constituting what is herein before called "the quadruple
flange and groove joint" substantially as herein before described and represented in
the accompanying drawings.
DL: 15th day of dil 1000