IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC BOXES FOR HOLDING MATCHES, METALLIC PENS, AND OTHER SMALL ARTICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Charles Blissard, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Clerk in Holy Orders, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC BOXES FOR HOLDING MATCHES, METALLIC PENS,
AND OTHER SMALL ARTICLES."
Sealed the 11th October 1878, and dated the 27th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles Blissard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th April 1878.
JOHN CHARLES BLISSARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Clerk in
Holy Orders. "IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC BOXES FOR
HOLDING MATCHES, METALLIC PENS, AND OTHER SMALL ARTICLES."
My Invention has reference to such metallic and non-metallic boxes for holding
matches, metallic pens, and other small articles as are provided with lids hinged to
one side of the box, and my said Invention consists of the combinations of parts,
herein-after described, whereby the opening and closing of the box by the motion
of its hinged lid is readily and quickly effected, the lid retaining the raised or
lowered position to which it may have been brought.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a metallic match box having the
figure of an ordinary match box, the top or open side of the box being one of its
short sides, the lid being hinged to the said short side. The lid consists of a strip
of metal of a breadth equal to the breadth of the open top of the box, and of a
length somewhat greater. That portion of the lid in excess of the length of the top
of the box is bent at right angles to the other part. The said bent part constitutes
an arm carrying at its top the lid of the box, and jointed at its lower end to the
side of the box somewhat below the level of the top of the box. The extreme end
of the said arm projects into the interior of the box, and a spring in the box presses
upon the said extreme end, so as to force the lid into its open position, when it is at
liberty to move.

page_text: On the outside of the box is a sliding collar fitting closely upon the box, and
capable of sliding freely thereon. When this collar is raised, so as to bring its upper
edge on the same level or nearly so as the top of the box, it effects the shutting
down of the lid in the following manner :-When the lid is in its raised position,
the arm by which it is carried is nearly at right angles to the side of the box to
which it is hinged, and the lid can only assume this, its raised position, when the
sliding collar is below the point at which the arm is hinged to the side of the box.
When the sliding collar is raised above this position, it comes against the arm, and
pressing it into contact with the side to which it is hinged brings the lid proper
down upon the open top of the box. The raising of the sliding collar, until its top
edge is on a level with the top of the box, causes it to bind the lid firmly in its
lowered position. The raised collar is retained in its position by the upper end of
the spring protruding through a slot in the side of the box and snapping under the
lower edge of the collar, or by an equivalent snap fastening.
In order to open or raise the lid of the box it is only necessary to depress the
sliding collar on the box, when the lid rises by the action of the spring.
In order to close or shut down the lid of the box it is only necessary to raise the
sliding collar until its top edge is on or nearly on a level with the top of the box, in
which position of the said collar the lid is held firmly down.
The lid may be hinged to one of the longer sides of the top of the box instead of
to one of the shorter sides with nearly the same effect.
The spring described may be dispensed with, and the raising of the lid of the box
effected by the descending motion of the sliding collar. In this modification of my
Invention the sliding collar has a slot cut in its rear side, the said slot being
parallel to and a short distance below its top edge.
That portion of the collar below the slot is raised slightly out of the plane in
which the other part of the rear side of the collar is situated, the breadth of the
said raised part of the collar being somewhat greater than the breadth of the arm
carrying the lid. The said arm is passed through the slot in the collar, and that
part of the collar above the slot is consequently situated between the box and the
arm carrying the lid, while the raised portion of the collar below the slot is on the
other side of, that is, external to the arm. When the collar is raised the lower part
of it presses the arm carrying the lid against the side of the box, and shuts and
holds down the lid. When the collar is depressed, its upper part, as its descends
upon the arm near its junction with the box, presses it into a position nearly at
right angles to the sides of the box. The lid is thereby thrown back, and is held
in its open position so long as the collar remains in its depressed position.
Although I prefer to apply my improvements to boxes made of metal, yet my
said improvements may also be applied to boxes mainly of rigid non-metallic
substances, such, for example, as wood, papier mâché, vulcanite, and the like.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Charles Blissard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
October 1878.
"
JOHN CHARLES BLISSARD, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Clerk in
Holy Orders. IMPROVEMENTS IN METALLIC AND NON-METALLIC BOXES FOR
HOLDING MATCHES, METALLIC PENS, AND OTHER SMALL ARTICLES."
My Invention has reference to such metallic and non-metallic boxes for holding
matches, metallic pens, and other small articles as are provided with lids hinged to
one side of the box, and my said Invention consists of the combinations of parts,
herein-after described, whereby the opening and closing of the box by the motion of
its hinged lid is readily and quickly effected, the lid retaining the raised or lowered
position to which it may have been brought.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a metallic match box having the
figure of an ordinary match box, the top or open side of the box being one of its
short sides, the lid being hinged to the said short side. The lid consists of a strip of
metal of a breadth equal to the breadth of the open top of the box, and of a length
somewhat greater. That portion of the lid in excess of the length of the top of the
box is bent at right angles to the other part. The said bent part constitutes an
arm carrying at its top the lid of the box, and jointed at its lower end to the side of
the box somewhat below the level of the top of the box. The extreme end of the
said arm projects into the interior of the box, and a spring in the box presses upon
the said extreme end, so as to force the lid into its open position when it is at
liberty to move.
On the outside of the box is a sliding collar fitting closely upon the box, and
capable of sliding freely thereon. When this collar is raised, so as to bring its upper
edge on the same level, or nearly so, as the top of the box, it effects the shutting
down of the lid in the following manner:-When the lid is in its raised position,
the arm by which it is carried is nearly at right angles to the side of the box to
which it is hinged, and the lid can only assume this, its raised position, when the
sliding collar is below the point at which the arm is hinged to the side of the box.
When the sliding collar is raised above this position it comes against the arm, and
pressing it into contact with the side to which it is hinged brings the lid proper
down upon the open top of the box. The raising of the sliding collar until its top
edge is on a level with the top of the box causes it to bind the lid firmly in its
lowered position. The raised collar is retained in its position by the upper end
of a spring protruding through a slot in the side of the box, and snapping under
the lower edge of the collar, or by an equivalent snap fastening.
In order to open or raise the lid of the box it is only necessary to depress the
sliding collar on the box when the lid rises by the action of the spring.
In order to close or shut down the lid of the box it is only necessary to raise the
sliding collar until its top edge is on or nearly on a level with the top of the box, in
which position of the said collar the lid is held firmnly down.
The lid may be hinged to one of the longer sides of the top of the box instead
of to one of the shorter sides with nearly the same effect.
The spring described may be dispensed with, and the raising of the lid of the
box effected by the descending motion of the sliding collar. In this modification of
my Invention the sliding collar has a slot cut in its rear side, the said slot being
parallel to and at a short distance below its top edge.
That portion of the collar below the slot is raised slightly out of the plane in
which the other part of the rear side of the collar is situated, the breadth of the
said raised part of the collar being somewhat greater than the breadth of the arm
carrying the lid. The said arın is passed through the slot in the collar, and that
part of the collar above the slot is consequently situated between the box and the
arm carrying the lid, while the raised portion of the collar below the slot is on the

page_text: other side of, that is, external to the arm. When the collar is raised, the lower part of it
presses the arm carrying the lid against the side of the box, and shuts and holds
down the lid. When the collar is depressed its upper part, as it descends upon the
arm near its junction with the box, presses it into a position nearly at right angles
to the sides of the box. The lid is thereby thrown back, and is held in its open
position so long as the collar remains in its depressed position.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in front elevation, Figure 2 in side elevation, Figure 3 in
back elevation, and Figure 4 in vertical section, a metallic match box made
according to my Invention, the box being represented closed by the shutting down
of the lid upon its open top.
Figure 5 represents in front elevation, Figure 6 in side elevation, Figure 7 in back
elevation, and Figure 8 in vertical section, the box open, the lid having been raised
and thrown back from the open top of the box by the depression of the sliding
collar.
Figure 9 represents the body of the box without the lid and sliding collar.
Figure 10 represents the sliding collar separately; and Figure 11 represents the
hinged lid separately.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the
Drawing.
a is the body of the box, having an oblong figure in plan, the sides of said body
being rounded; b is the sliding collar working closely upon the upper end of the
said body a; and c, c², is the jointed lid of the box, e being the lid proper, and c³
the arm of the same, the said arm being at right angles to the lid proper, as re-
presented. The front and portions of the sides of the body are cut away at the top,
as shown at a, leaving the back as of the box projecting above the front cut-away
part 2 The back projecting part a³ serves as a support and guide for the upper
part of the sliding collar b.
By an examination of Figures 1, 4, 5, 8, and 9, it will be seen that the middle
portion a of the front of the box is formed in one piece with the bottom of the box,
the rounded sides a, a, of the box being separated from the part a' by fine divisions
at a, as, thus permitting the upper end of the said front part a to spring outwards.
The middle of the spring part a is cut away at ae, the bottom of the said cut-away
part being made into a lip or tooth a' for the purpose herein-after described. In
the back of the box a is a cross slot d, and in the back of the sliding collar is
another cross slot and opening at e. Through the slots d and e the extreme end of
the arm of the lid c is passed the projecting end of the arm c² within the box,
being coiled or bent up so as to form knuckles within the box. These knuckles
cannot pass through the slot d, and they constitute the joint on which the lid turns,
the said knuckles on the motion of the lid bearing against the inside of the box.
In order to permit the sliding collar b to work over the arm c² of the hinged lid c,
the part 6 of the said sliding collar 6 below the slot e is raised out of the plane of
the other part, so as to form a pocket. The shape of this pocket is best seen in the
separate view, Figure 10. The said pocket part 6 of the sliding collar b bears
closely upon the arm c³ of the lid when the said collar is raised, and passes from off
the said arm c³ when the said collar is depressed upon the body. The front of the
sliding collar b is cut away at the middle of its bottom edge, as shown at b³.
When the sliding collar b is raised so as to bring its upper edge on the same level
as the top of the box, it effects the shutting down of the lid c, and the closing of the
box, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, that is to say, the pocket part 62 of the
collar bas it slides over the arm c³ of the lid c turns the said lid upon its joint, and
presses it into close contact with the back of the box, and brings the lid proper c
down upon the open top of the box, the upper part of the sliding collar covering
the cut-away part a² of the top of the box. When the lid c has reached its closing
position, the edge of the cut-away part 63 of the front of the sliding collar b is
raised above the lip or tooth a' on the spring side a of the box when the said

page_text: tooth or lip snaps under the said edge of the cut-away part at 63, as best seen in
Figures 1 and 4. The collar b is thereby retained in its raised position, and the lid
c effectually held down upon the box.
In order to open the box the spring side a is first pressed inwards, so as to
disengage the tooth a' from the edge 63 of the sliding collar b. The said collar is
thereby released, and may now be depressed into the position represented in Figures
5, 6, 7, and 8. By the depressing of the collar b its pocket part 62 slides from off
the arm c² of the hinged lid c, and when the collar 6 has nearly descended to its full
extent, the ear parts f, f, of the said collar cross and bear upon the arm c² of the lid
near its joint, and raise it outwards into a position nearly at right angles to the back
of the box, as best seen in Figures 6 and 8. The lid c is thereby thrown back, and
is held in that position so long as the collar b remains in its depressed position. The
collar 6 cannot descend on the box below the position represented in consequence
of the parts ff, of the said collar crossing the arm c² of the lid.
A spring acting on the heel end of the jointed lid c may be used for pressing out-
wards the said lid for opening the box when the sliding collar b has descended
sufficiently far to uncover the arm c³ of the said lid, but I prefer to use the arrange-
ment of parts described and represented in the Drawing, in which the descent of
the sliding collar presses open the jointed lid.
Although I prefer to apply my improvements to boxes made of sheet metal, yet
my said improvements may also be applied to boxes made mainly of rigid non-
metallic substances, such, for example, as wood, papier mâché, vulcanite, and the
like.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,
the improvements in metallic and non-metallic boxes for holding matches, metallic
pens, and other small articles herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, that is to say, opening and closing the box by means of a
collar, sliding on the outside of the box, acting upon the hinged lid of the box, the
raising of the sliding collar upon the box closing the said hinged lid, and the
depressing of the said sliding collar upon the box, raising and pressing back the said
linged lid and opening the box, the said hinged lid, sliding collar, and the upper
part of the box being constructed and arranged substantially as described. and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Charles Blissard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN CHARLES BLISSARD. (L.S.)