Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Boxes for Containing Tobacco, Biscuits, Confectionery, and other Goods.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1898-Accepted, 14th May, 1898
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Boxes for Containing
Tobacco, Biscuits, Confectionery, and other Goods.
I, BENJAMIN SCOTT, of James Street, in the City of Carlisle, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of metal boxes and especially of air-
tight metal boxes for containing tobacco, cigarettes, biscuits, confectionery and
other goods.
Air-tight boxes as constructed hitherto have generally consisted of round plain
tin boxes, with soldered seams, and top and bottom soldered on body, the goods or
Or the
articles generally being packed into the box before the bottom was put on.
boxes have been square plain tin boxes, with soldered seams and with flanged
opening at the top or at the bottom of the box, through which the goods or articles
were packed, the said flanged opening being then closed by means of a soldered on
lid or bottom. This flanged opening however necessitated the goods or articles
being smaller than the body of the box in order to allow of their passing the flange
when being packed into the box, whilst the soldering in both the above cases pre-
vented the use of a tin decorated before being manufactured, and necessitated the
use of a paper label to be stuck on the box after manufacture.
Now the object of this invention is to manufacture air-tight boxes, which shall
not have these drawbacks.
According to this invention, the body of the box is first struck up from tin plate
or other suitable sheet metal, and for decorated boxes, the striking up can be
effected after the metal has been decorated. The said body is then provided with a
closely fitting hinged struck up cover or lid, the metal of which has likewise been
decorated. Then the cavities or apertures provided for, or formed in making the
hinge or hinges, having been closed in an air-tight manner by soldering or other
means, the goods or articles are packed into the box. Next a piece of tagger tin
plate or other suitable thin sheet metal cut or formed to the exact size of the mouth
of the struck up body, and with or without a small flange, is dropped in the mouth
of the box on top of the contents, and is fastened to the sides or edges of the struck up
body with solder or amalgam, or in any other suitable manner. The hinged lid
To extract the contents
or cover may then be shut down on to the body of the box.
of the box, the hinged lid or cover is opened and the tagger tin plate, or thin sheet
metal, or the soldered joint is cut through with a penknife or the like, when the
contents can be removed. The lid or cover being hinged remains to afford a
constant protection to the goods or articles which may be left in the box.
By the above described mode of manufacture we produce a struck up box without
overhanging flanges, and with a soldered inner lid and hinged outer lid, whereby
the following advantages are secured: -The air-tight box can be made of any
desired shape for packing to its utmost capacity without damaging or altering the
shape of the goods, this being of great importance in some cases, particularly in
the case of tobacco, which can be packed air-tight in a box made according to this

page_text: invention without breaking the leaf or the shape of the plug.
Also as there is no
external soldered joint, the box may be decorated by printing, or other process,
which is not generally possible with soldered boxes as usually made hitherto.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1897:
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Metal Boxes for Containing
Tobacco, Biscuits, Confectionery, and other Goods.
I, BENJAMIN SCOTT, of James Street, in the City of Carlisle, Manufacturer, 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:
2.
"
This invention relates to the manufacture of metal boxes and especially of air-
tight metal boxes for containing tobacco, cigarettes, biscuits, confectionery and
other goods.
Or the
Air-tight boxes as constructed hitherto have generally consisted of round plain
tin boxes, with soldered seams, and top and bottom soidered on the body, the goods or
articles generally being packed into the box before the bottom was put on.
boxes have been square plain tin boxes, with soldered seams and with flanged
opening at the top or at the bottom of the box, through which the goods or articles
were packed, the said flanged opening being then closed by means of a soldered on
lid or bottom. This flanged opening however necessitated the goods or articles
being smaller than the body of the box in order to allow of their passing the flange
when being packed into the box, whilst the soldering in both the above cases pre-
vented the use of a tin decorated before being manufactured, and necessitated the
use of a paper label to be stuck on the box after manufacture.
Now the object of this invention is to manufacture air-tight boxes, which shall
not have these drawbacks.
According to this invention, the body of the box is first struck up from tin plate
or other suitable sheet metal, and for decorated boxes, the striking up can be
effected after the metal has been decorated. The said body is then provided with a
closely fitting hinged struck-up cover or lid, the metal of which may likewise have
been decorated. Then the cavities or apertures provided for, or formed in making the
hinge or hinges, having been closed in an air-tight manner by soldering or other
means, the goods or articles are packed into the box. Next a piece of tagger tin
plate or of other suitable thin sheet metal cut or formed to the exact size of the mouth
of the, struck up body, and with or without a small flange, is dropped in the mouth
of the box on top of the contents, and is fastened to the sides or edges of the struck up
body with solder or amalgam, or in any other suitable manner. The hinged lid
or cover may then be shut down on to the body of the box.
To extract the contents of the box, the hinged lid or cover is opened and the
tagger tin plate, or thin sheet metal, or the soldered joint is cut through with a
penknife or the like, when the contents can be removed. The lid or cover being
hinged remains to afford a constant protection to the goods or articles which may
be left in the box.
By the above described mode of manufacture I produce a struck up box without over-
hanging flanges, and with a soldered inner lid and hinged outer lid, whereby the
following advantages are secured:-The air-tight box can be made of any desired.
shape for packing to its utmost capacity without damaging or altering the shape of
the goods, this being of great importance in some cases, particularly in the case of
tobacco, which can be packed air-tight in a box made according to this invention
without breaking the leaf or the shape of the plug. Also as there is no external

page_text: soldered joint, the box may be decorated by printing, or other process, which is not
generally possible with soldered boxes as usually made hitherto..
This invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
drawings which illustrate the construction and arrangement of an air-tight box
made according to this invention of rectangular shape with rounded corners.
In these drawings,―
Figure 1 is a cross-section showing the box with the hinged outer lid open prior
to packing, the piece of metal for forming the inner lid being shown separately,
above the body of the box.
Figure 2 is a perspective underside view of the inner lid.
Figure 3 is a plan showing the box packed and with the inner lid soldered in
place in the body, but before the hinged outer lid is shut down on to the body.
Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.
In these Figures, A represents the body of the box struck up from tin plate or
other suitable sheet metal. B is a struck up outer lid of similar material; it is
hinged at C C to the body A and is adapted when turned down on to the said body
to fit closely upon the same. D is the inner lid of tagger tin or other suitable thin
sheet metal, designed to be soldered or otherwise fastened air-tight in the body A.
This inner lid is made to the exact
after the goods have been packed in the latter.
size of the mouth of the body A and it is preferably formed with a circumferential
flange d.
The procedure in packing goods in an air-tight manner in a box constructed
according to this invention is as follows: Any apertures that may have been
provided for, or formed in making the hinge or hinges C, having been previously
closed in an air-tight manner by soldering or other means, the goods are packed into
the body A of the box. Then the inner lid D is dropped with its flange d down-
wards in the mouth of the body A on top of the contents, and it is fastened to the
sides or edges of the body in an air-tight manner preferably by soldering.
The hinged outer lid B is then shut down on to the body A.
•
To extract the contents of the box the hinged lid B is opened, and the inner lid D
is cut through with a penknife or the like, when the contents can be removed. The
lid B being hinged to the body A can always be shut down to afford protection to
any goods that may be left in the box.
The small flange on the inner lid D acts to stiffen the latter and thus to
ensure a better fit of the inner lid in the box body; it also helps to keep the solder
from running past the inner lid on to the goods in the box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is::
1. In a metal box the combination with a struck up sheet metal body without
internally overhanging flanges and provided with a struck up sheet metal cover or
outer lid hinged to the body, of an inner lid of tagger tin plate or other thin sheet
metal fastened in an air-tight manner within the mouth of the box after the
contents have been packed in the latter, substantially as described.
2. An air-tight sheet metal box without external soldering, comprising a struck
up body without inner overhanging flanges, a struck up outer lid or cover hinged
to the said body, and an inner thin sheet metal lid with or without flanges soldered
air-tight within the mouth of the box above the contents therein, substantially as
described and shown.
3. The improved air-tight sheet metal box, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 1st day of April 1898.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.