AN IMPROVEMENT IN MATCH-BOXES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
•
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT
IN MATCH-BOXES." A communication from abroad by Marius Olive, of
Marseilles, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th September 1880.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN MATCH BOXES." [A com-
munication from abroad by Marius Olive, of Marseilles, France.]
This Invention relates to an improved pasteboard match-box, possessing all the
advantages of and superior in many respects to those already in use, and without
their disadvantages. In particular, access to the contents is more convenient and
the box is more securely closed, so that the matches are not apt to slip out into the
pocket, whilst the cost of manufacture is less.
The annexed Drawings represent an example of the improved match box,
Figure 1 being a longitudinal section taken on line A, B, Figure 2, which is a plan
of the box with the lid open; Figure 3 represents in the flat the pasteboard blank
of which the box is made; Figure 4 represents an extra thickness applied to the
lid; Figures 1 and 2 are drawn to an enlarged scale, and Figures 3 and 4 full size.
The form of the box is sufficiently shown in the Drawings, g being the lid hinged
to the body of the box, as shown, and having formed in it a small transverse crease
or corrugation, which serves to strengthen the lid, and also to receive the india
rubber spring a, so that the cover is not disfigured by any protuberance on the
external surface as in other boxes of the kind. The india rubber spring a traverses
the inner thicknesses b of the sides of the box, and is retained by small pins c fixed
between the inner and outer thicknesses b and e of the said sides when the box is
made up. The piece x, Figure 4, is glued on the cover, as shown in Figure 1 to
strengthen it, and at same time retain the india rubber spring in the crease f.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th March 1881.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN MATCH BOXES." A com-
munication from abroad by Marius Olive, of Marseilles, France.
This Invention relates to an improved pasteboard match box, possessing all the
advantages of those now in use without their disadvantages. The superiority of
this improved match box will be apparent by instituting a comparison between it
and those in general use. It will be seen that it is as convenient as the snuff box
shaped box, but is made differently and closes better, whilst the cost of manu-
facture is 25 per cent. less. It is as simple as the box with sliding drawer and
20 per cent. cheaper, the tab and sheath being dispensed with. As compared with
the "Prie Dieu" form of box its superiority is still more evident, as in that kind
of box the opening is too small and therefore inconvenient in use, whereas the
opening-in-this-improved box-is sufficiently large to allow of the matches being
readily withdrawn, and the cost is no greater.
Besides possessing the above advantages, the box will recommend itself both on
account of its elegant appearance, convenience, and security, as-it-is-entirely-free-
from the defect common-to-most-pasteboard-match-boxes,-of-allowing_the_matches_s
to escape when carried in the pocket. The friction surface is placed on the front
end of the box, which would naturally be the end to which one would apply a
match whon striking it in the dark, the other faces of the box being reserved for
the printed title, name, or other device.
The annexed Drawings represent an example of the improved match box,
Figure 1 being a longitudinal section taken on line A-B, Figure 2, which is a
plan of the box with the lid open; Figure 3 represents in the flat the pasteboard
blank of which the box is made; Figure 4 represents an extra thickness applied to
the lid; Figures 1 and 2 are drawn to an enlarged scale, and Figures 3 and 4 full
size. The form of the box is sufficiently shown in the Drawings, g being the lid
hinged to the body of the box, as shown, and having formed in it a small
transverse crease or corrugation which serves to stiffen the lid, and also to receive
the indiarubber spring a, so that the cover is not disfigured by any protuberance
on the external surface, as in other boxes of the kind. The indiarubber spring a
traverses the inner thicknesses 6 of the sides of the box, and is retained by small
pins c fixed between the inner and outer thicknesses b and c of the said sides when
the box is made up. The piece x, Figure 4, is glued on the cover, as shown in
Figure 1, to strengthen it, and at same time retain the indiarubber spring in the
crease f.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
The improved construction of match box herein described provided with the
means of securing the indiarubber spring, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of March, A.D. 1881.