Improvements in Boxes for Holding Matches, Vestas, Sweetmeats, and other Articles or Things.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes for Holding Matches, Vestas, Sweetmeats,
and other Articles or Things.
We JAMES BROWN of Brandon Gardens, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland, Blind
Manufacturer and ROBERT SCOTT of 12 Paternoster Buildings, city of London, Publisher
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:-
This invention relates to a novel manufacture of boxes for holding Matches, or
other articles, or things, the essential features of which are ;-
1. Cutting or stamping out a blank with lips or projections and also with perforated
or creased lines for folding, a portion of the blank forming the top of the box with
retaining tags having a C shaped slit for the formation of a lid, also another slit
terminating with an arrow head slit, through which after the flap is opened, a single
Match or Vesta, or the like can be removed with facility, the box being preferably
formed from one piece of cardboard, or other material and when the slit lips and the
sides and ends are folded, the lips serve as a means in conjunction with an additional
flap piece, for holding the article together in box shape no paste, glue, or other
adhesive being necessary.
2. To fitting inside of Match box a false bottom, which by bent down legs shall have
sufficient spring to press the Matches, or other articles up to the lid, thus always to
present the Matches, or the like for easy removal when the lid is lifted and keep them
while in the box from crossing and shaking and spilling.
3. To arrange in connection with a Match box, a false bottom, which by means of
an ordinary elastic band can when attached to the lid be the means of lifting the
false bottom and the Matches, or like articles within range of the opening as the lid is
lifted and keeping Matches in position horizontally.
4. To making Match, or like boxes with an opening through which the Matches
can be removed, the longitudinal slit and arrow head slit being in conjunction there-
with, the Matches being kept up close to the opening by an elastic band encircling
the box to the opening and then passing to the inside behind the Matches, or
which may be fixed across the opening and passed inward without encircling the
outside.
5. To utilizing the "skellet" of ordinary scale board boxes by forming a round, or
an oval hole in the upper face with a longitudinal hole therefrom to near the edge and
in fitting to said "skellet a wrapper or cover, the ends of which are tucked into the
"skellet" to constitute a perfect box, said lid or cover having a centre opening
corresponding to that in the "skellet" and a longitudinal slit with the arrow head
extensions. The lid in this case may be dispensed with.
6. To utilizing the drawer of ordinary scale board Match boxes and fitting a
cardboard cover thereto having four sides creased to be secured by paste to the sides
of the drawer and with the stamped lid and arrow shaped slits for the easy removal of
Matches singly.
7. To forming a finger hole and a longitudinal slot in the "skellet " of an ordinary
drawer Match box (wood or metal) and fitting by an adhesive two lips constituting
between them a longitudinal slit and an arrow head slit of smaller dimensions
than that of the slot above mentioned, through which Matches can be removed
singly.
8. To making a box substantially in the manner first described with an additional
crease on the sides and ends, and cuts at top and bottom the sides and back being
encircled by an elastic band, the other part of which is arranged behind Matches,

page_text: or the like so as to compress the Matches into close contact but which pressure is
removed on the ends of the box being forced inwards for the easy removal of Matches
singly through the finger hole and the longitudinal slit with or without the arrow head
cut as an extension therefrom.
The invention will be understood by the annexed drawings.
Figure 1; we show a blank with the slits formed in full lines and with the creasings,
or perforations by dotted lines. A is the bottom of the box. B the top. C, C, are
lips, which in conjunction with the end piece D, form one end. E, E, are other lips,
which in conjunction with the portion marked F', form the other end. G, G, G, G, form
the sides of the box. H is the lid of C shape produced by a cutter stamp to form the
finger hole. I is the longitudinal slit from said finger hole, and J, J, are curved or
angled slits from the slit I, otherwise termed the arrow head slits. The blank thus
formed in the manner shown on the drawings can be made up into a box, as follows.
The two sides C, C, are first pressed upwards, the two lips C, C, inwards, the end
piece D is next folded close against C, C, the parts G, G, of the bottom piece A are
then folded up and within the pieces G, G, of the portion B. The box is then filled
with Matches, if Matches be employed, the tail ends of the Matches inserted first, the
two lips E, E, are then folded inwards the part F down upon them, the additional
flap K, which is formed therefrom, is tucked in between the edges of the lips E, E,
and the inside face of the bottom A occupying a position between said bottom and
the Matches of the box.
In cutting the lid H, a small portion is left uncut at a, a, and the lid, when first
opened, is torn away leaving a slight projection at the parts a, a, which when the lid
is closed serve as catches to retain it in that position.
The folding of the parts just mentioned will be understood more clearly by
reference to Figure 2, the box when finished having the appearance represented at
Figure 3.
The lid H is not essential to a box of this kind, as the Matches, if Matches be used,
are in length corresponding to that of the box but the longitudinal slit I with the
curved or angled slit J forming the arrow head are important, as the Matches can be
readily caught hold of through the finger hole and the tail end lifted through the
slit I, the sides of which yield to allow the tail end of the Match to pass clean through,
the Match being from the box at an angle without the phosphorous head being abrased,
or ignited:
Instead of the box blank being cut, as indicated at Figure 1, it may be stamp cut,
as indicated at Figure 4, so that the tucking flap K is inserted into the side of the
box instead of at the end, this will be understood more particularly with reference to
Figure 5.
The
Figure 6 is a detached view in perspective of a false bottom, which may be placed
in the boxes before described, or in certain of the boxes hereafter referred 10.
upper part of the false bottom is preferably corrugated, or serrated so that the Matches
lie contiguous to one another in level order, the heads of the Matches projecting over
the edge L. This false bottom has two plain portions M bent downwards to rest on
the bottom of the box and they serve as springs to lift the false bottom up as the
Matches are removed, thus keeping them compactly together and preventing them
spilling even to the last.
Figure 7 is a part sectional perspective view of a Match box, in which a false bottom
is arranged and having an elastic band N passed under it and connected to the lid H,
so that when the lid is lifted the false bottom and the Matches in the box are lifted by
the elasticity of the band N.
By the use of the false bottom the Matches, however few there may be in the box,
are always presented close to the opening, either by the springy legs M, M, or by the
elastic N.
The lid H of the box shown at Figure 7, may be stamped from the top of the box
and used alone and to prevent the lid going within the box, when closed, may have a
separate piece Q pasted on the inner face or on the outer face, as at Figure 8, to

page_text: rest upon the box, the lid H filling the opening from which it had been cut, the
additional piece Q may be pasted on to the inside of the lid H, either partially or wholly
over it leaving sufficient overlap to rest upon the box, as indicated at Figure 9, such
a box being formed from the blank shown at Figure 10 from one piece of paper
board.
Figures 11 and 12 represent a circular box having a finger hole in the cylindrical
part and with an elastic band N wrapped round the outside of it, preferably in a groove
formed round the middle of the box to prevent abrasion, the other portion of the
band being within the box behind the Matches, so that however few Matches there
may be in the box are brought up to the finger opening for easy removal and
prevention of turning inside the box and falling out of finger hole.
In order that the Matches may be kept in a vertical position in this box, when
the box is nearly empty we place a strip of cardboard R between them and the india
rubber band.
My next improvement relates to what are known as "skellets" of ordinary scale
board boxes i.e. the outer portion of a drawer Match box, and consists in cutting
cardboard of the shape shown at Figure 13 with a lid H and longitudinal slit I and
angle or curved slits J, J, (arrow head) and the portions F, F, perforated for
creasing and also the tucking in ends K. The upper part of the "skellet" has a
piece cut out of it corresponding to the finger opening but somewhat smaller and
with a rather wider slot, as indicated by the dotted lines at Figure 14, to enable the
Matches to be lifted through it and also through the longitudinal slit of the cardboard
cover.
"
These "skellets when charged with Matches have the cover placed over them, and
the parts F forming the ends of the box while the tucking in pieces K are inserted
between the Matches and the bottom of the "skellet," as at Figure 15, the combina-
tion constituting a box. The cover lid H is somewhat larger than the finger opening
in the "skellet and when closed down rests upon the rim or edge of the "skellet
finger hole.
According to the next improvement, we use the drawer portion of a scale board box
only and stamp a cover of the shape indicated at Figure 16, this having four creased
portions F forming the sides and ends to be pasted to the drawer, the lid prepared
portion with the finger hole serving for the removal of Matches as described with
reference to Figure 1.
Figure 17 shows an ordinary scale board draw out Match box with the finger hole
cut from the "skellet" and also with a wide recess, below which and across the
"skellet " a piece of leather, cardboard, or other material is glued, said piece having
the slit I and the angled slits J, J.
The finger hole may be covered by a lid Q as shown in the drawing and by utilizing
the piece of scale board H cut from the finger hole as a liner to the lid Q, said piece
serves to keep the lid closed by the meeting of the two edges.
Figure 18 represents our last improvement consisting of a cardboard strip cut and
perforated for creasing, as indicated, which can be made up in the form of a box,
Figure 19. This box when filled with Matches has an elastic band encircling the
Matches from the back and then brought round the outside of the box, whereby the
middle of the box, as the Matches are removed, becomes contracted and also the finger
hole by the tension of the elastic hand, as indicated at Figure 20 but by com-
pressing the top and bottom ends at S and T, the sides bulge out again returning
the finger hole to its original shape to facilitate the easy removal of a Match.
If the collapsable box be of metal, we purpose stamping the box from four pieces,
of which two are shown at Figure 21, each piece is provided with tongues capable
of being turned over into loops for the reception of pins to constitute hinges.
The two parts shown represent half the box, the other two parts being identical in
shape. The tongues, when bent as loops, form the attachment at the top and bottom
and connect the two half boxes together, see Figure 22. The tongues may be bent
to set as springs, or separate springs may be fitted to collapse the box on the removal
of end pressure.

page_text: In Figures 1 to 5 and 12 to 14, we have described a lid H but such lid may be
dispensed with, if desired, the longitudinal slit with the angle or arrow head slit being
essential for the purposes of those parts of our invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to he we declare that what
claim is :-
we
1. In the construction of boxes, the combination of a lid, a finger hole and an arrow
head slit, as described.
2. The preparation of blanks for boxes from one piece of paper board, each blank
having a lid, a finger hole, a long slit and curved or angle slits therefrom, as described
and shown at Figure 1 of the annexed drawings.
3. Providing boxes having the finger hole and arrow head slits, with a false bottom
having two springy legs for pressing the Matches, if Matches be therein, to the top
of the box, as described with reference to Figures 6 and 8 of the annexed drawings.
4. Providing a box with a false bottom, which may be corrugated and having an
elastic band connected to a lid and capable of raising the false bottom to the top of
the box, as described with reference to Figure 7 of the annexed drawings whether the
slits I, J, be in the top as in Figure 7 or without the slits I, J, as in Figure 8.
5. Forming boxes from one piece of paper board or other material of the shape
shown at Figure 10 and with lid H, whether said lid be used alone or in conjunction
with an additional piece referred to with reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the
annexed drawings.
6. Providing Match boxes having a finger hole and árrow head shaped slits with
an elastic band across the opening of, or partly encircling the box and partly the
Matches, as described with reference to Figures 11 and 12 of the annexed drawings.
7. Making a cover, having arrow head shape slits, shown at Figures 13 and 14
and employing it with an ordinary scale board "skellet," the top of which has a finger
hole and a slot formed in it, as described with reference to Figure 15.
8. Making a cover with finger hole and arrow head slits also four flaps for attach-
ment to an ordinary scale board drawer of a Match box, as described with reference
to Figure 16.
9. Forming a finger hole and slot in the "skellet" of an ordinary scale board
Match box and affixing lips to narrow the slot, as hereinbefore described for the
purpose set forth, (see Figure 17).
10. The formation of a collapsable box shown at Figure 20 from a blank, as shown
at Figure 18 and the holding of the parts together by an elastic band partially
encircling said box and partially encircling the Matches within it, as described.
11. The manufacture of metal boxes from stamped sections with tongues as binges for
connecting such parts together, as described with reference to Figures 21 and 22 of
the annexed drawings.
Dated this Oth dowe of Cantomha- 1000
H. GARDNER,
166, Fleet Street, London, Agent for the said J. Brown & R. Scott..