Improvements in Show-cases for Cotton-reels, Silk-reels, or other Small Articles and Packets
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 16th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Show-cases for Cotton-reels, Silk-reels, or other
Small Articles and Packets.
I, JOHN JOBERNS, of 29, Aston Lane, Aston, Warwickshire, Cabinet Case Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the improvements herein described in show-cases
for cotton-reels, silk-reels, packets or boxes of pens, cigarettes, or other small
articles, the object being to so construct the said show-cases that one or more of the
said articles can be removed therefrom without opening the show-case and exposing
the contents to the air or dust.
According to one arrangement of carrying out my invention I provide a show-
case with a glass front divided into compartments by upright partitions, each com-
partment being of a size to contain several of the cotton-recls or other articles one
above the other. At the bottom of each compartment is a drawer or slide of a depth
to hold one or more of the cotton-reels or other articles, according to the number
which it is required to remove from the case at once. The bottom cotton-reel or other
article in each compartment rests in the drawer or slide of that compartment, so
that when the drawer or slide is pulled outwardly, the cotton-reel or other article
contained therein can be removed, the other cotton-reels or other articles in the
compartment being held up by the back of the drawer or slide sliding under the
Instead of the cotton-reels or other articles being held up in the partition
by the back of the drawer or slide sliding under the bottom one as above described,
a spring or other pressure piece may be employed which presses the bottom but one
cotton-reel or other article against the side of the compartment and prevents its
falling down when the drawer is pulled outwardly but which, when the drawer or
slide is pushed home, releases the cotton-reel or other article and allows the bottom
one to fall down into the drawer or slide. At the top of the compartments is a flap
or door by which they can be filled.
bottom one.
According to another arrangement of carrying out my invention as applied to a
show-case with a sloping front, I divide the show-case into compartments by sloping
partitions and at the lower end of each compartment I provide a sliding shutter
which crosses the compartment far enough to prevent the lower cotton-reel or other
article from sliding out. When the sliding shutter is withdrawn for a certain
distance the bottom cotton-reel or other article slides out at the lower end of the
compartment, the other cotton-reels or articles being retained in the compartment by
a spring or projecting part by preference arranged underneath which is operated by
the sliding shutter or otherwise, and holds the last cotton-reel or other article when
the sliding shutter is withdrawn, but allows them to slide down when the shutter is
pushed back to bar the opening.
Dated this 15th day of February 1889
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Show-cases for Cotton-reels, Silk-reels, or other
Small Articles and Packets.
1, JOHN JOBERNS, of 29, Aston Lane, Aston, Warwickshire, Cabinet Case Maker,
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 consists of the improvements herein described in show-cases for

page_text: cotton-reels, silk-reels, packets or boxes of pens, cigarettes, or other small. articles,
the object being to so construct the said show-cases that one or more of the said
articles can be removed therefrom without opening the show-case and exposing the
contents to the air or dust.
According to one arrangement of carrying out my invention I provide a show-case
with a glass front divided into compartments by upright partitions; each compartment
being of a size to contain several of the cotton-reels or other articles one above the
other. At the bottom of each compartment is a drawer or slide of a depth to hold
one or more of the cotton-reels or other articles according to the number which it is
required to remove from the case at once. The bottom cotton-reel or other article in
cach compartment rest in the drawer or slide of that compartment, so that when the
drawer or slide is pulled outwardly, the cotton-reel or other article contained therein
can be removed, the other cotton-reels or other articles in the compartment being
held up by the back of the drawer or slide sliding under the bottom one. Instead
of the cotton-reels or other articles being held up in the partition by the back of the
drawer or slide sliding under the bottom one as above described, a spring or other
pressure piece may be employed which presses the bottom but one cotton-reel or
other article against the side of the compartment and prevents its falling down
when the drawer is pulled outwardly but which, when the drawer or slide is pushed
home, releases the cotton-reel or other article and allows the bottom one to fall down
into the drawer or slide. At the top of the compartments is a flap or door by which
they can be filled.
According to another arrangement of carrying out my invention as applied to a
show-case with a sloping front, 1 divide the show-case into compartments by sloping
partitions and at the lower end of each compartment I provide a sliding shutter
which crosses the compartment far enough to prevent the lower cotton-reel or other
article from sliding out. When the sliding shutter is withdrawn for a certain
distance the bottom cotton-reel or other article slides out at the lower end of the
compartment, the other cotton reels or articles being retained in the compartment
by a spring or projecting part by preference arranged underneath which is operated
by the sliding shutter or otherwise, and holds the last cotton-reel or other article when
the sliding shutter is withdrawn, but allows them to slide down when the shutter is
pushed back to bar the opening.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my said invention is to be performed.
Fig. 1 is a general view of a vertical show-case constructed according to my
invention for containing cotton-reels silk-reels or other like small articles and Fig. 2.
is a vertical cross section of the same, Fig. 3 shews one of the drawers of the same
separately; Fig. 4 is a modified form of the same in horizontal section; Figs. 5
and 6 illustrate a further modification of the same; Fig. 7 is a sectional plan of a
similar show-case but constructed with a rounded front; Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11
illustrate a further modification of my invention; Fig. 12 illustrates a show-case with
a sloping front constructed according to this invention; Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate a
modification of the same and Fig. 15 a further modification.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
Figures of the drawings.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 a is the body of
the show-case, b is the glass front of the same, the space behind this glass front being
divided into compartments by upright partitions marked c and by the false back d
Each of these compartments is of a size to contain several of the cotton reels or other
small articles one above the other as shewn; d' is the flap or door at the top of the
compartments by which they can be filled. The drawers marked e at the bottom of
the compartments are in the example illustrated of a depth to hold one of the cotton
reels but they may be made deep enough to hold two or more so that the bottom
cotton reel in each compartment will rest in each drawer or slide. When one of the
drawers or slides e is pulled outwardly as shewn in Fig. 1 the cotton-reel contained
herein can be removed the other cotton reels being meanwhile held up by the

page_text: back part of the drawer or slide sliding under the bottom but one cotton-reel
When the drawer is pushed home again the cotton-reels move down so that the
bottom one will rest in the drawer or slide (see Fig. 2) ready to be removed next
time the drawer is pulled out. The stop at the back of the drawer prevents
it being pulled out too far. The space at the back of the compartments can be
furnished with drawers g¹² or otherwise formed so as to hold the stock of
cotton-reels or other articles for replenishing the compartments. In the modifications
illustrated by Figs. 4 and 7 the drawer e is made of the same width as the whole
of the compartments together and is itself divided into compartments corresponding
with the compartments above so that in these examples when the drawer is pulled
out the bottom reel from each compartment is withdrawn and if not required is
left in the drawer and pushed back therewith. In the modification illustrated by
Figs. 5 and 6 the projecting back part el of the drawer or slide is dispensed with
and a spring or other pressure piece is used which presses the bottom but one
cotton-reel or other article against the back or side of the compartment and prevents
the cotton reel falling down when the drawer is pulled outwardly as shewn in
Fig. 6.
When the drawer is pushed home the pressure piece can be pulled
outwardly as shewn in Fig. 5 so as to allow of the bottom but one cotton reel to
fall down into the drawer or slide.
In the modification illustrated by Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11, which illustrate a show-
case for containing packets of cigarettes or other like packets or articles, a space
is provided in front of the compartments and immediately behind the glass front b
in which are placed packets of cigarettes or other articles marked i of the same
kinds as the packets in the respective compartments beliind, but these first said
packets are fixed and are not intended to be removed but merely indicate the
different kinds of packets or articles contained in the various compartments. These
said packets immediately behind the glass front stand up on end so as to show their
labels but those packets marked j contained in the compartments and which are
required to be removed lie flat one on the top of the other thereby enabling a
considerable number of packets to be contained in each compartment. The said
compartments are divided from the store space y at the back thereof by any con-
venient means such as by the sliding grating k shown separately by Fig. 11 composed
of vertical strips which can be moved so as either to prevent the contents of the
compartments falling out as shewn by Fig. 8 or so as to correspond with the
partitions c and allow of the compartments being filled. Instead of actual packets
of cigarettes or other articles being placed behind the glass as in the example
illustrated by Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 the labels merely of such packets may be fixed to
the glass so as to indicate the contents of the different compartments.
It will be evident that instead of the front of the show-cases being vertical as in
the examples above described and illustrated they may be arranged to slope as for
instance in the example illustrated by Fig. 12 which with this exception and the shape
of the show-case a is similar in construction and operates in a similar way to the
vertical show-case hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 as
it is provided with a similar drawer or slide or drawers or slides by which the
contents of the compartments can be removed; and the spring pressure piece f
hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 is equally applicable to a
sloping show-case as to a vertical one.
It will be evident that without departing from the nature of my invention other
means than those herein before described and illustrated may be employed for with-
drawing one or more articles from the bottom of the compartment or compartments
of the show-cases and for holding up the others whilst such articles are being
withdrawn for instance as illustrated by Figs. 13 and 14 I provide at the lower
open end of each compartment a sliding shutter forming one end of a two armed
lever catch turning on a fulcrum m fixed to the show-case the other arm n of this
lever being bent inwardly. When the sliding shutter is raised as shewn in
Fig. 13 far enough to allow the bottom cotton-reel to slide out of the lower end of
the compartment the other cotton reels are retained in the compartment. by the

page_text: end of the other arm n coming into contact therewith and when the shutter is
moved down again as shewn in Fig. 14 so as to close the end of the compartment
the shorter arm. will be raised from the cotton reel and allow them to slide
down against the shutter ready for the bottom one. to be withdrawn next time the
shutter is raised.
In the example illustrated by Fig. 15 the bottom cotton reel or other article in
either one or other of the compartments can be removed by opening the flap
door or doors o which exposes or expose to view the bottom cotton-reel or other
article in each compartment.
Although I have shewn only one side of the case glazed and divided into com-
partments and provided with means for withdrawing the articles from the compartments
and meanwhile holding up the other articles in the compartments still it will be
evident that two or more sides of the show-case can be similarly constructed and
that the invention will apply to show-cases of any shape whether rectangular
polygonal circular or oval in plan.
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
1 claim is
1. The improvements in show-cases for cotton-reels and other small articles or
packets for enabling one or more of the said articles to be removed therefrom
without exposing the contents of the show-case to dust, hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings, that is to say, dividing the show-case into
a series of either vertical or inclined parallel compartments behind a glass front or
top and furnishing the said compartments at their lower ends with means substantially
as hereinbefore set forth for enabling-the bottom one or more of the said articles to
be removed and for meanwhile holding up the other articles in the compartment or
compartments, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. In a show-case for cotton-reels or other small articles and in combination, the
glass front b extending over one or more sides of the show-case, the vertical or
inclined partitions and back 2 forming parallel compartments behind the glass
front b, and the drawer or drawers e at the bottom of the compartments furnished with
the upwardly projecting part or parts e¹, all for the purposes and substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
3. In a show-case for cotton-reels or other small articles and in combination, the
glass front b extending over one or more sides of the show-case, the vertical or inclined
partitions and back d² forming parallel compartments behind the glass front b, the
drawer or drawers, e at the bottom of the compartments and the pressure piece or
pressure pieces, all for the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
4. A show-case for containing cotton-reels or other small articles or packets con-
structed and arranged substantially as herein before described and illustrated by
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings, with or without the sliding grating k,
and whether the compartments are arranged either vertically or inclined, and
whether such compartments extend over one or more sides of the show-case, or over
an inclined top thereof, as herein before set forth.
5. In a show-case and in combination with the glazed inclined top thereof,
the inclined partitions c annd back forming parallel compartments below the said
glass top, and the drawer or drawers e at the bottom of the compartments furnished
with the upwardly projecting part or parts el, all for the purposes and substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
6. In a show-case for containing cotton-reels or other small articles or packets
and in combination with the glazed inclined top thereof, the inclined partitions c
and back d² forming parallel compartments below the said glass top, the drawer or
drawers e at the bottom of the compartments, and a pressure piece or pressure pieces f,
all for the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.

page_text: 7. In show-cases of the kind denoted under Claim 1 the employment of the means
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 13 and 14 for releasing the bottom
cotton-reel or other small article or packet from the compartment and for meanwhile
holding up the remaining contents of the compartment substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated.
8. In a show-case for cotton-reels or other small articles or packets and in com-
bination with the glazed inclined top thereof, the inclined partitions, c and back d³
forming parallel compartments below the glass top b, and the hinged or other flap or
slide o all for the purposes and substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by Fig. 15 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 15th day of November 1889.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.