IMPROVEMENTS IN COLOR BOXES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Davis of the firm of Davis Bros: of Number
24 Webber Street Blackfriars Road in the County of Surrey Artist Color
box maker for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN COLOR BOXES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Davis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1883.
CHARLES DAVIS of the firm of Davis Bros: of Number 24 Webber Street
Blackfriars Road in the County of Surrey, Artist Color box maker IMPROVEMENTS
IN COLOR BOXES
My invention consists of a self acting spring constructed in such a manner
within the compartments so as to secure the pans containing the color and prevent
their rattling or moving from their places when the box is reversed
I use the ordinary color box such as is in vogue at the present time, at the back of
the Compartments containing the cakes or pans I fix a spring made of any suitable
material, which allows the pan or cake to be easily placed in the compartment and
at the same time securing the pan or cake in such a manner as to prevent it
moving without pressure from the outside or front of the compartment For this
purpose the long partition is cut in such a way as to allow the cake or pan to be
touched by the hand. The spring may be used with the long partition alone,
without the divisions generally made to form the Compartments now in use
7

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Davis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th November
1888.
"
CHARLES DAVIS, of the Firm of Davis Brothers, of No 24 Webber Street,
Blackfriars Road, in the County of Surrey, Artists' Colour Box Maker
IMPROVEMENTS IN COLOUR BOXES
This invention has for its object, improvements in colour boxes, and consists in
means employed for retaining the cakes, or pans of colour, that are contained
within the divisions of the box.
My invention consists in the employment of a spring or springs, contained in
each compartment, and constructed as hereafter described, so as to prevent the
said cakes or pans from rattling or moving from their places, when the box is
reversed.
I I propose to employ the ordinary form of color box, with compartments, such as
are in vogue at the present time, and in each compartment containing the cakes,
or pans of color, I form or attach a spring, of which a series may be made out of
one piece, and of any suitable metal, but I find that the employment of thin sheet
brass is very advantageous for the purpose. On the insertion of the pan or cake,
the spring is thereby compressed against the division, or casing, of the box, and
the pan or cake is consequently most effectually retained.
The lateral partition, or partitions, is, or are, also shaped as usual, with cut
away portions at their upper parts, to allow of the withdrawal of the pan or cake
of colour.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood, I will
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the several figures in the annexed sheet of drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a plan of an open box, constructed in accordance with my Invention.
Figure 2-is a transverse section through the same, and Figure 3 is a longitudinal
section, showing the lateral partitions in elevation.
a a is the body of the color box, 6 6 are the transverse partitions, and c c, the
lateral partitions forming the compartments dd, in which the springs e e are
mounted. These springs I have shewn in section at figure 4, and in part
elevation at figure 5, which views are drawn to a larger scale. From these figures,
it will be seen that the springs are formed out of the one piece of metal f; but it
will be obvious that they may be otherwise attached or formed, but the method
I have shewn I find most advantageous
Figure 6 is a perspective view of part of the box, showing, a pan g, (or it may
be a cake of color as before mentioned), in position in one of the compartments,
the adjoining compartment being shewn unoccupied, to illustrate the normal
position of the springs e
I am aware that Letters Patent No 208 A.D. 1883 were granted to Thomas
Foxall, for the employment (in place of the ordinary divisions) of a strip of tin,
so notched and bent up, that whilst the turned up portions were depended upon
to retain the pans in place, the said pans rested upon the unturned-up portion of
the strip, the notches giving a space between the bottom of the box and the
underside of the pans, for the insertion of a prising instrument. In the portions
BO turned up, there is actually no spring tendency, and the said portions have to
be pressed up against the pan, to retain it in position; and on its withdrawal
whatever pressure it may have exerted, would have no moment on the insertion of

page_text: another pan, as it would have to be prised up to it again, and by these means the
retaining pieces would ultimately become broken off, and the box consequently
useless, with other obvious disadvantages.
Furthermore, the pans being allowed to abut against each other is very
objectionable
Although I have shown my form of spring attached to the side of the box, yet
it will be obvious, that they may be formed out of a base plate, in combination
with the lateral and transverse divisions, and that they are not necessarily in the
position shewn in the drawing, provided that they are situated in each
compartment to effect the hereinbefore mentioned purpose.
It will also be seen from figure 3, that the color pans or cakes can be easily
inserted or withdrawn, without the necessity of prising them up by a tool, the
spaces for each division being constructed in the usual manner, and free to allow
the cakes or pans to be withdrawn by hand.
I find that it is not advisable to dispense with the subdivisions, as were this
done, the cakes or pans of color adjoining each other would be most apt to have
the color smeared on the adjoining pan or cake, but where I employ the said
springs and dispense with the subdivisions, I still retain, in combination therewith,
the lateral partitions or subdivisions o c before described.
The adaptation of my said Improvements may be to the usual type of such
boxes, according to the desired requirements of the Artist, and I therefore do not
limit myself to the precise form of box shewn in the drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention, is :—
The application within the compartments or divisions of colour boxes, of springs
for retaining the cakes or pans of colour in the said compartments or divisions,
in the manner herein set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Charles Davis have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twelfth day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
ATT DIES DAVIS
Witness
HENRY HARINGTON LEIGH
of the firm of Phillips & Leigh
Engineers & Patent Agents
22 Southampton Buildings
London W.O.
NTT & DT S
TATTO
PAT