IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF BOXES FOR MATCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Featherstone Griffin, of Oldfield House, Acton, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BOXES FOR MATCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Featherstone Griffin
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August 1870.
GEORGE FEATHERSTONE GRIFFIN, of Oldfield House, Acton, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES FOR MATCHES AND
OTHER ARTICLES."
The object of my Invention is to make at very low cost, useful, safe, and orna-
mental boxes, suitable for a great variety of purposes, such as holding cigars,
cigarettes, matches, pills, pins, needles, tea, coffee, &c, and to make them in such a
manner that without taking off the lid, by a slight movement one at a time or a
portion of the contents of any article, for which the box is made suitable, falls out
by its own gravity. To effect this object I make the boxes of any metal or
material, or combination of materials, that will allow of being stamped or made
into the required shape or shapes.
An inner cup or lining, so shaped at one end as to lead the contents of the
a hole placed excentrically in and through the end, is fixed in the box. In the
cup to
outer part of the box covering the lining or inner cup is also a hole in the same
radius and almost the same position, a small stud or projection in the box and
corresponding groove in the cup (or the stud or projection may be on the cup and
groove in the box) allows a portion of the box to turn slightly, so that the eccentric
holes are brought one over the other when annthing is wanted out of the box; when
not so wanted it is turned the reverse way, and nothing can come out, as the hole
in the cup or lining is closed by the outer covering.
I propose to regulate the traverse of the outer box on the cup, so that the
holes in each necessarily come into line when the pin or projection is at one end
of the groove or recess, and the opening completely closed when this projection is
at the other end.
I also make double or compound boxes, such as to hold cigars, cigarettes, &c., at
one end, and matches at the other, both of which are made so as to separate and
.
•

page_text: deliver one article or portion of their contents at a time. A pin, fixed or screwed,
or projection within the box, and attached to a part of it, may also move a cup
piece covering the outlet or itself if placed excentrically, effect the same object
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said George Featherstone in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd February
1877
GEORGE FEATHERSTONE GRIFFIN, of Oldfield House, Acton, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOXES FOR MATCHES AND
OTHER ARTICLES.
The object of my Invention is to make at very low cost, useful, safe, and orna-
mental boxes, suitable for a great variety of purposes, such as holding cigars,
cigarettes, matches, pills, pins, needles, tea, coffec, &c., and to make them in such a
manner, that without taking off the lid, by a slight movement one at a time or a
portion of the contents of any article, for which the box is made suitable, falls out
by its own gravity. To effect this object I make the boxes of any metal or
material, or combination of materials, that will allow of being stamped or made
into the required shape or shapes.
An inner cup or lining, so shaped at one end as to lead the contents of the cup
to a hole placed excentrically in and through the end, is fixed in the box. In the
outer part of the box covering the lining or inner cup is also a hole in the same
radius and almost the same position A small stud or projection in the box and
corresponding groove in the cup (or the stud or projection may be on the cup and
groove in the box) allows a portion of the box to turn slightly, so that the eccentric
holes are brought one over the other when anything is wanted out of the box, when
not so wanted it is turned the reverse way, and nothing can come out as the hole in
the cup or lining is closed by the outer covering.
I
propose to regulate the traverse of the outer box on the cup, so that the holes
in each necessarily come into line when the pin or projection is at one end of the
groove or recess, and the opening completely closed when the projection is at the
other end.
I also make double or compound boxes such as to hold cigars, cigarettes, &c., at
one end and matches at the other, both of which are made so as to separato and
deliver one article or portion of their contents at a time, a pin fixed or screwed in
projection within, the box and attached to a part of it may also move a cup piece
covering the outlet or itself, if placed excentrically, effect the same object.
The accompanying Sheet of Drawing shows boxes of various shapes and
dimensions embodying my Invention
Figure I is a plan view of a circular flat box of my Invention; Figure 2 is a side
view of same showing outlet for contents, Figure 3 is a vertical section; Figure 3*,
an enlarged section; Figure 4 is a horizontal section, and Figure 4° is an enlarged
section of same.
a, a¹, outer casing with outlet orifice at f; b, inner casing or lining with outlet
orifice at f¹; c, c, indentations upon casing a formning projections running in grooves
or slots d, d, in inner casing 6, e, guide piece, which in conjunction with the
curvature of the box leads the matches or other article to outlet f; g, corrugations
or bars upon box for striking matches upon; K, livet.
When it is desired to take a single article, say a match, from this box the outer
casing a¹ is turned on the inner casing or lining 6, until the outlets f and f¹ are in
line with each other, and the matches guided by the curvature of the box will at
once issue therefrom, the outlet is then closed by reversing the movement.
Figures 5, 6, and 7, show a canister made upon the saune principle, and intended
to hold tea, coffee, and similar articles.

page_text: Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 11, 12, and 12*, show another form of the box, in which
the action is precisely the same as for Figs. 1 to 4; h, piece stamped in outer casing a
for the purpose of preventing a turning in b, in this form of the box the piece e is
not required to assist in leading the match to the outlet f.
Figures 13, 14, 15, 15*, and 16, show a modification of the above, forming a double
box. The partition i, Figure 14, divides this box into two compartments, the one
containing, say, salt, the other pepper; indicates rivets, by which the outer
casing and inner casing are held together. The action is still the same as in the
boxes previously described, that is to say, the case a¹ or all is turned on a, bringing
the holes f and f¹ in line when the salt or pepper, according to which side of the
box is undermost, falls therefrom; by reversing the action the openings resume their
relative position as at Fig. 12.
It will be evident that instead of a central partition, as shown, this box might
be divided into two parts of unequal dimensions, for example, to hold cigarettes at
one end and cigars at the other, or matches at one end and cigarettes or cigars at
the other, and so on.
•
Figs 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21*, 22, and 22*, show another modification of my
Invention. In this box the outer casing does not turn on the inner casing as in the
preceding cases, but by pressing upon the projection c the box is opened by its
holes f¹ and f", being brought into line with each other, and with the oulet hole f
of the casing a, when the match at onco drops out; the pressure being taken off the
box closes automatically by the inner casing resuming its position, as at Figure 22;
if desired one side only of the casing b might be made to traverse; 1, yunk ring by
which this box can be suspended from the watch chain, this box may be made of
an oval or other ornamental shape, and be suspended from the watch guard, in
which position it will readily deliver the match, this combination of inner and
outer casing may be applied to a box divided into compartments, as and for the
purposes above described
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is or may be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not limit myself to the use of any particular material or materials in the manu-
facture of my improved boxes, nor to any particular shape or dimensions or to the
precise details shown on the Drawing, as such may be vaned without departing from
my Invention, and that what I claim as secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
⋅
Firstly. The combination of the inner and outer casings operating to open
and close the outlet, substantially as herein-before described and shown in Figs. 1
to 16
Secondly. The combination of the double box, substantially as herein-before
described and shown, Figs 12 to 16.
Thirdly. The combination of the inner and outer casing operated substantially as
herein-before described and shown in Figs. 17 to 22*.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Featherstone Griffin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven,
G. FEATHERSTONE GRIFFIN. (L.S.)