IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES AND SAFES AND IN THE MANUFACTURE. OF FIRE- PROOF OR INCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS OR COMPOUNDS TO BE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1882

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Cº. Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings. London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES AND SAFES AND IN THE MANUFACTURE. OF FIRE-
PROOF OR INCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS OR COMPOUNDS TO BE USED IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME AND FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES." Communicated
to him from abroad by Moody Merrill and John Henry Nolan, both of
Boston Massachusetts United States of America Gentlemen.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th December 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co, Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES AND SAFES
"
AND IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIRE-PROOF OR INCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS OR
COMPOUNDS TO BE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME AND FOR SIMILAR
PURPOSES [A communication to him from abroad by Moody Merrill and
John Henry Nolan, both of Boston Massachusetts United States of America
Gentlemen.]
This invention relates to the construction of boxes and safes and to fire-proof
materials to be used in their manufacture and for similar purposes.
I will first describe the box.
The box is preferably made of sheet metal although it may be made of metal
plates, and it is lined with a fire-proof material as herein described.
The metal shell of the box is formed of metal sheets or plates which are lap-
jointed at the edges and they may be covered with an ornamental moulding or
"reinforce." The upper edges of the plates forming the sides and ends of the box
are folded inwardly horizontally to form the re-inforcing and covering portion.
This construction not only stiffens and strengthens the box, but it also furnishes a
protection for the fire-proof lining. The box is further provided with a bead or
moulding projecting outwardly therefrom and upon which the under edge of the
cover may rest.

page_text: The cover of the box or shell, when of sheet metal, should be made from a blank.
This blank has two recesses which are caused by the folding of portions thereof
upon each other.
A piece termed a "scrap-piece" is bent to a right angle and is
slipped into one of the said recesses at each corner of the cover and serves as a
brace. It may be secured in place by rivets extending through the walls and sides
thereof, if desired. This construction is very strong and cheap and gives a good
interior finish to the box.
. The fire-proof material for lining the cover of the box is secured thereto by
rivetting, with or without cement. The lining for the body of the box is cemented,
or otherwise secured in place, and is formed with a recess, extending around the
upper edge forming a shoulder upon which the edge of the fire-proof material
attached to the cover very nearly comes in contact. One section of the fire-proof
material attached to the cover extends below the line of the shoulders.
The fire-proof material should be so arranged in the box as to leave a space about
the joints between the cover and the main portion of the box, sufficient to allow of
some expansion of the material when heated to any considerable extent.
I sometimes modify the construction of the box by using in lieu of the thin
sheet, plates of thicker metal. In this construction, instead of folding over the
top edge of the plates as in the box above described, I use angle iron fastened by
rivets or bolts upon the inside to the plates forming the walls of the box, thereby
strengthening the construction and obtaining protection for the upper surface of
the fire-proof material. Instead of arranging the cover with a portion that shuts
over the shell of the box, I fasten to the inside thereof a metal plate having two
angles and secure it to the cover by means of the plate which is fastened to the
top plate by rivets or bolts. This plate extends under the portion of the angle-
plate and the remainder of the angle-plate serves to protect the edge of the
fire-proof material. These angle plates and the other plate and the fire proof
material of the joint are so arranged in relation to each other as to provide a space,
which, upon the expansion of the material by heat, is sealed tightly, the said angle
plate being moved on its supporting plate by the "creep" of the material as the
box is heated.
This invention also embraces the construction of safe doors and jambs, whereby
the conduction of the heat from the exterior to the interior of the safe is prevented
and the safe door is provided with a row of boxes or drawers fastened to the inside
thereof.
The safe door is constructed of a front metal plate side-plates, and an inside plate.
The side plates are rivetted to the front plate and fastened to the rear plate by angle-
irons, and fusible metal rivets, or by other means that will allow of the separation
of the said side-plates from the rear plates if the material becomes heated and
expands. Between the two sets of side plates I interpose a layer of fire-proof
material hereinafter described, and the two plates are bolted together.
This interposed fire-proof material acts as a damper or cut-off in preventing the
conduction of heat from the exterior to the interior of the safe by means of the
metal plates comprising the sides of the door.
The door jambs are similarly constructed, there being two sets of plates; those
of oue set are rivetted to the shell of the safe and the others are inside, and between
them is interposed fire-proof material. These plates are bolted together, but as in
the case of the door, the fire-proof material acts to prevent the conduction of the
heat from the exterior to the interior.
The inside plates may be secured at their corners by angle-irons and fusible rivets
in such a manner as to allow the expansion of the material by heat to move thein
towards the side plates of the door.
Drawers are arranged in the casing and fastened by screws or in any other
desirable manner to the back or rear plate of the safe door.
The aforesaid fire-proof material is not only applicable for use in lining. boxes
and safes but may be used for lining walls, shutters, doors or otherwise where it is
desirable to provide a fire-proof, or substantially fire-proof, construction. I make
i

page_text: the fire-proof material or compound of vegetable or mineral fibre, or both and clay
and magnesia, lime, or tale, or other heat-resisting material of a similar nature or
I use a mixture of two or more of these substances in any suitable proportion.
The proportion which I prefer to use is about 60 per cent of the fibre to 40 per
cent of the heat-resisting material. The said fibre and material are well mixed
together by the aid of water, and the mixture thus formed is made into layers or
sheets, or into such forms as may be desired. It is then saturated with a solution
of lime, alum, borax, silicate of soda, tungstate of soda, or other solution of a
kindred nature. It is not however absolutely necessary to saturate the material
with this solution, although I prefer so to do. This material may be used for
lining boxes, safes, floors, walls, shutters, and the like alone, or in connection with
a lining of a material such as hereinafter described, which carbonizes and in its
carbonized shape, serves to protect the material which it covers.
This carbonizable lining I make of vegetable or mineral fibre, or both, saturated
with a solution of lime, alum, borax, silicate of soda, tungstate of soda, or a
mixture of two or more of them or, of a solution of like nature.
The fibre is worked into any desirable shape to receive the solution and may be
in the condition of woven cloth, or paper, and when used with the incombustible
lining above described it is cemented, or otherwise attached, thereto upon one or
both surfaces, as may be desired.
For lining boxes, safes, or any article or material which may be submitted to a
high heat I prefer to arrange the incombustible material and the lining in several
layers, first a layer of incombustible material, then a lining of carbonizable material,
then another layer of incombustible material, and another lining of carbonizable
material, and so on.
The outer lining will act to resist the action of fire for a long period without
carbonizing, and after it is carbonized it still acts to resist the transmission of heat
to the material beyond or behind it. If, however, the heat finally should absolutely
destroy the carbon the fire-proof material which it protects will have become
slowly carbonized and in its turn will act as carbon of less heat-resisting power
than that first named to prevent the transmission of the heat to the carbonizable
lining which it covers and the action of the fire thereon is so very slow and the
passage of heat therethrough is so retarded that a lining of a number of alternate
layers of the two materials will protect the contents of the box or safe for a very
long time. The fibre in the carbonizable lining acts to hold it in shape after it has
been carbonized, so that under the action of intense heat it does not "flake" and
crumble but retains substantially its original shape and position in relation to the
other body or mass of incombustible material which it protects.

page_text: +
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said William Robert Lake in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th July 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co, Patent
IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES AND SAFES
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
OR INCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS OR
AND IN. THE MANUFACTURE OF FIREPROOF
COMPOUNDS TO BE. USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SAME, AND FOR SIMILAR
PURPOSES " A communication to me from abroad by Moody Merrill and
John Henry Nolan, both of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentlemen,
This invention relates to the construction of boxes and safes, and to fire-proof
materials to be used in their manufacture and for similar purposes.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 to 8 illustrate the construction of a fireproof box, and
Figures 9 to 14 the construction of a safe according to this invention.
Referring to Figures 1 to 8, the box is preferably made of sheet metal although
it may be made of metal plates and it is lined with a fire-proof material, as herein-
after described.
The metal shell of the box shown in Figure 1 is formed of metal sheets or
plates a which are lap-jointed at the edges, substantially as shown in Figure 3;
and they may be covered with an ornamental moulding or reinforce a¹. The upper
edges of the plates forming the sides and ends of the box are folded inwards
horizontally, to form the reinforcing and covering portion a² as represented in
Figure 1. This construction not only stiffens and strengthens the box but it also
furnishes a protection for the fire-proof lining. The box is further provided with
a bead or moulding a³ projecting outwardly therefrom and upon which the under
edge of the cover may rest.
I do not limit myself to the special form of box above described as I may use
any other construction which will give me the essential features thereof, namely:-
joints which can stand the action of fire, and which generally are either rivetted
or lapped, and an inwardly projecting portion at the top, to cover the lining and
strengthen the box.
The cover of the box or shell, when of sheet metal, should be made from a blank
one corner of which is represented in Figure 6. This blank is shown folded in
Figure 7 and has two recesses b, which are caused, by the folding of the portions ¿¹
thereof, to assume the position shown in Figure 7.
· It will readily be seen that the section 62 of the blank is folded upon 63, and that
the two sections thus folded are again folded upon the line b* bringing the edges
together. The piece b which is termed a scrap-piece is bent to a right angle and
is slipped into the recess 66 at each corner of the cover, and serves as a brace.
•
It may be secured in place by rivets extending through the walls and sides
thereof, if desired. This construction is very strong and cheap and gives a very
good internal finish to the box.
The fire-proof material for lining the cover of the box is secured thereto, substan-
The lining for
tially as shown in Figure 1, by rivetting with or without cement.
the body of the box is cemented or otherwise secured in place and is formed, as
shown in Figures 1 and 2, with a recess e extending around the upper edge, forming
a shoulder with which the edge of the fire-proof material attached to the cover very
nearly comes in contact One section of the fire-proof material attached to the
cover extends below the line of the shoulders, as shown.
The fire-proof material should be so arranged in the box as to leave a space near

page_text: the joint between the cover and the main portion of the box sufficient to allow
some expansion of the material when heated to any considerable extent.
I sometimes modify the construction of the box as shown in Figure 8, which
represents a portion of the cover, and a portion of the front of the box, by using in
lieu of the thin sheeting, plates of thicker metal. In this construction, instead of
folding over the top edge of the plates, as in the box above described, I use angle
iron d fastened by rivets or bolts d', upon the inside, to the plates forming the
walls of the box, thereby strengthening the construction and obtaining protection
Instead of arranging the
for the upper surface of the fire-proof material.
cover with a portion that shuts over the shell of the box as in Figure 1, I
fasten to the inside thereof a metal plate d², which is an angle plate having two
angles, and secure it to the cover by means of the plate d³, which is fastened to the
top plate by rivets or bolts. This plate extends under the portion d' of the angle
plate d, as shown, and the remainder of the angle-plate serves to protect the edge
of the fire-proof material. These angle-plates, the plate d³, and the fire-proof
material of the joint, are so arranged in relation to each other as to provide a
space which, upon the expansion of the material by heat, is sealed tightly, the
said angle-plate d² being moved on its supporting plate d³ by the movement of the
material as the box is heated.
Figures 9 to 14, illustrate another part of this invention which embraces the
construction of safe doors and jambs, in such a manner that the conduction of the
heat from the exterior to the interior of the safe is prevented; and in which
the safe door is provided with a row of boxes or drawers fastened to the inside
thereof
e indicates the safe door constructed of a front metal plate e¹ the side-plates e², e³,
and an inside plate e. The side-plates e² are rivetted to the front plate, and the
two side-plates es are fastened to the rear-plate e, by angle irons e* and fusible
metal rivets, or by other means that will allow of the separation of the said side-
plates if the material becomes heated and expands. Between the two sets of
side-plates I interpose a layer es of fire-proof material hereinafter described, an i
the two plates are bolted together. This interposed fire-proof material acts as a
damper or cut-off in preventing the conduction of heat from the exterior to the
interior of the safe by means of the metal plates comprising the sides of the
door.
The door-jambs are similarly constructed, there being two sets of plates e³, e8;
the plates e are rivetted to the shell of the safe and the plates e are inside, aud
between them and the plates e is interposed fire-proof material e. These plates
are bolted together, but, as in the case of the door, the fire-proof material acts to
prevent the conduction of the heat from the exterior to the interior.
The plates e may be secured at their corners by angle-irons and fusible rivets, in
such a manner as to allow the expansion of the material by heat to move them
towards the side-plates of the door.
The drawers preferably are arranged in the casing f¹, and fastened by screws or
in any other desirable manner to the back or rear plate of the safe-door.
The aforesaid fire-proof material is not only applicable for use in lining boxes.
and safes, but may be used for lining walls, shutters, doors, or otherwise, where it
is desirable to provide a fire-proof or substantially fire-proof construction. And I
make the fire-proof material or compound of vegetable or mineral fibre, or both,
and clay and magnesia, lime, or talc, or other heat resisting material of a similar
nature or I use a mixture of two or more of these substances in any suitable
proportion.
The proportion which I prefer to use is about 60 per cent of the fibre to 40 per
cent of the heat resisting material. The said fibre and material are well mixed
together by the aid of water, and the mixture thus formed is made into layers or
sheets, or into such forms as may be desired. It is then saturated with a solution
of lime, alum, borax, silicate of soda, tungstate of soda or other solution of a
kindred nature. It is not, however, absolutely necessary to saturate the material

page_text: f
with this solution; although I prefer so to do. This material may be used for
lining boxes, safes, floors, walls, shutters, and the like alone or in connection with
a lining of a material, such as hereinafter described, which carbonizes and, in its
carbonized state; serves to protect the material which it covers:
This carbonizable lining I make of vegetable or mineral fibre, or both, saturated
with a solution of lime, alum; borax, silicate of soda, tungstate of soda, or a
inixture of two or more of them, or of solution of like nature.
The fibre is worked into any desirable shape to receive the solution, and may be
in the condition of woven cloth, or paper; and, when used with the incombustible
lining above described, it is cemented or otherwise attached thereto upon one or
both surfaces, as may be desired.
In the drawings, 'g indicates sheets of the fire-proof material first described,
and g the carbonizable lining. For lining boxes, safes; or any article or material
which may be submitted to a high heat, I prefer to arrange the incombustible
material and the lining in several layers, first a layer of incombustible material,
then a lining of carbonizable material, then another layer of incombustible inaterial
and another lining of carbonizable material, and so on.
"
The outer lining will act to resist the action of fire for a long period without
carbonizing, and after it is carbonized it still acts to resist the transmission of heat
to the material beyond or behind it. If, however, the heat finally should absolutely
destroy the carbon, the fire-proof material which it protects will have become
slowly carbonized, and in its turn will act as a carbon of less heat-resisting power
than that first named to prevent the transmission of the heat to the carbonizable
lining which it covers, and the action of the fire thereon is so very slow, and the
passage of heat therethrough is so retarded, that a lining of a number of alternate
layers of the two materials will protect the contents of the box or safe for a
considerable length of time.
The fibre in the carbonizable lining acts to hold it in shape after it has been
carbonized; so that under the action of intense heat it does not flake and crumble
but retains substantially its original shape and position in relation to the other
body or mass of incombustible material which it protects.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign, Correspondents and tlie manner of performing the saine I wish it understood
that, 1 Claim:
First. A fire-proof box constructed substantially as described.
Second. A fire-proof box, consisting of a metal shell and metal stiffening and
lining protecting plates or edges packed with fire-proof material, substantially us
shown and described.
Third. The method of forming a sheet-metal box-cover, substantially as described
with reference to the drawings.
Fourth. A sheet-metal box cover formed from a metal blank, substantially as
shown and described.
Fifth. A safe, consisting essentially of a metallic shell and a lining of the fire-
proof material herein described and either with or without the carbonizable lining,
all substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Sixth. A fire-proof-safe, consisting essentially of a metal shell enclosing alternate
layers of fire-proof material and carbonizable lining, all substantially as, and for
the purposes, described.
Seventh: A fire-proof box having provision for the expansion of the fire-proof
material about the sides of the door or the door-jamb or cover, all substantially as;
and for the purposes, described.
Eighth. A fire-proof safe having both sides of its door and the door-jamb formed
of two metal plates; between which is interposed fire-proof non-conducting
material, whereby the transmission of heat by metallic contact from the exterior
of the said safe to the interior thereof is prevented; all substantially as described.
Ninth. A safe having attached to the inner plate of the door, a frame, and boxes
adapted to slide in the said frame; all substantially as set forth.-
5

page_text: Tenth. The fire-proof material for safe, box, and other linings; herein described.
Eleventh. The fire-proof material consisting of a layer, body, or mass of a heat-
resisting nature, enveloped or lined wholly or in part by a heat-resisting layer of
material adapted to become carbonized at a high temperature without losing
its cohesive properties, and protect the first named layer, all substantially as, and
for the purposes, described.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
W. ROB. LAKE (L.S.)