Improvements in Boxes or Cases for the Conveyance or Transmission of Fruit, Flowers, Eggs or other Articles of a Frail Nature.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Feb., 1909
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1900
και οι πρρηναιο
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1500
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes or Cases for the Conveyance or Transmission
of Fruit, Flowers, Eggs or other Articles of a Frail Nature.
We, WILLIAM ALFRED HIERN and FRANK RAYMOND FANSHAWE, both of Câtel,
Guernsey, Fruitgrowers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in boxes or cases for the conveyance
or transmission of fruit, flowers, eggs or other articles of a frail nature and has
for its object to so construct such boxes or cases that the contents will be less
liable to be detrimentally affected than heretofore, by the concussion or shaking
to which the boxes or cases are usually subjected in their transport from one
place to another.
According to our invention we provide the surface or surfaces of the box or
case, which are intended to come into contact with the ground, with resilient
portions for absorbing the aforesaid concussions resulting from the dropping or
careless placing of the box upon the ground. This may be effected by providing
the bottom of the box or case proper with a collapsable or movable portion or
portions which, by the action of springs or buffers, are held away from the box
or case proper so that a space is left between these parts. When the said box
or case is dropped upon the ground, the said movable portion or portions recoil
into the said space against the resistance of the springs or buffers which absorb
the shock that would otherwise be transmitted to the box proper. The said
springs or buffers may be formed of metal, india-rubber, or air enclosed in a
collapsable container or containers. In order to limit the extent to which the
said movable portions or false bottom can be shifted outwardly by the springs
or buffers we provide suitable stops such as metal bands carried by the box proper
and extending beneath the false bottom. Any other suitable means may however
be employed for this purpose. The said false bottom is preferably furnished
with feet upon which the weight of the entire box is supported when resting on
the ground and if desired the length of these feet may be made adjustable so
that when the contents of the box are composed of heavier goods than usual,
we can ensure that the extent to which the false bottom moves inwardly against
the resistance of the springs under the entire weight of the box will not be so
great as to permit the box proper to touch the ground. A similar result may
be attained by adjusting the position of the aforesaid stops relatively to the false
bottom. When helical springs are employed as the resilient medium. we may
so construct the said feet that the bolts by which the latter are retained in place
can be employed for holding projections or bosses upon the inner side of the
false bottom. These projections or bosses acting in conjunction with similar
projections or bosses situated opposite to them on the bottom of the box proper
are then employed for preventing lateral displacement of the springs.
Our improvements will be found especially useful in connection with boxes of
the kind-that are divided into a number of compartments for receiving sliding

page_text: receptacles to contain fruit. Our improvements are however applicable to boxes
of other construction or to boxes used for the transmission of other articles of a
fragile nature.
a
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Boxes or Cases for the Conveyance or Transmission
of Fruit, Flowers, Eggs or other Articles of a Frail Nature.
We, WILLIAM ALFRED HIERN and FRANK RAYMOND FANSHAWE, both of Catel,
Guernsey, Fruitgrowers, 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 improvements in boxes or cases for the conveyance
or transmission of fruit, flowers eggs or other articles of a frail nature and has
for its object to so construct such boxes or cases that they will be less liable than
heretofore to be detrimentally affected by the concussion or shaking to which
they are subject in their transport from one place to another.
According to our invention we provide the surface or surfaces of the box or case
that are intended to come into contact with the ground with resilient portions
for absorbing the aforesaid concussions resulting from the dropping or careless
placing of the box upon the ground. For this purpose we provide, say, the
bottom of the box or case with a collapsible or movable part or parts which, by
the action of metallic or other springs are held away from the bottom of the box
or case proper, so that a space is left between the bottom of the box proper and
the said collapsible part. When the said box is heavily dropped upon the
ground (as, for instance, when it is removed from a railway van and thrown
onto the platform of a railway station) the said movable parts recoil into the
said space, against the resistance of the springs which absorb the concussion
that would otherwise be received by the box proper.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation,
Figure 2 is an underside view and
Figure 3 a vertical transverse section on the line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an elevation shewing a modification.
A is the box or case proper and B the movable part thereof. C C are the
springs which may be formed of metal, india-rubber or air enclosed in a
collapsible container. In order to limit the extent to which the said movable
part can be shifted outwardly by the springs, we provide metal bands a secured
to and carried by the box or case proper and extending beneath the movable
part B. Any other suitable means may however be employed for this purpose.
The said movable part B is furnished with feet upon which the weight of
the entire box is supported when resting on the ground and if desired the length
of these feet may be made adjustable so that when the contents of the box are
composed of heavier goods than usual, we can insure that the extent to which
the movable part moves inwardly against the resistance of the springs C under
the entire weight of the box will not be so great as to permit the lower edges
of the sides of the box proper to come into contact with the ground. In the

page_text: drawings we have therefore shown the said feet as consisting of india-rubber
or other flexible material provided with central bolts which have at their inner
ends nuts. By revolving these nuts the outer ends of the said bolts can be
caused to advance towards or recede from the said movable part B and so shorten
or lengthen the feet; the resilient nature of the said feet permitting of this.
When metallic helical springs such as those illustrated in the drawings are
employed, we may provide on the inner side of the movable part B, projections
or bosses b for the lower ends of the said springs to engage with whereby said
springs will be restrained from departing from their vertical position. If desired
similar projections or bosses may also be fixed to the underside of the bottom
of the box proper, so as to lie opposite to the aforesaid projections or bosses b¹,
in order to further assist in keeping the said springs in their vertical position.
Instead of making the movable part in the form of a flat piece, as illustrated,
adapted to enter a space beneath the box proper, we may construct the movable
part in the form of a chamber enclosing the bottom portion of the box proper
and adapted to slide thereon against the resistance of the springs. In this case
the feet would be unnecessary.
In some cases it will be found advantageous to provide in place of the aforesaid
feet b blocks of wood extending longitudinally along the bottom of the movable
part B, said blocks serving as runners for the box for facilitating its being
pushed along the ground when it is required to be shifted short distances from
one place to another (see Figure 4). Moreover these runners by having a large
bearing surface as compared with the feet will not be so liable to indent or
injure the surface upon which the box is allowed to fall, which is a consideration
of some importance when the boxes are intended to be transported in ships, as
injury to the decks by the boxes would be very objectionable.
Our improvements will be found especially useful in connection with boxes
of the kind that are divided into a number of compartments for receiving sliding
portions to contain fruit. Our improvements are however applicable to boxes
used for the transmission of other articles of a frail nature.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
-
1. A box or case provided with a spring controlled collapsible or movable part
or parts for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with the collapsible part or parts and the feet thereon of
adjustable means for regulating the extent to which the feet will project from
the box proper substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. A box or case constructed substantially as described with reference to
either of the constructions illustrated by the accompanying drawings for the
purpose specified.
1000
Dated this na uay
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co..
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.