Improvements in Boxes, Cases, or Packages for Securely Holding Articles or Materials to be Transmitted by Post or otherwise.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Boxes, Cases, or Packages for Securely Holding
Articles or Materials to be Transmitted by Post or otherwise.
I, WILLIAM BRYCE CHALMERS, of 37, Mincing Lane, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention refers to the construction and arrangement of boxes,
cases, or packages, for securely holding articles or materials to be transmitted
by post or otherwise, and whereby the same are protected from injury during
transit, and the contents cannot be tampered with without injury to or the
destruction of the seal.
According to my invention I make the box, case or package preferably of tin-
plate metal, and in two parts, one part (the cover) being hinged to the other part,
(the receptacle proper) by a hinge joint made in such manner that when
the cover is lifted the joint automatically divides and the cover
becomes detached from the receptacle, but in closing the package the two parts
thereof become tightly united and inseparable from one another, until the seal
of the package is removed and the cover or lid raised. The hinge joint is simply
produced by stamping a projection from the outside, in the inner side of the
cover rim, and a corresponding indentation in the receptacle rim, thus producing
a projection on the inside of the said rim; or the reverse might be produced.
On the opposite side of the box there is a flexible tongue, lug, or projection formed
on or attached to the receptacle, opposite the hinge, which tongue is so arranged
as to pass through a slot in the cover.
To secure the package the projection on the cover is inserted in the indentation
in the receptacle making a hinge, the opposite side of the cover is then brought
down and the tongue on the receptacle portion passed through the slot in the
cover, and when pressed down on the top surface of the cover the hinge is locked
and the cover cannot be removed from the receptacle until the tongue is raised.
The combination of the detachable hinge with the tongue thus forms the
essential feature of the invention, the one being necessary to the other in order
to form a perfectly secure connection between the cover and the receptacle portion.
The surface of the cover is provided with a label to receive the address and the
postage stamp, or gummed paper is placed over the tongue, forming a seal, conse-
quently the box cannot be opened without removing the stamp and thus in this
state it is practically as safe for sending through the post or by hand, as a sealed
letter. When posting this box to countries where the postal regulations require
that samples should be open for examination in transit, the stamp is placed
under the tongue instead of over it.
The two parts composing the package are each struck out or formed from

page_text: metal blanks and when put together and handled or treated in the manner before
described, neither string, paper, or other fastening. is required.
Dated this 27th day of November 1897.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Boxes, Cases, or Packages for Securely Holding
Articles or Materials to be Transmitted by Post or otherwise.
I. WILLIAM BRYCE CHALMERS, of 37, Mincing Lane, in the City of London,
Merchant, 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 refers to an improved box, case, or package, for containing
articles or materials to be transmitted by post or otherwise, and the invention
consists in the construction and combination of the lid and box as hereafter
described, by which the lid can be readily secured onto the box and sealed thereon,
the contents being thereby protected from injury during transit, while the said
contents cannot be tampered with, without injury to, or the destruction of, the
seal.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing,
whereon Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one construction of my improved box and
lid the latter being partly raised. Fig. 2 is a similar view shewing the lid closed.
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view shewing the lid sealed by means of a postage
stamp. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a portion of the box, with the lid partly raised,
to shew the separatable hinge fastening upon one side thereof, hereafter described,
and Fig. 5 is an interior elevation of a portion of the box, shewing a fixing
tongue.
Fig. 6 is a vertical section of my box and lid where there is shewn a varied
construction of hinge-joint, the lid being partly raised, Fig. 7 is a similar view
shewing the lid closed. Fig. S is a plan view of the closed box, drawn to a
smaller scale than the previous figures, and shewing the lid sealed by means of
a postage stamp. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of a box and lid, the
latter being raised from the box, and showing a detachable hinge joint hereafter
described and Fig. 10 is a similar view to that at Fig. 9, but shewing the opposite
side of the box, and the tongue and slot fixing.
According to my invention I make the box, case, or package, preferably of
tin-plate metal, and in two parts, one part A. being the box proper, and the other
part B being the lid the lid B is connected to the box, (when closed down) by
a hinge joint in such manner that when the lid B is lifted the joint automatically
divides and the lid B becomes detached from the receptacle, but in closing the
package the two parts A and B become tightly united and inseparable from one
another, the lid B being locked by means of a projecting tongue A which is
fixed to the box, passing through a slot 133 in the lid and then being bent over.
Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, the hinge joint is produced by
stamping a projection Be from the outside, onto the inner side of the rim B¹ of
the lid B. and making a corresponding indentation A on the exterior side of the
box A near the upper edge thereof, so that when the lid is applied to the box the
interior projection B of the lid B takes into the indentation A' of the box, and
forms a hinge joint, which securely connects the lid B to the box A upon one
side thereof.

page_text: Upon the other side of the box, and diametrically opposite to the hinge con-
nection aforesaid, I fix or form a vertically upstanding tongue A² of metal;
through the top of the lid B I form a slotted aperture 13 through which the
aforesaid tongue A2 passes when the lid is closed onto the box.
To secure the package, the projection B on the lid is inserted in the indenta-
tion A¹ of the box, making a hinge, the opposite side of the lid being brought
down, and the tongue A2 passed through the slot of the lid, and then pressed and
bent down on the top surface thereof, and the hinge being thereby locked, the
lid cannot be removed from the box, until the tongue is raised.
Obviously instead of forming an indentation at A¹ may produce a projection,
to take into an internal indentation at B on the edge of the box lid.
Instead of making indentations and projections A' B as aforesaid, I, in some
cases, form the hinge joint as shewn at Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive of the drawings,
where the box A is formed with a slotted aperture A' near the upper edge, and
the lid B has its downward edge B' vertically divided at two places, the part B²
between the divisions being beut inwards, so that it lies about parallel, and at a
distance from the under surface of the top of the lid. The divisions may and
preferably are, not quite parallel with each other so that the hinge tongue B
is given somewhat tapering sides.
The articles or materials to be enclosed are placed in the box A, and the lid B
is placed into the position shewn at Fig. 6, the hinge-tongue B of the lid passing
through the slotted aperture A¹ of the box. The insertion of the hinge tongue B
is facilitated when the part B2 has somewhat tapered edges. The lid B is then
closed, the upstanding tongue A3 on the box passing through the slotted aper-
ture 13 of the lid, and the said tongue A is then bent down onto the upper surface
of the lid, the parts then having the positions shewn in dotted line on the vertical
section at Fig. 7 and on plan Fig. 8. When thus placed the lid B and the box A
are tightly united and inseparable from one another.
The combination of the detachable hinge B2 A' with the tongue fixing A² B
thus forms an important feature of the invention, the one being necessary to the
other in order to form a perfectly secure connection between the cover or lid B,
and receptacle portion A. The surface of the cover or lid B is provided with a
label C to receive the address and a postage stamp or gummed paper placed
over the tongue forming a seal, consequently the box cannot be opened without
removing the stamp and thus in this state it is practically as safe for sending
through the post or by hand as a sealed letter.
When posting this box to countries where the postal regulations require that
samples should be open for examination in transit, the stamp is placed under the
tongue instead of over it.
The two parts composing the package are each struck out or formed from metal
blanks and when put together and handled or treated in the manner before
described neither string, paper or other fastening is required.
When raising the tongue A² and lifting the lid B the hinge joint Bª A¹ auto-
matically divides and the cover becomes detached from the receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a box, case, or package for containing articles or materials to be trans-
mitted by post or otherwise, a separatable hinge-joint composed of an inwardly
projecting part on the edge of the lid, engaging during and upon closing of the
case, with a recess or aperture upon the side of the box or vice versa, in com-
bination with an upstanding tongue on another part of the box, passing through
an aperture of the lid, and adapted to be bent over onto same to maintain the
closure, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. In a box, case, or package for containing articles or materials to be trans-
mitted by post or otherwise, the means for detachable securing the lid to the

page_text: box, and sealing the same all constructed and arranged substantially as and for
the purposes described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a box, case or package for containing articles or materials to be trans-
mitted by post or otherwise, a slotted aperture formed through the side of the
box near the upper edge thereof, and a vertically upstanding tongue extending
above the side of the said box, at or about opposite to the aforesaid slotted aperture,
in combination with an inwardly directed tongue extending from the side of the
lid, and adapted to enter the slotted aperture of the box to form a separatable
hinge joint, and a slotted aperture in the top of the lid to allow of the passage
of the upstanding tongue of the box therethrough, the exterior projecting portion
of the tongue being bent over to secure the lid when the latter is closed, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In a box, case, or package for containing articles or materials to be trans-
mitted by post or otherwise; the means for detachably securing the lid to the
box and sealing the same, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for
the purpose described with reference to Figs. to 10 of the accompanying
drawings.
1363 1
1000
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds. Agents for the Applicant.