Improvements in Folding Carbboard Boxes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th Apr., 1898-Accepted, 14th May. 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Carbboard Boxes.
I, GUSTAVE ANTOINE LEDUC, of 16, Rue Drouot, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Commercial Representative, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Folding boxes of cardboard, as constructed at present, are formed with their
ends or flaps folding one upon the other in pairs, those of the second or outer pair
hooking the one into the other by means of ears formed or provided on one of
the flaps and penetrating into corresponding slits formed in the other flap. This
system of closing has the disadvantage of holding the parts simply against lateral
pull and does not present sufficient resistance in the middle part of the box where
the pressure is exerted, from which it results that this middle part can and really
does bend when this pressure is a little heavy.
My invention, which has for its object, a new folding box removes this
disadvantage and consists in forming the flaps which effect the closing of
the box in such fashion that they present at their centre a binding per-
mitting of a much greater resistance being obtained at this point. This bind-
ing is effected either by means of a single ear similar to a port-folio flap
inserted through the fastening flaps of the box or by the combination
of three ears, of which one placed at the centre realises particularly the object of
my invention.
The sides of my new box do not present any peculiarity and need not be
described, the description only applying to bottoms. These are composed as usual
of two pairs of flaps of which the inner pair are first folded and held down and
then the outer pair held down in turn upon the preceding ones, the outer pair
constituting the closing device properly so called. Of this outer pair of flaps the
one flap is cut away near the sides in such manner as to form a single ear or,
better, a portfolio tongue which is made to penetrate into a single slit made approxi-
mately in the central part of the other flap. This tongue is further passed through
a slit cut in one flap of the other or inner pair and disposed in such fashion as to
be capable of being easily withdrawn by means of the first slit as the tongue
enters readily into the second slit after having been inserted in the first slit. I may
also cause the flap to penetrate another slit arranged in the remaining flap. This
manner of closing the end of a box gives great solidity and this is due to the fact
that the tongue re-enforces the centre portion of the end of the box in taking its
hold on the other flaps which form the bottom.
In a modification, one flap may be supplied with ears in the ordinary manner
to correspond with slits arranged in the other flap, and in addition with a much
larger ear cut out in its middle to correspond with an additional slit made in the
other flap. This third ear in penetrating into its slit forms a third and solid point
of attachment specially designed to sustain the middle of the bottom of the box
as has been already specified. It will be understood that in this case also the
third ear may be made to penetrate one or other of the inner pair of flaps as before
described.

page_text: In another modification, the three ears may be disposed in such fashion that
one of their corresponding slits lies at right angles to the other two.
The slits may be made by cutting out a narrow strip of the cardboard by means
of a punching machine, or with advantage from the point of view of solidity by
cutting a single slit with its extremities slightly cut at an angle.
Dated this 13th dow of July 1897
Improvements in Folding Cardboard boxes.
I, GUSTAVE ANTOINE LEDUC, of 16, Rue Drouot, l'aris, in the Republic of France,
Commercial Representative, 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:――
Folding boxes of cardboard, as constructed at present, are formed with their
ends or flaps folding one upon the other in pairs, those of the second or outer
pair hooking the one into the other by means of ears formed or provided on one
of the flaps and penetrating into corresponding slits formed in the other flap. This
system of closing has the disadvantage of holding the parts simply against lateral
pull and does not present sufficient resistance in the middle part of the box where
the pressure is exerted, from which it results that this middle part can and really
does bend when this pressure is a little heavy.
My invention which has for its object a new folding box removes this disadvan-
tage and consists in forming the flaps which effect the closing of the box in such
fashion that they present at their centre a binding permitting of a much greater resis-
tance being obtained at this point. This binding is effected either by means of a
single ear similar to a portfolio flap inserted through the fastening flaps of the
box or by the combination of three ears, of which one placed at the centre realises
particularly the object of my invention.
In order to allow of the invention being better understood reference will now
be made to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is a vertical section on the line X Y of Figure 2 of a box made in
accordance with my invention;
Figure 2 a plan view of same;
Figure 3 a partial plan view of a similar box when open with its faces laid one
on the other as is the case when stored;
Figures 4, 5, 6 & 7, 8, 9 are corresponding views respectively of modifications
of similar boxes.
The sides of my new box do not present any peculiarity and need not be
described, the description only applying to bottoms. These are composed as usual
of two pairs of flaps A A¹ B B of which the inner pair A A' is first folded and
held down and then the outer pair B B₁ held down in turn upon the preceding
ones, the outer pair constituting the closing device properly so-called. Of this
outer pair of flaps B B1, the one flap B is cut away near the sides in such manner
as to form a single ear or, better, a portfolio tongue which is made to penetrate
into a single slit 61 made approximately in the central part of the other flap B
This tongue B is further passed through a slit a cut in the flap A of the other or
inner pair and arranged in such fashion as to be capable of being easily with-
drawn by means of the first slit 1 as shown in Figure 1 as the tongue B enters
readily into the second slit after having been inserted in the first slit b. I may

page_text: also cause the flap B to penetrate another slit arranged in the remaining flap A¹.
This manner of closing the end of a box gives great solidity and this is due
to the fact that the tongue re-enforces the centre portion of the end of the box
in taking its hold on the other flaps which form the bottom.
In a modification shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, one flap B may be supplied with ears b
in the ordinary manner to correspond with slits arranged in the other flap B',
and in addition with a much larger ear C cut out in its middle to correspond with
an additional slit C₁ made in the other flap B¹. This third ear C in penetrating
into its slit C forms a third and solid point of attachment specially designed to
sustain the middle of the bottom of the box as has been already specified. It will
be understood that in this case also the third ear C may be made to penetrate one
or other of the inner pair of flaps A A¹ as before described and shown in Figures 1,
2 and 3.
In another modification shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, the three ears 6 C b may be
disposed in such fashion that one of their corresponding slits 1 C₁ lies at right
angles to the other two, the characteristic part of the central flap C still remain-
ing. As shown in Figures 3 to 9 the slits b¹ C₁₁ may be made by cutting out a
narrow strip of the cardboard by means of a punching machine, or with advantage
from the point of view of solidity by cutting a single slit with its extremities
slightly cut at an angle as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
An improved folding box of cardboard characterised by its method
of fastening, which consists in the combination with the fastening ears,
of a flap arranged in such a way as to effect the closing at the
geometric centres of the two ends forming the box, said flap being
combined with side flaps or occupying the whole surface of the
covering ear, and being adapted to be passed through one or more of the flaps form-
ing the bottom of the box, the whole substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown in the accompanying drawings.
21
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.