Improvements in Punnets for Strawberries and other Fruits and Vegetables, Cakes, and other Perishable and similar Articles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1889
Complete Specification Loft, 9th July 1800 Accepted 17th Aug 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Punnets for Strawberries and other Fruits and
Vegetables, Cakes, and other Perishable and similar Articles.
We GUSTAVE TUCK of the Firm of Raphael Tuck & Sons, Fine Art publishers, of
72 and 73 Coleman Street, in the City of London, and FRANCIS GEORGE JOHNS of
the firm of Johns Son and Watts, of 40 City Road, in the City of London, Fancy
Box Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PUNNETS FOR STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, CAKES,
" to be as follows :-
AND OTHER PERISHABLE AND SIMILAR ARTICLES
This invention relates to the same subject as the invention described in our
application dated the 14th day of May 1889 No. 7984.
According to this invention we take a convenient number, preferably four pieces of
scale board, the length of each of which is equal to twice the depth of the intended
punnet plus the diameter of the bottom of it, the width of each piece being approximately
equal to one side of a polygon of the diameter of the punnet and having twice as
many sides as there are such pieces.
Each such piece we bend abruptly nearly at right angles in two places each bend
being at a distance from the end equal to the depth of the punnet and thus leaving
a space between them equal to the diameter of the bottom of the punnet. These
pieces are crossed one over the other so that their centres coincide and so that the
bent places in them form a polygon, and we so secure them by a wire stitch or
stitches at or about the centre, such polygon forms the bottom of the punnet and the
free end portions of the pieces of scale board, when drawn together so as to be at or
nearly at right angles to the bottom, form the sides of the punnet.
The ends of said pieces we secure by means of a band or hoop or two or more of
them (preferably two) of scale board, one within and the other outside of them, the
ends of such hoops being fastened and the hoops fastened to each of the other pieces
or some of them by a wire stitch, or stitches.
It is not necessary that the pieces of scale board be all of the same width, some
variety in the shape may be introduced by using them of different widths placed say
for instance alternately.
It will be obvious that the pieces forming the bottom and sides need not reach to
the top of the punnet but the hoops by which such pieces are secured may be made
of considerable width and thus made to form a principal part of the sides.
The stitches should not when it is practicable to avoid it be placed parallel to the
grain of the wood.
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicants..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Punnets for Strawberries and other Fruits and
"Vegetables, Cakes, and other Perishable and similar Articles.
We GUSTAVE TUCK of the firm of Raphael Tuck & Sons, Fine Art publishers,
of 72 and 73 Coleman Street, in the City of London, and FRANCIS GEORGE JOHNS
of the firm of G. E. Johns Son and Watts, of 40 City Road, in the City of London,
Fancy Box Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PUNNETS FOR STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER FRUITS AND VEGETABLES,
CAKES AND OTHER PERISHABLE AND SIMILAR ARTICLES" and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The small open baskets in which strawberries and other similar fruit is commonly

page_text: sold and which are generally known as "punnets "have hitherto usually been made by
hand and are a source of some trouble and inconvenience to fruit growers
and dealers.
Now our invention is intended to supply a machine-made article, which may be
3manufactured at a lower price and will have some other advantages over those, now
in use.
According to this. Invention which relates to polygonal punnets, that is,, punnets
having more than four sides we take a convenient number, preferably 'four pieces of
scale board the lengths of which is equal to twice the depth of the intended punnet
-plus the diameter of the bottom of it the width of each piece being approximately
equal to one side of a polygon of the diameter of the punnet and having twice as
many sides as there are such pieces. Each such piece we bend abruptly nearly at
right angles in two places each bend being at a distance from the end equal to the
depth of the punnet and thus leaving a space between them equal to the diameter of
the bottom of the punnet. These pieces are crossed one over the other so that their
centres coincide and so that the bent places in them form a polygon and we so secure
them by a wire stitch or stitches at or about the centre, such polygon forms the
bottom of the punnet and the free end portions of the pieces of scale board, when
drawn together, so as to be at, or nearly at, right angles to the bottom, form the
sides of the punnet.
The ends of said pieces we secure by means of a band or hoop or two or more of
them (preferably two) of scale board one within and the other outside of them the
ends of such hoops being fastened, and the hoops fastened to each of the other pieces
or some of them by a wire stitch or stitches.
It is not necessary that the pieces of scale board be all of the same width, some
variety in the shape may be introduced by using thein of different widths placed say
for instance alternately.
It will be obvious that the pieces forming the bottom and sides need not reach to
the top of the punnet but the hoops by which such pieces are secured may be made
of considerable width and thus male to form a principal part of the sides.
The stitches should not when it is practicable to avoid it be placed parallel to the
grain of the wood.
In the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed Fig. 1, is a plan view of pieces of scale
board stitched together in the centre in position to form an eight sided punnet,
Fig. 2, is a plan, and Fig. 3, an elevation of the same after the free ends are bent
upwards and drawn together; Fig. 4 is a plan, Fig. 5, a section, and Fig. 6, an
elevation of a finished punnet. Fig. 7, is a plan view of the pieces of scale board
stitched together in the centre in position to form a punnet of less depth and with
sloping sides, of which Fig. 8 is a plan, and Fig. 9, an elevation. A, A, are the pieces
of scale board forming the bottom and sides or part of the sides of the punnet; b is
the wire stitch with which the pieces A are fixed together in the centre. The dotted
lines C, C, show where the scale board is scored, that is to say, cut part, say half way
through, on the under side, so as to enable it to be readily bent abruptly there;
D and Dare hoops of scale board made by stitching together the two ends of pieces of
scale board, the hoop D being placed outside, and D₁ inside the ends of the pieces A to
which they are fastened by a series of wire stitches e, e, passing through the outer and
inner hoop and the enclosed pieces A.
In carrying our Invention into practice we make the scale board damp in order to
render it more easily workable and less liable to crack. The pieces are then cut out
in the usual manner of the. size and shape required and are passed one by one through
a scoring machine by which the lines c, care scored, or cut say half way through the
scale board. Four such pieces (if an octagon punnet is to be made) are then laidas
-shewn in Fig. 1, with their scored sides downwards, and in order to facilitate doing
*this we employ a mould or guide on which to lay them, consisting of a light block with
recesses or cavities of the size and shape to receive the pieces of scale board in their
proper relative position. The central octagon part of the block corresponding to the
bottom of the punnet is cut away leaving an opening through the block. When the

page_text: pieces A have been thus laid on the mould the operator inverts the mould (holding the
pieces of scale board in their place by means of his fingers) and places it in a wire
stitching machine and inserts the stitch b. The mould is again turned over (i.e. back
again) and placed under a plunger of shape to correspond with the bottom of the
intended punnet, the plunger is caused to descend, thereby driving the punnet through
or partly through the opening in the mould, and thus bending the pieces A abruptly
upwards at the scored lines. The hoops D and D' are then placed in position D, being
preferably first placed over the free ends of the pieces A, and pushed beyond the
position it is to occupy towards the bottom of the punnet. D' is then inserted within
the free ends, and the hoop D drawn back to its final position as shown in Fig. 6.-
The punnet is again placed on the stitching machine and some stitches e e inserted
binding the whole together very firmly.
The hoops D and D₁ are made of slips of scale board cut out in the usual manner
and passed through a rolling machine similar in construction to that commonly used
for bending sheet metal into tubular form, each slip is then placed round a cylindrical
mould a small portion of the circumference and adjacent parts of which is cut away
so as to permit that part of the hoop where the ends meet and slightly overlap to
be brought under the needle of the stitching machine, and a stitch being inserted the
hoop is completed and when removed from its cylindrical mould is ready for use.
By constructing the punnets of a polygonal shape, that is, as before mentioned,
with more than four sides secured by hoops, we are enabled to obtain the advantage
of increased strength and durability in the punnet.
Any apparatus by which wire stitches can be inserted may be used but that which
we prefer to use is that well known in the trade and commonly used for wire stitching
books and card board folding boxes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Constructing polygonal punnets substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. Constructing polygonal punnets of scale board sewn together with wire stitches
in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and set forth.
3. In a polygonal punnet the combination of the pieces A the hoops D, D¹ and the
wire stitches band e all substantially as described and set forth.
4. The improvements in scale board punnets such as above described, by the
adaptation of the methods of construction substantially as herein before described.
Doind this 0th day of Tul. 1000
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Agent for the Applicants.