AN IMPROVED FASTENER, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO BOXES, PACKING AND OTHER CASES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to Walter Gilbey, of the Pantheon, Oxford Street,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Wine Merchant, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED FASTENER, MORE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE
TO BOXES, PACKING AND OTHER CASES."
Sealed the 1st November 1870, and dated the 16th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Gilbey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th May 1870.
I, WALTER GILBEY, of the Pantheon, Oxford Street, London, in
the County of Middlesex, Wine Merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FASTENER, MORE PARTICULARLY
APPLICABLE TO BOXES, PACKING AND OTHER CASES," to be as follows, that is
to say :—
My Invention is more specially applicable as a cheap fastening to
boxes or cases containing goods or wine or spirits, and is intended

page_text: to be such that when once fastened it cannot be opened without the
fact being apparent to the owner that such has been done. It consists
of a cylindrical or cone-shaped socket of metal or wood, having a
length of about double or more than the thickness of sides forming
the case or box; this has a slot cut within it about half its length,
and into this slot is inserted a hasp having a hole perforated within
it of a diameter about equal to the diameter of the socket at the
slotted part. The hasp is attached in the usual way to the free side
of the lid, and the socket is let into and fastened to the face of box
passing from front to within. If the socket is cylindrical in shape it
must have a stop at its inner end; if made conical it will not require this.
The action is then as follows:-The lid is let down, the hasp being passed
through the slot in the socket in the inside of the box or case; I then
take a cork, or bung, or wooden or other plug, and insert it in the socket
from outside and drive it home, the plug passing through the perforated
hole in the hasp holds it fast. To make the fastening so that it cannot
be opened without damaging the plug I use as plugs corks or bungs
whose outer ends have been printed in colours, as described in my
Patent No. 3341, 1866. If such are not used, then by putting on a seal
by hand on the end of the plug it cannot be withdrawn without
damaging the seal.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Walter Gilbey in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WALTER 2
GILBEY, of the Pantheon, Oxford Street, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Wine Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third 3
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Walter Gilbey, Her special licence that I, the
said Walter Gilbey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Walter Gilbey, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time 3
'

page_text: to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED FASTENER, MORE PARTICULARLY
APPLICABLE TO BOXES, PACKING AND OTHER CASES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Walter Gilbey, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Walter Gilbey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say :-
My Invention is more specially applicable as a cheap but effectual
fastening to boxes or cases containing goods, wine, spirits, or materials
generally, and particularly so as to prevent their being tampered with
during their transit from one to another by carriers or messengers, or
others, the peculiarity of the fastening being such that when once
fastened it cannot be opened without the fact shewing itself to the
owner. The fastening consists of a cylindrical or of a cone-shaped hollow
socket, preferably of metal, although wood or other materials might be
adopted. This socket should have a length of about twice the thickness
of the material forming the side or face of the case or box to which it is
to be applied; it has also formed on its periphery a slot or narrow slit,
so as to permit a flat hasp or flat key to pass through it, this has a hole
cut in it near its lower end, the socket is let into or fixed to the
face of the box or case; the hasp is attached to the lid in the usual
manner, but in such a way that when shut it will be suspended within
the box, and will pass through the slot in the socket; a cork, bung, or
wooden plug is inserted into the socket from the outside and driven
home through the hole in the hasp, and thus holds it fast. The object
being however to make the fastening so that it cannot be opened
without shewing that such has been done I use corks or bungs whose
outer ends have been printed in colours, as described in my Patent
No. 3341 of 1866, 20 December. If such are not used then I fix or

page_text: put a seal or brand on the cork or plug, so that it cannot be withdrawn
without being damaged, and hence indicate that the lid has been opened
or tampered with.
In order more clearly to shew the nature of my Invention I have
appended to this Specification the accompanying Drawings, which are b
intended to shew the general form, the use, and application of my
Invention. I wish, however, to explain that I do not confine myself to
the exact shape or form herein shewn, as these will require to be altered
and modified according to the particular application and to the shape
and size of the box or case..
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the fastener with the hasp in position,
shewing it attached to the box or case; Fig. 2 is a section of the
same; Fig. 3 is a front view, shewing the hasp fastened with one of my
Patent corks; Fig. 4 is a plan of the socket; Fig. 5 is a side elevation
of another and more simple form of the fastener; Fig. 6 is a plan of 1
the same; and Fig. 7 is another view of the simple form of socket,
shewing the slot through which the hasp is passed; it can be formed in
either one or two pieces, as shewn by the dotted line.
The fastener is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 affixed to the face a of the
case, the hasp g being affixed to the lid of the case 6, so that when the 2
lid is brought down close it drops through the slot c of the fastener, as
indicated, the hole o in the hasp coinciding in position with the hollow
part of the fastener or socket m. If then one of my colour printed
corks or bungs is inserted and driven home it will pass through the
hole m in the hasp and hold it secure. It will be seen that the box can 2
only be opened by withdrawing the cork or bung, and this cannot be
effected without damaging it, and hence indicating to the owner or
keeper that it has been acted upon. If one of my Patented color
printed corks or bungs is not used, then an ordinary plug with a seal
impressed on the end will effect the same purpose. If the interior of the 3
fastener is made cylindrical then a stop 7 must be fixed at the inner end
to prevent the cork being pushed through; if made conical this will not
be necessary: Figures 5, 6, and 7, shew a simpler form of fastener,
which is fixed inside the box, the cork or stopper is applied in the same
way as before.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and how the same
is formed, how applied, and its action, I wish it understood that what I
claim as new and wished secured by the before in part recited Letters
3

page_text: Patent is, the use and application of fasteners, as within described, to be
applied to cases or boxes, substantially as herewithin set forth and
generally illustrated by the Drawings appended.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Gilbey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.