Improvements in Boxes, Cases, or Receptacles for Packing and other Purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug.,
1897
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes, Cases, or Receptacles for Packing and other
Purposes.
I, RICHARD CLIFF, of 208, Ashted Road, in the City of Birmingham, Packing
Box Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to boxes, cases or other like receptacles, principally made
of wood, for various purposes, and has for its object the uniting of the sides, walls
or parts together, in a more efficient and stronger manner than has heretofore been
accomplished.
In carrying out my invention in connection with wooden boxes, in which the
sides or parts of the same have mitred ends, I deeply groove the middles of the
said mitred ends preferably to an extent equal to the lineal span of the said edges,
and insert within the said grooves respectively (cut by a circular saw or other cutter)
the webs or sides of angle strips of thin sheet metal, that is, in building up a box,
its opposed ends are united together by passing or inserting the one web of an
angle strip longitudinally into the middle of one end, and also inserting the other
web likewise into the other opposed end, with the returned end of the angle strip,
coming at and reinforcing the joint or seam at the junction of the two ends.
Such angle strips when inserted within the corners of a box, may be secured by
staple lengths of wire passed from the outside through holes in wood and angle
junctions, and clenched or otherwise fastened on the inside.
Or instead of employing staple wires, nails, screws or their equivalents may be
used.
In carrying out a further form of my invention, I make the angle strips or webs,
whose sides pass into or are inserted within the middles of the opposed ends or
sides of a box, self holding, by forming teeth, spikes or their equivalents, cut out
of the metal of the sides, and turned backwards into holding fangs, so that on the
tenons or webs of the angle strips, being forced into the opposed and grooved
edges of the box, the fangs which preferably rake backwards, penetrate the wood,
and so prevent the withdrawal of the said angle strips from their insertioned
position, hence self-holding.
Instead of employing continuous angle strips, running through the whole length
of the ends or edges of the sides or parts forming a box, I may employ a number
of short lengths, separated from each other by intervening spaces.
Where the opposed ends or edges are un-mitred, then instead of metal angle
strips, I employ a single straight strip or strips, which is run down or inserted
within the coincident deep channels or grooves formed at the opposed edges of the
sides or elements constituting the component parts of the box.

page_text: The application of my invention to other wooden cases and receptacles differs in
no essential respect from its application to a wooden box as described.
Dated this 17th day of August 1897.
RICHARD CLIFF,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.
provements In Boxes, Cases, or Receptacles for Packing and other
Purposes.
I, RICHARD CLIFF, of 208, Ashted Road, in the City of Birmingham, Packing
Box Maker, 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 boxes, cases or other like receptacles principally made
of wood, for various purposes and has for its object to unite the sides and ends and
other parts together, in a more efficient and stronger manner than has heretofore
been accomplished by the employment of concealed reinforcing corner ties.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a plan of a packing case or
box with the sides and ends of the same connected together and the bottom attached
in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation and
Figure 3 an end view of the same.
Figure 4 represents a plan, upon an enlarged scale, of one corner of the said box,
and Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the said corner.
Figure 6 represents partly in perspective elevation, and partly in vertical section,
one corner of the said box.
Figure 7 is another vertical section of the said corner, upon the dotted line x,
Figure 5.
Figure 8 represents a perspective view of a part of one of the angle or tie plates
employed at the corners of the box for bonding together the sides and ends."
Figure 9 represents the mitred and grooved ends of the side and end of a box
before the angle connecting plate is inserted.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
a is a wooden box or packing case, composed of opposite sides b, and end pieces c,
with a bottom f. The meeting edges or ends b', c¹, of the said side and end pieces
are mitred and the said mitred edges are deeply grooved at 632, inwardly and in
the longer direction of the said sides and ends respectively, the said grooves extend-
ing, in this form of my invention, throughout the whole length of the said edges,
from top to bottom. These grooves, which may be formed by saw cuts or otherwise,
are so arranged that when the mitred edges of the sides and ends are placed
together, the open ends of them coincide with one another and form a right angled
groove or cut, of a depth corresponding with the vertical height of the case.
The mitred and grooved edges of the sides and ends of the box are united
together to form the rectangular frame or walls by means of four metallic angle
strips or plates, with the side webs d, , set at right angles to one another,
and being preferably of about the same height as the walls of the box, whilst the
cross section of the said angle strips is such that will admit of the webs taking
and fitting into the vertical grooves in the mitred edges of the box ends and sides.

page_text: Thus, in building up a box composed of two sides and two ends, four such angle
strips or plates are employed, and the end webs d', are forced into the vertical
grooves c, in the mitred edges of the end pieces c, after which the side webs d²,
are respectively forced into the corresponding grooves 62, of the edges, of the
5 sides b, with the said mitred edges abutting close up to one another, thus forming
a rectangular frame, the component members of which are bonded or held together
by angular ties, with the corners of the said ties reinforcing the joints or seams
at the junctions of the said parts.
After the angle ties have been inserted into the grooves, as described, they are
O secured in position by metallic staples e, passed from the outside of the box through
coincident holes in the box 63, d, and being clinched or otherwise fastened on the
inside. Or instead of employing staples, nails, screws or other equivalent means
may be employed.
The end edges f¹, of the box bottom f, are also longitudinally grooved at f³, to
5 receive reinforcing strips f³, placed therein. The bottom is secured to the frame
of the box, by nails g, passed through coinciding holes in the bottom f, and strip f³,
and being driven into the wood at the bottom edges of the sides.
According to a modification of this form of my invention, I may make the angle
strips or ties, whose webs pass into or are inserted within the vertical grooves or
cuts in the opposed ends and sides of a box, self-holding, by forming on the edges
of the said webs, teeth, spikes or their equivalents, cut out of the metal and turned
backwards into holding fangs, so that on the tenons or webs of the angle strips
being forced into the opposed and grooved edges of the box, the fangs, which
preferably rake backwards, penetrate the wood, and so prevent the withdrawal of
the said angle strips from their insertioned position.
Instead of employing continuous angle strips, running through the whole length
of the edges of the sides, ends or parts forming a box, I may employ a number of
short lengths, separated from each other by intervening spaces and secured in
position by cleats, staples or otherwise.
Where the opposed ends or edges abut without being mitred, then instead of metal
angle strips as described, I may employ straight or flat metal strips, which are run
down or inserted within coincident channels or grooves formed at the opposed or
abutting parts of the sides or parts constituting the box and are retained in
position by nails, cleats, staples or similar holding expedients, as represented in
Figure 10.
The application of my invention to other wooden cases and receptacles differs
in no essential respect from its application to a wooden packing box or case as
herein described.
By the employment of corner ties or reinforcing angle pieces, embedding or
inserted and concealed within the wood or material of the component parts of a box
or case, there are no outstanding corners, edges or other jagged projections liable
to catch and tear the dresses of persons using or passing by the boxes, as is now a
common occurrence in boxes having outside corner ties.
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
said
I claim is:-
First: In boxes, cases and other like receptacles, connecting together the
mitred or meeting edges of the component parts by concealed or hidden reinforcing
angle or equivalent strips or ties, the webs of which are respectively let or driven
nto the said edges.
Secondly-In boxes, cases or other like receptacles, connecting together the
nitred or meeting edges of the component parts by concealed or hidden reinforcing
ngle strips or ties, the webs of which are respectively let or driven into the said
dges, and are there retained by staples, cleats, nails or other means, substantially
s described and set forth in Figures 1 to 9.

page_text: Thirdly-In boxes, cases, or like receptacles, connecting together the abutting
ends of the component parts by concealed or hidden reinforcing strips, let or driven
into the said ends, substantially as described and set forth in Figure 10.
Fourthly-In boxes, cases or like receptacles, providing the edges of the bottom
with concealed or imbedded reinforcing strips f³, substantially as described and
set forth in Figures 2, 3 and 6.
Dated this in day
RICHARD CLIFF,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.
RICHARD CLIFF,
By Henry Skerrett,
24, Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.