An Improved Tool for Opening Packing Cases, Taking up and Re-laying Flooring Boards, and for some other purposes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Mar., 1891-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tool for Opening Packing Cases, Taking up and
Re-laying Flooring Boards, and for some other purposes.
I, EDWARD SAMUEL OLIVER, of Cullensville, in the Colony of New Zealand,.
Hotel Keeper, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved tool for opening packing cases, laying
flooring boards, and for some other purposes; and the objects of my invention are
to provide a cheap and handy instrument for these purposes, so that the operation
can be performed with case and facility without much injury to the timber, at
the same time that the said instrument is portable, simple, and not easily deranged.
I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing
in which,
Fig. 1 is a top view of my improved tool.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a section through A. B.
Fig. 4 is an end view of the fulcrum claw, and
Fig. 5 is a side view shewing my improved tool as applied to flooring.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
(a) is the part of the case to be lifted. (6) is a part of the side or end of the case..
(6) are the mails of the case. (c) is a bar or lever having a sharp wedge shaped
end (e) with a notch or recess (62). (d) is a hammer head formed on the lever (c).
(e) is a chisel edged cutter formed on the same. (f) is a fulcrum claw attached to the
lever (c) by the pin (¹) on which it is free to move and having pointed ends (ƒ²)..
(g) is a floor joist. (h) is the boarding laid on the same.
It will be seen from this description of the several parts and by reference to the
drawing that my improved tool consists of a lever or crow bar (c) formed with a
handle at one end and at the other end (c) flattened out into a wedge for 60
that it can be easily inserted into the crack formed by the junction of the
boards (a) & (), and which are nailed together in the usual manner in packing
cases; this wedge formed end is split as shown at (2) so that the wedge end can
be inserted between the boards but its edge may miss the nails (¹).
This wedge end (c) having been placed between the boards the claw
fulcrum () is placed in position with the ends (2) inserted in the board (b) (as.
shewn in Fig. 2), then by pressing down the lever () the lid or board (a) can be
gently raised with the nails () and this operation can be repeated all round the
lid until it is raised off, leaving the nails in the proper position for replacing the lid
when desired. Some packing cases are bound with hoop iron and I therefore pro-
vide on my lever the chisel edged cutter (e) which is made of hardened steel. On
grasping the lever by its handle and giving a sharp blow with the cutter across the
hoop iron the said hoop iron is easily divided without injury to the case. On the
opposite side to the chisel point (e) and forming part of the lever is a hammer
head (d) which is serviceable for closing the case when desired, and which operation
can be very easily performed as the nails and lid have been left in proper form for
the purpose by the easy manner in which they have been lifted, and the claw
fulcrum (1) can be readily removed by taking out the pin (1').
In Fig. 5 is shewn a method of cramping or tightening floor boards whilst laying
them. The wedge shaped end of the lever (c) is made to press against the edge of
the board (h) whilst the claw (f) is inserted in the joist (g); the board can then be
held firmly whilst the nailing is proceeded with.

page_text: 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
1. In a tool for opening cases and for some other purposes, the combination of
the lever (c) having a chisel point (c') with fulcrum claw (f) all substantially as
set forth.
2. In a tool for opening cases and for some other purposes, the combination of the
lever () having a chisel point (c¹) with claw (f) and chisel edged cutter (e) sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. In a tool for opening cases and for some other purposes, the combination of
the lever (c) having a chisel point (c') with claw (f) and hammer head (d) sub-
stantially as set forth.
4. In a tool for opening cases and for some other purposes the combination of
the lever (e) having a chisel point (c) with claw (f) and hammer head (d) and
chisel cutter (e) all substantially as set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1891
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97, Newgate Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant..