Crates, and Traveling Trunks, and in Fittings for same, also Applicable to Furniture.
Year: 1886

page_text: Crates, and Traveling Trunks, and in Fittings for same, also
Applicable to Furniture.
I, HENRY GREENE of 218 Upper Thames Street in the City of London Iron
Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These improvements have partly reference to my previous patent dated 13th June
1883 No. 2948 and are as follows. The four sides of the case, skeleton case or
crate are jointed to the bottom in such manner that they can be folded down one
on the top of the other and the lid is then fastened so as to hold it all together.
As applied to a rectangular packing case one end is hinged to the bottom direct,
the opposite end binged to a dwarf side or thickening piece fixed to the bottom end
of a height equal to the thickness of a side; one of the sides is hinged to a dwarf
side or thickening piece of a height equal to two thicknesses and the opposite side
hinged to a dwarf side or thickening piece of a height equal to three thicknesses.
If the case or skeleton case is of a greater height than width it is obvious that the
dwarf ends and sides must be made higher. I prefer for the sake of strength to
make the bottom part of the hinges for the lowest dwarf end long and cranked so
as to secure same both to the bottom and to the dwarf end, thus strongly uniting
the two latter parts.
To prevent the sides or ends from being bulged in by external pressure I provide
(except for very shallow cases or skeleton cases) stops against which the sides or
ends rest. To hold the sides and ends together I use hasps by preference like
the fitting K described in my aforesaid previous Patent specification but of an
improved form, the hook part being made sensibly longer so as to hold more
securely. Similar hasps may be used instead of the aforesaid stops thus leaving
little or no internal projection in the box.
The lid is fastened in such a manner as to avoid the use of all loose parts which
might be lost or mislaid. The fastenings are by preference made in the form of
hinges, having one part fixed to the lid while the other part is detachably
connected to the body of the box by means of a screw which is screwed into a
flange socket or nut fixed to the body of the box, the screw being formed with a
thinner or turned down part or neck on which is mounted a washer (of copper or
other suitable material) which is cut open and after being passed over the thicker
[Price 1171

page_text: screwed part of the screw is closed round. the aforesaid thinner part thus pre-
venting the screw from becoming unscrewed or detached from the hinge. Or the
lid may be fixed partly at one end by such hinge fastening and at the other end
and the two sides by hooks and slotted plates, the lid being slided in under the
hooks into its proper position and then secured by the aforesaid hinge fastenings.
Or instead of the binge fastening I may use a screw fastening formed as follows.
It consists of a flanged nut or socket which is fixed inside of the box and in some
cases partly let into it, of a screw socket let into the lid and fixed thereto, and of a
screw which has a washer or projection at its lower end in the socket inside the
box, and which can be screwed up and into the socket on the lid and is for that
purpose there formed with a notch for a screw driver. Or the fitting on the lid
inay be a plate formed with a slot for entering the screw sideways by its upper
and thinner neck. The socket on the lid may be formed with a recess - round the
screw hole for the purpose of running in sealing wax to seal the fastening. Or the
lid may be fitted with a plate fixed to one edge of it and having a hole through
for the end of a screw to pass through and a little way into the wood of the lid
the screw being formed with a head and provided with a washer round its neck or
reduced part to prevent it from being lost. The screw passes through a flange nut
fixed to the inside of the box. A similar screw will also screw into a thin flange
nut which is fitted in a piece of wood fixed to a dwarf side near the bottom and to
the bottom of the box also and serving a two fold purpose viz: as a means for
strengthening the box when in the unfolded form for use and for holding it
together when in the folded form.
*
The invention is also applicable to furniture such for instance as folding
wandnahoe
1

page_text: Applicable to Furniture.
I, HENRY GREENE of 218 Upper Thames Street in the City of London Iron
Merchant 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:-
The improvements have partly reference to my previous patent dated 13th June
1883 No. 2948 for Improvements in folding packing cases, boxes, crates, portman-
teaux and travelling trunks and in fittings for same partly also applicable to other
folding appliances and are in this respect as follows:--The four sides of the case,
skeleton case or crate are jointed to the bottom in such manner that they can be
folded down one on the top of the other and the lid is then fastened so as to hold it.
all together.
With reference to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is perspective view of a skeleton packing case constructed according to
this invention, Figure 2 shows the same in the folded up position, Figure 3 shows
a folding up box in perspective, Figures 4 to 13 are details.
As applied to a rectangular packing case the four sides A A¹ A2 A3 of the case;
skeleton case or crate are jointed to or near the bottom B in such a manner that
they can be folded down one on the top of the other for which purpose as applied
to a rectangular packing case or skeleton case as shown one end A is hinged to the
bottom B direct, the opposite end A¹ hinged to a dwarf end or thickening piece B¹
which is fixed to the bottom part B and is of a height equal to the thickness of the
side walls of the case-the third side A2 is hinged to a dwarf side or thickening
piece B2 which is fixed to the botton part B and is of a height equal to two side
wall thicknesses and the fourth side A³. hinged to a dwarf side or thickening
piece B³ of a height equal to three thicknesses. I prefer for the sake of strength
to make the bottom part of the hinges c, c, long and cranked as shown in Figure 11
Bo as to secure same both to the bottom B and to the side A thus strongly uniting
the two latter parts.
If the case or skeleton case is of a greater height than width it is obvious that
the dwarf ends and sides must be made higher. Figure 3 shows as an example of
a packing case of this sort, where the dwarf side B2 is made of such a height that
the side A becomes just shorter than the width of the end A¹.
To prevent the ends A and A¹ from being bulged in by external pressure
I provide (except for very shallow cases or skeleton cases) stops d see Figure 1
against which the said sides or ends rest. To hold the sides and ends together

page_text: I use hooks or hasps m by preference of the form shewn in Figure 9 like the
fitting K described in my aforesaid previous Patent Specification but of the
improved shape, the hook part m¹ being made sensibly longer so as to hold more
securely. The hasp m hooks into the notch n¹ of the fitting n Figure 10 which is
fixed to the adjoining side or end of the box as shown in Figure 3. Where it is
desired to have the inside of the box with. little or no projection I may use the
hasps m instead of the stops d Figure 1.
.
The lid D Figures 1, 2 and 3 is fastened in such a manner as to avoid the use of
all loose parts which might be lost or mislaid. The fastenings-see more par-
ticularly detail views Figures 4 and 5 are by preference made in the form of
hinges having one part e fixed to the lid while the other part f is detachably
connected to the body of the box by means of a screw g which is screwed into a
flange.socket or nut i fixed to the body of the box, the screw. g being formed with
a thinner or turned down part or neck on which is mounted a washer h (of copper
or other suitable material) which is cut open and closed round the aforesaid thinner
part thus preventing the screw from becoming unscrewed or detached from the
hinge. Figures 12 and 13 show a modified form of hinge in which the lower part f
is made of wire twisted round the neck of the screw g dispensing with washer h.
When the box, crate or other article is required to be packed up for storage a
returned empty the screws g are loosened from their holes i, the cover D is removed
and the hooks or hasps m are unhooked. tt Figures 1 and 3 are steady pins for
ensuring that the lid is placed on the box the proper way and held on against lateral
displacement. The sides A, A1, A2, A³ are then folded down in the order here
indicated and the lid D is placed thereon, that is to say, on the top of the last
folded down side A³, and the screws g of the hinge part ƒ are screwed into four
sockets in the dwarf sides B2 and B3 which sockets are provided with screw
thread such for instance as the sockets shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 which are fixed
also to the dwarf sides B and B and the whole being thus secured together forms
a compact parcel which will bear rough usage without breaking or coming apart.
It will be observed that thus the same screws that fasten the lid to the box serve
to hold the whole together when the box is in the folded position.
Or the lid D may as shown in Figures 14 and 15 be fixed partly at one end by
.such hinge fastening e f as already described, and at the other end and the two
sides by hooks and slotted plates o, p shown in detail in Figures 16 and 17 which
hooks o are fastened to the sides and pass through slot plates p fixed to the lid
which latter is also cut through at this place. The end opposite. the hinge
fastener ef may be fitted with a similar hinge fastener, or as here shown with a
screw fastener such as shown in the detail views Figures 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22
consisting of a flanged nut or socket 9 which is fixed inside of the box (and in
some cases, and as here shown partly let into it, of a screw socket r let into the lid
and fixed thereto and of screws which has a washer or projections at its lower
end in the socket 9 inside the box and which can be screwed up and into the
socket on the lid D and is for that purpose there formed with a notch for a
screw-driver. The lid D is slided in under the hooks o o into its proper position
and then secured by the hinge fastening ef and the screw fastening r, s, q as
described.
Or instead of the fitting just described I may use the one shown in Figures 23
and 24 consisting of a plater formed with a slot and fixed to the lid D of the
box, a screw socket q fixed to the inside of the box, and a screw 8 of the form
shown and which by its thinner upper part or neck can be entered sideways by
way of the slot r¹ in the plate r.
The plater may be formed with a recess round the screw hole for the purpose of
running in sealing wax to seal the fastening.
Instead of the fittings, r, 8, q, Figures 18 to 22 just described, applied to the side
of the box opposite to the hinge fastening e, f, as shown in Figures 13 and 14
I may in this part use one or more hook catches of the form shown in Figures 25,

page_text: 26 and 27 in which the hook or catch part o¹ is fixed to the top edge of the
box and the plate p¹ is fixed to the lid D which latter has a notch D to allow
the shank of the hook o¹ to enter when the lid D is slided in under its upper.or
hook part.
Or instead of using the hook o' as described with reference to Figures 25 to 27,
the lid D may be arranged to slide in under an equivalent cross piece or staple o¹
fastened to the top of each end A and A¹ of the box the lid being then fastened
there by means of any suitable bolt catch or other fastening such for instance as
those shown in Figures 4 and 5, 12, 13 or 18 to 24. Referring to Figures: 28 to 31
it will be seen that the lid D is provided with two tongues pp at each end which
take into corresponding recesses cut in the ends of the box. Each end of the box
is as stated provided with a staple o¹ suitably made of hoop iron. The battens D² D'
on the lid D project' beyond the inner sides of the lid and keep it from slipping
down into the body of the box when it is being put on or taken off. Or I may
make the lid flush with the outside and cut out the sides as required. Figure 28
shows a box so constructed with the lid on and Figure 29 shows the lid with its
tongues p p slided out of the recesses at the right hand end and puslied back as
far as the batten D2 will allow. In order to take the lid off it is only necessary
to raise the right hand end of the lid a little and pull it to the right clear of the
end A. Figure 30 shows the same box in the folded up position tied together by
a piece of cord. In Figure 31 the hoop iron staple bands o' are fixed to the sides
and bottom also and the lid is shewn with a hinge fastening ef at one end. Or
the fastening shewn in detail in Figures 32, 33 and 34 may be used. In a suitable
casing m there is mounted a spindle g with a square on it on which is secured the
latch h against which a spring i mounted on a pin acts; the head of the spindle
is made with a notch so as to be easily opened by means of a screw-driver. The
latch casing m is fixed in the lid D and the head of the spindle g projects into
a hole made in the batten D. When the latch h is turned so as to come against
the side A between the two left hand recesses corresponding to o² o³ on the right
hand, it follows that the lid D cannot be slided out of the right hand recesses and
is therefore held securely.
A screw g somewhat similar to that described with reference to Figures 4 and 5
will also screw into a thin flange nut i (Figures 35, 36 and 37) which is fitted in
a piece of wood w (Figures 14 and 15) fixed to a dwarf side B2 and. B³ near the
bottom and to the bottom B of the box also. The lid D is fitted with a plate u
Figure 35 fixed to one edge of it and having a hole through for the end of a
screw to pass through and a little way into a hole D¹ formed a little way into
the wood of the lid, the screw being formed with a head and provided with a
washer h (as in Figure 5) round its neck or reduced part to prevent the screw from
being lost. The screw passes through a flange nut i fixed to the piece w on the
box, the wood being cut out to allow the washer h to work therein. This is shown
applied to Figures 14 and 15. If the pieces ware omitted I may tie the folded
box or skeleton box together by means of wire or rope.
In the case here shewn I have two such pieces of wood w fixed to two opposite
dwarf sides, but I may have more or less according to the size. They serve the
twofold purpose viz. as a means for strengthening the box when in the unfolded
form for use Figure 14 and for holding it together when in the folded form
Figure 15. The screw passes through the flange nut i fixed to the inside of the
piece w Figure 37 and through the plate u which is fixed to the edge of the
lid the latter being formed with a hole D¹ as in the case described with reference
to Figure 35.
The invention is also applicable to furniture such for instance as folding ward-
robes the back of which would so to say form the equivalent to the bottom of the
boxes and skeleton cases described and the top and bottom would form the ends,
and the sides and front would correspond to the sides and top.

page_text: x
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
First The improved constructions of folding packing cases and skeleton cases
substantially as described and shewn.
Second-The improved constructions of hinged lids with their new or improved
fittings and fastenings.
Third: The improved constructions of sliding lids with their fittings and
fastenings and the formation of the box to suit.