Improvements in the Manufacture of Boxes or Chests in which to Pack Tea or other Substances for Storage or Transit and in Apparatus to be Employed in the Manufacture.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1888
Specification Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1888
Improvements in the Manufacture of Boxes or Chests in which to
Pack Tea or other Substances for Storage or Transit and in
Apparatus to be Employed in the Manufacture.
I SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, of Sirocco Works, Belfast, Ireland, 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 object of my invention is to manufacture sheet metal boxes or chests, in which
tea, or other substances which require to be kept free from contact of air, may be
packed securely for storage or transit, and which will combine lightness with strength
and durability, and may as regards economy in cost, and transit freights compete
successfully with the leaden lined wooden chests hitherto in general use for such
purposes.
My invention consists in so constructing the sides and lids, or ends, of my improved
metal boxes or chests, that although made of comparatively light sheet metal plates,
they form, when properly put together, a box of sufficient strength and durability for
the purposes for which they are designed, while at the same time they can be supplied
in separate parts which pack together closely for convenience of storage, or transit to
wherever required for use, and which by means of the hereinafter described special!
flange and groove connections which I construct upon them, can be connected together
with great facility, even by an unskilled workman, so as to form my improved metal
boxes or chests.
I construct my improved boxes or chests of rectangular form with any description
of light sheet metal, but preferably with galvanized, leaded, or tinned, iron or steel
plates of the requisite sizes to form the sides and ends of the boxes or chests, plus a
sufficient extra margin, to the edges on which the special flange and groove connection,
already referred to, has to be formed.
After the plates have been cut to the requisite sizes, I construct my special flange
and groove upon them by so folding the edges of the plates that I thus form a triple
flange, the outer one of which is left somewhat open from the middle flange, whereby
a groove is formed between them, and this combination of three flanges and groove, I
hereinafter call iny triple flange and groove;" the complete boxes or chests I call the :
triple flanire boxes or chests:

page_text: I apply this triple flange and groove to all four edges of the top and bottom ends
or lids of my improved chests, so that when the ends of the chests are closed by these
lids, the sides fit into the groove between the two outer flanges, and the flanges on the
inner side of the groove being double, are sufficiently stiff to hold firmly against the
hammering in of the outer flange when closing in the sides of the groove to make
the joint firm, prior to its being finally secured by soldering. The innermost flange
of my triple flange brings the body of the lid, or side plate, out level with the apex of
the groove between the two outer flanges so that the holding capacity of the chest
when closed, reckons practically to its extreme outside measurements, a point of much
importance as regards those freights which are reckoned by cubic measurement, as in
such cases the iare by measurement in my improved metal chests is practically nil,
and the triple flange has the further advantage of giving increased strength and
stiffness to the angles of the chests. The groove of the triple flange holds the edges
of the plate inserted into it so firmly, when properly secured and soldered, that it is
unnecessary to have the inserted edge strengthened in any way by doubling it, or
folding it, as the plain single edge is sufficiently strong when so secured.
The sides of the chest can be formed of one single sheet of sufficient length for the
ends to meet and overlap when bent round upon a rectangular frame of exactly the
inside measurement of the chest, so that the ends can be fastened together, either by
folding and hammering down, or by soldering, as shewn in horizontal section in
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. Or, they may be formed with four separate
sheets connected at the angles of the chest in the ordinary way that tin-smiths join
metal plates together by folded edges hammered. down or creased, as shown in
horizontal section in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings but I preferably
connect them together at the angles of the chest by means of my triple flange and
groove connection. The triple flange may be applied to the two opposite edges of two
of the four sheets forming the sides, while the other two sheets are used with plain
edges to fit into the grooves of the triple flanges on the other two sheets, as shown in
horizontal section in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings. But I preferably have
the triple flange and groove applied to only one edge of each of the four sheets, so
that each sheet bas exactly the same formation, and the triple flange of each sheet
connects with a plain edge of the sheet adjoining, as shewn in the horizontal section
in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.
The lids or ends of my improved metal chests require the triple flange and groove
to be applied on all four sides of same and of course, the necessary extra margin of
sheet for forming the flanges must be provided for on the four sides. To get the
flanges to turn into their proper position on all four sides without interfering with one
another, it is necessary to cut out of the four corners the small squares where the lines
of the side flanges overlap. When this is done, the construction of the triple flange
and groove is accomplished in the same manner on the lids or ends, as on the side
plates of the chest. Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings represents a lid or end
plate before being flanged with these corners cut out at D, D to allow the flanges to
fold in properly, and the dotted lines indicate the division of the marginal projections
of the sheet into the required three flanges, of which the inner is marked A, the
middle B, and the outer C.
Before applying the triple flange and groove, the plates may be strengthened and
stiffened by having ribs or corrugations impressed on them, and the arrangement of
these ribs, which I preferably employ consists of short disconnected lengths, so
arranged that the ribs or corrugations without intersecting interrupt and cross one
another in alternate order and appear to pass alternately over and under one another,
as indicated by the lines. A, A and B, B in Figure 12 of the accompanying drawings..
These corrugations may be imprinted on the plates or sheets by stamping them with
suitable dies in a stamping press or by passing them between rollers fitted with raised
and sunk dies to give the required impressions. The circle indicated at S in
Figure 12 represents a sampling hole with a separate piece of the plate soldered over
it to close it.

page_text: I construct my triple flange and groove by folding the edges of the plates in the
following manner-
On whatever edge of the plate the triple flange has to be applied, a margin must be
allowed for its formation and about an inch and a quarter is usually sufficient. I then
mark off the flanges on this marginal projection of the plate, dividing it into three
flanges, as indicated at A, B and C of Figure 6, of which the two inner are preferably
of equal width, and the outer one somewhat narrower than the inner ones. Thus the
two inner flanges might be half an inch wide each, and the outer flange, say a quarter
of an inch wide. I then fold the two outer flanges marked B and C in Figure 6,
right over as one fold along the inner edge of the middle flange B, as shown in section
in Figure 7. For making this fold, I preferably use the ordinary folding machine
used by tin-smiths, and represented in Figures 10 and 10 of the accompanying
drawings, but as it does not fold the edge of the plates down close, and as it is
preferable to have this fold close laid, I afterwards press or hammer it down close,
but not so tightly as to cause the metal to cut or crack along the bent edge. For
making the next fold, I again use the folding machine already referred to, and I
insert the folded edge of the plate (marked in Figure 10) into the groove of the
folder E, as far as the inner edge of the third or innermost flange marked A in
Figure 6, keeping the body of the plate up, and its folded edge down. I then turn
the folder a quarter revolution whereby the folded edge of the plate within its groove
is bent to a right angle with the body of the plate, thus forming a double flange but
that part of the outer fold which is to form the third, or outer flange, passes through
the space between the folder and the resistance bar, F, Figure 10, without being bent,
and it then projects as a continuation of the second or middle flange, but on the
opposite side of the plate from same, as shown in Figure 8. For turning this pro-
jection over, so as to form the required outer flange with groove between it and the
two inner Hanges, I preferably employ a special flanging table consisting of a
rectangular iron plate, forming a table, about two inches thick, on one vertical edge
of which a steel face plate, about two inches wide by a quarter inch thick, is so applied
that its upper edge is level with the surface of the table, and a groove is left of just
sufficient width to let the double flange of the sheet metal plate fit easily into it with
the body of the sheet lying flat upon the table. The upper edge of the steel face-
plate is bevelled outward from the table, and I now turn down over it the edge of the
plate projecting above the surface of the table, namely, the part marked C in Figure 6,
thereby forming the third or outer flange, and completing the triple flange as shewn
in section in Figure 9. This may be done by simply hammering the Hange C of
Figure 6 over with a wood mallet, but as this method is comparatively tedious, I
preferably turn it over by means of the apparatus represented in Figures 11 and 11",
with the quadrantal bar G, which turns in bearings Hat either end, in such a manner
that the right angle of the bar coincides with the centre line of its revolution between
these two bearings, and almost touches the bevelled edge of the face-plate J, over which
the flange is to be turned. The bearings for this folding bar are carried in a frame,
as represented in Figure 11, and the bar is turned by a lever handle P at either end.
The flanging table, already described, is carried in same framing, but is hinged at
back so as to allow the front or flanging edge of the table, with face-plato on it, to
drop down free of the folding bar, to let the flanged sheet be inserted or withdrawn
from below it. The flanging table is marked K in Figure 11; the groove L; and
the face-plate J. When the doubled flange of the sheet (marked R in Figure 11) is
put into its place in the groove I, with the body of the sheet on the flanging table K,
the table is raised and held firmly in position by the cams or eccentrics, M, so that
the horizontal flat face of the quadrantal folding bar bears horizontally upon the body
of the sheet, and its vertical flat face bears against the vertical projecting flange of
the sheet. I now turn the folding bar over so that its vertical edge folds the projecting
flange down on the bevelled edge of the face plate, forming it into the third or outer-
most flange of my triple flange, with a groove between it and the two inner flanges,
as shewn in section in Figure 9. When using this apparatus to form the outer edge
of the lids the table and folding bar have to be slotted or grooved, as shewn at N in

page_text: Figure 11, to accommodate the flanges already formed on the other edges of the
plate.
Having prepared and flanged the plates, as above described, for making the sides
and lids of my improved metal chests, the plates have then merely to be built together
to form the complete chest or box, and to have the outer flange of the triple flanges
hammered in to close the groove firmly over the edge of the plate within it, and on
then securing the joint with solder, the result is a chest or box, which combines light-
ness with strength to a remarkable degree, while the construction of it is so simple
and easy, that even an unskilled workman can do it with facility.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The manufacture of metal boxes or chests for containing tea, or other substances
for storage or transit, substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
:
2. The forming at the edges of sheet metal plates for the construction of metal.
boxes or cases for containing tea or other substances for storage or transit, of what is
herein before called a "triple flange and groove" whereby the sides and lids or ends of
the boxes or chests can be readily connected together substantially as hereinbefore
described, and represented in the accompanying drawings.
3. The strengthening and stiffening of light sheet metal plates for the construction
of metal boxes or chesis for containing tea or other substances for storage or transit,
by impressing on said plates disconnected ribs or corrugations which without inter-
secting, interrupt and cross one another in alternate order, substantially as herein before.
described, and represented in the accompanying drawings.
4. The apparatus constructed substantially as herein before described and represented
in Figures 11 and L1 of the accompanying drawings for making the outer flange and.
groove of my hereinbefore described triple flange and groove, in sheet metal plates
for the construction of metal boxes or chests for containing tea or other substances
for storage and transit.
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