provements in Boxes or Cases for Tobacco, Cigarettes, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Nov, 1899-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Boxes or Cases for Tobacco, Cigarettes, and the like.
I, THOMAS DIXON ASTEN, of 58, Holborn Viaduct, London, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (communicated to me by Francis
Asbury Wilson, of New York City, County of New York, State of New York),
and in what manner the same 18 to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement —
This invention relates to improvements in boxes adapted to be carried on the
person of a smoker and designed primarily for containing tobacco for pipe-
smoking or for the manufacture of cigarettes by the user It has recently be
come desirable to package or box tobacco designed for pipe-smoking or for the
manufacture of cigarettes by the user in layers, each layer containing the proper
quantity of tobacco to fill a pipe or form a cigarette Difficulties have been met
with however in devising a suitable box oi receptacle for containing tobacco in
this form, as, owing to the delicate character of the layers and the repeated
handling and opening of the box by the use and consequent liability of the
layers being displaced in the box or being caught under the covers of the same
as the latter is closed, the layers are liable to become broken or disintegrated
and the layer form of the tobacco thus destroyed and the tobacco educed
substantially to bulk
It 18 the object of the present invention to provide a box in which these
difficulties are avoided, and which will in addition also fulfil all the require-
ments as to cheapness and as to size, weight, and form of boxes designed to be
carried on the person of the user. The box provided by the present invention
also, as will hereinafter appear, 18 of such a shape as to confor in to the body of
the user when carried in his pocket and also to the hollow or palm of the hand
with which he holds the box when withdrawing therefiom part of the contents
Although the present invention is designed primarily to provide a box for con-
taining tobacco in this form, yet, as will hereinafter appear, the box resulting
from the improvements constituting the present invention is also useful for con-
taining other articles-such for example, as cigarettes
In the accompanying drawings, Fig 1 is a perspective view of a box embody-
ing the improvements constituting the present invention
Fig. 2 18 a cross section of the same on a reduced scale, the box being shown
as containing smoking or cigarette tobacco in the layer form heretofore
referred to
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig 2, the cover of the box, however, being thrown
open and the box shown as containing cigarettes
Referring to said drawings, the body of the box consists of a bottom a, having
sides a¹ a³, and a cover b, hinged to one of the sides and provided with
flanged portions 6' 6, corresponding to the sides al a of the body of the box
As will be observed the bottom a of the box is of unusual form, such bottom
being bent or curved upwardly at its ends next the sides a¹, so as to give to the
upper face of the bottom a dished or trough-like form, with the result that the

page_text: contents of the box, whatever they may be, will have a tendency away from the
sides a of the box and toward the centre thereof. A box so constructed 18
particularly advantageous for containing tobacco divided up into layers each
containing a given quantity and for preserving intact its layer-like form The
cover b of the box is curved upwardly at its ends next its flanged portions b¹,
80 as to conform to the curvature of the bottom a In Fig. 2 the box 18 illus-
tiated as containing layers of tobacco When used for such purpose the
layers are arranged, as shown in Fig 2 with their ends towards the sides a¹ of
the body of the box. Thus arranged the bodies of the layers will sink down-
wardly as shown, so as to correspond with the curvature of the bottom, with their
ends in engagement with or in position to be engaged by the sides a¹ of the box,
the layers gravitating toward the centre of the bottom and away from the sides
thereof, so that there is but little if any liability of the layers becoming displaced
or being caught and bioken by the cover b as the latter is opened and closed.
Although the box thus described is designed particularly for containing
tobacco in layers, it will be obvious on inspection of Fig. 3 that such box may,
if desired, be used for other purposes-as for example, containing cigarettes-
as illustrated in that figure When the contents of such box consist of cigarettes
or like articles, however, such articles must be arranged as shown in Fig. 3,
that 18, in a direction transverse to the curvature of the bottom of the box with
then ends next to the sides a of the body of the box instead of in the direction
of such curvature, as in the case of the layers ¢ in Fig. 2
Boxes designed for containing tobacco in layer form must be cheap and of
convenient size and weight to be carried upon the person of a smoker For
these reasons the body and cover of the box here shown are each made of a
single piece of sheet metal suitably stamped by means of dies or otherwise to
form the sides a' a' of the body and the corresponding flanges 61 6º of the
cover of the box, the box thus formed being light and exceedingly compact
and cheap to manufacture.
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 18
A box for holding tobacco or similar substances in the forms referred to,
consisting of bottom a having sides a¹, a³, said bottom curving upwardly toward
sides a¹, and a movable cover or top 6 between the sides and opposed to and of
like curvature to the bottom, whereby when the box is laid in the hand of the
user it will conform to the palm thereof and the contents of the box gravitate
toward the center thereof, substantially as described
2 A box for holding tobacco or similar substances in the forms referred to,
consisting of bottom a having sides a¹, a³, of sheet metal, said bottom curving
upwardly toward sides a¹, and a cover or top also of sheet metal hinged to one
side a and of like curvature to the bottom and provided with flanges b¹, bª,
embracing sides a¹, a³, whereby when the box is laid in the hand of the user it
will conform to the palm thereof and the contents of the box gravitate toward
the centre thereof, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of November 1899
J E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.