Improvements in or connected with Packing-cases.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Packing-cases.
J, ARTHUR HEINRICH KUHLMANN, Engineer, of 23, Great St. Helen's in the City
of London, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to the means for fixing the covers of packing cases and for
preventing or recording the surreptitious opening of the same.
Instead of fastening the cover of the box in the ordinary way, by means of nails
or wood screws, I arm the inside of the box at the corners or other convenient parts,
with angle-plates or other pieces of metal, which are screwed or otherwise fixed to.
the sides of the box and serve as nuts for screws which pass through the cover of the
box. These screws have preferably conical heads fitting into conical washers or
socket-pieces which are sunk into the cover of the box.
Instead of using an angle plate screwed to the side of the box in the ordinary
manner, I may employ a cylindrical or prismatic screw-nut which is made in one
piece with a conical screw spindle or wood screw projecting from the side of the nut
at a right angle to the same. One or more of these special socket pieces or nuts
are fixed to the inside of the box by screwing their spindle into the wooden side or
sides of the same.
This socket piece may be provided on the side with a small pro-
jecting head for applying a screw-driver. Or the screw nut or socket piece may be
formed on a flat plate approximately triangular in shape, the said plate being provided
with one or two spurs and a screw for fixing it to the inside of the box, preferably
two spurs placed right and left of the nut, and a screw placed underneath the same.
Or the screw nut may be formed on a narrow plate (straight or angular) which is
sunk into the side of the box from the top, so as to be flush with the wood at the top
and on the sides.
Or the fastening on one side of the box, may consist of a socket plate screwed to
the inside of the box, and serving as a nut for a screw passod vertically through the
lid, and on the other side, of an angle plate screwed to the underside of the lid in
such a manner, that the vertical arm of the said plate fits the outside of the box and is
provided with a hole for a screw passing horizontally through the side of the box, tho
nut of the said screw being formed in a flat metal plate screwed to the inside of
the box.
Or one side of the lid may be secured to the box by one or more hinge joints, while
the opposite side must be fixed by one or more screws in the manner described.
Instead of applying the nut to the box and passing the screw through the lid, the
screw may be fastened to the box and the nut sunk into the lid.
Or three sides of the lid may be provided with metallic tongues, fitting into metallic
sockets or slots formed in the sides of the box, while the fourth side is secured by one
of the screw joints described above. The said metallic tongues are fixed to the under-
side of the lid and fit below corresponding plates or tongues sunk into the sides of the
box. That side which is opposite to the screw fastening has a simple metal plate and
a recess underneath into which is introduced the corresponding tongue of the lid end-
wise, while each of the two sides which are at right angles to it, has a metal plate,
with an angular slot, into which the corresponding tongue of the lid is introduced first
from the top and then by a horizontal motion.
A box arined as described can be opened and closed repeatedly, without
to the wood.
any injury
In order to prevent the surreptitious opening of the box, or to show, whether the
box has been opened during transit, I provide the lid with special labels, of triangular
or other suitable chan so as to nune iho hood of coch soros That part of soch label

page_text: which is situated immediately over the screw head, is marked with a different colour,
and the label is provided with printed instructions for opening the box.
For opening such a box, it is necessary, either to perforate the labels, or to remove
them entirely.
The screw heads may be shaped in such a manner, as to require a special key for
removing the screws, which key would be sent separately to the consignee.
Dated this 20th day of December 1889.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Packing-cases.
I, ARTHUR HEINRICH KUHLMANN, Engineer, of 23, Great St. Helen's, in the City
of London, 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 improved means for fixing the covers of packing cases and
for preventing or recording the surreptitious opening of the same, as hereinafter more
particularly described.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figures 1 and 2 are a plan and sectional elevation respectively of a box or packing
case provided with one form of my improved means for fixing the cover of the same.
In carrying out this form of my invention I provide the inside of the box or
packing case a at the corners with angle-plates bbwhich are screwed or otherwise
fixed to the sides of the said box and provided with socket pieces 66 which serve as
nuts for screws cc which pass through the cover d of the box. These screws have
preferably conical heads fitting into conical washers or socket-pieces ee which are
sunk into the cover d of the box. Or instead of the conical washers e e I provide the
corners of the cover d with thin metal protecting plates having conical recesses for the
heads of the screws cas shewn in Figures 3 and 4 which represent a plan and
elevation respectively of one corner of the said cover, e¹ representing the said protecting
plate, and e the conical recess.
Figures 5 and 6 are a plan and sectional elevation of one corner of a box or packing
case provided with a modified form of my angle plate, the said plate being made so
that it can be attached to the top of the sides of the box instead of inside the same as
in Figures 1 and 2.
Figures 7 and 8 are a plan and elevation of one corner of a box or packing case
provided with another modification of my angle plate the socket pioce 6' being located
on the upper surface of the sides of the box instead of projecting inside the same as in
Figures 1, 2 and 5, 6. The plate is also extended down outside and round the corner
of the box so as to protect the same.
Instead of using an angle plate as herein before described or in addition thereto I
sometimes employ a socket piece or nut which is made in one piece with a conical
screw spindle or wood screw projecting from the side of the nut at a right angle to
the same as shewn in Figures 9, 10 and 11 which are an elevation, plan and vertical
section respectively of a part of one of the sides of a box or packing case with the said
screw nut applied thereto, & indicating the nut and b³ the conical screw spindle. One
or more of these socket pieces or nuts is or are fixed to the inside of the box by
screwing their spindles into the wooden side or sides of the same. Each socket
piece may be provided at the front with a sinall projecting head for applying a screw-
driver. Or as shewn in Figures 12 and 13 which are similar views to Figures 9
and 10 the screw nut or socket piece may be formed on a flat plate 6 approximately
triangular in shape, the said plate being provided with two or other number of

page_text: spurs 63 63 and a screw for fixing it to the inside of the box, preferably two spurs
placed right and left of the nut, and a screw underneath the same as shewn.
Or as shewn in Figures 14 and 15 or Figures 16 and 17 the screw nut may be
formed on a narrow plate (straight or angular) which is sunk into the side of the box
from the top, so as to be flush with the wood at the top and at the sides.
As shown in Figures 18 and 19, which are a plan and transverse section respectively
of a box or packing case the fastening on one side of the box, may consist of the
socket plate shewn in Figures 12 and 13 or those shewn in Figures 9 to 11 and 14
to 16 and on the other side of two or other number of angle plates ff screwed to the
under side of the lid d, so that the vertical arm f¹ of each plate fits the outside of
the box and is provided with a hole for a screw e passing horizontally through the
side of the box, the nut 61 of the said screw being formed in a flat metal plate b
screwed to the inside of the box.
Or one side of the lid may be secured to the box by one or more hinge joints, while
the opposite side must be fixed by any of the means hereinbefore described.
Instead of applying the nut to the box and passing the screw through the lid, the
screw may be fastened to the box and the nut sunk into the lid.
As shewn in Figures 20, 21 and 22 which represent respectively a plan with the
cover removed and a longitudinal and transverse section with the cover on of a box
or packing case, three sides of the lid d may be provided with metallic tongues g 9 g
fitting into recesses or slots h h h formed in the sides of the box, while the fourth side
is secured by one of the screw fastenings described above. The said metallic tongues
are fixed to the underside of the lid and fit below corresponding plates or tongues i ii
sunk into the sides of the box. That side which is opposite to the screw fastening has
a simple recess or slot into which is introduced the corresponding tongue g of the
lid d endwise, while each of the two sides which are at right angles to it, has a slot of
such a shape that the corresponding tongue of the lid is introduced first from the top
and then by a horizontal motion.
Instead of forming recesses or slots in the sides of the box or packing case, 1 some-
times provide flanged plates ii fixed to the inside of the box beneath the flanges of
which plates the tongues g g g engage. This arrangement is illustrated in Figures 23
and 24 which are sections of a portion of the box shewing the said flanged plates in
front and side elevation respectively.
By providing a box or packing case with means such as those described it will be
clear that it can be opened and closed repeatedly without any injury to the wood.
In order to prevent the surreptitious opening of the box or to show whether the
box has been opened during transit, I provide the lid with special labels of triangular
or other suitable shape so as to cover the head of each screw. That part of each label
which is situated immediately over the screw head, is marked with a different colour,
and the label is provided with printed instructions for opening the box.
For opening such a box, it is necessary therefore either to perforate the labels, or
to remove them entirely.
The screw heads may be shaped in such a manner, as to require a special key for
removing the screws, which key would be sent separately to the consignee.
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 :-
The improvements in or connected with packing cases hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
accompanying drawing.
7th day of October 1890.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.