IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER AND OTHER BOXES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Post Lawrence, of 12, St. Mary Axe, in the City of
London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER AND
OTHER BOXES." A communication from abroad by Charles L. Lockwood, of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Post Lawrence at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1878.
_JOHN POST LAWRENCE, of 12, St. Mary Axe, in the City of London, Merchant.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER AND OTHER BOXES." A communication from abroad
from Charles L. Lockwood, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America.
The object of this Invention is to construct a box with flaps, so adapted to each
other as to effectually close the ends of the box.
The blank for the box, which is quadrangular, is creased on vertical lines, so as
to form four sides of equal or unequal width, a narrow strip being formed on the
blank for attachment by paste or glue to one of the sides, thereby completing the
body of the box.
At each end of the blank there are flaps which form continuations of two of tho
sides, the flaps being creased so that they can be turned down, and overlapping
each other form the inner folds for closing the ends of the box.
Two other flaps form continuations of one of the remaining sides, and each of
these flaps has two inclined slots. Each end of the last remaining side of the blank
terminates in a flap, composed of a central strip and two outer narrow strips.
After the first-mentioned flaps have been turned down, those on the two remaining
sides are held one in each hand, and by a proper disposal of the fingers the
flap with the strips is so manipulated by one hand, while the other is engaged in
folding down the remaining flap with the slots, that the outer strips shall be
depressed beneath the flap with slots while the central strip shall overlap the last-
mentioned flap.

page_text: In depressing the two flaps they are pushed towards each other, and the corners
of the central strip are introduced into the inclined slots, when the two flaps will
be locked together and the end of the box closed.
The arrangement of the slots in an inclined position on the flap permits the ready
introduction of the corners of the central strip into the said slots. When the box
is closed the outside strips underlapping the flap with the slots and the latter
underlapping the central strip, the corners of which are retained within the slots,
all combine to resist the efforts of the agitated contents within the box to open the
flaps, which, however, may be readily opened from without by simultaneously
raising and pulling them apart.
This box may be made of paper, pasteboard, strawboard, manilla paper, wood,
wood pulp, wood pulp board, thin sheet tin or other metal, or any other suitable
substance, and may be either lined with paper or any suitable textile fabric, or it
may be unlined,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Post Lawrence in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
January 1879.
JOHN POST LAWRENCE, of 12, St. Mary Axe, in the City of London, Merchant.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PAPER AND OTHER BOXES." A communication from abroad
by Charles L. Lockwood, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America.
The object of this Invention is to construct a box with flaps, so adapted to each
other as to effectually close the ends of the box.
The blank for the box, which is quadrangular, is creased on vertical lines so as
to form four sides of equal or unequal width, a narrow strip being formed on the
blank for attachment by paste, or glue, or other suitable material to one of the
sides, thereby completing the body of the box.
At each end of the blank there are flaps, which form continuations of two of the
sides, the flaps being creased so that they can be turned down, and overlapping
each other form the inner folds for closing the ends of the box.
Two other flaps form continuations of one of the remaining sides, and each of
these flaps has two inclined slots. Each end of the last remaining side of the blank
terminates in a flap, composed of a central strip and two outer narrow strips.
After the first-mentioned flaps have been turned down those on the two remaining
sides are held one in each hand, and by a proper disposal of the fingers the
flap with the strips is so manipulated by one hand, while the other is engaged in
folding down the remaining flap with the slots, that the outer strips shall be
depressed beneath the flap with slots, while the central strip shall overlap the flap
last mentioned.
In depressing the two flaps they are pushed towards each other and the corners
of the central strip are introduced into the inclined slots, when the two flaps will be
locked together and the end of the box closed.
The arrangement of the slots in an inclined position on the flap permits the
ready introduction of the corners of the central strip into the said slots. When
the box is closed the outside strips underlapping the flap with the slots, and the
latter underlapping the central strip, the corners of which are retained within the
slots, all combine to resist the efforts of the agitated contents within the box to
open the flaps, which, however, may be readily opened from without by simul-
taneously raising and pulling them apart.
This box may be made of paper, pasteboard, strawboard, manilla paper, wood,
wood pulp, wood pulp board, or thin sheet tin, or other metal, or any other suitable
substance, and may be either lined. with paper or any suitable textile fabric, or it
may be unlined.
When empty these boxes may be folded flat, so as to occupy the minimum
amount of space in packing.
But in order that this Invention may be more clearly understood I will proceed
to describe the same by aid of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which,—
Fig. 1 is a view of the box blank.
Fig. 2, a view of the end of the box with the flaps folded outward; Fig. 3, the
same, with two of the flaps folded inward.
Fig. 4, a view of the end of the box as it appears when closed; and Fig. 5, a
side view, showing the relative position of two of the flaps as they are being
closed.
The blank, Fig. 1, is, in the present instance, made for a quadrangular box, and
is creased on the vertical lines a, a¹, a², and a³, so as to form four sides A, A¹, A³,
and A3 of unequal width, a narrow strip B, which adjoins the side A, being formed
on the blank for attachment by paste, or glue, or other suitable material to the
side A, as shown in Fig. 2, thereby completing the body of the box.

page_text: At each end of the blank there are flaps b, b', which form continuations of the
sides A¹ and A³, the flaps being creased on the lines x, x, so that they can be turned
down, and overlapping each other form the inner folds for closing the ends of the
box, as shown in Fig. 3.
Flaps d, d, form continuations of the side A, and each of these flaps has two
inclined slots m. Each end of the side A2 of the blank terminates in a flap M,
composed of the central strip n and two outer narrow strips p, p.
After the flaps b, 61, have been turned down, as shown in Fig. 3, the flaps d
and M are held one in each hand, and by a proper disposal of the fingers the flap M
is so manipulated by one hand, while the other is engaged in folding down the
flap d that the outer strips p, p, shall be depressed, as in Fig. 5, beneath the flap d,
while the central strip n shall overlap the said flap d.
In depressing the two flaps they are pushed towards each other, and the corners
of the strip n are introduced into the inclined slots m, m, of the flap d, as shown in
Fig. 4, when the two flaps d and M will be locked together and the end of the
box closed.
The arrangement of the slots m, m, in an iuclined position on the flap & permits
the ready introduction of the corners of the strip n into the said slots. When the
box is closed the strips p, p, of the flap M underlapping the flap d, and the latter
underlapping the central strip n, the corners of which are retained within the slots,
all combine to resist the efforts of the agitated contents within the box to open tho
flaps, which, however, may be readily opened from without by simultaneously
raising and pulling them apart.
It will be seen that the box blanks are such that in cutting them out there will
be but a very trifling waste of material. If one end of the box has to be perma-
nently closed the upper sides of the strips p, p, may be attached by paste, gluc, or
other suitable material to the under side, and the strip n to the upper side of the
flap d.
Haying now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in Paper
and other Boxes," as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,--
1st. A paper or other box provided with opposite flaps d and M, the latter of
which consists of the strips p, p, and n, and the former having inclined slots m, m,
all substantially as herein described, and shown in the Drawings.
2nd. The within-described paper or other box blank, consisting of the creased
body, the plain flaps b, b', slotted flaps d, and severed flaps M, all substantially as
herein described, and shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Post Lawrence, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
TAUNT DOSE + LUDANCE
JOHN POST LAWRENC
ENCE. (LS)