IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOXES AND PACKING CASES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Walter Hawkes Bennett, now residing at the Tavistock
Hotel, Covent Garden, in the County of Middlesex, Tea Planter, for an
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOXES AND
PACKING CASES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Walter Hawkes Bennett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th October 1881.
WALTER HAWKES BENNETT, now residing at the Tavistock Hotel, Covent Garden,
in the County of Middlesex, Tea Planter. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF BOXES AND PACKING CASES,"
Hitherto considerable loss has been occasioned to shippers of tea from India and
other parts of the world from the insecure nature of the boxes used for packing.
The boxes used are made in the ordinary way by nailing the pieces of wood
forming the sides one on to the other, and are usually strengthened by iron
or wooden hooping or clamps passed, over the edges and corners.
In the rough
handling to which the boxes are frequently subjected in the course of their transit
to England or elsewhere, the sides are not unfrequently torn apart, and the hoops
or clamps which have been employed for strengthening often prove a source of
injury through catching against other boxes, and either being themselves torn away
or tearing apart the sides of the boxes against which they catch. The boxes so
made are also seldom of uniform weight, thus causing considerable trouble in the
calculation of tares when sales are effected.
For the purpose of remedying these defects of construction, and more readily
obviating the inconvenience as to weights above mentioned, I construct a box or
packing case, which may be used for the purpose of conveying tea and other articles
of merchandise, and for any other purpose for which boxes or packing cases are now
used. I make the sides and ends of the box or case of suitable wood and of such sises as
may for any particular purpose be found convenient, but furnished at each end with
tongues prepared so as to fit into corresponding grooves in a perpendicular corner
piece. I do not claim any particular shape or size for such tongues, but find it
convenient to make them plain flat tongues, such as can be produced by the use of

page_text: ordinary carpentering tools, and of a depth which may be about the thickness of
the wood used for such sides or ends. I make the corner pieces into which these
sides and ends are fitted by means of the tongues and grooves above mentioned of
wood of a suitable character and thickness of the height of the box to be made.
The grooves into which the sides and ends of the box are inserted are such as
would be produced by ordinary carpentering tools, but must in each case be of a
shape and size corresponding to the tongues which are to be inserted into them.
I further secure the sides and ends of the box in their position by nailing, screwing,
or otherwise fastening them to the corner pieces. When the sides and ends are
thus joined together I complete the construction of the box by nailing or screwing
the bottom and top on to the sides and ends and corner pieces in the ordinary way.
By this mode of construction great strength is secured, and the liability of the
sides of the box to be torn asunder by rough usuage is avoided, no unprotected edge
of any side or end being exposed. The use of hooping or clamps to strengthen the
sides of the box is also rendered unnecessary. I do not in my Invention confine
myself to the use of corner pieces of any particular shape, either in the outside or
inside surfaces, which may if preferred be rounded or otherwise varied in shape.
The corner pieces, and also the sides and ends, being made by means of machinery
and tools ordinarily in use amongst carpenters and joiners, may be readily
produced so as to be of such uniform size and weight as may be required for any
particular purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Walter Hawkes Bennett
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May 1882.
WALTER HAWKES BENNETT, of Tezpur, Assam, India, Tea Planter. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOXES AND PACKING CASES.".
Hitherto considerable loss has been occasioned to shippers of tea from India and
other parts of the world from the insecure nature of the boxes used for packing.
The boxes used are made in the ordinary way by nailing the pieces of wood
forming the sides one on to the other, and are usually strengthened by iron or
wooden hooping or clamps passed over the edges and corners.
In the rough
handling to which the boxes are frequently subjected in the course of their transit
to England or elsewhere, the sides are not infrequently torn apart, and the hoops
or clamps which have been employed for strengthening often proves a source of
injury through catching against other boxes, and either being themselves torn
away or tearing apart the sides of the boxes against which they catch. The boxes
so made are also seldom of uniform weight, thus causing considerable trouble in
the calculation of tares when sales are effected.
For the purpose of remedying these defects of construction, and more readily
obviating the inconvenience as to weights above mentioned, I construct a box or
packing case, which may be used for the purpose of conveying tea and other
articles of merchandize and for any other purpose for which boxes or packing cases
are now used. I make the sides and ends of the box or case of suitable wood, and
of such sizes as may for any particular purpose be found convenient, but furnished
at each end with tongues (as shown in the accompanying Drawing and marked a, a)
prepared so as to fit into corresponding grooves (marked b, b,) in a perpendicular
corner piece (marked c). I do not claim any particular shape or size for such
tongues, but find it convenient to make them plain flat tongues, such as can be
produced by the use of ordinary carpentering tools, and of a depth which may be
about the thickness of the wood used for such sides or ends. I make the corner
pieces into which these sides and ends are fitted by means of the tongues and
grooves above mentioned of wood of a suitable character and thickness of the
height of the box to be made. The grooves into which these sides and ends of the
box are inserted are such as would be produced by ordinary carpentering tools, but
must in each case be of a shape and size corresponding to the tongues which are
inserted into them. I further secure the sides and ends of the box in their
position by nailing, screwing, or otherwise fastening them to the corner pieces.
When the sides and ends are thus joined together I complete the construction of
the box by nailing or screwing the bottom on to the sides and ends and corner
pieces in the ordinary way. By this mode of construction great strength is
secured, and the liability of the sides of the box to be torn asunder by rough usage
is avoided, no unprotected edge of any side or end being exposed. The use of
hooping or clamps to strengthen the sides of the box is also rendered unnecessary.
I do not in my Invention confine myself to the use of corner pieces of any
particular shape, either in the outside or inside surfaces, which may if preferred be
rounded or otherwise varied in shape. The corner pieces, and also the sides and
ends, being made by machinery and tools ordinarily in use amongst carpenters and
joiners, may be readily produced so as to be of such uniform size and weight as
may be required for any particular purpose.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, I claim as the Invention
secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent,―
In fastening together the sides and ends of a box, the use of tongues fitted into
grooves in prepared corner pieces, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Walter Hawkes Bennett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
WALTER H. BENNETT. (L.S.)