Improvements in Boxes, chiefly designed for Containing Letter Sealing Requisites.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 4th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes, chiefly designed for Containing Letter
Sealing Requisites.
I, CHARLES VINCENT FOREST, of 95, Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris, in the
Republic of France, Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to boxes for containing letter-writing and sealing
requisites, smokers' requisites and the like, such boxes being so constructed that
articles such as candle holders or ink wells aranged within the box when closed
may be moved so that the said articles may occupy a vertical position on the out-
side thereof when the box is open.
For example the paper or cardboard boxes for containing letters or school
children's requisites may have, according to this invention ink wells or vessels
arranged in this way on the outside, or in the case of boxes for smokers' requisites,
a small lamp or candle for lighting cigars may be adapted to be turned to the
outside.
In order that my invention may be readily and clearly understood, I have
represented, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing, an open sealing
box or box for containing sealing wax, seal, candle and so forth, furnished with the
improvements which form the subject of this application.
These improvements consist essentially in a device permitting of bringing the
candle a placed in the candle holder a¹ into a vertical position as indicated in the
drawing, whilst when within the box it occupies a horizontal position; the candle
in its vertical position is separated from the sealing box.
The means enabling this movement to be effected consists in fixing laterally upon
one of the sides of the box, by means of a hinge b, a plate B, which is cut out and
which at its extremity C forms a pivot around which the candle-stick or holder a¹
is able to turn freely.
This candle-stick or holder a¹ is sufficiently heavy and is so balanced as to
maintain a vertical position when the plate B is turned down horizontally outside
the box, as shewn in the drawing.
In addition to this, the cut-out portion of the plate B has a configuration such
that the candle holder a¹ is able to enter the portion so cut away without, however,
being able to pass through the opening, owing either to the rod D in which its
lower portion terminates, or owing to its having any form which occasions the same
result.
The cut-out plate B is provided laterally with a handle. E, by means of which the
plate B may be caused to describe an arc of 180° around its hinge b. The candle
holder occupying the position indicated in the drawing, if the plate B is turned
down in such a manner as to cause it to occupy a horizontal position within the
box, the candle holder a¹ lies horizontally upon the plate B within the box, without
being able to pass through the plate being maintained in its horizontal position by
its extremity D which bears against the portion d of the plate B. It will thus be

page_text: apparent that owing to the arrangement just described, and by merely rotating a
plate through an angle of 180°, the candle and its holder may be instantly caused
to assume a vertical position, whilst within the box they occupy a horizontal
position.
As the candle holder may be used upon a table covered with a cloth, which it is
necessary to protect against candle grease, I arrange at the lower part of the box
two sectors F F¹ joined by a hinge f. Ordinarily, when the box is closed, these
two sectors F F₁ are turned back one against the other and arranged parallel to
the bottom of the box against this latter. When it is desired to make use of the
box, the two sectors are caused to turn about the pivot situated at G and the hinge f
is then opened so as to obtain beneath the candle holder a circular metallic surface
formed by the two sectors F F¹.
I will not describe the divisions of the sealing box which may be of any suitable
description.
What have stated with regard to the device for bringing the candle holder
vertically outside the box, is obviously applicable not only to what I have termed
sealing boxes, but also to boxes containing school children's requisites, writing
requisites, smoker's requisites, music desks and the like. The object which, from
the horizontal or vertical position, assumes a vertical position, need not in such
cases be a candle, but may be for example, a small lamp or any other similar object;
for it will of course be understood that my arrangement is likewise applicable for
bringing an object arranged vertically in a box into a position outside the box
which is also vertical. All that is necessary, in fact, for this, is that the object in
question may be able to pass freely through the open portion of the plate B, the
alteration in the position of the object being in any case effected by the simple
rotation of the plate B through an angle of 180°.
Generally speaking, my arrangement may be applied in all cases where it is
necessary to increase horizontally the dimensions of a box of any kind by causing
objects arranged either horizontally or vertically in the box to occupy a vertical
position outside this latter.
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:-
1. The arrangement, in connection with boxes for containing writing requisites
and for other purposes, of a perforated plate hinged to one edge of the said box
and adapted to turn through an angle of 180° in such a manner that it may be
located horizontally either outside or inside the box, the said plate having formed
at the end thereof opposite the hinge, an axis upon which may be suspended the
object which it is desired to move into a vertical position outside the box.
2. In the plate referred to in Claim 1 a slot which may or may not enable the
object suspended at its end to pass in such a manner that the latter may be placed
vertically or horizontally within the box substantially as above described.
Dated this 15th day of January 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.