Securing Boxes and the like.
Year: 1885

page_text: Securing Boxes and the like.
We, HIMAN FRANK, of 139 Elm Street, in the City, County and State of New
York, United States of America, Inventor, and ALBERT FRANK HOCHSTADTE, of
506 Broadway in the City, County and State of New York, United States of
America, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN METAL BANDS OR STRAPS FOR BINDING AND SECURING BOXES AND
THE LIKE," and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention consists primarily in strengthening or stiffening the edges of
metal bands or straps for binding boxes by longitudinal ridges or corrugations,
leaving or formning the central longitudinal web through which the holding nails
are driven, lighter or more pliable than the outer exposed edges, thus producing a
strap whose edges will in all cases lie in close and intimate contact with the case
or box to which it is applied.
And to further insure this close contact of the edges of the strap and the case or
box, the edges may be so formed as to project or extend below the bottom of the
central web, so as to enter or cut somewhat into the article to which it is applied.
Said longitudinal strengthening or stiffening ridges, by projecting above the top of
the central web, fully protect the heads of the nails, and form more bearing surfaces
or points of contact between the boxes and the floor or resting place, or the boxes
themselves when piled; The heads of the holding nails of ordinary flat metal
straps being above the straps and box, do considerable damage by abrasion, and
the nails often become loosened from this cause.
But to describe our invention more particularly, we will now refer to the accom-
panying drawings, in which :-
Fig. 1. represents a box or case, with binding straps made according to our
invention, applied thereto.
Fig. 2, is a perspective view of part of a binding strap, composed of a metal band
with the stiffening ridges formed by longitudinal corrugations on its edges.
DO77

page_text: Fig. 3, shows part of a strap having the stiffening ridges on its edges and the
thin central web formed during the process of making the same, and:
Fig. 4, shows another modification in which the strap is composed of a flat metal
band stiffened by folding over its edges longitudinally on to itself.
Binding straps for boxes embodying our invention may be made as shown at
fig. 2, which is formed by taking a flat metal band, and corrugating the edges
longitudinally as at a, a, by passing it through suitably formed rollers, or by other
suitable means, leaving the central longitudinal web b, flat. In making a box
strap in this manner, we prefer to form the holes c, c, for the reception of the
holding nails, at intervals throughout its length, thus saving considerable time in
applying the strap; such holes being now generally made by means of a punch
when the straps are applied. These holes c, c, may be made at the time the
stiffening ridges a, a are corrugated. Instead of corrugating a flat band, as
described, the metal of which the strap is made may be rolled directly into the
form shown at fig. 2.
Such binding straps are applied to cases or boxes in the usual manner, as shown
at fig. 1, in which one strap is fully, and another one partly applied; and by reason
of the stiffening ridges a, a, no buckling or curving of the strap occurs between
the holding nails d, d, the edges of the strap lying close to the case or box, so that
the exposure of rough edges, as occurs with ordinary flat metal bands or straps, is
entirely avoided; and a further protection is afforded by making the extreme
edges a¹, a¹, extend below the bottom of the central web b, so that said edges
enter into the cases or boxes when the straps are applied thereto.
Another way of making box straps, embodying the novel features of our inven-
tion, is, by means of suitable rollers, forming the strap with a thin central web e,
and heavy raised edges f, f, as shown at fig. 3; and the extreme edges may be
turned down below the bottom of the band, as shown at the right hand side of the
drawing, for the object before set-forth. Bands so made may be of any length,
and subsequently cut into suitable lengths for box straps. And during the process
of rolling, the indentations g, g, extending nearly through the center of the web e,
may be made at short intervals in the center of the web, said indentations g, g,
being sufficiently deep to permit driving the holding nails directly through the
thin web left at the bottom of them, thus obviating the .necessity for using a
punch to puncture the straps before the nails are applied, as now done. These
indentations may also be formed in the strap shown at fig. 2.
Or instead of the indentations the whole of the central web or its longi-
tudinal central part may be made sufficiently thin to permit the nails being driven
through it.
Fig. 4, shows another method of strengthening box straps, by which they may
be made stiffer, to prevent buckling or curving between the holding nails and as
a protection for the nail heads, which consists in throwing over the edges h, h, of a
metal band, on to itself, leaving the central web i, of the thickness of the band.
In all of these forms of box straps, a much stronger and stiffer article than an
ordinary flat metal binding strap is produced, for a given weight per equal
length; and in making a strap according to our invention, of a strength equal
to that of an ordinary flat metal band strap, a considerable saving in weight of
metal is had.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is
First. A box strap composed of a metal band having longitudinal stiffening
ridges along its edges, substantially as and for the purpose set-forth.
Second. A box strap composed of a metal band provided with longitudinal
stiffening ridges and having its extreme edges bent or formed to project beyond
its underside, substantially as and for the purpose set-forth.

page_text: Third. A metal box strap composed of a thin central web and longitudinal
ridges raised above the top of the web along its edges, substantially as and for
the purpose set-forth.
Fourth. A metal box strap composed of a thin central web and longitudinal
ridges raised above the top of the web along its edges, and having indentations
formed at intervals in the central web, substantially as and for the purpose set-
forth.