Improvements in Means for Fastening the Parts of Boxes together.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Fastening the Parts of Boxes together.
I, JOHN FINLEY WILTS (Merchant) of 78, Hawthorn Place, Montclair, in the
County of Essex and State of New Jersey United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the Invention is to provide a box fastener which is adapted to
securely fasten the parts of the box together, to render the latter dust-proof and
moisture-proof, and at the same time permit of using very thin stock and still
produce a strong box.
The Invention consists principally of sheet metal binding for the edges of the
box, each binding comprising an outside L-shaped member and an inside member
bent to form four arms so as to produce with the outside member two recesses
standing at right angles to one another for the insertion of the adjacent edges of
the box parts.
The adjacent edges of the several parts of the box are connected with each other
by bindings preferably made of sheet metal and each having two members either
made from a single blank or of two separate pieces. The outer member of the
binding is made L-shaped and the other or inside member is bent to form four
arms of which the first arm lies close to the arm of the outer member while the
second arm stands at right angles to the first, and rests on the inside of part of
the arm of the outer member. The third arm is bent at right angles to the second
arm and extends inwardly and parallel to the first arm and the other arm stands
at right angles from the third arm and parallel to the arm of the outer member.
The two members of the binding form recesses throughout their length to receive
the adjacent edges of the corresponding parts of the box, and one arm being
interposed between the ends of the box parts. Nails are driven through the one
arm of the outer member and the first arm of the inner member and the cor-
responding box part, and nails or screws are driven through the other arm of
the outer member, the corresponding box part and the inner member, and clinched
inside thereof. By the arrangement described a very secure fastening is pro-
duced for the edges of the box for securely holding the parts together and at the
same time completely covering the joint of the box parts to render the box
dust-proof and moisture-proof.
When the sides, ends, and bottom of the box are fastened together by bindings
as described, the arms on the top binding for one of the ends of the box are bent
outward so as to permit of conveniently inserting the cover or lid, after which the
said arms are bent back upon the top of the cover and nailed thereto to securely
fasten the cover in place.
Instead of fastening the cover or lid in place in the manner described I may
employ two oppositely arranged bindings, each having two members forming
with each other a lock seam to permit of sliding the lid into position from one
end of the box. The seam parts of the one member form guideways for the seam
parts of the other member and when the cover is in place the said seams are
hammered down to securely lock the cover in position. If desired, nails may be
driven through the seams into the cover.

page_text: By constructing the bindings in the manner described the box parts can be
made of very thin stock and still produce a very strong box.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1896..
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London. Chartered Patent Agents,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Fastening the Parts of Boxes together.
I JOHN FINLEY WILTS, of 78 Hawthorn Place, Montclair, in the County of
Essex and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Merchant do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means of securely
fastening the parts of a box together, so as to admit of the box being quickly set
up or taken to pieces and at the same time permit of using very thin stock and
still produce a strong box.
The invention consists essentially of sheet metal bindings for the edges of the
parts of the box, each binding being adapted to clamp and be nailed to the edge
of the one part of the box and to present a groove or recess adapted to embrace
the unbound edge of the adjacent part of the box.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box.
Figure 2 is a section of the same, on the line 2-2 of Figure 3;
Figure 3 is a section of the same, on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a section of the same, on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a section of the binding at one corner of the box drawn to a larger
scale;
Figure 6 is a similar view of a modified form of the same; and
Figure 7 is a sectional side elevation showing a modified form of the cover
fastening.
A A1 A2 A3 are the sides A+ the bottom and A5 the lid of the box all made of two
or three ply crossed grain veneers glued together and the adjacent edges of these
box part being connected with each other by bindings B made of sheet metal.
Each binding B is preferably formed of a single strip folded longitudinally on
itself as shown at 6 Figure 5 or it may be of two separate strips as in Figure 6.
It presents two parallel members 61 62 adapted to receive and clamp between
them the edge of the part of the box to which the binding is to be permanently
affixed by nails the points of which are clinched. These members are also bent
longitudinally at right angles so as to present a longitudinal groove or recess C
extending the whole length of the binding adapted to receive the edge of the
adjacent part of the box said groove being therefore in a plane at right angles to
the plane of the part of the box to which the members 61 62 are affixed. The
outer member 62 therefore has a right angled bend as at 63 so that it is of
L-shaped section whilst the inner member has three right angled bends 64 65 66.
The bend coincides in position and direction with the bend 63 of the outer
member and the two members lie close together as far as the bend 65. The inner
member then diverges from the outer member as far as the bend 66 which is
reverse in direction to bend 65 so as to bring the two members 61 62 parallel as
above described.

page_text: As an example of the mode of uniting the parts it may be supposed that the
parts of the box shown in Figures 1 to 4 which are provided with such bindings
and the edges to which they are applied are as follows:-
The sides A A¹ have fixed to their top and bottom edges bindings BB in whose
grooves C the adjacent edges of the top and bottom A A+ of the box are received.
The ends A2 A3 have bindings B on all four edges in whose grooves C the edges of
the sides A A¹ and top and bottom AA are received.
The bindings may however ce affixed to different edges than those mentioned
so that the putting together of the parts is effected in a different order or way, but
the form and effect in the binding is the same. The binding shown in Figure 6
differs only in that it is made of two separate strips instead of one strip folded on
itself as at Figure 5.
The permanent union of the parts is effected by nails e driven through the double
overlapping flange of the groove C into the edge of the part of the box which is
received therein, this nailing in respect of the side which is to form the lid being
of course deferred until after the box is filled.
Thus all the parts may be permanently united except one of the ends A2 or A³
or the top A may be a sliding lid inserted (by sliding in the grooves C of the
bindings fixed to the sides A A¹) after the box has been filled in which case the
upper member of the binding B of one of the sides or ends may be bent outwards
as in dotted lines in Figure 2 to allow the lid to be slid into place and then be
bent back into position over the lid and be nailed thereto. A special sliding
connection for the lid may be provided as in Figure 7 the upper member forming
the top of the groove C being inwardly recurved as at f and the lid having a
metal strip F nailed to it said strip being recurved so as to interlock with the
recurved part f of the binding, the interlocked members being clenched by
hammering down after the lid is inserted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The herein described means of uniting the adjacent parts of a box, con-
sisting of bindings each of the sectional form shown and described and formed of
a strip of sheet metal folded on itself, (or of two superposed strips,) adapted to
clamp on both sides, and be nailed to, the edge of the one part of the box and so
bent as to present a groove or recess at right angles to the plane of the part to
which the binding is clamped as aforesaid said groove being adapted to receive
the edge of the adjacent part of the box as shown and described.
2. The combination with two adjacent sides of a box of a binding strip of sheet
metal folded, so as to present grooves or recesses in planes at right angles to each
other, adapted to embrace or clip the edges of the two sides and maintain them in
juxtaposition as specified.
3. A box whose sides or parts are united by sheet metal bindings each of the
sectional form shown and described affixed to and embracing the adjacent edges
of the parts as specified.
4. The interlocking connection for uniting the sliding lid to the side bindings
consisting of the combination of oppositely recurred parts as shown in Figure 7.
Dated this 27th dor of Tule 1907
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London. Chartered Patent Agents.