Improvements in Mechanical Caskets for Containing Oigars, Oigarettes, Matches, and other Small Objects which are Used in Sets.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1897-Accepted, 17th July, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanical Caskets for Containing Oigars,
Oigarettes, Matches, and other Small Objects which are Used
in Sets.
I, JOSEPH WHITWORTH HULSE, of Brookside, Didsbury, near Manchester, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A compound Box or Casket is constructed supplied with knobs or handles, by
pressing or operating which various compartments of the Box are made to open and
to elevate a tray or trough into a fixed position, on reversing the operation with the
knob or handle, the tray or trough descends again into the box, closing itself in so
doing; suitable lids being provided to open and close automatically for the purpose.
Assuming the Box or Casket be adapted as a smoker's companion, to contain cigars
cigarettes, &c.; the construction may be thus described-suitable portions are
partitioned off thus: one side occupying the whole length may be for cigars-the
opposite side may have cigarettes in the central part, the remainder of the length
being used in two small compartments, one for matches and one for cigar ends.
The central partition is preferably made of a metal plate, to carry the mechanism
for raising and lowering the principal trays or troughs,-for containing cigars or
cigarettes. Centrally one on each side of this plate are two vertical sliding bars
surmounted by suitable knobs. Each bar at its lower end is narrowed so as to leave
a projecting shoulder on each side, these shoulders coine in contact with and depress
the short ends of two simple levers, their outer ends extending towards the ends of
the Box in each direction, and being provided with projecting rods or brackets,
extending under each end of the tray to be lifted, so as to lift it from both ends
simultaneously, and thus avoid any cross action.
The troughs are covered by lids hinged preferably at the outside, and meeting in
the middle, and held down by Springs or other device.
When the centre rod on either side of the plate carrying the lever mechanism, is
depressed, the tray or trough on that side rises, opening the lide in so doing, and
presenting the contents to the operator. In depressing the knobs and consequently
the sliding bars, the shoulders previously described pass by the short ends of the
lifting levers, so that these are held in position till the knob is again lifted, when the
trough or tray descends into the box, (assisted if necessary by springs) and the lids
close automatically over it. The outer lid on each side is made to open beyond the
vertical line, so as to leave the outside of the raised trough free, and enable the user,
by means of an opening in the side thereof, to readily remove the contents.
special attachment is added for this purpose.
A
A little corner box, coutaining matches is made to open, and raise and present the
contents by means of a third knob at one end of the box, in a line with the other
knobs, and a fourth knob similarly placed at the oppositeiend, is made, by depressing
it to cut off the cigar ends, for which a suitable cavity with an opening beneath is
provided.
The space underneath the cigarette trough (which need not be so deep as the cigar
trough) is fitted up with a drawer for ashes &c. and striking plates of emery-cloth
or stamped metal are provided for striking the matches.

page_text: I do not confine myself to the precise mode of operation, or mechanism as described: -
Oscillating or rotating handles may be used in the place of the knobs and vertical
depression described; the general effect of opening, raising, and presenting (as it
were) the articles, with the subsequent retiring and automatic closing being obtained,
and the whole combined with the various adjuncts as described.
Similar boxes may be contrived under my invention for holding bon-bons,
bairdressing materials, sewing, knitting, or crochet apparatus, and other sets of
requisites convenient in combination.
Dated this 28th day of August 18OR
Improvements in Mechanical Caskets for Containing Oigars,
Cigarettes, Matches, and other Small Objects which are Used
in sets.
I, JOSEPH WHITWORTH HULSE, of Brookside, Didsbury in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, 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 has reference to the construction of a compound box or casket,
Bupplied with knobs and handles, by pressing or operating which various compartments
are made to severally open and to elevate a tray or trough containing the article
desired into a fixed position, on reversing the operation with the knob or handle, the
tray or trough descends again into the box closing itself in so doing. Suitable lids
being provided to open or close automatically for the purpose.
Assuming the Box be adopted as a Smoker's Companion to contain Cigars,
Cigarettes &c., the construction may be thus described: Suitable proportions are
partitioned off thus: One side occupying the whole length may be for cigars. The
opposite side may have cigarettes in the central part, the remainder of the length
being used in small compartments, say, one for matches and one for cigar ends. A
space under the cigarettes (for which a less depth might be needed than is required
for cigara) may be used for a drawer to serve as an ash tray &c. and various other
modifications may be introduced.
In the accompanying drawings a Box is described having only two compartments,
one for cigars and the other for cigarettes, the latter being divided into two portions
so as to contain two varieties. Figures 1 & 2 are respectively a front anda, side
elevation. Figure 3 is a plan of a box made in accordance with this invention,
The troughs containing cigars and cigarettes are marked a & b respectively the
former being shown in its elevated position and open, and the latter lowered and
closed. The lids a' a, appertaining to trough a are open and the lids bb³ appertaining
to trough bare closed. c & d are knobs, the former having been depressed, to effect
the opening of the trough a and the latter being in its upper position,
A partition p extending across the box (Fig. 1 & 2) and above it, carries the
mechanisin for raising the troughs. Gnided vertically upon it, is a flat- sliding rod c'
connected at its top end to the knob c, and reduced near its lower and so as to form
shoulders or ledges as indicated, at c; these operate on the short ends of the
2 similar levers e. f. shown flat in section and operating in the same plane as the
vertical rod c (and coinciding with it at the part inarked e in Fig. 2). The depression
of the knob c and the rod c lowers by means of the shoulders at the short ends
of the levers e. f. whose fulcra are at e, f raising their: outer, ends which carry
rods e³, projecting horizontally, on which rods rests, the trough a, so, that the

page_text: depression of the knob c raises from both ends simultaneously the trough a, and by
he passing of the shoulders of the rod c' past the short ends of the levers e & f, as
indicated at c, the trough remains fixed in the raised position, and can only be
lowered by the raising again of the knob c. The raising of the trough causes the
lids a¹ & to open, a' (the outer lid) being provided with a lever as, by means of
which it is thrown beyond the vertical position, and made to rest on the projecting
handle of the box pl, thus leaving the opening a' for the insertion of the thumb in
the trough a free, and at the same time presenting the roughened surface as on the
inside of the lid al (Figs. 2 & 3) for striking matches upon, a small trough a being
(in this case) provided inside the larger one for containing the same. Pins g & h are
provided for actuating the lever a³ of the lid a¹, both for opening and closing, and a
keep plate g' joins the outer ends of the pins for the retention of the lever in position.
The closing of the inner lid a² is insured by a coiled spring shown at a' in Fig. 3.
The descent of the trough a is aided by a spiral spring (a similar spring is shown
closed under trough b at j). To insure the troughs rising and falling parallel and
not jamming, a mechanism is provided consisting of the rocking shaft k, carrying two
arins at its opposite ends provided at their outer ends with pins kk. These
pins ascend & descend with the trough and are kept in combination with it by the
keep pieces one near each end of the trough which allow the pins to travel
horizontally along the under side of the trough, but not to separate from it vertically,
by this means the trough cannot fall otherwise than parallel with the bottom of the
box.
The same mechanism as is above described for trough a is repeated for the trough b
in which the equivalent parts will be seen in the lower and closed instead of the
upper and open position.
Additional troughs inay be added in a similar way and if the full depth of the
trough b he not desired it may be made shallower, leaving a space below it which
may be utilized for a drawer to serve as an ash tray &c. The same principle may be
applied to boxes or caskets for containing various articles required in sets, such as
bairdressing materials, bon bons, sewing, knitting, and crochet apparatus, and other
combinations capable of similar treatment.
Having now ascertained the nature of the said invention, and particularly
described one of its applications, and in what manner the same is to be performed
I declare that what I claim is:
1. The apparatus or its equivalent described for lifting, retaining, guiding, opening
and closing of troughs for containing various articles forming a set or series and
combined in one box or casket.
2. The levers d and e with their vertical rods c¹ and knobs c as described, and for
the purpose specified.
3. The lever as and parts connected with it for the wider opening of the lid a¹ as
described, and for the purpose specified.
WOLL JM 1907
JOSEPH WHITWORTH HULSE.