and other like Cases and Boxes.
Year: 1885

page_text: and other like Cases and Boxes.
I WILLIAM BLIZARD WILLIAMSON of the firm of W. B. Williamson and Sons
of Providence Works in the City of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR AND WATER TIGHT
MILITARY AND NAVAL CASES AND OTHER LIKE CASES AND BOXES
to be as
follows:-
My invention consists of the construction and arrangement. hereinafter described
of the parts of the said cases and boxes whereby greater security against the access
of air and water to the interior of the cases is obtained than that possessed by
military and naval cases and other like cases and boxes as ordinarily constructed.
To the edge of the lid of the case or box I affix preferably in the manner
hereinafter described a strip or beading of vulcanised india rubber or other
waterproof elastic material and to the shoulder of the body of the box on which
shoulder the edge of the lid bears when the box is closed I also affix preferably in
the manner hereinafter described a strip or beading of vulcanised india rubber or
other waterproof material so that when the lid of the case or box is shut down and
clamped in the manner hereinafter described the two layers of india rubber or
elastic material with which the edge of the lid and the shoulder of the body of the
case or box are furnished are pressed into such close contact that the case or box is
air and water tight. -
In order to press the edge of the lid forcibly upon the shoulder of the case or
box I employ two clamping levers working on centres at the front of the case
or box. The long arms of these levers terminate near the middle of the front
of the box and their short arms engage respectively in staples near the ends of
the front of the case or box. When the lid has been shut down and the long
arms of the levers depressed the edge of the lid is pressed tightly on the shoulder
of the box and on shutting down the hasp for locking the case or box the said
long arms of the levers are fixed.
I prefer to attach the strips or beadings of india rubber or elastic material to the
edge of the lid and to the shoulder of the case or box in the following manner.
To the edge of the lid and to the shoulder of the case or box I fix a trough like

page_text: strip of metal the edges of which are bent inwards. The strip or beading of india
rubber or elastic material is of a size and shape proper to fill the metallic trough
and leave a portion projecting from the mouth of the trough. By compression the
strips or beadings of india rubber or elastic material are forced into the metallic
troughs and on expanding fix themselves therein. I prefer to make the projecting
part of one of the india rubber strips or beadings convex and the other concave
but I do not limit myself to any particular figure of the said strips or beadings.
In order to establish an equilibrium between the pressure of the atmosphere
external to the case or box and that of the air within the case or box I make a
vent hole preferably in the edge of the lid. This vent hole is capable of being
closed by a screw with a milled head for turning it by. The said screw is relaxed
until the lid of the case or box has been fixed down when it is driven home and
the case or box thereby hermetically closed.

page_text: I WILLIAM BLIZARD WILLIAMSON of the firm of W. B. Williamson and Sons of
Providence Works, in the City of Worcester, Manufacturers do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR AND WATER TIGHT MILITARY
AND NAVAL CASES AND OTHER LIKE CASES AND BOXES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention consists of the construction and arrangement hereinafter described
of the parts of the said cases and boxes whereby greater security against the access
of air and water to the interior of the cases is obtained than that possessed by
military and naval cases and other like cases and boxes as ordinarily constructed.
To the edge of the lid of the case or box I affix preferably in the manner
hereinafter described, a strip or beading of vulcanised india rubber or other
waterproof elastic material and to the shoulder of the body of the box, on which
shoulder the edge of the lid bears when the box is closed, I also affix, preferably in
the manner hereinafter described, a strip or beading of vulcanised india rubber or
other waterproof material so that when the lid of the case or box is shut down and
clamped, in the manner hereinafter described, the two layers of india rubber or
elastic material with which the edge of the lid and the shoulder of the body of the
case or box are furnished, are pressed into such close contact that the case or box
is air and water tight.
In order to press the edge of the lid forcibly upon the shoulder of the case or
box I employ two clamping levers working on centres at the front of the case or
box: The long arms of these levers terminate near the middle of the front of the
box and their short arms engage respectively in staples near the ends of the front
of the case or box. When the lid has been shut down and the long arms of the
levers depressed the edge of the lid is pressed tightly on the shoulder of the box
and on shutting down the hasp for locking the case or box the said long arms of
the levers are fixed.
I prefer to attach the strips or beadings of india rubber or elastic material
to the edge of the lid and to the shoulder of the case or box in the following
manner.
To the edge of the lid and to the shoulder of the case or box, I fix a trough
like strip of metal the edges of which are bent inwards. The strip or beading of
india rubber or elastic material is of a size and shape proper to till the metallic
trough and leave a portion projecting from the mouth of the trough. By
compression the strips or beadings of india' rubber or elastic material are forced
into the metallic troughs and on expanding fix themselves therein.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front elevation and
Figure 2 in cross section, an air and water tight case or box containing my
improvements, the lid. being represented shut down but not clamped; Figure-8

page_text: represents in front elevation and Figure 4 in longitudinal section the said case or
box with the lid shut down and clamped and fastened; Figure 5 represents in
front elevation and Figure 6 in cross section, the trough joint at the edge of the
body of the case or box drawn to a larger scale; Figure 7 represents one of the
clamping levers detached and Figure 8 represents the air valve which may be
combined with the case or box, drawn to a large scale..
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the strip or beading of vulcanized india rubber or other elastic material
attached to the edge of the lid c and b is the strip or beading of vulcanized india
rubber or other elastic material attached to the edge of the body d at the base of
the shoulder or rim of the said body. The said strips or beadings a, b are fitted in
and fill up the metallic troughs e, f fixed respectively to the edges of the lid and
body, about one half of the said strips or beadings projecting from the troughs e, f
as represented in the drawing. The said strips or beadings are by compression
forced into the troughs e, f and on expanding fix themselves in the said troughs.
When worn or injured the elastic strips or beadings a, b may be readily removed
from the troughs and replaced by new ones. On shutting down and clamping the
lid of the box, the two strips or beadings a, b with which the edges of the lid and
body of the case or box are furnished are pressed into such close contact, as
represented in the closed case or box Figures 3 and 4, that the closed case or box
is made air and water tight.
The clamping of the lid of the case or box is effected by the following parts;
h, h²; h, h² are two clamping levers carried by the lid c turning on the centres h³, h³,
their short arms h2, h3 being hooked as represented; and i, i are staples on the
body d of the case or box with which staples the short hooked arms h³, h² of the
clamping levers engage in the manner represented in Figure 3. In order to clamp
the case or box, the lid c is shut down and the long arms h, h of the levers h, h², h, h
are depressed so as to cause their short hooked arms h³, h2 to enter the staples i, i.
By the action of the short arms h², h2 upon the staples i, i the edge of the lid c is
pressed tightly on the shoulder of the box or case and the two elastic strips or
beadings a, b are compressed forcibly together as seen in Figures 3 and 4. On
shutting down and fastening the hasp k by the lock the long arms h, h of the
clamping levers are fixed in their places, the slightly turned in ends of the said long
arms h, h occupying a depression on the inner face of the said hasp k.
The strips or beadings a b of india rubber or other elastic material may be cylin-
drical as represented in the drawing, or one of the said beadings may be convex
and the other concave but I do not limit myself to any particular figure of the said
beadings.
In order to establish an equilibrium between the pressure of the atmosphere
external to the case or box and that of the air within the case or box, a vent hole
preferably in the edge of the lid and under that part covered by the hasp, when
shut down, may be used. This vent hole is represented at m Figure 8 and is
capable of being closed by a screw cap n having a milled head for turning it the
said screw cap seating itself when driven home upon a leather or india rubber
washer p.
The said screw cap n is relaxed so as to permit the escape of air from
the case or box until the lid has been fixed down when the said cap n is driven
home and the case or box thereby hermetically closed. As the screw cap n is
situated under the shut down and fastened hasp k it is prevented from being
tampered with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in air and water tight military and naval
cases and other like cases and boxes"
First-Applying to the edge of the lid and the edge of the shoulder of the body
of the said cases and boxes, strips of vulcanized india rubber or other elastic

page_text: material partly seated in trough shaped seats at the said edges of the lid and body,
the shutting down and clamping of the lid pressing the said strips or beadings into
such close contact that the closed case or box is made air and water tight substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly-The combination with a case or box having the edges of the lid and
body constructed as claimed in the previous claim of the clamping mechanism
herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing for clamping
the lid to the body of the case or box and for effecting the compression of the elastic
strips or beadings at the edges of the said lid and body.
Dated this Sixth day of February 1886