Year: 1889

page_text: We, HENRY WILLIAM HALL RICHARDS, of Phoenix Iron Works, Martin_Street,
Belgrave, Engineer, and JAMES CHAPMAN, of No. 9, Belper Street, Leicester, Printer,
both in the County of Leicester, 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 an improved method of making collapsible boxes out of.
sheets of paper, straw or pulp boards, and the like; and consists more particularly in
an improved method of dry joining the two edges of the sheet of material, and of
securing the ends.
In order that our invention and the means by which it is to be carried into practical
effect, may be thoroughly understood, we will now describe the same in detail, referring
in so doing to the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as part of this
specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a plan of a sheet of material cut, scored, and notched, ready for being
made up into an oblong box of a square cross-section.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the half-formed box, shewing it before the ends are
closed in.
Fig. 3 is a sectional longitudinal internal elevation of an oblong box of a square
section, shewing the join along one side; and
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the closed box.
Similar parts are marked throughout the figures with the same reference letter.
The three parallelograms abcd, defg, ghij, furnish the three sides of a box.
The fourth side is provided by the parallelogram j k l m when it has been joined
with the one a o p q at the opposite end of the sheet in the manner described
further on.
The five parallelograms above mentioned are separated by four scorings a, d, g, j,
which are made for the purpose of allowing the sheet to be folded into a square along
its corners, viz., the said scorings. The sheet is also scored along the lines obeh k
and q cfil to allow of the end pieces 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 being folded
down

page_text: At each end of the sheet, there is provided a margin r, ¹. Both margins have
slots s formed in them from their outer, to their respective inner, edges, m, p.
The said slots are formed regularly, and divide the two margins up into alternate
triangles and trapezoids, the apex of any triangle in either margin being exactly
opposite the centre of any trapezoid, and the base of any triangle opposite to, and of
the same length as, the shorter parallel side of any trapezoid.
The end pieces 1, 3, etc., on each side of the sheet, are separated from each
other, and from the ends of the parallelogram a o p q and the margin, by
slots t.
The two ends of the sheet are joined together as follows. The trapezoids, as 9, are
passed over the opposite triangles, as 12, and partly under each of the trapezoids,
as 10 and 11, adjoining the said triangles; so that the base lines of the triangles
shall coincide with the shorter parallel sides of the trapezoids, respectively; and
the slots in one margin shall be covered, and guarded by, the material of the
other one.
The body of the box is now fully formed, and, in addition to this, its end pieces are
fast to it, and ready for being closed and locked. The corners a, d, g,j, being scored,
are flexible, and as the end pieces are separated by slots t aligned with the corners, the
closed and locked box-body, as illustrated in Fig. 2, can be folded down flat upon
itself, i.e., the side defg and end pieces 3 and 4 upon the side a bed and end pieces 1'
and 2.
Boxes made according to our invention can be therefore stored or sent in bulk at a
minimum cost.
When one is to be filled, one end is folded; and the box is filled. The opposite end
is next folded and locked, and lastly the end first folded is locked.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
A collapsible box adapted to be locked along its side by a double series of triangles
and trapezoids respectively opposite to each other and adapted to interlock with each
other as set forth.
Dated this 1st day of February 1889.