IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING PACKING CASES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I, THOMAS RUDDIMAN JOHNSTON, Printer and Publisher Waverley Printing
Works Murrayfield, Edinburgh do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING PACKING CASES, to be as follows:-
The purpose of this Invention is the fastening of the lids to packing boxes, by
means of screwed bolts and nuts; hereafter described-by which the damage
caused to the lids, and the boxes, when nails or screw nails are used, is avoided,
and by which the boxes are more quickly opened, or closed, than at present.
To the upper edges, of the sides and ends of a packing box, where the lid rests,
are securely fixed, at intervals, metal nuts, having each a female screw. To the lid,
at intervals corresponding with the nuts fixed to the box are fixed screwed bolts,
of a novel description. The male screw on these bolts, exactly fits the female
screw of the nuts fixed to the box, so that when the lid is placed accurately in
position, and the bolts revolved, the lid will be secured firmly to the box. To
prevent the misplacing of these bolts, and this is one of the chief points of my
invention-immediately below the head of each bolt-I reduce the diameter of its
shaft, for a certain distance, and then increase it again, where it has to carry the
male screw.
The reduced portion of the shaft, works through a hole, in a small
plate, fastened to the lid of the box, thus permitting the bolt freely to revolve,
and so secure the lid to the box, but when the lid is not fastened to the box,
preventing it from being separated from it. The head of the bolt, externally or
internally, is made of an angular or irregular pattern, so as to be revolved, by
means of a key, or with a grove or groves on its surface, so as to be turned by a
screwdriver, or each bolt-head can be shaped, so as to be revolved by either of
these appliances.

page_text: I, THOMAS RUDDIMAN JOHNSTON, Printer and Publisher, Waverley Printing
Works, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for MPROVEMENTS IN FASTENING PACKING CASES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The purpose of this Invention, is the fastening of the lids to packing oases, by
means of screwed bolts and nuts-hereafter described-by which the damage
caused to the lids, and the boxes, when nails or screw-nails are used, is avoided,
and by which the boxes are more quickly opened, or closed, than at present.
To the upper edges of the sides and ends of a packing-box, where the lid rests,
are securely fixed, at intervals, metal nuts, having each a female screw. To the
lid at intervals corresponding with the nuts fixed to the box-are fixed screwed
bolts, of a novel description. The male screw on these bolts exactly fits the
female screw of the nuts fixed to the box, so that when the lid is placed accurately
in position, and the bolts revolved, the lid will be secured firmly to the box. To
prevent the misplacing of these bolts-and this is one of the chief points of my
invention immediately below the head of each bolt, I reduce the diameter of its
shaft, for a certain distance, and then increase it again, where it has to carry the
male screw. The reduced portion of the shaft, works through a hole in a small
plate, fastened to the lid of the box, thus permitting the bolt freely to revolve, and
so secure the lid to the box, but when the lid is not fastened to the box, preventing
it from being separated from it. The head of the bolt, externally, or internally,
is made of an angular or irregular pattern, so as to be revolved by means of a key,
or with a grove or groves on its surface, so as to be turned by a screwdriver, or
each bolt can be shaped, so as to be revolved by either of these appliances.
In the accompanying drawing, Fig 1 is a plan, Fig 2 is a side elevation-partly
sectional, and Fig 3 an end elevation-partly sectional,-of one arrangement
of the bolt and nut. In the lid A of the box, a metal plate B, carrying the bolt C,
is countersunk, and fastened to it, by screw-nails H. At a corresponding position
in the sides or ends of the box D, a nut E is secured. When the lid A is placed
exactly on the box D, it is evident that the bolt C, will be over the nut E, and if
revolved, will enter the nut, and so secure the lid to the box. In Fig 1, the plate
carrying the bolt is sunk below the level of the lid, to prevent the head of the
bolt being damaged. The nut again has two side-plates F. F. formed with it, and
these fitting closely to the boards forming the sides or ends of the box, allow the
nut to be securely fastened to the box, by screw or other nails. The head of the
bolt is hexagonal, so that it may be turned by means of a key, and a portion of
the bolt is less in diameter, than the part entering the nut. When the bolt is
withdrawn, its reduced portion passes freely through the plate B, but the thicker
portion cannot follow, thus leaving the bolt always fixed to the lid.
Fig 4 is a plan, Fig 5 is a side elevation-partly sectional, and Fig 6 and end
elevation partly sectional,-of another arrangement of this invention, showing its
adaptation to boxes with thin lids, the plate B carrying the bolt C, not being sunk
in this case, but only fastened to the lid A, the head of the bolt being protected by
the cross-bar G of the lid. The nut E is in this case, shown with one side
plate F only.
Fig 7. is a plan, and Fig 8 a side elevation-partly sectional, of another
arrangement, in which the plate B, carrying the bolt C, is countersunk in a very

page_text: thin lid A, thus causing the nut E, to be placed further down in the side or end
board of the box.
Fig 9 is a side elevation-partly sectional,-showing as does also Fig 7, the
metal plate B, carrying the bolt C, with projecting and raised side pieces, to more
fully protect the head of the bolt. The nut in Fig 9, is secured to the box D, by
the two large screw-nails J, as shown.
Fig 10 is a side elevation-partly sectional, and Fig 11 an end elevation-partly
sectional, of another arrangement of nut having two short side pieces F. F. and
secured to the box with screw nails.
Fig 12. is a side elevation-partly sectional,-and Fig 13 an end elevation-partly
sectional, of another arrangement of nuts with a divided side-plate F, pierced
with holes for screw-nails.
Fig 14 shows some other forms of bolt heads. Some of the bolts can be
revolved by a key, others by means of a screw-driver, and others by either of these
means. If the bolt head has to be covered with sealing-wax, some of the thinner
forms of head, as A. Fig 14 are most suitable. Any of the bolts need not accom-
pany the nut shown along with it in the drawing, but would combine with any of
the others.
I prefer to make the various parts of cast malleable iron, and I bore the holes
in the plate carrying the bolt after the plate is cast, working a thread on the
centre hole which has to receive the bolt. I then screw the bolt through the plate,
and prevent its return, by striking the plate at the thread, a blow with a punch,
thereby partially destroying the thread of the female screw. The bolts, I also make
of cast malleable iron, and the thread of the screw is afterwards cut on them.
The nuts are also of the same metal, and have the thread of the screw cut in them,
in a similar manner-these processes being well known.
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:
First. The application of the method of securing the lids of packing-cases to
the cases as herein set forth.
Second. The reduction of a portion of the shaft of the bolt, and the partial
closing of the hole in the plate on the lid, through which it passes, thus preventing
the loss of the bolt.
Dated this twenty-fifth day of November 1884.
T. RUDDIMAN JOHNSTON.