Improvement in or relating to Boxes, Crates, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by the Firm of LITZELMANN AND TAILFER, of No. 28,
Rue St. George's, Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineers.]
Improvement in or relating to Boxes, Crates, and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of
Lancaster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present application for Letters Patent relates to an improved construction
of boxes, crates, and the like, especially suitable for butter boxes, travelling
trunks, packing cases, and other receptacles which are liable to be subjected
to rough usage, and considerable strains. These articles when constructed
according to the usual plan, that is to say, having their angles simply nailed or
dovetailed together, are very liable to give way at the corners when subjected
to rough usage, and the present invention is designed to so strengthen the corners
that they will become practically the strongest parts of the box or crate, and
materially add to the power of resistance possessed by the whole apparatus as
compared with the weak angles or corners of the present boxes. The method of
carrying this into effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents,
is substantially as follows:-
At each angle of the box are placed corner pieces of approximately triangular
section, preferably of hard wood, and having deep slots or grooves, into which
the ends of the side or end pieces of the box are morticed or rabbeted. The
said side or end pieces are cut with a shoulder so that when fitted into their
respective grooves in the angle pieces they will abut firmly against the said
shoulder, and can further be secured firmly in place by nails, screws, or plugs
in the wellknown manner. For certain purposes, and especially for use as a
market box for perishable commodities, the receptacle may be made rectangular,
and of slightly increasing dimensions from the bottom upwards, the end and side
pieces being correspondingly shaped.
The advantages of this improved construction are principally that there is less
labour expended in making the joints of the box, also less nailing or securing
of the angles, and a less waste of wood in construction. Further, in the case
of moist or fluid contents the cleats of the side pieces being firmly inserted in
the grooves of the hard wood angles will prevent any leakage of the contents.
It is obvious that the invention is applicable to a large variety of boxes or
receptacles of very various dimensions and shapes according to the precise object

page_text: in view, but the principle of the construction remains essentially the
throughout.
Dated this 17th day of December, 1898.
same
Improvement in or relating to Boxes, Crates, and the like.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County of
Lancaster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil 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:-
The present application for Letters Patent relates to an improved construction
of boxes, crates, and the like, especially suitable for butter boxes, travelling
trunks, packing cases, and other receptacles which are liable to be subjected to
rough usage, and considerable strains.
At each angle of the box are placed corner pieces of approximately triangular
section, preferably of hard wood, and having deep slots or grooves, into which
the sides or ends of the box are mortised.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 represents a view of a box constructed according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram of one of the angles of the said box.
As will be seen from the drawings the ends and sides of the box are let into
the corner pieces, and the said corner pieces project beyond the outer plane of
the sides and ends to a certain extent as indicated in the drawing. It has been
found by experiment that the construction shewn in the drawings gives the best
results from the point of view of strength and simplicity of construction.
The sides are secured to the angle piece by bolts or nails, or by means of glue
or other suitable known methods.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
-
1. The improved construction of boxes, crates, and the like, substantially as
described and shewn.
2. In boxes and the like of the construction set forth, causing the outside of
the angle pieces to project beyond the planes of the sides and ends of the box
for the purpose of protecting and strengthening the said sides and ends sub-
stantially as set forth.
Dated the 1st day of May 1899.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham.