Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 10th Aug., 1888
.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from
abroad by Louis Pierre Vandier, Snuff Box Manufacturer, of 40 Rue Douy-Delcupe,
Montreuil-sous-Bois (Seine) France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to puzzle boxes for holding snuff, &c., which can only be
opened by one in possession of the secret of unfastening the lid or cover.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this speci-
fication, in which Figures 1 and 2 show views at right angles of the box closed, and
Figure 3 a view with the lid open. Figures 4, 5, 6 show details of the fastening.
Figure 7 shows another form of box. Figure 8 shows a box having a modified
arrangement of secret fastening, and Figure 9 a plan view of same.
The fastening consists, as shown in Figure 4, of a crescent a which falls into a
recess b made in the lid or cover c when the snuff box is laid flat on its side, and thus
fastens the lid. d is a false cover which is always free to turn on the centre e in any
position of the box, but in order to open the lid c it is first necessary to invert the
box to allow the crescent a to fall into a recess f made in the false cover d, after
which the latter is turned on its pivot to prevent the fastening dropping back into
its recess b; the lid c is then slightly drawn back in order to withdraw its front end
from its recess g in the body of the box, for which purpose the cover is slotted at h
as shown in Figure 5, when it may then be turned on its pivot to one side, as shown
In Figure 3. This latter movement as well as that for closing may be performed while
the box is held in any position.
In the modification shown in Figures 8 and 9 the false cover is dispensed with and
the fastening is formed of a catch i, the tail ; of which projects slightly from the

page_text: To open
mouth of the fish or other animal, in the likeness of which the box is made.
the box, the latch jis pressed so as to release the catch k from the pivot pin / and
thus enable the cover to be slid together with its pivot in the mortise m for the purpose
of withdrawing its nose n from the body of the box and thus enable the lid to be
opened by turning it to one side, as shown in Figure 3.
The boxes may be made of various forms, dimensions and materials whether used
as snuff boxes or as puzzle boxes generally.
Dated this 17th day of October 1887

page_text: Puzzle Snuff and other Boxes.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from
abroad by Louis Pierre Vandier, Snuff Box Manufacturer, of 40, Rue Douy-Delcupe,
Montreuil-sous-Bois (Seine) France) 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 puzzle boxes for holding snuff, etc., which can only be
opened by one in possession of the secret of unfastening the lid or cover.
Reference is to be had to the drawings left with my provisional specification in
which Figures 1 and 2 shew top and edge views of the box closed, and figure 3 a top
view with the lid open. Figure 4 shews details of the fastening. Figure 5 is a top
view with the false cover d removed. Figure 6 is an underside view of part d.
Figure 7 shews another form of box. Figure 8 shews a top view partly in section of
a box having a modified arrangement of secret fastening, and figure 9 an external
view of same.
c is the real cover of the box and d is a false cover recessed in the real cover c,
both covers being pivoted on a fixed centre pin e passing through a longitudinal
slot h in the real cover c and through a hole in the false cover d. The inner end of
the real cover c is rebated to engage with the body of the box from which it can only
be disengaged by first receiving a longitudinal sliding motion to permit of which the
slot (Figure 5) is provided for the fixed pin e to pass through.
The fastening by which this longitudinal motion of the cover c is prevented consists,
as shewn in figure 4, of a notched disc a which lodges in a recess b made in the real
cover when the box is bottom downwards, the notch of the disc embracing and
abutting against the centre pin e, thus obstructing the slot h. A corresponding
recess is made in the under surface of the false cover d into which the disc a falls
when the box is inverted. This false cover d is free to turn on the centre e in any
position of the box so that, assuming both covers to be in the position shewn in
figures 1 and 2, if the box be inverted the locking disc will fall out of recess 6 into
recess fand by then turning the false cover d upon its centre e the recesses no longer
coincide and the locking disc cannot fall back again into 6 when the box is turned
the right way up for the purpose of drawing back and then partly rotating the real
cover c, as shewn in figure 3. This movement of lid c as well as that for closing it,
may be performed while the box is held in any position.
In the modification shewn in figures 8 and 9, the false cover is dispensed with and
the fastening is formed of a spring lever latch i, the tail j of which projects slightly
from the mouth of the fish or other animal in the likeness of which the box is made.
In this arrangement the pivot pin 7 of the cover is fitted to slide in a longitudinal
slot m in the plate on which the spring latch is pivoted in such position as to obstruct

page_text: the motion of the pin in the slot. To open the box, the tail ; of the latch is pressed
so as to disengage the latch from the pivot pin l and thus enable the latter to be slid
back together with the cover for the purpose of withdrawing the rebated end n from
the body of the box after which the lid may be opened by turning it on its pivot.
The boxes may be made of various forms, dimensions, and materials, whether used
as snuff boxes or as puzzle-boxes generally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The berein-described secret means of locking the covers of snuff and other boxes,
consisting of a locking disc operated as described in combination with a pivot pin
and with recesses in a false and a real cover the former having a pivotal and the
latter a rectilinear and also a pivotal motion on the pin, as and for the purpose
specified with reference to figures 1 to 7 of the drawings.
2. The herein described secret means of locking the covers of snuff and other boxes
consisting of a spring latch lever in combination with a pivot pin and cover and with
a slot in which the pivot pin has rectilinear motion, as and for the purpose specified
with reference to figures 8 and 9 of the drawings.