Improvements in the Construction of Tea Chests or the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Sept., 1891-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Tea Chests or the like.
I, AUGUST SCHILLING of the City of Oakland, County of Alameda, State of
California, United States of America, 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 :-
Heretofore the tea chests have been constructed in a manner similar to the
ordinary box, irrespective as to the run of the grain of the wood, and after being
filled or packed for shipment it has been customary, in order to provide against
breakage or splitting, to bind the same with wire or to inclose same within an
outer casing of rattan. In either of these cases however upon releasing the
binding it is often found that the chests either break or split or are found to be
already broken.
Further it has been customary to provide tea chests with a lining of zinc, lead
or the like, in order to make a hermetical seal, which however besides being
exceedingly expensive, necessitated the destruction thereof in order to gain access
to the contents of the chest which precluded the closing thereof hermetically after
partial removal of the tea, except through the medium of the chest cover proper,
which at the utmost could only answer to protect the contents from dirt or the
like and in no manner provide against loss of strength resulting to the tea.
My invention consists in so constructing the chest as to overcome the annoyance
of having the chest split or break open during handling or transportation, thereby
preventing damage and loss of tea; and my invention further consists in providing
a lining for tea chests which will permit of being opened for the purpose of free
access being had to the tea, and of the closing thereof thereafter, thereby virtually
hermetically sealing the same so as to prevent deterioration of the tea, by loss of
strength, due to exposure to the atmosphere.
Referring to the drawings forming a part of this application, wherein similar
letters of reference are used to denote corresponding parts throughout the entire
Specification and several views-
Figure 1 is an end view in elevation of the chest with lining removed;
Figure 2 is a view in perspective, showing the outer casing partly broken away
in order to better illustrate the inner lining;
Figure 3 a similar view showing the lining and cover opened;
Figure 4 a cross sectional view taken on line - Figure 3; and
Figure 5 an end view of the chest with lining opened.
In the construction of my chest I so secure the side and end pieces that the
natural grain of the wood will run in opposite directions. Within the end
pieces A, I form the dovetail grooves a, within which the strengthening pieces or
strips a', fit. If so desired the side pieces may be so strengthened, but practical
experiments have demonstrated that by bracing the end pieces, as described, I
effectually overcome liability of splitting. Of course the strips need not be fitted
in grooves, but may be secured directly to the box, and the same may run either
parallel or diagonal. The top and bottom may also be thus protected against
breakage. I thus dispense with wire or rattan covering, hence saving considerable
time in the fastening and preparing of chests for shipment, and at the same time
lessening the cost of manufacture. In order to effectually overcome liability of
breakage it is necessary that the chest be strengthened in a manner similar to that
set forth.
any
The letter A', indicates the chest proper, (which may be constructed in
desired shape) and B, the inner removable lining thereof. Said lining may be
constructed of any suitable material, such as ordinary paper, parafine paper, or the

page_text: like, and in depth sufficient, when opened, to extend above the walls of the chest
proper. One side of the lining, which is preferably constructed rectangular, is
provided with a re-inforcing metallic strip C, the outer ends of which extend
beyond the lining in order to form a clamp as hereinafter set forth. The
inner lining may be secured within the chest in any suitable manner or fitted
loosely therein.
Secured to and extending around the chest, inside the inner lining, is the metallic
frame D, which is provided with the projecting flange or seat d. To said frame
I movably or flexibly secure the supplemental cover D', which when closed is
adapted to rest upon the projecting flange or seat d, of the metallic frame D. In
order to secure the chest hermetically I first close the supplemental cover D',
which will then rest upon the projecting flange d, and thence secure the lining
thereover by folding over the side or edge, opposite to the one provided with the
metallic reinforcing strip, until it contacts therewith, when the two are turned or
folded over several times, until the space intermediate between the top thereof and
contents of the chest and cover D₁, is closed, as shown in Figure 2, that is the
lining is folded or turned down upon the supplemental cover, whence the outwardly
extending ends or flaps b, are turned over so as to form a clamp by which the whole
may be securely fastened together. By thus providing a lining which permits of
opening and closing irrespective of the chest cover proper, I virtually form a self-
hermetically scaling chest, which as yet has never before been performed, thus
allowing of any quantity of tea being extracted from the chest and preventing of
the remainder deteriorating by loss of strength, which necessarily follows by
exposure to the atmosphere.
The lining is held open in order to permit the removal of the tea by the uplifting
of the supplemental cover D', as clearly shown in Figure 3.
It is obvious that my improved chest may be used for transportation of articles
other than tea; consequently I do wish to be understood as confining myself
specifically to a tea chest.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As a new article, a chest for transportation of tea or the like, having its sides
or ends provided with strengthening strips, so as to obviate splitting or breakage,
substantially as set forth and described.
2. A chest for transportation of tea or the like, having its end or side pieces
provided with grooves and strengthening strips or pieces fitting within said
grooves, for overcoming liability of same splitting or breaking, substantially as
set forth and described.
3. A transporting chest, provided with an inner lining adapted to be opened, so
as to allow for removal of contents, and to allow for hermetical sealing or closure,
irrespective of the chest cover, substantially as set forth and described.
4. A transporting chest, having a lining adapted to permit of closing and
opening, said lining upon folding or closure to hermetically seal, thereby providing
against deterioration due from exposure, substantially as set forth and described.
5. A transporting chest, having an inner lining provided with a re-inforcing
strip, the outer ends of which are flexible and project beyond the sides of the
lining, said flexible ends adapted to form a clamp or retainer for the lining when
closed, thereby permitting the same to be hermetically sealed, substantially as set
forth and described.
6. A tea chest, or the like, having an inner lining adapted to permit of closing
and opening, and a supplemental cover flexibly connected with the chest, said
cover adapted to be inclosed by the closure of the chest lining, substantially as
set forth.
7. A tea chest, or the like, having an inner removable lining adapted to permit
of closing and opening, metallic frame, or its equivalent secured to the chest

page_text: within the lining and supplemental cover movably secured to said frame and
adapted to rest thereon when closed and be closed by the closure of the lining,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 31st day of December 1890
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.