Improvements in Protected or Seal Fastenings for Boxes or Cases.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1893-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATIVN
Improvements in Protected or Seal Fastenings for Boxes
or Cases.
I, JOSEPH WILLIAM HOWARD of Wellpark Brewery, Glasgow Brewery
Manager, 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 :-
It is often very desirable to protect the fastenings of boxes or cases, especially
when they are used for the transport of goods liable to be pilfered or tampered
with. My invention has for object to provide a means of preventing access to the
lock or fastening of a box by any unauthorised' person, as also of promptly warning
the person for whom the box and its contents are intended in any case where it has
been wrongfully opened either when in transit or whilst stationary.
Boxes made according to my improved method of protecting the fastenings have
the additional advantage that, whilst a simple and inexpensive way of fastening
may be used, there is no projecting hasp or other fastening that can be knocked off,
cut or broken by contact with other goods or deliberate violence as frequently
happens where a projecting or exposed fastening is used.
Reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters represent like
parts, will assist in explaining my invention.
These
I construct a metal plate, P, substantially of the shape as shown in Fig. I. This
plate has flanges F, F, at right angles to itself, with holes, h, h, for screws.
Hanges are made so as not to be quite as deep as the thickness of the side of the
box to which the plate is to be attached. A portion, R, R, R, of the plate is
rabbetted or recessed on the side which will be next the box when the plate is in
position as hereinafter described. The recessing of the plate should be of sufficient
width to thoroughly cover the edges of the card C hereinafter specified and so as to
prevent the card being forced out by the insertion of a thin blade or other
instrument. The recessing should only be just of sufficient depth to admit of the
insertion of the card between the box and the plate. A hole, A, is drilled near the
bottom of the plate so as to admit of a bolt passing through it.
The plate is fixed to the box or case by means of screws passing into the edge, E,
of the side of the box, B, through the holes in the flanges, & by means of a bolt
which passes through the aperture, A, in plate, P, and the side of the box & which
is held by its head, K, on the outside and a nut on the inside of the box. The
flanges are let into the upper edge of the side of the box so that their upper
surfaces are level with the edge of the side of the box. The plate, P, must be
fixed so that the aperture, H, in Fig. II, which gives access to the knob, M,
of the catch fastening hereinafter mentioned, or to the key hole in cases where
a lock to be opened by means of a key is to be used, shall be near the centre
of the part of the outer side of the box which is enclosed on three sides by the
plate, as shown in Fig. II.
The method of fastening which I find most convenient for use in connection with
my method of protection is a catch, D, in Fig. IV, fastened to the inuer side of the
lid of the box so that when the box is closed it will catch against a part of the
strong wire spring, S, which is connected to a plate, L, screwed to the inside of
the box and so placed that the free end of the spring passes into the aperture, H.
The free end of the spring (which is bent so as to enter the aperture) is finishel
with a knob, M, so placed as to be sufficiently inside the aperture, H, that it
cannot be pressed when the card, C, is in position.

page_text: The spring is held in place by being turned round a pin passing between two
bearings, N, N, on plate L; it is also prevented from being pulled upwards by a
guide or projection, O, on the same plate, as shown in Fig. IV.
Alternatively a lock which closes automatically on the lid being shut down, and
which only requires a key for the purpose of opening, may be used in connection with
my invention. A pass key must in such case be in the hands of the consignee where
goods are sent in transit, and of the consignor for the purpose of opening them on
being returned.
I drop a piece of stout card or other suitable material into the recessed part
of plate P. This card, C, must be of such size that it exactly fills the recessed
part but projects the least bit (about a twentieth part of an inch) above the edge of
.the box.
The card being in position, and covering the aperture H, the lid, Q, is closed,
with the result that the catch D passes under the spring S and is held firmly, thus
fastening the box or case. As the knob on the free end of S, (or the key hole)
which is the only means by which the box could now be opened from the outside is
-covered by the card, C, it is obvious that without cutting or tearing the card it is
not possible to press the knob (or get at the key hole) and so to open the box.
"Thus a simple and effective fastening for boxes or cases is provided together with
an effective way of giving warning in case the fastening has been tampered with or
⚫opened.
My method of fastening & protection is applicable more especially to boxes or
cases made of stout material, and is particularly useful for boxes cr cases used
for transporting bottled beer or aërated waters, as also for returning empty
.bottles.
Directions as to the object of the card (in so far as it warns of any tampering
with the fastening) and how to open the box may with advantage be printed on the
-card. Cards of special colors or bearing particular designs would also add to the
protection afforded by my method, as they could not readily be substituted by any
person who wrongfully removed a card.
•
In the drawings:
Fig. I represents the side of the plate, P, which is fixed nearest to the box or
-case on which it is used ;
Fig. II shows the plate fixed on the side of a box or case; in Fig. III the
card C is supposed to be in its place covering the aperture (shown by the dotted
.circle) which gives access to the lock or other fastening of the box, & the
JOSEPH WILLIAM HOWARD.