IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES FOR CONTAINING MATCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ebenezer Stanley Burchett, of 20, Brompton
Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
DAR
ΠΑΠΠΑ ΤΗτινα ΠιπΑΠΠΑ
AMYD
LVD
A DIN "
Scaled the 11th May 1875, and dated the 18th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ebenezer Stanley
Burchett at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 18th March 1875.
I, EBENEZER STANLEY BURCHETT, of 20, Brompton Square, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES FOR CONTAINING MATCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES,”
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in boxes for con-
taining matches and other articles. For this purpose I construct a box
in such manner that its lid may be caused to open simply by means of
pressure applied to the box at its back end. This I effect in the manner
illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.

page_text: Figures 1, 2, and 3, shew separate views of the parts of the box in
its simplest form. Figure 1 shews a perspective view of the body a of
the box; Figure 2, a similar view of the lid b; and Figure 3 shews the
spring c by which the opening and closing of the lid is effected.
Figure 4 shows a section of the box when open. A portion of the
back of the box a is slotted away, as shewn at a¹, Figure 1; the bent up
end of the spring c fills in this slot, and the stem of the spring is secured
to the bottom of the box either by making slots in the bottom, as
shewn, and slipping the stem of the spring under and over the parts
left between the slots, or the spring may be otherwise fixed. The back
of the lid is continued beyond the hinge upon which the lid turns, and
a portion of it b' is bent to come in front of the spring c, whilst the
other parts 62 are bent downwards to come in rear of the spring. When
the spring at the back of the box is pressed inwards its upper end bears
against b¹ and causes the lid to open; and when the spring is relieved
from pressure it resumes its former position, and in doing so pins or
projections c¹ which stand out from its upper end catch against the
parts and cause the lid to turn down and close the box. In place of
applying a spring at the back of the box, and causing it to act directly
upon the lid in the manner above described, the spring may be placed
at the front and caused to act upon a sliding tray placed within the box,
and which at its back end acts upon the lid in the same way as the
spring in the box just described.
Figures 5 and 6 shew a box constructed in this manner; Figure 5
is a transverse section of the box when open; and Figures 6 shew
perspective views of its several parts. The exterior of the case marked a
is composed of a bottom, front, and two sides; within this is placed a
tray 6 formed with a bottom, and with a front and back. The bottom
of the tray is held down to the bottom of the case by turning inwards
small portions of the sides of the case, as shewn at c, c; d is a spring
placed between the front of the tray and the front of the outer case ;
e is a lid hinged to the outer case, as shewn; the plate forming the lid
is continued at f in rear of the pins e', which form the hinge, and is
bent in such a manner as to form two horns, one to come in front of the
back of the tray and the other in rear of it, so that when the tray is
pressed inwards the lid shall open, and when the back of the tray is
relieved from pressure the spring shall force it back to its original
position and again close the lid. Or in place of the back portion f of

page_text: the lid being curved in the manner shewn at Figure 6 it may simply
be bent downwards to come in rear of the back of the tray. The parts
of a box formed in this manner are shown at Figure 7. In this case
when the back of the tray is pressed upon with a finger the tray moves
inwards, compressing the spring d, and the finger at the same time
bearing upon the part ƒ of the lid turns the lid upwards in order to
prevent the lid from opening too wide; a small portion of the back of
the tray is turned over as at g. When the pressure of the finger is
relieved the spring d forces the tray back to its former position, and the
back of the tray pressing against the part of the lid causes the lid to
again turn on its hinge and to close the box.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ebenezer Stanley Burchett in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EBENEZER
STANLEY BURCHETT, of 20, Brompton Square, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Pateut, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
cighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Ebenezer Stanley Burchett, Her special
license that I, the said Ebenezer Stanley Burchett, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ebenezer Stanley
Burchett, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
'IMPROVEMENTS IN BOXES FOR CONTAINING MATCHES AND OTHER ARTICLES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ebenezer Stanley Burchett,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
"

page_text: same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ebenezer Stanley Burchett, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in boxes for con-
taining matches and other articles. For this purpose I construct a box
in such manner that its lid may be caused to open simply by means
of pressure applied to the box at its back end, This I effect in the
manner illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, show separate views of the parts of the box in its
simplest form; Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the body a of the
box; Figure 2, a similar view of the lid b; and Figure 3 shows a
spring c, by which the opening and closing of the lid is effected.
bottom, as shown, and slipping
the parts left between the slots,
The back of the lid is continued
turns, and a portion of it b¹ is
Figure 4 shows a section of the box when open; and Figure 4* a
similar view of the box when closed; a portion of the back of the box a
is slotted away, as shown at a¹, Figure 1, the bent up end of the spring c
fills in this slot, and the stem of the spring is secured to the bottom of
the box either by making slots in the
the stem of the spring under and over
or the spring may be otherwise fixed.
beyond the hinge upon which the lid
bent to come in front of the spring c, whilst the other parts b³ are bent
downwards to come in rear of the spring. When the spring at the back
of the box is pressed inwards its upper end bears against ' and causes
the lid to open, and when the spring is relieved from pressure it resumes
its former position, and in doing so pins or projections c' which stand
out from its upper end catch against the parts 62 and cause the lid to
turn down and close the box.
. In place of applying a spring at the back of the box, and causing it
to act directly upon the lid in the manner above described, the spring
may be placed at the front and caused to act upon a sliding tray placed
within the box, and which at its back end acts upon the lid in the same
way as the spring in the box just described; Figures 5, 5*, and 6, show a
box constructed according to this modification of the Invention.

page_text: Figure 5 is a transverse section of the box when open; and Figure 5*
a similar view of the box when closed; Figures 6 show perspective
views of its several parts. The exterior of the case marked a is composed
of a bottom, front, and two sides; within this is placed a tray b formed
with a bottom and with a front and back. The bottom of the tray is
held down to the bottom of the case by turning inwards small portions
of the sides of the case, as shown at c, c; d is a spring placed between
the front of the tray and the front of the outer case; e is a lid hinged
to the outer case, as shown, the plate forming the lid is continued at f
in rear of the pins e¹ which form the hinge, and is bent in such a
manner as to form two horns, one to come in front of the back of the
tray, and the other in rear of it, so that when the tray is pressed inwards
the lid shall open; and when the back of the tray is relieved from
pressure the spring shall force it back to its original position and again
close the lid.
In place of forming the two horns which come in front and rear of
the back of the tray to extend from one side of the lid to the other, as
shown at Figure 6, I prefer to form them in the manner shown
at Figures 6*. In this case there is a central projection g to come in
front of the back of the tray, whilst two small horns g* on either side
of it come in rear of the back of the tray and pass through small holes
formed in it, as shown, so as to serve as stops to prevent the lid from
opening too far.
In place of the back portion f of the lid being curved in the manner
shown at Figures 6 it may simply be bent downwards to come in rear
of the back of the tray; Figures 7, 7*, and 8, show a box constructed
in this manner; Figure 7 shows a transverse section of the box when
open; and Figure 7* a similar view of the box when closed; Figures 8
show separately perspective views of the several parts of the box; when
the back of the tray is pressed upon with a finger the tray moves.
inwards, compressing the spring d, and the finger at the same time bears
upon the part of the lid d and turns the lid upwards.
In order to prevent the lid from opening too wide a small portion of
the back of the tray is turned over, as at g. When the pressure of the
finger is relieved the spring d forces the tray back to its former position,
and the back of the tray pressing against the part of the lid causes the
lid to again turn on its hinge and to close the box.

page_text: I claim the construction of boxes, substantially in the ways herein
described, so that their lids may be opened by pressure applied to the
boxes at the back.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ebenezer Stanley Burchett, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of 5
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-five.