Improvements in Cell-cases for Packing Eggs and other Small Articles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1891
Improvements in Cell-cases for Packing Eggs and other Small
Articles.
I ELIJAH CHARLES BOWER, of Milwaukee, in the County of Milwaukee in
the State of Wisconsin, one of the United States of America, General Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and the manner in which the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction
of cell cases such as are used for packing eggs and other small articles which it is
desirable to keep separate from each other.
The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointed out in
the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of the sections of which my improved case is
composed.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of my improved case.
Figure 3 is a detail view illustrating the manner of locking the sections
together.
In said drawings A indicates the sections from which the case is formed. These
sections are made of straw board or other suitable material, and, as shown more
particularly in Figure 1, a number of perforations a. a. are formed in said sections
at a considerable distance from one edge of the strip or section. Slots / bare
formed in one of the edges of the sections A. A, said slots being preferably of the
form shown in Figure 1, in which said slots are formed with one margin cut away,
as at 6 6, and with a projection c upon the opposite margin. Perforations a¹ a' are
formed in said sections adjacent to each end thereof, said perforations being formed
at a distance from the edge of the strip equal to the distance of the perforations a. a.
from the opposite edge of said sections. Slots d. d., similar to the slots bb before
described, are formed in the end portions of the sections A. A, said slots being
formed from the slots b. b, said slots d. d. being provided with curved edges d' di
and projections e. e., similar to the projections c. c. on the side margins of the slots b. b.
It will be observed that all the sections of which the cell-case is composed are
exactly alike in every particular, each of said sections being formed with as many
slots in its edges as there are to be partitions engaged with said sections and
similar slots at the opposite ends of said section cut into the opposite edge of said
section, as in Figure 1.
In constructing cell-cases from the strips or sections of the construction above
described I secure said strips together at right angles to each other, as shown in
Figure 2, the partition-strips being arranged at right angles to each other, while
the strips running in the other direction or at right angles to the said first
mentioned strips, are arranged with their slotted edges downward. The slots in the
edges of said strips will, when the strips have been placed together, embrace the
solid or uncut edges of the opposite strips, and the projections c. c. will enter
the apertures or perforations a. a. in said opposite strips, and vice versa. By the
engagement of the projections c. c. with the apertures a. a, as described, the said
projections upon the two sets of strips being arranged with their squared edges
shoulders bearing in opposite directions against the walls of the apertures a. a., as
shown more particularly in Figure 2, the sections are firmly held in engagement
with each other and prevented from being accidently displaced. The outer strips
or binders are secured in position in the following manner :-The said outer strips
running in one direction are arranged with their slotted edges in the opposite
direction from the slotted edges of the partition-strips which extend in the same
FD 37
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page_text: direction. By this arrangement of the outer strips the slots in the middle portion
of said strips are caused to engage the slots in the extremities of the partition-
strips or sections which extend in a direction at right angles to said 'outer strips.
By this arrangement of said outer strips also, it will be seen that the slots formed
in the extremities. of said outer strips will be brought upon the opposite edges of
the said strips, respectively, and, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, said end
slots are then interlocked in the manner before described with reference to the
slots in the middle portion of said strips, the slots d. d. embracing the uncut edges
of the opposing ends of the strips and the projecting shoulder e. e. engaging the
apertures a¹ a¹ in the same manner as before described.
As shown more particularly in Figure 1, the shoulders e. c. on the margins of the
slots d d are directed toward the ends of the strips, so that in case the extreme end of
one of said strips should become broken or damaged the projection or shoulder
adjacent to said end will still be left, and the strips will still be firmly locked
together by the engagement of said projection or shoulder with the aperture in the
"other strip.
By the construction herein described the cell-case is rendered collapsible in
either direction, and all liability of damaging or breaking the strips or sections in
folding the cases together is avoided.
.
A very great advantage gained by the form of construction shown and described
is that inasmuch as all the sections or strips are precisely alike, but one die is
necessary for the inanufacture of said sections or strips. This is a very great.
advantage over all other styles of cell-cases of which I am aware, from the fact
that in all such devices the outer or binding strips are formed differently from the
partition-strips and consequently necessitate the use of separate dies for their
manufacture. It will thus be seen that by my improvements I am. enabled to
construct cell-cases of a very superior quality and at a very much less expense than
the cost of the ordinary forms of such devices.
By reason of the described construction whereby all the projections or shoulders
on one strip enter the corresponding perforations in the transversely arranged
series of strips, while all the perforations in each strip receive the corresponding
projections or shoulders in the said transversly arranged series of strips, it will be
seen that there is thereby formed a double lock on every strip throughout the
entire cell case, and hence none of the strips can be accidently separated in lifting
out the cell cases or in placing them in their box or crate.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-.
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The herein described cell-case, comprising a plurality of strips or sections,
each provided with a series of slots in one of its edges and a slot at each of its
ends formed in its opposite edge, and with a series of perforations adjacent to the
inner ends of said slots, each of said slots being formed with a projecting shoulder
upon one of its edges, the shoulders in said end slots being formed upon, the inner
edges of said slots said strips or sections being arranged in two series arranged
transversly to each other, and the projecting shoulder upon the edges of the slots
in one series of strips being engaged with the perforations in the transversly-
arranged strip, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a cell case, a series of strips, each having a series of slots in one of its
edges and at each end a slot extending from its opposite edge, with perforations in
line with said end slots, and a shoulder projecting from the inner edge of each end
slot toward the adjacent end to the said strip.
Dated this 10th day of October 1901
J. C. CHAPMAN, C.P.A.,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for, Applicant.