Improvements in Folding Boxes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23 d Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Boxes..
I, OTTO LAUCKNER, of 79 Watling Street, in the City of London, Commission
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to an improved folding box eminently suited for the
purposes of a packing case inasmuch as it possesses great strength to resist the rough
usage to which such cases are subjected and is capable of being folded into a small
compass for storage or transport as a returned empty. Moreover, there are no
detachable parts to be mislaid, whether the box be erected or collapsed, so that it is
always in condition for immediate use.
This improved folding box is constructed in some respects after the manner of a
money safe, so that whilst all four sides and the lid may be folded down flat upon
the bottom and upon one another they will, when erected, form a box the parts of
which are so rigidly connected together as to withstand the very roughest usage,
the joints being secured by interlocking devices and being so close as to exclude
wet. The hinge joints of the four sides are situated at different heights from the
bottom so as, when folded down and superposed upon one another, to allow for the
thickness of the subjacent sides, and the abutting edges of the parts hinged together
are rebated and also made to interlock, when the box is erected, by V-shaped metal
blocks on the one part engaging in corresponding recesses in the other part, said
recesses being formed by bending strips of iron to the V form at proper intervals
and securing them in the thickness of the panel or part on which the recesses are
to be provided. The four sides are also interlocked together by tenons of dovetailed
or equivalent form on two sides engaging in corresponding recesses on the other two
sides which thus mutually prevent the other two from being forced outwards.
These tenons and mortises are formed in metal work secured to the sides of the box,
as hereafter described. The lid is hinged to one of the sides by double jointed or
intermediate link hinges to permit of the lid being folded in either direction,
according as the box is erected or collapsed, and the hinge joint is further secured
by the one part being made to interlock with the other. The hinged edge of the
lid also interlocks throughout its whole length with the side to which it is hinged,
and the opposite or free edge of the lid is also made to interlock with the upper
edge of the side on which it closes; and to enable this interlocking to be effected
and the box to fold into a compact parcel, the lid is hinge-jointed at an intermediate
point in its width, the abutting edges of the parts so hinged together being rebated.
The box when erected is wholly secured by the fastenings which secure the lid,
which fastenings are of a special kind. In two of the sides of the box are fitted
bolts carried by slotted plates which permit of limited longitudinal motion of the
bolts in order that when not in use they may be housed out of the way and when
used for fastening may be drawn out a sufficient distance to be engaged by nuts
permanently mounted by collars in iron straps secured to the edges of the lid, the
said nuts being situated in a line with the intermediate hinge joint and serving to
secure both parts of the lid at once by iron straps on the two parts overlapping and
being traversed by the screw bolts. To guard the nut from injury the straps are
cranked at this point so as to provide recesses in which the nuts are lodged below
the level of the top surface of the lid, the edges of the sides upon which the lid
closes being correspondingly recessed to admit of this. The nuts are chambered to
receive a cotter passed through the bolt and a wax seal to prevent withdrawal of
the cotter.
The six sides or panels constituting the box are all made preferably of double
thickness crossed grain matchboards screwed together from the inside, provision

page_text: being made for the reception of those of the iron fittings by which the parts are inter-
locked before the layers are united, the base plates of said parts being usually
lodged between the two layers and secured from the inside so that the box bears no
external evidence of the means by which the parts are united, all the joints being
blinded by suitable rebates, as before mentioned. The external corners and edges
most exposed to injury are protected by thick iron straps firmly screwed on so as to
also conceal the double thickness of the boards and the bottom is further provided
with the usual battens.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1890.
OTTO
LAUCKNER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Folding Boxes.
I, OTTO LAUCKNER of 79 Watling Street in the City of London, Commission
Merchant, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved box or packing case capable of being folded
into a small compass for transport or storage as a returned empty, having no detach-
able parts to be mislaid and possessing notwithstanding its collapsible construction,
the strength necessary to resist the rough usage to which packing cases are
subjected.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box in the process of being folded.
Figure 2 is an end view of the box completely folded.
Figure 3 is an end view of the box set up with the cover closed and secured,
parts being broken away to show the interlocking of the ends and sides.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the box on line 1-1 Figure 3, one of the
ends being shown in edge view folded down.
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are detail sectional views of parts hereafter referred to.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
The box herein illustrated is of oblong form, but it will be understood that it
might be of cubical form. The ends A B, sides C D, top E E' and bottom F of
the box are made preferably of double thickness formed of crossed grain match-
boards screwed together from the inside, provision being made between the layers
for the reception of the base plates of certain of the iron fittings which are secured
preferably from the inside. The joints are blinded by suitable rebates and the
external edges and corners are protected by thick iron straps firmly screwed on so
as to conceal the double thickness of the boards, and the bottom is further provided
with the usual battens. The box is so constructed that whilst the ends A B,
sides C D, and lid E E¹ may be folded down upon the bottom F and on one another
as shown in Figure 2, they will, when the box is erected as shown in Figures 3
and 4, form a very strong and rigid structure, the ends and sides being united by
interlocking devices. The ends and sides are all hinged at different heights from
the bottom, so as when folded as in Figure 2 to allow for the thickness of the
subjacent ends and sides. Thus the end A is pivoted on side pivots at a so that it
will lie flat upon the bottom F, the end B being similarly pivoted at point b, the
pivots being as much higher than a as will allow for the thickness of A when B is
folded upon it. Similarly C is hinged at c higher than b, and D at d higher than c
Or the hinge e may be as much higher than d as will allow for the folding of D
and of the doubled lid E E¹ beneath C instead of above it as shown.
In all cases
the lower or fixed portions of the sides C D are rigidly fixed to the bottom F and

page_text: the abutting edges at these hinge joints are rebated as shown, so as to blind or
cover the joints. The ends A B are made to interlock with the bottom F when
the box is erected by V shaped metal lugs g on the end engaging in corresponding
sockets g' in the bottom F, said lugs being affixed to iron straps or base.plates
screwed in the thickness of the end, and the sockets being formed by strips of iron
bent to V form at proper intervals and secured between the double thickness of the
bottom F. The ends A B are also interlocked with the sides CD by tenons h of
dovetailed or equivalent form on the side edges of the ends engaging in corre-
sponding recesses between similar tenons projecting inwards from the sides, the
ends and sides thus mutually preventing each other from being forced outwards.
These interlocking tenons are formed of iron blocks fixed to iron straps screwed
to the woodwork of the ends and sides and covered in the latter case by iron
binding strips i rivetted to a tongue strip i¹ secured in the double thickness of the
sides, the strips i forming flanges or stops to prevent the ends A B from being
forced outwards beyond the vertical position. The lid E E' is hinged to the side D
by double jointed or intermediate link hinges klk (Figures 5 and 9) to permit of
the lid being folded in either direction, according as the box is erected or collapsed,
and the hinge joint is further secured by a lug m on the part ¹ being made to
engage with a notch m in the part k, the hinged edge of the lid engaging through-
out its whole length beneath a flange formed by the iron binding strip d'. The
opposite or free edge of the part E' of the lid also engages with the side C by
taking beneath a similar inwardly projecting iron binding strip c along the top
edge of the side C. To enable this engagement of the lid with the sides to be
effected and the box to fold into a compact form, the lid is hinge-jointed at an
intermediate point e in its width, the abutting edges of the parts E E' so hinged
together being rebated.
The box when erected is wholly secured, both against opening and collapse, by
the fastenings which secure the lid, which fastenings are of a special kind. In
mortises in the ends A B are fitted slotted plates n (Figures 6, 7 and 8) each
carrying a screw bolt n¹ and secured by a cross pin n² passing through the slotted
plate so as to permit of limited vertical motion in order that when not in use the
bolts may be housed within the mortises out of the way of injury. When required
for use they are drawn out sufficiently to be engaged by nuts o permanently
mounted in iron straps p secured to the ends of the part E of the lid, the said nuts
being situated in a line with the hinge joint e and serving to secure both parts E E'
of the lid. This is effected by the straps p on the part E overlapping the straps q
on the part E', both these straps being cranked as shown to form recesses in which
the nuts are lodged below the level of the lid and thus guarded from injury, the
edges of the ends A B being correspondingly notched to admit of this. Each nut
has a neck o' which turns in a hole in the strap pand is secured therein by a pin o
engaging in a groove o³ in the neck. The nut is cupped to receive a cotter o
passing through a cross hole in the end of the screw bolt which may be protected
by a wax seal run into the cavity of the nut.
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.
1st. The herein described folding box constructed substantially as specified.
2nd. The herein described folding box having the ends and sides hinged at
different heights so as to be adapted to fold flat upon one another as described, two
of the sides being received between the other two and adapted to interlock there-
with by dovetailed tenons as described, so as to mutually support each other, as
specified.
3rd. In a folding box such as described the combination with the ends or sides
which are mounted on side pivots as described, of interlocking lugs and sockets
connecting the said ends or sides to the bottom of the box, as described.
4th. The herein described folding box having its ends and sides adapted to fold

page_text: and to interlock with each other and with the bottom as described, of the lid hinged
to one side as described and made in two parts hinged together so as to fold as
described.
5th. A box lid made in two parts hinged together as described and adapted to
engage by its hinged and free edges beneath inwardly projecting binding straps or
flanges fixed on the opposite sides of the box, as described.
6th. The combination with the lid made in two parts hinged together and
adapted to engage with the opposite sides as described, of fastenings consisting of
the overlapping cranked straps and permanently attached nuts and of the screw
bolts fitted in the ends of the box, as described.
Dated this 24th day of August 1891
.
OTTO LAUCKNER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
OTTO LAUCKNER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.