AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF PACKING CASE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Ducomet, of No. 20, Rue des Petits
Hotels, Paris, in the Republic of France, Civil Engineer and
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
PACKING CASE."-A communication from Monsieur Louis Legris;
residing at No. 214, Rue Saint-Maur, Paris, in the Republic of
France.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Joseph Ducomet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 27th April 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
5 TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
DUCOMET, of No. 20, Rue des Petits Hotels, Paris, in the Republic
of France, Civil-Engineer and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF PACKING CASE," and bave petitioned Her Majesty to grant

page_text: the other a little further up, which allows of that side being lowered
outwards, and thus facilitates the unpacking of the case, as shewn in red
dotted lines Figure 1.
The four sides are held in their places at each corner by the arrange-
ment shewn in Figures 5, 6, and 7, and consisting of a bolt j, falling
into a spring staple k, and turning on an axis Z rivetted to a plate m
fixed to the wooden upright.
The stand is provided at each corner with an angle iron and hook n,
Figures 8 and 9, to allow of the case being attached to the ropes of a
crane. The lid is provided with a spring h, Figures 10 and 11, for
fixing it on the small side D. This spring consists of a strip of steel
curved at the part o'; it is merely necessary to raise it into the
position shown in red lines, Figure 10, to enable the lid to be casily
removed.
▲ case so constructed possesses all the requisite strength, and the
goods enclosed therein are secured as perfectly as possible.
The Drawing shows the case formed with open sides, but they may
be made with solid panels according to the nature of the articles to be
packed.
For return as an empty, this case offers the great advantage of
diminishing considerably its volume, as the sides are folded down in
the bottom as shewn in Figure 4.
To fold up the case I first withdraw the lid F, I then raise the
bolts out of their staples k, and lower the large side B, hinged
at the lower part of the bottom or stand A, the large side C, which
has its hinge situated at a higher elevation than the first slide B
is then lowered, and then I lower the two small sides D and E, which
are hinged on the same plane, but at a higher elevation than the
second' large side O; finally I place the lid F on the whole. A rope
passed around the bottom or stand A serves to fasten together all the
parts during their transport as an empty.
The iron case is constructed on the same principle as that of the
wooden case herein-before described. The bottom or stand consists of
four sheets of sheet metal placed flatwise A, B, C, D, the T iron cross
bars a uniting the two large sides; the hooks 6 are rivetted to each
corner. The sides E, F, G, H, are formed of a round bar c, turning

page_text: in the bearings d for the jointing; on that bar aro rivetted the upright
rods e; they are kept in their places in the middle of the height by a
flat bar of iron f, and are rivetted at their upper part on to a bar e¹
with a rabbit. The lid J is formed of a flat iron frame sliding in
the rabbit of the bars e¹; it is provided in front with the catch spring 9,
Figure 12, as in the wooden casc. The bolt h, Figures 15, 16, and 17,
falls into the spring staple i, rivetted to the rectangular end of the
bars e¹ of the small sides; it is hinged to the axis j of a small angle iron
rivetted under the bar e' of the large sides. The small side I may
also be lowered down outside to facilitate the unpacking of the case, as
shewn in red lines Figure 12.
If it be required to enclose in this case articles of small volume, the
sides and the lid may be lined with iron wire gauze. The folding of tho
sides into the bottom or stand takes place in the same manner as for the
wooden case.
Having now described the Invention communicated to me Invention,
and the manner of performing the same, what I claim is the construction
of packing cases with moveable sides so as to fold up and occupy little
space when empty, as herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Ducomet, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.