Improvements in Boxes, Cases, Packets, or the like Made of Cardboard, Strawboard, or similar Materials.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1896-Accepted, 18th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes, Cases, Packets, or the like Made of
Cardboard, Strawboard, or similar Materials.
I, JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, of Rokeby, Oldfield Road, Altrincham,
Cheshire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to the edges, corners, bends, or hinges, of cardboard boxes,
cases, packets, and the like, which, for the sake of brevity, are hereinafter termed
hinges.
These hinges are usually made by either scoring, partially cutting, or bending
the board in any of the well known ways, so that the board may be readily bent
up to form the box.
The invention is applicable to both rigid and folding boxes but more especially
to those of the folding or collapsable class where it is often desirable to stiffen
these hinges or corners. This is usually done by attaching strips or pieces of
metal or wire that hold the corner stiff and rigid, but do not form a flexible
hinge.
My improvements consist in making use of strips or pieces of soft flexible metal
or other suitable material, which are attached to the board over or under the score
or bend, and thereby produce a hinge whereby the board may be readily bent up
to the desired angle, and will retain that position or angle without easily falling
away from it, and yet is sufficiently flexible to allow the hinge to be bent up as
desired.
Thin sheet metal or wire of a very ductile nature may be used, either as a strip
placed lengthways of the hinge, or small pieces placed crossways of the hinge.
The strips may be attached similar to wire staples, the ends of which are usually
passed through the board and then bent over; or they may be attached in any
other suitable way.
The invention is applicable in many ways. For instance it may be used on
boxes that have a flap or flapelle which folds over the end or side pieces to hold
them together. In this case the soft ductile strips form an integral part of the
flap, and enable it to retain its position when folded over, and thereby answer the
purpose of a fastener.
Or it may be used for all the edges or hinges of the box,
so that it is only necessary to turn up the side pieces and end pieces to form the
box. Or it may be used on box lids, and so applied to either the turned down
parts or corners thereof that the lids may be made with the corners slightly open,
in order to allow lids of the same size to be nested or packed within each other to
save space, and yet permit of the said corners of the lids being closed up by slight
pressure of the fingers when required for use, if desired. Or it may be applied in
other ways, without departing from the principle of a flexible hinge that will easily
remain at the angle it is placed at.
Dated the 12th day of Sentember 1895

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes, Cases, Packets, or the like Made of
Cardboard, Strawboard, or similar Materials.
I, JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, of Rokeby, Oldfield Road, Altrincham, in the
County of Chester, Manufacturer, 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 the edges, corners, bends or hinges of cardboard boxes
cases, packets, and the like, which, for the sake of brevity, are hereinafter termed
hinges.
These hinges are usually made by either scoring, partially cutting, or bending
the board in any of the well known ways, so that the board may be readily bent
up to form the box.
This invention is designed to render stiff and yet flexible the hinges or corners
more particularly of folding or collapsible boxes to make them self retaining
though it may also be applied to rigid boxes. Hitherto this has usually been done
by attaching to the corner stiff metal clips or strips.
My invention consists essentially in applying to the binge or corner of the box
a strip or piece of soft flexible metal or other material over or under the score
or bend so that the board may be readily bent or turned over to the desired
augle.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1. Perspective view of collapsible box showing the invention applied to the
flappelle.
Fig. 1. Perspective view shewing metal strip A in position with flappelle
expanded.
Fig. 2. Extended plan of flexible strip.
Fig. 3. Section of same.
Fig. 4. Another section showing modification.
Figs. 5 and 6. Plans of other modifications.
Fig. 7. Plan of longitudinal flexible strip forming a hinge by uniting two boards
together.
Fig. 8. Section of same.
Fig. 9. Plan of modified longitudinal strip.
Fig. 10. Another modification of same.
In the illustration shown in Fig. 1 the soft flexible metal strip A is applied to
the hinge of the flappell B of the collapsible box C.
This metal strip A is of the shape shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The centre part a is
bent up into a ridge to provide for the lengthening or straightening out of the
strip that occurs during the bending. Instead of the centre part a only being bent.
to form the ridge it may be bent at the necks a' as shown in Fig. 4. The two
necks a¹ are formed so that the strip will bend at those the weakest places instead
of in the centre.
The strip A of soft flexible metal may be of any other suitable form as shown
in Figs. 5 and 6 or plain flat strips or wire of a very ductile nature may be
substituted.
These are placed crosswise of the hinge the ends or prongs provided for the
purpose being embedded in or passed through the cardboard of which the box is
made. They may also be placed either inside or outside the bend or hinge in the
cardboard.
The strips may also be placed lengthwise of the hinge for this purpose longer
strips A Figs. 7 to 10 of the soft Hexible metal are employed. These long

page_text: flexible strips A¹ may also be employed to form a hinge between two pieces of
cardboard D D¹ Figs. 7 and 8.
The invention may be applied in various ways. It may be used to render stiff*
and yet flexible any of the hinges or corners of folding boxes or may be used
upon the flaps only where such fold over the ends or side pieces forming an
integral part of the flap. Or it may be applied to all corners or hinges of
the box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what 1
claim is.--
The combination with a box case or package made of cardboard strawboard or
similar material of a strip of soft flexible metal to render stiff and yet flexible
the hinges and corners and make them self retaining substantially as described
and shown.
Dated this och dow of Lune 1906
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.