IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF BOXES OR CASES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Wallace Rooke, of Eastcheap, in the City of
London, Gentleman, for an Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF BOXES OR CASES." A communication from abroad by William
Griffith Parry, of Buenos Aires, in the Argentine Republic, South America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Wallace Rooke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd March 1881.
ALFRED WALLACE ROOKE, of Eastcheap, in the City of London, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOXES OR CASES." A communication
from abroad by William Griffith Parry, of Buenos Aires, in the Argentine Republic,
South America.
This Invention relates to a mode of constructing boxes or packing cases so that
no side thereof may be prized or forced open without also more or less unfastening
the whole of the box, whereby I propose to prevent the surreptitious extraction of
any of its contents while in transit, it being well known that quantities of goods,
and more particularly bottles of alcoholic liquids, are then abstracted by simply
prizing up the ordinary lid with any kind of lever which may be at hand, such
lids being usually fastened only by nails, screws, or pegs driven in or inserted
vertically.
I propose to make the box or case so that each side piece will lap on to one edge
of two other sides, and have two side pieces lapping upon two of its own edges in
the same manner, this being effected by making each side piece long enough to lap,
say, top and bottom pieces, but short enough to be lapped by the end pieces;
although in a box or case made according to my Invention there is when it is
fastened no arbitrary top and bottom, all sides being secured alike.
The articles to be encased being packed in the usual manner the lid only remains
to be secured, each piece lapping and being lapped as aforesaid, nails or screws or
pegs being driven in on all the edges, so that each piece is secured by nails passing
through its thickness and entering into it lengthwise.
It will be evident that whatever side of a box thus fastened may be uppermost
it will not be possible to prize open that side without to some extent separating
every side of the box from the other, and thus revealing any sign of pillage or
plunder. The strength of the case is thus equally distributed, requiring no
battens.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Wallace Rooke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd
September 1881.
ALFRED WALLACE ROOKE, of Eastcheap, in the City of London, Gentleman.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOXES OR CASES." A communication
from abroad by William Griffith Parry, of Buenos Aires, in the Argentine Republic,
South America.
This Invention relates to a mode of constructing boxes or packing cases so that
no side thereof may be prized or forced open without also more or less unfastening
the whole of the box, whereby I prevent the surreptitious extraction of any of its
contents while in transit, it being well known that quantities of goods, and more
particularly bottles of alcoholic liquids, are then abstracted by simply prizing up
the ordinary lid with any kind of lever which may be at hand, such lids being
usually fastened only by nails or pegs driven in vertically.
I make my improved box or case so that each side piece will lap on to one edge
of two other sides, and have two side pieces lapping upon two of its own edges in
the same manner, this being effected by making each side piece long enough to lap,
say, top and bottom pieces, but short enough to be lapped by the end pieces;
although in a box or case made according to my Invention there is when it is
•fastened no arbitrary top and bottom, all sides being secured alike.
The articles to be encased being packed in the usual manner the lid is put on, and
each side lapping and being lapped as aforesaid, nails or pegs are driven in or
inserted on all the edges, each side piece of the box being thereby secured with
fastenings at a right angle or nearly so to each other, as will be more easily under-
stood by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, upon which,―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box of my Invention as it appears when
closed.
Figure 2, a front view of same showing one side partly raised, and
Figure 3, a cross section through same.
In these Figures A, A, indicate the sides of the box; B, B, its ends; C, the top
or cover, and D the bottom, but as I have already stated any side may be termed
the top, bottom, side, or end of the box.
It will be seen at Figure 2 that in raising the top C the nails E cannot draw
from the ends B, B, without disturbing and distorting the nails E' in the sides A, A,
and as all sides of the box are secured in like manner it will be evident that
whatever side of a box thus fastened may be uppermost it will not be possible to
prize open that side without to some extent separating every side of the box from
the other, and thus revealing any attempt at pillage or plunder.
Further, the strength of a box or case thus made and fastened is equally
distributed, and it will require no battens.
Boxes or cases may be thus made of any kind, dimensions, and material.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the Invention communicated
to me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is or may be performed,
I claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent,―
The use of a box or case having its sides lapping, and each side secured by
fastenings entering it at a right angle to each other, or nearly so, or, in other
words, having nails or pegs passing through its thickness and others entering it in
the direction of its length or breadth, substantially as hereinbefore described

page_text: and illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, and for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Wallace Rooke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty first day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
ALFRED WALLACE ROOKE.
(LS.)
Witness the signature of Mr. Alfred
Wallace Rooke, & of his execution
of this Deed,
JOHN KEENE,
Conveyancer & Patent Law Attorney,
1, Scott's Square, Bush Lane,
Cannon Street,
London.