Improvements in Sandwich Boxes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 31st May, 1886.
Complete Left, 26th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1887.
Improvements in Sandwich Boxes.
I THOMAS FOXALL of 154, Drummond Street, Euston Square, in the County of
Middlesex, Japanner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of sandwich box which is capable of being folded
up when empty, so as to occupy less room in the pocket.
Such sandwich boxes are usually constructed of thin sheet metal, and their sides
and ends are hinged to a flanged bottom piece. When empty, the sides and ends may
bo folded down upon the bottom of the box, and the lid placed over the whole, but when
the box is required for use, the sides and ends are raised, and secured in the raised
position.
The means usually provided for securing the sides and ends of the box are of an
inconvenient character, and generally consist of pin projections on the sides, composed
of bent wires held in the lapped or rolled up metal of the upper edges of the sides,
and sockets into which these projections are sprung, formed by rolling up the upper
edges of the ends.-The springing of each of these pin projections, which are four in
number, into its respective socket, has to be separately accomplished, and is a some-
what tedious affair, especially when the sides or ends have become a little bent. Now
it is to obviate this defect that my invention is designed.
In constructing a sandwich box according to my invention, I hinge the sides and
ends to a flanged bottom piece in the usual way, so as to be capable of folding inwards
only, the ends first, and then the sides upon them, but instead of using means for
securing the sides and ends in their raised position similar to those above described,
I provide a snap fastening in the following manner:-On the inner face of the sides,
near the ends thereof, I make studs, bosses, or inclined projections of suitable size, to
act as retaining catches for the ends. When the box is required for use, the sides are
first raised until stopped by the turned up flange of the bottom, and then the ends
are raised and pushed past the projecting studs.-The sides of the box being somewhat
elastic, will give way sufficiently to allow the ends to pass the studs, and will then
return to their normal position, and will retain them between the studs and a narrow

page_text: flange formed on the end of the sides. To return the box to its folded position, it is.
only necessary to press down first the ends, the sides carrying the retaining studs
yielding as before, and then the sides themselves can be folded down.
A sandwich box thus constructed can, it will be seen, be readily folded and unfolded
under circumstances when it would be difficult to fit pin fastenings into their sockets;
for instance, in the dark or on horseback.
The lid is made, as in the old contrivance, to fit the box both in its open and folded
condition.
The studs, bosses, or inclined projections, are made preferably by stamping from the
outer side, but projections may be soldered onto the inner face if desired.
It will be evident that instead of making the retaining projections on the sides of
the box, they may be made on the ends; in this case, the sides will of course fold
underneath the ends.
301
.
1000

page_text: I THOMAS FOXALL of 154 Drummond Street, Euston Square in the County of
Middlesex, Japanner, 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 that class of sandwich box which is capable of being folded
up when empty so as to occupy less room in the pocket.
Such sandwich boxes are usually constructed of thin sheet metal, and their sides
and ends are hinged to a flanged bottom piece. When empty, the sides and ends may
be folded down upon the bottom of the box, and the lid placed over the whole, but
when the box is required for use, the sides and ends are raised and secured in the
raised position.
The means usually provided for securing the sides and ends of the box are of an
inconvenient character, and generally consist of pin projections on the sides composed
of bent wires held in the lapped or rolled up metal of the upper edges of the sides,
and sockets into which these projections are sprung, formed by rolling up the upper
edges of the ends. The springing of each of these pin projections, which are four in
number, into its respective socket, has to be separately accomplished, and is a some-
what tedious affair, especially when the sides or ends have become a little bent. Now
it is to obviate this defect that my invention is designed.
In constructing a sandwich box according to my invention, I hinge the sides and
ends to a flanged bottom piece in the usual way, so as to be capable of folding inwards
only, say the ends first, and then the sides upon them, but instead of using means for
securing the sides and ends in their raised position similar to those above described,
I provide a snap fastening which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had
to the accompanying drawing. Fig. 1 shews in plan view.my improved sandwich
box, the lid being removed, and the sides and ends standing up from the flanged
bottom, to which they are hinged.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same taken in the line 1, 2 of Fig. 1'; and
Fig. 3 is an end view, partly in section, of the sandwich box.
A is the flanged bottom, B B are the end pieces, and C C the side pieces of the box,
onto which fits the lid D, Fig. 3, which lid also fits the flanges of the bottom A, and
the sides and ends are folded down as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.
On the inner face of the sides CC, near the ends thereof, I make studs, bosses, or
inclined projections, of suitable size, to act as retaining catches for the end pieces B B.
On the sides C, I form flanges by turning in, at right angles, the end edges thereof,
which will serve as abutting surfaces for the end pieces B. The most convenient way
of forming the snap fastening, by which the end pieces are retained in a vertical
position, is to indent the side pieces by means of a suitable punch, as shown at c c.-
The inclined projections c thus formed on the side pieces, will yield to the pressure of
the end pieces, when raised, by reason of the elasticity of the metal composing the

page_text: sides of the box, and similarly, when the end pieces are forced down to the dotted
position of Fig. 1, they will yield, and allow the end pieces to be depressed.
When the box is required for use, the sides C arc first raised until stopped by the
flanges of the bottom A, and the ends are then raised and pushed past the projections c,
the elasticity of the sides of the box allowing the ends to pass the projections, which,
through this resiliency of the sides, will retain the end pieces in their raised position,
and in contact with the end flanges of the side pieces. To return the box to its folded
position, it is only necessary to press down, first the ends, the sides carrying the
retaining projections c yielding as before, and then the sides themselves can be folded
down.
A sandwich box thus constructed can, it will be seen, be readily folded and unfolded
under circumstances in which it would be difficult to fit pin fastenings into their
sockets, for instance, in the dark, or on horseback.
The lid, it will be understood, is made, as in the old contrivance, to fit the box both
in its open and folded condition.
I have said that the projections are made preferably by stamping from the outer
side, but the projections to form the snap fastening may be applied by soldering or
rivetting onto the inner face of the side pieces, if desired.
It will be evident that instead of making the retaining projections on the sides of
the box, they may be equally well made on the end pieces; in this case, the end pieces
will be provided with the stop flanges, and the sides will of course fold underneath the
ends.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
Providing folding sandwich boxes with snap fastening, in the manner and for the
purpose above set forth.