IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF DRESSING CASES, AND OTHER LIKE CASES OR BOXES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Henry Mann, of Great Pulteney Street, in the
"
County of Middlesex, Silversunith and Metal Worker, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF DRESSING
CASES, AND OTHER LIKE CASES OR BOXES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Henry Mann at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd September 1881.
THOMAS HENRY MANN, of Great Pulteney Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Silversmith and Metal Worker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
ARRANGEMENT OF DRESSING CASES, AND OTHER LIKE CASES OR BOXES."
In those dressing cases in which the side trays or wings are caused to swing
outwards on the raising of the lid the bottom tray or drawer remains
stationary and has to be drawn out by band in order to get at the contents of
same.
Now the object of my Invention is to construct and arrange these cases or
boxes in such a manner that the side trays or wings, as well as the front or centre
drawer shall on the raising of the lid be brought outwards and the contents thereof
fully displayed.
case.
For the purposes of my Invention I fit each side of the case with a toothed
quadrant, and connect the same to a slotted lever, which is pivotted to the usual
quadrant joints, but which according to my Invention are furnished with friction
wheels, which travel in a vertically slotted plate secured to the inner sides of the
Each of the toothed quadrants is in gear with a rack, whose inner end is
jointed to a lever having a to and fro and slightly lateral movement and whose
outer end is jointed to another lever which is attached to the hinge connecting the
upper side trays to the body of the case. This latter lever is caused to lie or
extend across the hinge (when the lid is in its fully raised position) by means of a
stud on its undersido travelling around a hook-shaped plate attached to the inside
of the case.
The centre or front tray or drawer travels in trams or slides fixed to the lining
boards of the case, and is connected to the lower side trays or wings by arms,

page_text: which are secured thereto at one end and which are furnished at their other ends
with friction wheels travelling in slotted plates fixed to or inserted in the bottom
of the said front tray or drawer.
On raising the lid the upper trays are first operated on by the levers and swung
outwards to an angle of 90°, when catch pieces on the bottoms of these wings or
trays come against corresponding catch pieces on the side edges of the lower side
wings or trays, these latter wings or trays, together with the front tray or drawer,
remaining inactive until this position be attained, but as soon as it is passed, by
the continued raising of the lid and the jointed levers being further operated on
by the toothed quadrants and racks the upper side trays or wings are pushed
further outwards, thus causing them to complete a half revolution and to carry
with them by means of the catch pieces the lower side trays, to which are
attached the arms of the front tray or drawer; these lower side trays or wings
then assume a right angle with the sides of the case, and thus bring forward in
such movement the front or centre tray or drawer.
Although I have described my Invention as applied to a dressing case it can be
applied in precisely similar manner to jewel-cases, cigar-cases, wine and spirit-cases,
and other like cases or boxes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Henry Mann in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd March 1882.
THOMAS HENRY MANN, of Great Pulteney Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Silversmith & Metal Worker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND
ARRANGEMENT OF DRESSING CASES, AND OTHER LIKE CASES OR BOXES."
In certain dressing cases in which the sido trays or wings are caused to swing
outwards on the raising of the lid the bottom tray or drawer remains stationary
and has to be drawn out by hand in order to get at the contents thereof. Now
my Invention has for its object to construct and arrange these cases or boxes in
such a manner that the bottom tray or drawer as well as the side trays or wings
shall on the raising of the lid be brought outwards and the contents of same fully
displayed.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I proceed to describe same with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Figure 1 is a front view, and Fig. 2 an end viow, of a dressing case constructed
according to my Invention and shewn in its closed position; Fig. 3 is a front
elevation, Fig, 4 a plan, and Fig. 5 a section taken on the line x, y, of Fig. 4,
shewing the case in its fully opened position; Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views of
the working mechanism on a larger scale and in the position the parts would
occupy when the case is opened, Fig. 6 being an elevation, and Fig. 7 a plan of
same,
A is the body of the case; B, the lid; C, the bottom tray or drawer;
D, D, D', D', are respectively the upper and lower side wings or trays.
and
Now in carrying out my Invention I provide each side of the case with a
toothed quadrant a and connect the same to a slotted lever b, which is connected
by an intermediate lever c to the usual quadrant joint d, but which quadrant
joint & according to my Invention is furnished with a friction wheel e travelling
in a vertically slotted plate f secured to the inner side of the case. This toothed
quadrant a is in gear with a rack g, whose inner end is jointed to a lever h having
a to and fro and slightly lateral movement and whose outer end is jointed to
another lever i attached to the hinge j connecting the upper side trays D, D, to
the body of the case A. The lever i is caused to lie or extend across the hinge j
(when the lid B is in its fully raised position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7) by
means of a pin or stud on its underside travelling in and around a hooked-shaped
bar (seen detached in plan, Fig. 8) secured to the inside of the case. This pin or
stud
The bottom tray or drawer C is slottod at m, and into this slot passes a stud n,
which is fixed to the bottom board of the case and which guides and limits the
travel of the drawer, but the drawer may travel on trams or on slides fixed to the
lining boards of the case. This drawer C is connected to the lower side wings or
trays D, D', by arms p, which are secured at one of their ends to these trays or
wings and are furnished at their other ends with friction wheels 2' travelling in
slots p cut in the bottom of the drawer or in slotted plates fixed to or inserted in
the bottom of said drawer.
also serves to limit the lateral movement of the lever h.
The working is as follows:-On raising the lid B the upper trays D, D, are first
operated on by the levers b, c, h, i, quadrant a, and rack g, and are thus swung
outwards upon their hinges j to an angle of 90°, when catch pieces 8 on the
bottoms of these wings or trays come against stops a¹ on the side edges of the

page_text: lower side wings or trays D¹, D¹, but which wings or trays, together with the
bottom tray or drawer C, remain inactive until this position be attained, but as
soon as it is passed by the continued raising of the lid and the jointed levers h, i,
being further operated on by the toothed quadrant a and rack g the upper side
trays or wings D, D, now continue to move outwards and are caused to complete a
half revolution, and during this half revolution they carry with them (by means
of the catch pieces s and stops s¹), the lower side trays or wings D', D', to which aro
attached the arms (carrying the friction wheels p¹), and which arms on being thus
acted upon bring forward the bottom tray or drawer to its full extent, and at the
same time the trays or wings D, D, D¹, D', assume a right angle with the case.
Although I have described and shewn my Invention as applied to a dressing
case, it can be applied in precisely similar manner to jewel-cases, cigar-cases, wine
and spirit-cases, and other like cases or boxes.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The construction and arrangement of dressing-cases, and other like cases
or boxes, in such manner that the raising of the lid or cover of the samo actuates
mechanism for bringing forward the bottom tray or drawer simultaneously with
the throwing outwards of the upper and lower side wings or trays, substantially
in the manner as herein specified and as shewn in the Drawings for the purposes
set forth.
Second. The arrangement and combination of the mechanism, as herein described.
and substantially as shewn in the Drawings for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Henry Mann, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.