Improvements in and connected with Folding or Collapsible Boxes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1898
Improvements in and connected with Folding or Collapsible
Boxes.
I, FRANK ANTHONY STECHER, of 497 Plymouth Avenue, in the City of Rochester,
State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention has for its object to provide an improved box or recep-
tacle of paper, cardboard or similar material formed from a single blank and
capable of being shipped flat or in knockdown form and readily set up for use,
the various parts so interlocked and co-operating that no paste or glue is required
to maintain the box in shape and yet enabling the entire contents or a portion
thereof to be readily removed when desired.
To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements herein-
after more fully described. The blank from which the box is to be made is
formed from a single sheet of cardboard, paper or similar material, and is suit-
ably scored, creased or otherwise rendered flexible and capable of being folded
so as to form the central panel constituting the back of the box and the side
panels, each of the latter having flaps at the side, of substantially half the width
of the back panel. The lower ends of the side panels are preferably provided
with the flaps serving to stiffen the bottom of the box somewhat when set up, and
at the upper ends are preferably provided closing flaps, which protect the upper
portion of the contents of the box. At the lower end of the central or back panel
is the bottom panel and connected to this the front panel having at its free end
hooked locking ears or tongues adapted to enter locking slits formed in the upper
ends of the side flaps when the box is set up. At the upper end of the back
panel is provided a top or cover having a tuck end.
The boxes are formed or set up by bending the side panels of the blank up at
right angles to the back panel and bending the side flaps over parallel with the
back panel, then the stiffening flaps are turned in and the front panel is bent
over the side flaps and its locking tongues are entered in the slots at the upper
ends thereof, thus securely fastening the parts together and enabling the operator
to fill the box and close it by turning inward the top flaps and closing down the
lid or cover, passing the narrowed end of the tucking flap between the front and
side flaps.
The hook connection between the front panel and the side flaps is such that
any tendency to separate the sides of the box will cause the parts to become more
firmly locked, so that there is no danger of the parts being disengaged while it is
being filled.
It is desirable, though not essential, that the inner proximate edges of the
side flaps be arranged to abut when the box is set up, as this has a tendency to
maintain the box in rectangular form and, in a measure, prevents its collapsing
077

page_text: when part of its contents have been removed. As the tucking flap of the lid or
cover is inserted between the front panel and the side flaps it will not come in
contact with the contents of the box and this renders the receptacle particularly
useful for holding tacks, lozenges or other small materials which would other-
wise interfere with the insertion of a tucking flap.
Dated this 8th day of November 1897.
Improvements in and connected with Folding or Collapsible
Boxes.
I, FRANK ANTHONY STECHER, of 497 Plymouth Avenue, in the City of Rochester,
State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:
The present invention has for its object to provide an improved box or recep-
tacle of paper, cardboard or similar material formed from a single blank and
capable of being shipped flat or in knockdown form and readily set up for use,
the various parts so interlocking and co-operating that no paste or glue is required
to maintain the box in shape and yet enabling the entire contents or a portion
thereof to be readily removed when desired.
To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements herein-
after more fully described.
Inasmuch as a box possessing the above mentioned characteristics is particularly
adapted for containing small wares, such for instance, as cigarettes, lozenges,
playing cards, or the like, I have shown in the drawings a box of the form usually
employed for articles of this description, but it will be understood that the specific
form or size of the box is not of the essence of the invention and this might be
greatly modified.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank for a box embodying my invention.
Figure 2, a perspective view of the box with the lid or cover open.
Figure 3, a similar view with the cover closed.
Figure 4, a sectional view on the line - of Fig. 3.
Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.
The blank shown in Figure 1 is formed from a single sheet of cardboard, paper
or similar material, and is suitably scored, creased or otherwise rendered flexible
and capable of being folded on the dotted lines a, so as to form the central panel 1,
constituting the back of the box and the side panels 2, cach of the latter having
flaps 3 at the sides, of substantially half the width of the back panel. The
lower ends of the side panels 2 are preferably provided with the flaps 3" serving
to stiffen the bottom of the box somewhat when set up, and at the upper ends are
preferably provided closing flaps 3b, which protect the upper portion of the con-
tents of the box. At the lower end of the central or back panel is the bottom
panel 4 and connected to this the front panel 5 having at its free end hooked
locking ears or tongues 6, adapted to enter the locking slits 7 formed in the
upper ends of the side flaps 3 when the box is set up. At the upper end of the
back panel is provided the top or cover 8 having the tuck end 9.

page_text: The boxes are formed or set up by bending the side panels 2 of the blank up
at right angles to the back panel and bending the flaps 3 over parallel with the
panel 1, then the flaps 3 are turned in and the. front panel 5 is bent over the
sides 2 and its locking tongues 6 are entered in the slots 7 at the upper ends
thereof, thus securely fastening the parts together and enabling the operator to
fill the box and close it by turning inward the flaps 3b and closing down the
lid or cover, passing the narrowed end of the tucking flap between the front panel 5
and the flaps 3.
It will be noted that the hook connection. 6 between the front panel 5 and
the flaps 3 is such that any tendency to separate the sides of the box will cause
the parts to become more firmly locked, so that there is no danger of the parts
being disengaged while it is being filled.
It is desirable, though not essential, that the inner proximate edges of the front
flaps 3 be arranged to abut when the box is set up, as shown in Fig. 4, as this
has a tendency to maintain the box in rectangular form and, in a measure, pre-
vents its collapsing when part of its contents have been removed. As the tucking
flap of the lid or cover is inserted between the front panel 5 and the flaps 3,
it will not come in contact with the contents of the box and this renders the
receptacle particularly useful for holding tacks, lozenges or other small materials
which would otherwise interfere with the insertion of a tucking flap.
The particular form of the interlocking tongues or hooks 6 and the slits or
recesses 7 with which they co-operate could be changed or modified, as long
as the construction is such as to prevent the separation of the sides of the box and
to draw the front and bottom panels vertically when the sides are pressed out-
ward as by the contents of the box, thereby ensuring a complete focking and
the formation of a close package. This vertical movement of the front and
bottom panels is ensured in the present construction by making the inner engag
ing surfaces of the hooks 7 inclined inwardly and upwardly, as shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 2.
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:-
1. In a folding box, the combination with the side panels having the flaps
thereon and folding at right angles thereto, of the panels extending over the
flaps, and interlocking tongues and recesses between the last mentioned panel
and the flaps for preventing the lateral separation of the latter, substantially as
described.
2. In a folding box, the combination with the side panels, the flaps thereon
folding at right angles to the panels and having the horizontal slits, of the panel
extending over the flaps provided with the inwardly and upwardly inclined tongues
or projections co-operating with the slits in the flaps, substantially as described.
3. In a folding box, the combination with the back panel, the side panels, and
the flaps on the latter extending over the back panel, of the bottom panel flexibly
connected to the back panel, the front panel flexibly connected thereto and ex-
tending over the flaps on the sides, and interlocking tongues and recesses between
the said panel and flaps for preventing the lateral separation of the latter, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In a folding box, the combination with the back panel, the side panels, and
the flaps on the latter having their proximate edges abutting, of the front panel
extending over the said flaps, and interlocking tongues and recesses between the
said panel and the flaps for preventing the lateral separation of the latter,
substantially as described.
5. The herein described blank for a folding box, consisting of a single sheet of
material cut and creased to form the central panel 1, side panels 2, flaps 3,
panels 4 and 5, and interlocking projections and recesses substantially as des
cribed formed on the panel 5 and the flaps 3, and the cover 8 with tucking flap 9.

page_text: 6. The herein described blank for a folding box cut and creased to form the
central panel 1, side panels 2 having the flaps 3 provided with slits 7, and the
flaps 3 and 3b, the panels 4 and 5, the latter having the locking projections 6,
and the cover having the tucking flap 9.
Dated this 19th day of November 1897.