Improvements in Boxes or Canisters for Holding Biscuits and similar Articles.
Year: 1888

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes or Canisters for Holding Biscuits and
similar Articles.
I AUGUSTINE FRANCIS FITZGERALD of Brooklyn, County of Kings, State of New
York, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to boxes or canisters for holding biscuits, and similar articles.
In such boxes one of the faces or sides consists of a plato of glass and a frame or
border for the same; and the invention has for its object to improve the construction
of this frame or border so as to secure, among other advantages, greater strength,
Hurability and cheapness, as well as a superior finish on the exhibiting side of
the box.
The frame or border of the glass plate or exhibiting face of the box is, in the
ordinary construction, composed of strips of the material of adjacent faces of the
box, bent over so as to lie in the plane of the glass face, or formed by soldering or
uniting strips to the other faces. The invention contemplates affixing covering strips
to this frame. These covering strips are made of brass or other metal adapted to
receive a high polish, and are attached to the frame by bonding them around the
edges of the same, and upon the adjacent faces of the box, and soldering them, so
that they will be securely held in place.
Dated this 8th day of October 1888.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes or Canisters for Holding Biscuits and
similar Articles.
I AUGUSTINE FRANCIS FITZGERALD of Brooklyn, County of Kings, State of New
York, Inventor, 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 boxes or canisters for holding crackers, biscuit, and similar
articles. In such boxes one of the faces or sides consists of a plate of glass, and a
frame or border for the same; and this invention has for its object to improve the
construction of this frame or border so as to secure, among other advantages, greater
strength, durability and cheapness, as well as superior finish on the exhibiting side of
the box.
In the accompanying drawings which will now be referred to :-
Figure 1, is a perspective view of a complete box with the improvements embodied
therein.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section taken on the line x, x.
Figure 3, represents a portion of Fig. 2, enlarged.
T
imesents an elevation of the exhibiting face and the covering strips...

page_text: Referring to the drawings, the box a is made from thin sheets of suitable metal,
preferably tinned iron, and, as shown in the drawing, is of rectangular form. The
box may, of course, be made of any desired shape. One of the sides of this box
consists of a plate of glass b held in place by a thin metal frame or border, bearing
against the outer side of the glass. This frame or border, as in the ordinary
construction of such boxes, is composed of strips of metal of adjacent faces bent
over so as to lie in the plane of the glass face, or is formed by soldering strips of
metal to the edges of the other faces. This invention contemplates affixing covering
strips to this metal frame, whereby many advantages are secured, as will be hereafter
set forth.
This metal frame c is shown in the drawings as composed of parts integral with
the adjacent faces of the box, hent at right angles so as to lie in the plane of the
glass face, and then partly folded back so as to form a double thickness. And
this frame c forms the backing to which the improved covering and finishing strips
are applied.
These covering strips d, e, f, and g, are made of brass or other metal adapted to
receive a high polish and are attached to the frame c by binding them around the
edges of the same, and upon the adjacent faces of the box, and soldering them so
that they will be securely held in place. They are shaped to fit the parts of the
backing to which they are to be applied, as shown in Figure 4, the dotted lines
representing the lines on which they are bent or folded. These folds may be partly
formed before applying the covering strips to the box by bending one or both of
the outer parts, as, in the strip d, by bending or curving the part d² around into
substantially the shape that it ultimately assumes and by bending the part d' at right
angles, or nearly so, with the main part of the strip. Or the strips may be applied
to the backing while flat, and then bent around the edges. And the particular
manner and order of application which have been found most convenient will now
be described.
The strip dis first placed in position upon the lower portion of the backing c,
and the part d¹ bent so as to lie against the surface of the adjacent face or bottom
of the box. This part may then be soldered to the bottom of the box, or the
soldering may be deferred until the other strips have been affixed to the box. The
other outer part d' is then bent and shaped so as to tightly grip the edge of the
backing c. (See Figure 3.) The strips e and are then applied to the sides of
the frame e, and, bent and secured in place, and before permanent attachment they are
moved down on the frame pieces that they enclose, so that their lower ends lie in closo
contact with the inclined ends of the strip d. As the parts covered by the strips d, e
and are of equal width, these mecting edges are shaped to a mitre or angle of
forty-five degrees; if these widths were not equal, the diagonals or meeting edges
.would of course be at different angles.
I
The strip is then placed in position, and pressed down so as to lie closely against
the upper squared ends of the strips e and f, and its inner side is bent around so as
to grip the edge of the backing e, and its outer side is bent back against the adjacent
face of the box. All of the parts of the strips that lie against adjacent faces of the
box, are securely soldered thereto, and it has been found advisable to solder the inner
portions of the strips to the backing at the corners h, h. The exhibiting face of the
box when thus completed has a smooth and uniform surface, all the joints are evenly
fitted and all the inner edges are rounded so as to give the appearance of a heavy
metal frame. And a finish is imparted to it by burnishing the surface of the metal.
The outer face of the plate of glass b, rests against the inner edges of the strips d,
e, f, g, and the lugs i, i, bear against the inner face of the same.
It is the practice
in using these boxes to return them to the manufacturer many times for refilling, and
when thus returned, the boxes have to be recleaned and refixed, so that when again
delivered to the retailer they will be substantially as good as new boxes. All the
parts of the box, except the frame of the glass face are covered with paper labels, and
the old labels can be removed and new ones substituted at slight expense. But the
frame of the glass face, which, according to present methods, is finished by painting

page_text: or gilding, can only be renewed by repainting or regilding each time the box is
returned, and it is very difficult as well as expensive, when these operations are many
times repeated, to secure an ornamental finish.
By this improvement the cost of this renovation is very much reduced and far
better results attained, as it is only necessary to submit the frame to the action of a
burnishing wheel, whereby a high polish is again imparted thereto.
The reinforcement afforded to the frame by the improved covering strips greatly
adds to the strength of the same. The exhibiting face or side of such a box is
naturally the weakest part of the box, and the first part to wear out, as on that
side there is nothing but a plate of glass supported by narrow strips of metal on the
sides. The reinforcement strips strengthen this part of the box, and thus enable the
box to be used for a greater length of time. Again, as these boxes are not provided
with handles, persons who handle them, often lift them by inserting the tips of their
fingers under an inner edge of the frame, and this, in the ordinary construction,
causes bending and distortion of the parts of the frame. Whereas, with the improved
construction, these parts are so greatly strengthened that such usage does not affect
them.
In the improved box, at the same time that the box is strengthened and made more
serviceable, its appearance and finish are greatly improved by employing at the one
place where it is of value to have it, an ornamental metal, capable of receiving a high
polish; and of retaining that polish for a considerable length of time. And the
covering strips add but little to the cost of the box, as they can be cut from rectangular
plates of metal with little waste, the small pieces of metal cut from the chamfered
corners being the only parts rejected. Thus with a very small additional cost at the
outset, a can is produced that is much superior in every important respect, and is in
the end more economical, as it can be used for a longer time than a box not containing
the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A box or canister for biscuit and similar goods, having the frame of its
exhibiting face formed of a backing c, of metal strips bent over from adjacent faces
of the box, and covering strips d, e, f, and g, of a metal adapted to receive a high
polish, on the backing bent around the inner edges of the backing strips and against
the adjacent faces of the box, and secured to the backing strips and the adjacent
faces of the box, substantially as shown and described.
2. In a box or canister for biscuit and similar goods, an exhibiting face consistiing
of a transparent plate and a frame, comprising a backing c, of metal strips bent over
from adjacent faces of the box, and covering strips d, e, f and g, of a metal adapted
to receive a high polish, on the backing, bent around the inner edges of the backing
strips and against the adjacent faces of the box, and secured to the backing strips
and the adjacent faces of the box, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 8th day of Julv 1889
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.