Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Tea and other Chests and Cases for various purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Tea and other Chests
and Cases for various purposes.
I, RICHARD FRANCIS RANDELL of Stanhope Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in, and in the manufacture of, chests or
cases for holding tea and other like merchandize requiring to be hermetically
sealed or protected from damp and air for the purpose of keeping the same in
good condition.
My said invention consists in making a new composite chest or case from tin or
terne metal plates and with the corners, edges and weak parts reinforced by the
addition of rigid strips, laths or bands, preferably made of wood, and which, when
applied in the ways as hereinafter described, greatly strengthen the walls of the
said chests and also protect the same against rough usage.
According to one form of my improvements in connection with the making of a
square chest for holding tea, I take a length of thin sheet tin or terne metal, of
a width equal to the depth of the chest to be made and of a length equal to the
girth of the said chest. I then divide the metal into four equal panels by creasing
the same transversely and on the edges of the ends being brought together and
soldered, a rectangular enclosure, open at top and bottom, is formed. A bottom is
then inserted and soldered in position.
The top and bottom edges of the case thus formed are then surrounded by inside
and outside strips of wood united together by nails or screws and fixed in position
by their encircling the edges and body of the case. These edges are preferably of
an L-shaped cross section, with the webs or rebates overhanging the edges of the
sides, top and bottom.
I propose that the top edges of the tin or terne plates should be mitre-gapped at
their ends and be turned inwards so as to extend a little beyond the reinforcing
strips and form a metal ledge to which the loose top may be soldered. I also
propose to encircle the middle of the chest by an outside reinforcing band for tying
together the sides of the case and preventing the enclosed merchandize outwardly
bulging the said sides. Such bands may be either rivetted to the metal of the
chest, or may be connected to the said metal through the medium of angle strips
inserted at the opposite sides of the reinforcing bands continuously or intermittently,
or the said strips which may be channelled to receive the angle lengths, may
be secured by angle ears or cleats with the points driven into the wood of a
plain band.
As a further form of my improvements, the whole of the boundary edges of a
chest may be reinforced by angle strips preferably made from two component
lengths of wood connected together by rivettings, screwing or tenoning. These
said strips may be secured to the tin or terne plates by rivetting or by screw ended
rivets standing outwardly from the metal to be protected and adapted to be passed
through holes in the strips of wood employed and secure the same by nuts taking
upon their ends.
As a still further form 1 propose that the outside edges of the reinforcing bands
should extend beyond or stand above or below the boundary edges of the tin or
terne plates employed, thereby protecting the said edges.
It will be understood that the reinforcing bands or strips need not necessarily be

page_text: secured to the plates at all, but need only be secured to one another in such a
manner that they encompass and bond the sides and protect the same from bulging,
buckling or rough usage.
In carrying out the manufacture of the said chests, I may take a long strip of
metal, of sufficient length to form the sides, and when in the flat, I fix by rivetting
or otherwise to each of the opposite edges of the sides, a number of end-abutting
strengthening or reinforcing strips equal to the number of sides which the chest to
be made is to have. These said strips are arranged to preferably overhanging the
edges of the plates so as to form defences for the same. When the plate is folded
on the creases at the junctions of the reinforcing strips or ribs, the butt joints open
out and may if necessary be further strengthened by corner clips with triangular
lugs adapted to lie in the gaps between the said ends.
The boundary edges of the bottoms of the chest sides may be turned slightly
inwards so as to form metal ledges whereto the bottoms are soldered.
Such chests or cases as described may be provided or fitted with an attachable
lid, of a diameter less than the mouth and this is effected by fitting the mouth of
the chest with a dovetail or plain sectioned annular trough, into which the edges or
inclined edges of an inverted cup shaped lid spring by the elasticity of the metal, or
by the metal of either the lid or the trough being slit. This cover or lid is made
to fit so tight as to hormetically seal the case but can be readily sprung out of
its seating.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1895.
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Tea and other Chests
and Cases for various purposes.
1, RICHARD FRANCIS RANDELL of Stanhope Street, in the City of Birmingham,
Manufacturer, 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 improvements in, and in the manufacture of, chests or
cases, principally for holding tea and other like merchandize requiring to be
hermetically sealed or protected from damp. and air for the purpose of keeping the
same in good condition, also to trunks and packing and other cases for holding
merchandise and articles, such as cycles..
My said invention consists in making a new composite chest, or case from
tin, terne or like metal plates and with the corners, edges and weak parts
reinforced by the addition of rigid strips, laths or bands, preferably made
of wood, and which, when applied in the ways, as hereinafter described, greatly
strengthen the walls of the said chests and also, protect the same against rough
usage.
According to one form of my improvements in connection with the making of a
square chest for bolding tea, I take a length of thin, sheet tin, or terne metal, of
a width equal to the depth of the chest to be made and of a length equal to the
girth of the said chest. I then divide the metal into four equal panels by creasing
the same, transversely, and on the edges of the ends, being: brought together and
soldered, a rectangular enclosure, open at top and bottom, is formed. A bottom is
then inserted and soldered in position.
The top and bottom edges of the case thus formed are then surrounded by inside

page_text: and outside strips of wood united together by nails or screws and fixed in position
by their encircling the edges and body of the case. These edges are preferably
double tongue flanged or of an L or Z shaped cross section, with the webs or rebates
overhanging the edges of the sides, top and bottom.
I propose that the top edges of the tin or terne plates should be mitre-gapped
at their ends and be turned inwards so as to extend a little beyond the reinforcing
strips and form a metal ledge to which the loose top may be soldered. I also
propose to encircle the middle of the chest by an outside reinforcing band for tying
together the sides of the case and preventing the enclosed merchandize outwardly
bulging the said sides. Such bands may be connected to the said metal through
the medium of metal angle strips formed out of or attached to the body plates, or
inserted at or tucked into the opposite sides of the reinforcing bands continuously
or intermittently, or the said strips which may be channelled to receive the
angle lengths may be secured by angle ears or cleats with the points driven into
the wood of a plain band. Or the strips may be secured to the metal chest by
rivetting.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a perspective view of a tea-
chest constructed according to my invention, with the lid removed and one of the
sides broken into to show the figure and means of connection of the reinforcing
strips, which protect the edges and corners from rough usage and tie or bond the
walls of the structure together.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1, with the lid of the case attached.
Figure
represents a vertical section of one of the corners of the chest upon an
enlarged scale, showing the double tongue-flanged or Z sectioned strips, with one of
its flanges soldered or otherwise connected to the walls of the metallic chest and the
other tucked into a channel or groove formed along one of the edges of the wood
laths constituting the protecting and bonding agents to the metal sides, corners and
edges of the chest.
Figure 4 represents parts of two of the corner strips, separated and upon an
enlarged scale.
Figure 5 is one of the tongued strips by which the wood laths are connected to
the chest.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 5.
a1, a2 a, a, are the thin metal sides of the chest, made preferably from a single-
sheet of tin plate, of a length equal to the girth of the case to be made and of a
breadth a little greater than the depth of the same so as to admit of the top and
bottom edges over inwards at right angles to form flanges a³, aª, to which the
closure top a and bottom a³ of the chest are soldered.
bare the body reinforcing strips and c are the corner protectors consisting of
strips c¹, c², embracing the said corners and being connected to one another by screws
or nails, or tenons, dowels or the like. The whole of the non-metallic reinforcing
lengths are connected to the chest by tongued or Z-sectioned metal strips d, prefer-
ably running the full extent of the reinforcing lengths and with the flanges d¹, of
each strip soldered or otherwise secured to the chest whilst the long tongues d³,
or are inserted into the edges of the reinforcing wood lengths, or into grooves
in the length.
take
Figure 6 represents a modified form of connection for securing the metallic
tongue strips to the wood lengths by bringing the tongues over the corners of the
wood lengths inserting the return edges of the same into the wood at the front.
a is a side of the chest and b is a reinforcing length, and d are connection strips,
which secure the said length as aforesaid.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of another form of tea chest constructed according
to my invention.
Figure 8 is a topside plan of the same with the lid removed and with a part of.
one of the reinforcing strips in section upon the dotted line, Figure 7.
Figure 9 represents one of the lower corners of the chest, upon an enlarged
scale.

page_text: ·
Figure 10 is an underside plan of the said corner, with parts in horizontal
section.
Figure 11 is a section of the chest upon the dotted lines a², Figure 7.
Figure 12 is an elevation and section of the tongued attachment strips
separately.
•
a', a² a³, a, are the sides of the metallic sides of the shell of the chest, reinforced
at the top and bottom corners by strips b, c and e bound together and securel to
the metallic shell by tongued strips d, secured and inserted as before described, and
by the returned tongue edges a, a¹0, of the sides a¹, a³, a³, a' and bottom a³, taking
into the edges of the said lengths, although the said edges may be turned over the
strips alike as in Figure 6.
a' is the hinged lid of the chest, with its edges reinforced or protected by wood
lengths b', connected by tongue strips d, as aforesaid.
Instead of a hinged lid, the chest may be sealed by a soldered-in closure.
As a further form of my improvements, the whole of the boundary edges and
corners of a chest may be reinforced by angle strips preferably made from two
component lengths of wood connected together by rivettings, screwing or tenoning.
These said strips may be secured to the tin or terne plates by rivetting or by screw
ended rivets standing outwardly from the metal to be protected and adapted to be
passed through holes in the strips of wood employed and secure the same by nuts
taking upon their ends.
Figure 13 is a side elevation of such a chest, and Figure 14 a cross section,
upon an enlarged scale, of one corner of the same upon the dotted line
Figure 12.
a is the metallic shell of the chest, the whole of whose edges and corners
reinforced by lengths b, attached to the said metallic shell by tongues d as before
described.
It will be understood that the reinforcing bands or strips need not necessarily be
secured to the plates at all, but need only be secured to one another in such a
manner that they encompass and bond the sides and protect the same from bulging,
buckling or rough usage.
In carrying out the manufacture of the said chests, I may take a long strip of
metal, of sufficient length to form the sides, and when in the flat, I fix by rivetting
or otherwise to each the opposite edges of the sides, a number of end-abutting
strengthening or reinforcing strips equal to the number of sides which the chest to
be made is to have. These said strips are arranged to preferably overhang the edges
of the plates so as to form defences for the same. When the plate is folded on the
creases at the junctions of the reinforcing strips or ribs, the butt joints open out and
may if necessary be further strengthened by corner clips with triangular lugs adapted
to lie in the gaps between the said ends.
The boundary edges of the bottoms of the chest sides may be turned slightly
inwards so as to form metal ledges, whereto the bottoms are soldered.
The application of my invention to trunks, boxes, packing cases and other
enclosures differs in no essential respect from its application to a tea or like chest
as described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A chest, case or enclosure for holding merchandize or articles, made from
thin sheet metal plates and, with the corners, edges and weak parts reinforced by the
addition thereto of wood or like strips arranged and secured in the way and by the
means as herein described and set forth,
Secondly. In composite chests, enclosures or, cases made from thin sheet metal
plates with, the corners, edges and weak. parts reinforced by wood or like lengths,
securing the said lengths in position upon the outer metallic walls and cognate parts
of the chest by tongued or Z or equivalent-sectioned strips or cleats, with one flange

page_text: or tongue secured by soldering or otherwise to the chest or plate and the other
inserted within or clipping over the edges of the reinforcing wood or equivalent
lengths, substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly. In composite chests, enclosures or cases as described, securing the
reinforcing lengths in position by returning the edges of the metallic sheets
into tongues, flanges or tongued ledges which are inserted into the wood lengths
or made to clip over the edges of the same, substantially as described and set
forth.
Fourthly. The improvements in the construction, arrangement and combination
of the parts of reinforced or composite chests, enclosures or cases, substantially as
and for the purpose described and set forth.
Dated this 20th day of August. 1896
RICHARD FRANCIS RANDELL,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.