Improvements in Boxes and Lid Supports therefor.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 29th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes and Lid Supports therefor.
I, GEORGE WELSH, of 176 Gallup Street, in the City of Providence, and State of
Rhode Island, United States of America, Carpenter, 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 has reference to improvements in boxes and lid supports therefor,
and relates particularly to boxes used for storing merchandise in convenient
position for ready access by the salesman, while the contents of the boxes are better
protected from dust than when sliding drawers are used.
One object of the invention is to so construct a box and its lid, with suitable
supports for the lid, that the lid may be automatically supported, by the with-
drawal of the box in position, and by such means that, upon the replacement of
the box, the lid will be brought down upon the box to close the same.
Another object of the invention is to provide lid supports with which a suitable
lid may be automatically engaged or released.
Another object of the invention is to improve the construction of boxes of this
nature.
The invention consists primarily in the series of supporting brackets comprising
a pair of rear elongated hook shaped brackets the forward ends of which curve
slightly upward, and a pair of forward brackets with elongated dependent hooks
extending rearwardly.
The invention also consists in a shelf or a box supporting casing, a box adapted
to slide thereon or therein, and having a lid provided with outwardly extending
pins or studs, a pair of rear hook brackets mounted in position so that when the
lid is closed on the box, the rearwardly located pins of the lid are engaged in the
hook bracket and are capable of reciprocative movement therein, and a pair of
rearwardly extending hooks mounted in position slightly above and forward of
the forwardly located pins on the lid, whereby these pins may be engaged with
said forward hooks, by a slight upward and forward movement of the lid, and be
disengaged by a reverse movement thereof.
The invention still further consists in such other novel features of construction
and combination of parts as shall hereinafter be more fully described and pointed
out in the claims.
Figure 1-represents a perspective view of the improved box and the lid
supports therefor, the shelf section in which the same is mounted being indicated
in dotted lines.
2-represents a side view of the same, the shelves being shown in full lines,
and the box partially removed from its lid, showing the lid drawn forward to a
position which, when the box is withdrawn, will allow the forward pins on the lid
to drop into engagement with the forward bracket hooks.
3-represents a side elevation of a modified form of rear bracket adapted for
use where the box is supported on the top shelf or where this form is preferred.
4-represents a similar view of the front bracket.

page_text: Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.
In the drawings, 5 represents an upper shelf, and 6 a lower shelf, or the top and
bottom respectively of a casing on the shelf 6 are secured the guide strips 7-7.
At the upper portion, and to convenient fixed portions, which in this figure is the
top 5, are a pair of secured elongated hooks each of which has the abutment 8,
the elongated guide 9, the upwardly turned forward end 10, and means for
securing the hook to said fixed portion, as the plate 11, and suitable screws.
the forward portion is similarly mounted a pair of rearwardly extending hooks
each of which has the abutment 12, the guide 13, and the upwardly turned end 14
with securing means, as the plate 15 and suitable screws.
At
The box body 10 is of any well known rectangular construction, its lid 17 has
the depending strip 18 with lip 19 which extends around the two sides and front
of the lid, being adapted to fit the inner dimensions of the box; at the rear ends
the side lips are cut away as at 20, and on the rear edge is a lip 21 which fits
against the back end of the box when the lid is closed thereon; to the side strips 18
are secured the pins 22-22, normally engaged in the rear hooks, and the
pins 23-23, normally disengaged from the forward hooks, as shown in Figure 1.
The operation of the box is extremely simple, and will be readily understood
by reference to the drawing, the box 16 is grasped at the forward end slightly
lifted as it is drawn outward, the lifting of the front end of the box raises the
pins 23-23 above the ends 14 of the forward hooks, and the drawing out of
the box causes the pins 22-22 to slide on the guides of the rear hooks until the
pins 23-23 strike the abutments 12 of the front hooks, as the rear end of the
box moves from under the lip 19 of the lid 17, the lid falls until the pins 23-23
engage on the guides 13 of the front hooks and sustain the lid.
In replacing the box, the lid is lifted by the lip 19 bearing on the rear end of
the box, the frictional contact being sufficient to carry the lid along with the
box until the pins 22-22 strike the abutments 8 of the rear hooks, the pins 23-23
will now be disengaged from the front hooks, and as the rear end of the box rides
into the cutaway portion 20 and strikes the lip 21, the lid will fall into place
effectually closing the box against the entrance of dust.
The modified construction shown in Figures 3 and 4 relates merely to the manner
of supporting the hooks, in Figure 3 the rear hook has the abutment 24, the
guide 25, and the upwardly extending curved member 26, being mounted on the
standard 27. The forward hook has the ordinary abutment 28 the guide 29,
and the curved member 30 being mounted on the standard 31.
I do not limit myself to the means for suporting the hooks herein shown, as
the devices for attaching and securing the same may be modified to suit the
conditions under which they may be used.
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:
Claim 1-The box lid supports comprising a pair of rear hooks, each having
the abutment 8, the guide 9 and the member 10, and a pair of forward hooks each
having the abutment 12, the guide 13 and the member 14, and means for
supporting the hooks.
2 In a box lid support, the combination with the lid having laterally extend-
ing pins, of a pair of rear hooks having elongated portions in which the pins at
the rear of the lid are normally engaged and may slide, and rear abutments to
limit the sliding of said pins, and a pair of front hooks open at the rear ends,
normally disengaged from the pins on the forward portion of the lid, and having
guide portions with which said pins may be engaged.
3-The combination with the box 16, the lid 17 having the strip 18 with its
lip 19 cut away as at 20 and the lip 21, and the pins 22-22 and 23-23 mounted
on the strip 18, of the rear hooks having abutments 8-8, the guides 9--9 and the
members 10-10, with which the pins 22-22 are normally engaged, the forward
hooks having the abutments 12-12, the guides 13-13 and the members 14-14,

page_text: with which the pins 23-23 are normally disengaged, and means for supporting
the hooks.
Dated this Twenty third day of November one thousand eight hundred and
ninety seven.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.