AN IMPROVED RECEPTACLE FOR TRANS- MITTING SAMPLES OR ARTICLES BY POST
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Powles, of Finsbury, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED RECEPTACLE FOR TRANS-
MITTING SAMPLES OR ARTICLES BY POST."
Sealed the 24th December 1872, and dated the 18th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Powles at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th October 1872.
I, RICHARD POWLES, of Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
RECEPTACLE FOR TRANSMITTING SAMPLES OR ARTICLES BY POST," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to an improved receptacle for articles to be
transmitted by post, such as samples, jewellery, and other small articles,
the object being to provide a secure but light and handy receptacle
which will not be liable to damage in transit either by the cancelling
stamps or from other cause.

page_text: According to my Invention I make a box of pasteboard or other
suitable material of wedge or it may be of lenticular shape, the top and
bottom of the box meeting at one edge, the two halves of the box being
made preferably of a single piece of pasteboard doubled or hinged
together at this the thin edge of the box.
To prevent the box or its contents being injured by stamping the
postmarks thereon it is provided with an address label, which forms a
continuation of the thin or hinged edge of the box, and is therefore not
liable to be torn off, on which the necessary directions may be written,
and also any message or communication.
The box may be provided with suitable tapes or fastenings, and is
strengthened by one or more internal ribs or partitions to prevent its
being collapsed and protect the contents from injury.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Powles, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
POWLES, of Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Richard Powles, Her special licence that
I, the said Richard Powles, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Richard Powles, my executors, admini-
.strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, excrcise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED RECEPTACLE FOR
TRANSMITTING SAMPLES OR ARTICLES BY POST," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Richard Powles, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Powles, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
My Invention relates to an improved receptacle for articles to be
transmitted by post, such as samples of grain or other matters, jewellery
and other small articles, the object being to provide a secure but light
and handy receptacle which will not be liable to damage in transit cither
by the cancelling stamps or from other causes.
According to my Invention I make a box of pasteboard or other suit-
able material of wedge shape, the top and bottom of the box meeting
at an edge, and the two halves of the box being made preferably of a
single piece of pasteboard doubled or hinged together at this the thin
edge of the box.
To prevent the box or its contents being injured by stamping the post
marks thereon it is provided with an address label, which forms a con-
tinuation of the thin edge of the box, so that it cannot casily be torn
off, on which the necessary directions may be written, and also any
message or communication.
The box may be provided with suitable tapes or fastenings, and be
strengthened by one or more internal ribs or partitions to prevent its
collapsing and to protect the contents from injury or for containing
different samples of seeds.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure 2 a side clevation, and Figure 3 a longi-

page_text: as shown, the wedge-shaped form being employed to prevent the label
(which forms a ready means of picking up the box) being torn off by the
edge of the box along which it is attached catching with other packages.
The two halves which compose the box may be cach made out of one piece
of pasteboard cut of the form shown in Figure 4, in which a is the bottom
half and a the top half. Their edges a², a³, are joined by a strip of
canvas or other suitable material, or both halves may be made out of the
same piece of cardboard and folded along the central line a. The pieces
are folded up at right angles along the dotted lines to form the sides,
and fastened at the corners by glucing or otherwise attaching the end
flaps e to the adjacent sides. Flaps are also glued to the corresponding
sides of the other part. The part a' is divided along the line g and
united by a canvas strip to form a hinge for lid b. The box may
however be otherwise put together. The label d, which is made of
canvas and paper, or the usual material of which such labels arc com-
posed, is securely attached by glueing along the top or bottom side of
the box., are tapes by which the box is secured to facilitate au
examination of the contents by the post office authorities.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention, to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
improved construction of box or receptacle for the transmission of
samples or articles by post, herein shewn and described, having an
address label attached, substantially in the manner and for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Powles, havo hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.