US1645403A - Box and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

'monly employed, for example, to hold jewelry, silverware, confectionery, and other small, fragile, or valuable articles.

Patented oct. 11, 1927.

UNITED sTATEs RUSSELL I.

RHODES, OF NOB'TH ATTLEBOBO, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX AND METHOD MAKING THE SAME.

Application mea :une 5, 192s. serial No. 35,093.

rIhisy invention relates to boxes andto a method of making vthe same and more particularly to boxes of the general type com` Gfoods of the character above indicated are commonly packed by the manufacturer directly in the boxes in which the are sold to the ultimate consumer and whi ethe box is primarily intended as a shipping receptacle,

and for this purpose must e cheap to construct, light in weight, and highly resistant to crushing in order adequately to protect its contents from injury, the retail trade and the ultimate consumer, demand lin lmany cases (as for example when the enclosed article is intended as a ift), that such boxes be of highly ornamenta character.

In order to enhance the appearance of such boxes, which are usually made ot-card-v board or similar material,'covered with ornamental paper, silk, leather or velvet, they are frequently provided with upwardly convex covers, the convexity being produced by the insertion of padding between the top of the cover proper and the ornamental covering material, while the bottoms of the boxes as well as the covers are usually provided with extensions, that' is to say, the bottoms and covers extend outwardly in the form of flanges or lips beyond the sides of the boxes. The application of padding to the cover is a slow and expensive-process while the production of extension edges requires a double .thickness of material in the top and bottom and in most cases also necessitates hand operation.

In accordance with the present invention, I have devised a novel type of box andja method of making the same which enables the manufacturer to produce a box having extension edges and a top which simulates the hand made padded top without substantial waste of material and with substantially no more labor than is required in making a plain covered box.- In the accompanying drawings a referred forni of the invention is-illustrate by way of example, together with certain modifications thereof.

In the drawin Fig. 1 is a si e elevation cfa box constructed in accordance with the present` invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section to larger scale on the lines 2--2of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section similar to that of Fig. 2, lllustrating amodified construction;

lustrating a still further modification; i

Fig. 5 is'a pers ective view to small scale showlng a strip o material adapted to form a side wall of one of the box parts; and

Fig., 6 is a plan view of a plate adapted 65 4,to form the bottom of the box body or the topof the cover.

eferring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the improved box comprising a cover and a body or bottom portion having an extensionedge 3.

In accordance with the present invention the irst step in making the box consists in 'providing a pair of plates 4 stantially equal size adapted to form` the bottom of the box bodyand the top of the .over. These` plates may be cut from suitable sheet material for example sheet steel,

celluloid, etc. by a punching or stamping operation and are of a contour corresponding to that of the box to be made, that isto say, if the box be rectangular as herein shown, these plates will be rectangular in form. whereas if the box is to be-o circular 85 or other shape, correspondingly.

y' .Either after or simultaneously with the cuttin of these plates 4, their .edges are' the plates will be shaped tur-ne up to form marginallianges, as in- 9u dicated at 5, having inner edges 6.

AReferring more particularly to Fig. 2,

the plate 4 which forms the bottom o the box body is furnished 'with a marginal flange 5a which is inclined 1nwardl Aand upwardly; 95

similarly the plate 4b whic forms the top member of the cover is provided with an inwardly inclined downwardly directed flange 5b, the material of which these plates are/y made being of such stiffness that these' langres 100 retain the1rshape vafter being o formed.

provide an upwardly convex top for the cover, the plate 4b is dished during the cutting or punching operation so that its outerk surface 1s convex and its inner surface con'- 105 cave.

In the form of box telescopes over the side walls of the body portion, although the reverse -arrangement might be employed if desired and b slight and obvious modifications hereina r reerred to, the outer 'surfaces of the walls Fig. 4 is 'another fragmentary section il- 60 furnished with an extension edge2 '70 (Fig. 6) of sub- 75 herein shown the cover This strip 7b may be scored at the points 8,-

provided the box is of angular contour, so that the strip can readily be bent at the proper points to permit it to be fitted within the edge' of the flange 5b. When so bent, the strip 7b is seated within the space defined by the edge 6a ofthe flange, the'edge of the strip bearing against the inner surface of the plate 4*.

A pieceof sheet material C, for example,

Y ornamental paper, leather, velvet or the like,

and of proper shape is now placed upon the i convex outer surface of the plate 4b and if desired cemented directly thereto. The marginal portions of the piece of material are then carried over the outer surface of the flange 5 to which it may be cemented and over the outer surface of the Wall member. The edges ofthis covering material are then turned Iinwardly at the point 9 and laid smoothly against Ithe inner surface of the wall member as indicated at 10. A piece 11 of suitable material is now applied to the inner surface of plate 4b to give it a finished appearance. The sheet material C may be attached throughout its entire area to the parts with which it engages by means of any suitable adhesive, or if desired certain parts of it may be left free of attachment,for example, it may b e desired to omit the application of cement to that part of the covering material which is exposed to view, particularly if such material be of a delicate character such that its appearance might be injured by the application of adhesive.

In making the body of the box substantially the same steps are followed exceptthat as a preliminary to assembling the wall member 7 with the bottom member llaa rovided which is seated,

spacer strip 1,2 is against the inner e ge of the flange 5' of the bottom plate 4B. vThis spacer strip 12 may be formed of cardboard of suitable length and preferably of a width such that when its lower vedge is seated upon the inner surface of the plate 4 its upper edge will be flush with the upper edge of the flange 5a. This l spacer member is preferably of a thickness substantially equalto the thickness of the side wall of the cover and serves to space the side wall 7a of the body of the box from the edge of the flange 5", to permit the wall of the cover to telescope over the wall of the body. This wall member 7a is of vany suitable -width and extends around the entire inner periphery of the spacer strip 12, to

which it `may be attached if desired by ad-` `over the outer surfaces of the Hangs 5 andY the wall member 7a and are then turned down insidel of the wall member 7Il as indicated at 14, such portion .of this covering as may be desired being cemented to the surface with which it engages. Suitable covering material 15 is then applied to the inner surface of the plate 4a.

The covering material in each case thus forms a binder for holdingthe parts of the cover and of the box body respectively in proper assembled relation and it will be observed that the cover consists of. but two elements in addition to the covering material while the box body comprises but three elements, namely, the bottom plate, the spacer, and the side wall, in addition to the sheet of covering'material.

While the box parts thus consist of a minimum number of elements, the box has the external appearance of an extension edge padded top box of expensive character, although it may be made at extremely low cost. At the same time since the top and bottom plates may readily be made of Very strong vmater1al such, for example, as sheet steel,`sheet Celluloid or the like the box is capable of withstanding heavy crushing strains without breaking and Without danger of injury to its contents. Obviously, the side Walls of the box and cover may be made of material .similar to that of the top and' bottom plates if desired, although under ordinary circumstances, cardboard provides sulicient strength at this part of the box and is preferable in some instances by reason of the ease with which the covering material may be cemented thereto.

The box thus formed is very light in' Weight while the method of procedure herein outlined is applicable to boxes of substantially any shape and size. Such boxes moreover, may b e made of much greater depth than would be possible by punching or stamping operation in which the side walls of the box are made integral with the \top and bottom, since in accordance with the latter process, the depth of the side walls is limited by the capability of the sheet mateial to flow without rupture between the les. v

In Fig. 3, Aa modified arrangement is shown, in which the bottom plate 14 is provided Wi-th a marginal flange 15 projectingl upwardly substantially at right angles to the plane of the plate proper. A spacer stripv 15 and a wall strip 17` ts against the inner surface of the spacer. `The bottom plate spacer and wall strip are held in assembled relation by the covering material 18 which conceals the under surface of the plate 14 and extends upwardly over the outer surface of the flange and wall member and down against the inner surface of the latter. The upper face of the bottom late 14 may also be covered with suitable s eet material 1.9 of any desired character.

In this case theA extension edge is not so pronounced as in the first case and in fact if the wall member of the corresponding cover, not shown, be of suitable thickness, the outer face of the cover will lie in the same plane as the outer surface of the bottom portion of the box body, which may be found desirable under some circumstances.

In Fig. 4, a further modification is illustrated in which the bottom plate 24 is furnished' with a curved upstanding marginal flange 25. Aspacer 26 and wall member 27 are held in proper assembled relation with the plate 24 by means of the covering material 28. The inner surface of the plate 24 may also be concealed by means of suitable covering material 29.

While Figs. 3 and 4 show modified constructions of the box body only, it is obvious that the cover may be made to have a corre-- spending lexternal' appearance if desired, while it is also clear that the same general mode of manufacture herein disclosed it applicable to boxes having at, concave or intricately embossed covers.

I claim:

. Vl. That method of making a box part havin an extension, edge which lcomprises provi 'ng a plate of stiff and strong sheet material having a bent marginal flange Whose inner'edge has a contour of substantially the desired shape and size of the outer surface of the side wall of said box part, arranging a wall member within said flange', applying a sheet of covering material to the outer surface of the plate and to the outer face of said wall member, turning the edges of said covering sheetin over the edges of said wall member, and cementing the inturned ed es of thefcovering material to the inner surfgace of said wall member.

2. That method of making boxes which comprises forming aplate from strong and stiff sheet material, said plate having a bent marginal Hange, preparing a strip of sheet material of a thickness substantially equal-to the desired thickness of the box wall, of a width substantially e ual to the distance between the free edge o the flangev and the inner surface of the plate, and of a length equal to the peripheral "extent of the inner edge of the flange, setting such strip on edge within the iange, preparing a second strip of sheet material of desired width and proper thickness to form the box Wall, and of a length substantially equal to the peripheral extent of the inner surface of the first strip, setting said second strip on edge within the first strip, and binding said strips in place by means ofv a sheet of coveringmaterial adhering to the strip and covering the outer surface of the plate.

3. That method of making a box cover which comprises forming a plats from thin, stiff and strong sheet material, said plate bemg upwardly convex'and having a dependmg marginal flange, `preparing a strip of stiff sheet material of a length substantially egual to the peripheral extent of the inner. e ge of the flange ofthe plate and of a width substantially equal to the desired depth of the cover wall, placing such strip on edge within the iange of said plate, applying a covering sheet to the convex surface of the plate and to the outer surface of the strip and securing the covering sheet to the strip.

. 4. That method of-malring covered boxes which comprises providing two plates of sti sheet material of the same size and each having an inwardly bent marginal flange, preparing strips of stiff sheet material of proper width to form the walls of the box body and cover respectively, arranging the respective strips on edge within the marginal flanges of the respective plates, insertlng a spacer to space the strip which is to form the "wall of the box body from the inner edge of its fiange by a distance substantially. equal to the thickness of the strip forming the wall of the cover, and binding the cover and body wall strips to their respective plates by means of sheet material covering the outer faces of the plates and cemented to the respective strips. 5. A box part comprising a thin sti plate having a bent marginal flange, a vertical Wall member disposed within the inner edge of the flange, and a piece of sheet material extending over the outer surface of the plate and the outer surfaces of the flange and wall member and adhering to the latter to hold the plate and wall member in assembled relation.v

6. A box body comprising a flat bottom llio plate of-thin sti sheet material having an vinwardly and u wardly inclined' marginal flange, a strip o sheet material of a length substantially e ual to the peripheral extent i of the inner e ge of said flange and of a width substantia ly equal to the distance bep tween the edge of said flange andthe inner surface of the bottom plate, said strip standing on edge on said inner surface and bearing `against the flan e, a wall of sheet material o a width equa to the desired depth of the box body 'standing on ed e on the inner facev of the bottom plate and caring 'against the inner surface of the spacer strip, and a piece of sheet material coverngythe outer surface lgs of' the bottom late, its flange, and the outer and inner sur aces of the wall member and binding the parts together.

7. An extension edge box cover having a convex upper surface and a concave inner surface consisting of one piece of sheet metal, a strip of cardboard forming the side wall of the cover disposed with its edge against the inner surface of the top plate, and a sheet of decorative covering material for binding the top member and wall striptogetlier.

8. A box cover comprising an upwardly convex top plate of thin stiff material having a downwardly and inwardly directed mai'- ginal flange, a strip of sheet material constituting a wall member bearing against the inner edge of said flange, and a piece of sheet material covering the upper surface of the to-p plate and the outer surface of the flange and Wall member, and having its inner margin turned over against the inner surface of the wall member and cemented thereto.

9. A box having a cover and a body, the top member of the cover and the bottom of the body being of equal size and each consisting of a plate of sheet metal having an inwardly directed marginal flange, wall members for the cover and body respectively each wall member consisting of .a strip of cardboard of suitable width, the wall member for one of said parts being spaced inwardly from the inner edge of the flange of its respective metal plate and the wall member of the other part bearing directlv against the inner edge of the flange of its respective plate, and sheet material binding the wall members to their respective plates and covering the outer surfaces Aof the wall members and plates.

Signed by me at Attleboro, Massachusetts, this first day of June,.1925.

RUSSELL I. RHODES.

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