US1213157A - Sheet-metal box. - Google Patents

Description

w.F. CONWAY. SHEET METAL BOX.. APPLICATION FILED MAY 29. 1914.

2 7, I Patented Jan.23,1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

WILLIAM F. CONWAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TROY LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, LTD., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF 7 NEW YORK.

SHEETeMETAL BOX.

Application filed May 29, 1914. Serial No. 8 11,6131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM F. CoxwAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sheet metal boxes, and its purpose is to provide a box of simplified and improved construction.

In the construction of sheet metal boxes, it is very desirable to simplify and cheapen the construction as much as possible and to provide a tight closure so that such boxes may be economically employed in large numbers as meter boxes, switch boxes, cut-out boxes, chemical closets, or the like, in which uses it is essential that the interior of the box be substantially free from dust or moisture.

The structural feature of most metal boxes which adds to the cost and intricacy of the construction and which interferes most largely with the formation of a tight closure is the hinge connection between the co 'er and the box proper.

It is, therefore, the principal object of my invention to improve sheet metal box con struction by providing a simple, efiicient and easily constructed hinge connection. It is also an object of my invention to otherwise improve the box construction in order to provide a tight closure.

These and other objects will be more particularly set forth and made apparent in the following specification taken in connectior with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view'with parts broken away of a sheet metal box embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 shows a section through the box of Fig. 1 at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the hinge connection, and lower part of the box being broken away. Fig. 3 shows a view similar to that in Fig. 2 with the cover of the box in open position.

' Like numerals refer to like parts and elements in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings the bottom portion of my improved box, not shown, is

provided with upwardly turned lateral fiangeswhich are secured to the vertically extending side walls 10 and front and rear I walls 11 and 12 respectively, by means of therivets 13. The vertically extending walls 10, 11 and 12 are mutually secured at their meeting ends by rivets which. engage regis tering apertures in the inwardly turned flanges 11-, and the corresponding adjacent wall section.

The front wall 11 and side walls 10 are provided with the inwardly extending transverse fianges 11 and 10 respectivelywhich form a seat for the cover of the box which is designated by the numeral 15. The cover 15 is provided along its front'and side edges with downwardly depending integral flanges 15 which are adapted to closely lit the outer surfaces of the side walls 10' and front wall. 11. v

At the rear of the box the vertically extending wall 12 has its upper edge portion turned outwardly and dio' wnwardly in arcuate form to form'a bearing of substantial semicylindrical form extending completely across the rear upper edge of the box, as shown at. 16. The rearward portion 17 of the. cover 15 which is formed of a single sheet of metal is downwardly bent concentrically witlrt'he curved portion of the wall 12 to coact with said curved portion, as clearly shownin the drawings. The portion 17 of the cover 15 should terminate inwardlyof the rearward extremity of the curved portion 16 of the wall'12 in order to prevent the cover from being moved upwardly from its bearing. The curvedrportions l6 and 17 of the wall 12' and cover 15, respectively, are maintained in contact with each other by thekeepfer 18' whose depending flange 19 is riveted or otherwise secured to the wall 12 and whose outwardly extending portion 20 is' curved, as shown at 21, to coact with 'aportion' of the outer surface-ofthe curved portion 17 of the cover 15. Upwardly of the curvedportion 21 the keeper 18 preferably terminates in a plane substantially parallel to the wall 12,- as shown at- 22. If desired, however, the extremit-y-22 ofthe kee er 18 may be given" a slight rearward inclination Patented Jan. 23,1917.

from the rear wall 12 of the box. The depending flanges 15- adjacent the side walls 10 terminate at their rear ends outwardly of the wall 12, as shown in the drawings, in order to close the aperture at the inner converging extremities of the curved por tions 16 and 17.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided an improved hinge connection between the box proper and the cover thereof, which can be readily formed from the integral sheet metal plates which are used-in the formation of other parts of the box structure and which readily enables the cover of the box to be turned into the open position shown in Fig. 3. It will be apparent that as the box is turned into open position, the curved portion 17 of the cover rotates upon the curved portion 16 of the rear wall and coacts therewith at all times so that there is no aperture therebetween through which moisture or dust may enter the interior of the box. The curved portion 17 is maintained in contact with the arcuate portion 16 of the wall 12 by means of the keeper 18 whose concentric curved portion 21 coacts with the outer surface thereof. It will further be apparent that the cover is supported in its open position by means of the keeper 18, whose out wardly projecting portion 20 supports the curved portion 17 of the cover and whose extremity 22 bears against the outer surface of the cover 15 to limit the backward turning thereof. It will further be evident that when the box is in closed position, the inner surface of the cover 15 coacts with the parallel flanges 1O and 11 of the side walls 10 and 11 respectively, thus providing a tight closure around the entire upper periphery of the box. This tight closure is further perfected by the downwardly depending flanges 15 which coact with the outer surfaces of the vertically extending walls of the box.

A box constructed according to the principles of my invention comprises a very small number of parts and may be readily formed from the usual sheet metal from which such boxes are usually constructed Without the necessity of providing additional elements for forming the hinge connection. I have found that these boxes are particularly adapted to be used as cut-out boxes,'switch boxes or meter boxes, but it will be apparent that they may be used for many other purposes in which a simple and cheap construction is desired together with the further advantage of a tight closure. If it be desired to use the box as a switch box or cut-out box, the side walls or bottom portion thereof may be provided with the usual knock-outs through which the electrical conductors may be introduced to the interior of the box.

It will also be understood that my improved hinge connection is not limited to sheet metal boxes but that a hinge formed of sheet metal or the like in accordance with the principles of my invention may be used on boxes constructed of wood or other material.

In the foregoing application I have illus trated and described a specific embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood I contemplate the formation of other structures of widely divergent form without departing from the spirit of my invention as embodied in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dust and moisture proof sheet metal box comprising rigidly connected side and bottom walls, an outwardly and downwardly curved flange along the entire upper edge of one side wall, said flange lying wholly outside of the vertical plane of said side wall, a cover surrounding the upper edges of the side walls and having a downwardly and rearwardly curved flange along one entire edge thereof conforming to and surrounding said curved flange on said side wall, and a keeper strip secured along the entire length of the outside of said side wall curred outwardly and upwardly to extend around the curved flange on the cover to retain the same in engagement with the curved flange on the side wall and to serve as a stop to limit the opening movement of the cover.

2. A dust and moisture proof sheet metal box comprising rigidly connected side and bottom walls, an outwardly and downwardly curved flange along the entire upper edge of one side wall lying wholly outside of the vertical plane of said side wall, inwardly projecting flat flanges along the entire upper edges of the other side walls, and a cover surrounding the upper edges of the side walls and having a rearwardly and downwardly curved flange along one entire edge thereof conforming to and surrounding said curved flange on said side wall, whereby said cover when closed closely engages adjacent vertical and horizontal portions along the upper edges of all of the side walls.

3. A dust and moisture proof sheet metal box comprising rigidly connected side and bottom walls, an outwardly and down' wardly curved flange along the entire upper edge of one side wall lying wholly outside 'of the vertical plane of said side wall. in-

wardly projecting flat flanges along the en tire upper edges of the outer side Walls, a. cover surrounding the upper edges of the side walls and having a rearwardly and downwardly curved flange along one entire edge thereof conforming to and surrounding said curved flange on said side Wall, and a keeper strip secured along the entire length of the outside of said side Wall curved outside Wall and to serve as a stop to limit the opening movement of the cover.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

\VILLIAM F. CONWAY.

Wardly and upwardly to extend around the Witnesses: curved flange on the cover to retain the same VVILLIAM BARTHOLOMEW, 1n engagement with the curved flange on the C. M. LEARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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