FR2501581A1 - Stackable case and cover for printing characters - is rectangular tray with rectangular compartments using upset partitions to aid filing - Google Patents

Abstract

The stackable case (10) with cover is used to store printing characters, and is of a one piece moulded plastics construction. The case comprises a rectangular tray of uniform depth, its interior being divided into compartments (12) by full length intersecting partition walls (11) at regular intervals and parallel to both pairs of perpendicular sides. Certain isolated partition walls (11') in both directions are higher than the remainder and yet have a lesser height than the characters and the side walls. The arrangement divides the box in a manner facilitating the filling of stored characters. The row of compartments next to the front wall (16) may include an extra long compartment (12') for page-setting equipment. The cover may engage side wall lips to slide into place until abutting a front wall upstand, the latter wall being returned obliquely down (14) to locate an identity card (17).

Description

 The present invention relates to a self-scratching case-case assembly for block letters.

 Typically, block letters are classified in rectangular wooden cases subdivided into various spaces or compartments, each of which contains the characters of the same letter, sign, space, etc.

 The boxes, in turn, are kept and / or stored in a metal or wooden frame, which is provided at its lower part with sliding means and whose upper part (easel) is slightly inclined to support the box during work. When the upper part is flat, it is called furniture. Currently, it is called easy furniture as well if it has a desk as if it does not have one.

 The "aisle supermeuble" is a combined piece of furniture which usually brings together two or more aisle pieces of furniture with their crates, inter-row compartments, deposit for blank material, sliding desks, crate for nets, galleys for keeping molds, drawers to keep engravings, accessories and originals, etc, adjustable stool or chair, and everything a typographer-composer needs to do his work of composition, layout and distribution, with more convenience and saving time.

 It is obvious, as it follows from the characteristics explained, that this element of furniture will have a very high cost, in addition to representing a compulsory purchase on the part of the professional considered although he uses only a part of his total capacity (a reduced number of various accessory characters), which has a great influence on the performance of the work to be carried out and ultimately results in an expensive damping element, in addition to the inherent drawbacks of the space necessary for its installation, in many cases difficult to resolve.

 The block letters are supplied independently of the boxes where they will be stored, with a non-recoverable protective envelope. Currently, they are also sold in plastic boxes that allow their conservation by keeping these characters in their housings, partly replacing the wooden case associated with a comfortable piece of furniture. These boxes, however, have the disadvantage of not being accessible individually when they are stored, stacked, superimposed on each other, as it would seem logical, because of the considerable weight of the characters.

 The object of the present invention consists of a module which comprises a box-case assembly of innovative characteristics, constitution, structure and configuration, providing in addition a functional interrelation between the various units, according to a stable coupling, the group meeting conditions such as to allow it to be autoclassable, making it possible to form groups of adjacent boxes, in the form of a compound unit, by supplying each box with the characters already installed within it, with a distribution of these relative to separation and / or guide elements, which greatly simplify their identification, the case where they remain classified, which serves as a perfectly waterproof cover, serving as a protective wrapper or packaging. It has been proven that the short of this case, which must be of a particularly strong and / or resistant structure, because it must support a large number of characters and moreover a considerable weight (of the order of 1 to 3 kg), is sufficiently compensated by the economy of the furniture with ease, as a consequence of: smaller space requirements which one now needs, and the ra tionalj.sation that implies the acquisition by the type-setter-composer only of the cases which he needs (according to the characteristics of his specific work ?, although taking into account the fact that these pieces of furniture are also work surfaces, that gives rise to special drawing conditions for the boxes carrying characters which have been resolved favorably here, as explained below, in order to make it possible for the printer to have at all times all the characters, in autoclassable modules, perfectly characterized and These modules make it possible, according to what has already been said, to group them into sets of several elements, in stable stacking (we can juxtapose them by stacking up to five sets of case-holsters), respective cases remaining perfectly immobilized between them, so that the weight of the characters cannot overturn or make unstable the assembly obtained, when a case or another is taken out of it.

 Essentially, the object of the invention is characterized in that it comprises a molded plastic box, or the like, for storing the printing characters, which is formed by an element whose general configuration is that of a body of a single parallelepipSDic piece, open at the top, which forms an internal cavity in a right prism on the rectangular surface of the bottom of which extend several flat profiles put on edge, or small partitions, crisscrossed at 90 degrees, by adopting a distribution according to two series of parallel partitions, respectively perpendicular and at the same time normal to the side walls of the cavity of this box, giving rise, as a consequence of the above-mentioned intersection, to a plurality of individual compartments, of which each is intended to receive the characters of the same sign or letter, the dimension or upper profile of the partitions not being uniform, generally less than the height of the characters for to facilitate their classification or their convenient extraction by the user, some of the partitions of each series being of a higher height so that each of the partitions of greater dimension (which will always be less than the height of the lateral sides of the body) is flanked on each side by adjacent parallel partitions of lower height, these lower profiles determining a series of divisions along two transverse directions orthogonal to the front and rear sides and to the other two sides of the body respectively, this which clearly delimits in the cash register various zones where characters with very precise characteristics will be accommodated, according to the frequency of their use and other conventional parameters in the typographic technique (capital letters, small letters, vowels, punctuation and numbers, etc.) , so that the localization is very simplified although it is necessary to work on the body, in some cases, with it this in a horizontal position because there is no easel.

The body that we are describing has on two of its lateral sides directly opposite a slightly overhanging peripheral rim which crowns these walls at their upper part, which has a configuration in
L inverted, to make it easier to insert it fitted into the envelope or case of self-erecting characteristics which will be described below, and has a front panel of height greater than the rest of the side walls, also extending beyond the lower part the profile of the bottom, a handle oriented obliquely at an angle emerging from its front part, this handle being formed by a rectangular plate in which is defined a registered depression, of identical configuration and of smaller development, where a label carrying the name which defines the characteristics of the characters located in the box, the element of which will be easily readable given the arrangement which it adopts, this handle being integral with the upper edge of the front face from which it comes out, triangular profiles of support, normal to the surface of the front wall of the body, being provided in its two small opposite lateral sides.

 As indicated above, these boxes for printing characters will be supplemented by self-stacking cases 5 where they will be housed in a sealed manner, which is effectively favored by the configuration of the front panel of this box, with the extension of the vertical wall of the front projecting from the rest of the lateral sides and from the bottom thereof, the front edge of this case, immediately upon opening, having in addition a triangular allowance in the area which is opposite the cuffs of the aforementioned pan.

 This case is formed by two symmetrical half-pieces joined together by gluing along a correspondence profile provided with staggered edge configurations which correspond in coupling, giving rise along the line of union, externally, to a recess concave device of triangular section, the half-bodies being of plastic material with shockproof characteristics (with relative structural elasticity), such as rigid polypropylene, and having as main or distinctive characteristic the existence on its two outer faces of larger surface , directly opposite, covering and bottom of the body, projecting longitudinal profiles, which cooperate to obtain a grouping of these superimposed cases which carry within them the respective bodies, which is stable, concretely by means of a connection for engagement which guarantees the conservation of the indicated stacking arrangement between the various elements, by preventing displacement or sliding of one of them during the extraction or placement phase of each of the cases.

 So therefore, if we look at one of the half-pieces which form the case, we notice in this one the fact that it has on its large external rectangular face several ribs protruding longitudinally, parallel to each other and to the small lateral sides of the assembly, which are adjacent thereto, with on one side a single continuous rib of rectangular cross section which ends at its upper part by a semicircular arched section or in a semicircular arch, the protrusion or elongated protrusion having in two zones very close and equidistant from its ends (sections which present a gradual reduction in height of straight profile and constant slope, -with slightly curved connection with the base surface from which they start) a deep lateral notch, defined on a side, with a rectangular section, which determines an extreme spheroidal lobe, however that around the directly opposite lateral side, on the same face, there are two identical ribs configuration to that of Written, of the same dimension and, in section, of appreciably smaller size, slightly separated from each other, which gives rise to a groove with a circular curved bottom of radius equivalent to that of the tracing of the curved-convex end of the individual rib aforementioned, the protruding axial element which is closest to the side of the half-body which constitutes the case having, in zones of their longitudinal development situated respectively opposite the points where the other rib has notches on the flank, respective marked projections which emerge from the upper curved edge as from teeth directed orthogonally towards the neighboring rib, partially overhanging, with a curvilinear upper profile completed by a rectilinear section of a length equivalent to the depth of the abovementioned notch, parallel to the base of the semi-part, and by a last section of reduced length, curvilinear, which is connected to the vertical wall of the aforementioned rib , a characteristic being that the distance from the plane of symmetry of the groove with respect to the adjacent lateral side of the half-piece, is equivalent to the distance separating the axial plane of the individual rib from the nearest lateral edge. piece which completes the case is also provided in its rectangular outer wall with the three aforementioned longitudinal ribs or protuberances, which are however located in a distribution of position opposite to that explained, so that when two cases are juxtaposed in superposition, making be careful to back them up with an alternate orientation of their ribs, it is possible to achieve an effective connection between them by matching the pairs of individual groove-rib configurations by obtaining a double miter engagement along alignments close to each flanks of the case, the toothed areas must be flanked by the groove introduced by plugging (taking into account the thimble relative formability of the aforementioned ribs) in the lateral notches of the individual profile, the lobe sections of which are housed by pressing against the bottom of the aforementioned groove, that is to say by obtaining a double coupling contact established near lateral sides of each case.

 With all that has been explained, it is clear that we can form sets of up to five cases (it is necessary to fix the number of elements according to the weight to be resisted) from cases correspondents stacked and joined by the coupling relationship described, the whole equivalent to and replacing a conventional piece of furniture as indicated at the start, naturally with a smaller capacity, but with a factor of adaptability to the conditions of the user particularly favorable to multiple and diverse needs and with a very significant cost saving. The characters remain, as explained, perfectly protected if we take into account the tightness of the closure formed between the edges which flank the front edges at the top and bottom of the body and the thickened profile of the opening of the case.

The structural, constitutional and functional interrelation features of the invention, and its advantages over the state of the art in this field, will appear more clearly on reading the detailed description below of an embodiment. preferred but not exclusive of a modular box case for printing characters according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example, in the attached drawings, in which
In Figure 1 is shown drawn in plan a box for printing characters according to the characteristics explained above, we can perfectly observe the various compartments in which it is divided, and the handle defined in its front part for easy access to the 'together.

 Figure 2 corresponds to the front elevation of the box drawn in the previous figure and allows to visualize the front handle which, being oriented obliquely, at an angle to the front, allows to place on its surface a very visible label , to identify the characters inside the box.

 Figure 3 corresponds to a section along the vertical section plane, indicated by the line 1-1 transverse to the front face and to the rear face of the box of Figure 1, where we note the existence of partitions of a different height greater than normal (whose dimension, as already indicated, is always less than the uniform height of the characters), the partitions of which allow a classification along this direction of the different characters enclosed in the box .It is necessary to indicate, with reference to this point to the compartments, that these, according to the volume which can be deduced from Figures 1 and 3, have been designed to install elements within them in a vertical position up to character 24, that is to say 9 mm, so that these characters, which, as we know, always adopt a uniform height, despite an inclined orientation of the body, cannot fall on its bottom being given the separation between partitions according to what is t shown in Figure 3 indicated. However, all the characteristics inherent in the structure of the case for characters that we are describing, as well as those derived from the constitution of the carrying case thereof, are applicable to other characters of dimensions higher.

 FIG. 4 is equivalent to a section of the body shown in FIG. 1 along a section plane indicated by the line 2-2, that is to say transversely to the smaller lateral sides of the body, and we can see that also in the series of parallel partitions orthogonal to these two lateral sides of the element, some are defined with their upper edge of higher dimension, and it should be noted that in all In these cases, these partitions which end at a higher level always remain below the lateral edges of the body.

 Figure 5 shows a detail of the box in section corresponding to Figure 3, and we can appreciate the characteristics of both the wall of this box as the various partitions of which it is composed.

 Figure 6 corresponds to a plan view of one of the half-pieces which constitute the case containing the case for characters according to the invention; we see the bottom of said half-body, and, in dotted lines, the profile of the protruding elements of axial development that has the external face of this bottom, according to the characteristics often cited.

 Figure 7, as it is visible, is a plan view of the same half-piece, of the bottom wall by its outer face, we can see the three protruding ribs, organized according to a pair of elements defining a central groove and an individual rib, on each side of this surface, projections and notches of corresponding coilfiguration being provided in the elements adjacent to the sides of the case, in areas respectively facing each other.

 Figure 8 is equivalent to a side elevation view of the half-piece drawn in the two previous figures, where the three ribs which emerge from its bottom are illustrated as well as the staggered configuration and in two sections at different level from the coupling edge of this half piece.

 In FIG. 9 is illustrated a section of the half-body of the case shown in the previous figure, along a section along the section line 3-3 in FIG. 7.

 Figure 10 corresponds to a section of the half-piece cited along the section plane indicated by 4-4 in Figure 7, where we note the longitudinal profile of one of the ribs of the coupling arrangement, as it explained, completed at the end by sections with progressive reduction in section.

 FIG. 11 is likewise a section of the body of the half-piece of the case, along the cutting plane indicated by 5-5 in FIG. 7, one of the protruding ribs made of material with the bottom of the element. also being perfectly visible.

 In FIG. 12, the box-case assembly is shown in plan, in arrangement of correspondence with another element of similar characteristics, in order to be able to carry out its juxtaposition in stacking.

 In Figure 13, there is shown in front elevation the box-case assembly explained, and we can see commute, on both sides of the upper and lower faces of the case, there are double and individual ribbed configurations respectively, in an alternating symmetrical distribution on the two planes.

 Figure 14 is equivalent to the previous one and corresponds to a posterior elevation of the whole case, making it possible to appreciate the constitution of this case on the basis of the juxtaposition by gluing of the two half-pieces, a concave triangular notch appearing along of the attached peripheral profile.

 FIG. 15 illustrates the stacking juxtaposition of two box-case assemblies, one of them being shown in dotted lines, according to a side elevation, and makes it possible to understand the perfect substitution that the described assembly offers in relation to the furniture to ais conventional, for several cases in which we do not use all the elements that make up this piece of furniture, now obtaining a stable structure of height of at least up to 5 elements, with easy access to the different boxes and with a clear identification of the characters contained therein.

 Figure 16 corresponds to an enlarged detail of the section through the cutting direction 3-3 of Figure 7, with an exact representation of the miter coupling of the ribbed elements, compared to another similar configuration in correspondence coupling, drawn in dotted lines according to the characteristics of the relative subjection between the cases explained above.

 In FIG. 17, we can see in detail the coupling relationship established between two edges of the half-piece which constitutes the case in the zone indicated by the circle 6 of FIG. 10.

 Similarly, FIG. 18 shows the coupling profile of one of the half-pieces from which the case explained is formed, corresponding to the area indicated by the circle 7 in FIG. 11.

Finally, in Figure 19, there is shown in vertical section and partially, the anterior zone of a box-case assembly according to the characteristics explained up to this point, making it possible to appreciate the perfect closure obtained by the front cover of the box. with respect to the upper and lower magnified edges of the opening of the case, as well as one of the partitions of lower dimension below the lateral sides of the case and the two bottom and cover planes of said case. also shown in this figure the relationship which is established between two box-case assemblies arranged in a stack, with the sole indication of the upper zone of the lower level element
According to these figures, the box 10 for printing characters according to the invention adopts a general parallelepiped development, which determines a large cavity with straight walls and rectangular bottom which is divided by two series of partitions 11, respectively orthogonal, into a plurality of compartments 12. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, some of these partitions ll are of a height greater than the general height of the other partitions 11 and always have adjacent partitions 11 of a smaller height, of so that in any case the characters which exceed in dimension the profile of the smaller partitions ll can be conveniently taken from their vertical housing in the compartments 12. On the front part of the box, one can see a compartment 12 'wider, intended for receive ingots, spacing and other larger items, and it should be noted that the width between partitions 11 is such that it prevents a single character i nstalled in one of the compartments 12 can fall to the bottom of this enclosure, whatever the inclination position adopted by the body 10.This body 10 comprises at its front or front part and in its middle zone, a handle arrangement 13, obtained from an oblique plane 14 which starts from the edge of the front at the top of the element and which is joined to lateral partitions 15 of triangular profile normal to this face of the front 16, which, as is evident , exceeds above and below the dimension of the lateral sides of the box 10, to make possible a sealed closure when this box is closed in the case, as will be described below.

On the plate 14 of the handle arrangement 13 cited, there is an oblong rectangular depression 17, intended to receive a label with information on the individuality or the differential characteristics of the characters that this box contains 10. As well in the view in plan of the body 10 that in the section indicated in FIG. 4 is defined a side edge 18, L-shaped upside down, slightly emerging, in a cooperative configuration in the adjusted insertion of this body in the case, as is detailed in other figures, and the profile of which does not reach the rear wall of the element. By means of the different edge profiles 11 and 11 ′, or dividing partitions of the body into compartments 12, and because some have a higher dimension (uniform for all the partitions of higher height), there is a differentiation in zones of the gridded network of the box, which contributes in a particularly effective way to the classification of the types different according to well-defined characteristics, as has already been indicated (frequency, upper-case, lower-case letters, numbers, vowels, etc.), so that, once the type-setter is used to the new format offered to him, it is very easy to find in a minimum of time any character or auxiliary element that it needs.

 As regards in particular Figures 6 to 11 which agree with the characteristics of one of the half-pieces 19 which constitute the case 20, it is necessary to indicate as more remarkable particularity the ribbed configurations, double 21 and single 22, located on its outer face near the two smaller lateral sides of this element 19, prismatic-straight, rectangular, configurations which have, in face-to-face areas, protruding 21 'and reentrant 22' conformations, intended to be able to correspond to each other when juxtapose two cases in superposition as is clearly indicated in other figures which will be discussed later.

 I1 must also note the constitution of this case 20 from two of the cited half-pieces 19 and 19 '(see in particular Figures 14 and 15) joined by bonding through a coupling edge of characteristic profile, staggered 23 , 24, favorable for coupling, as indicated in FIGS. 17 and 18. This staggered coupling edge has, in addition, two sections 25 and 26 situated at different levels which correspond with other zones respectively of lower dimension and protruding similar configuration and symmetrical distribution which are defined in the other half-piece 19 'which completes the case, so that the union obtained is particularly effective given the development of these correspondence sections 23, 24.

 The cases 20, as they have in their upper and lower faces greater development of the configurations 21 and 22 in alternating distribution, as perfectly represented in FIGS. 13 and 14, have the option of constituting composite units which self-stack because the profile ribbed 22 is introduced into the groove 27 located between the ribs 21 with a miter coupling, the union of which is established on both sides along two directions close to the sides of these cases.

 Thus, as can be observed in the section shown in FIG. 16, the individual rib 22 penetrates into the groove 27, its profile with semicircular end corresponding to the development of the grooved bottom 27, and, in the areas where the rib 22 has a deep rectangular notch 22 ′, houses the projection 21 ′ of one of the ribbed elements of the double configuration 21, ensuring effective miter retention, the lobe 22 ″ remaining retained by the profile of the cited tooth 21 ′, so that the stack of cases 20 each containing the corresponding box 10 for printing characters, thereby forms a new unit equivalent to the element of furniture or piece of furniture explained at the beginning, providing sets of a number more or less large elements which adapt in each case to the particular conditions of the typographer layout.

 Finally, in Figure 19, we can clearly see the perfectly sealed closure between the front wall 16 of the body 10, which, as already indicated, protrudes from the upper edges and the bottom profile of this element, against the edges 28 also reinforced with the opening of the case 20, facilitating full insertion of the box with the configuration of the handle 13, according to the conditions explained several times.

 Another advantage derived from the design of the proposed case-case assembly, according to all that has been explained before, is the possibility of offering directly, from the factory, to the user, the different characters, already placed within the box according to the parameters set, which avoids this typographer layout to make a new classification of the characters cited, which represents a saving of the surely long time applied to this distribution operation.

Claims (6)

 1. Self-stacking case-case assembly for printing characters, characterized in that the case (10) consists of a one-piece element advantageously made of molded plastic or the like of general parallelepipedal configuration, open at the top, delimiting an interior cavity on the rectangular bottom surface of which extends a plurality of partitions (11, I1 ') - intersected orthogonally to each other, distributed in two series of parallel partitions, respectively perpendicular, at the same time normal to the side walls of this cavity, which define compartments (12) for accommodating the characters, the dimension of some (11 ′) of the partitions, in each of the directions cited, being substantially greater than the common height of the remaining partitions, slightly less than that of the characters, the partitions which are immediately adjacent to those of higher development having a smaller dimension, the higher partitions crazy finishing a series of divisions of the box which contribute to the classification and facilitate the localization of the characters according to own features or frequency.  2. Case-case assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that near the front wall of the case is provided at least one compartment (12 ') of development greater than the others, for inserting therein elements of larger size, auxiliaries for the composition-layout work.  3. Case-case assembly according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the case (10) comprises a peripheral rim (18) slightly overhanging, of inverted L configuration, which overhangs the two small walls lateral without reaching the posterior apex, and which serves to ensure the adjusted insertion of this box into the case (20), this box having its front panel of height greater than the rest of the lateral sides of the element and also exceeding the profile from its bottom, and in that from the upper edge of its front face comes out a handle (13) oriented obliquely at an angle, formed by a plate (14) where a depression (17) of similar configuration is formed to place a label with information on the characteristics of the characters, this plate is secured by its two small lateral sides to triangular planes (15) normal to the surface of the front wall of the box.  4. Case-case assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the case (20) where the cases are inserted (10) is formed by two symmetrical half-pieces (19, 19 ') joined by gluing along a correspondence profile provided with staggered edge configurations (23, 24) which correspond in coupling, with sections (25, 26) of different height, giving rise along the joint line, externally, to a concave peripheral indentation of triangular section, these parts being obtained in plastic material of anti-shock characteristics and having on their two large external faces, directly opposite, of fod and cover of the body, salient longitudinal profiles (21, 22) which cooperate to obtain a grouping of these stacked stacked cases, these cases being firmly connected by means of an interlocking connector obtained from the correspondence between the above-mentioned protruding configurations.  5. Case-case assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the projecting configurations (21, 22) defined on the rectangular external face of each of the half-pieces (19, 19 ') are formed by several ribs protrusions extending longitudinally, parallel to each other and to the short lateral sides of the assembly, of which they remain very close, with on one side a single rib (22) continuous of rectangular cross section which ends at the top by a semicircular arched section and the protuberance of which, in two zones very close and equidistant from its ends, which are terminated by sections with progressive reduction in section and uniform slope, a deep notch (22 ') defined in the outer flank of the profile rectangular section, defining a spheroidal upper lobe, and with on this same face, very close to the opposite lateral side, a pair of ribs (21) of identical configuration ic, of the same dimension and of substantially smaller size, separated from each other, giving rise to a groove (27) with a circular-circular bottom of radius equivalent to the layout of the rounded end of the abovementioned individual rib, the protruding axial profile (21 , 22) closest to the lateral side of the half-body making up the case (20) having, in zones facing each other respectively, in its longitudinal development, at the points where the other rib has flank depressions (22 '), respective projections (21') which emerge as teeth from the upper curved edge and are oriented in an orthogonal direction towards the adjacent rib, - partially overhanging, with a horizontal lower profile ending in a curvilinear section of connection to the wall vertical of the longitudinal rib from which it exits, the distance from the plane of symmetry, normal to the rectangular surface, of the groove (27) defined by the doubly ribbed configuration (21), with respect to the lateral side l adjacent to the half-piece (19, 19 '), being equivalent to the distance which separates the axial plane of the individual rib (22) from the nearest lateral edge.  6.Case-case assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the half-piece (19 ') which completes a case (20) is likewise provided, on its rectangular outer wall, with the triple ribbed configuration -precited (21, 22) whose longitudinal ribs, however, adopt a distribution of alternating position with respect to that mentioned above, so that when two cases are juxtaposed in superposition, by means of any one of its gran of the faces , an efficient connection is obtained by the double correspondence of the pairs of groove configurations (27) individual rib (22), by obtaining a double engagement with tabs, along each correspondence zone, because the introduction is carried out by insertion, by the relative deformability of the ribs cited, of the toothed zones (21 ') which flank the groove (27) in the notches (22') of the individual profile (22), the lobe sections of which remain pressed against the bottom of the aforementioned groove.