US1145932A - Metallic box-strap. - Google Patents

Description

O. SOLOMON, JR.

METALLIC BOX STRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 1a. 1911.

L 1 119* Patented July 13, 1915.

C J? E I O O\.) t/ O O o/toco 0 w 0 O 0 O D I j c I IL I 41 l L/fJ J WITNESSES l/VVENfOR CZQ/WQ SoZomonJr.

i pm i r- I CHAPMAN SOLOMON, JR 013 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CARY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A,CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ll,lld5,932.

Application filed January 18, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAPMAN SoLoMoN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Metallic Box-Strap, of which vthe following is a specification.

This invention is a metallic box strap, the

same being intended for use in fastening or securing covers to wooden boxes, packing cases, and the like, and, more particularly, fruit packing cases.

Heretofore it has been customary for shippers to pack fruit, such as'oranges, in cases or boxes in such manner that the top layers of the fruit will extend above the side walls of the box or case. This requires the lid or top of the case to be pressed downwardly, thereby compressing the fruit, after which the lid or top is secured to the case by nailing an end of a strip of thin sheet metal known as box strapping, to one side of the case,

- then the strapwis drawn over the top, and

finally it is secured to the other side of the case. The strap is now cut off, by'shears, or other implements, the line of the out being adjacent the last nail, or fastening device,

through the strap. This operation of cutting the metallic strap is sometimes quite difiicult to perform, for thereason that it is attached to the box or case, and it requires the time and labor of the packer.

To expedite the packingof fruit, and to save time and labor in securing the tops to cases, I have devised a novel construction of box strap, which is adapted to be easily and quickly broken or severed after it shall have been nailed to the packing case. The strap is, preferably, a long metallic strip wound within a reel or frame, said strap is weakened transversely at regular intervals, the metal intermediate the weakened points being of sufficient length to properly extend over the top and to fasten said top to the case. Furthermore, the strap is provided at intervals with nail holes, and some of these holes are adjacent the weakened parts of the strap, whereby the strap may be nailed to the box and the strap may be easily broken or severed, without the use of any tools whatever, by merely bending or doubling the strap at the weakened points and near the securing nails.

In the accompanying drawings, I have Specification of Letters Patent.

METALLIC BOX-STRAP.

Serial No. 603,238.

illustrated one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction shown there- Patented July is, 19 15.

in is to be understood as illustrative, only,

and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure is a perspective view of an ordinary packing case showing the manner of applying the metallic strap thereto. Fig. 2

1s a perspective view of the strap coiled for convenience in handling it, the strap being drawn out for a part of its length to show a weakened portion thereof between the nail holes. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof part of a metallic strap showing a number of weakened portions intermediate the ends theneof.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the metallic strap,'A, is composed of sheet metal or flattened wire, reeled or wound upon itself to produce a coil, B, see F ig. 2 of the drawings, said strap being coiled for convenience in handling, packing and shipping it. The strap is provided with a number of weakened places, C.

at regular intervals throughout the length of the metallic strip, whereby the said strip may be easily and quickly broken into box straps, A, of predetermined length. These points Lof weakness or breakage are formed, preferably, by notching or cutting away a portion of the metal to produce triangular or V-shaped notches at regular intervals" throughout the strip, said V-shaped notches being producedin the respective edges of the strip, the apices of the V notches being opposite to each other, whereby the strip may be readily broken apart/at the Weakened points. The strip may be, and preferably is, provided with a number of holes or weakened places similar to nail holes, d, through which are adapted to be driven the fastening nails, for securing the strap to the respective sides, or to the sides and the top, of the box.

In Fig. 1 there is illustrated an ordinary packing box, E, the cover, 6, of which is securedto'the body by nailing the cover to the box and by two lengths of strapping, A,

applied to the respective end portions of the box and the cover. To apply a strap, A,to

the box, the operator proceeds as follows After filling the box and applying the cover in the usual way, the operator draws a part of the strap from coil, B, and positions one end ooposite tothe end wall of the box, at

one side thereof. He now drives one or more nails, as (13', through holes, d, in the strap; then, he draws the strap over the cover, and positions the other end of the strap. on the other side wall of the box. While pressing down upon the top or cover, and holding the strap taut with the foot or a lever, the operator drives one or more nails through the other or unattached end of the strap and into the other side of the box. The strap having been nailed in position, it is not necessary for the operator to waste time in grasping a shears or other tool for cutting the strap, for the reason that the attached strap may be broken from the coil by simply bending the strap backward and forward one or more times at the lire of weakness offered by the notches, C, the point of break taking place quite close to the nail driven through the strap adjacent to the notches thereof.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the strap is applied complete to the left hand end of the box, but the strap at the right hand end of the box is nailed in position but not broken loose from the strapping of the coil. It is evident that the latter strap may be easily and quickly broken at the notches, C, and adjacentnail, d, by simply bending the strap back and forth, the nail, d, affording a fixed point of resistance whereby the required bending of the strap may be performed expeditiously and without resorting to the use of any tools whatsoever.

Experience shows that when a coiled strap is nailed to the box, considerable difiiculty is met with in cutting the attached part of the strap from the remainder of the length of coiled strapping, this being particularly true in nailing fruit boxes when the fruit is packed in the ordinary way so as to require the packer to exert pressure upon the top or cover when applying the strapping. It is manifest that the operator must lay aside the nail driving tool, pick up a shears or the like, and manipulate the shears to cut off the strap quite close to the box, pressure being applied meanwhile to the cover. These operations consume time and labor, and frequently the strapping is cut so as to result in a rough jagged end which is likely to cut the hands when handling the box or case. These objections are overcome entirely in my invention. The strap is applied in the usual way, and after nailing it in position, the

operator breaks it from the coil by simply bending it, the strap being composed of comparatively thin metal which will break, by a bending operation, at the notches particularly when the said notches are close to a fixed nail. Furthermore, the end of the strap is clean and even, and it lies close to the wall of the box, so that it will not cut the hands when the box is handled. It is evident that the strap can be weakened in other ways than by notching it, and, accordingly, it is not desired to strictly confine the invention to notches in the respective edges of the strap.

My new article is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and may be applied with great ease and despatch to ordinary boxes or packing cases.

Having thus fully described the invention,what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. As a new article of manufacture, box strapping comprising a comparatively narrow band of sheet metal provided with nail holes at intervals in its length and provided, also, with means for producing lines of weakness transversely of the strap, said nail holes being adjacent to and at opposite sides of each transverse line of weakness.

2. As a new article of manufacture, box strapping comprising a narrow band of sheet metal the respective edges of which are provided with notches, the notches in one edge being coincident with the notches in the other edge to produce lines of weakness transversely of the strap, and provided, also, with a series of holes positioned in the metal of the strap intermediate of the notches therein and at/opposite sides of the line of weakness formed by the coincident notches.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAPMAN SOLOMON, Jn.

Witnesses:

WM. G. An'ronovrcn, LESLIE V. HORN.

Images