US1625754A - Watch-crystal tray - Google Patents

Description

1,625,754 Aprll 19, 1927. v T. TOBITA I WATCH CRYSTAL TRAY Filed April 22. 1926 11v VEA! 012. iam/p gpb/z ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNITED, STATES 1,625,754 PATENT OFFICE.

TOSI-IIO TOBIT'A, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 KONISHI KOTAKUDO COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WATCH-CRYSTAL TRAY.

Application filed April 22, 1926.

This invention is a tray for watch crystals adapted to be used by retail jewelers and watchn'iakers, etc., for holding watch glasses or crystals in convenient and accessible position and from which crystals may be separately withdrawn as occasion may require. In practice, the tray is preferably in the form of a drawer adapted with several other drawers of similar construction to occupy a suitable cabinet.

Trays for holding: watch crystals have long been employed- They are generally in the form of a relatively shallow drawer divided longitudinally and transversely by partitions into a large number of compartments of such size as to receive the crystals when stood on edge. 'lrays of this character are thoroughly satisfactory for circular watch crystals. At the present time, however, crystals, iiarticularly for wrist watches, are made in a great variety of shapes and sizes, and such shapes are, in many cases, of such irregular character that the crystals cannot be eifectively stacked on edge in the tray and can only be laid flat. hen a number of these various shaped crystals of different sizes are in a compartment of the tray, lying fiat, it is almost impossible at times to get them out of the tray and in any event, the removal of the crystals cannot be accomplished with that degree of ease and dexterity desired by the trade.

With these considerations in mind, the object of the present invention is to provide a tray for watch glasses or crystals in which the glasses may be received into the several compartments in such manner as to lie on an inclined surface up which they may be moved by drawing the crystals edgewise. To this end, the tray is provided with a plurality of coi'npartn'ients as before, but in the bottom of each compartment is positioned a filler piece which slopes from the upper forward edge of each compartment to the lower rear edge thereof, while the rear wall of each compartment extends vertically as before. The vertical rear wall serves to slightly separate the crystals if they are of the same size, while the exposed surface of the sloping filler wall guides the uppermost crystal out of the compartment when it is drawn lightly forward by a finger applied thereto.

Vi ith a tray, constructed as described, no

Serial No. 103,736.

diiiiculty is encountered in the removal or glasses of all shapes and sizes from the various compartments and, moreover, this may be accomplished in a thoroughly expeditious manner.

Features of the invention, other than those specified, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claim, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention. but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure l is a perspective view showing a watch glass tray embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is section on the line 92 of Figure l; and,

Figures 3 and -flare perspective views of different forms of filler pieces, one of which is associated with each compartment of the tray.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a tray which, in practice, is generally in the form of a relatively large shallow drawer, a plurality of which are adapted to be associated in a suitable cabinet. To facilitate the handling of the tray, it is preferably provided with handles or knobs 2. I

The interior of the tray is divided by a plurality of intersecting longitudinal and transverse partitions 3 and 4, respectively. into a relatively large number of compartments. The partitions can be conveniently intersected by half lapping the partitions with respect to one another at each line of intersection. This gives a strong durable construction.

Permanently secured in each compartment is a tiller piece 5 or 5 of the character shown in either Figures 3 or 4:. This filler piece is preferably in the form of a block adapted to fit into a compartment and the upper portion of which block is cut away to form an inclined surface, which when the block is in place in the compartment, will extend from the forward upper edge of the compartment to the lower rear edge. All of the compartments are constructed in the manner described and the filler pieces are permanently secured therein preferably by glue.

It will be noted from Figure 3 that the inclined surface 6 is concave and from Figure 4 that the inclined surface 6 is straight. In either instance, the slope of these surfaces will cause the glasses 7 to gravitate into a position wherein their rear edges will engage with the upstanding vertical hack 8 of the compartment in which they are placed. This will cause a slight canting of the glasses as shown in Figure 2, whereby each successive glass will be slightly separated from the next preceding glass to facilitate the removal of the glasses individually.

I consider it important to form the rear face of each compartment with a vertical wall as this arrangement automatically positions the glasses in the stepped relation shown in Figure 2 and assures their ready removal particularly when a straight sloping bottonn such as shown in Figure l, is employed and this is the preferred form of the invention. lVith this arrangement, the glasses may be individually removed with the greatest ease and will not have the slightest tendency to stick or dig into the slope of the filler block.

The tray may be constructed from any suitable material, but I find it convenient and desirable in practice to make it of wood. since it can. be economically manufactured from this material, and, moreover, the wood will not scratch the watch crystals.

Actual practice has demonstrated the high efficiency of the tray of this invention over trays of the prior art, particularly for the reception of watch glasses of other than circular form, although the invention is thoroughly practical and highly useful even when employed to hold circular glasses.

The specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood fully commensurate with the appended claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A watch crystal holder embodying a tray divided by a plurality of intersecting longitudinal and transverse partitions into a p111- rality of rectangular compartments having vertical walls, and a separately formed tiller piece seated on the bottom and contacting with the side walls of said compartments, said tiller piece having a gradually curved upper face sloping dmvmvardly from the upper edge of the forward wall of each compartment and merging into the bottom adjacent the rear wall thereof, whereby the said rear wall will serve to slightly separate the crystals when placed in a stacked relation on said filler piece.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

TOSHIO TOBITA.

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