US1809355A - Telescopically collapsible box - Google Patents

Description

June 9, :1931. J. A. POWELL TELESCQPICALLY COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed April 18, 1929 INVENTOR.

v.7;4fl7f'5 Pan 4 4 BY /ZQ7 A TTORNEYS Patented June 9 1931 I "fumrso srATEs- PATENT OFFICE] JAMES A. POWELL, or RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, Assrenonro THE A EnroAN To Aoc A COMPANY, OF NEW Y03K,1\T.' Y., A CORPORATION or ew annsn "TEL EsoOPIcALnY cOLLAr'sIBLn BOX Application filed April 18,

This invention is animprovement in a telescopically collapsible box,and more par- 7 ticularly in a boxer can designed for containing smoking tobacco forretailing.

In the usual construction of box of this character, the box is of considerable depth,

' and the tobacco'is usually in a state of some compression. In order to discharge the contents, it is usual to dislodge and loosen a portion thereof with a finger. When the contents areapproximately half exhausted, it"is' Very difficult to reach the remaining part of the tobacco to loosen and dislodge it.

v One of the primary objects of the present invention is the provision of a box of the character in question, of a'nature such that as the contents of the box are removed, the sectionsmay be collapsed to lessen the length of the box, thereby to facilitate access to the l deformation of any part of the sections.

remainder of the contents.

Another object is the provision'of a box wherein the telescopic sections may be quickly assembled merely by pushing them together, and wherein the sections may be easily separated from each other, without Another object is the provision of a ,box wherein the connections between the sections ,is such that they will-be held inexandengagement of the lock.

tended position, whatever the relation of the sections, by friction, and will be releasably, locked in fully extended position.

Another object is the provision of'a connectionsuch that the natural resiliency of the sectionsimay be utilized in the release Another object is the provision of a box v "of-this character, so'construc'ted that it differsbut slightly in appearance from the usual "box, and wherein when the label is in place thereon the difference in appearance is practically negligible.

Another object is to provide a construe tion such that the cost of the box is not materially increased.

'AnOtherOb eOt 1s to provlde in such a con- 1 struction, a smooth and flat joint between the sections of the box, wherein the-'- joint offers a minimum of deformation.

With these and other objects in viewthe bead 6, against which 1929. Serial No. 356,060.

in the scope ofthe claims", may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention; In the drawings forminga'part hereof Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved box extended. f

Figs. 2 and 4: are sections on'the lines 22 and 4ls4of Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 is a view similar to 2 with the box collapsed.

In the present embodiment ofthe inven- I tion the improved .box which is of sheet metal, or the like, is composed of an upper and lower section, telescopically connected, to slide one within the other. The boxis The lower section 1 is provided with a Q bottom 2 forming a closure atone end ofthe box, and the upper section 8 is provided with a cover 4 whichis hinged to the sec usualflanged cover, fitting the end of the section, which is provided with an" annular. 7 the flange of the cover abuts.

designed to fit the pocket, and is'joblong" in v A horizontal crosssectionpas shown.

tionas indicatcdin 5, the cover being the; i

The lower end of the upper section fits 7 within the upper end' of the lower section,

[as shown, and mechanism is provided .in connection with the-sections for releasably holding them fully extended, and for enabling collapse of the sections to any degree,

between the positions of Figures 2 and 3.

The interlocking mechanism is in the form of depressions in the walls of the sections'at their meeting ends. These depressions form bosses"? and 8 on the outer faces of the sections, and the bosses of the-inner section are so arranged with relation' to those of the outer section, that the said bosses 7 will fit within the bosses '8, whereby to lock the sectionsin extended position.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 4, fourisets s rin in the side walls of the up oer sec- P z: e l

tion inwardly. The upper section is of a length such that it may be telescoped within the lower section, as shown in Fig. 3,"approximately the full depth thereof, this movement being limited by the annular bead 6, before mentioned.

In the use of the improved box, the tobacco is first wrapped in a package, and the wrapped package is inserted into the box. Both of these operations are done by machinery. The wrapped package may be inserted in the box after the sections are as sembled, or it may be inserted in the lower section, and the upper section fitted into place. The sections are easily assembled, it only being-necessary to push the lower end 1 of the upper section into the upper end of the lower section, until the bosses interlock. The box is then stably held against accidental displacement of the sections. The to bacco. is usually removed by loosening the same with the fingers, the tobacco being more or less compact in the package. This operation is continued, and eventually the tobacco is lowered, so that it is difiicult or impossibleto reach it with the fingers.-

When this occurs, the upper section is pushed downward, as shown in Fig. 3.

If approximately half of the contents have been removed, the sections may be fully collapsed, but it will be apparent that they may,

be collapsed to any desired extent, to retain the level of the tobacco in the box at approximately the top thereof. The provision of fthe bosses insures easy assembling of the mg, and also facilitates the collapse of the box sections either fully or partially.

If the sections should stick, the bosses may be released fromeach other by springing of .the sides of the upper section. The bosses,

the sections being merely slidabl'y engaged, That-is, the locking engagement between the sections is of a relatively negligible area,

' so'th'at binding between the sections is reduced to a minimum.

The bosses are stamped in the sections, and the bosses of the two sections are comple mental, that is, the bosses of-the inner secsections prior to packing, or during packtions fit within the depressions formed by 'the stamping of the bosses in the outer section. When the sections are collapsed partially or completely, the bosses of the inner section, which as will be seen from inspecsection, without any noticeable deformation of either section wall. Thatis, the outer bosses are external, so that they do not engage the other section, except as concerns the bosses of said other section.

By the terms depressions and bosses as herein employed, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the substantially spherical protuberances shown in the drawings as obviously stamped out portions of other configurations which are complemental and which are arranged to interlock, may be employed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

It will be noticed referring to Fig. 1, that above a line connecting the upper edges of the bosses 8, the relative wide side walls of the lower section are bent inwardly at a slight angle to the body portions of the side walls. This is to insure a tight fit between the side walls of the sections. portions at thetop of the lower section which are bent at a very slight angle, are indicated at 9 in Fig. 1. It will be noticed that the bosses 8 are near the side edges of the relatively wide side walls, and near the commencement of the curvature of theend walls, so that there is a considerable degree of stiflness at this point and a substantial support.

The releasable lock; namely, the bosses, for holdin the sections in fully extended position, is a feature of importance in boxes of this character. As was previously stated, the packages areinserted into the boxes by machinery, being pushed into the relatively stationary box by a plunger. If the box sections were freely slidable relative to each other, they would tend to collapse under the impetus of the plunger. In placing the label, considerable pressure is brought to bear against the ends of the box, since it must be held firmly, during the pressingof the label to place. There is also a tendency at this time to collapse the sections, if some interlocking mechanism is not provided to hold them extended. The interlocking bosses provides such a means.

In order to serve as a guide ,in the extension of the box, to show-that it is fully extended, a boss 10 is provided at approximately the center of each of the long sides of the inner section, the said boss being so positioned that when the sections are fully extended, it will, be just above 'the upper edge of the lower section,- and'just free from said edge. This boss also assists in presense of feeling by the sense of sight, in determining the full extension of the sections.

What is claimed as new is' I V 1. A packet tobacco box having oppositely arranged relatively wide substantially fiat sides composed of two telescopic sections,

one provided with a bottom permanently seamed thereto, and the other with a cover, the sections having complemental stamped out bosses arranged to, interlock, with the bosses of the inner section fitting within the depressions formed by the stamping of the bosses on the outer section, when the sections are in extended position, and adapted to hold the sections temporarily extended, or partially extended by frictional engagement of the bosses of the inner section with the outer section wall, or to permit complete separation of the sections, the bosses being in the fiat sides near the open ends of the sections.

2. A pocket telescopicsections, one provided with a bottobacco. box composed of two the sections extended, said bosses being near the meetin' ends of the sections, and on the fiat sides 0 the sections near the beginning oi the curvature of the rounded sides, and

another boss on each flat side of the inner most section near the middle of each side wall near the end which meets the outer section, arranged to engage outside the edge of thellower section at the said end when the sections are extended."

5. A pocket tobacco box composed of two telescoping sections having plane relatively wide side walls, and relatively narrow end walls, the sections having complemental stamped out bosses arranged to interlock when the sections are fully extended, said bosses being-on the plane sides near their junction with the relatively narrow sides for the purpose set forth. I

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New Yorkthis 2nd" I day of April A, D. 1929.

- v Q JAMES A. POWELL.

tom and the other with a cover, the opposite I side walls of the sections having comple mental'stamped out bosses arranged to interlock with the bosses of one section fitting within the complemental bosses of the other section when the sections are infiextended position, and adapted to hold the sections temporarily extended, and to permit complete separation of the sections, said bosses being near the side edges of the sidewalls and at the beginning of the curvature of the end walls.

3. A pocket tobacco box composed of two telescopic sections, one provided with a bottom and the other with a cover, the opposite side walls of the sections having complemental stamped out bosses arranged to interlock with the bosses of one section fitting within the companion bossesof the other section when the sections are fully extended, and supplemental bosses on the said side walls ofthe inner section positioned to j v be exposed when the sections are fully extended, and serving to supplement the ac- 4. A pocket tobacco box, composed of telescoping sections, the opposite side walls of the sections having complemental stamped out rounded bosses adapted to interlock with I the bosses of the inner section within the depressions formed by the stamping of the bosses on the outer section wherebyto hold

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