US1811439A - Lunch box - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1931. 1.. SCHERZ ET AL LUNCH BOX Filed April 2, 1929 Sheets-Sheet l June 23, 1931.

L. SCHERZ ET AL 1,811,439"

LUNCH BOX Filed April 2, 1929 2 sheat s-Sheet 2 Patented June 23, 1931 PATENT OFFICE LOUIS SCHERZ AND EMIL SOHERZ, OF WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA LUNCH BOX Application filed April 2,

This invention relates to special receptacles and more particularly to a lunchbox. One. object of the invention is to provide a lunch box having a large capacity for food and also adapted to hold a thermos bottle containing coflfee or another liquid and a cup or equivalent container into which the liquidgis to be poured.

, Another object of the invention is to so form the body portion of the lunch box that a tray may be removably supported in its upper portion and retained out of contact with acup secured in the box beneath the tray. 1

Another object of the inventionv is to so form the cup-securing means that when released its arms or jaws will move into position close to the inner faces of side walls of the box where they willbe out of the way.

Another object of the invention is to allow a thermos bottle or similar liquid container to be easily fitted into the cover of the box and firmly but releasably secured therein and prevented from dropping out of the cover when the coveris closed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved lunch box when closed Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the lunch box open, one end wall of the cover being partially broken away.

i Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the tray,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View taken longitudinally through the lunch box with the cover closed and the tray in place, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on theline 55 of Fig. 4.

The body portion 1 of the improved lunch box is formed from a single blank of: rustproof metal, such as aluminum, and has a flat bottom 2 from which extend upstanding side and end walls 3 and 4;. Against the outer surface of one end wall is secured a card holder 5 in which a card bearing the owners name. may be placed. The box or body 1 is relatively deep and in spaced relation to their upper ends the walls are crimped inwardly to form a ledge 6 adapted to support a tray 7 The tray 1s also formed 1929. Serial No. 351,978.

from a single blank of rust-proof metal and is of such length and width that it fits snugly into the box and of such depth that when in place the upper edges of its side and end walls terminate flush with the upper edges of the walls of the box. The upper edges of the walls are rolled inwardly about a wire, as shown at 7 so that the box may be engaged with the fingers and easily removed. This tray is to be packed with sandwiches, whereas large articles of food, such as fruit or a slice of cake, may be placed in the lower portion of the box beneath the tray. The lower portion of the box is also intended to receive a cup or glass 8, and in order to allow this cup to be securely but releasably held at one end of the box, there has been provided cup-securing means adapted to engage about a cup, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The cup-securing means consists of companion jaws or arms 9 and 10 formed from strips of resilient material and having their ends bent to form attaching feet 11 which are secured in fiat contacting engagementwith the inner surface of an end wall by rivets or equivalent fasteners 12. The jaw 9 has its free end bent to form a tooth or bill 13 adapted to be engaged in a selected one of the slots or openings 14 formed in the free end portion of the jaw 10, and in order to allow the jaws to be easily drawn toward each other about a cup placed in the box, the jaw 9 has been cut to provide a tongue 15 bent outwardly to form a finger hold and the jaw 10 has its free end bent outwardly to form an ear or finger hold 16. By this arrangement the finger holds or ears 15 and 16 may be grasped and the jaws drawn toward each other about a cup until they are in tight binding engagement with the cup and the bill 13 then engaged in the nearest opening 14.- in order to retain the jaws in a set position. When so secured, there will be no danger of the jaws slipping out of engagement with each other as their resiliency causes them to have a tendency to return to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and the glass or cup will be firmly held in place and prevented from moving in the box Fiqarticles of food placed in the box to be very easily removed. 7

In order to close the top. or upper end of the box, there has been provided a cover 17 which is also formed from a single blank of rust-proof metal and is connected with One 1 side wall of the box by hinges 18. .The cover is of a dome shape formation in transverse cross section, as shown in Fig. 5, and of such height that a thermos bottle may be placed in the cover andsuspended' therein above the tray when thencover is closed. 1 A securing bandlf) for the thermos bottle is secured within the cover transversely thereof by rivets or equivalent fasteners 20 and has its end portions formed similar to the jawsr9 and 10. One end portion of the band is formed with a number of slotsor openings 21 and terminates in a lip or ear 22correspondingto the ear 16 of the jaw 10 andthe other v 'end portion of the band is formed with a latch 23 corresponding to the latch 13 and i also has a tongue struck therefrom and. bent outwardly to form an ear 24: corresponding to the ear or. tongue 15. Bythis arrange 'ment a thermos bottle maybe placed in the cover while the cover is in its opened posit1on shown 111 Fig. 2 and the end portions of the. bottle-securing hand drawn about the e bottle and united thereby firmly securing the bottle in the cover where it will be suspended, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, when the coveris closed. The wallsof the cover are flared, as shown at 25, in order to allow the cover to fit snugly about-the body portion of the. box and also-form an abutment shoulder forengagement by the upper edges of the walls of the box to limit downward movement of the cover when closed, and in order to releasably secure the cover closed, there has been provided'latches 26 formed similar tov those'applied totrunks and the like. and

adapted to engage pins 27 projecting from the: front ofthe cover. Ventilating opens ings28 have beenshown formed in the front extends longitudinally of the cover and has the lower portion of the box and the cup and thermos bottle prevented from moving after being set in place and secured.-

Having thus described the invention, we claim: i

l. A lunch box comprising a body open at its top and having a bottom and upstanding walls, means in the body to removably secure a container, said means consisting of resilient jaws extending horizontallyin said body and adapted tobe drawn towards each other about a container, one jaw having openings in its free end portion spaced longitudinally of the jaw and the other jaw having a bill at its free end engageable in a selected openingof the: first jaw, linger holds projecting from said jaws to facilitate movement of the jawstowards each other, and a cover for said body.

2. A lunch box comprising a, body open at its top and having a bottom and upstanding walls, means the body to removably secure a liquid receptacle,a cover for said body extending upwardly therefrom when in a closed position, means to removably seoure a liquid container in saidgcover and suspend the container above said; body when the cover is closed, one of said securing means consisting of resilient jaws adapted to' be, drawn towards eachother about the article to belsecured, one jaw having openings in its free end portion spaced longitudinally of the jaw and the other jaw having a bill engageable' in a selected opening ofthe first jaw, and finger-holds projecting from said jaws to facilitate movement of the jaws to-; wards each other.

in testimony-whereof we aifixour signa-' wallof the boxer body and it will be understoodthat similar openings may be formed 'in'other' walls ofthe box and also in the itsv ends secured thereto by clips 30 and rings 31 are secured against the end walls of the cover for engagement by a shoulderstrap.

I I have',therefo're, provided a lunch box in which a largequant-ity'of food may be car- 7 ried', together with a drinking cup. and thermos bottle and have further provided a lunch-boxv in which sandwichesplaccd in the tray may be kept separate from fruit land other larger articles of food placed in

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