US2025410A

US2025410A - Box

Info

Publication number: US2025410A
Application number: US748057A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert A Bonn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-10-12
Filing date: 1934-10-12
Publication date: 1935-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 1952-12-24

Description

Dec. 24, 1935. R. A. BONN 2,025,410

BOX

Filed Oct. 12, 1934 [NVEN 7018.

i wrfwy v a sliding bolt 2| in a guide 22.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITE STAT Claims.

This invention relates to boxes or containers of the type which may be used for the safekeeping of valuables or for containing articles, access to which is to be made difficult, and for other uses. The object of the invention is to provide a box having a looking or closing mechanism so arranged that it lends an air of mystery or magic to the box in that the box cannot be opened without knowledge of its locking. mechanism. Or at least, that the opening and the closing of the box occurs in a manner to arouse the curiosity and so that the box besides being useful may also serve as an amusing novelty.

To this end the invention is embodied in the box having means therefor so arranged that the cover can be opened only when the box is held in one certain position and a certain locking mechanism operated in a certain manner not easily ascertainable. In the accompanying drawmg Fig. 1 is a top view of the box.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but shows the box turned upside down.

Fig. 5 is an end View of the box.

Fig. 6 shows a modification.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of parts of Figure 6.

The box consists of a bottom I0, two sides H and i2, and two ends is and Id. The top is open and is closed by a cover 15. The cover is hinged or pivoted to the box by a pin it which passes through the top and into a flange I! at one end of the box. The flange l1 extends from side to side of the box and forms a sort of shelf therein. The cover is therefore mounted to be swung horizontally on the box to open it. Normally such movement is made impossible because of a small stud l8 which is seated by gravity in a socket l9 in the flange l1 and which projects into another socket 20 in the cover.

Thus the cover cannot be moved so long as the stud l8 engages the cover.

At the other end of the box there is located The bolt is connected by means of a suitable looped wire or otherwise to a nipple 2-3 which carries a knob 24 outside the box. The nipple 23 extends through a slot 25 in the end of the box. The slot 25 is hidden from view by the knob. The bolt 2! has a normal position as shown in Figure 2, that is, it does not engage the cover. However, when the box is turned upside down the bolt 2! will fall by gravity into a socket 26 in the cover.

The operation is as follows: Figure 2 shows what may be called the normal position of the box resting upon its bottom and with the cover locked and immovable. The box is opened first by turning it upside down as shown in Figure 4. In this position the stud It has fallen by gravity from the socket 19 in the box into the socket 20 in the cover below the dividing line, so this stud no longer engages the box and forms no hindrance to the swinging movement of the cover. However, when the stud l8 becomes disengaged from the box, the bolt 2! falls by gravity into engagement with the cover and enters the socket 26 therein. Consequently the cover, while being automatically unlocked at [9 is now automatically locked at 26 and cannot be opened until one takes hold of the knob 24 and lifts the sliding bolt up out of the cover socket 26. Then the box is opened by swinging the cover to either side on the pin l6.

It will be seen therefore, that a person not knowing the mechanism of the box will be mystified in trying to open it and may never succeed in opening it because the box must be held in the exact upside-down position before the locking means may be operated to permit movement of the cover. The knob is freely turnable in the nipple 23 and this also will mislead .and confuse because one will imagine that r0- tating the knob has something to do with opening it. Even should a person discover the sliding movement of the knob in the slot 25 this will only help to still further mystify him because he will have no knowledge of the stud l9 and its functions.

For the purpose of increasing the mysterious or misleading features of the box, the cover and bottom are shaped alike as seen in Figure 3, the flattened portions 36 enabling the box to rest in a normal position like any other box. Although the top of the pin I6 may be seen from the top, it may lead one to think that it is a de pressible bottom and thus also serves as a misleading feature.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a modification in which the box is provided with hooked members 3|, 3! which project in over the cover to prevent forcible opening thereof by inserting a tool in the dividing line between cover and box. The cover will be shaped as shown in Figure 6 to permit it tobe swung open as shown in dotted lines. A second dummy knob is attached to the box in Figure 6 to still further mislead. It

may of course also be attached to the box in Figure 1.

The box may be made of any suitable material and in any size. It may be ornamented alike on the cover and bottom both for the sake of appearance and formisleading purposes. It will be noted that the box is locked irrespective of whether it has the cover or bottom uppermost and that tilting the box only serves to increase the difficulty of opening.

I claim:--

1. A box having an open top, a cover to close said box, means for swingably mounting the cover on the box to open the same, gravity operated means at each end of the box for normally preventing opening movement of the cover in either normal or inverted position, the gravity operating means at one end of the boxes being always invisible and means for manually operating the other of said gravity operated means to open the box.

2. A box having an open top, a cover to close said box mounted thereon, invisible gravity roperated means preventing the cover from being opened when the box rests on its bottom, other gravity operated means preventing the cover from being opened when the box is turned upside down and mechanism for rendering said last named gravity operated means inactive to permit opening of the box in its upside down position.

3. A box having an open top, a cover to close the box mounted thereon, a gravity operated stud in said box in engagement with the cover to prevent opening thereof in all positions except when the box is turned upside down, a gravity operated 5 bolt in the box adapted to engage the cover to prevent opening thereof when the box is turned upside down and means operable from outside the box for disengaging said sliding bolt from the cover to permit opening the box.

4. A box having an open top, a cover to close r the box mounted thereon, gravity operated means in the box engaging the cover to prevent opening when the box is held in a given position, other gravity operated means in the box engaging the cover to prevent opening when the box is held in another certain position, said first mentioned means then being automatically disengaged from the cover and mechanism for operating-the said other means to permit opening of the box. 7

5. A box, a cover therefor, means for mounting the cover on the box to permit opening'thereof by a swinging movement of the cover, invisible gravity operated means in the box automatically preventing opening thereof irrespective of the position in which the box is held and mechanism operable from outside the box for operating certain of said invisible gravity operated means to permit opening the box.

ROBERT A. BONN.