US2028661A - Box fastener - Google Patents

Description

3811- 21, 19351 c. E. GUSTAFSON ET AL 2,028,661

BOX FASTENER Filed Sept. 17, 1951 K'Vi 17 Patented Jan. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOX FASTENER sachusetts Application September 17, 1931, Serial No. 563,344

3 Claims.

This invention relates to fasteners and particularly to devices of that type used for securing covers upon pasteboard boxes, fastening the flaps of envelopes in closed relationship and for similar purposes.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the type specified which will efiect a secure joiner of a box and its cover and which is easily operated to fasten or unfasten the two members.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the type specified having its foldable clip or tongue constructed of looped ductile wire to provide for greater strength and security and at the same time render it free from sharp edges liable to scratch or injure the fingers of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the type specified embodying a sheetmetal plate having prongs or projections adapted to be clinched against the inside of the box or envelope to provide for greater security with less chance of its becoming loosened or disarranged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the type specified constructed from sheet-metal and standard wire stock easily formed by a simple process and assembled with a minimum of hand operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the type specified which is particularly neat in appearance and durable for repeated use over long periods of time.

Further objects of the invention are set forth in the following specification which describes several preferred forms of construction of the invention, by way of example, as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view representing a pasteboard mailing-box or carton with its cover secured thereto by means of the present improved fasteners;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the side of the box illustrating the manner in which the improved fastener is attached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fastener showing the angular notches for receiving the legs of the wire loop or tongue;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the improved fastener illustrating a preferred form of construction such as shown in the preceding views;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of a modified form of the fastener;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the same taken on line 6-4: of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same taken on line 11 of Fig. 5.

The present improved fastener comprises, in general, a relatively thin sheet-metal plate having legs projecting outwardly at right-angles to its main portion and adapted to be pierced through the side of the box or other container and clinched on the inside thereof to permanently attach the fastener thereto. Projecting upwardly from the plate-like base is a tongue or clip formed of looped wire adapted to be inserted through a slit or opening in the cover of the box and to be folded over the side thereof to temporarily secure the cover to the box. The tongue may be secured permanently to the plate or basemember by any suitable means such as herein illustrated and later described. The looped wire construction of the tongue provides for greater security and rigidity in attaching covers on boxes, flaps on envelopes and for similar purposes. The wire construction also renders the tongue free from sharp edges or projections and provides a means for attaching tags or labels to the box.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a carton or box 2 of conventional mailing type having sides 3 over which the cover 5 is placed with its sides 6 overlying those of the box. The cover 5 is usually provided with slits or openings 1 for receiving the tongue or clip of the fastener which is bent or folded down against the side 6 of the cover to fasten the latter in place on the box as shown at the left in Fig. 1. In this latter view of the drawing four fasteners are shown, one for each side of the box, but it is to be understood that the number of fasteners may vary according to the size and shape of the box or other container. I

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the fastener l0 comprises the sheet-metal base or plate ll provided at its top and bottom with a pair of pointed projections or prongs l2 and I3 bent at right angles to its main portion. At the top of the member H is a third prong l4 centrally disposed with respect to two adjacent outer prongs l2. The central prong I4 is of triangular shape with its edges lying opposite to and cooperating with those of the outer prongs I2 to form tapering slots iii. The vertices of the tapering slots folded upwardly and clinched around the lower inwardly bent ends 23 of the wire loop or tongue 20 when the parts are assembled in the manner as later explained.

The tongue or clip 28, before mentioned, comprises a single piece of ductile wire bent into a substantially hairpin-shaped loop with a curved top 22 and depending legs 2|. The terminal portions of the legs 2! are bent inwardly at their lower ends to form right-angled extensions 23 which meet at their inner extremities.

To assemble the two members H and 20 it is only necessary to force the legs 2| of the member 20 into the tapered slots 15 until they seat in the rounded openings or recesses I6 provided for this purpose, see Figs. 3 and 4, whereby they are firmly held against sideplay. The projections or ears I1 on the base-member I l are then folded upwardly and clinched around the right angled extensions 23 of the legs 2|, in the manner as illustrated in Fig. l, to securely clamp the lower ends of the legs thereto. The assembling of the two parts l0 and 20 may be accomplished by a simple press operation in the manner as well known to those versed in the art. The two cooperating parts of the fastener are thus securely joined together to resist considerable strain and stress.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the improved fastener i0 is applied to the side of the box by pressing the plate or base-member I! thereagainst to pierce its prongs l3 through the pasteboard or other soft material of the box with the prongs l2 and I l overlying the upper edges of the side. The prongs l3 are then bent or folded upwardly and the prongs l2 and i4 folded downwardly to clinch them against the inner Side of the box as shown in Fig. 2. The fastener is thus securely affixed to the side of the box to resist any tendency to dislodge it. The ears ll together with the legs 21 of the loop 20 will be pressed or indented into the pasteboard or other soft material of the box by the clinching operation so that the fastener will lie closely against its side. The fasteners may be applied manually to the box or automatically attached thereto by a simple operation in a boxfastening machine or other clinching apparatus.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of the drawing the fastener if!" comprises a base-member ll which is constituted by a fiat plate having pointed prongs 25 at top and bottom employed for the purpose of clinching the fastener to the box in the manner as previously explained. The main portion of the plate-member H is punched with two pairs of circular holes 25 and the metal between the holes of each pair is slitted. The edge portions of the slits are then forced outwardly substantially at right angles to the plane of the plate to form fins or splines 27, between which the legs Zi of a loop or tongue 2i) are positioned. The fins 21 are then bent inwardly to engage against the legs 21 see Figs. 5 and 6, to secure the tongue 20 fixedly against the face of the member H As in the first described embodiment of the invention, the legs 2 l of the wire loop or tongue 2i! are bent inwardly at their lower extremities. The right angled extensions 23 of the legs abut the lower edges of the splines or fins 2! to prevent vertical displacement of the loop or tongue. In this modified form of the invention the fastener is as strong and sturdy in construction and durable in use as the form first described.

To fasten the cover 5 upon the box 2 it is placed thereover with the upwardly-extending tongues or loops on the fasteners passed through the slits or openings 1 in the cover 5 as shown at the right in Fig. 1. The tongues are then bent or folded down over the sides of the cover as is the usual practice in closing mailing boxes of the present type, the two left-hand fasteners being shown in this position in Fig. 1.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the present improved fastener provides an extremely simple yet efficient device for the purposes specified. The parts of the fastener may be stamped from sheet-metal and cut from wire stock by a simple process and assembled with a minimum of hand operations, to render the article economical to manufacture. Moreover, the present fastener is particularly neat in appearance and durable in use.

A particular feature of the invention consists in making the body or base of the fastener of sheet-metal with integral prongs adapted to be clinched to the box or other container to securely attach the fastener thereto. The relatively wide fiat base of the fastener provides an extended bearing surface against the box so that there is less chance of its becoming loose or displaced. This feature presents an improvement over similar devices of a previous type constructed wholly of wire, and liable to tear through the box when undue pressure is exerted thereon.

The present improved fastener is herein described as embodied in several preferred forms of construction, but it is to be understood that further modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the component parts of the device without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limitation in this respect, we claim:

1. A fastener of the type specified comprising a sheet-metal late having pointed prongs projecting at right .angles to the plane of its face, and a wire loop having its legs overlying the face of the plate and positioned in the openings between adjacent prongs thereof with certain of said prongs bent around the ends of the loop to permanently attach the latter to the plate.

2. In a fastener of the type specified, the combination of a sheet-metal plate having pointed prongs projecting at right angles to its face at its upper and lower edges, the openings between adjacent upper prongs being tapered toward the plate and formed with notches at their inner ends, a wire loop having its legs overlying the face of the plate and held in the notches between the edges of the prongs, and certain of the lower prongs bent around the ends of the legs of the loop to permanently attach it to the plate.

3. A fastener of the type specified comprising a relatively flat sheet-metal plate having a series of prongs along its upper and lower edges projecting at right angles to the face of the plate, the openings between the upper prongs being formed with notches, and a wire hairpin-shaped loop having the extremities of its legs bent inwardly at right angles to their main portions, said loop being disposed with its legs against the face of the plate and seated in the notches between the upper prongs with a pair of the lower prongs clinched around the inwardly-bent portions of the legs to attach the loop to the plate.

HARRY R. HOLBROOK. CARL E. GUSTAFSON.

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