US2339933A - Cigar box - Google Patents

Description

Jam 1944- E. w. LILIENFIELD r 2,339,933

CIGAR BOX Filed Aug. 25, 1943 I h WM Patented Jan. 25, 1944 UNITED STATES, PATENT- oFFic E CIGAR BOX Eugene W. Lilienfield, Chicago, 111., assignor to Jose Escalante 8; Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 23, 1943, Serial No. 499,631

3 Claims. 1 101. 217- 61) The present invention relates generally to cigar boxes. More particularly the invention relates to that type of cigar box which serves as a medium for storing or retaining a group of cigars, is adapted to be placed on top of a sales counter or case when it is desired to display the cigars in connection with merchandising thereof, and as its component parts comprises (1) a rectangular open top body which is formed of wood or other suitable material and consists of a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall and a pair of side walls; (2) a 4-piece rectangular frame which fits within the front, back and side walls of the body, defines with the body bottom wall a compartment for the cigars and has the upper margin J thereof extending above the upper edges of the front, back and side walls of the body; (3) a cover which is hinged to the back wall of the body so that it is movable back and forth between a closed position wherein it overlies and covers the cigars in the compartment, and an open position wherein it extends upwards and rearwards with respect to the rear wall of the body, and embodies a depending marginal flange which when the cover is in its closed position surrounds the upper exposed margin of the frame and forms therewith a lap joint for hermetically sealing the compartment, and (4) a releasable instrumentality which serves to hold the cover in its open position in connection with display of the cigars.

One object of the invention is to provide a cigar box of this type which is an improvement upon, and has certain advantages over, previously designed cigar boxes and is characterized by the fact that the cover holding instrumentality is both simple and novel so far as construction or design is concerned.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cigar box of the type under consideration in which the cover holding instrumentality consists of a spring wire arm, one end of which is bent at right angles and is journaled or pivotally mounted in a hole in the upper rear portion of one of the side walls of the box body and the other end of which is bent at right angles in the same direction as the one end, is shaped to fit within a hole in the rear portion of the part of the cover flange that overlies said one side wall of the box body when the cover is in its closed position, and is adapted when the cover'is in its open position to be inserted into its hole by first flexing the distal portion of the arm in one direction and manipulating it until said other end is in registry with its hole and then flexing the distal porpiece of the frame in order that the arm is nor- I mally 'locked in place, and said adjacent side piece of the frame is mounted so that it maybe slid upwards out of its operative position in order to permit of ready application and removal of the arm constituting the instrumentality for holding the cover inits open position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cigar box which is generally of new and improved construction and in which the arm for holding the cover in its open position is so designed or constructed that the distal end thereof may be readily disengaged from the hole defining portion of the'cover flange when it is desired to close the cover;

Other objectsof the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the; present cigar box will be apparent from a consideration of thefollowingrdetailed description.

The invention 'consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion-hereof. v

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of referencedenote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure lis a perspective of a cigar box embodying the invention, the cover being shown in its open position and held" in place by the spring wire arm;'

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of-the portion of thebox that is provided with the spring wire coverholding arm, illustrating in detail the manner in which the prox- -imal end of the arm is journall'ed and held 'in place; and H g g g Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

The cigar box' which is shown in the drawing constitutes the preferred form or embodiment of the invention. It serves as a medium for storing or retaining a group of cigars and is adapted tobe placed on tcp' of asales counter or case when-it is desired todisplay the; cigars in connection with merchandising or selling thereof.

walls are connected to, and project upwards from, the marginal portions of the bottom wall and are connected together at their ends so that the body is rigid. They are of uniform height.

and have flat upper edges.

The frame 5 fits within the front. back and side walls of the body and defines with the body bottom wall 8 a Compartment for the cigars. It

is of l-piece design or construction and consists of a front piece It, a back piece l4 and a pair of side pieces !5 and I 6. The front piece l3 fits against the inner face of the front wall 9 of the box body 4 and is glued or otherwise fixedly secured thereto. The back piece H of the frame '5 is disposed in spaced parallel relation with the "front piece I 3 and fits against; and is gluedor otherwise fixedly secured to, the innerface of the back wall 10 of the body of the box. The frame side piece fits loosely against the body side wall I I and has inwardly bevelled end edges. The adjacent end edges of the front and back frame pieces l3 and I4 are inwardly bevelled and coact with the inwardly bevelled end edges of the frame side piece l5 to form a mount or slide connection whereby the side piece l5 of the frame 5 may be slid vertically into and out of its normal or operative position. When the frame side piece I5 is in its normal position the adjacent inwardly bevelled end edges of the frame front and back pieces l3 and M coact with the inwardly bevelled end edges of the side piece l5 to hold such side piece against inward displacement with respect to the side wall H of the box body 4. The other side piece of the frame, i. e., the side piece l6, fits against the inner face of the side wall l2 of the box body and is glued or otherwise fixedly secured in place.

drawing, and also permits the arm to be swung upwards and rearwards into an operative posi- The front, back and side pieces of the frame 5 are of uniform height and the upper marginal parts thereof extend above the upper'edges of the front, back and sidewalls of the body and have the outer face portions thereof chamfered upwardly.

The cover 5 corresponds in size and shape to the bottom wall '8 of the box body 4. It 6111-."

bodies a rectangular depending "marginal flange l1 and is connected to the back wall lll of the box body by way of a pair of hinges 18 in order that it is movable back and forth between a closed position wherein it overlies and covers the.

cigars in the compartment in the boxbody 4 and an open position wherein it extends upwards and rearwards with respect to the back wall I5. When the cover is in its closed position the'margin'al flange !1 thereof surrounds the exposed.

mounted hook it on the central portion of the sition. When the frame side piece I5 is in disconnected relation with the other pieces of the frame the arm 23 may be removed by shifting it the body side wall ll.

front part of the flange l1 and an outwardly extending head equipped stud 22 on the upper central portion of the front wall 9 of the box body serve releasably to secure the cover in its closed position.

The releasable instrumentality 1 for holding the cover 6 in its open position consists of an arm 23 which is formed of spring wire of suitable gaugeand has one end thereof bent at right angles to form a pivot part 24, and its other end bent at right angles in the same direction as the pivot part in order to form a latch part 25. The portion of the arm that has the pivot part 24 constitutes the proximal end of the arm and as shown in the drawing is interposed between the upper rearlportion of the side wall ll of the box body 4 and the upper rear portion of the side piece I5 of the frame 5. The pivot part 24 extends outwards and is journalled or pivotally mounted in a hole 26 in the upper rear portion of It permits the arm as a whole to be swung forwards and downwards into an inoperative position wherein the latch part 25 overlies the upper edge of the side wall II of the box body 4 as shown by dotted lines in the tion. The latch part 25 of the arm 23 is adapted when the cover is in its open position and the arm is in its operative position to fit within a hole 21 in the rear portion of the side part of the cover flange that is coplanar with the side wall H of the box body 4 and serves when in its hole 2'l to hold the cover in its open position. In order to render the arm l3 operative when the cover 6 is in its open position the portion of the arm that embodies the latch part 25, i, e., the distal'portion of th arm, is flexed inwards and then the cover and arm are swung until the latch part 25 is in registry with the hole 27. As soon as the latch part is brought into registry or alignment with the hole 27 the distal portion of thearm is flexed outwards in order to bring the latch part into seated relation with the hole 21. When the arm is in its operative position with the latch part 25 in its hole 2'! it serves as a brace or strut and hence locks the cover in its open .position and preventsit from being angularly displaced with respect to the box body 4. The mainportion of the arm 23 is normally straight. When it is desired to close the cover the distal portion of the arm 23 is flexed or sprung inwards in order to withdraw the latch .withdrawn from the hole the arm is no longer operative and before closing the cover the arm .is swung forwards and downwards into its inoperative position wherein, as previously pointed out, the latch part 25 overlies the upper edge of the sidewall ll of the body. When the arm is in its inoperative position the cover may be swung forwards and downwards into its closed position. Theupper rear portion of the side I piece l5 of the frame 5 bears against the proxi- ,the-pivot part 24 in its hole26 in the upper mal portion of the arm 23 and serves to retain rear portion of the side wall H of the box body.

When it is desired to remove the arm 23 for replacement or other purposes the side piece l5 of the frame 5 is slid upwards out of its normal poinwards so as to withdraw the pivot part 24 from .the hole 25, By having the side piece 15 of the wall of the body so that it is movable back and frame removable the arm 23 constituting the releasable cover holding instrumentality I may be rea:hly applied or removed.

The herein described cigar box is simple in design and hence may be manufactured or produced at a low cost. Because the'box includes the arm 23 for releasably holding the cover 6 in its open position it may be used toadvantage on top of a sales counter or casein connection with display of the cigars in the compartment in the body 4. Due to the fact that the releasable instrumentality for holding the cover in its open position is formed of spring wire and consists only of a normally straight arm with bent ends the cost of equipping the box with the instrumentality I is nominal.

Whereas the box has been described as a cigar box it is to be understood that it may be used to store or display other articles or merchandise. It is also to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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

1. As a new article of manufacture, a box adapted to store and display articles such as cigars and comprising a rectangular open top body, a rectangular frame fitting within the front, back and side walls of the body and having the upper margin thereof projecting above the upper edges of said front, back and side walls of the body, a rectangular cover provided with a depending marginal fiange and hinged to the back wall of the body so that it is movable back and forth between a closed position wherein it overlies the open top of the body and the flange thereof surrounds the upper margin of the frame and an open position wherein it extends upwards, and a releasable instrumentality for holding the cover in its open position, consisting of an arm having one end portion thereof interposed between one of the side walls of the body and the adjacent side piece of the frame and provided with an outturned extremity that is journalled in a transverse hole in the one side wall and permits the arm to swing back and forth between an inoperative position wherein the other end of the arm is substantially flush with the upper edge of said one side wall and an operative cover holding position wherein it extends upwards and rearwards, and having its other end bent outwards and adapted when the cover is in its open position and the arm is in its operative cover holding position to fit within a transverse hole in the side part of the flange that is coplanar with said one side wall of the body.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a box adapted to support and display cigars or other articles and comprising a rectangular open top body, a rectangular frame fitting within the front, back and side walls of the body and having the upper margin thereof projecting above the upper edges of said front, back and side walls of the body, a rectangular cover provided with a depending marginal flange and hinged to the back forth between a closed position wherein it overlies the open top of the body and the flange thereof surrounds the upper margin of the frame and an open position wherein it extends upwards and rearwards with respect to the body back wall, and a releasable instrumentality for holding the cover in its open position, consisting of a spring wire arm having one end portion thereof interposed between the upper rear portion of one of the side walls of the body and the upper rear portion of the adjacent side piece of the frame and provided with an out-turned extremity that is journalled in a transverse hole in said upper rear portion of said one side wall and permits the arm to swing forwards and downwards into an inoperative position wherein the other end of the arm is substantially flush with the upper edge of said one side wall and also upwards and rearwards into a cover holding position, and having its said other end bent outwards substantially at right angles and adapted when the cover is in its open position and the arm is in its operative cover holding position to fit within a transverse hole in the side part of the flange that is coplanar with said one side wall of the body.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a box adapted to store and display cigars or other articles and comprising a rectangular open top body, a rectangular l-piece frame fitting within the front, back and side walls of the body, and

having the upper margin thereof projecting above the upper edges of said front, back and side walls of the body, and having one of the side pieces thereof mounted so that it may be removed by upward sliding movement, a rectangular cover provided with a depending marginal flange and hinged to the back wall of the body so that it is movable back and forth between a closed position wherein it overlies the open top of the body and the flange thereof surrounds the upper margin of the frame and an open position wherein it extends upwards, and a releasable instrumentality for holding the cover in its open position consisting of an arm having one end portion thereof interposed between the removable side piece of the frame and the adjacent side wall of the body and provided with an out-turned extremity that is journalled in a transverse hole in said adjacent side wall and permits the arm to swing back and forth between an operative position wherein the other end of the arm is substantially flush with the upper edge of the adjacent side wall and a cover holding position wherein it extends upwards and rearwards, and having its other end bent outwards and adapted when the cover is in its open position and the arm is in its operative cover holding position to fit within a transverse hole in the side part of the flange that is coplanar with said adjacent side wall of the body, said removable side piece of the frame serving when in its normal position to retain said out-turned extremity of said one end portion of the arm in its hole and being adapted upon removal thereof to release the arm so that it may be removed from said adjacent side wall of the body by shifting it inwards.

EUGENE W. LILIENFIEID.

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