US2703667A - Utility box - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1955 5 MELLQ 2,703,667

UTILITY BOX Filed Dec. 14, 1950 INVENTOR G1. ORIA J. Os/Vsuo AT TOR NEY United States Patent UTILITY BOX Gloria J. De Mello, San Leandro, Calif. Application December 14, 1950, Serial No. 200,757

1 Claim. (Cl. 223-107) The invention relates to an ornamental utility box for disposal on a bureau or similar article of furniture.

An object of the invention is to provide a utility box of the character described which is particularly adapted to contain or mount sewing or jewelry or cosmetic or other articles of personal use.

Another object is to provide a utility box which is fabricated entirely of non-metallic elements.

A further object is the provision of a utility box providing pin-cushion facilities for the mounting and display of pins, or pin-carried, articles thereon.

Yet another object is to provide a box of the character described which is arranged to be fabricated entirely by sewing its elements together.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment thereof and in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a utility box embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 2-2 in Figure 1, a lid element of the box being shown in raised position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan section taken at the line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at the zone 4 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing in a somewhat diagrammatic manner the element connections provided at the zone 5 in Figure 2, the connected elements being mutually separated.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken at the zone 6 in Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic section taken at the zone of Figure 6 when the box lid is fully lowered.

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary sections taken at the lines 8-8 and 99 respectively in Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section taken at the line 10-10 in Figure 3.

As particularly shown, a utility box or container unit 11 has been provided in the general design of a sofa having a bottom box structure 12 which provides a receptacle space 12. The present bottom structure 12 is fabricated of a flat base element 30, a front panel element 40, a rear panel element 50 and end panel elements 60, said elements being attached at their mutually coterminous edges. In the present structure, the front and rear and end panels of the bottom structure 12 slope inwardly from the corresponding edges of the base element 30 whereby the top opening of the space 12' is smaller than the receptacle bottom. A lift-lid element 70 hingedly extends from the top of the rear element 50 to seat in the top edge of the front element 40 and provide access to the receptacle space 12. Back and side elements 80 and 90 extend upwardly from the tops of the rear element 50 and the end elements 60 respectively in attached relation thereto, with the rear ends of the elements 90 attached to the side edges of the elements 80.

It will now be noted that a present utility box is arranged for its fabrication solely by sewing together the various elements 40 and 50 and 60 and 70 and 80 and 90, said elements having been individually pre-formed before their assembly to provide unitary assemblies essentially comprising core plates of appropriate material enclosed in sheaths of flexible material which provide the exterior surfaces of the finished assemblies. The exposed faces of the material used in forming the individual elements may be of various colors and finish, and provide or lack decorative designs; in this manner, different units may dilfer in color and/or surface design as may suit the individual taste of the user. The core members of the elements of the unit may comprise pieces of relatively stiff cardboard or the like, and the respective lid and back and side elements 70 and 80 and have suitable padding inserted between their cores and their top and front and inside sheath portions respectively to provide pin-cushion facilities while cooperatively contributing to the unit design suggesting an upholstered sofa.

Noting that the nine elements of which a present utility box is fabricated are all of quadrilateral outline, either rectangular or trapezoidal, the manner of providing the flexible sheaths for the cores may be different depending on Whether the same material is used to provide both faces of an element. In the present structure, the elements 30 and 40 and 50 and 60 providing the receptacle portion 12 of the assembly are assumed to have both faces provided of the same material whereby the blanks for their sheaths 31 and 41 and 51 and 61 respectively may each comprise a single piece of material intermediately folded upon itself to provide a fold which engagedly receives one edge of the corresponding core 32 or 42 or 52 or 62 within it. To provide this type of sheath, the blank therefor is folded upon itself with its display face innermost, and is stitched along edges thereof which extend from the fold to provide a pocket having its fourth side open. A pocket so formed is turned inside out and complementarily receives the corresponding core slightly inwardly of the initially unsecured edge portions of the blank, after which the latter edge portions are mutually lapped and may be hand-sewed together to complete the element for use in providing a present unit.

In the present structure, different materials are shown as used to provide the different exterior sides of the sheaths 71 and 81 and 91 of the lid 70 and the back 80 and arms 90 of the structure. Accordingly, each of these sheaths comprises a pair of blanks of the different materials which have been placed together with their display faces in mutual opposition and edge registration, and are stitched along-three edges thereof to provide a pocket which is arranged to be turned inside out to complementarily receive the corresponding core 72 or 82 or 92, with the core edges adjacent the unattached blank edge portions spaced inwardly from said portions. After bodies of suitable padding 73 and 83 and 93 have been inserted between the appropriate sheath side and the core, said unattached edge portions are lapped and sewed together for completing the enclosure of the cores. For example, Figure 4 illustrates the structure at the top of the back element 80 indicating an inturned stitched seam of the two-piece sheath 81, and as typifying the relation at the inturned sheath seams of the other elements.

Having a unit-forming set of the various elements 30 and 40 and 50 and 60 and 70 and 80 and 90 pre-formed as described, a present display box unit is fabricated by progressively sewing the elements together in the order and manner hereinafter described. The bottom of the back element 80 and the inner edge of the lid 70 and the top edge of the rear bottom element 50 are disposed generally as is shown in Figure 5, and the elements are drawn together thereat by stitching 21 applied along the elements solely through the sheath edges 81' and 71 and 51' respectively to provide a generally concealed connection of the elements showing a juncture line at the rear faces of the angularly related back and base elements, the stitching used in the present and other junctures of elements generally comprising a spirally progressing continuous side-stitch with respect to the sheath portions engaged.

The arm elements 90 have the bottom edges 91 of their sheaths 91 stitched to the top edges 61' of the end elements 61 by stitching 22 (Figure 8), and the attached said elements then have the rear edges of their sheaths respectively stitched to the end edges of the sheaths of the rear elements 80 and 50 respectively by continuous lines of stitching 23 (Figure 3). The front base element 40 is now attached to the front ends of the base elements 60 by lines of stitching 24 engaging solely through the abutting edge portions of their respective sheaths (Figure 3), and the difierent edges of the sheath 31 of the bottom element 30 are united to the bottom edges of the sheaths 51 and 61 and 41 of the elements 50 and 60 and 40 respectively by a continuous line of stitching 25 (Figures 9 and 10) to complete the present utility box assembly.

In view of the foregoing, it will be understood that a present unit is completely fabricated solely by stitching the sheaths of its different elements together to provide a generally rigid structure of attractive appearance. The present unitary arrangement is understood to provide an attractive utility box for receiving various articles of personal use in its receptacle 12, and for exteriorly mounting thereon articles comprising, or having, pins by applying the pins in the padded sides of the lid or arm or back elements, and resting such and other articles on the top of the lowered lid. If desired, the back and arm elements 89 and 90 may be omitted for providing a box which is usable for the same purposes as the present box.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the present utility box will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the principle of operation, together with a form of my invention which I now consider to comprise a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showing is primarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claim:

I claim:

In a utility box of the character described, individual quadrilateral bottom and side elements of similar structure cooperative to provide an open-top receptacle and comprising separate core plates fully enclosed in individual one-piece sheaths of flexible fabric material and secured in cooperative relation solely by stitching together registering edges of their sheaths, a lid element of similar structure to the first element hingedly attached to and along the top edge of solely one side element by stitching its sheath to the sheath of the latter, an element of similar structure to the first elements extending upwardly from and along the top edge of the lid-mounting element and being attached thereto by stitching to its sheath, and other elements similar to the first extending upwardly from the tops of first elements which extend from the lid-mounting element and secured to the latter and the side edges of the upright element solely by stitching engaging the sheaths of the elements at the registering edges thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 795,146 Lorscheider July 18, 1905 1,180,180 Naylor Apr. 18, 1916 1,555,719 Scudero Sept. 29, 1925 2,266,678 Krasnov et al Dec. 16, 1941 2,458,834 Chateauneuf Jan. 11, 1949

Images