US2864497A - Ring boxes - Google Patents

Description

L. SOFO RING BOXES Dec. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 1, 1955 L. SOFO RING BOXES Dec. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1, 1955 United States Patent O RING BOXES Application April 1, 1955, Serial No. 498,573

4 Claims. (Cl. 206 -76) This invention relates to containers or display cases for rings, commonly known as ring boxes.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a ring box which may be utilized selectively for two different functions, one, as a closed container for a ring and secondly, as a display fixture for a ring.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new form of ring box which has means for retaining rings of various diameters, widths, thicknesses and shapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ring box having a button and a base which cooperate in holding rings of various dimensions and shapes perpendicularly to the base. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide in a ring box a button or projecting member for engaging and supporting a ring in display position upon a suitable base with the button mounted for rotation relatively to the-base.

. Another object of the invention is to provide in a ring box a 'new form of ring supporting means which may conveniently support either one ring or a pair of rings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a perusal of the specification in which, for illustrative purposes, a preferred embodiment is shown.

In the drawings: .Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing one form of the ring box closed;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same box with the cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view taken through the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

' the threaded nail or screw, as well as afterwards.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectional view of the box,

showing itarranged in display position; 7 f v Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another form of my ring box made in accordance with my invention, showing the button rotated to one position; 1

' Fig. dis a perspective view of the same box showing the button rotated to another angular position; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. v Q

As shown in the Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing, the box itself consists of a base and a removable cover. The base is provided with a bottom wall 11 surrounded by a downwardlyextending peripheral flange 12 and an outwardly flaringside wall 13 terminating in a vertical peripheral flange 14. 7

The cover portion of the box consists of a horizontal wall 15 surrounded by a peripheral flange 16, an outwardly flaring side wall' 17 terminating preferably without a peripheral flange, but having a horizontal extending finger piece 18. The relative proportions of the cover and base are, preferably, such that when the cover is pressed downwardly on the base it will snuglyjsnap into position, as shown in Fig. 3 with the peripheral flange 14 holding the cover by frictional engagement. To remove the cover, it is necessary only to lift on the finger piece 18 to disengage the cover from the base.

2,864,497 Patented Dec. 16, 1958 ice When it is desired to use the box as a display device, the cover is inverted in the manner shown in Fig. 4 and its peripheral flange 16 is caused to surround and engage frictionally the flange 12 of the base member. In this position the margin 19 of the cover member then constitutes the base support for the entire device.

The mechanism for holding a ring in display position is indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. The button in part for decorative purposes and in part for functional reasons is formed of a top or covering surface consisting of a sheet 21 of velvet or other suitable soft material which is folded over, and around a rigid member 22 with its margins clamped between the downwardly extending flange 23 and a cup shaped metallic member 24 which has a flange 25, the velvet being thus clamped between the two flanges. The cup 24 and the member 22 are so proportioned as to form a frictionally tight assembly with the margins of the velvet piece clamped between their respective flanges. -A metal plate 26 having a central threaded aperture is provided to be engaged by the threaded shank 27 of a screw whose broad flanged head 28 will engage the under surface of the bottom wall 11 of the box base member. Thus assembled, the button is therefore firmly mounted on the base but may be rotated relatively thereto on shank 27, and may be so rotated when the button is being secured to the base by means of The details of construction of the button may, of course, be varied.

The upper surface of wall 11 is further provided with a circular concave recess 29,- which may be molded to the shape shown integrally with the box base. Conveniently, though not necessarily, both the cover and base may be molded from plastic materials.

Preferably the bottom wall 11 of ,the base member is overlaid with a pad having a cardboard layer 31 and a velvet layer 32, both held in place by adhesive, if desired.

Thereafter, when it is desired to support a ring in display position it is merely necessary to slide or insert a portion of the ring between the button and the resilient velvet and cardboard assembly which overlies recess .29, The cooperation then between. that resilient assembly, the under surface of the button and the recess serves to hold the ring firmly upright for display. It will be per ceived that any ring of any reasonable cross-section may be slid under the button partially into the recess, and the .above described features together with the substantially parallel side margins of the generally rectangularly shaped button will cause the ring to stand vertically.

Because theshank of the button is screw threaded and pointed it is easily assembled with the button by. inserting it through a suitable aperture in wall 11, thence through layers 31 and 32 into the threaded member 26. As recess 29 is circular the button will cooperate with the recess no matter to what position it may be rotated during assembly or subsequently. I The rotatable rectangular buttonjust described or one somewhat similarly constructed, may be used to advan-' tage with the more familiarly shaped ring box shown in Figs. 5 to 7. r v

In Figures 5 to 7 I have shown a box body having side Walls such as 40 and 41, a front wall 42, and a top wall 43 provided with a rectangular opening 44 through which a velvet pad 45 is displayed. A conventional hinged cover 46, not forming a part of this invention, is also shown. The base plate 47 is not in place during assembly of the device. The pad 45 is formedof a reinforcing cardboard supporting wall generally indicated at 48 and having a front extension 49 and a rear extension 51 and is secured by any suitable means, for example, by staples 52, or adhesive, to a sheet 53 of velvet or other equally attractive resilient material. A velvet covered button is formed with a rigid core 54 over which is wrapped an assembly of a sheet metal cap 55 and an outside flexible covering 56 .of velvet. This assembly is then secured to a backing plate 57 which may be thin sheet metalwhose margin is formed to grip frictiofially the edge of the velvet cover in cooperation with the margin of the cap 55 to hold the velvet cover permanently in place, as shown. Thereafter,an appropriate device is employed to secure the assembled button to the velvet pad assembly 45. This may conveniently be done by employing a nail or tack having a broad head 58 and a threaded shank 59. The shank is then inserted through the cardboard sheet and the velvet layer 53 and thence engages with a threaded opening in the base plate 57, as shown in Fig. 7, so that the button is held firmly but preferably in a rotatable manner.

In place of the threaded tack shown I may employ some other means for securing the button rotatably or nonrotatably to the pad in the box.

After the velvet pad assembly has been inserted. into the box to engage snuglywith the top wall 43 of the box, and adhesively secured therein, if desired, or otherwise supported, the bottom plate 47 will be inserted and secured permanently in place therein in any appropriate manner, as by an adhesive. While any suitable material may be employed for forming the walls of the box it is the current vogue to employ plastic material, and if the bottom plate be also of plastic material it may be locked in place by a plastic adhesive or plastic solvent.

When the box is formed and assembled as shown in Fig. 7 it is then a very simple matter to slide the edge portion of a ring underneath the button, between the button and the yieldable pad 45, which cooperate to hold the ring erectly as shown in the drawing.

Merchants have found it frequently desirable to display, in the same ring box, combinations of wedding rings and engagement rings, and this may be done when using my ring boxes. As shown in Figs. to 7, a pair of rings may be supported by the same button, and furthermore the button may be rotated to display these rings in two planes, one rotated 90 degrees from the other. Likewise, a pair of rings could conveniently be mounted in the box shown in Fig. 4.

It will be appreciated that by means of this invention I have provided new ring boxes having a number of practical advantages, and which may be manufactured in various attractive shapes. Furthermore, it is clear that these new advantages are obtainable in boxes which are adapted to a low cost of manufacture.

Instead of using the elongated rectangular button shown in the drawings I may in some boxes substitute a button of circular horizontal cross section, pivotally mounted at its center, which will cause a ring inserted under it to stand tilted rather than perpendicular to the surface or pad on which the button is mounted.

Though the button shown and described is an assembled button I also may use buttons manufactured in other manners, such as molded plastic buttons, for example.

While the drawings show pureferred forms of the invention it should be understood that the invention conprehends some modification and variation from the disclosed structures, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the following claims.

Having shown and described my invention, I claim:

1. In a ring box, a rigid base having an upwardly opening recess of circular horizontal cross section in its upper surface, a resilient pad overlying said base extending across said recess, an elongated button overlying said .pad extending diametrically across said recess, and mounting means connecting the button to the base secured to the central portion of said recess and of said button, said mounting means positioning the under surface of said button substantially contacting said pad, whereby the button and pad are relatively positioned for gripping be tween them the shank of a ring and to coact with the margin of said recess to hold the ring erect on said pad.

2. In a ring box, a rigid base having an upwardly opening recess in its upper surface, a resilient pad mounted on said base extending across said recess and having a soft readily compressible top layer; an elongated button overlying said pad and whose ends overlie opposite margins of said recess, and mounting means for said button connected directly to the central portion of the underside of the button and through the pad to the central portion of the recessed portion of the base, said mounting means including a rigid shank firmly supporting the button proportioned for spacing the undersurface of the button above the margins of the recess and a greater fixed distance above the bottom of said recess thus providinga space between the bottom of the recess and the button into which the shank of a finger ring may be inserted by compression of said pad whereupon the margins of the recess coact with the pad and button for holding such ring erect on the base.

3. In a ring box, a rigid base having an upwardly opening recess of circular horizontal cross section in its upper surface, a resilient pad mounted on said base extending across said recess and having a soft readily compressible top layer, an elongated button overlying said pad and whose ends overlie opposite margins of said recess, and mounting means for said button connected directly to the central portion of the underside of the button and through the pad to the central portion of the recessed portion of the base, said mounting means including a rigid shank firmly and rotatably supporting the button proportioned for spacing the undersurface of the button above the margins of the recess and a greater fixed distance above the bottom of. said recess thus providing a space between the bottom of the recess and the button into which the shank of a finger ring may be inserted by compression of said pad whereupon the margins of the recess coact with the pad and button for holding such ring erect on the base.

4. In a ring box, a layer of soft readily compressible material upon which to display a ring, a wall below said layer having a central portion parallel to said layer, a symmetrical relatively narrow button having a rigid, core covered with soft material, said button having parallel elongated side margins, a threaded post threadedly engaged with the central portion of the underside of said rigid core of said button and extending downwardly therefrom through said layer and through said wall terminating in a flattened enlarged head engaged with the underside of said wall, said post mounting .the button rotatably in contact with the top of said layer and spaced from the wall a fixed distance to allow space for insertion of the shank of a ring under either end of the button between the button and wall by compression of the layer, whereby the button and layer may coact to hold such ring erect on said layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.147,256 Waldron Aug. 5, 1947 329,018 Coffin Oct. 27, 1885 483,399 Smith Sept. 27, 1 892 666,941 Streit Ian. 29, 1901 1,528,229 Wetherell Mar. 3, 1925 1,615,324 Bulova Ian. 25, 1927 2,125,294 Lathrop -1 Aug. 2, 1938 2,196,688 Warner et al Apr. 9, 1940 2,439,045 Fox Apr. 6, 1948

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