US3570657A - Box construction for cap ammunition strips for toy firearms - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage device for strips of caps used in toy guns. A substantially open ended box is divided into a plurality of separate chambers. Each chamber stores a strip of caps which extends beyond the box. The cap strips are provided with projecting tabs positioned so as to be located just within the box when the strip is stored. The open ends of the chamber are partially closed by tongues which cooperate with the tabs of the strips to retain the strips in the box. By exerting a pulling force on the extending portion of a cap strip, the corresponding box tongue is broken off to permit the strip to be fully withdrawn from its chamber.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Giampiero Fem Via Stoppani 38, Florence, Italy [21] Appl. No. 842,558 [22] Filed July 17, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 16, 1971 [32] Priority Aug. 13, 1968 [33] Italy [31 4l68B/68 [54] BOX CONSTRUCTION FOR CAP AMMUNITION 16.5,17, 45.12, 56 (M), (A4), (A3); 102/865; 221/302, 32

Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus AttorneyCushman, Darby & Cushman ABSTRACT: A storage device for strips of caps used in toy guns. A substantially open ended box is divided into a plurality of separate chambers. Each chamber stores a strip of caps which extends beyond the box. The cap strips are provided with projecting tabs positioned so as to be located just within the box when the strip is stored. The open ends of the chamber are partially closed by tongues which cooperate with the tabs of the strips to retain the strips in the box. By exerting a pulling force on the extending portion of a cap strip, the corresponding box tongue is broken off to permit the strip to be fully withdrawn from its chamber.

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BOX ONSTRUCTION FOR CAP AMMUNITION STRIPS FOR TOY FIREARMS The subject of the present application is a box for storing a group of explosive cap ammunition strips for use in toy firearms, the strips being adapted to be individually extracted from the box.

Briefly, the box has a plurality of elongated chambers which are a open at one end, the open ends being partially closed by tongues which are readily broken from the box. Each chamber is adapted to receive one strip in such manner that an appendix on said strip extends beyond the open end of its chamber. The tongue of each chamber is adapted to retain its corresponding cap strip within the chamber until the tongue is broken off by a projecting tab on the cap strip adjacent the tongue when an adequate pull is exerted on the appendix of the strip.

In practice, the box is formed by an intermediate dividing wall and two cooperating external housing elements designed to be assembled with the dividing wall after the introduction of the strips to the latter.

In registry with the open end of the box there may be-provided an extension of one of the walls of the box, the extension being in particular formed as an element for the protection of the strip appendices against illicit tampering. The extension is formed with appropriate fissures to permit snapping off the extension to facilitate the extraction of the strips.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate in perspective the box for cap strips as a whole and with the extension broken off and a strip being extracted, respectively;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate in perspective the intermediate and an external box element, respectively;

FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of boxes suspended for exhibition purposes;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, and illustrate sectional views of the box taken along lines VI-Vl of FIG. 1, VII-VII of FIG. 2, and VIII-VIII, IX-IX, X-X of FIG. 1, respectively; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate in perspective a plurality of cap strips according to the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, reference numeral 1 designates a box construction designed to receive strips of caps 3. The box comprises anintermediate wall 1A (FIG. 4) and two external housing elements 18 (FIG. 3) mounted on opposite sides of element 1A. This combination forms a box having a plurality of elongated, adjacent chambers 5, defined by ribs lC-lD extending between the wall and the housing elements, the chambers being arranged in two layers or strata. The chambers are open at one end, and each has a retaining tongue 7 which is relatively thin so that it may be severed from the box. Each cap strip 3 has a manipulating appendix 3A (FIGS. 11 and 12) which is longitudinally slotted at 3B and which extends beyond the elongated chamber 5, and thus beyond the tongue 7, so as to constitute a grasping means for extracting the cap strip 3 from the box. The appendices 3A of the strips disposed in box I extend, prior to extraction, adjacent to an extension 9 (FIG. 1) on the intermediate wall 1A of the box. The extension 9 has incisions 9A defining a predetermined fracture line registering with the open end of each chamber 5, so as to permit the removal of extension 9 and in this way facilitate the grasping of the appendices 3A. Extension 9 has projecting edges 9C which impede the extraction of the strips until the said extension 9 has been removed.

As stated previously, the box 1 is formed by two external housing elements 18 which are secured to the intermediate wall 1A, wh with the assistance of the ribs 1C and 1D. The elements 18 include the tongues 7 and, adjacent thereto, short diaphragms 1E for separation of the end openings of the various elongated chambers 5.

The cap strips 3 are disposed in the chambers 5 in such manner as to project with their appendices 3A along the extension 9 of the wall 1A. After the wall 1A and elements 18 of the box are joined the strips are retained within the chambers 5 by the tongue The box construction may be exhibited (FIG. 5) by being suspended by means of the element 9B forming a portion of extension 9.

The strips may be selectively extracted from the elongated chambers 5 by fracturing the tongues 7 which, for this purpose, are relatively thin. In order to effect selective extraction, it is necessary to previously remove the extension 9 from the box.

To facilitate extraction and to insure the rupture of a retaining tongue 7, there is provided at one end of the strip appendix 3A a projection 38 (FIGS. 11 and 12) by which grasping of the appendix is made easier, and at the other end of 3A there is a projecting tab 3C which is positioned just within the box adjacent the tongue 7 when the strip is lodged in its chamber 5. The tab 3C is disposed between the appendix 3A and the first of the caps 3E of each strip. When the appendix 3A is grasped and a pulling force is exerted to extract the strip, tab 3C is forced against the tongue 7 and produces the rupture thereof in such manner as to permit extraction of the cap strip.

The ribs 1C and 1D permit the guiding and centering of the I strips 3 in their respectiveelongated chambers 5.

I. A box for storing'a group -of ammunition strips for toy firearms, each strip havinga series of caps therealong, comprising:

a housing separated into a plurality of elongated chambers open at one end, each chamber containing an ammunition strip which includes an appendix which extends beyond the open end of the chamber;

a plurality of tongues severably connected to said housing,

each tongue partially closing the open end of an individual chamber to retain the ammunition strip therein; and

means responsive to the exertion of a pulling force on the appendix of an ammunition strip to sever the associated tongue from the housing to thereby permit the strip to be withdrawn from its chamber.

2. A box according to claim 1, wherein said severing means comprises a tab projecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side of the tongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue to sever same when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.

3. A box according to claim 1, further comprising an extension severably connected to said housing and projecting beyond the appendices of said strips, said extension being formed to impede the withdrawal of said strips until the extension is severed from the housing.

4. A box according to claim 1, said housing comprising an intermediate wall and external housing elements secured to said wall on opposite sides thereof, said chambers being formed by ribs extending between the housing elements and the wall.

5. A box according to claim 4, further comprising an extension severably connected to said intermediate wall and projecting beyond the appendices of said strips, said extension being formed to impede the withdrawal of said strips until the extension is severed from said wall.

6. A box according to claim 5, wherein said severing means comprises a tab projecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side of the tongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue to sever same when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.

Claims (6)

1. A box for storing a group of ammunition strips for toy firearms, each strip having a series of caps therealong, comprising: a housing separated into a plurality of elongated chambers open at one end, each chamber containing an ammunition strip which includes an appendix which extends beyond the open end of the chamber; a plurality of tongues severably connected to said housing, each tongue partially closing the open end of an individual chamber to retain the ammunition strip therein; and means responsive to the exertion of a pulling force on the appendix of an ammunition strip to sever the associated tongue from the housing to thereby permit the strip to be withdrawn from its chamber.

2. A box according to claim 1, wherein said severing means comprises a tab projecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side of the tongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue to sever same when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.

3. A box according to claim 1, further comprising an extension severably connected to said housing and projecting beyond the appendices of said strips, said extension being formed to impede the withdrawal of said strips until the extension is severed from the housing.

4. A box according to claim 1, said housing comprising an intermediate wall and external housing elements secured to said wall on opposite sides thereof, said chambers being formed by ribs extending between the housing elements and the wall.

5. A box accordinG to claim 4, further comprising an extension severably connected to said intermediate wall and projecting beyond the appendices of said strips, said extension being formed to impede the withdrawal of said strips until the extension is severed from said wall.

6. A box according to claim 5, wherein said severing means comprises a tab projecting from said strip and positioned on the opposite side of the tongue from the appendix, whereby said tab engages the tongue to sever same when a pulling force is exerted on the appendix.

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