US409039A

US409039A - Mailing-box

Info

Publication number: US409039A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1906-08-13

Description

(No Model.)

E. B. HILLMAN.

MAILING BOX v Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

M /Mqgm UNITED STATES EDVIN B. HILLMAN,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

MAILING-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,039, dated August 13, 1889.

Application led J une G, 1889. Serial No. 313,307. (No model.) l

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN B. I-IILLMAN, aV residentof Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mailing- Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention is in boxes especially adapted for protecting articles placed therein rather than to serve as permanent receptacles subject to frequent opening and closing. The boxes are therefore adapted for mailing or shipping small articles of all kinds, and for other analogous uses.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a box embodying my invention, parts being broken away to show construction. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar side views of the two pieces or blanks ot which the box is formed, the exposed face being that intended to form the interior of the box. Fig. 4 is an edge view of the part shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings, A B A and O D O are plane strips of some tough or non-brittle wood-such as basswood or the like-and each of them when bent, as shown in Fig. l, forms two sides and an end of the box, which is internally rectangular and externally nearly so when formed precisely as shown. Each of these pieces is rectangular and normally plane, and has upon one of its faces two grooves E E, parallel to and equidistant from the ends of the piece respectively, at a distancetrom each other approximately equal to the width or depth of the box, and each of a width a little greater than its depth. Vhen thus formed, each piece may be bent into U shape, the thin wood at the bottom ot the grooves bending without material breakage of liber near the ends of the middle segments B D. The end segments A A C C are then parallel, and the outer walls Got the grooves rest as shoulders upon the adjacent portions of the middle segments B D, as shown in Fig. 1.

Except the grooves E E, there are no cuts or irregularities whatever in the piece C D C but the piece A B A is rabbeted at F along its entire margin, the rabbet being in width just equal tothe thickness of the other piece and of any convenient depth. The relative proportions of the several parts are such that when the two pieces are thus bent into U shape and brought together, as shown in Fig. l, all parts of the rabbet-groove are iilled by the corresponding edges of the other piece, and there is formed a complete box having all parts of the margins of each of its six walls supported against the action of force tending to crush the box.

It is evident that the box is adjustable in length, it being practicable to draw the two parts in opposite directions without otherwise displacing them with reference to each other, and when this is done the box is still adapted for cert-ain purposes, as, for example, to protect papers rolled for transmission through the Inail.- Bytsuch sliding of the parts the boxis adjusted to the length of the roll to be placed therein, and although open upon two opposite sides near each end it is still effective to prevent crushing, the .parts being held in place, as in case the box were entirely closed by cords. or wrappings, or both.

If desired, the wood may be re-enforced at the bending-lines by cloth or the like glued upon the outer face of each piece. Then this is done, entire separation of the wood along such line does no serious harm 5 but as this seldom occurs by accident the strengthening expedient is of comparatively small importance. f

l. The box composed of two approximately equal Ilat strips, the iirst bent into U shape and the second bent into the plane of the edges of the rst, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. rlhe box composed of the transverselygrooved and marginally-rabbeted partA B A', bent into U shape, and the similarly-grooved part O D O', bent into likeform and having its edges resting in the rabbet in the first part, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signedV this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDIVIN B. HILLMAN.

Vitnesses:

WM. HAWLEY SMITH, LIZZIE A. PULsIPHEE.