US625822A - Francis a - Google Patents

Description

' Ninn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS A. lVILSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,822, dated May 30,1899. Application iled December 29, 1898. Serial No. 700.580. (No model.)

T0 all whom t nutty concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of New York, and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boxes, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in boxes adapted to be carried on the person of a smoker and designed primarily for containing tobacco for pipe-smoking or for the manufacture of cigarettes by the user. It has recently become desirable to package or box tobacco designed for pipe-smoking or for the manufacture of cigarettes by the user in layers, each layer containing the proper quantity of tobacco to fill a pipe or form a oiga rette. Difficulties havebeen met with, however, in devising a suitable box or receptacle for containing tobacco in this form, as, owing to the delicate character of the layers and the repeated handling and opening of the box by the user and consequent liability of the layers being displaced in the box or being caught under the cover of the same as the latter is closed, the layers are liable to become broken or disintegrated and the layer form of the tobacco thus destroyed and the tobacco reduced substantially to bulk.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a box in which these difficulties are avoided and which will in addition also fulfil allthe requirements as to eheapness and as to size, Weight, and form of boxes designed to be carried on the person of the user. The box provided by the present invention also, as will hereinafter appear, is of such a shape as to conform to the body of the user when carried in his pocket and also to the hollow or palm of the hand with which he holds the box when withdrawing therefrom part of the contents. Although the present invention is designed'primarily to provide a box for containing tobacco in this form, yet, as will hereinafter appear, the box resulting from'the improvements constituting the present invention is also useful for containing other articles-such, for example, as cigarettes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box embodying the im provements constituting the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on a reduced scale, the box being shown as containing smolring or cigarette tobacco in the layer form heretofore referred to. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the cover of the box, however, being thrown open and the box shown as containing cigarettes.

Referring to said drawings, the body of the box consists of a bottom a, having sides a a2, and a cover b, hinged to one of the sides a and provided with flanged portions b b2, corresponding to the sides a a2 of the body of the box. As will be observed, the bottom a of the box is of unusual form, such bottom being bent or curved upwardly at its 'ends next the sides a', so as to give to the upper` faceof the bottom a dished or trough-like form, with the result that the contents of the box, whatever they may be, willhave a tendency away from the sides a of the box and toward the center thereof. A box so constructed is particularly advantageous for containing tobacco divided up into layers each containing a given quantity and for preserw ,ing intact its layer-like form. The cover b of the box is curved upwardly at its ends next its flanged portions b', so as to conform to the curvature of the bottom a. In Fig. 2 the box is illustrated as containing layers c of tobacco. When used for such purpose, the layers are arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, with their ends toward the sides a of the body of the box. Thus arranged the bodies of the layers will sink downwardly, as shown, so as to correspond with the curvature of the bottom, wit-h their ends in engagement with or in position to be engaged by the sides a of the box, the layers gravitating toward the center of the bottom and away from the sides thereof, so that there is but little if any liability of the layers becoming displaced or 4being caught and broken by the cover b as the latter is opened and closed.

Although the box thus described is designed particularly for containing tobacco in layers, it will be, obvious on inspection of Fig. 3 that suchy box may, if desired, be used for other purposes-aas, for example, containing cigarettes-'as illustrated in that igure. When ICO the contents `of such box consist of cigarettes or like articles, however, such articles must be arranged as shown in Fig. S-that is, in a direction transverse tothe curvature of the bottom of the box with their ends next the sides CL2 of the body of the box instead of in the direction of such curvature,` as in the case of the layers c in Fig. 2.

Boxes designed for containing tobacco in layer form must be cheap and of convenient size and Weight to be carried upon the person of asmoker. cover of the box here shown are each made of a single piece of sheet metal suitably stamped by means of dies or otherwise to form the sides a a2 of the bodyand the corresponding flanges b' b2 of the cover of the box, the box thus formed being light and exceedingly compact and cheap to manufacture.

What I claim isl. A box for holding tobacco or similar substances in the forms referred to, consisting of bottom a having sides a', c2, said bottom curv- For these reasons the body and to and of like curvature to thebottoin, Whereby when the box is laid in the hand of the user it will conform to the palmi-hereof and the contents of the box gravitate toward the center thereof, substantially as described.

2. A box for holding tobacco or similarsubstances in the forms referred to, consisting of bottom a having sides a', a2 of sheet metal, said bottom curving upwardly toward sides a', and a cover or top also of sheet metal hinged to one side a and of like curvature to the bottom and provided with flanges b', b2 embracing sides a', a2, whereby when the box is laid in the hand of the user' it will conform to the palm thereof and the contents of the box gravitate toward the center thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set M my hand in the presence of tW'o subscribing Witnessesl FRANCIS A. VILSON.l

Vitnesses:

RUFUS L. PATTERSON, WILLIAM H. ScHRoDER.

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