GB1600348A - Containers for coins and closure members for such containers - Google Patents

Description

(54) CONTAINERS FOR COINS AND CLOSURE MEMBERS FOR SUCH CONTAINERS (71) We, ANGAL COLLECTING BOXES AND DEVICES LIMITED, a British Company, of 48a Holmbush Road, London, SW15 3LE, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us. and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a container for coins.

According to the present invention, there is provided a container for coins, comprising a box with a top opening, and a top closure member arranged removably to close said top opening, said member comprising a downwards passage through the closure member to enable coins to be inserted downwardly through the closure member into the box, which passage has an elongate cross-section in a horizontal plane and has respective opposite side wall portions which extend downwardly to the respective longer sides of said cross-section while becoming smoothly nearer together, said box comprising a wall portion surrounding said opening and arranged to surround said member when said member is closing said opening.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective disassembled view of part of a coin container.

Figure 2 is an axial sectional elevation of part of the container, Figure 3 is an axial sectional elevation of a closure member forming part of the container, Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a detail of Figure 2, and Figure S is a diagram for explaining the shape of the closure member.

The illustrated container comprises a cylindrical box 1 made of polythene or other plastics material having a base (not shown) and a top 2 in the centre of which there is formed a circular opening through which coins can fall out of the box when the opening is not closed and the box is inverted, A circular closure member 3 of polyethylene or other plastics material closes the opening and prevents coins from falling out as mentioned above, there being a passage 4 formed in the closure member 3 through which coins such as fifty pence pieces and smaller coins can be inserted into the box.

The box and closure member are fitted together by a snap action, by virtue of the fact that the closure member has a circular portion 5 having a diameter just less than that of the opening in the top of the box and, on opposite sides thereof, circular portions 6 and 7 having diameters which are, respectively, slightly greater than and substantially greater than that of the opening in the top of the box, whereby a groove is formed in the closure member into which snaps the rim 8 surrounding the opening in the top of the box.When the closure member is fitted to the box, the portion 6, which is wider than the opening when it is not in the opening, is forced through and beyond the opening. The rim 8 is formed to provide a recess in which the outermost circular portion 7 of the closure member lies so that the edge of the upper surface of the closure member and the surrounding surface 10 of the box are at the same level. The diameter of the portion 7 of the closure member being slightly less than that of the recess, there is left a small space wide enough to enable the blade of a small screwdriver or other small tool to be in inserted under the edge of the closure member and used for prising the closure member off the container by exerting pressure on the outer part of the closure member.

A cut out not shown in Figure 1 is located in the rim 8 allowing the insertion of a small screwdriver or other simple lever to exert leverage under the closure member to ensure easy and rapid removal.

If desired only one of the two parts consisting of the box and the closure member may be of plastics material.

On to the surface 10 of the box and on to the outer edge portion of the closure member 3 there is affixed by means of an adhesive, a paper or plastics label 11.

As manufactured, the label 11 is circular and comprises an outer annular portion 12 and an inner circular part 13 which is subdivided into a larger and a smaller portion 13a and 13b respectively at the line 15. The portions of the label are selfadhesive and are held on a protective backing layer which has to be removed from all or part of the label to expose the adhesive provided thereon. The portions may then be separated and the annular portion stuck on top of the box with the inner perimeter of the annular portion extending over the outer portion of the closure member. This annular portion may carry lettering 12a indicating the cause for which money is being collected.One of the two portions 13a and 13b of the label is printed as a badge for the authorised user of the container while the other is printed as an identification label which can be stuck to the bottom of the box for example.

The various parts of the label may be joined together by small bridging portions such as the portions 14, so that they remain joined after the protective backing layer is removed or where the label is not manufactured with such a backing layer and adhesive provided.

The passage 4 through the closure member 3 is defined by wall portions 16 and 17 so shaped that, at the top of the closure member, the passage is circular in crosssection and the passage narrows to a slot 18 suitable for coins to pass therethrough at the bottom of the closure member, the passage thereby forming a funnel or chute which leads down to the slot 18. The two wall portions 16, which are opposite one another, are vertical when the box 1 is upright and are shaped as parts of a hollow cylinder while the two wall portions 17, which are also opposite one another are flat and inclined, and part oval in shape.Thus, the shape of the passage is what would be obtained if a hollow upright cylinder such as the cylinder 19 in Figure 5 were truncated by two flat, inclined planes 20 which are symmetrically inclined with respect to the cylinder axis and which meet each other at the cylinder axis at a location just outside the cylinder itself. The parts 21 of the cylinder 19 between the two planes 20 then correspond to the wall portions 16 while the parts of the planes 20 which are within the cylinder correspond to the wall portions 17.

If desired, the coin slot 18 could be widened at its centre to form a circular aperture which eases the insertion of a rolled-up banknote into the container.

Along one longer side of the coin slot 18, there could be a flap (not shown) which lies at such an angle to the underside of the slot that, when a coin or banknote is inserted into the slot, the flap is pushed aside to admit the coin or note while not allowing coins to pass in the other direction, i.e. out of the container.

A carrying cord or wire handle 22 is secured at both ends to the top of the box.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A container for coins, comprising a box with a top opening, and a top closure member arranged removably to close said top opening, said member comprising a downwards passage through the closure member to enable coins to be inserted downwardly through the closure member into the box, which passage has an elongate cross-section in a horizontal plane and has respective opposite side wall portions which extend downwardly to the respective longer sides of said cross-section while becoming smoothly nearer together, said box comprising a wall portion surrounding said opening and arranged to surround said member when said member is closing said opening.

2. A container according to claim 1.

wherein the upper end of said passage is substantially circular in top plan view.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the passage is defined by two opposite wall portions which are parts of a hollow cylinder, and said respective opposite side wall portions which are flat and lie in planes intersecting the cylinder and inclined to the axis thereof.

4. A container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the outer periphery of the closure member is formed with a portion for being forced through and beyond said opening in said box and to lodge behind said wall portion and hence retain the closure member in position therein.

5. A container according to any preceding claim, including a label fixed or for being fixed by means of adhesive to the top of the box so that it extends over the periphery of the closure member.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein the label comprises or comprised an -outer peripheral portion and an inner portion which can be or was detached from the outer peripheral portion.

7. A container according to claim 6, wherein the inner portion comprises or comprised two parts which can be or were detached from each other.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. A cut out not shown in Figure 1 is located in the rim 8 allowing the insertion of a small screwdriver or other simple lever to exert leverage under the closure member to ensure easy and rapid removal. If desired only one of the two parts consisting of the box and the closure member may be of plastics material. On to the surface 10 of the box and on to the outer edge portion of the closure member 3 there is affixed by means of an adhesive, a paper or plastics label 11. As manufactured, the label 11 is circular and comprises an outer annular portion 12 and an inner circular part 13 which is subdivided into a larger and a smaller portion 13a and 13b respectively at the line 15. The portions of the label are selfadhesive and are held on a protective backing layer which has to be removed from all or part of the label to expose the adhesive provided thereon. The portions may then be separated and the annular portion stuck on top of the box with the inner perimeter of the annular portion extending over the outer portion of the closure member. This annular portion may carry lettering 12a indicating the cause for which money is being collected.One of the two portions 13a and 13b of the label is printed as a badge for the authorised user of the container while the other is printed as an identification label which can be stuck to the bottom of the box for example. The various parts of the label may be joined together by small bridging portions such as the portions 14, so that they remain joined after the protective backing layer is removed or where the label is not manufactured with such a backing layer and adhesive provided. The passage 4 through the closure member 3 is defined by wall portions 16 and 17 so shaped that, at the top of the closure member, the passage is circular in crosssection and the passage narrows to a slot 18 suitable for coins to pass therethrough at the bottom of the closure member, the passage thereby forming a funnel or chute which leads down to the slot 18. The two wall portions 16, which are opposite one another, are vertical when the box 1 is upright and are shaped as parts of a hollow cylinder while the two wall portions 17, which are also opposite one another are flat and inclined, and part oval in shape.Thus, the shape of the passage is what would be obtained if a hollow upright cylinder such as the cylinder 19 in Figure 5 were truncated by two flat, inclined planes 20 which are symmetrically inclined with respect to the cylinder axis and which meet each other at the cylinder axis at a location just outside the cylinder itself. The parts 21 of the cylinder 19 between the two planes 20 then correspond to the wall portions 16 while the parts of the planes 20 which are within the cylinder correspond to the wall portions 17. If desired, the coin slot 18 could be widened at its centre to form a circular aperture which eases the insertion of a rolled-up banknote into the container. Along one longer side of the coin slot 18, there could be a flap (not shown) which lies at such an angle to the underside of the slot that, when a coin or banknote is inserted into the slot, the flap is pushed aside to admit the coin or note while not allowing coins to pass in the other direction, i.e. out of the container. A carrying cord or wire handle 22 is secured at both ends to the top of the box. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A container for coins, comprising a box with a top opening, and a top closure member arranged removably to close said top opening, said member comprising a downwards passage through the closure member to enable coins to be inserted downwardly through the closure member into the box, which passage has an elongate cross-section in a horizontal plane and has respective opposite side wall portions which extend downwardly to the respective longer sides of said cross-section while becoming smoothly nearer together, said box comprising a wall portion surrounding said opening and arranged to surround said member when said member is closing said opening.

2. A container according to claim 1.

wherein the upper end of said passage is substantially circular in top plan view.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein the passage is defined by two opposite wall portions which are parts of a hollow cylinder, and said respective opposite side wall portions which are flat and lie in planes intersecting the cylinder and inclined to the axis thereof.

4. A container according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the outer periphery of the closure member is formed with a portion for being forced through and beyond said opening in said box and to lodge behind said wall portion and hence retain the closure member in position therein.

5. A container according to any preceding claim, including a label fixed or for being fixed by means of adhesive to the top of the box so that it extends over the periphery of the closure member.

6. A container according to claim 5, wherein the label comprises or comprised an -outer peripheral portion and an inner portion which can be or was detached from the outer peripheral portion.

7. A container according to claim 6, wherein the inner portion comprises or comprised two parts which can be or were detached from each other.

8. A container for coins, substantially as

hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.