US1865063A - Container - Google Patents

Description

June 28, 1932. 1,865,063 L. c. AMENT, Now BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME L. c. THOMAS CON'IA INDR Filed May 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

ATTORN EYS June 28, 1932. I 1,865,063 L. C AMENT. NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE QF NAME L. C. THOMAS CONTAINER Filed May 2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QUE? Patented ,June 28,, 1932 UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE LUCY oor'ron AMEN'I, or NEW YORK, n. Y., now BY JUmcm CHANGE OF NAME LUCY oo'r'ron moms CONTAINER Application filed May 2,

My present invention relates to improvements in holders or cases for cigarettes and matches and the like.

An object of the invention is the provision of a novel form of container for containing and rendering readily accessible both cigarettes and matches.

Another object is to provide the container with novel closure means hand operated from without the container for controlling the position of the closure, and to expose the cigarettes and matches.

A further object is to utilize all of the space within the container by utilizing the space in rear of the match packet receiving compartment for receiving cigarettes in addition to cigarettes in the chamber beside the match packet receiving space.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the features, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my match and cigarette container of general parallelopiped rectangular form, in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the container of Fig. 1 in open position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section substantially on line 41 of Fig. 3 with parts omitted to show the operating lever and link connection.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4. with the parts in partially open position.

Fig. 6 is a section substantially on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a view of the lever operating bar to which the finger button is secured, looking from the inside of the container wall and showing the extension from said bar guided on the depression in the wall at the slot.

Fig. 8 is a view of a modified form of my invention, in closed fposition.

Fig. 9 is a view 0 the container of Fig. 8 in open position.

Figs. 10 and 11 are closed and open positions respectively of another modification.

1929. Serial No. 859,952.

Figs. 12 and 13 are closed and open posiz ons respectively of a still further modlfica- Referring to the drawings, the container 1 is preferably of generally rectangular parallelopiped form and provides a similarly shaped lnner chamber divided into a match packet receiving portion 2 and a cigarette receiving portion 3.

The match receiving portion 2 is disposed forwardly and to one side of the container chamber, leaving room or space 3 for cigarettes at the side and to the rear thereof. As shown, the match packet receiving compartment occupies about half of the area of the mouthof container opening 4. and is adapted to receive the usual paper match packet 5. 0 The closure members or doors 6, as shown in Figs. 1 to 7 are hinged to the container at 7 and springs 8 are provided at the hinges for urging the closure members to closed position.

An inner wall 9 having side portions 9a is provided in the container parallel to and spaced from the rear and side outer walls 21 and 22 of the container to provide space 10 for the closure controlling means.

Within the space 10 is movably mounted for vertical sliding movement an operating cross-bar 11 having a depending portion 12, grooved or channeled at 13 to be guided in its movement upon guiding ridge 14 struck or bent inwardly from the outer wall 21 of the containerat the slot 15. The slot 15 is cut through the ridge portion 1 1 of the rear outer wall 21 and serves to guide the hand or finger button 16 of the operating cross-bar which extends through the slot to the outside of the rear wall 21 and is readily accessible for operation.

Links 17 are pivotally connected to the ears 18 on the ends of the cross-bar 11 and are disposed in the space 10 between the inner and outer side walls 9a and 22. The links 17 are each pivotally connected at their opposite ends to one arm 19a of bell crank lever 19. Bell crank levers 19 are also disposed in the space 10 and are pivotally mounted at 20 in the inner and outer side walls 90. and 22. The opposite arm 1% of the bell crank lever 19 is preferably provided with a roller 23 for engaging the closure member or door 6 near or adjacent the hinge thereof.

The side port-ions 9a of the inner wall 9, as shown, are bent outwardly at their outer ends and join or engage the outer side Walls 22 at the hinges 7. Slots 24 are provided in the side portions 9a of the inner wall to permit passage of the arms 19b of the bell cranks 19 to engage or bear upon the doors 6. v

The doors 6 as shown preferably are overlapped at their meeting point as shown at 27".

A partition 25 divides the inner chamber of the container 1 into the match packet receiving portion 2 and the cigarette receiving portion 3 for receiving individual cigarettes 26.

The partition 25 comprises a rear or back portion 25a between which and the inner rear wall 9 is provided an extension of space 3 for receiving cigarettes, and an upstanding flan e portion 25?) around its edge.

'1 e flange portion 25b is extended inwardly at 250 for receiving the match packet 5. It is preferably slightly bowed or bent at 25d to exert a spring clamping action upon the base 5a of the package of matches. The flange portion 25?) may be extended at 250 to provide a smooth surface to guide or direct access to the matches. The flange portion 25b is preferably provided at the sides with retaining lugs 28 struck therefrom and adapted to bear against and retain the backing wall 5?) of the match packet 5 after the same has been snapped into position.

In the operation of my device as shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the device will normally be maintained in closed or carrying position as shown in Fig. 1, the springs at the hinges holding the doors yieldingly closed. \Vhen it is desired to open the container or case, the button 16 is moved downwardly through slot 15 by a simple motion of the thumb or finger and this motion is transmitted through the operating cross-bar 11 which moves downwardly guided upon the ridge 14, through the links 17 to the bell cranks 19.

The arms 19?) with rollers 23 on the ends thereof are thereby swung or forced outwardly through the slots 24 and bearing upon the doors 6 force them to open position, by a combined sliding and pushing motion, simultaneously exposing the cigarettes and giatches and rendering them readily accessi- As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the channeled depending portion 12 of the cross-bar 11 guided upon the slotted ridge 14, normally completely closes the slot 15 in the ridge,i. e., when the button 16 is in upper position and the container closed. The slot is only open to the interior of the container when the button is ushed down and the doors 0 ened.

In igs. 8 and 9 is shown a modified form of my invention providin a container with a chamber having a match packet receiving portion and a cigarette receiving portion, in which the closure means, movable to simultaneously expose the cigarettes and matches, comprise a pair of door members 29 hinged at .29 and connected by links 30 with operating button 31 movable in slot 32 in the end of the container body. Springs 33 are provided at the hinges to urge the doors to closed position with their edges meeting as shown in Fig. 8. The links 30 are pivotally connected with the operating button 31 and at their opposite ends are pivotally connected to the closure members or doors 2929' at the corners 34 of flanges 35 of the doors. If it be desired to extend the amount of opening of the doors, the links may be curved or cut away as shown at 36, and the upper terminal of the slot 32 may be extended.

In Figs. 10 and 11 is shown a form of my invention in which the matches and cigarettes are simultaneously exposed by means of a slide closure member 37 on the side of the casing provided with channeled portions 38 at its sides slidably engaging ribs or beads 39 on the casing. This form of slide closure opens only the side of the container.

Figs. 12 and 13 show a similar arrangement in which the top and one side of the container are opened and closed by means of a slide closure 40 having a guide channel 41 engaging guide rib 42 on-the side of the container. As shown, the slide closure 40 comprises upper portion 40a and depending side portions 40?) and 400. The side portion 40b is provided with the guide means which prevent upward displacement; while the side portion 400 may simply bear slidably against the closed rear side of the casing. Suitable fin er projections 43 may be provided on the sli e closures.

Certain features herein described but not claimed are made the subject matter of a divisional application.

I claim:

1. A container providing an inner chamber having a match receiving compartment and a cigarette receiving compartment, and closure means movable to simultaneously expose both of said compartments to provide access to both the matches and the cigarettes, said closure means comprising doors hinged to the casing, springs at the hinges urging the doors to closed position, a slot in the casing, an operating member movable in said slot and operable from without the container, bell crank levers pivoted in said container, links connecting said operating member with said bell crank levers, and rollers on the free ends of said bell cranks to engage and open the doors when the operating member is moved.

2. A container for cigarettes or the like having closure means, operatin means therefor, said container space being efined in art by said closure means and in part by a ouble wall, said double wall providing a space between its members within which space the operating means is located, and exterior means for actuating said operating means,

said double wall forming the back and two sides of said container, and said operating means comprising an operating cross-bar mounted for sliding movement 1n said double wall and having a channeled depending portion, the outer wall of said double wall having a guiding ridge slidably receiving said channeled portion of the operating cross-bar, said outer wall at the ridge being slotted longitudinally of said ridge, and said channeled portion of the operating bar having a handle member disposed in said slot, said operating bar havin ears on its ends disposed in the double wa 1 space at the sides of the container, bell crank levers mounted one in each of said side double wall spaces, openings at the front of said side double walls permitting one arm of said bell cranks to swing against, said closure means, and links connecting said ears with the other arms of saidbell cranks.

3. A container for ci arettes or the like havin closure means, said container having 1 a dou le wall at its sides and back, said double wall having a space between its members, operating means for said closures disposed in said space within said double wall, said operating means including a cross-bar having a handle portion exposed through a slot in the outer wall, said cross-bar extendin across and being slidable in said space an having forwardly turned terminal ears disposed in the spaces in the side double walls, bell cranks one in each of said side spaces, links connecting said bell cranks with said ears, and slots in said side double walls adjacent the 010- sures to permit the free ends of said bell cranks to operatively engage said closures gpon being actuated by said operating cross- In testimon whereof, I aflix my signature.

L CY COTTON THOMAS.

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