US3572538A

US3572538A - Hinge receiving element

Info

Publication number: US3572538A
Application number: US760323A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert G Bergh; George G Bergh
Original assignee: Bergh Bros Co Inc
Current assignee: Bergh Bros Co Inc
Priority date: 1968-09-17
Filing date: 1968-09-17
Publication date: 1971-03-30
Anticipated expiration: 1988-03-30
Also published as: DE1927105C3; DE1927105B2; DE1927105A1; GB1246570A

Abstract

Apparatus for mounting a hinge in a fixed position close to but separate from the interior surface of a box component wall member. The apparatus includes a hinge receiving element to which the hinge is directly attached by any known means. The hinge receiving element is suitably dimensioned to fit between and be located by spaced flanges extending inwardly from the upper and lower edges of the wall member. Separable bottom and insert members cooperate with the spaced flanges to wedge the hinge receiving element in place.

Description

United States Patent Inventors Robert G. Bergh;

George G. Bergh, North Attleboro, Mass. App]. No. 760,323 Filed Sept. 17, 1968 Patented Mar. 30, 1971 Assignee Bergh Bros. Co., Inc.

Attleboro Falls, Mass.

HINGE RECEIVING ELEMENT 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 220/31, 220/35, 229/44 Int. Cl 865d 43/16 Field ofSearch.... 220/31, 31

(SR), 35;229/44, 44 (M) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,605,925 8/1952 Morin 229/44(M)X 3,107,807 10/1963 Bergh 220/31X 3,128,898 4/1964 Burman 220/35 Primary ExaminerGeorge E. Lowrance Att0rneyChittick, Pfund, Birch, Samuels & Gauthier ABSTRACT: Apparatus for mounting a hinge in a fixed position close to but separate from the interior surface of a box component wall member. The apparatus includes a hinge receiving element to which the hinge is directly attached by any known means. The hinge-receiving element is suitably dimensioned to fit between and be located by spaced flanges extending inwardly from the upper and lower edges of the wall member. Separable bottom and insert members cooperate with the spaced flanges to wedge the hinge receiving element in place.

Patented March 30, 1971 FIG. I

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

INVENTORS GEORGE G. BERGH ROBERT G. BERGH ATTORNEYS Patented v March 30, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS GEORGE G. BERGH ROBERT G. BERGH ATTORNEYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS 5 GEORGE G. BERGH 7 24 ROBERT G. BERGH ATTORNEYS HINGE RECEIVING ELEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved means for locating and mounting hinges on box components.

In the manufacture of decorative boxes, such as for example those employed in the jewelry industry, a primary objective is the attainment of a highly attractive appearance at the lowest possible cost per unit. In the past, efforts to succeed at this objective have been complicated by the task of locating and mounting hinges. This is particularly true of box components incorporating prefinished wall members. For example, some prior art box constructions employ means for attaching hinges directly to the component sidewall. This detracts from the overall appearance of the finished product because the exterior wall surface at the point of hinge-attachment is unavoidably marred by the unsightly indentations, punctures, etc.

Other prior arttechniques involve attaching the hinge to a mounting element, which element is in turn fixed to the interior surfaces of the wall by wrapping and/or glueing. The need to resort to use of glue is, however, objectionable because metal elements must first be subjected to special cleaning operations in order to insure proper adhesion. In addition to being expensive, these special cleaning operations render the metal elements particularly susceptible to corrosion. The use of glue also restricts the range of decorative wrapping materials that may be employed.

The present invention avoids the above-mentioned problems by attaching the hinges to hinge-receiving elements, which elements are in turn wedged in place by cooperative frictional engagement with other box elements such as the bottom and wall members. With this construction, the exterior surfaces of the box components are not punctured or otherwise marred because the hinges are attached directly to the hinge-receiving elements, and not to the component walls. Also, by wedging the hinge-receiving elements in place, the need to employ glue or other adhesives is completely ob viated.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical box construction embodying the concepts of the present invention with portions of the interior decorative covering broken away;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the box construction shown in FIG. 1 with the lid closed;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the elements making up the base section;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along lines M of FIG. 1; and,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of one corner of the base section with portions broken away to better illustrate the cooperative frictional engagement of the various elements.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a box construction generally indicated by the reference numeral It) is shown comprising base and

lid sections

12 and 14 pivotally connected by means of a hinge assembly 16.

The elements making up base section 12 are shown in a disassembled or exploded relationship in FIG. 3. These elements include a continuous wall member 18, a separate hingereceiving element 20, a hinge assembly 16, a decorative bottom member 22, an optional intermediate pad 24 of some resilient materials such as for example urethane foam, and an insert member 26.

Wall member 18 is comprised basically of a continuous metal strip 19 having upper and lower inwardly disposed spaced

parallel flanges

28 and 30.

Flanges

28 and 30 need not be of the same width. As herein illustrated, lower flange 30 is somewhat wider than the upper flange 28. Notches in the

flanges

28 and 30 permits the strip 19 to be bent at corners 17, thus forming sidewalls 18a and 18b, and front and rear walls lilo and 13d. The ends of strip 19 are provided with male and female connecting means which are interlocked as at 21. The rear wall 13d is cut away as at 32 to accommodate the pintle section of hinge assembly 16.

Hinge-receiving element 20 is comprised basically of another elongated strip 34 of material such as for example steel strip, bent at each end as at 36 to form laterally disposed substantially parallel end flanges 38. The hinge-receiving element is also cut away as at 39 again to accommodate the pintle section of the hinge assembly.

Hinge assembly 16 may be of any known construction embodying pivotally connected leaf sections t0 and 42. In the construction herein illustrated, the hinge leaves 42 are adapted for mounting on the receiving element 20 in a manner substantially identical to that illustrated applicants US. Pat. No. 2,804,229. However, it is to be understood that any known means may be employed to attach the hinge leaves to hinge receiving element 20. A spring member 43 serves as a means for urging the hinge leafs to either the open or closed position.

As herein illustrated, the decorative bottom member 22 consists of a precut blank of any known commercially available material, such as for example, velvet or satin. The intermediate pad 24 is an optional component which need not necessarily be included, its primary function being to impart a cushioned or upholstered effect to the bottom exterior surface of base section 12.

As herein illustrated, insert member 26 is comprised basically of another precut blank 44 of any suitable substantially stiff material, such as for example heavy paper or cardboard. Blank 44 is scored along lines 46 and its corners are cut away as at 48 to facilitate bending into the shape shown in FIG. 3.

The assembly and cooperative relationship of the various elements making up base section 12 will now be described with further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In this connection, it should be noted, however, that with the exception of the increases thickness of pad 24', the lid section 14 is identical in construction to base section 12. Thus, it will be understood that the following discussion will apply equally as well to both the base and lid sections.

The first step in assembling base section 12 involves attaching hinge assembly 16 to the hinge-receiving element 20. As pointed out above, this can be done in any one of a number of ways. In the embodiment herein illustrated, hinge assembly 16 is attached to element 20 by means described in US. Pat. No. 2,804,229. This means includes retaining

flanges

50 and 52 suitably spaced and arranged to cooperate with bent cars 53 on the hinge leaves 42. The spaced retaining

flanges

50 and 52 are produced by stamping strip 34, thus producing unsightly punctures in the rear surface. However, as will hereinafter be described in greater detail, such puncturing is not objectionable because the hinge receiving element 20 is ultimately completely enclosed and covered by the other box elements.

Having attached hinge assembly 16 to the hinge-receiving element 20, the next step involves positioning the hingereceiving element within the confines of wall member 18 and thereafter pushing the element 20 flush against the interior face of rear wall 18d. In this connection, it should be noted that the width of element 20 is slightly less than the distance between the upper and

lower flanges

28 and 30 on wall member 18. Moreover, the distance between the corner bends 36 is also slightly less than the interior length of rear wall 18d. Thus, as the hinge-receiving element is pushed against rear wall 18d, a self-locating action takes place with the result that the hinge assembly 16 is accurately and positively located with respect to rear wall 18d. The cutaway section 32 receives the hinge pintle, thus accommodating subsequent pivotal movement of the lid relative to the base.

The next step in assembling base section 12 involves positioning the bottom member 22 in place within the confines of wall member 18. Bottom member 22 is sufficiently flexible to permit its deflection when being pressed past the narrower upper wall flange 28, while being suitably dimensioned to fit tightly between the sides of wall member 18. Thus, the front and

rear edges

22a and 22b of bottom member 22 abut tightly against the interior surfaces of front wall 13c and the lower edge of hinge-receiving element 20 (See FIG. 41). This produces a wedging action which effectively forces the hinge receiving element flush against rear wail 18d. At the same time the side edges 22c and 22d of bottom member 22 force the end flanges 38 of hinge receiving element 20 against the sidewalls 18a and 18b of wall member 18. The bottom member 22 is pushed downwardly until it rests upon the lower wall flange 30. Thus it can be seen by positioning bottom member 22 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hinge receiving element 20 is effectively wedged in place and precluded from further movement.

The optional padding member 24 may then be placed over bottom member 22. Since this padding member preferably consists of a soft resilient material, other means must be provided to hold it in place. For this reason, an insert member 26 of the type herein illustrated is provided. The insert is simply pushed downwardly into the cavity defined by wall member 18 and bottom and

pad members

22 and 24. The side flaps 54 on insert member 26 will initially be bent inwardly by the restrictive action of upper flange 28. However, at the point when the insert member is flush against pad 24, the latter in turn being flush against bottom member 22, the upper edges 56 of the flaps 54 will be below upper wall flange 28. This permits the flaps 54 to spring outwardly against the sides of wall member 18. The flaps are thereafter locked beneath upper wall flange 28.

The same procedure would apply to the assembly of lid section 14. Thereafter, a final decorative covering 58 of some suitable material such as for example silk, could be applied to the interior surfaces of both the base and lid sections to impart a finished appearance to the interior of the box.

As previously indicated, this construction affords a number of important and highly desirable features heretofore unavailable with previously employed box constructions. To begin with, the exterior surfaces of the box adjacent to the hinge (See FIG. 2) are completely unmarked by any punctures, indentations, etc. that would otherwise be needed if the hinge were attached directly to the wall member 18. This is accomplished without resorting to additional wrapping and/or glueing. Thus, metal components need not be subjected to expensive preliminary cleaning operations. This construction also makes it possible to employ a wide range of decorative fabrics, without fear of damaging such fabrics by glueing during final assembly. All of the elements wedgingly cooperate to produce a finished product which is both attractive and sturdy, the overall result being one of extremely high quality. Experience has also indicated that when the lid section is opened and closed, the elements to which the hinge leaves are attached are caused to bend or flex. in prior art constructions where the hinges are attached directly to the component walls, this results in unsightly deflection and bending of the box walls. In the present arrangement, since the hinges are attached to the hinge receiving elements 20, only the latter elements bend or deflect. This occurs without imparting similar deflection and bending to the box walls, and at a location which is completely hidden from view. Moreover, any such deflection is opposed and to a considerable extent minimized by the fact that the end flanges 38 on each hinge receiving element 20 are held between the upper and

lower flanges

28 and 30 on the wall member.

It is our intention to cover all changes and modifications of the embodiment herein described which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. Means for fixing a hinge relative to the interior surface of a box component wall, said means comprising in combination: a hinge-receiving element; means for attaching the hinge to said hinge-receiving element; inwardly extending flanges on said wall, said flanges being spaced laterally to accommodate positioning of said hinge receiving element therebetween; and, wedge means cooperating with said wall and the flanges thereon to wedge said hinge-receiving element in place against said wall.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 further characterized by said flanges being coextensive with the upper and lower edges of said wall, the width of said hinge-receiving element being approximately equal to the distance between said flanges.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2 further characterized by said box component wall having at least three sides, the said wedge means being operative to wedge said hinge receiving element against the interior surface of one of said sides, the length of said hinge-receiving element being approximately equal to the said one side.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 further characterized by said hinge-receiving element having end flanges extending laterally therefrom, the said end flanges being located between and cooperating with the flanges on said wall to resist angular movement of said hinge receiving element relative to said wall.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said wedge means is comprised in part of a bottom member supported by one of the flanges on said wall, said bottom member being wedged between said hinge-receiving element and the sides of said wall member other than the said one side.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 5 wherein said wedge means is further characterized by insert means wedged between said bottom member and the other of said flanges on said wall.

7. For use with a box construction having base and lid sections pivotally interconnected by means of a hinge assembly, each of said sections having wall members with first flange members extending inwardly from the upper and lower edges thereof, means for securing the hinge assembly relative to the wall member of each of said sections, said means comprising: a pair of hinge-receiving elements; means for attaching the leaves of said hinge assembly to said hinge-receiving elements; second flange members extending laterally from the ends of said hinge-receiving elements, the distance between the outside edges of said second flange members being approximately equal to the distance between said first flange members; and, wedge means for wedging said hinge-receiving elements flush against the interior surfaces of the wall members of said base and lid sections, whereupon said second flange members are located between said first flange members to cooperate with said first flange members in resisting angular movement of said hinge-receiving elements relative to the wall members of said base and lid sections.