PORTABLE REGISTER

MALETTE A FORMULAIRES ET DOCUMENTS

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A portable recording box, formed from a blank of cardboard or other
analogous material which has cut outs and fold lines so that the different
sides of the box are assembled by folding and interlocking the various
panels and flaps of which the blank is composed. The assembled box has two
compartments, a lower compartment for storing fanfold paper forms or the
like, and an upper compartment for storing a single sheet or form for data
to be written thereon. The compartments are separated by a panel which
provides a reasonably rigid writing surface.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A recording box fabricated from a folded unitary blank
for containing and dispensing fanfolded sheets, comprising:
a box having a bottom panel, first and second upstanding,
lengthwise extending side panels connected to said bottom panel at
respective first lengthwise fold lines, and first and second
upstanding end panels connected to said bottom panel at respective
first widthwise fold lines, said first and second end panels spaced
a selected lengthwise dimension from one another;
an intermediate partition connected to one of said end panels along
a second widthwise fold line and having means for positionally
maintaining said intermediate partition superposed above and
substantially parallel to said bottom panel, said intermediate
partition having a length less than the lengthwise spacing
dimension between said first and second end panels to define a slot
between the other of said end panels and the remote end of said
intermediate partition; and
a top panel connected to the other of said end panels along a
respective fold line and having means for positionally maintaining
said top panel superposed above and substantially parallel to said
intermediate partition to define a sheet passage therebetween, said
top panel having a cut-out formed therein;
wherein a supply of edge-to-edge connected sheets is contained
within the box between said bottom panel and the intermediate
partition with the sheets passed through the slot and the sheet
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passage to provide access to a sheet through the cut-out, the
intermediate partition functioning as a sheet support surface.
2. The recording box of claim 1, wherein each of said side
panels comprises a first sub-panel connected to said bottom panel
at said respective first-mentioned lengthwise fold line and a
second sub-panel connected to said first sub-panel at a second
lenthwise fold line, said first and second sub-panels folded
substantially parallel to one another along the second lengthwise
fold line.
3. The recording box of claim 2, wherein each side panel
further comprises:
at least one tongue extending from an edge of said second
sub-panel, said bottom panel having an opening formed therein for
receiving said one tongue to positionally maintain said first and
second sub-panels in their folded relationship.
4. The recording box of claim 3, wherein each of said end
panels further comprises a lengthwise extended tab at each lateral
end thereof, each tab restrained between the folded sub-panels of
the adjacent side panel.
5. The recording box of claim 1, wherein said intermediate
partition comprises a first sub-partition connected to said one end
panel at said second widthwise fold line and a second sub-partition
connected to said first sub-partition at a third widthwise fold
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line, said first and second sub-partitions folded substantially
parallel to one another at the third widthwise fold line.
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Description

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The present invention relates to a portable recording box for use
with fanfold paper forms or the like.
An object of the invention is to provide a light, portable recording
box, made of cardboard or similar material with sufficient rigidity, while
having adequate flexibility.
~ further object is to provide such a box at a very low manufacturing
cost so that it may be thrown away after its contents have been used.
In a broad aspect, the inventlon resides in a box formed of a blank
made of cardboard or other material, hav-lng cut outs and fold lines, so that
the sides of the box may be assembled by folding and interlocking.
Another characteristic of the box is that it is divided, via
a fold of the cardboard, in-to two superimposed compartments of which the
lower compartment, with a relatively large volume, serves to store the
contents, such as fanfold invoicing paper, while the upper compartment
serves for retaining a sheet or segment of the paper so that entries may be
made thereon. The lower compartment is closed on the top by a sheet of
cardboard resulting from the folding of the initial blank, which provides
the paper with a sufficient supporting foundation to permit writing of the
entries. A cover containing openings, maintained by interlocking above the
level writing surface, guides and retains the paper while allowing one to
ascertain how much paper is left.
In drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention,
Figure 1 is a plan view of an initial cardboard blank;
Figures 2, 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating the
successive phases of the folding of the blank for the construction of the box;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a finished box;
Figures 6 and 7 are cross sectional views along the lines VI-VI and
VII-VII oE Figure 5.
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Figure 1 illustrates the shape of a cardboard blank prior to folding
and interlocking the various panels and flaps to produce the box depicted
in Figures 5 to 7 in fully assembled form.
In Figure 1, the fine lines represent fold lines, pressed into
the cardboard using a wheel or other suitable means. Panel 1 constitutes
the bottom of the box. Panels 2 and 3 are side panels which form the
double-thick longitudinal sides, each panel 3 being folded towards the
inside of the box against the respective panel 2 and being held in place by
engaging the tongues 4 into the oblong openings 5. Panels 6 constitute the
transverse sides and are extended via the tabs 7 which are inserted between
panels 2 and 3 before they are folded against each other and the tongues
4 engaged in the openings 5. Panels 8 and 9 with their flaps lO and ll
are designed to be folded against each other, with nesting of flaps ll into
flaps lO, to ultimately form a level writing surface on the box when fully
assembled. The length "1" of these parts, is a little less than the
corresponding length of the box, so as to provide, in the assembled box,
a slit (slit 12 in Figure 6) the length of the edge a-b of the transverse
side panel 6 through which the paper can pass when it is pulled.
Finally, another panel 13 with its side flaps 14 forms the upper
part or top of the box. Panel 13 carries a large cut out opening 15 through
which the useful portion of the paper appears in use. The useful portion of
the paper is that on which entries must be made, and it thus rests on the
rather rigid, level surface formed by the superimposition of panels 8 and 9.
One will note that panel 8 and adjoining panel 6 are provided
on their fold line with a circular hole 16 whereas panel 9 is provided on its
free edge with a semi-circular notch 17 which, when assembled, is superimposed
on the hole 16 to permit one to grasp and easily pull the paper 18

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onto the level writing surface formed by superimposed panels 8 and 9, from
the lower compartment of the box where the fanfold paper is stored.
It may be seen that the box described is light, therefore portable,
and that starting with a suitably cut and modified blank, which may be made
by machine, the box may be constructed in a very simple manner without
special assembly machinery. Therefore, it has a low manufacturing cost and
may be thrown away when the paper supply is exhausted.