Box for storing combustible substances

A box for protecting combustible substances from fires originating outside the box, said box comprising:

• walls;
• a cover pivotally mounted to at least one of said walls, and having a closed position and an open position;
• insulative material disposed within said walls and said cover to protect the combustible substances from the heat and flames of fires outside the box;
• a skirt attached to said cover, extending downward from said cover when said cover is in its closed position and partially covering but spaced from a first wall of said walls when said cover is in its open position;
• equilibrating means connected to said first wall for counterbalancing the weight of said cover in the open position so that when the cover has been pivoted to the open position it will remain in that position;
• a bimetallic latch interconnecting said cover and said equilibrating means to hold said cover in the open position at room temperatures, and operative at an elevated temperature associated with a fire to disconnect said cover from said equilibrating means, wherey when said elevated temperature has been reached said cover falls to the closed position under the action of gravity;
• said equilibrating means and said bimetallic latch located outside of the box in the space between said skirt and said first wall, whereby said bimetallic latch, by being outside rather than inside the box, responds more quickly to fires outside the box.