Improvements in Travelling Dressing-bags or Dress Portmanteaus.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling Dressing-bags or Dress Portmanteaus..
1, WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS, of 4, Park Lane, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in travelling dressing-bags, or dress
portinanteaus, and by way of example I will describe my invention as applied
to a travelling dressing-bag.
Heretofore it has been usual to hinge the jaws or "tops" of travelling dressing
bags at a point on a level with the end frames of such bags, but this mode of
hinging did not allow the jaws or tops when open, to lie sufficiently out of the way
of the user.
Now one of the objects of my invention is to so construct these bags
that, when fully open, their jaws or tops shall be entirely out of the way of the
user, and shall, at the same time, lie in or about the same plane as the bottom of
the bag.
My invention further relates to an improved construction of the detachable or
removable tray commonly used with such bags, said tray being, according to my
invention, now provided with hinged end flaps or pieces (for carrying toilet or
other fittings), adapted to open outwards so as to fully display such fittings; and
with means whereby it may be rolled along a table, or other surface, when removed
from the bag, without fear of scratching or otherwise injuring the surface upon
which it is rolled.
And in order that my invention may be readily understood, I proceed to describe
the same fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of the bag shown completely open and with the detachable tray
in place. Fig. 2 is a similar view but with the tray removed. Fig. 3 is a longi-
tudinal section on the line A, A, of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a cross section on the
line B, B, of Fig. 2. Figures 5 and 6 are local sections drawn to an enlarged scale,
and taken respectively on the lines, a, and y, y, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 7 is a plan, and Fig. 8 a cross section on the line C, C, of Fig. 7, showing
the detachable tray removed and closed. Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views to
Figs. 7 and 8, but showing the tray open.
Fig. 11 is a plan, and Fig. 12 a cross section on the line D, D, of Fig. 11, showing
a modified construction of the detachable tray. Figs. 13 and 14 are similar views
but showing the tray open. Fig. 15 is a longitudinal section on the line E, E, of
Fig. 11.
In all these figures like letters indicate similar parts; and the leather or other
covering of the bag, and its tray, is not shown for sake of clearness.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 10, a, a, are the jaws or tops of the bag frame, and b, b, are
the end frames. These end frames, as are more clearly seen at Fig. 4, have their
ends bent or turned down at right angles, and are furnished at their lower
extremities with hinge joints 2 to which the jaws or tops are connected by means
of the longitudinal rods a. These jaws or tops are formed with extensions a³
(Fig. 4) so as to enable them, when in their closed position, to lie over and
conform to the angular shape of the end frames. By forming the end frames in
this manner, the jaws or tops are rendered capable of turning into the position
represented by Fig. 4, that is to say, with their upper portion a lying in the sam
plane as the bottom of the bag. Furthermore, by thus turning down the extremitie:
of the end frames and hinging the jaws or tops thereto, a free space a* (Fig. 3)

page_text: is provided between the bottom of the tray and the jaws or tops, whereby the
hands of the user may readily be introduced to remove the detachable tray about
to be described.
This improved detachable tray shown more particularly in Figs. 7 to 10, consists,
as usual, of the end pieces d, d, and of the hinged jaws e, e, but for the purposes of
my invention the end flaps or pieces, which heretofore have been fixtures, or
formed rigidly with the frame of the tray, are now hinged thereto so that they
shall be capable of being turned outwards. To this end the end pieces d, d, are
furnished with small blocks d', d', to which are hinged or pivotted at d² the lower
ends of the end flaps or pieces f, f. Springs 1 are secured at one end to these
end flaps, and their free ends impinge against the blocks in order that the flaps
may be retained either in their upright, or in their turned down position. The
end pieces d, d, are provided with ball castors g, to enable the tray when removed
from the bag to be readily rolled along, and these ball castors, when the tray is in
place in the bag, are received into recesses formed in the end pieces or frames b, b,
of the bag as seen in the section, Fig. 5. The end pieces d, d, of the tray are
likewise provided with flanges which enter recesses formed in the end pieces or
frames of the bag, as seen in the section, Fig. 6, thereby effectually preventing
the tray from becoming displaced.
If preferred the jaws e, e, may be dispensed with, and the end flaps only be
employed.
In the modified construction of tray illustrated by Figs. 11 to 15 the jaws e, e.
which, as in the former case, are adapted to carry toilet or other fittings, are so
arranged that their horizontal portions es lie upon the frame of the tray, when in
their closed position, and their upright portions are so shaped or formed as to
leave spaces jį, (Figs. 11 and 15) for the reception of the fittings carried by the
end flaps The end pieces or frames dare, in this construction, provided with
rollers k, which serve the same purpose as the ball castors in the previous arrange-
ment and pins or studs projecting from the end pieces or frames denter
corresponding recesses in the end frames b, when the tray is replaced in the bag,
and thereby retain said tray firmly in position. The flanges h, with which the
end pieces or frames are provided in the arrangement shown by Figs. 7 to 10,
are thus dispensed with, as are also the recesses in the end frames > of
the bag.
Although I have described and shown my invention as applied to a travelling
dressing-bag, it may be applied in similar manner to dress-portmanteaus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Constructing the end frames of travelling dressing-bags with bent or turned
down ends, to which the jaws or tops of the bag are hinged, substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth.
2. The combination with the detachable tray of a travelling dressing-bag of
hinged end flaps adapted to open outwards and to carry toilet or other fittings,
substantially as described.
3. The combination, with the detachable tray of a travelling dressing-bag having
hinged jaws or tops adapted to carry toilet or other fittings, of hinged end flaps
adapted to open outwards and to carry toilet or other fittings, substantially as
described.
4. The combination, with the detachable tray of a travelling dressing-bag having
hinged end flaps, or both end flaps and hinged jaws or tops adapted to carry toilet
or other fittings, of flanges (such as h) and of ball castors (such as g) adapted to
engage in recesses (such as 63, 6',) formed in the end frames of the bag, substantially
as described, with reference to Figs. 1 to 10 of the drawings, and for the purposes
set forth.
5. The combination with the detachable tray of a travelling dressing-bag having

page_text: hinged end flaps and hinged jaws adapted to carry toilet or other fittings, of rollers
(such as k) and of studs or pins (such as 1) adapted to enter corresponding recesses
formed in the end frames of the bag, substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 11 to 15 of the drawings, and for the purposes set forth.
6. In detachable trays for travelling dressing-bags, as claimed in Claim 3,
constructing the hinged jaws in such a manner that a space is formed between the
ends of the jaws and the end flaps for the reception of the toilet or other fittings
carried by the end flaps, substantially as described and shown with reference to
Figs. 11 to 15 of the drawings.
7. My improvements in travelling dressing-bags, or dress portmanteaus,
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 4th day of March 1899
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.