An Improved Box or Travelling Trunk for Holding Ladies' Hats.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Box or Travelling Trunk for Holding Ladies' Hats.
I, GOTTLOB HEINRICH SCHOENLEBER, of 20A, Buchsenstrasse, Stuttgart, in the
Empire of Germany, Merchant, 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:-
The carrying of ladies' hats in bandboxes or the like when travelling is always
a very inconvenient matter, more particularly when it is necessary to convey a
number of hats which are at present mostly packed singly in bandboxes, thus
necessitating a considerable number of packages and rendering their transport
more difficult.
This invention has for its object a means for removing this drawback, a number
of hats which are to be carried being placed in one box having one or more com-
partments, according to the number of the hats to be carried in such a way that
each hat is held by its brim on each of the inner walls of the box and its compart-
ments by means of spring tongues revoluble on sliding or pivoted pieces. The
arrangements of the box are such that the hats placed in one compartment cannot
come in contact with one another, and thus any crushing or damaging of the hats
is avoided.
In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show perspective views of a
travelling box capable of being closed and formed of two rigid ends, and having
two compartments divided one from the other by a partition, each compartment
being intended to receive six hats.
The side C and cover B of the box or trunk A are made to fold back in order
to allow easy access to the hats.
On each of the inner walls of the two compartments four revolubly and
adjustably mounted spring holding-tongues I are provided for each hat, the loose
ends of which holders are provided with sockets (Figures 3-10). in which a
plug of soft material, such for instance as felt, cork, or the like, is inserted.
These tongues D or rather their ends press on a suitable part of the brims of
the hats E after the latter have been placed in the box, thus holding them firmer
against the walls of the box. According as the hat to be held has a brim more or
less raised, the holding pieces 1) are made with a larger or smaller loop, that is to
say more or less bent, and in order to allow hats of different shapes or sizes to be
held by means of the same tongues, all the tongues D belonging to one set are
revolubly or pivotally mounted on slides or revoluble pieces so that they may be
moved along the slides, or turned as on a double hinge on the pivoted pieces. The
adjustability may be effected in different ways, thus in the form of construction
shown in Figures 3 and 4 guide pieces are let into the walls of the box, in which
guides the tongues D are arranged to travel by means of sliding pieces attached
thereto.
In the form of construction shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tongues 1) have a
longitudinal slot D' through which a clamp screw D² engages.
Of course the adjustability of the tongues may be obtained in various other
ways without exceeding the scope of the invention.

page_text: Figures 7 and 8 show an arrangement in which the tongue D) is revolubly
attached to a hinge piece D³ in turn revolubly.mounted on the box side which
piece 13 may be turned on à pivot o and the tongue D on a pivot o¹. More than
one of such hinge pieces or links may of course be employed as shown in Figures 9,
10 and thereby a very large scope of adjustability for the pressure points of the
tongues or holders is obtained.
Instead of four tongues D for fastening each hat E, as shown in Figures 1
and 10, according to the form or size of the hat a smaller number of tongues may
be sufficient for this purpose.
If it be not desired to directly attach the hats to the walls of the box, separate
insertions a (Figure 1) on which the bars and hinge pieces 13 are fixed, may be
employed, and the hats may be placed and fixed on these special insertions.
These insertions a may then be fixed on the inner walls of the box by means of
studs or other suitable, and easily removable fastening devices such for instance,
as pivot clamps or the like.
As may be seen in Figure 1, 6 hats may be contained in each compartment of
the box shown, so that the two compartments together afford room for 12 hats.
Of course according to requirement à box may be made for holding a larger or
smaller number of ladies' hats.
For fastening hats which cannot be held by the brim, such for instance as
toques, Tam o' Shanters and the like, and hats with brims sharply turned round,
the well known arrangement F may be provided consisting of a curved frame f
on which the hat is held by means of indiarubber bands G.
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:-
A box or travelling trunk having one or more compartments for carrying a
number of ladies' hats characterised by an arrangement for fixing or fastening the
hats separately on each inner wall of the box, or on the lid or bottom of the same,
consisting of spring tongues (D) which are revolubly mounted on adjustable slide
pieces or on revoluble hinge pieces formed of one piece, or of several connected
together, with the object of enabling the point of pressure of the tongue to be
adjusted each time to correspond to the form and size of. the hat to be held, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
Dated this 1st day of February 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of G, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.