Improvements in Shawl Straps for Parcels.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1890-Accepted, 10th May, 1890
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shawl Straps for Parcels.
I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of 52 Chancery Lane, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, which has
been communicated to me from abroad by Edward Seymour Hotchkiss, corner Water
Street and South Avenue, Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, U.S.A.,
Gentleman, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object to produce an easily operated and inexpensive strap
holder which may be readily extended to adapt it to various sizes of parcels.
With these ends in view, I have devised the simple and novel construction of
which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a
specification, numbers being used to denote the several parts.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, the straps being in section and Fig. 2, a top plan view,
the handle being removed, of one form of my novel strap holder.
Fig. 3, a bottom plan view illustrating certain changes in the details of
construction ;
Fig. 4, a top plan view, the handle being removed, of another form in which I
have carried my invention into effect, and
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, portions thereof being in elevation, of still another
form in which I have carried my invention into effect.
The device consists essentially of two slides which I have designated by 1" and 1° and
a.handle carrier.designated by 2. In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the slides
consist of two parallel rods connected together at their outer ends. The slides may be
made from a continuous piece of wire bent to the required shape, or, as shown in the
drawing, two independent rods may be used and their outer ends connected by cross
pieces 3 which are provided on their upper sides with loops 4 to receive straps 5, the straps
being adapted to slide freely in said loops in the ordinary manner. At the inner ends of
each pair of rods comprising the slides, are guides 6, each of said guides being
rigidly connected to one of the slides and inclosing one of the rods of the other
slide so that the rods will slide through said guides. In order that this construction
may be clearly understood, I have designated the right slide in Fig. 2 as 1ª and the
left slide as 16, and the guides upon the right slide as 6ª and the guides upon the
left slide as 6. Guides 6* are rigidly attached to slide 1* and inclose
comprising slide 1° permitting the rods to slide in said guides, guides 6b being.
rigidly attached to slide 1° and inclosing the rods comprising the other slide in the
same manner. In practice, the guides are made to inclose the rods tightly enough
so that, while the slides may be moved, when desired, without difficulty they will
remain in any position in which they may be placed. In this form the handle carrier'
consists of a cross piece 7 and a strip 8 to which the handle 9 is connected. The
cross piece and strip may be formed from a single piece of metal. In practice, how-
ever, the cross piece is preferably made of ordinary sheet metal and so formed as to
inclose the four rods comprising the slides, the metal being closed around the rods
as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and as shown in Fig. 3, so as to hold both of
the slides against lateral movement. This cross piece is ordinarily provided with a
loop 4 to receive a central strap which, however, may or may not be used as preferred.
Strip 8 is made considerably longer than cross piece 7 and is provided at its ends
with lips 10 which curve partially around the rods comprising the slides as is clearly
shown in Fig. 1. The function of this strip is to brace and strengthen the device'
in use by giving an extended bearing under the slides, lateral movement being
prevented by the engagement of the lips with the slides. The strip preferably

page_text: made of spring metal so that the ends thereof will spring downward below the plane
of the slides when not in use, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, thereby preventing lips 10
from engaging guides 6 when the slides are drawn out to elongate the strap holder.
The handle is connected to the strip in any suitable manner as by being pivoted to
upturned flanges at the ends of the strip or by being riveted directly thereto as shown
in Figs 1 and 2.
In the form illustrated in Fig. 3, the guides at the inner ends of the slides are
formed by curving the metal of the rods of each slide under and partially around the
rods of the other slide as is clearly shown, the ends of the rods comprising one slide
curving toward the left, downward, and then upward outside of the rods comprising
the other slide, and the ends of the rods of the other slide curving downward and
then upward toward the right to partially inclose the rods of the first slide.
In the form illustrated in Fig. 4, I have shown the slides as made from a single
piece of wire bent at the centre and the ends lying parallel to form the slides as in
the other form. In this form, the cross piece of the handle carrier does not inclose
the rods comprising the slides, but instead incloses the inner ends of two central
rods 13, one of said rods belonging to each slide. The outer ends of rods 13 are
rigidly connected to the cross-pieces 3. at the ends of the slides, said rods being
preferably made approximately the length of the rods comprising the slides. The
inner end of each rod 13 is provided with a guide 6, inclosing or partially inclosing
the other rod. In the drawing, I have shown the guides at the ends of the rods com-
prising the slides as independent pieces of metal secured to the rods of one slide and
inclosing the rods of the other slide, as in Figs. 1 and 2, and have shown the guides
at the ends of central rods 13 as formed by curving the ends of each rod itself
downward and then upward to support and partially inclose the other rod as in
Fig. 3. It should be understood, however, that the guides at the ends of the rods
comprising the slides and those at the ends of central rods 13, may all be made either
as in Figs. 1 and 2, or as in Fig. 3, as may be preferred, these special details of
construction not being of the essence of my invention. The cross-piece 7, in this
form, incloses the central rods 13 in the same manner that the rods of the slides are
inclosed in the other form, and the handle strip is rigidly secured to the underside
as in the other form. The ends of the handle in this form are provided with holes 14,
through which metallic loops 15 are passed, these loops inclosing the central rods,
and their lower ends being rivetted or otherwise secured to the handle strip 8.
In the form shown in Fig. 5, the handle carrier is a tube and the slides
are both made tubular and slide within it, and instead of passing the straps through
loops, the two outer ones are passed through slots 12 at the ends of the slide, and
the central strap, if used, is passed through a similar slot in the handle carrier.
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. A strap holder for parcels consisting of a carrier, and slides adapted to pass by
each other and through said carrier.
2. A strap holder for parcels consisting of a carrier, and rods sliding within said
carrier, said rods being connected together at their outer ends and provided at their
inner ends with guides, each of which incloses a rod of the opposite slide.
3. A strap holder for parcels consisting of a carrier, slides adapted to pass by each
other and through said carrier, and a longitudinal strip attached to the carrier, as
and for the purpose set forth.
4. A strap holder consisting of a pair of slides, a carrier by which said slides are
held and to which the handle is connected, said slides consisting of parallel rods con-
nected by cross-pieces at their outer ends and having at their inner ends guides, each
of which is secured to one rod and incloses one of the rods of the other slide,
substantially as described.
5. A strap holder for parcels consisting of a carrier, and slides adapted to pass by
each other outside of and independent of said carrier.

page_text: 6. A strap holder consisting of a carrier to which the handle is attached, slides
adapted to move therein, and a longitudinal spring strip extending from the carrier
and having lips 10 at its ends, said strip acting to support the carrier, and the lips to
engage the slides when in use, and said strip and lips springing down below the plane
of the slides when not in use so that the slides may be extended.
7. The slides consisting of rods, cross-pieces connecting said rods at their outer
ends and having loops for the straps, and guides at the ends of the rods each of
which incloses a rod of the other slide, in combination with the handle carrier con-
sisting of a cross-piece inclosing the rods, and a spring strip attached to the cross-
piece having at its outer ends lips adapted to engage the outer sides of the rods, and
to which the handle is connected.
8. The slides consisting of rods, cross-pieces at the ends of said slides, central
rods 13, whose outer ends are connected to the slides, and guides at the inner ends of
the rods, each of which engages another rod, in combination with the handle carrier
consisting of a cross-piece, and a spring strip connected thereto to which the handle is
attached.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.