IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND OTHER TRUNKS PORTMANTEAUS AND BOXES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I ERNEST CHARLES THOMASSON of the firm of Thomas Thomasson and Company
of Silver Street in the City of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING
AND OTHER TRUNKS PORTMANTEAUS AND BOXES to be as follows:-
"
My Invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in constructing
and working the sliding bolts of travelling and other trunks portmanteaus and
boxes the said sliding bolts being used in conjunction with a jointed slotted hasp
or a jointed slotted hasp and a lock or padlock the slotted hasp plate being
prevented from being shut down and fastened until the bolting mechanism is in
its shot position and a staple or eye has been brought opposite the slot in the hasp
plate.
In the
In constructing a fastening according to my Invention I arrange two sliding
bolts to work in a case preferably on the inside of the front of the lid of the trunk
portmanteau or box. The said bolts slide in opposite directions from or towards
the middle of the lid and the outer hooked ends of the two bolts when shot enter
slots in the ends of the body of the trunk or engage with eyes or staples fixed on
the front of the body of the trunk above the bead. Between the inner ends of the
two bolts is a rotating disc on which is fixed the staple or eye for the slot in the
hasp plate when shut down to engage with. The said bolts are shot and
withdrawn by means of the said rotating disc in the following manner.
said disc and on opposite sides of the fixed staple or eye are two curved excentric
slots and on the inner ends of the sliding bolts are pins or studs which engage
respectively in the two excentric slots in the rotating disc. The said excentric
slots are so situated in the plate and have such a curvature that when the rotating
disc is turned by its staple or eye in one direction through a quadrant the two
bolts are simultaneously moved towards one another and made to fasten down the
lid by their outer hooked ends being shot into the slots or staples in or on the body
of the trunk and when the rotating disc is turned through a quadrant in the
opposite direction the two bolts are simultaneously moved from one another and
the lid unfastened. When the bolts are in their shot position the fixed staple or
Prins 21

page_text: eye on the rotating disc is vertical and when the bolts are withdrawn the said
staple or eye is inclined or horizontal. It is only in the shot position of the bolts
that the basp plate can be engaged with the staple or eye on the rotating disc for
locking the said hasp plate by the ordinary lock. A padlock may be used either
alone or in conjunction with a lock for fastening the hasp plate.
The position of the excentric slots in the rotating disc carrying the staple or eye
for the hasp to engage with may be reversed so as to cause the bolts to separate
from one another on shooting them the outer ends of the bolts engaging with
projecting loops fixed on the body of the trunk above the bead.
The bolting down mechanism may be arranged outside the lid instead of inside
but the outside position is less efficient than the inside position in which I have
described the said mechanism.
0 1 1
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100

page_text: I ERNEST CHARLES THOMASSON of the firm of Thomas Thomasson and Company
of Silver Street in the City of Worcester, Manufacturers do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND
OTHER TRUNKS PORTMANTEAUS AND BOXES" and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My Invention consists of the improvements herein after described in constructing
and working the sliding bolts of travelling and other trunks, portmanteaus and
boxes, the said sliding bolts being used in conjunction with a jointed slotted hasp
or a jointed slotted hasp and a lock or padlock, the slotted hasp plate being
prevented from being shut down and fastened until the bolting mechanism is in its
shot position and a staple or eye has been brought opposite the slot in the hasp
plate.
In constructing a fastening according to my Invention I arrange two sliding bolts
to work in a case preferably on the inside of the front of the lid of the trunk,
portmanteau or box. The said bolts slide in opposite directions from or towards
the middle of the lid and the outer hooked ends of the two bolts when shot enter
slots in the body of the trunk or engage with eyes or staples fixed on the front of
the body of the trunk above the bead. Between the inner ends of the two bolts is
a rotating disc on which is fixed the staple or eye for the slot in the hasp plate,
when shut, down to engage with. The said bolts are shot and withdrawn by
means of the said rotating disc in the following manner. In the said disc and on
opposite sides of the fixed staple or eye, are two curved excentric slots and on
the inner ends of the sliding bolts are pins or studs which engage respectively in the
two excentric slots in the rotating disc. The said excentric slots are so situated in
the plate and have such a curvature that when the rotating disc is turned by its
staple or eye in one direction through a quadrant, the two bolts are simultaneously
moved towards one another and made to fasten down the lid by their outer hooked
ends being shot into the slots or staples in or on the body of the trunk; and when
the rotating disc is turned through a quadrant in the opposite direction the two
bolts are simultaneously moved from one another and the lid unfastened. When
the bolts are in their shot position the fixed staple or eye on the rotating disc is
vertical and when the bolts are withdrawn the said staple or eye is inclined or
horizontal. It is only in the shot position of the bolts that the hasp plate can be
engaged with the staple or eye on the rotating disc for locking the said hasp plate
by the ordinary lock. A padlock may be used either alone or in conjunction with
a lock for fastening the hasp plate.
The position of the excentric slots in the rotating disc carrying the staple or eye
for the hasp to engage with may be reversed so as to cause the bolts to separate
from one another on shooting them, the outer ends of the bolts engaging with
projecting loops fixed on the body of the trunk above the bead.
The bolting down mechanism may be arranged outside the lid instead of inside
but the outside position is less efficient than the inside position in which I have
described the said mechanism.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in front elevation, partly in
section; Figure 2 in end elevation and Figure 3 in horizontal section, a portion of a
travelling trunk containing a fastening constructed according to my Invention, the
sliding bolts being represented in their shot position and the staple or eye in a

page_text: vertical position for the slotted hasp plate to engage with for locking the said hasp
plate Figure 4 represents in end clevation and Figure 5 in horizontal section, a
portion of the trunk in which the bolts are represented in their withdrawn position
and the staple or eye situated horizontally so that the hasp plate cannot be shut
down Figure 6 represents the rotating disc carrying the staple or eye, drawn
of the full size; Figure 7 represents the ends of the sliding bolts engaged with
the rotating disc; Figure 8 represents the ends of the sliding bolts and Figure 9
a back clevation of the rotating disc, the said Figures 7, 8 and 9 being drawn to
the same scale as Figure 6.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts: a is the body of the
trunk and b the lid; c is the slotted basp plate on the said lid and d is the lock on
the body a for locking down the hasp plate; e e are tho two sliding bolts working
in a case on the inside of the front of the lid b.
The bolts e, e slide in opposite directions from or towards the middle of the lid
and their hooked ends c², e² when shot as represented in Figures 1 and 2, enter
slotted pockets or staples g, in the ends of the body a; his the rotating disc
situated between the inner ends of the bolts for operating the said bolts, and
rotating on the stud i at the back of the disc. The disc h carries the staple or
eye for the slot in the hasp plate c to engage with, the said staple or eye
projecting through an opening in the front of the lid b (see Figures 3 and 5).
By means of the said eye or staple k, the disc h is rotated for working the bolts.
In the disc hand on opposite sides of the staple or eyo kc carried by it, are two
curved excentric slots l, land on the inner ends of the sliding bolts are pins or
studs e³, which engage respectively with the said excentric slots as best seen
in Figure 7. When the disc h is moved in one or other direction through a
quadrant the curved slots, acting upon the pins or studs e³, e³ cause the two
bolts e, e to be either simultaneously moved towards or separated from one another.
When the two bolts are moved towards one another their hooked ends e², e² engage
with the pockets g, g in the body a and fasten down the lid as represented in
Figures 1, 2 and 3, the staple or eye when the bolts are shot being vertical and
opposite the slot in the hasp plate c. In this position of the eye or staple / on the
rotating disc h, the hasp plate can be shut down for locking it by the ordinary
lock . On turning the eye or staple into a horizontal position, the bolts c, c
by the action of the slotted disc h are separated from one another and their hooked
ends withdrawn from the pockets g, g and the lid is unfastened.
In this position of the staple & the hasp plate c cannot be shut down for locking
it by the lock d as seen in Figure 4 and thereby indicates that the bolts e e are
unlocked.
Figure 10 represents in front elevation, partly in section and Figures 11 and 12
in horizontal section, a portion of a travelling trunk in which the bolts separate
from one another for locking the lid, the outer ends of the bolts, which are
unhooked, engaging in loops or staples on the body of the trunk above the bead.
In Figures 10 and 11 the bolts are represented in their withdrawn position and in
Figure 12 in their shot position.
In this arrangement, the position of the excentric slots 1, in the rotating disc h
with respect to the staple or eye k is reversed, that is, they occupy the position
represented in Figure 10. When the staple or eye k is turned from the position
represented in Figures 10 and 11 to that represented in Figure 12, the two bolts e e
are separated from each other and their flat ends e², e² engaging with the staples or
loops p, p fasten down the lid b. By reversing the motion of the disc h so as to
cause the eye l to take the horizontal position Figures 10 and 11, the two bolts e, e
approach one another and unlock the lid as seen in the said Figures 10 and 11.
The hasp plate c when the bolts e e are withdrawn cannot be shut down as herein
before described with respect to the first arrangement.
may be
The bolts e, e of the arrangement Figures 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8 and
shortened and their hooked outer ends be made to engage with staples similar to
the staples p, p (Figures 10. 11 and 12) on the body of the trunk above the bead,

page_text: In applying my Invention to ordinary trunks, portmanteaus and boxes,
I construct and arrange the parts substantially as herein before described and
illustrated with respect to a travelling trunk.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improvements in fastenings for travelling and other trunks, portmanteaus
and boxes herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings;
that is to say, attaching the staple or eye for the jointed slotted hasp plate to shut
down upon, when the sliding bolts of the fastening are in their shot position, to a
rotating disc turning in the lid and situated between the inner ends of two sliding
bolts carried by the lid, and working the said bolts by means of curved excentric
slots in the said rotating disc with which slots, pins or studs on the inner ends of
the two bolts respectively engage, the several parts of the fastening being
constructed and arranged and operating substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Fifth day of August 1884.
ERNEST CHARLES THOMASSON. .