Improvements in Dressing and other Travelling Bags and Portmanteaus.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dressing and other Travelling Bags and
Portmanteaus.
I WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS, of 4 Park Lane, London W. Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to what are known as top-fitted dressing bags, being
travelling hand bags having toilet requisites or fittings contained in a removable
frame arranged at the upper part of the bag and enclosed within the hinged upper
part or head. As heretofore made, the said fittings have been carried by two
frames hinged at opposite sides to an open base frame common to both, the two
frames abutting together at the centre line of the bag when in the closed position,
but being hinged so as to be capable of being thrown outwards towards opposite
sides to give access to the contents of the body of the bag without wholly removing
the fittings from the bag. In this outwardly-thrown position, the fittings are not
readily visible or accessible and to make use of any of them, it is necessary to turn
the fitted portions inwards, thus impeding access to the body of the bag which
when making a hurried toilet is a source of inconvenience to the traveller. More-
over, in the outwardly-thrown position, the fittings are inverted and are apt to fall
out of their places and become mislaid or otherwise to cause trouble and annoyance
to the user.
My invention has for its object to obviate these defects and to provide an
arrangement whereby the toilet fittings may be rendered more readily accessible
for use, concurrently with freedom of access to the body of the bag.
My invention has also for its object to obtain more space for the said fittings,
within the head of the bag, by such a construction of the metal framework of the
head of the bag that the inwardly projecting strengthening rib or flange commonly
forming a part of such framework is dispensed with, this improvement being
applicable to bags generally, whether fitted or not.
According to the first part of my invention, the toilet fittings are contained in
two horizontal trays, supported upon a frame, common to both, by which they may
be lifted out of the bag when required, the trays when in position abutting together
at the central longitudinal or transverse line of the bag and being fitted to slide
upon said frame horizontally in opposite directions, so as to completely disclose, or
nearly so, the body of the bag, the two trays then projecting beyond the sides or
ends of the bag, so that whilst free access may be had to the body of the bag the
fittings carried by the trays remain in the upright position so as to be also
conveniently accessible for use. For this purpose the two hinged portions. which
constitute the head of the bag are so hinged to the lower or body portion thereof
that when opened they may be thrown completely outwards towards opposite sides
until the then uppermost edges of the ends of these hinged portions are in the same
horizontal plane with the top edges of the ends of the body portion, so that these
hinged portions of the head of the bag will not obstruct the outward sliding.motion
of the trays whether in the lateral or in the end wise direction of the bag.
Assuming the motion to be in the former direction, the trays would be fitted to
slide or run on the end members of the open rectangular supporting frame commor
to both and upon the ends of the hinged portions of the head of the: bag which
when thrown back form a support for the trays in continuation of the frame.
Assuming the motion of the trays to be in the longitudinal direction of the bag,
they would be provided at the inner ends with sockets or shoes on the underside
adapted to run upon the longitudinal members of their supporting frame and so

page_text: connected thereto as to counteract the overhanging weight and maintain the trays
in the horizontal position when projected almost entirely beyond the ends of the
bag. In whichever direction the motion of the trays may be, they may be slid by
hand applied directly thereto or through mechanism whereby their motion simul-
taneously in opposite directions may be effected. This mechanism may consist of
similar systems of parallel motion levers or toggle links connected to the two trays
at the opposite sides or ends thereof and to handles by pressing or pulling upon
which the motion of the trays in opposite directions may be effected. Or instead
of levers or links, traversing screws acting on the trays may be rotated simul-
taneously through gearing operated by the handles which in both cases may serve
also for lifting the trays upon their supporting frame out of the bag.
The improvement in the construction of the bag frame consists in making the
frame of a strip of steel or other metal corrugated longitudinally with one or more
corrugations projecting from the outer face of the frame and forming an outwardly
projecting strengthening web or webs serving the same purpose as the inwardly
projecting rib usually rivetted through the medium of short connecting pieces to
the inside of the band of the frame and which by projecting inwards lessens, by so
much, the space available for the fittings within the head of the bag. The bag
lock which also usually projects within the frame is fitted to the outer side thereof,
so as not to encroach upon the useful space.
Dated thin 24th dow of Ail 1902
W. F. WILLIAMS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dressing and other Travelling Bags and
Portmanteaus.
I, WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS of 4, Park Lane, London, W., 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:---
My invention relates to "top-fitted" dressing or travelling bags in which toilet
articles are usually enclosed beneath the hinged heads of the bag. The frames in
which the said toilet articles are held are usually hinged in order that they may be
thrown outwards, to permit access to the body of the bag and in this inverted
position their contents are apt to fall out and are not conveniently accessible.
without impeding access to the body of the bag.
My invention has for its object to obviate this objection and enable access to be
had both to the body of the bag and to the toilet fittings without removing the
trays carrying the latter from the bag, and the invention consists in making the
said trays slide in opposite directions, so as to project beyond the ends or sides of
the bag body, the trays when in that position being supported in the horizontal
position, as hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
forming part of this Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dressing bag with trays adapted to slide
sideways over the heads of the bag.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional elevation of the bag, shewing the trays slid out.
Figure 3 is a detail end view, partly broken away.
Figure 4 is a detail sectional view of one end of a bag, shewing the trays adapted
to slide on a removable frame.
Figure 5 is a perspective view, and Figure 6 a plan, of the frame of a bag
having end wise sliding trays, the trays being represented in their inward position
in Figure 5 and in their outward position in Figure 6.

page_text: A is the body of the bag, BB the hinged heads forming the upper part of the
bag, CC are sliding tray carriers in which, or in removable trays fitting therein,
the toilet articles of various kinds are fitted, each in its own particular holder.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, the tray carriers C are adapted to slide along the end
members a of the bag mouth frame with which they are engaged at each end by a
metal flange c aud a clip d projecting from the end of the tray carrier C, the flange
resting on, and the clip engaging beneath, or in the channel of, the bar a. The
clip d extends only a short distance along the end of the carrier so as to hold it
down on the frame a and act as a stop to limit the outward sliding motion. The
heads B are hinged at e to the extremities of the end members a which are formed
with binge-knuckles and the frames B' of the heads B have inwardly projecting
flanges which when, the heads are opened out come into line with, and form
continuations of, the end members a of the bag mouth frame, so that when the tray
carriers are drawn out over the heads B, as shewn in Figures 2 and 3, they will be
supported by their flanges e sliding on the flanges 6 of the heads. The flanges b
carry the other hinge knuckles and are secured to the main frames B' of the heads
by rivetted studs or distance pieces 61 at intervals, a space being left between the
frames B' and the flanges b as usual for the leather covering and lining and so as
to admit of the frames B' of the two heads B overlapping one another in the
ordinary manner when the heads B are closed.
In the closed position of the heads the flanges b come down upon the flanges c of
the tray carriers, as shewn in cross-section in Figure 4 in which the flanges c of the
tray carriers C are shewn as sliding on the end members f of a rectangular frame
common to both which fits within, and rests on, the bag mouth frame a, the said
frame being removable bodily with the tray carriers C upon it. For this purpose
the end members of this frame are made of 7-section and provided with lifting
handles h. The flanges c of the tray carriers slide on the end members of the
frame and are engaged therewith by clips d and the flanges b of the heads B
align with said frame and support the tray carriers when they are slid outwards,
as before described.
Whether the trays or their carriers slide directly upon the end members a of the
bag mouth frame or upon the end members of the frame f the hinges b are so offset
or arranged as not to obstruct the sliding motion of the tray carriers and their
flanges c.
In Figures 5 and 6 the carriers C are fitted to slide along a pair of guide rods g
and for this purpose are provided with ears or sockets i through which the rods g
pass, these ears or sockets being attached to the tray carriers in such position as to
allow of the carriers being slid in opposite directions_until they project almost
wholly beyond the ends of the bag-body, as shewn in Figure 6. In this position
they rest mainly upon the ends a of the bag mouth frame and project over the
interior of the bag body only so far as is necessary to maintain the trays in the
horizontal position. The rods 9 may be the longitudinal members of the bag mouth
frame and they may be rods whose ends are received in, and form the centre pins
of, the knuckles of the hinges e on which the heads B turn. In order to prevent
side binding in their sliding motion the tray carriers C may be provided at the
underside with central rods k adapted to slide in guide notches or between guide
rollers in or on the end members a of the bag mouth frame.
Instead of the rods g being part of the permanent frame of the bag, they may be
the longitudinal members of a removable frame, such as shewn in Figure 4, fitting in
and resting on the bag mouth frame, the guide rods k working in notches in the end
members of said removable frame instead of in the end members a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A "top-fitted" dressing or travelling bag having trays or tray carriers adapted
to slide upon and engage with the and mambo

page_text: removable frame fitting therein, and upon the frames of the hinged. heads when the
latter are thrown back, so as to be supported thereby, as and for the purpose
specified.
2. A "top-fitted" dressing or travelling bag having trays or tray carriers adapted
to slide upon and engage with the longitudinal members of the bag mouth frame 5
(or of a removable frame fitting therein) so as to admit of the trays being projected
over and beyond the ends of the bag and when so projected of being supported in a
horizontal position, substantially as specified.
ULATO HHCE
OUT.
W. F. WILLIAMS,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.