IMPROVE- MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND OTHER TRUNKS AND BOXES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Marston, of Wolverhampton, in the County of
Stafford, Japanner and Tin Plate Worker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND OTHER TRUNKS AND BOXES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Marston at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1877.
JOHN MARSTON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Japanner and
Tin Plate Worker. IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND OTHER
21
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TRUNKS AND BOXES
My Invention consists of the improvements, herein-after described, in fastenings
for trunks, which improvements are especially applicable to the metallic trunks
commonly called travelling trunks. The said improvements are however also
applicable to other trunks and boxes.
The
I will describe my Invention in connection with a travelling trunk.
fastening of a travelling trunk as ordinarily constructed consists of a lock fixed
near the top edge of the body of the box and a hasp or staple plate jointed to the
edge of the lid of the box, the under side of the hasp or staple plate carrying one
or two staples, which, when the hasp is shut down upon the lock, enter openings in
the lock case. By the action of the key of the lock the bolt is shot and made to
engage with the staple or staples, and thereby to fix down the lid of the box.
It frequently happens that the rough usage to which travelling trunks are
exposed so deranges the lock as to leave the trunk practically without a fastening,
and my Invention has for its object to remedy this defect. For this
I fix
purpose
on the case of the lock a projecting eye or staple, and I make in the hasp or staple
plate an opening, which, when the hasp is shut down upon the lock case, passes
over the said eye or staple, the opening in the eye or staple being situated in front
of the hasp.
Should the lock become injured the lid of the trunk can be securely fastened
down by passing the arm of a padlock through the eye or staple on the lock case

page_text: after the staple has been shut down, and the trunk lid may thus be securely
fastened down.
In the absence of a padlock any small rod, as a blacklead pencil, a strip of wood,
or a piece of wire passed through the eye will temporarily but effectually fasten
down the lid of the trunk.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Marston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd May
1878.
JOHN MARSTON, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Japanner and
Tin Plate Worker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND OTHER
TRUNKS AND BOXES."
My Invention consists of the improvements, herein-after described, in fastenings
for trunks, which improvements are especially applicable to the metallic trunks
commonly called travelling trunks. The said improvements are however also
applicable to other trunks and boxes.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a travelling trunk. The
fastening of a travelling trunk, as ordinarily constructed, consists of a lock fixed
near the top edge of the body of the box, and a hasp or staple plate jointed to the
edge of the lid of the box, the under side of the hasp or staple plate carrying one or
two staples, which, when the hasp is shut down upon the lock, enter openings in
the lock case By the action of the key of the lock the bolt is shot and made to
engage with the staple or staples, and thereby to fix down the lid of the box
It frequently happens that the 1ough usage to which travelling trunks are
exposed so deranges the lock as to leave the trunk practically without a fastening,
and my Invention has for its object to remedy this defect. For this purpose I fix
on the case of the lock a projecting eye or staple, and I make in the hasp or staple
plate an opening, which, when the hasp is shut down upon the lock case, passes
over the said eye or staple, the opening in the eye or staple being situated in front
of the hasp.
Should the lock become injured the lid of the trunk can be securely fastened
down by passing the arm of a padlock through the eye or staple on the lock case
after the staple has been shut down, and the trunk lid may thus be securely
fastened down.
In the absence of a padlock any small rod, as a blacklead pencil, a strip of wood,
or a piece of wire, passed through the eye will temporarily but effectually fasten
down the lid of the trunk.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawing, the
manner in which my Invention may be performed,-
Figures 1 and 2 represent my improved fastening applied to a metallic travelling
trunk.
Figure 3 represents in front and side elevations the hasp or staple plate of the
fastening detached, drawn of the full size.

page_text: And Figure 4 represents in front and side elevations the lock of the fastening
detached, drawn of the full size.
The same letters of reference indicate the same "parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the hasp or staple plate jointed to the edge of the lid b of the trunk in the
ordinary way, and c is the lock fixed near the edge of the body d of the trunk in
the ordinary way; e, e, are the ordinary staples on the inner face of the hasp a,
which staples, when the hasp is shut down upon the lock case, enter the openings
ff, in the said lock case, the bolt of the lock by the action of the key being shot
into the said staples for fixing down the lid.
According to my Invention I fix on the case of the lock ca projecting eye or
staple marked g, situated by preference between the openings f.f, into which the
ordinary staples e, e, on the hasp enter, as represented in the Drawing; and I make
in the hasp a a slot or opening h, of a size proper to pass over the eye or staple g
on the lock case when the said hasp is shut down upon the lock case.
When the slot or opening of the hasp plate a is engaged with the eye or
staple g on the lock case c, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the lid 6 may be
securely fastened down, independently of the lock c, by passing the arm of a
padlock through the eye or staple g, as illustrated in Figure 1, or by passing a
Sinall rod k, such as a blacklead pencil or piece of wire, through the eye or staple g,
as illustrated in Figure 2; or a small metallic rod or wire may be connected by a
chain to the lock case, as indicated at 1, Figure 1, for passing through the eye or
staple g. In this way the lid of the trunk may be temporarily fastened down
should the lock be injured or the key lost.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Inven-
tion, the improvements in fastenings for travelling and other trunks and boxes,
herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing; that is to
say, making on the lock plate of the trunk or box an eye or staple, and making in
the hasp or staple plate, jointed to the lid of the trunk or box, an opening, which,
when the said hasp is shut down upon the lock caso, passes over the said eye or
staple, the passing of the arm of a padlock, a strip of wood, a small rod, or a piece
of wire, or other like article, through the said eye or staple temporarily fastening
down the lid of the trunk or box should the lock be injured or the key be lost, as
described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Marston, have hereunto set my hand
and scal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight
0 Witness,
CHA. A. EDGE,
Architect & Surveyor,
21, Bennett's Hili,
Birmingham.
JOHN MARSTON. (L.S.)