Portmanteaus, Trunks, and Travelling Bags.
Year: 1885

page_text: Portmanteaus, Trunks, and Travelling Bags.
I WILLIAM BLIZARD WILLIAMSON of the firm of W. B. Williamson and Sons of
Providence Works in the City of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FASTENINGS OF METALLIC
AND OTHER BOXES PORTMANTEAUS TRUNKS AND TRAVELLING BAGS" to be as
follows:-
.
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the fastenings
of metallic and other boxes portmanteaus trunks and travelling bags whereby the
Baid fastenings are made simpler and more convenient in use and are more secure
than fastenings of the ordinary construction.
I will describe my invention in connection with a metallic box.
I make each end of the bolt inclined on its underside and I make the staples in
which the ends of the bolt engage inclined on their upper sides so that when the
lid of the box by which the bolt is carried is shut down the inclined ends of the
bolt coming in contact with the inclined upper sides of the staples the bolt is
forced back and brought into the position in which the box is closed without
obstruction and the bolt is in the required position by being shot into the staples.
By the sliding of the bolt or by turning the key the shooting of the bolt and the
fastening of the box is effected. By means of an india rubber or other spring the
bolt may be pressed into its shot position so that by the mere shutting down of
the lid the bolt is first pressed back by the inclines described and when the lid has
been fully shut down the bolt is made to snap into its staple. by the action of the
spring.
In order to give additional security the bolt may be made to effect the locking
of the box at the two ends as well as at the front. For this purpose I bend the
bolt at right angles at its ends and make staples in the rim at the ends of the box
in which staples the bent ends of the bolt engage. Where it is desirable to make
the end bolts act by being shot in opposite directions I bend only one end of the

page_text: bolt and make the motion of the other end of the bolt operate a lever the turned
end which is made to engage in the staple. By this arrangement the end bolts
both lock by moving inwards and unlock by moving outwards. The box is thus.
locked at four points namely two in front and one at each end.
The relative positions of the bolts and staples may be reversed that is the bolts
may be carried by the box and the staples by the lid.
The motion of the bolt may either be effected by pressing the loop or staple
usually attached to the bolt for the reception of a pad-lock or by the action of
a key..

page_text: аци
Portmanteaus, Trunks, and Travelling Bags.
I WILLIAM BLIZARD WILLIAMSON of the firm of W. B. Williamson and Sons of
Providence Works in the City of Worcester Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FASTENINGS OF METALLIC AND
OTHER BOXES, PORTMANTEAUS, TRUNKS AND TRAVELLING BAGS 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 hereinafter described in the fastenings
of metallic and other boxes portmanteaus trunks and travelling bags, whereby the
said fastenings are made simpler and more convenient in use and are more secure
than fastenings of the ordinary construction.
I will describe my invention in connection with a metallic box.
I make each end of the bolt inclined on its underside and I make the staples in
which the ends of the bolt engage inclined on their upper sides so that when the
lid of the box by which the bolt is carried is shut down the inclined ends of the
bolt coming in contact with the inclined upper sides of the staples the bolt is forced
back and brought into the position in which the box is closed without obstruction
and the bolt is in the required position for being shot into the staples. By the
Bliding of the bolt or by turning the key the shooting of the bolt and the fastening
of the box is effected. By means of an india rubber or other spring the bolt may
be pressed into its shot position so that by the mere shutting down of the lid the
bolt is first pressed back by the inclines described and when the lid has been fully
shut down the bolt is made to snap into its staples by the action of the spring.
In order to give additional security the bolt may be made to effect the locking of
the box at the two ends as well as at the front. For this purpose I bend the bolt
at right angles at its ends and make staples in the rim at the ends of the box
in which staples the bent ends of the bolt engage. Where it is desirable to make
the end bolts act by being shot in opposite directions I bend only one end of the
bolt and make the motion of the other end of the bolt operate a lever the turned
end of which is made to engage in the staple. By this arrangement the end bolts
both lock by moving inwards and unlock by moving outwards. The box is thus
locked at four points, namely, two in front and one at each end.
The relative positions of the bolts and staples may be reversed, that is, the bolts
may be carried by the box and the staples by the lid.
The motion of the bolt may either be effected by pressing the loop or staple
usually attached to the bolt for the reception of a pad lock, or by the action of
a key.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents in front elevation a metallic
travelling trunk to which a fastening constructed according to my invention is

page_text: applied and Figure 2 represents a horizontal section of a portion of the same, the
bolt being represented in its shot position; Figure 3 represents a vertical section of
a portion of the trunk exhibiting an inside view of the bolt.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a is the body of the trunk and b the lid of the same; c is the sliding bolt working in
the case d on the said lid b; c², c³ are the inclined or rounded ends of the bolt (see
Figure 3), the end c³ being nearly flat and the end c² hooked; e, e are the staples fixed
to the shoulder f on the body of the trunk. The upper sides of the staples e, e are
inclined as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. The bolt c is pressed into its shot
position by the band india rubber (or other) spring g, the said spring being booked to
the hook h on the bolt c and to the hook i fixed to the case d in which the bolt slides.
The hook & works in a slot in the case d. When the lid b of the trunk is shut
down the inclined undersides of the ends c², cs of the bolt come in contact with the
inclined tops of the staples e, e and the bolt c is forced back and brought into the
position in which the lid is closed without obstruction. The bolt c now occupies
the position indicated at c, c in Figures 1 and 2 and the spring g is elongated.
When the lid has been fully shut down and the trunk closed the ends of the bolt
are brought opposite the staples e, e when the said bolt is shot into its staples by
the action of the elongated spring g the end c³ of the bolt hooking into its staple e
and the nearly flat end c³ of the bolt sliding into its staple e as seen in Figure 2
and indicated by the dotted position c², c³ Figure 1. The shooting of the bolt into
its staples brings the loop or projection / on it into such a position that the hasp
can be shut down upon it and the said hasp locked as illustrated in Figure 1
and as is well understood.
The withdrawal of the bolt is effected by acting upon the loop or projection k
after the hasp has been unlocked and lifted off the said loop or projection.
Figure 4 represents in side elevation Figure 5 in horizontal section and Figure 6
in front elevation with a portion of the lid removed a travelling trunk in which
the locking is effected at the two ends as well as at the front of the trunk.
In this modification the bolt is made in two parts marked respectively c and c³,
the inner ends of the two parts of the bolt being coupled or connected together by
pins on them taking into slots in the cam m³ rotating on an axis carried by the lid.
On the said parts c, o of the bolt are the hooks c³, c³ for engaging with the front
staples e, e on the body of the box or trunk. The two parts of the bolt are by this
arrangement made to move in opposite directions, that is, their quter ends are
made to separate from each other to withdraw the hooks c³, ca from the staples e, e
on the front of the body of the trunk and the said ends are made to approach each
other to shoot their hooks c³, c³ into the said staples e, e. The hooks c, c³ are
inclined or rounded and the tops of the staples e e are also inclined or rounded as
before described but in opposite directions for effecting in conjunction with the
spring g the locking of the bolt by the act of shutting down the lid. For the
purpose of locking the trunk at the two ends of the body the outer end of each
part c, c² of the bolt is bent at right angles, the said bent parts being marked c, ct.
These bent ends engage in staples or depressions m, m at the ends of the rim or
shoulder n of the trunk. These staples are open at their sides as seen in Figure 5
so that the sliding of the two parts of the bolt in opposite directions causes them
either to engage with or pass out of the said staples.
In Figure 5 the bent ends c, care represented engaged with the staples m, m
on the rim or shoulder of the box. When the bolt c, c is withdrawn by acting
upon the eye or projection k the two hooks c³, cs of the bolt are simultaneously
withdrawn from the staples e, e at the front of the box a and the bent ends c, c of
the bolt are simultaneously withdrawn from the staples m, m at the ends of the
box a, the said bent ends c, ct of the bolt passing out at the open sides of the said
staples as will be understood by an examination of Figure 5. By this arrange-
ment the trunk is locked at four points namely at the front staples e, e and at the
end staples m, M.

page_text: The arrangement of parts for effecting the snapping of the bolt into its staples
when the lid is shut down is the same as that herein before described.
Figure 7 represents in front elevation; Figure 8 partly in horizontal section;
Figure 9 in transverse section and Figure 10 in longitudinal vertical section, a box
or trunk containing a modification of the last described arrangement.
In this arrangement the bolt c is made to fasten the box at its front and ends as
last described but the bolt is made in one piece and has a sliding motion in one or
other direction to fasten or unfasten the box. The bolt c, made in one piece, is
bent at one end only marked for engaging with the end staple m in the end of
the shoulder or rim n of the box, the other end of the bolt c operating upon a
horizontal lever the turned in end of which is made to engage with the staple m²
at the other end of the box as best seen in Figure 8. The other parts of this
fastening are essentially the same as corresponding parts in Figures 4, 5 and 6 and
are marked with the same letters of reference.
In this arrangement the bolt c is represented as being withdrawn by the action
of a key q operating upon steps on the bolt (see Figure 10) but a loop or
projection may be fixed to the bolt for moving it.
The spring shown in the Drawings for effecting the snapping of the bolt into its
staples may be omitted. In this case the shutting down of the lid brings the bolt
into such a position that the lid can be shut down without obstruction, the shooting
of the bolt into its staples after the lid has been shut down being effected by pressing
upon the loop or projection k, or by the use of a key q.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention;—
First. The construction and combination of the parts of fastenings for metallic
and other boxes, portmanteaus, trunks and travelling bags herein before described
and illustrated in Figures 1. 2 and 3 of the accompanying Drawings; that is to
say, bevilling or inclining the upper sides of the staples and the lower sides of the
acting or staple ends of the bolt for forcing back the said bolt, by the shutting
down of the lid, into its withdrawn position ready to be shot into its staples by the
action of a spring or by hand substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. The modifications of the parts of the fastenings herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 and 10 of the accompanying
Drawings, in which the box portmanteau trunk or bag is fastened at its two ends
as well as at the front.