Improvements in Parcel Carrying Devices.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 11th May, 1893
Improvements in Parcel Carrying Devices.
A communication from HERMANN KAUFMANN, of Langerwehe, in the
German Empire.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is intended as a substitute for the well-known device consisting of
a pair of straps connected by a handle, and it attains the same object as is accom-
plished by these straps, without the employment of any buckles, and in a simplified
and more convenient manner.
In its simplest form two straps or bands of equal length are connected at their
ends by rods of unequal length, the shorter rod being passed underneath the longer
in such a manner that the straps form a loop surrounding and tightly grasping the
parcel, the weight of which serves to tighten the attachment, while the shorter rod
is used as a handle.
In the case of very small parcels, the employment of comparatively long straps
would lead to the drawback that the parcel fastened in the strap would extend
down too far, or be too far away from the handle, to admit of convenient carriage.
To avoid this an arrangement has been devised whereby the length of the straps
are automatically adjusted according to the size of the parcel by rolling themselves
up as required.
1
According to this arrangement one end of each of the straps is connected with
the handle the other end being attached to two winding rollers each terminating in
or being inserted between two flanges or discs. The shaft of each of these rollers
carries a ratchet wheel and a pinion gearing with and driven by a crown or other
wheel secured to or forming part of the rotary drum or barrel. Within this barrel
may be confined a spring preferably spiral which has a tendency to revolve the
drum or barrel in such a manner that the strap is wound upon the roller by the
motion transmitted to it through the pinion. Before the device is used the straps
are entirely wound up on their respective rollers. To pay them out or wind them
off to the required extent, the handle is grasped with one hand, and with the other
a lever is pressed, which lever is normally retained in a vertical position by a spring.
This will cause the pawls pivotted on the same spindle to move with the result that
the gearing is released. Then by still holding the handle and pulling the other
end of the device, the straps may be rolled off to the required extent, and as this
causes the pinion to impart the rotary motion, to the drum the consequence is that
the spring is wound up as the straps are wound off.
When a sufficient quantity of strap is paid out, the device is laid down flatwise
and the levers are released, to throw the pawls into gear with the ratchet-wheel
again. This engagement takes place owing to the action of the springs on the said
levers so that the straps are prevented from winding themselves upon the rollers
again under the action of the spiral spring as they would otherwise do. The
Decessary length of strap being thus secured, the parcel or article to be tied up is
placed thereon, as on the usual double carrying strap; the straps are placed round
it, and, as in the first described arrangement the shorter rod or handle is passed
underneath the longer piece (which here comprises the automatic winding
mechanism) and then placed against the curved plate of the handle; the lever
being returned whereby the pinions are again released from the pawls, until under
the action of the spring the straps have been sufficiently wound up to tighten the
loops round the parcel, through the medium of the toothed barrels and pinions.
+

page_text: To prevent the straps or bands from tying themselves round the parcel otherwise
than in a straight position the lower connecting plate of the handle is laterally
extended and the ends of the straps are secured to these extensions.
Dated this 11th dor of Max 1899
ALFRED J. BOULT,
Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Parcel Carrying Devices.
A. communication from HERMANN KAUFMANN, of Langerwehe, in the
German Empire.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :—
This invention is intended as a substitute for the well-known device consisting of
a pair of straps connected by a handle, and it attains the same object as is accom-
plished by these straps without the employment of any buckles, and in a simplified
and more convenient manner.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figures 1 and 2 show a simple form for carrying the invention into practice.
Two straps or bands of equal length are connected at their ends by rods A and B
of unequal length, the shorter rod A being passed underneath the longer B in such
a manner that the straps form loops surrounding and tightly grasping the parcel,
the weight of which serves to tighten the attachment, while the shorter rod is used
as a handle.
In the case of very small parcels, the employment of comparatively long straps
would cause the parcels fastened in the strap to haug down too far, or be too far
away from the handle to admit of convenient carriage. This inconvenience can
easily be obviated by adopting the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 in which
device the length of the straps is adjusted automatically to the size of the parcel by
said straps being rolled up or unrolled as required.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 the possibility of passing the
parts A and B one over the other depends on the difference in their length, but the
same result is obtained in the device shown in Figure 3 by giving to the part B
the peculiar shape shown in that figure. In order to use this device for carrying
parcels, the part A is passed between the straps at B by holding it somewhat
inclined so as to introduce one end first, when the straps hanging from A slip into
the recesses formed by the bends of the part B so as to allow the ends of the straps
which are fastened to A to come in line with the ends fastened to the eyes of B.
The upper part A consists of a frame a a, handle b and two supports or
brackets cc, which latter form the vertical connection between the handle b and
the frame a, while the fixed spindles d d ensure its stability in the horizontal
direction.
Each of the spindles & supports a roller G having a sleeve with a circular
wooden block or drums fixed thereon. The part f of each roller G is made in the
form of a toothed wheel and one or each of the rollers is operated on by a spring
which tends to wind up the strap g attached to the drum or drums pertaining
thereto.
The winding or unwinding of the straps may be prevented by means of the
mechanism H located in the interior of the handle b. The locking device is
released by pushing one of the knobs provided on the locking bars h h towards
the other. The locking bars h h are connected together by a lever working on a
central pin i so that it is immaterial which of the knobs k be moved in order to
1

page_text: lock or release the rollers G. One of the locking bars his provided with a lateral
extension or arm and a spring m is adapted to act on the said arm in such a manner
as to render the locking action of the bars h automatic.
In order to apply this improved parcel-carrying device to a parcel I may proceed
as follows:—
I take the part A in the left hand and after having released the wheels / by
pushing either of the knobs inwards the straps are drawn out to the required
length. After allowing the bars h to slip back and lock the wheels f the parcel is
slung in the straps which then are allowed to adjust themselves under the action of
the spring Z by once more pushing the knobs inwards so that the parts A and B
meet; the knob or knobs k are now released and the mechanism is thereby locked
and ready for use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
A device for keeping together and carrying parcels in which the straps or
bands are wound up by means of springs.
1000
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester.