Travelling Cases or Trunks.
Year: 1885

page_text: Travelling Cases or Trunks.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED ARTICLE OF FURNITURE CONVERTIBLE INTO
TRAVELLING CASES OR TRUNKS to be as follows :-
"
According to this invention a number of travelling cases or trunks are constructed
in a peculiar manner so that they may be placed together one above another
formning an article of furniture containing a writing desk, drawers, cases, looking
glasses or mirrors, shelves and so forth. When the article of furniture 'is taken to
pieces each of the trunks composing it can be used or carried about separately.
The article of furniture is formed of a series of travelling cases or trunks which
when stripped of their travelling covers fit one over the other, the bottoms and
tops of each being provided for that purpose with projections and recesses which
fit into one another.
'A cornice which completes the article of furniture is moveable and can be folded
up to enable it to be enclosed in one of the trunks.
The lowermost trunk rests on two cross pieces which act as feet. It is divided
vertically by a partition into two parts one of which is closed hermetically by'a
face board and a door. In the compartment..thus formed. soiled linen: or other
objects can be placed.
The trunk next above, comprises a range. of drawers and below them a sliding
writing desk which may be drawn-out and pushed in by suitable handles; it is
supported by a moveable bar which can be drawn forward. The shelf or desk may
be arranged to let down 'instead of sliding horizontally if preferred.
Any number of looking glasses or, mirrors, and shelves may be arranged and
fitted according to the requirements of the owner. These shelves or divisions,
which divide the trunks into two parts may be hinged so as to lift up to facilitate,
the storage of valuables..
.
All the trunks open in front by two doors secured by locks or bolts. They may
however be opened by the top forming a cover.

page_text: The trunks with or without panels are furnished with handles at the ends.
They are also furnished with rods forming supports for the front of the article of
furniture and with angle pieces placed at the internal corners in order to give the
necessary strength and rigidity. Metal frames may be used instead of the angle
pieces if preferred.
It may be observed, firstly, that each of the trunks can be fitted with strapped
cases for linen or clothing and may be closed, when the doors are open by curtains
or by boards, so that the said trunks shall present all the advantages of ordinary
trunks furnished with strapped cases, toilette boxes, hat boxes and so forth,
secondly, that any one of the trunks can be suppressed or be placed the first,
second, third, fourth or fifth etcetera in order, and that articles of furniture thus
formed may serve for cases or boxes of various kinds, bookcases and so forth.
The number, shape and dimensions of the trunks may be varied according to
circumstances and the purpose which the article of furniture they compose is
intended to fulfil.
Travelling Cases or Trunks.
I, WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 115 Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had; 2
to the accompanying sheet of drawings and, to the letters and figures marked
thereon:-
羞
According to this invention, a number of travelling cases or trunks are constructed
in a peculiar manner so that they may be placed together one above another
forming an article of furniture containing a writing desk, drawers, cases, looking 3
glasses or mirrors, shelves, and so forth. When the article of furniture is taken
to pieces, each of the trunks composing it can be used, sold, or carried about
separately.
-
1
In the illustrative drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 shows a perspective front
elevation of the article of furniture put together complete, and Figure 2 shows a 3
similar elevation with the trunks composing the same opened.,
7 D 0 ..
The article of furniture is formed of a series of two, three, four or more
travelling cases or trunks abc which, when stripped of their travelling covers,

page_text: are all externally alike, and fit one over, the other, the bottom's and tops of each
being provided for that purpose with projections and recesses x x which fit into
one another.
The lowermost trunk a rests on two cross pieces f f¹ which act as feet.
The trunk b, next above, comprises a range of drawers t, and below them a
sliding, writing desk m which may be drawn, out and pushed in by suitable
handles ml mt, it is supported by a moveable bar m³. The shelf or desk m may
be arranged to let down, instead, of sliding horizontally, if preferred.
Any number of looking, glasses, or mirrors, and shelves, may be arranged and
fitted, according to the requirements of the owner, in one or more of the trunks
composing the article of furniture. The shelves or divisions may be hinged so as
to lift up to facilitate the storage of valuables, and so forth.
All the trunks are of special construction, the essential feature of which consists
in the combination of a fixed top, which does not open, with doors hung by vertical
hinges to the sides of the trunk. This feature is clearly shown in the various
figures of the Drawing.
Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the improved trunks, closed up, and ready
for use either as an ordinary trunk, or as a component part of the abovementioned
article of furniture.
'
Figure 4 is a corresponding plan.
t
I
"t ·
oi
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 1-2 of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 3-4 of Figure 4 and
Figure 7 shows the trunk open, and exposing to view the various compartments.
of which it may be composed.
.
The body of the trunk comprises a top d and a bottom e, with two sides g g¹
and the longitudinal side or back h opposite to the doors p p¹. The bottoms and
tops have recesses and projections; and a¹ which fit together when the trunks are
placed one on the top of the other, these recesses and projections are formed by
the strips of wood which also serve to strengthen the trunks. The number of
these strips, and their arrangement, may be varied according to circumstances; for
example they may be placed crosswise, or the spaces between them may be filled
up, so that the trunks, instead of fitting together by means of recesses and
projections formed by the strips, may rest on one another by their plane surfaces.
The same result may be obtained by fixing the strips on both the tops and bottoms
of the trunks in similar positions, as in that case the strips of the one trunk rest
directly on those of the other..
Figure 8 shows, to a larger scale, that the top d is formed of a thickness of
wood d¹ between the pieces d³ d³, one above, and the other below. A longitudinal
fillet i forms a stop for the doors p p³.
The body thus constructed constitutes a kind of case without cover and the
opening or openings of which are in front and closed by the door or doors p p¹
turning on the vertical hinges j.
The locking of the doors is effected by any suitable lock or latch. In the
drawings is shown a single lock 8 the bolts 81 82 of which are operated both
upwards and downwards by a single key. The lock is fixed on the door P.. which
covers the other one p¹ by means of a rebate. The hinges are placed externally
at the corner of the trunk. Instead of being hinged, the doors may be made
to slide.
The interior of the trunk may be divided into any suitable number of drawers n,
o, q, r, which form cases or compartments easily drawn forward, or drawn out
completely. The compartment r is intended to contain hats or fragile articles;
and brushes or toilet instruments may be placed at the bottom thereof. The hat
box may be suppressed and the drawers or cases made to occupy the whole length
of the trunk as shown at n for example.
The arrangement of the drawers, cases, or compartments, may be varied according
as the trunk or trunks is or are intended for the use of ladies or gentlemen, com-
mercial travellers, tourists, or others. So likewise the outside and inside may be

page_text: covered with paper, cloth, leather, etcetera, and "the trunks may likewise be iron
or brass bound to increase their strength, or improve their appearance externally
or internally.
The doors are bound with bands of sheet iron, leather, or other suitable material,
to retain the cloth which covers them, and they may be ornamented with iron or
brass work uu which may serve at' the same 'time' to' mask or hide the real
entrance to the lock.
し
The open part of the trunk" may be "strengthened with angle pieces, frames,
and other parts or'devices' of 'iron, or other suitable material, placed either inside.
or outside,
"
Having now particularly described and. ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is tonbe performed, I: declare that what
I.claim is:-
First. An article of furniture formed by the superposition of a series of trunks,
the non-opening top of one trunk taking into recesses in the bottom of the trunk
'next above it, so as to present when so put together," a bureau or writing desk,
Idrawers groups of compartments, shelves, "mirrors' and so forth; each trunk, when
separated from the article of furniture, remaining suitable for use as an ordinary
trunk, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Second: Aitrunk with a fixed non-opening top," but having an opening at one
of its longitudinal sides) furnished with one or more doors, an arrangement which
allows firstly, of the superposition of two or more trunks placed one above the
other, and secondly, of the use or sale of each trunk separately, as hereinbefore
'described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Third. A trunk with a non-opening top, and with, or without, a front opening
as claimed in the second claiming clause hereof, but having an opening, or openings,
with a suitable door, or doors, at one, or both, aides where the handles occur.
. Dated this 9th day of April 1886.