IMPROVEMENTS. IN PORTFOLIOS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Harvey, of Charlotte Street, Portland Place,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN
PORTFOLIOS."
Sealed the 4th March 1856, and dated the 19th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Harvey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
December 1855.
I, GEORGE HARVEY, of Charlotte Street, Portland Place, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PORTFOLIOS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in portfolios. For this
purpose each portfolio is made with two covers or sides hinged or connected at
the back as heretofore. One of the covers or sides has three flaps formed
thereto, which, when the portfolio is closed, fold outside of the other cover
or side. These flaps have each attached to it a strap, generally an elastic
one, and at the ends of the straps are fixed plates, each with a latch or
socket to enter a lock or catch or loop, and to be fixed by bolts or catches
in the lock, or they may be held by simple catches without a lock: These
plates are also provided with catches to attach to each other 'in order that
the three flaps, when a portfolio is open, may fold back and be retained
externally of the cover or side to which they are attacked. The other

page_text: cover or side of the portfolio has affixed thereto, a lock having within it a
rotating bolt with catches to enter and hold in the sockets or parts of the
straps which enter the lock, and such rotating bolt is held in the locked and
unlocked positions by a spring catch or otherwise, and the complexity of the
lock may be increased by wards and tumblers, if desired, to make the lock
more secure. The cover or side of the portfolio to which the lock is affixed
has also hinged or attached to it a strut or leg, so arranged that when opened
out it will support this cover or side of the portfolio, and such strut, when the
portfolio is shut and fastened or locked, will be retained secure to the side of
the portfolio.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Harvey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HARVEY, of Charlotte Street, Portland Place, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Harvey, Her special licence that I, the said George
Harvey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Harvey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PORT-
FOLIOS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Harvey,
my executors or administrators, by an, instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Harvey, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in portfolios. For this
purpose each portfolio is made with two covers or sides hinged or connected at
the back as heretofore. One of the covers or sides has three flaps formed
thereto, which, when the portfolio is closed, fold outside of the other cover
or side. These flaps have each attached to it a strap, generally an elastic one,
and at the ends of the straps are fixed plates, each with a latch or socket to
enter a lock or catch or loop, and to be fixed by bolts or catches in the lock,
or they may be held by simple catches without a lock. These plates are also
provided with catches to attach to each other in order that the three flaps,
when a portfolio is open, may fold back and be retained externally of the cover
or side to which they are attached. The other cover or side of the portfolio
has affixed thereto a lock having within it a rotating bolt with catches to
enter and hold in the sockets or parts of the straps which enter the lock, and
such rotating bolt is held in the locked and unlocked positions by a spring
catch or otherwise, and the complexity of the lock may be increased by wards
and tumblers, if desired, to make the lock more secure. The cover or side of
the portfolio to which the lock is affixed has also hinged or attached to it a
strut or leg so arranged that when opened out it will support this cover or side
of the portfolio, and such strut, when the portfolio. is shut and fastened or
locked, will be retained secure to the side of the portfolio.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a portfolio when closed, and the strut and side flaps
fastened. (1), (1), (1), are three elastic bands for holding the three side flaps
(2), (2), (2). A strut (14) is attached or hinged to the portfolio by the hinges
(10), (10). Figure 2 shows the portfolio with the side flaps hooked or
attached to each other at the back of the flap to which they are attached, and
in this state the flap can be laid down and the portfolio opened, as is shown at
Figure 3. (15), a band which retains the strut to its proper distance for
supporting the portfolio; (16), an elastic cord for drawing up the band when
the strut is in its closed position, as seen at Figure 1. The form of the lock
used may be greatly varied. Figure 4 shows a triple-bolted spring lock, with
the cover removed to show the interior. (1), (1), (1), are plates with loops
for securing the elastic bands, and also sockets or catches (2), (2), (2), to
enter the lock, and into which the locking plate by its bolts (3) catches when

page_text: the lock is locked. And when the elastic bands are hooked at the back, as
shown at Figure 2, the two side ones hook into the opening (4) of the other
plate 1. Figure 5 shows another form of lock, with hooks or catches to the
side elastic bands, which enter the opening in the plate attached to the other
elastic band in such manner that when the stem or socket of that plate enters
the lock and is retained by the bolt of the lock, the parts are all held secure,
and the portfolio is retained closed till the bolt of the lock is unlocked. The
two locks above referred to are suitably formed for being affixed direct to the
portfolio, but, if preferred, the lock may form part of the strut, which is
attached to the portfolio. Figure 6 shows part of a strut, with a lock formed.
thereto. Other forms of locks or catches may be used for retaining the bands
(2), (2), together in order to fasten or hold the portfolio shut; Figure 7 shows
book and eye, suitable when no lock is employed.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the.
mode herein described of combining the parts of portfolios.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Harvey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.··
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
GEO. HARVEY. (L.S.).