Travelling Trunks and other Trunks and Boxes.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888
Travelling Trunks and other Trunks and Boxes.
I ERNEST CHARLES THOMASSON of the firm of Thomas Thomasson and Company of
Silver Street in the City of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of
this Invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements herein after described in jointing the
said hasps to the hasp plates fixed on the lids of metallic travelling trunks and other
trunks and boxes.
In hasps as ordinarily constructed the knuckles or eyes on the hasp plate are
tubular and open ended and the joint pin is passed through the said knuckles and the
knuckle of the hasp by an end motion. This kind of jointing permits of the joint pin
being removed by driving or drawing it out of the knuckles.
The object of my improvements is to effectually prevent the tampering with and
removal of the joint pin from the knuckles of the hasp and hasp plate and this I effect
in the several ways herein after described.
According to one of my improvements I make near each end of the hasp plate a
short trough shaped knuckle closed at its outer end the open ends of the two knuckles
being opposite each other. The said trough shaped knuckles are open at the back of
the hasp plate and between them is a slot for the long tubular knuckle on the hasp to
pass through. The trough shaped knuckles closed at their outer ends may be made
in a sheet metal hasp plate by a stamping or raising process or a cast hasp plate may
be provided with knuckes of the kind described. In jointing the hasp to the hasp
plate the knuckle of the basp is passed through the slot in the hasp plate to the back
thereof and the joint pin is then inserted in the said knuckle. The ends of the joint
pin protruding from the ends of the knuckle are then dropped or passed into the
trough shaped knuckles on the hasp plate at their open backs and the hasp plate is
rivetted or screwed to the lid. The ends of the joint pin are thereby retained in the
trough shaped knuckles on the hasp plate and as the outer ends of the said knuckles
are closed access to the joint pin is prevented and the latter cannot be tampered
with.

page_text: The ends of the joint pin may be soldered in the trough shaped knuckles before
the hasp plate is fixed to the lid or the joint pin may be cast or fixed in the knuckle
of the hasp. In this case the hasp is passed through the slot in the hasp plate from
the back.
Or instead of using on the hasp plate trough shaped knuckles closed at their outer
ends tubular knuckles closed at their outer ends may be used and one or both of the
said knuckles may be made separate from and rivetted to the hasp plate after the ends
of the joint pin have been engaged with the two knuckles. When the knuckles are
rivetted to the hasp plate the back of the knuckles are provided with rivetting studs
which are passed through square holes in the hasp plate and rivetted at the back of
the said plate. Or the separate knuckles may be screwed to the hasp plate. In this
case screws are made at the backs of the knuckles and serve both to fix them to the
hasp plate and to secure the hasp plate to the lid of the travelling trunk or box.
"When knuckles of the last described kinds are used the opening in the hasp plate is
not required and the said knuckles may be used either with sheet metal or cast hasp
and hasp plates.
Dated this Third day of Decembar 1887

page_text: Travelling Trunks and other Trunks and Boxes.
I ERNEST CHARLES THOMASSON of the firm of Thomas Thomasson and Company of
Silver Street in the City of Worcester Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of
my Invention 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 herein after described in jointing the
said hasps to the hasp plates fixed on the lids of metallic travelling trunks and other
trunks and boxes.
In hasps as ordinarily constructed the knuckles or eyes on the hasp plate are
tubular and open ended and the joint pin is passed through the said knuckles and the
knuckle of the hasp by an end motion. This kind of jointing permits of the joint pin
being removed by driving or drawing it out of the knuckles."
The object of my improvements is to effectually prevent the tampering with and
removal of the joint pin from the knuckles of the hasp and hasp plate and this I effect
in the several ways herein after described.
According to one of my improvements make near each end of the hasp plate a
short trough shaped knuckle closed at its outer end the open ends of the two knuckles
being opposite each other. The said trough shaped knuckles are open at the back of
the hasp plate and between them is a slot for the long tubular knuckle on the hasp to
pass through.
The trough shaped knuckles closed at their outer ends may be made in a sheet metal
hasp plate by a stamping or raising process or a cast hasp plate may be provided with
knuckles of the kind described.
In jointing the hasp to the hasp plate the knuckle of the hasp is passed through the
slot in the hasp plate to the back thereof and the joint pin is then inserted in the said
knuckle. The ends of the joint pin protruding from the ends of the knuckles are then
dropped or passed into the trough shaped knuckles on the hasp plate at their open
backs and the hasp plate is rivetted or screwed to the lid.
The ends of the joint pin are thereby retained in the trough shaped knuckles on the
hasp plate and as the outer ends of the said knuckles are closed access to the joint pin
is prevented and the latter cannot be tampered with.
The ends of the joint pin may be soldered in the trough shaped knuckles before the
hasp plate is fixed to the lid or the joint pin may be cast or fixed in the knuckle of
the hasp. In this case the hasp is passed through the slot in the hasp plate from
the back.
Or instead of using on the hasp plate trough shaped knuckles closed at their outer
ends tubular knuckles closed at their outer ends may be used and one or both of the
said knuckles may be made separate from and rivetted to the hasp plate after the ends
When the knuckles are
of the joint pin have been engaged with the two knuckles.
rivetted to the hasp plate the back of the knuckles are provided with rivetting studs
which are passed through square holes in the hasp plate and rivetted at the back of
the said plate.

page_text: Or the separate knuckles may be, screwed to the hasp plate. In this case screws
are made at the backs of the knuckles and serve both to fix them to the hasp plate and
to secure the hasp plate to the lid of the travelling trunk or box.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front elevation and side
elevation, a lasp made according to the first described arrangement of my invention:
Figure 2 represents in back elevation a portion of the same and a cross section of the
hasp plate taken through one of the trough shaped knuckles: Figure 3 represents in
back elevation the has plate detached and Figure 4 represents a portion of the hasp
detached.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
a is the sheet metal hasp plate and b, bare the short trough shaped knuckles closed
at their outer ends made in the said plate by a stamping or shaping operation.
Between the outer closed ended knuckles b, b is a slot c of the width of that part of
the hasp to be jointed to the hasp plate; d is the hasp having a tubular knuckle at
its top. In the tubular knuckle d the joint pin e is fixed. The hasp d is jointed to
the hasp plate a in the following manner. The knuckle end 2 of the hasp dis
passed through the slot e in the hasp plate a from the front of the said plate to the back
thereof and while in the last named position the joint pine is inserted in the knuckle d²,
and fixed therein either by closing the knuckle 2 tightly around it or soldering it in
the knuckle. The projecting ends of the joint pine are then dropped into the trough
shaped knuckles b, at their open backs and the hasp plate a is rivetted or screwed
to the lid of the trunk or box at the holes ff. In this way the ends of the joint pin e
are retained in the trough shaped knuckles b, in the hasp plate and the jointing of
the hasp to the hasp plate completed. As the outer ends of the knuckles b, b of the
hasp plate are closed access to the joint pin from the outside of the trunk or box is
prevented and the said joint pin cannot be tampered with, that is, it cannot be driven
or drawn out of the knuckles by an end motion.
Figure 5 represents in back elevation end elevation and longitudinal section a cast
hasp constructed substantially as last described. In the cast hasp the trough shaped
knuckles, in the hasp plate a are closed at both ends with the exception of holes in
their inner ends for receiving the projecting ends of the joint pin e.
In this arrangement the joint pin e is loose in the knuckle of the hasp and can
slide in the said knuckle. In introducing the knuckle into the slot e in the hasp
plate, the joint pine is passed into the knuckle d² so as to bring one of its ends flush
with the end of the knuckle. The other projecting end of the joint pin can now be
introduced into the hole in one of the knuckles and the knuckle d² of the hasp can
take its place in the slot c. The joint pine is now pushed by an end motion until the
end which was flush with the end of the knuckle passes into the hole in the other
knuckle as represented in the section of Figure 5. The ends of the pin e in the two
knuckles, bare finally expanded or rivetted so as to prevent end motion in the said
pin. The hasp plate a is then fastened by screwing or rivetting to the lid of the box
or trunk as before described.
Figure 6 represents in front elevation and side elevation and Figure 7 in back
elevation and partly in longitudinal section, a hasp in which separate tubular knuckles
closed at their outer ends are used; Figure 8 represents in elevation and section one
of the tubular knuckles detached: a is the hasp plate and d the hasp and the
knuckle of the same; gg are the separate tubular knuckles of the hasp plate a closed
at their outer ends and provided with screws h, hat right angles to the axes of the
knuckles. In joining the hasp d to the hasp plate a Figures 6 and 7, one of the
separate knuckles g is first connected loosely to the front of one end of the hasp
plate a by the screw and screw nut at and the projecting end of the joint pin e in
the knuckle d of the hasp d is inserted in the said loosely connected knuckle g. The
other separate knuckle g is then passed onto the other end of the joint pine and
fastened to the plate a in a similar way. Both the screw nuts being tightened the
hasp is jointed to the hasp plate and after the hasp plate has been screwed or rivetted
to the lid of the trunk or box, the joint pin cannot be tampered with as before
described.

page_text: The screw pins may serve both to fix the knuckles in their places and to secure
the hasp plate a to the lid of the box or trunk in addition to securing the said plate at
the screw or rivet holes, f. Or in place of screws the backs of the separate tubular
knuckles g, may be provided with rivetting studs for fixing the knuckles to the
hasp plate as represented in Figure 9 where a rivetting stud is marked i.
One of the tubular knuckles may be cast upon and form part of the hasp plate
instead of having both knuckles detached as described and represented.
In this case the hole in the fixed tubular knuckle must be made conical so as to
permit of the joint pin engaging in it at a considerable angle for the purpose of
placing its other end in the other loose knuckle and fixing the said loose knuckle.
When knuckles of the kind represented in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 and the modified
knuckles described are used the opening in the hasp plate is not required and the said
knuckles may be used with sheet inetal or cast hasps and hasp plates.
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
of "Improvements in hasps for the locks or fastenings of metallic travelling trunks
and other trunks and boxes"
:-
First Jointing the hasps to the hasp plates by making near each end of the hasp
plate a short trough shaped knuckle closed at its outer end, the open ends of the two
knuckles being opposed to each other and each knuckle being open at the back of the
hasp plate for receiving the end of the joint pin carried by the knuckle substantially
as herein before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 also the modified
arrangement of the cast, hasp represented in Figure 5 whereby the tampering with or
driving or drawing out of the joint pin of the hasp from the outside of the trunk or
box is prevented.
Secondly The combination with the hasp plate of the hasp of separate tubular
knuckles, or one fixed tubular knuckle and one loose tubular knuckle, closed at their
outer ends for receiving the ends of the joint pin of the basp substantially as herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying
Drawing whereby the tampering with or driving or drawing out of the joint pin of
the hasp from the outside of the trunk or box is prevented.
Dated the 18th day of August 1888.