Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 10th June, 1887.
mechanism.
Figure 3. is a similar view with one check inserted, and the spring locking bolts
secured out of engagement with the other check, which is partly withdrawn from the
device.
Figure 4. shows a slightly modified form in the mechanism, requiring a differently
shaped check to open the device.
Referring to the drawing.
A, designates the body of the check, having the front plate B and the rear plate C,
secured together by the rivets bb, and held a short distance apart by the flange B' on
the rear side of the front plate, around the edge thereof, said flange being cut away
for a short distance at the upper and lower ends of the check to form openings b₁ b
to allow the two checks D and E to enter.into the interior of the body to operate the
mechanism therein.
The upper edge of the rear plate C is extended to form the ear C¹, which is bent
rearwardly so as not to interfere with the insertion of one of the checks in the
opening b¹, and provided with an opening or slit c, to pass one end of the check
strap Y, through.
The face or front plate B is provided on the outer edges with the flanges 6³ ³, open
at the upper ends and closed at the lower ends, and the destination card, (made of
pasteboard or metal, but preferably of metal, as brass) is adapted to be inserted
between, with the edges thereof engaged in the said flanges, by sliding said card in at
the top. Said destination card Z, is double faced; one side indicating the return
trip or the trip in the opposite direction to that indicated on the other side.
FF, represent spring locking bolts, pivoted at the point near the outer edge of

page_text: the body to the front plate, and having detents f1 f¹, at the upper ends and
detents ff, at the lower ends, the inner sides of said detents being square or abrupt,
and the outside beveled or rounded to facilitate the insertion of an article between
them.
The said pivoted locking bolts are provided near their centres with the inwardly
projecting arms G G, the inner ends of which are adapted to approach each other very
closely but do not come in contact. A short distance above the arms G, are the short
inwardly projecting arms 9 g, also formed integrally with the bolts F, and having a
recess or notch g' in the inner end, on the upper side.
HH, are holding dogs, pivoted at the points n n, the inner ends of which come in
contact, and are inter-locked or articulated to make it impossible to move one without
the other, thus preventing the lock of the check from being picked in detail, or one
side at a time. The outer ends of the dogs are adapted to engage in the notches
as seen in Figure 3, and hold the upper ends of the locking bolt apart to allow the
withdrawal of one of the checks from one end of the body.
Between the inner ends of the dogs on each side and the inner ends of the arms G
of the same side, are placed the ends of the springs I, held in place by small projections
on the said arms, which springs are adapted to normally hold the arms G pressed
down and the inner ends of the dogs pressed up. The tendency therefore of the upper
ends of the locking bolts I is toward the centre of the body or inwardly, and the
tendency of the outer ends of the dogs is downward, so that when the upper ends of
said locking bolts are pressed apart, against the force of the said springs, the outer
ends of the dogs will be forced into the recess g¹, in the ends of the arms g, and lock
the bolts F apart. If, however, the upper edges of the inner ends of the dogs are
pushed down upon while in the said position, the outer ends of the dogs will be lifted
out of the notches or recesses g' against the action of the spring, and the upper ends
of the locking bolts F will be again forced toward each other.
To again lock the bolts F apart, it is only necessary to pass the inner ends of the
arms G, upwardly, thus forcing the upper ends of the bolts apart, and the outer ends
of the dogs will drop or spring into the recesses g¹ and hold the said bolts in the
desired position.
.
The check D is made of a thin plate of metal, having the opening or slit d, in which
to secure the free end of the strap Y, and the sides of said plate are provided with the
notches D¹ to be engaged by the detents fif on the locking bar, and the lower edge
of the plate below the said notches is rounded to glide over the upper sides of the said
detents. An opening or notch d' is provided in the lower edge of the check D, to
receive the nut or stud d' and allow the wings d' on either side of the said notch to
pass down and come in contact with the inner ends of the dogs H.
To lock the check D in place in the body, when the locking bolts are held apart by
the dogs, insert the said check D into the openings 61 to cause the lower edges of the
wings d, to pass respectively on inner ends of the dogs, and lift the outer ends
thereof out of the recesses g¹, when the upper ends of the locking bolt F will spring
toward each other, and the detents on the upper ends of said bolts will engage in the
notches D¹ in the sides of the check D and prevent its withdrawal until the upper
ends of the said bolts are again separated.
The previously mentioned destination card Z, as has been described, is held from
being withdrawn from the retaining grooves on the face plate in every way except by
drawing or sliding it upwardly; and to prevent this and thereby effectually fasten
said card in the check when the check D is locked in the said check, I provide a hook
shaped lug, D, on the face of said check D, to engage on the upper edge of the front
plate of the check and also the upper edge of the said card, and thereby prevent the
card from being taken out or changed until the check D is unlocked and withdrawn.
The check E is similar in construction to the check D, and is formed of a thin
plate of metal having a rounded upper end divided by the notch el, similar to the
notch d¹, and the wings e³, the sides of the plate being provided with the notches F1,
to be engaged by the detents on the lower ends of the bolts F, when the upper ends
of the said bolts are locked apart by the dogs H.

page_text: When the check D is locked in place, to unlock it, insert the check E and pass the
upper edges of the wings e² against the ends of the arms G thus forcing the said ends
up, and causing the upper ends of the bolts to move apart. When pressed sufficiently
apart, the dogs H will engage in the recesses g' and hold the detents f¹ out of
engagement with the notches D', and thus allow the check D to be withdrawn.
The check E, on the other hand, is now locked in the body by the detents f³, on
the lower ends of the bolts, F, engaging in the notches F¹ in the sides of the said
check E:
It will therefore be seen that when the check E is inserted in the opening 6' in the
lower edge of the body, it releases the check D, and is itself locked in the said
opening; and when the check D is inserted in the opening 61 in the upper edge of
the body it is securely locked therein, and the check E, is released; this alternating
action being due to the fact that the engaging detents f¹ and ƒ³, are situated on
opposite ends of the arm comprising the locking bolt.
When the check D is locked in place, and the check E is released, the said check E
is used as a duplicate check to be carried by the party to whom the checked property
belongs, and for this purpose it is supplied with a corresponding number to that on
the body A.
When the device has been removed from the said property by the proper manipu-
lation of the said proper check, and the latter, as has been stated, is in turn locked in
the body K, and in this position it is allowed to remain until the device is again
secured to an article of baggage, when the insertion of the check D will release the
check E.
It will be understood that the construction of the working parts of the check are
such, that the picking of the locking device is impossible if the attempt is made to
pick one side at a time. Both bolts must be pressed out of engagement with their
respective notches at the same time, and therefore if one of the arms G, is made wider
than the other, so that the lower edge thereof comes below the lower edge of the other
arm, it will be seen that to lift both of the said arms at one time it will be necessary
to have one of the wings e³, of the check E, projected as far beyond or above the other
wing as the lower edge of the corresponding arm G, is behind or above the lower
edge of the other arm. By varying the thickness of the said arms G, a great variety
of different locks will be made.
To produce still further variety, the stud d' which enters the notch in the upper
edge of the check E, between the wings, may be placed at varying distances from the
arms G of the bolt, also the size of the said stud may be varied; also there may be
additional studs placed at different points in the interior of the check so as to prevent
the insertion of any but the proper check E. Fig. 4, shows a check having two
additional studs.
In these and other ways, an endless variety of checks requiring differently shaped
checks or plates D, E, may be had, and thus prevent the annoyance and loss due to the
changing or losing of checks through carelessness and criminal design.
The manner of using these checks is obvious:
When not in use the device is put away or hung up with the check D, released and
the check E locked in the body. When about to be applied to an article, the strap is
passed through a convenient loop on either article, as the handle of a trunk, and the
check D inserted in the end of the body, and locked there as described, thereby
releasing the duplicate check which is given to the owner of the property.
It is evident that if constructed as herein described, the body cannot be taken off
the trunk until the proper check is applied thereto, thus making the checking of
property safer, and preventing much annoyance and loss.
Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is :-
1. In a baggage check, the body constructed to receive two checks, and provided
with locking mechanism, in combination with the said two checks to be inserted into
'

page_text: "
the body and actuate the locking mechanism, the insertion of one check in the body
causing the releasing of the other check, as set forth.
2. In a baggage check, the combination of a body having openings which com-
municate with the locking mechanism housed within the body, and the two checks
adapted to be inserted in the openings in the body to alternately actuate the locking
mechanism, one of said checks being normally locked within the body by the locking
mechanism, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a baggage check, the combination of a body having the openings, the movable
locking-bolts housed within the body, and the two checks adapted to be inserted into
the openings of the body and between the bolts, one of said checks being normally
engaged by the bolt and released therefrom when the other check is inserted into the
body and actuates the bolts, the latter check being in turn locked in the body when
the first named check is released, as and for the purpose described.
4. In a baggage check, the combination of the body having openings in opposite
ends thereof, the movable locking bolts housed within the body, the springs for
normally forcing the bolts toward each other, a check fitted in one end of the body
and locked therein by the bolts, and another check fitted in the opposite end of the
body to release the first named check and be in turn locked in the body by the bolts,
as, and for the purpose described.
5. In a baggage check, the combination of the movable locking bolts normally
forced toward each other by springs, the articulated dogs for holding the bolts
separated, and as for the purpose described.
6. In a baggage check the combination of the pivoted locking bolts, having the
inwardly extending arms G, g, the articulated dogs intermediate the bolts and adapted
to engage the shorter arms g thereof, and the springs engaging the dogs and the
arms G of the bolts, to normally draw one end of the bolts together and hold the dogs
out of engagement with the arms g, as and for the purpose described.
7. In a baggage check the combination of the body, the pivoted locking bolts
therein having the extended arms G, the articulated dogs, the springs engaging the
dogs, and the locking bolts to normally force one end thereof together, a check
adapted to be inserted into the body to press the locking bolts apart, and another
check adapted to be inserted within the opposite end of the body to impinge on the
arms thereof, and thereby operate the locking bolts, and the dogs to release the first
named check and lock the last named check in the body, as and for the purpose
described.
8. In a baggage check, the body having the locking mechanisın, the check to be
held to the body by the locking mechanism, another check to operate the latter and
release the first named check, the destination card to be fitted to the body and held
thereto by the first named check, whereby the card cannot be withdrawn until the
first named check is released, as set forth.
9. In a baggage check, the body having the locking mechanism housed therein,
and provided with the fixed guides at one of its outer sides, a destination card fitted
in the guides and thereby exposed to view, and the two checks adapted to be inserted
into the body to alternately actuate the locking mechanism, one of said checks having
means for locking the destination card in the guides, as, and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 10th day of May 1887.