An Improved Travelling Trunk, suitable for Use as a Chest of Drawers, Table, Desk, Couch, or the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1896-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Travelling Trunk, suitable for Use as a Chest of
Drawers, Table, Desk, Couch, or the like.
I BERNHARD SALOMON LEVOR, Merchant of München Gladbach in the
Empire of Germany 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 relates to a trunk, which can be adapted to different purposes
in an easy manner and allows thus of being converted to various uses, without
requiring special assistance from other persons. The single parts of the trunk
produce in their different combinations various forms and constructions.
In the annexed drawings Figs. 1-7 on Sheet 1 show the different forms which
can be given to the trunk.
On Sheet 2 the Figs. 8-12 show an arrangement of movable feet for the trunk
which may be folded into the bottom of the trunk. Figs. 13-15 are details
thereof and Figs. 16 & 17 show how to place the trunk to erect the feet.
On Sheet 3 Figs. 18 & 19 show cross sections of the trunk.
Figs. 20-21 show a framing for transforming the trunk into a bed, Figs. 22-27
show the connections of the sides of the drawers.
On Sheet 4 Figs. 28-34 show partitions in the trunk,
Figs. 35-37 show the front wall of the trunk and Figs. 38-41 show two bolts
used in its construction. When the trunk is to be packed, it is first erected upon
the feet as shown in Sheet 1. The trunk has a double closable bottom, in which
the feet are generally kept, see Figs. 8-9. The feet consist of a tube a toothed
rod b guided therein and the bow c. Each pair is connected one to the other by
means of a rod d. By means of toothed wheels a seated upon the rod d and of a
crank, Fig. 14, the toothed rods can be moved out from the tubes a and the legs
can thus be lengthened. The toothed rod is fixed by a pawl a' engaging with the
toothed wheel d and carries on its under end a castor b. On the upper end the
feet have a hinge joint a', by means of which they are fixed on the bottom of
the trunk. The bow c can be turned 90° upon the tube a, Fig. 12. When the
feet are folded together, the rods d are kept in horizontal position by means of the
spring operated fasteners which are arranged on the bottom of the trunk.
The broader feet pair (in Fig. 8 on the left) lies over the narrower one. Upon
the side of the narrower feet pair there is on the outside of the trunk an eye e.
When the feet are to be unfolded, the trunk is laid upon this side, Fig. 16, the
larger feet pair is turned outwards and the bows c of these feet are turned 90°, 60
that these two feet are now fixed; then the trunk is placed in the position shown
in Fig. 16 in dotted lines, then lifted on the side of the eye e and the post e',
Fig. 15, is introduced into the latter, Fig. 17. Now also the narrower feet pair is
moved down and fixed in the said manner by means of its bows c. Then the
post el is taken away and the trunk can be raised by means of the cranks, Fig. 14.
The position of the feet with regard to one another is secured by means of the
rods ff, Fig. 13 and Fig. 1. In this position the trunk can be easily packed and
all transformations can be effected; also by means of the castors arranged on the
feet it can be rolled along.
If the trunk is to be transformed into a chest of drawers, the front wall A fixed

page_text: to the trunk by means of hinge joints is let down, Figs. and 18, and the
drawers B, C, D, and the plates E and F are moved in the grooves arranged for
this purpose in the trunk Figs. 18 & 19. The drawer D has no side walls and no
back wall the plate F has two cover plates F which can be opened. In the trunk
cover is an enclosure G serving for receiving writing utensils.
The side walls of the drawers B and C are connected with their front and back
walls by the hinged plates y' of the catches al which plates are slotted to engage
the heads of pins in the manner shown in Figs. 25 and 26 on Sheet 3. The
front and back walls can be folded round as in Fig. 27.
The front wall A can be brought into any position by means of the supports A
reaching into holes, Figs. 1, 2, 5. In the division D are fixed on the trunk wall
the rails H and H, Figs. 18 and 19. The plate H carries an eye H', the plate H
a projection H. The drawer D has only the front wall D' which is connected by
eyes and pins similar to hinges to the bottom D, as shown at g in Figs. 22-24.
The bottom D of the drawer D, Figs. 28-31 has on the upper side on the front
eyes g for connection with the front wall of the drawer, on the under side behind
the bolts h and the eyes i, on the front the eyes i and the holes k. Further this
bottom D' has also holes kk, lk and ki. The plate E Figs. 32-34 has on
the upper side on the back the bolts ' ' and as well as the hooks m m, on the
under side are the following rods n n. This plate has also the holes o o and o¹ o'
and the hole O. The front wall A of the trunk shows on the inner side on the
front the hooks mal m', the pin p, the holes y g and g' g' and outside on the front
the bolts. The bolts h, h', h are shown in Fig. 38 & 39, the bolts in
Figs. 40 and 41. The bolts A reach into the holes of the lateral trunk walls,
Fig. 18, and thus give solid connection between the front wall and the side walls of
the trunk. The last described mechanisms serve to transform the chest of drawers
into a table ready for instance to exhibit goods. This is effected, by placing the
wall A horizontal by means of the supports, A by pulling out the plate E for the
most part, by turning the rods n, n round on the under side of E and placing them
in the holes g g of the front wall A, so that the plate E is supported by the latter,
as shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines. For further fastening the two bolts on the
plate can be slid into the small holes of the side walls.
If the chest of drawers is to be transformed into a writing table, the front
wall A. is brought into the position shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines by means of
the supports A. Then the plate E is pulled out so far that it is connected by the
hole of with the pin which is to be seen on the front wall A. In order to have
more space for spreading out papers, the plates F connected with the plate F by
means of hinge joints are turned outwards constituting a further table surface
Fig. 2, which can be used standing independently from the before described
table.
This upper table is transformed into a book shelf or holder by bringing the
plates F into a vertical position and by holding them apart by means of a rod F
which carries forks on its ends.
On pulling out the wall F with the thus placed plates F and turning down-the
latter there is produced a small table Fig. 4.
In order to construct a higher reading or writing desk the plate E is taken out
and the wall D' is taken out of the hinge joints of the drawer D. Then the front
wall A is brought into the position shown in Fig. 5 by means of the supports A',
and the plate E is placed on the wall so that its pin p enters the hole o' of the
plate E and the latter lies on the other end upon the projections H of the rails H'.
Hereupon this end of the plate E is moved so high that the bolts / thereof can be
slid into the eyes H' of the rail H.
For producing a couch one requires besides the wall A. and the plates D' and E
also the framing shown in Figs. 20 & 21. The latter consists of two trestles.
Each of them consists of two crosses K which are connected by means of the rod
provided in the middle with a joint r. It can be secured by means of a socket t
(Fig. 204) slid over the joint. The rod is also connected with the crosses K by

page_text: means of joints u (Fig. 214) consisting each of a cross bolt traversing an eye end in
the rods and eyes attached to the crosses. The rods of the crosses are kept
spread open by means of rods o and carry on the top the studs w wo¹. The trestles
are folded together by loosening the rods o by folding together the crosses and
turning them round the hinge joints u, until they lie on the rod 8. Then the
socket is loosened and the rod s is folded together, as shown in Fig. 20 in dotted
lines.
The couch is formed by erecting the trestles K and by letting the front wall A
of the trunk so far down, that the studs w of the one trestle enter the holes q of
the wall A, Fig. 6. Then one takes the plate D turns it round and places it on
the wall A in such a manner, that the bolts h of the plate E are slid into the
corresponding holes q' of the wall A and that the hooks m¹ can enter the eyes i.
The studs of the same trestle fit then into the holes k¹ k of the plate D. On
pressing then the one pair of studs w, w of the other trestle into the holes and
the other studs to to into the holes o' o' of the plate E, the bolts of the same
fit into the corresponding holes of the plate D' and the hooks m m into the
eyes and the couch is ready. This arrangement can also be used as a larger
table the whole serving as a sample exhibition trunk for commercial travellers.
By using only one trestle one can produce a small table, Fig. 7 by putting the
studs wo and to into the holes o of the plate E.
Finally also a box can be fixed on the bottom of the trunk (Fig. 9 in dotted
lines) by means of a turnable cross piece y (shown in Fig. 8 in dot and dash lines)
or on the hooks y¹ or with rubber straps 2.
This box as well as the drawers B and C can be folded together or the side
parts thereof can be taken out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare what
I claim is :-
1. An improved trunk, in which the one side wall is constructed so that it can'
be folded down and in which interior enclosures are provided which are formed
partly as drawers, partly as draw plates, so that the trunk by opening the upper
cover can be used as usual trunk with enclosures; by moving down the movable
side wall it can be used as chest of drawers, and by pulling out one of the flat
plates it can be used as writing table such plate giving an oblique surface for
writing and being provided on the back ends with bolts and arranged to turn in
the side walls of the trunk on the front and supported directly or by means of
supporting rods by the up folded front wall suspended at any angle on the trunk
by means of lateral rods or bands.
2. In a trunk as described in Claim 1. the arrangement of the draw plates to
be connected together by means of the bolts and hooks and supported by means
of cross supports in such a manner, that they are connected to the downwardly
folded side plate of the erected trunk and thus form a couch, the side wall A
by raising of the trunk receiving an oblique position corresponding to the higher
position of the head.
3. In a trunk as described in Claims 1 and 2 the raising of the trunk necessary
for forming the bed as under Claim 2, by the arrangement in the under plate
of the trunk of feet which, can be folded down and which consist of metal tubes
with columns in their interior formed as toothed rods which can be extended by
means of pawls and ratchet wheels and a crank.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1896.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agents to Applicant.