Year: 1899

page_text: I, DANIEL ROBY HERING, of Sykesville, in the County of Carroll and State of
Maryland, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 mail bags or pouches and more particularly to new and
improved means for closing or locking the open or mouth end of such bags or
pouches.
It is the prime object of the invention to provide a bag that can be readily and
quickly opened or closed by parties in authority, but which will be at the same time
amply safe and secure from entry by unscrupulous persons.
It is a further object of the invention to provide simple and improved fastening
means whereby access may be had to the interior of the bag by parties in authority
without cutting or slitting the bag itself, in case the lock should fail to work at the
proper time.
The invention comprises further novel features of construction and arrangement of
parts hereinafter to be referred to in detail and then more definitely pointed out in
the claims which conclude and form a part of this specification.
In the annexed drawings illustrating my invention―
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a mail bag constructed in accordance with
my invention, said bag being shown.closed and locked.
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same.
Figure 3 is a side view showing the mouth end of the bag open.
Figure 4 is a similar view showing the bag partially closed.
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a modified arrangement of locking
means.
Figure 6 is a view of a locking pin to be used in connection with the strap fastening
means illustrated in Figure 5.
Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral 1, designates the bag
proper which is preferably made of some flexible material such as leather, canvas or
the like so as to be readily folded at its upper or mouth end. The said mouth end of
the bag is provided at each side with two plates 2, having registering slots 3, said
plates being secured to the bag by means of rivets and the position of the plates being
such that the slots 3, will be horizontal, and on a line above and parallel with the
extreme upper edge of the bag, as clearly shown in the drawings. At the top of
the bag and intermediate the sides thereof is a substantially triangular shaped plate 4,
of considerable dimensions, and said plate is provided with a vertically disposed slot 5,
which registers with a slot 6, in plate 7, secured to the front face of the bag, directly
opposite the triangular plate 4.
Arranged directly below the said plate 7, and upon the same face of the bag is a
plate 8, carrying a staple 9, which I consider to be of novel construction and which

page_text: constitutes one of the essential features of my invention. This staple comprises the
two outwardly extending legs 10, and connecting bar 11, which is formed with an
upward or rearward extension 12, at the top to provide an overhanging locking
shoulder for the slotted plates, as will presently appear, and the staple is further
provided at its lower portion with a small eye 13, to receive the locking means.
The manner of closing and locking the bag is as follows-The upper corner of one
side is first folded over so that the slotted plates at said corner will take over the
staple, and then the opposite corner of the bag is folded over in a similar manner;
after which the central portion of the bag at the top, carrying the triangular plate 4,
and adjacent plate 7, is folded over upon the previously folded corners until the slots
in the said plates 4 and 7 also take over the staple, and when so folded it will be
seen that the upward or rearward extension 12% of the staple will overhang all the
said slotted plates at one end and thus firmly hold them in position, after which the
hasp of a pad-lock 14, will be passed through the eye 13, in the staple, which will
thereby hold the lower ends of the plates securely in place and thus effect a tight
and secure closing of the bag.
I consider the feature of the comparatively large triangular shaped plate 4, as
important, as this plate not only forms a rigid covering for the folded mouth edges
of the bag, to prevent tampering with such edges, but also greatly facilitates the
operation of folding over the opposite corners of the bag, for the converging sides 15,
of said plates are on a line with, and indicate the point where, the said corners are
to be folded. I also consider the rearward or upward extension. 12, on the staple as
being important, since it acts in conjunction with the lock to firmly hold the slotted
plates and confined corners or folds of the bag securely in place.
Instead of inserting a hasp-lock through the staple to lock the bag, I may employ
the strap arrangement illustrated in Figure 5, of the drawings. This arrangement
will be preferable in some instances, since it better meets the requirements of the
Post Office officials in cases where it is desired to provide means for the opening of
the bag without cutting or slitting the same, should the lock for any reason become
inoperative or refuse to yield to the action of the key when in the hands of the
proper persons. In the said modified arrangement illustrated in Figure 5, I provide
a strap 16, secured to the bag at a point 17, said strap being provided at its free end
with an eye or ring 18, through which the hasp of a lock 19, is passed. The said
strap 16, is further provided near its free end with a stop lug or ball 20, to limit the
movement of the strap through the eye of the staple so that there will be but a short
section of strap between the said stop lug 20, and eye or ring, 18, thus materially
limiting the opening movement of the folded over portions of the bag. It will now
be understood that should the lock fail to open in response to the action of the key,
the official vested with proper authority could, by simply severing the strap 16, gain
access to the bag without slitting or cutting the same, which would be necessary if
the hasp were attached directly to the staple as first explained. If desired I may
attach a metal pin 21, such as shown in Figure 6, to the end of the strap and provide
an opening 22, in the end of the said pin to receive the hasp of the lock. In using
this construction I will employ the stop lug or button upon the strap as heretofore
described to prevent the pin 21, from being drawn entirely through the eye of the
staple. The pin arrangement illustrated in Figure 6, will afford a rigid attachment
and will greatly facilitate the locking of the bag as will be obvious. By the con-
struction herein described I provide a mail bag that can be easily and quickly brought
to its closed position and as readily locked in a firm and secure manner.
I am aware that I am not the first to provide a mail bag wherein a single staple is a
employed to receive the opposite corners and top of the bag when the latter are folded
over, and I do not seek to cover such an arrangement broadly. My invention is confined
to the improvements on this type of bag, as herein described, whereby a more secure and
rigid locking means is provided, and wherein the bag is not unnecessarily weakened
by having the slots at the opposite sides thereof pass directly through the material of
which the bag is formed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A mail bag, having its mouth end provided upon opposite sides with two pairs of
slotted plates, the slots of which are horizontally disposed and located above and
parallel with the upper edge of the bag, a pair of centrally arranged slotted plates
secured to the upper end of the bag, the slots of which register and are vertically
disposed, and a staple secured to the front face of the bag at a point below the top
and in a position to receive the slots of said plates when the mouth end of the bag is
folded, substantially as described.
2. A mail bag having its mouth end provided upon opposite sides with two pairs of
slotted plates, a comparatively large, approximately triangular shaped plate secured
to the upper rear face of the bag, said plate being provided with a slot, a similar
registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, and a staple secured to the said
front face of the bag at a point below the top and in a position to receive the said
slotted plates when the mouth end of the bag is folded over, substantially as
described.
3. A mail bag having its mouth end provided upon opposite sides with two pairs of
slotted plates, the slots of which are made to register, a slotted plate secured to the
upper rear face of the bag at the center, a similar registering slot in the opposite
front face of the bag, a staple secured to the front of the bag at a point below the top
and in a position to receive the said slotted plates when the mouth end of the bag is
folded over as described, and a rearward extension on the said staple adapted to
overhang the said slotted plates.
4. A mail bag having its mouth end provided upon opposite sides with two pairs
of slotted plates, the slots of which are made to register, a slotted plate secured to
the upper rear face of the bag at the center, a similar registering slot in the opposite
front face of the bag, a staple secured to the front of the bag at a point below the
top and in a position to receive the said slotted plates when the mouth end of the
bag is folded as described, a small lock opening or eye in the lower part of the staple,
and a rearward extension at the upper part of the staple adapted to overhang the said
slotted plates.
5. A mail bag having slotted portions at the opposite upper corners thereof, the
slots of which are made to register, a slotted plate secured to the upper rear face of
the bag at the middle, a similar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag,
a staple secured to the front face of the bag in a position to receive the said slotted
portions of the bag when folded as described, a strap secured at one end to the bag,
and having its opposite end provided with an opening or holder for a lock, and a stop
lug or button near the free end of the strap, said strap being arranged to be passed
through an eye in the staple, substantially as described.
Dated this eighth day of June 1899.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.