Improved Apparatus for Securing Trunks when Closed and Protecting them from Injury.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 19th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Securing Trunks when Closed and
Protecting them from Injury.
I, JOSEPH WARE, of 54, Lefferts Place, Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and
State of New York, United States of America, Commission Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an apparatus to be attached to a trunk
which will secure the trunk when closed and enable it to withstand severe handling
and rough usage.
The Invention consists of an attachment composed of pairs of wood battens which
extend beneath the trunk and up at front and back thereof, the battens being hinged
so that they may be folded together when not in use, and the vertical battens are
pivoted so as to enable them to be turned down laterally out of the way when the
trunk is opened. At the upper end of the vertical battens there are brackets carrying
hinged wire loops which are connected by a strap which extends from one of the
battens around its corresponding batten, the one loop having a roller around which
the strap passes while the other has a hook to which the strap is secured. To the
ends of the strap are secured blocks containing horizontal pulleys. One of these
pulleys is provided with ratchet teeth with which a spring-actuated pawl engages.
A rope attached to one of the blocks passes around the pulleys and over a hook on one
of the loops, and a projection on the point of the pawl bears against this cord and
prevents the pawl slipping past the teeth of the ratchet. The bottom battens are
connected by a longitudinal bar formed in two parts pivoted together and to the
battens, and extending to the ends of the trunk where they are provided with turned
up hinged ends which are slotted so as to enable a rope to be secured to them. These
ropes pass up over the ends of the trunk and around pulleys in blocks which are placed
beneath the straps above referred to and connected together. The ropes from the
battens extend beneath the blocks on the loops of the vertical battens and up over
their upper surface and are attached to said blocks. By this means, the whole
attachment may be tightened on the trunk. The battens are preferably provided with
rubber cushions, to deaden shocks, and are sheathed with metal on one or both
sides.
Dated this 10th low of Ma 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Securing Trunks when Closed and
Protecting them from Injury.
I, JOSEPH WARE, of 54, Lefferts Place, Brooklyn, in the County of Kings,
and State of New York, United States of America, Commission Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This Invention has for its object to provide an apparatus to be attached to a trunk,
which will secure the trunk when closed and enable it to withstand severe handling
and rough usage.

page_text: The Invention consists in an apparatus of the above character constructed and
arranged as hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifi-
cation, in which figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention as it appears in use,
shewing a trunk in dotted lines. Figure 2'is a detail view of a portion of the
invention with parts broken away shewing the means for tightening and securing it
on a trunk.
Figure 3 is a detail thereof, shewing ratchet pulley and portion of the
pawl broken away. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the pawl detached. Figure 5 is
a detail in plan view of a portion of a trunk and the securing apparatus. Figure 6 is a
detail view, shewing one of a pair of blocks and pulleys and a portion of their
connecting rope. Figure 7 is a plan view of a modified construction of pulley block,
adapted for use with a harness of rope, and figure 8 is a sectional side elevation of
the block detached. Similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the views.
open.
According to this invention, sets of battens 1, 2, 3, of wood or other suitable
material are employed having their inner surface sheathed with thin metallic strips 2¹
preferably of steel and riveted to the battens. The sheathed battens 2 are of a
length to extend across beneath the bottom of a trunk and the sheathed battens 1 and 3
are of a length to extend vertically over the front and back of a trunk. The lower
ends of the sheathed battens 1 and 3 are connected to the ends of the sheathed battens 2
by means of hinges 4 whereby the battens 1, 2, 3, may be folded together when
not required for use. The sheathed battens 1 and 3 are pivoted by pivot pins 4' at
their lower ends to their hinges 4. By this means the battens 3 may be turned
down laterally on their pivots out of the way when the trunk is
The upper
ends of the battens 1 and 3 are provided with metallic brackets 5 to which are hinged
wire loops 6, the latter being connected by tackles constructed as follows:-Metallic
plates or blocks 7 (see figure 2) containing at their inner end horizontal pulleys 8
and 9 are secured to the end of straps 7' passing over pulleys S' on loops of battens 1
and extending to metallic blocks 10 containing horizontal pulleys 11 and 12 and
having hooks 101 which engage loops 6 on battens 3. The pulleys 9 are formed with
a ratchet 13 with which a spring-actuated pawl 14 engages. The outer end of the
pawl 14 projects beyond the block 7, thereby permitting it to be pushed out of
engagement with the ratchet 13. To the block 7 is secured a rope 17 which extends
from block 7 to and over the pulley 11 to and over the pulley 8 to and over the
pulley 12 to and over pulley 9 and from thence to and over a book 18 on the loop 6
of batten 3 and terminates in a hand loop 19. The point 15 of the pawl is formed
with a projection 16, which bears against the cord 17 and prevents the point of the
pawl from slipping past the teeth of ratchet 13. To cause the pull on the rope 17 to
operate the pulley 9 and ratchet 13, said pulley is formed with a V-shiped roughened
or other surface on its periphery which will cause the rope to take hold of, and
operate the pulley. The bottom battens 2 are connected by a flat metallic bar 191
formed in two parts 20 pivoted thereto and together at their inner ends, as at 21,
and of a length to extend to the ends of a trunk where they are provided with hinged
vertical pieces 22 having slots 23 with circular openings 24 in their ends through
which may be passed the knots 25 of ropes 26 and the knots 25 drawn up to the
upper end of slots 23. The ropes 26 are of a length to extend up over the end
of a trunk and along the top thereof, to and around pulleys 27 in blocks 28 located
beneath and attached to the straps 7. "The blocks 28 are connected by a rope or
strap 29. The ropes 26 extend from the pulleys 27 beneath straps 7¹ and blocks 7
towards their outer end and up over their top where they are suitably secured to the
blocks 7.
By means of this construction and arrangement of blocks, tackles, and, tightening
ropes, the battens may be tightly lashed to a trunk, the parts being drawn taut by
pulling on the hand loops 19. Upon the inner side of the battens 1 and 3, adjacent
to their top and bottom, are located rubber blocks 30 which bear against the trunk

page_text: and ease the, shock of a fall or blow. Upon the rope 17 being drawn taut its end
may be secured by a turn or two about the hook 18.
It will be observed that the sets of battens 1, 2, 3, serve as guards to protect the
trunk against falls and blows. If desired, the battens 2 may be permanently fastened
to the bottom of a trunk.
By means of this invention, a lashing and guards for securing trunks are provided,
which can be easily, quickly, and securely fastened on a trunk and readily unfastened
and which will prevent trunks and their locks and hinges from being broken, as the
force of blows will be received by the battens and their rubber blocks on the body
of the trunk.
If desired, the battens may be sheathed on the outside as well as inside. The
hooks 18 may be of any shape desired whether opened or closed so that the end
of the cord 17 may be secured therein and held thereby, in addition to ratchet 13
and pawl 14. The battens and the bottom flat bar may. if preferred, be omitted,
and a harness of ropes or straps used in lieu thereof with the loops or rings and the
blocks or tackles.
While the form of block and tackle shewn and described is preferably employed
any form of block and tackle may be used.
In figures 7 and 8 is illustrated a modified construction of the pulley block, adapted
for use in connection with a harness of ropes. This block 31 contains, at one end,
horizontal pulleys, as in the blocks 7 shewn in the other views. At its opposite end,
however, is fixed a keeper 32 and there is formed in said end a slot 33 at a right
angle to the keeper, in which slot is adapted to ride one end of a headed pin 34 to
the other end of which is secured an essentially triangular tongue 35, the pointed
end of which extends beneath the keeper 32. This tongue, it will be seen, is thus
adapted for both longitudinal and lateral play in said keeper.
The arrangement of the ropes in connection with the horizontal pulleys is similar
to that shewn in figure 1, but the free ends of the ropes are passed beneath the
keepers 32 about the tongues 35, as shown in figure 7, and when drawn upon are
firmly bound in the keepers; the greater the strain upon the ropes the more firmly
will they be bound in the keepers. The ropes may, however, be readily slackened
and further tightened with but little effort when found desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be, performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A trunk securing guard attachment, consisting of a harness to extend over a
trunk and a block and tackle fastening connecting the ends of the harness for
tightening and securing the harness on a trunk, substantially as shewn and
described.
2. A trunk securing guard attachment, consisting of battens connected together
to extend over a trunk and a block and tackle fastening connected with the
battens for tightening and securing the battens to the trunk, substantially as shewn
and described.
3. A trunk securing guard attachment, consisting of battens connected together
to extend over a trunk and blocks and tackles connecting two of the battens
together for tightening and securing the battens to the trunk, substantially as shewn
and described.
4. A trunk securing guard attachment, consisting of battens connected together
to extend over a trunk, with elastic cushions upon their inner surface to bear against
the trunk, and blocks and tackles connecting two of the battens together for
tightening and securing the battens to the trunk, substantially as shewn and
described.
5. A trunk securing guard attachment, consisting of folding battens connected
together to extend over a trunk and blocks and tackles connecting two of the battens
together for tightening and securing the battens to the trunk, substantially as shewn
and described.

page_text: 6. A trunk securing guard attachment, consisting of folding battens hinged together
to extend over a trunk and connected together by a hinged folding bar, and blocks
and tackles connecting two of the battens together for securing and tightening the
battens and their folding connecting bar to the trunk, substantially as shewn and
described.
7. A trunk securing guard attachment consisting of battens connected together
to extend over a trunk, a bar connecting the battens, and blocks and tackles connecting
the battens and their connecting bar and adapted to tighten and secure the battens
and connecting bar to the trunk, substantially as shewn and described.
8. In a trunk securing guard attachment, the combination, with battens 1 and 3
hinged to batten
and having loops 6 at their upper end, of a tackle consisting of
a block 10 with horizontal pulleys 11 and 12 a block 7 with horizontal pulleys 8
and 9 and a pawl 14 engaging a ratchet on pulley 9, the blocks 7 and 10 being
connected by a strap 71 extending over one of the loops 6 and the bracket 10 having
a hook 10 engaging the other loop 6 with a rope 17 connected to block 7 and
passing over pulleys 11, 8, 12, and 9, substantially as described.
9. In a trunk securing guard attachment, battens connected together with elastic
cushions on their inner surface and means for securing the battens to a trunk,
substantially as shewn and described.
10. A trunk securing guard attachment, consisting of folding battens hinged
together to extend over a trunk, a bar connecting the battens together, and blocks
and tackles connecting two of the battens together for securing and tightening the
battens and their connecting bar on a trunk, substantially as specified.
11. In a trunk securing guard attachment, a block and tackle consisting of a pair
of blocks having pulleys and a tackle connecting the blocks and passing over the
pulleys, one of the pulleys having a ratchet engaging a pawl on the block, the pawl
having a projection which bears against the tackle and prevents the point of the pawl
from slipping past the teeth of the ratchet, substantially as described.
12. In a trunk securing guard attachment, a block containing pulleys at one end
and longitudinally slotted at its other end, a keeper secured to the block transversely
of the slot therein, and a triangular tongue adapted for longitudinal and lateral play
in said keeper, substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 10th day of December 1889.
J. WARE.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.