Improvements in School Bags, Military Haversacks or Knapsacks, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in School Bags, Military Haversacks or Knapsacks,
and the like.
I, JOHN EDWARD EDWARDS, of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario, Canada,
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 :-
being
My invention relates to improvements in school bags, haversacks, knapsacks and
such like articles and the object of the invention is first to provide a simple means
whereby the flap for the school bag may be closed and held so while it
carried without the necessity of using buckles, secondly to provide means whereby
it may in addition be carried as a knapsack, and thirdly to construct the bag or
receptacle in the form of a haversack and provide means for not only closing the
flap of the haversack but also for holding it when rolled or folded and it consists
essentially, first, of securing a cross bar by straps attached to the front of the bag
beneath the closed down position of the flap, the cross bar being held slightly above
the top of the bag so as to close the flap by its straps by means of the carrying
strap of the bag which extends beneath the cross bar, secondly, of securing a loop
near the bottom edge of the back of the bag through which the carrying strap is
passed after having been passed beneath the cross bar, and thirdly in providing
depending loops at the ends of the closing straps, which when the haversack is
folded up are slipped over the ends of the cross bar thereby serving to hold the
haversack in the folded or rolled condition as hereinafter more particularly
explained.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bag designed to be carried in the
ordinary way.
Figure 2 is a view shewing my bag thrown open.
Figure 3 is a view shewing the adaptability of the bag as a knapsack.
Figure 4 shews an alternative way of carrying the bag.
Figure 5 is a cross section through the cross bar.
Figure 6 is a detail of the haversack unfolded.
Figure 7 is a detail of the haversack folded up.
Figure 8 is a cross section shewing the arrangement of the straps.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
A is the body of the bag, B the flap, and C the straps which are stitched at c
below the position which the flap will assume when the bag is closed. The upper
ends of the straps C extend around the cross bar D and are rivetted to the strap
as shewn.
E is the carrying strap which is secured preferably by stitching at e and e¹ at
the back of the bag. When the bag is closed as shewn in Figures 1, and 4, the
carrying strap is inserted between the cross bar and the top of the bag and pulled
tight. The flap B is folded down as shewn in Figures 1 and 4, being held between
the free end of the straps B and the body of the bag by the binding position of
the ends of the straps D as shewn in these figures.
When it is desired to open the bag the carrying strap has to be withdrawn from
its position between the top of the bag and the cross bar D and the flap B thrown
up and the cross bar thrown down into the position shewn in Figure 2.
When it is desired to carry my bag after the manner of a knapsack I provide a
loop which I secure at the bottom of the back of the bag and pass the carrying
strap forward through it, thus forming two large loops through which the arms
may be inserted so as to throw the bag over the shoulders in the manner commonly
understood.

page_text: In Figure 4 I shew the carrying strap passed around the back of the bag in a
peculiar manner. The straps E in this case are attached as shewn in Figure 3 to
the back of the bag and first passed beneath the cross bar D, then over it and
around the back and front of the bag as indicated by dotted and full lines in
Figure 4 where the straps E pass again underneath the cross bar and form a loop
extending above the cross bar by which loop the bag may be carried.
In Figure 5 it will be seen that the cross bar D is made hollow so that pencils
may be inserted therein, one of the ends forming a cap so as to retain the pencils
within the cross bar which thus forms a very convenient holder for pencils.
In Figures 6, 7 and 8 I fasten the closing straps C by rivets c to the face of the
bag beneath the position in which the flap will assume when closed down and
extend the straps forming depending loops C' as shewn. When the bag is folded
up as shewn in Figures 7 and 8 by being turned inwardly from the face, these
depending loops C¹ are slipped over the ends of the cross bar D thereby serving
to securely hold the haversack together when folded. In the case of the haversack,
of course, the belt or carrying strap E would be merely passed beneath the cross
bar and the weight of the bag coming upon the belt and the cross bar would of
course serve to keep the closing strap C taut and the flap closed.
Formerly, in school bags the weight of the bag was carried upon the ends of the
carrying strap but it will be seen from my invention that the cross bar D serves to
distribute the weight between the ends of the carrying strap and the ends of the
closing strap thereby equalizing it and as a consequence making the bag last for a
much longer time.
From this description it will be seen that I provide a very simple and effective
manner of keeping the bag securely closed no matter in which position it may be
carried.
Again in this description I have shewn the depending loops C¹ as forming a
continuation of the closing straps C but it will of course be understood that they
might be separate from it and fastened independently of the bag.
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. In a bag, knapsack or haversack having a suitable flap, a cross bar with strap
connections from the ends of the bar to the front face of the bag below the closed
down position of the flap and a carrying strap having its ends secured to the back
of the bag near the upper edge, the loop formed by the said carrying strap passing
between the bar and the bag and being designed by the tension on the said carrying
strap to hold the strap connections taut as, and for the purpose, specified.
2. In a bag, knapsack or haversack having a suitable flap, a cross bar with strap
connections from the ends of the bar to the front face of the bag below the closed
down position of the flap and a carrying strap having its ends secured to the back
of the bag near the upper edge, the loop formed by the said carrying strap passing
between the bar and the flap and around the bar, the back and front of the bag,
again beneath the bar and above it so as to form a loop as and for the purpose
specified.
3. In a bag having a suitable flap a cross bar with strap connections from the
ends of the bar to the front face of the bag below the closed down position of the
flap, a loop upon the back of the bag near the bottom, and a carrying strap having
its ends secured to the back of the bag near the upper edge, the loop formed by
the said carrying strap passing between the bar and the flap, and having its central
portion loosely held by the loop, substantially as described.
4. In a bag, knapsack or haversack having a suitable flap, a cross bar with strap
connections from the ends of the bar to the front face of the bag below the closed
down position of the flap, depending loops extending from the fastening of the
closing straps and designed to fit over the end of the cross bar when the bag is
folded and a carrying strap having its ends secured to the back of the bag near the

page_text: upper edge, the loop formed by the said carrying strap passing between the bar and
the flap and being designed by the tension on the said carrying strap to hold the
strap connections taut as and for the purpose specified.
Dated the 28th day of September 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.