IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG FRAMES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Groves, of No. 4, Herne's Hill Terrace, Penton-
ville, London, Bag Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG
FRAMES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Groves at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th June 1877.
WILLIAM GROVES, of No. 4, Herne's Hill Terrace, Pentonville, London, Bag
Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG FRAMES."
The two parts or halves of bag frames are ordinarily connected together by hinge
joints situated at the end or bottom of the vertical sides of the half frames, that
is, a knuckle is made at the bottom of the vertical side of each half frame, and a
wire or joint pin is passed through the adjacent knuckles, and rivetted.
My Invention consists in connecting the two parts or halves of the bag frame
together by means of springs, in place of hinged joints, whereby a neater and
firmer connection is made between the parts, and the bag to which the frame is
applied is self-opening, that is, immediately the frame is unfastened the bag springs
open to its full extent.
:
I effect the connection of the two parts or halves of the bag frame in the following
manner I take strips of steel or other elastic metal, and bend them into
springs having the general figure of the letter U, the free ends of the said U shaped
springs constituting flat connecting pieces, which are respectively rivetted to
the bottom ends of the opposed vertical sides of the halves of the bag frame. The
two parts or halves of the bag frame are thus connected together at each end by a
spring, the said springs permitting the said halves of the frame to close upon or
open from one another in the same manner as if they were hinged together.
When the halves of the frame are closed upon one another the springs are com-
pressed, the two sides of the U springs approaching one another; and when the
halves of the bag frame are unfastened, the two sides of the springs open out or
separate, and thereby open the bag to its full extent.

page_text: I prefer to use with the spring connected halves of the bag frame a spring
sliding bolt or snap fastening for holding the bag frame in its closed position, so
that when the said bolt or fastening is released the bag springs open to its full
extent, as before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Groves in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th
December 1877.
WILLIAM GROVES, of No. 4, Herne's Hill Terrace, Pentonville, London, Bag
Maker. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BAG FRAMES."
The two parts or halves of bag frames are ordinarily connected together by hinge
joints situated at the end or bottom of the vertical sides of the half frames, that is,
aknuckle is made at the bottom of the vertical side of each half frame, and a wire,
or joint pin is passed through the adjacent knuckles, and rivetted.
My Invention consists in connecting the two parts or halves of the bag.frame
together by means of springs, in place of hinged joints, whereby a neater and firmer
connection is made between the parts, and the bag to which the frame is applied is
made self-opening, that is, immediately the frame is unfastened the bag springs
open to its full extent.
I effect the connection of the two parts or halves of the bag frame in the following
manner I take strips of steel or other elastic metal, and bend them into springs
having the general figure of the letter U, the free ends of the said' U shaped springs
constituting flat connecting picces, which are. respectively rivetted to the bottom
ends of the opposed vertical sides of the halves of the bag frame. The two parts
or halves of the bag frame are thus connected together at each end by a spring,
the said springs permitting the said halves of the frame to close upon or open
from one another in the same manner as if they were hinged together.
When the halves of the frame are closed upon one another the springs are com-
pressed, the two sides of the U springs approaching one another; and when the
halves of the bag frame are unfastened, the two sides of the spring open out or
separate, and thereby open the bag to its full extent.
I prefer to use with the spring connected halves of the bag frame a spring sliding
bolt or snap fastening for holding the bag frame in its closed position, so that when
the said bolt or fastening is released the bag springs open to its full extent, as before
described.
Figures 1 and 2, of the accompanying Drawing represent in perspective a bag to
which a bag frame constructed according to my Invention is applied, Figure 1
representing the bag closed; and Figure 2, the same open. Portions of the leather
or material of. the bag are omitted for the purpose of exhibiting the parts consti-
tuting my Invention.
In the said Figures 1 and 2, a, b, are the two parts or halves of the bag frame,
the ends of the opposed vertical side of each of the said parts of the frame being
connected together by the Ushaped steel or metallic springs c, c. These springs
c, c, are connected to the parts a, b, of the bag frame by rivets at d; d;. but I do
not limit myself to connecting the springs by rivets. The holes in the ends of the
springs c, c, through which the rivets are passed, may be slightly elliptical, as repre-
> .

page_text: sented in the Drawing, so as to permit of a slight play of the springs upon the
stems of the rivets, when the bag is opened or closed. When the spring connected
halves a, b, of the bag frame, Figures 1 and 2, are closed upon one another, as repre-
sented in Figure 1, the springs c, c, are compressed, the sides of the said springs
approaching one another; and when the bag is unfastened, the sides of the said
springs open out or separate, as represented in Figure 2, and thereby open the bag
to its full extent.
The bag frame may be fastened by the spring snap fastening at e, or a lock or
other fastening may be employed.
Instead of connecting the halves or parts of the bag frame together by springs,
as represented in Figures 1 and 2, the said halves or parts of the frame may be
connected together by hinge joints as usual, and the U shaped springs, before
described, may be used in combination therewith for the purpose of opening the
bag when the bag frame is unfastened.
Figure 3 represents in perspective a bag frame constructed according to this
modification of my Invention. In this modification the two halves or parts a, b, of
the bag frame are jointed together by the hinge joints at f, f, as usual, and around
the hinged ends and sides of the bag frame U shaped springs g, g, are situated, the
ends of the said springs being formed into hooks h, k, which are hooked upon
staples i, i, the latter being rivetted to the sides of the bag.frame, as represented in
the Drawing.
When a bag frame of the kind represented in Figure 3 is employed the sides of
the said bag frame separate when the bag is unfastened, and open the bag to its
full extent in the same manner as when the spring connected halves of the bag
frame, Figures 1 and 2, are used.
The springs c, c, of the bag frame, Figures 1 and 2, may be connected to the
halves of the bag frame by hooks and staples, as described with respect to the
hinged frame, Figure 3, and the springs g, g, of the hinged frame may be connected
to the said frame by rivetting instead of by hooking them to staples.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same may be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention,
the improvements in bag frames, herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing, that is to say, connecting the two parts or halves of the
bag frame together by means of springs, or combining springs with the ordinary
jointed ends of the bag frame, whereby the bag to which the frame is applied is
made self-opening on the unfastening of the said bag, substantially as described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Groves, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
WILLIAM GROVES. (L.S.)