IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND HAND BAGS, PORTMANTEAUS, TRUNKS, BOXES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Boultbee Brooks, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS
FOR TRAVELLING AND HAND BAGS, PORTMANTEAUS, TRUNKS, BOXES, AND OTHER
LIKE ARTICLES."
Sealed the 2nd September 1879, and dated the 22nd March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Boultbee Brooks at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd March 1879.
८८
JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer. IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND HAND BAGS,
PORTMANTEAUS, TRUNKS, BOXES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
My Invention consists of the arrangements of the parts of the said fastenings
hereinafter described, whereby the articles to which my Invention is applied are
readily and securely fastened."
I will describe my Invention in connection with a travelling or hand bag having
a hinged frame.
To that side of the frame carrying the ordinary lock and on each side of the lock
I fix a series of loops or guides, in which guides two bolts work, one on each side
of the lock. These bolts are parallel with and near to the frame. The upper edge
of the inner end of each bolt, or that end which is near the lock case, is inclined, so
that when the bolt is moved from the lock case the inclined edge of the said bolt
bearing against the top of the guide in which it works causes that end of the bolt
to descend.
.
When the bag is closed and the bolt moved in the manner described its outer end
or end most distant from the lock engages in a loop or staple on the other side of
the hinged frame, and bolts the two parts of the frame together.
The bolt is retained in its shot position and liberated for withdrawal in the
following manner:-In the lock is a bar parallel with the top of the lock case;
the ends of this bar protrude through the sides of the lock case. A stem fixed to
the middle of this bar at right angles passes through the top of the lock case and
through the frame, and terminates in a knob or thumb plate. A spring presses the
bar described upwards. When the said bar is depressed by pressing on its thumb-
[Price 8d.1

page_text: plate the bolts can be drawn inwards so as to disengage them from the staples on
the other part of the frame.
The inner ends of the bolts then slide above the protruding ends of the bar, and
prevent the said bar from being raised by its spring. When the bolts are depressed
outwards by means of thumb plates carried by them the inclines on their inner
ends cause the said ends to descend and depress the bar described. When the bolts
approach their fully shot position their ends escape from the ends of the said bar,
which springs into its highest position, in which position its ends are opposite the
ends of the bolt, and prevent the withdrawing motion of the bolt. In order to
permit of the withdrawal of the bolts the thumb plate of the bar is pressed upon,
the bar is thereby lowered from opposite the ends of the bolts, and the bolts may
be withdrawn. When the bolt of the lock is shot the bar is prevented from
descending, and the frame is locked at three points, in the middle by the ordinary
lock, and near the corners of the frame by the bolts described.
The bolts may be shot and the bag fastened without locking the ordinary lock.
In this case the bag can be unfastened by first pressing upon the thumb plate of
the bar, and afterwards on the thumb plates of the bolts.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters raten meu by
the said John Boultbee Brooks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
September 1879.
JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR TRAVELLING AND HAND BAGS,
PORTMANTEAUS, TRUNKS, BOXES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."
My Invention consists of the arrangements of the parts of the said fastenings
herein after described, whereby the articles to which my Invention is applied are
readily and securely fastened.
I will describe my Invention in connection with a travelling or hand bag or
portmanteau having a hinged frame.
To that side of the frame carrying the ordinary lock and on each side of the lock
I fix a series of loops or guides, in which guides two bolts work, one on each side
of the lock. These bolts are parallel with and near the frame. The upper edge of
the inner end of each bolt, or that end which is near the lock case, is inclined, so
that when the bolt is moved from the lock case the inclined edge of the said bolt
bearing against the top of the guide in which it works causes that end of the bolt
to descend. When the bag is closed and the bolt moved in the manner described
its outer end or end most distant from the lock engages in a loop or staple on the
other side of the hinged frame, and bolts the two parts of the frame together.
The bolt is retained in its shot position and liberated for withdrawal in the
following manner-In the lock is a bar parallel with the top of the lock case;
the ends of this bar protrude through the sides of the lock case. A stem fixed to
the middle of this bar at right angles passes through the top of the lock case and
through the frame, and terminates in a knob or thumb plate. A spring presses the
bar described upwards. When the said bar is depressed, by pressing on its thumb
plate the bolts can be drawn inwards so as to disengage them from the staples on
the other part of the frame. The inner ends of the bolts then slide above the pro-
truding ends of the bar, and prevent the said bar from being raised by its spring
until the bolts have been fully withdrawn. When the bolts are pressed outwards
by means of thumb plates carried by them the inclines on their inner ends cause
the said ends to descend and depress the bar described. When the bolts approach
their fully shot position their ends escape from the ends of the said bar, which
springs into its highest position, in which position its ends are opposite the ends of
the bolts, and prevent the withdrawing motion of the bolts. In order to permit of
the withdrawal of the bolts the thumb plate of the bar is pressed upon, the bar is
thereby lowered from opposite the ends of the bolts, and the bolts may be with-
drawn. When the bolt of the lock is shot the bar is prevented from descending,
and the frame is locked at three points, in the middle by the ordinary lock, and
near the corners of the frame by the bolts described. The bolts may be shot and
the bag fastened without locking the ordinary lock. In this case the bag can be
unfastened by first pressing upon the thumb plate of the bar, and afterwards sliding
the thumb plates of the bolts.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation and Figure 2 in vertical section a portion of a
travelling bag or portmanteau, to which a fastening constructed according to my
Invention is applied, Figure 1 representing the bag unfastened, and Figure 2 the
same fastened; Figure 3 represents the same view of the frame of the bag as that
represented in Figure 1, with the parts shown in section, and Figure 4 represents
the same view of the frame of the bag as that represented in Figure 2, with the
lock parts shown in section and the bolt parts in elevation; Figure 5 represents a
plan of the frame of the bag unlocked,

page_text: Figure 6 represents an end elevation and Figure 7 a cross section of the lock
detached; Figure 8 represents a plan of underside; and Figure 9 a cross section of
one of the thumb plates by which the sliding bolts are worked.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 1 to 9 of the
Drawings.
a, b, are the two parts or sides of the jointed frame of the bag, the part or side a
carrying the lock and bolting mechanisms, and the part or side b the lock staples c, c,
and the bolt staples c², c². To the side or part a of the frame carrying the lock e,
and on each side of the said lock, I fix a series of loops or guides marked d, d, d², in
which two bolts f, f, work, one on each side of the lock; these bolts f. f, are parallel
with and near to the frame a. The loops d, d², on the side a are of a size proper
to receive the expanded parts ƒ ƒ², of the bolts f, f, while the other loops d, d, are
of a size proper to receive the narrow shanks of the said bolts. When the bag is
closed the staples c², c², on the ends of the part 6 of the bag frame enter between
the pairs of loops d, d, on the other side a of the bag frame, and the bolts f, f, may
by a sliding motion be passed through the said end staples c², c. The bolts f, ƒ,
are worked by the thumb plates g, g, the construction of which is herein after
described. The upper edge of the expanded or enlarged parts f³, f2, near the inner
ends of the bolts ff, is rounded or inclined at f³, so that when each of the bolts f
is moved from the lock case e the said rounded or inclined part at f3 bearing
against the top of the guide in which it works causes that end of the bolt to
descend into the position represented in Figures 2 and 4. When the bag is closed
and the bolt has been moved into the position represented in Figures 2 and 4; its
outer end or end most distant from the lock e engages in the end loop or staple c²
on the side b of the bag frame and bolts the two parts of the said frame together.
Each of the said bolts f, f, engages in a like manner with its respective end loop or
staple c² as seen in the Drawings.
The bolt is retained in its shot position and liberated for withdrawal in the
following manner :-
In the lock e is a bar h parallel with the top of the lock case; the ends of this
bar protrude through openings in the ends of the lock case (see Figure 4). The
said bar h is furnished with bevilled catches i, i, with which when the bag is closed
the staples c, c, engage to lock the bag. A stem k fixed to the middle of the bar h
works in a tubular guide on the lock case e, and may terminate in a knob or
thumb plate; coiled springs m under the said bar h press the latter upwards when
at liberty to move. The stem is hollow for receiving the key of the lock, the said
key when turned shooting the bolt n into such a position that the bar h cannot be
pressed down to release the fastening. The said bolt n is of the ordinary kind, and
constitutes no part of my Invention. When the bar h is depressed by pressure
on the stem or thumb plate k, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4, the shot
bolts (see Figures 2 and 4) can be drawn inwards, so as to disengage their
outer ends from the end staples c², c², on the part b of the bag frame, the inner
ends f,, of the bolts f, f, when withdrawn sliding into the lock case e, and passing
above the protruding ends of the spring bar h, and preventing the said bar from
being raised by its springs m, m, until the bolts have been fully withdrawn as seen
in Figure 3.
When the bolts f, f, are pressed outwards by acting upon their thumb plates g, g,
the inclined or rounded parts f³, 3, of the inner ends of the said bolts bearing
against the loops d², d², cause the said ends to descend and depress the bar h. When
the bolts f, f, approach their fully shot position their inner ends f, f³, escape from
the ends of the said bar h, which springs into its highest position as represented in
Figure 4, in which position its ends are opposite the inner ends f, J, of the bolts f, f,
and prevent the withdrawing motion of the said bolts. In order to permit of the
withdrawal of the bolts f, f, the stem k of the bar h is pressed upon, and the bar
lowered as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4, so as to remove its ends from
opposite the inner ends of the bolts f, f, and the said bolts may now be withdrawn
to unfasten the bag. The depression of the bar h to release the bolts f, f, at the

page_text: same time removes the bevilled catches i, i, from the staples c, c, and releases the
lock.
After the frame of the bag has been closed, and the several parts made to occupy
the respective positions represented in Figures 2 and 4, the bolt n of the lock is
shot by introducing the key down the hollow stem k; the bar h is thereby prevented
from descending, and the frame of the bag is locked at three points, namely, in the
middle by the lock at e, and near the corners of the frame by the bolts f. f. The
bolts ff, may be shot, and the bag fastened without locking the lock at e. In this
case the bag can be unfastened by first pressing upon the stem or thumb plate k of
the bar h, and afterwards sliding the thumb plates g, g, of the bolts f, f, towards the
lock.
The thumb plates g, g, of the sliding bolts are constructed and connected to the
bolts in the following manner :-To the top of the frame a of the bag a base plate p
for each thumb plate is screwed, the said base plate having the same size and con-
figuration in plan as the thumb plate, and upon this base plate p the thumb plate g
moves tightly by the friction of the bow springs r, r, carried by the said thumb
plate bearing against the underside of the base plate, as best seen in Figures 8 and 9.
The bolt fis affixed to its thumb plate g by means of a screw 8 passed through an
eye t on the bolt taking into the screwed end of the stem g² on the underside of the
said thumb plate g, as best seen in Figure 3; or instead of fixing the thumb plate
to the bolt by a screw, the bolt may be provided with a rod u (see Figures 1 and 2)
solid to the said bolt, which rod u works in the tubular stem g² on the underside
of the thumb plate g.
Figures 10, 11, and 12, represent a modification of my Invention, Figure 10
representing in longitudinal section the bag fastened, and Figure 11 the same
unfastened; Figure 12 represents a plan of the frame opened.
In this arrangement the fastening of the bag is effected by moving the sliding
bolts ff, in a direction contrary to that described with respect to the bolts f, f, in
the arrangement, Figures 1 to 9, that is to say, in this arrangement the bolts are
moved towards the middle of the bag frame for fastening it instead of outwards
or towards the ends of the said frame.
b
In this arrangement the part or side 6 of the bag frame is furnished near each
end with an open loop 62, which loops, when the part 6 of the frame is closed upon
the other part a, come in front of or in a line with the stems x, x, on the sliding
bolts ff, (as seen in Figure 11), so that when the bolts f, f, are moved by the
thumb plates g, g, towards the middle of the bag, the said stems x, x, enter or
engage with the said open loops 6%, 6%, and fasten the two parts a, b, of the bag
frame together, as seen in Figure 10. The inner ends of the sliding bolts f, f, are
hooked at fo, fo, and the ends of the spring sliding bar h working in [the case e
are also hooked at h³, h. The sliding bar h is pressed upwards by the springs m, m,
and the middle staples c, c, on the side b of the bag frame engage with the said bar
as herein before described. When the bolts f, f, are moved inwards or towards
the middle of the bag frame after the part 6 has been closed upon the part a, the
stems x, x, enter the open loops 62, 62, and the hooked ends f³, fs, of the bolts f, f.
acting upon the hooked ends h², h2, of the spring bar h depress the said bar and
compress its coiled springs m, m; and on the bolts f. f, reaching their fully shot
positions, the hooked ends h2, h3, of the bar h snap by the action of its springs upon
the hooked ends f³, f5, of the said bolts f, f, and the said bolts are locked in their
fastening positions as seen in Figure 10. The bag frame is thereby fastened at
its middle and at its ends. In order to unfasten the bag it is necessary to press
down the spring bar h by its stem k until the hooked ends h², h2, of the said bar
are unhooked from the ends f³, f³, of the bolts f, f, when the latter are released,
and may be moved by their thumb plates g, g, towards the ends of the bag, so as
to unfasten the said bag as illustrated in Figure 11.
The lock mechanism acted upon by a key described in connection with the
arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 9 for preventing the descent of the sliding bar h,
may be applied to the fastening mechanism represented in Figures 10, 11, and 12.

page_text: Although I have only described my Invention as applied to a bag or portmanteau
having a hinged frame, yet my said Invention may also be applied to the fastening
and unfastening of trunks, boxes, and other like articles.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention,-
But I claim as my Invention, the improvements in fastenings for travelling and
hand bags, portmanteaus, trunks, boxes, and other like articles herein before
described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 9, both inclusive, of the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say, the combination with the spring bar h of the lock of the
bag or other article of the side sliding bolts, each marked f, f, f³, f, the said side
bolts being retained in their shot position and liberated for withdrawal, and the
several parts constructed and arranged, and operating substantially as described
and illustrated; also the modification herein before described and illustrated in
Figures 10, 11, and 12, of the accompanying Drawings, in which the ends of the
spring bar h are hooked, and the inner ends of the sliding bolts f, f, are also hooked
for engaging with the hooked ends of the said spring bar, the said sliding bolts
being engaged with and disengaged from the spring bar, and made to fasten the
bag or article by entering open loops, substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Boultbee Brooks, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
JOHN BOULTBEE BROOKS. (L.S.)