A NEW OR IMPROVED SPRING HASP OR CLIP FOR SECURING THE LIDS OF TRUNKS, BOXES, AND THE LIKE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Mohr of Birmingham in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for an Invention of A NEW OR IMPROVED SPRING
HASP OR CLIP FOR SECURING THE LIDS OF TRUNKS, BOXES, AND THE LIKE,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Mohr at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st February 1883.
CHARLES MOHR of Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
'A NEW OR IMPROVED SPRING HASP OR CLIP FOR SECURING THE LIDS OF TRUNKS,
BOXES, AND THE LIKE,'
The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient hasp or clip to
secure the lids of trunks, boxes, and the like in their places.
My present invention consists of a hasp or clip made of sheet or cast metal,
formed in two parts jointed together so as to form a hinge; one part, hereinafter
called part No 1, is that portion of a hasp usually fixed, and the other, hereinafter
called part No 2, is the moveable portion which usually falls over a fixed staple.
Part No 1 has a central recessed projection outwards, large enough to receive a
small flat steel spring, rivetted or otherwise secured to and within such projection,
so that the loose end of the said spring shall be nearest to the joint of the hasp.
A slot is formed in the said projection leaving suitable side links as bearings for
the joint to be made with a projecting link formed on N° 2 to fit between such
bearings. The said link on N° 2 is suitably shaped so as to fit truly in the said
slot in N° 1; it also has a shoulder suitably formed on its underside to receive
the loose end of the said spring, thereby forming a firm stay to the action of the
joint on shutting the hasp. The end of the projection or link of N° 2 is squared
off or nearly so, and the pin, which passes through the links forming the joint, is
so placed as, together to give the joint an action similar to that of a cam.
In lifting up the moveable part, N° 2, its outer end will move slightly over a
quarter of a circle, and stand nearly at right-angles to the fixed or N° 1 part, thus

page_text: forming a convenient handle or projection for lifting up the lid of a trunk, box,
and the like.
The moveable part, N° 2, can have a slot or hole formed through it in a suitable
place, so that it will fall over a staple or holed pin for receiving a padlock.
The said moveable part, N° 2, can also be used without either slot or hole
therein; by being formed to fit over a moulding or other projection made on or
affixed to the outer upper part of the trunk or box. By simply closing the said
moveable part over such suitable projection, the hasp or clip forms a sufficient
fastening to a trunk or box, for ordinary purposes.
The said hasp or clip can also be used in addition to the ordinary lock, usually 1
fixed on trunks and boxes, to prevent their lids straining.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Mohr in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th July
1883.
CHARLES MOHR of Birmingham in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
A NEW OR IMPROVED SPRING HASP OR CLIP FOR SECURING THE LIDS OF TRUNKS,,
BOXES, AND THE LIKE'
The object of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient hasp or clip to
secure the lids of trunks, boxes, and the like, in their places.
In order that my said invention may be more fully understood, and be more
readily performed, I will explain the same with the aid of the accompanying
drawing, which forms part of this specification, reference being made thereto by
the numerals and letters marked thereon. Each reference letter applies to the
same part in the several figures of the said drawing.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a trunk with my improved hasp on one end
thereof.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of my said hasp
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same.
Fig. 4 is a side view thereof, showing the hasp closed.
Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the hasp opened.
Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the hasp, on the line A B fig. 2, showing the position
of the spring thereof,
Fig. 7 shows a front view of the said spring.
This invention consists of a hasp or clip, made of sheet or cast metal, formed in
two parts a and b, jointed or pivotted together at c, thus forming a hinge; one
part a is that portion of a hinge usually fixed; and the other part 6 is the
moveable portion thereof, which is so formed at the end b' as to fall over a staple
or into a fixed lock; in this illustration, the end 61 of the part b falls over and
clips the projecting moulding d of the body of the trunk. The part a has a
recessed projection outwards e; within this recess is fitted the flat steel spring f,
one end of which is fixed to the projection e of the part a, by the pin or rivet g, fig. 6;
so that the other or loose end of such spring is nearest to the joint or pivot c of the
hasp, see fig. 6. A slot at el is formed in the said projection, leaving suitable side
links or bearings, as shown in figs. 2 and 3, for the joint at c to be made with the
projecting link be formed on or fitted to the part b, and is suitably shaped to fit
truly in the said slot at e¹. This link 62 has a shoulder at h suitably formed on its
underside to receive or fit against the loose end of the said spring f, thereby
forming a firm stay to the action of the joint on shutting the lasp. The end of
the said projection is squared off, or nearly so; and the pin or pivot c, which forms
the joint as shown, is so placed as, together with the said squared off end to give
the joint an action similar to that of a cam.
In raising the moveable part b, its outer end will describe rather more than a
quarter of a circle and stand nearly at right-angles to the fixed part a, and thus
form a convenient handle or projection for raising the lid of a trunk, box, and the
like-see fig. 5.
By simply closing the said moveable part 6 over the projection d of the trunk,
the hasp or clip will constitute a sufficient fastening to a trunk or box for
ordinary purposes.
My improved hasp or clip can be used in the front of the trunk only; or it can
be used at each end thereof, to prevent the lid and lock thereof from being strained
by over-packing; or it can be used in the front and also on both ends of the same

page_text: trunk or box, as preferred or desired. When the end clips are fastened down, the
strain is taken off the lid, consequently it becomes an easy matter to lock the
front lock, even when the trunk is tightly packed.
Having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and the method of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do not
restrict myself to the precise details or dimensions of the several parts now given
by way of illustration, as they are capable of variation, such as to suit different
sizes of trunks, boxes, and the like, without departing from the main characteristics
of my said invention; but I claim as new and desire to secure, by the aforesaid in
part recited Letters Patent, the simple and efficient spring-hasp or clip for securing
or holding down the lids of trunks, boxes, and the like, substantially as herein
described and shown in the drawing.
I
In. witness whereof I, the said Charles Mohr, have hereunto .set my hand and
seal this twenty-sixth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight-
hundred and eighty-three.