IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR LEATHER AND OTHER BAGS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Appleton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th February 1880.
CHARLES APPLETON, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Solicitor
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR LEATHER AND OTHER BAGS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in fastenings for leather and
other bags.
For the purpose of fastening a bag and keeping it closed I make use of the rings
or loops to which the handle is attached. I arrange locking projections in connec-
tion with these rings or loops, so that when the rings or loops are raised (as they
necessarily are whilst the bag is carried by the handle) the two sides of the mouth
of the bag are clipped or held together. The handle ring or loop is mounted on a
plate or fitting which is rivetted to the frame of the bag on one side of the mouth,
as is usual. This ring or loop may consist of two side pieces connected by studs or
rivets passing across from side to side; it is jointed to a plate or fitting in any
convenient manner. The ring or loop has upon it a projection or projections (by
preference two), which, when the ring or loop is upright, project downwards, and
embrace between them the top or closed mouth of the bag, and so hold it securely,
and if the bag is heavily loaded they relieve the bag frame from strain. Sometimes
in place of employing two projections on each handle ring or loop I employ but
one central projection, which, when the ring or loop is upright, passes downwards
through slots formed to receive it in the two sides or cheeks of the bag frame. I
apply a spring within the handle, and this, when the bag is put down, tends to
straighten itself; thus when permitted to do so it throws the handle rings or loops
outwards, and lays them down in position such that the projections are raised so as
to permit the bag to open freely. In order however to prevent the bag opening
before it is required to do so I apply spring catches or bolts, which retain the rings
or loops until they are withdrawn. By this arrangement it will be seen that the
bag being closed it necessarily becomes securely fastened when simply lifted by the
handle, and it remains so fastened so long as the handle loops or rings are retained
in an upright position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Appleton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
August 1880.
CHARLES APPLETON, of Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Solicitor.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR LEATHER AND OTIIER BAGS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in fastenings for leather and
other bags.
For this purpose I make use of the rings or connections by which the handle is
attached to the bag. I form them with projections, which, when the rings or
connections are raised (as they are when the bag is carried by its handle), turn
down so as to clip or otherwise hold together the two sides of the mouth of
the bag.
A simple and useful fastening made in accordance with my Invention is
represented by the Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Figure 1 is a side elevation of one of
the rings or connections for attaching the handle to the bag; Figure 2 is an end
elevation of the same; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the upper part of a bag with
the fastenings applied to it and with the handle attached. In this Figure the bag
is shown closed and fastened as it is when hanging by the handle. Figuro 4 is a
similar view, but showing the rings or connections lying in a position which admits
of the bag being opened; Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 1, 1,
in Figure 3. In Figure 5 a and b are two angle frames by which as is usual the
mouth of the bag is stiffened; to the outer one of these the base a of each handle
ring or connection is rivetted or fixed. The handle ring or connection, which is
marked d, consists of a piece or pieces of metal constructed as shewn upon the plan
or in any other convenient form, and a rivet or piece of metal e which serves as an
axis. The axis connects the two sides of the piece d, and also passes through the
basc c which is between them. When the parts are in the position in which they
are represented in Figure 3, the ends d', d, of the rings or connections & cmbrace
the mouth of the bag and keep it closed, taking any strain which may come upon
the frames a and b, tending to separate them, but when the parts aro in the position
represented in Figure 4 the projections d¹ present no obstacle to the opening of the
bag.
Sometimes I also according to my Invention apply in connection with these
fastenings a spring handle. The spring handle straightens itself when left free to
do so, and só automatically throws the handle rings or connections by which the
handle is attached to the bag into a position which admits of the bag opening.
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the upper part of a bag provided with fastenings,
such as already described, and a self straightening spring handle; the handle and
one of the handle rings or connections are shown partly in section to admit of the
spring within the handle being clearly seen. The handle consists of a steel band f,
enclosed within a leather covering f¹. The parts are shown in this Figure in the
positions they occupy when the handle is held in the hand, and the bag is supported
by it, and as will be seen the bag is fastened. Figure 7 is a view similar to
Figure 6, but with the parts in the position they occupy when the handle is free;
it will be observed that the handle has straightened by the action of the spring
within it, and so it has thrown the handle rings or connections into such positions
that the bag is unfastened and ready to open. The spring handle may in some
cases be made of an india rubber material.
In some cases links may be interposed between the handle connections and the
handle, as is seen in Figure 8; the handle in this case is stiff.
I also, according to my Invention, in some cases apply spring catches or bolts in
connection with the handle rings or connections in such manner as to retain the
said rings or connections, so that when the bag is set down it does not open but
remains securely fastened until the bolts or catches are released.

page_text: Figure 9 is a side elevation of a handle ring or connection with locking projections,
and also provided with a spring catch which, until released, retains the projections
in position to prevent the opening of the bag; Figure 10 is a plan. The base is in
this caso made in two parts c¹ and c"; the lower part c¹ is shown separately by the
Figures 11, and the upper part e by the Figures 12. They are held together by
screws or rivets which also serve to connect the base to the bag. The axis connecting
the side pieces d, d, is held between the parts c¹ and c which form a bearing in
which it can turn. The axis is tubular, and contains a plug d", and a stud projects
from the side of the plug through a slotted hole in the axis, as is clearly shown by
the section Figure 13. The hollow axis also contains a coiled spring dx, which
presses the plug outwards as far as the length of the slot will admit. The lower
part of the base c' has a recess at cx, into which the stud projecting from the
plug d enters, and the axis is then held immoveable in the base piece; but when
by pressure with the finger on the plug d the stud is displaced from this recess,
and brought into the groove cut at cxx in the piece c', then the axis can turn freely
and the bag can be opened. Other plans may be resorted to for locking the
handle rings or projections, but I have found no other so convenient as that above
described.
Sometimes I employ locking projections and spring catches to retain them in
combination with a spring handle which tends not to straighten itself but to curve
itself and draw inwards the handle rings or connections to which its ends are
attached. Such an arrangement is illustrated by the Figure 14. The black lines in
this Figure indicate the position of the parts when the bag is fastened. The dotted
lines indicate the position when the projections are turned up to admit of the bag
being opened. It is in this position, viz., that indicated by the dotted lines, that
the spring catches retain the locking projections. When by pressure on the studs
the catches are released the spring handle causes the parts to return to the position.
indicated by tho full lines, and the bag is then fastened.
I would remark that in no case is it requisite to provide locking projections
on both sides of the handle rings or connections except for the sake of symmetry of
appearance.
It is not essential that the locking projection should be on the exterior, it may
be fixed on the axis c, near the middle, and to fasten the bag the projection will
turn down through slots cut for it in the angle frames a and b or into suitable pre-
parations attached to one of the fraunes of the bag, ie., to the part of the frame
which opens.
Figuro 15 is a longitudinal section showing such an arrangement; Figure 15× is
a plan; and Figure 16 is a transverse section.
This plan is similar to that just previously described, and the parts being lettered.
to correspond with the foregoing description further detailed explanation is
unnecessary. This form, as will be seen, is applied to bags which are square at
the top.
I sometimes so arrange the retaining catches that they can be locked in such
manner that a key is required to release them. The Figures 17 show such an
arrangement.
The block A on being pushed forward by the key B so as to clear the parts
standing up can be partly turned, and in that position prevents the thumb piece C
from being pushed inwards.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,
First. My improvements in fastenings for leather and other bags consisting in
applying locking projections upon the handle rings or connections, substantially as
described.
Second. My improvement in fastenings for leather and other bags consisting in
the application of a spring handle in combination with handle rings or connections
having locking projections, substantially as described.
Third. My improvement in fastenings for leather and other bags consisting in

page_text: the application of retaining catches or bolts in combination with handle rings or
connections having locking projections, substantially as described.
Fourth. My improvements in fastenings for leather and other bags, substantially
as herein described and represented by the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Appleton, have hereunto set my hand 5
and seal, this Thirty first day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
CHARLES APPLETON. (LS.)