IMPROVEMENTS. IN PORT-; MANTEAUS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Murray, of Whitehall Place, in the County.
of Middlesex,. Solicitor, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS. IN PORT-;
MANTEAUS."
Sealed the 30th December 1862, and dated the 2nd July 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Murray at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
July 1862.
I, JOHN MURRAY, of Whitehall Place, in the County of Middlesex, Solicitor,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PORTMANTEAUS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in portmanteaus and other like travelling cases consist in
fitting and applying the inner hinge flaps that enclose the compartments or
divisions of the portmanteau with the hinges or jointed parts at or near the
side adjoining the lock or fastening of the portmanteau, instead of being near
the line of its hinges, as usual. By this arrangement it will be seen the free
edges of these flaps, when closed, fall toward the portmanteau hinge, so that'
the parts of the portmanteau in closing afford leverage whereby to press and
keep the flaps closed on the compartments of the portmanteau, and which flaps
therefore require. no other fixing. This arrangement of the hinged flaps or
partitions is also applicable to dressing and other travelling or portable
cases.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Murray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd
January 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MURRAY, of Whitehall Place, in the County of Middlesex, Solicitor, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Murray Her special licence that I, the said John
Murray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Murray, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PORTMANTEAUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Murray, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next' and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Murray, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
.
My improvements in portmanteaus and other like travelling cases consist in
fitting and applying the inner hinged flaps that enclose the compartments or
divisions of the portmanteau with the hinges or jointed parts at or near the
side adjoining the lock or the fastening of the portmanteau, instead of being
near the line of its hinges, as usual. By this arrangement it will be seen that
the free edges of the flaps when closed fall towards the portmanteau binge,
and so that the parts of the portmanteau in closing afford leverage whereby to
press and keep the flaps closed on the compartments of the portmanteau, which
they enclose, and which flaps require no other fastening. This arrangement

page_text: of the hinged flaps or partitions are also applicable to dressing and other
travelling or portmanteau cases.
The annexed Drawing represents a portmanteau or travelling case con-
structed and fitted according to my Invention. It is represented as opened
out to the fullest extent, that is to say, with the flaps aforesaid opened so as to
disclose the interior compartments of the portmanteau or case a, a; b, b, are
the compartments and body or outer case of the portmanteau, which is made
of leather or other material, and formed on a suitable frame, as usual, and of
a capacity and arrangement of interior according to the purpose for which it is
desired, that is to say, it may be divided into numerous compartments, and
fitted with any articles that may be necessary, as well understood in the
manufacture of travelling cases. The two parts of the body a, a, and b, b, are
hinged together in the line c, d, and close, face to face, as usual. The flaps e, e,
and f, f, instead of being hinged at or near the line of hinges c, d, are hinged.
and jointed throughout the lines g, h, g, h, and so that the free edges i, ¹, of
the flaps e and when closed on the compartments a and b meet at the line c, d.
The flaps being so disposed, the portmanteau when being shut nips the free
edges i, i, of the flaps in the angle formed by bringing the halves of the
portmanteau together, and therefore presses and keeps those flaps upon
the contents of the compartments of the portmanteau. The locking or
fastening of the portmanteau, which is effected precisely as usual, keeps the
flaps e, e, and f, f, securely in position until the portmanteau is again opened,
and which, therefore, require no other fastening. The flaps e and f may be
fitted with pockets k and other fittings in the usual manner.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is the jointing and applying the
hinged flaps or partitions of portmanteaus as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Murray, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this First day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN MURRAY. (L.S.)