IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR TRAVELLING BAGS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Leuchars, of No. 38, Piccadilly in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR
TRAVELLING BAGS."
Sealed the 14th January 1857, and dated the 18th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Leuchars at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1856.
I, WILLIAM LEUCHARS, of No. 38, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LOCKS FOR TRAVELLING BAGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in adapting to the cases of Bramah and Chubb
locks certain novel mechanism in connection with the bolt of the lock, as that
said bolt may either be used by hand or operated upon by the key of the lock,
that is to say, the mouth of the bag may be closed without locking, if necessary..
The nature of these improvements will be better understood by reference to
the annexed Sketch, and the following description of the means by which they
may be effected. For example, suppose the hasp of the lock to be inserted
into the spaces at 1, 1, (the bolt A being pulled back by hand for that purpose,)
upon letting go the bolt the spring C will pull the bolt forward, and cause it
to lock or fasten in the hasp. In order to lock the bolt in this position, the
key of the lock is made to lift the bolt B, the upper part thereof taking into
the notch 2 in the bolt A, thereby securely locking the bolt. A reverse move-
ment of the key will draw down the bolt B and disengage it from the bolt A,
which may then be used by hand, as before stated, for keeping the mouth of
the bag closed.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Leuchars in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LEUCIARS, of No. 38, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Leuchars, Her special licence that I, the said William Leuchars, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Leuchars, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN LOCKS FOR TRAVELLING BAGS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Leuchars, 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 William Leuchars, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in adapting to the cases of Bramah and Chubb
locks certain novel mechanism in connection with the bolt of the lock, as
that said bolt may either be used by hand or operated upon by the key of the
lock, that is to say, the mouth of the bag may be closed without locking, if
necessary.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now pro-
ceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being bad to the illustrative Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked thereon
respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of one of my improved locks adapted
for travelling bags, and as it would appear if the front plate of such lock were

page_text: removed, thus exposing to view the arrangement and disposition of the new
parts of the mechanism which I employ in connection with a "Bramah's "
lock, the new parts being distinguished from the other or ordinary parts of the
lock by red color. Figure 2 is a front elevation of the above lock complete,
and as it would appear when ready to be attached to a bag; Figure 3 is a top
plan view of the same. Figure 4 exhibits another of my improved locks adapted
to a "Chubb's" lock, the back plate of, the lock being removed. Figure 5, a
top plan view of the above lock, complete. Figures 6, 7, 8 exhibit three
views of another of my improved locks adapted for travelling bags, portfolios,
dispatch boxes, and such like receptacles. Figure 6 shews my improved
mechanism adapted to a Bramah's lock, and as it would appear if the front
part at Figure 7 were removed. Figure 8 shews a top edge view of the bolt
of the lock. At each of the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of
reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear or
can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
At Figures 1, 2, 3, A is the back plate of the lock, securely fixed to
the front plate B by screws at a, a; C is a plate for connecting the lock to the
material of which the bag is made by the screws b, b; D is the hasp of
the lock, which may be affixed to the bag in the usual way; E is a plate
affixed to the upper part of one side of the metal frame of the bag; said
plate has a hole formed therein, through which passes the part g of the
main bolt G, the top of such said part being surmounted by a knob H, by
which the bolt G can be drawn back by hand, the spring I keeping it
always forced forward. K is the barrel of an ordinary Bramah lock,
operated upon by the key of the lock in a circular direction; is a pin fixed
into the piece K, said pin being employed for lifting up and forcing down the
auxiliary bolt L for locking and unlocking the main bolt G, according as it is
desired, to fasten the mouth of the bag, either temporarily by hand or per-
manently by the key, said operations being effected in the following manner :-
Supposing the several parts of the above lock to be in the position exhibited
at Figure 1, which represents the bolt G as drawn and held back, it will
appear evident that the hasp D, being thus disengaged from the parts a, a,
of the bolt G, allows the mouth of the bag to be opened. . But supposing the
mouth to be closed, and the bolt G not to be held back, the spring I would
then engage the bolt in the hooked parts of the hasp, and thereby keep the
mouth of the bag temporarily fastened but not locked, and capable of being
unfastened without the aid of.the key. And in order to lock the bolt so as to
prevent it being drawn back by hand, the. same may be effected by turning
round the barrel K (with the key) in the direction of the arrow's flight at

page_text: Figure 1, by which the pink will be brought into contact with the part 1 of
the bolt L, and lift up the said bolt, the upper part thereof taking into the
notched part of the bolt G, thereby securely locking the said bolt. The same
principle of action and construction applies to the locks exhibited at Figures
4 and 6, and similar letters of reference are employed to denote corresponding
parts wherever they appear.
I would, however, remark, that as, regards the lock exhibited at Figures
6, 7, 8, the piece 9, employed for drawing back the bolt G by hand,
instead of being vertical, as at Figures 1 and 4, extends from the side of
the bolt G, as at Figures 6 and 8. The piece 9 passes through a hole y in
the front plate B of the lock, the inside of said plate being exhibited at
Figure 7. It will also be seen, upon referring to Figure 8, that the piece g
is notched out to allow the bolt G to be drawn back sufficiently far to disengage
it from the hasp D. In other respects the action of this lock is similar to those
exhibited at Figures 1 and 4.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "Improvements in Locks for Travelling Bags," together with the
best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I
hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and I claim the adaptation of, the
new parts, colored red in the Drawing, to the cases and other ordinary parts of
Chubb and Bramah locks, such as are used on travelling bags, portfolios,
dispatch boxes, and other similar receptacles, and the mode set forth of
operating therewith, for the purpose of enabling such said locks to be fastened
and unfastened either by hand or by the action of the key upon such said new
parts, as above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Leuchars, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE, Patent Agent,
4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross.
W. LEUCHARS. (L.S.)