CERTAIN IMPROVED STRAPS OR BANDS TO BE USED POR SECURING LUGGAGE UPON CHAISES OR COACHES, OR FOR SECURING PROPERTY (GENERALLY) WHEN PLACED IN EXPOSED SITUATIONS
Year: 1822

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
PRATT, of Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex, Trunk and Camp
Equipage Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom, bearing
date at Westminster the Twenty-seventh day of September 1822, in the third
year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Pratt, my
exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege
and authority, that I, the said Samuel Pratt, my exors, admors, and assigns,
during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED STRAPS OR BANDS TO BE USED
POR SECURING LUGGAGE UPON CHAISES OR COACHES, OR FOR SECURING PROPERTY
(GENERALLY) WHEN PLACED IN EXPOSED SITUATIONS;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso, that if I, the said Samuel Pratt, shall not par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all
liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, shall utterly cease,

page_text: determine, and become void, as in and. by the same, (relation being thereunto
had,) will more fully and at large. appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Pratt, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, are
particularly described, and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and the following description thereof (that is to say):-
My improved straps or bands consist of a flat metal chain or flexable band,
constructed in a peculiar manner, as will be herein-after particularly described,
the extreme ends of the said chain or band being occasionally connected with
a small improved apparatus of the description usually denominated a jack, for
the purpose of shortening or taking up the chain or band, thereby enabling the
chain or band to be passed round and then drawn tight or braced upon the
luggage or articles which are desired to be secured upon a coach, or in any
other exposed situation; and after being so braced, the luggage cannot easily
be removed or the chain or band be loosened without the assistance of a small
instrument or key, which may always remain in the possession of the person
who has charge of the luggage. Thus, a much greater security will be offered
to the property of persons in travelling, since they might secure their luggage
behind the chaise or coach in such manner as to prevent its being removed
by any person who was not in possession of a key adapted to relieve or set the
chain at liberty.
Fig. 1, upon the Drawing hereunto annexed, represents one of my improved
straps or bands supposed to be passed and drawn tight over two packages
or trunks, and under the luggage or foot board of a chaise or coach,. as
represented by, the dotted lines. This Fig. is drawn to a scale of about
one-half of the real size. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 upon the Drawing will serve
to explain the improved manner of constructing the chain or metal band,
as also the improved jack or apparatus by means of which the chain or band
is drawn tight and retained in that situation until it be released by the applica-
tion of a proper key. These four Figs. are represented of the real size. The
chain or band A, in the Figs. 1, 2, 3, & 5, is composed of a screw of metal
joints or flat links, which are held together by pins or rivets passing through
them, somewhat in the manner of common door hinges, as will be clearly seen
at A, in Figs. 3 and 5, where a portion of the chain or band is seen flatways;
the pins or rivets of the chain or band are passed through cylindrical holes,
and then enlarged by hammering at their ends, so as to fill the conical or
countersunk cavities formed on the outside of the links, as shewn at two a, a,
in Fig. 5. By this means the chain is secured from being divided by attempting

page_text: to punch out the rivets. One end of this chain or band is attached by a joint
by a short metal axis or roller B, which is adapted to turn in two round holes
formed by the side plates C and D of the jack frame. The end 6 of the axis
B projects beyond the plate D, and is made square, in order to receive a lever
or handle, as represented at E, in Figs. 1 and 4, for the purpose of turning the
axis B round, and thereby winding or rolling the chain or band upon its
circumference, as shewn in Fig 2, and also by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The
opposite end of the axis B projects through the plate C, and is squared, to
receive a contrate ratchet wheel F, which is secured upon the square of the
said axis by a screw e; the ratchet wheel F, is furnished with a clink or
sliding bolt G, adapted to enter its teeth and retain it firmly in one direction,
but permit it to be moved round without opposition in the contrary direction.
For this purpose the bolt G is furnished with a spring h acting against its
end, tending to throw the bolt always into the teeth of the ratchet wheel F,
but by the inclined form of the teeth, and also of the end of the bolt, it is
caused to retire and allow the ratchet wheel and axis B to be turned round
in the direction of the arrow, shewn in the Figs. 1 and 2, in order to wind the
chain or band upon the axis B, but prevent its being unwound without first
withdrawing the bolt G from the teeth of the ratchet wheel; and since the
ratchet wheel, as well as the bolt, are entirely enclosed in metal cases or boxes,
the bolts cannot be withdrawn but by the introduction of a proper instrument
or key, the bolt G is fitted so as to slide endways in an oblong box H, H,
which extends between the side plates C and D of the jack frame, as seen in
Figs. 4 and 5, the bolt being kept down in its place by a plate or cover 1,1,
which is secured by four screws n, n, n, n; the plate 1, 1, as a keyhole formed
in it, to admit the key K to turn round upon the fixed pink and act upon
the inclined part i of the bolt, to withdraw its end from the teeth of the ratchet
wheel F, so as to allow the chain or band to be unwound and loosened. The
ratchet wheel is enclosed by a boy I, I, which is attached by screws to the
plate C, one of which screws is represented at s in Fig. 5; they are introduced
from the inside of the plate C, to prevent their being taken out easily to gain
access to the ratchet wheel and bolt. The extreme end of the chain or band A
is furnished with an oblong loop L, which is adapted to enter a hook M formed
at the end of the bottom plate N of the jack frame, as seen in the Figs. 1, 2,
& 4. The hook M has a joint or knuckle m formed on it, upon which the
curved plate of metal P, P, is jointed, so as to be capable of turning back
into the dotted position p, p, Fig. 2, which situation it will admit of, the loop L
upon the end of the chain or band A being passed over it and withdrawn from
the hook M; or when the loop L is in its place in the hook M, and. the

page_text: plate P, P, is turned into the position shewn at P, P, it fills up the space
'between the side plates C and D, and prevents the loop L from being with-
drawn. The plate P, P, is secured and prevented from being raised into the
dotted position p, p, by having two staples or eyes r formed on its end, which
'staples are adapted to enter holes cut in the cover plate 1, 1, of the bolt box,
where they are retained by two hooks or projections t, t, formed out of the
bolt G, as seen in Fig. 4; but when the key K is introduced to withdraw the
'end of the bolt from the teeth of the ratchet wheel, it also relieves the plate
'P, P, and permits it to be turned into the dotted position p, p, in order to
'unhook the chain or band Q.
.
:
Figs. 2 and 3 represent a curved plate of metal which is adapted to turn
upon a joint pin v between the plate C and D of the jack frame; this plate is
the purpose of shutting up and concealing the keyhole from dust or other
injury. The plate Q is furnished with two small studs or buttons q, q, which
are connected with two small sliding bolts, so as to be capable of being moved
by the finger, and thus shoot the bolts into holes formed in the plate C
and D, in order to secure the curved plate Q in its place, or relieve and
allow it to be turned upon its joint into the dotted position w Fig. 2, when
the key is to be introduced for withdrawing the bolt, as herein-before mentioned.
The manner of using this apparatus is as follows:-If it is required to secure
a portmanteau, coach trunk, or other luggage behind a carriage, or in any
other exposed situation, the curvéd plate Q must be turned back and the
key K introduced to withdraw the bolt G, the plate P, P, must then be turned
into the dotted position p, p; in this situation the chain or band A may be
passed round the luggage, and also round some convenient part of the carriage
or other fixed or firm bearer, as represented in Fig. 1, after which the loop L
at the extreme end of the chain or band must be introduced over the plate P, P,
and into the hook M; the plate P, P, may then be turned down and secured
in its place by withdrawing the key from the lock, after which the plate Q
may be shut down and secured in its place by sliding the two small buttons q, q,
as herein-before mentioned. In this situation the winch or handle E may be
applied upon the square part 6 of the axis B for the purpose of winding up
the chain or band and drawing or bracing it sufficiently tight to prevent the
luggage from being removed, and in proportion as the chain or band is drawn
tight it is prevented from returning by the action of the ratchet wheel F and
bolt G, as herein-before described, nor can the chain or band be loosend with-
out first introducing the key K and withdrawing the bolt G so as to relieve
the ratchet wheel. The jack upon my improved construction I occasionally
employ connected with the-ordinary band or brace used for securing luggage
b

page_text: on carriages, but since its operation does not depend essentially upon the form
or construction of the chain or band, I have only described that form and
construction of chain or band which I have improved, so as to render it fit and
convenient for the intended purpose.
I therefore declare that I consider my claim to consist in the application of
the improved chain or band herein-before described, for the purpose of securing
luggage upon carriages or coaches, or for securing property generally when
placed in exposed situations; and also in the application of the apparatus or
improved jack for winding up and retaining the said chains or bands in such
manner as to prevent their being loosened or set at liberty without the intro-
duction of a separate instrument or key, such being the objects of my present
Invention. The form and proportions of the various parts may be altered
according to the discretion of the workmen employed in manufacturing the
same, as well as the materials of which the same may be made, without
departing from the object of my Invention, as herein-before explaned and set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Pratt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, One thousand eight
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-seventh day of March,
in the year of our Lord 1823, the aforesaid Samuel Pratt came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose..
Inrolled the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
Ono thousand eight hundred and twenty-three.