IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVELLING BAGS, VALISES, AND TRUNKS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVELLING BAGS, VALISES, AND
TRUNKS." A communication from abroad by Zoheth Sherman Durfee,
Tited States of Americe
Sealed the 6th November 1866, and dated the 8th June 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th June 1866.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRAVELLING BAGS, VALISES, AND
TRUNKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in combining with travelling bags, valises, and trunks
a box or receptacle for carrying hats or bonnets in such a manner that while
the said box is contained within the bag, valise, or trunk access is gained to
it by means of a separate cover without having to open the bag, valise, or
trunk itself for that purpose. In constructing bags, valises, or trunks, for
the purposes of this Invention a strong rim, by preference of an oval form, is
fixed in the bottom of the bag or other receptacle, to which rim the material

page_text: of the bag is fixed either directly, or a separate rim is fixed to the material
of the bag, and after the edge of this rim has been bent over the edge of the first
named rim it is rivetted or soldered thereto. To the inner edge of the latter
is fixed an inverted flanged box, the flanges of which form the bottom of the
bag, while the box itself projects into the bag. This box is made of any
shape to accommodate the form of the bat or bonnet to be contained therein,
and it is constructed of any suitable material, but by preference of thin sheet
metal with corrugations for the purpose of strengthening it. Into the open
im connecting this box to the bag is fitted a cover shutting against ledges
or projections fixed inside the rim a suitable distance from the inner edge
to allow room for the brim of a hat, which is held in its place by means
of buttons fixed to the flange of the box. The cover is provided with a
Linged handle which can be turned so as not to project beyond the outer
edge of the rim; it is fixed in its place either by bolts or locks.
Upon the inner face of the cover is fastened a second box of such a size and
form that it will fit loosely into the hollow of the hat or bonnet, in a similar
manner to the arrangement sometimes employed in connection with ordinary
hat boxes. It is preferred to make this box in parts, the upper part being made
to constitute a separate box which may be used as a dressing case, and which
nets as the cover to the lower part. The two parts may be fastened together
in any suitable manner, but by preference by means of an elastic band
attached to the lower part and passing over the upper part. The lower part
may also be made separate from the cover, and held in its place by means of
straps, bands, bolts, or hooks. The frame of the bag may be of any ordinary
arrangement, but when it is desired that the bag should open very low
down the frame is attached to the before-mentioned rim by a double joint.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,

page_text: the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence that I, tho said
Charles Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns; or such
others as I, the said Charles Denton Abel, 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 TRAVELLING BAGS, VALISES, AND TRUNKS," a communication to
me from abroad by Zoheth Sherman Durfee, of Philadelphia, in the State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands 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 Charles Denton Abel, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing
and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
.
This Invention consists in combining with travelling bags, valises, and trunks
a box or receptacle for carrying hats or bonnets in such a manner that while the
said box is contained within the bag, valise, or trunk access is gained to it by
means of a separate cover without having to open the bag, valise, or trunk
itself for that purpose. In constructing bags, valises, or trunks for the
purposes of this Invention a strong rim, by preference of an oval form, is
fixed in the bottom of the bag or other receptacle, to which rim the material
of the bag is fixed either directly, or a separate rim is fixed to the material of
the bag, and after the edge of this rim has been bent over the edge of the
first-named rim it is rivetted or soldered thereto. To the inner edge of the
Jatter is fixed an inverted flanged box, the flanges of which form the bottom
of the bag, while the box itself projects into the bag. This box is made of
any shape to accomodate the form of the hat or bonnet to be contained
therein, and it is constructed of any suitable material, but by preference of
thin sheet metal with corrugations for the purpose of strengthening it. Into
the open rim conuecting this box to the bag is fitted a cover shutting against
ledges or projections fixed inside the rim a suitable distance from the inuer
edge to allow room for the brim of a hat which is held in its place by means of

page_text: buttons fixed to the flange of the box. The cover is provided with a hinged
handle which can be turned so as not to project beyond the outer edge
of the rim; it is fixed in its place either by bolts or locks.
Upon the inner face of the cover is fastened a second box of such a size
and form that it will fit loosely into the hollow of the hat or bonnet in a
similar manner to the arrangement sometimes employed in connection with
ordinary hat boxes. It is preferred to make this box in parts, the upper part
being made to constitute a separate box which may be used as a dressing
case, and which acts as the cover to the lower part. The two parts may be
fastened together in any suitable manner, but by preference by means of an
elastic band attached to the lower part and passing over the upper part. The
lower part may also be made separate from the cover, and held in its place by
means of straps, bands, bolts, or hooks. The frame of the bag may be of any
ordinary arrangement, but when it is desired that the bag should open
very low down, the frame is attached to the before-mentioned rim by a double
joint.
Figures 1 to 3 on the accompanying Drawing shew the before described
Invention as applied to travelling bags. Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation
of one form of bag; and Figures 2 and 3 show respectively a sectional
elevation and complete elevation of another form of bag.
A rim A of any suitable material is constructed of any convenient form,
but by preference oval, which rim is sometimes perforated with a suitable
number of holes for rivetting or otherwise attaching the bag thereto; it is,
however, generally preferred to attach the bag to the rim in another manner, to
be hereafter described. The bag may be of any required formed or material.
To the rim A is attached firmly the inverted flanged box B, the flanges of
which form the bottom of the bag, and the space in the bag being made
annular by the intrusion of the main part of the box B, as shown. This box
may have any configuration to suit the shape of the hat or bonnet to be con-
tained therein, and may be constructed of any suitable material, though it is
preferred to make it of thin sheet metal with corrugations running around its
sides and radially or otherwise on its flange for the purpose of stiffening it.
Into the open bottom of the rim A is fitted closely the cover C, shutting
against ledges or projections formed on the inside of A at a suitable distance
from its lower edge. The cover C is provided with a handle which can be
turned aside when not in use, and the cover is so constructed and inserted into
the rim A, that when the bag is standing on the ground or elsewhere the
cover will be clear therefrom, as shown. The cover C may be fastened into the
rim A by bolts or locks c, c, at opposite ends of the longest axis thereof or in any

page_text: other convenient manner; sufficient space must however be left between C and
the flanges of B to admit the brim of the hat, as seen on the Drawing, and
buttons 6, 6, may be attached at suitable points of the flanges of B in order to
retain the hat in its position in the box when the cover C is removed. Upon
the inner surface of the cover C is fastened a box D, D¹, of such a size and
form that it will enter loosely the body of the hat or bonnet in order to utilize
the space inside the hat or bonnet, somewhat as is now done in some hat
boxes of ordinary construction. It is preferred to make the box in two parts,
the upper and smaller part D' being constructed so as to form an entirely
separate box which may be used as a dressing case, and which is to shut upon
and form a cover to the lower part D. The box D' is fustened to D in any
convenient manner, but preferably by an elastic band or strap, with or without
buckles or similar fastenings, the ends of which are attached to small hooks
or buttons, as at e, e, Figure 2, and the lower or main part D may be fastened.
to the cover C in the same way or by bolts or hooks in any manner which will
permit of its being readily removed when it is desired to use the whole space
in the hat box for clothing or miscellaneous articles. The modes of fastening
the top or bag to the bat box may be various, but in general it is preferred
to fasten the bag to a separate rim of metal F, and then to fasten this metal
to the rim A as shown, in which case F is either soldered or rivetted to A
after being turned over the lower edge thereof. In 'cheap constructions the
rim A may be continued above the flange of B far enough to admit of rivetting
or fastening the bag, which may then be sewn or rivetted to the inside thereof;
or the bag may be carried down over the rim A, and the material composing
it turned over the edge of A, and rivetted in the same manner as it has been
proposed to fasten the metal F. The frame used in the bag may be of the
common style which will suit the case, but when it is desired that the bag
shall open very low down the frame of the bag is attached to the rim A
with a double joint, as shown at Figure 3, the distance between the pins or
rivets g, g, being governed by the size of the bag and the width and shape it is
desired the mouth shall have. It will be evident that when the rivets g, g,
are at any considerable distance apart the halves of the frame will have to be
bent at an angle from each other, the opposite legs of the angle thus formed
shutting upon a ledge arranged in the rim A for that purpose, so as to close
the bag as completely as when the frame is straight.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 show the before described Invention as applied to
portmanteaus, or to the form of trunk known as "malle-porte." Figure 4
shows a side view of the portmanteau; Figure 5 shows a sectional plan; and
Figure 6 shows a transverse section of the same to a smaller scale than

page_text: Figures 1 to 3. To avoid confusion the inner box D, D', shown in Figures 1
to 3, is here omitted, which box it will however be understood is applied and
constructed in this case in a similar manner to that before described. The
portmanteau or malle-porte is constructed very much as usual, except that
instead of being divided in the middle, as is most common, it is deeper in the
bottom than in the top part. The box B, B, is flanged and rivetted to the side
of the portmanteau, and turned over at the end, as is shown at x and; Y, the
box B and the rim A of Figure 1 being here viewed as a whole.
The cover
C has stiffening pieces s, s, applied to it either in circles or laterally or longi-
tudinally upon it as may be preferred, and its handle is made flush with a
recess for the fingers, as shown at H.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and the manner in
which it is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign corres-
pondent, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself in the application
of this Invention to the forms of bags and portmanteaus shown on the
accompanying Drawing, nor do I claim generally the construction of bags,
valises, portmanteaus, or trunks having a space or receptacle for containing
hats or bonnets; but what I claim is,-
First, combining hat or bonnet boxes with travelling bags, valises, or trunks
in such a manner that the bat or bonnet may be removed or inserted without
opening the bag, valise, or trunk.
Second, I claim the combination of hat box and travelling bag, and
hat box and trunk, constructed and arranged substantially, as and in
the manner herein-before described with reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES D. ABEL. (L.s.)