IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PURSES, OR PORTE-MONNAIES, AND THE LIKE
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th December 1880. A cominunication
from abroad by W. Leissler & Sohn, of Offenbach, on the Main, Germany.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
PURSES, OR PORTE-MONNAIES, AND THE LIKE." A communication from abroad by
W. Leissler & Sohn, of Offenbach, on the Main, Germany.
"
This Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of purses, porte-
monnaies, and the like.
It is well known that the outer seams of expanding purses or porte-monnaies,
and the like, by which the cover or outer part of the purse is attached to the folds
are very soon worn out by use, because the thread by which the seam is
stitched is on the outer side of the cover exposed to friction. In general, sewing
should be dispensed with as much as possible in every part of a purse or porte-
monnaie, as this method of uniting the parts does not afford great durability.
Hitherto porte-monnaies have been made with the fulds shaped like those of
bellows, and from one piece of leather. But porte-monnaies with bellows-shaped
folds, and with the folds and cover made of one piece of leather, have not been
manufactured previous to this application.
In a purse or porte-monnaie made according to this Invention, the cover, the flap,
and the folds, consist of one piece of leather brought into the required form by
stretching it in a wet state by means of an implement of suitable shape, in a
manner somewhat similar to that customary in the manufacture of boots and shoes.
The middle partition is at the rim sewn to the folds; this is the only seam in such
purse or porte-monnaie. But if desired other partitions can be sewn on at suitable
intervals apart. The porte-monnaie preferably consists of two pieces of leather
(the outer cover with the folds being in one piece, and the lining, the flap, and
the inner folds forming the other piece); both pieces are secured together by a seam
There may be any suitable number of folds.
The operation employed for forming the folds in one piece with the cover is as
follows, that is to say:-In order to form that part of the purse or porte-monnaie
which has on it the flap, a piece of leather is cut into the form of a quadrangle
from which the flap projects; the projecting part forms the cover. The upper parts

page_text: are well moistened and then in a wet state drawn over a form and treated with a
smoothing tool, so that the leather will closely and smoothly adhere to the form,
and thus the folds are produced.
In order to effect this operation, I use a special form of wood or metal which
contains a flat portion or recess exactly in the shape of the parts of the leather
which are to form the sides of the purse, and corresponding in depth to the
thickness of the leather.
•
After having laid the leather in position on the said form, a piece of sheet metal
preferably zinc is placed upon the same and held in position by two studs, so that
it exactly covers the aforesaid parts of the leather, then the parts of the leather
not covered by the plate are drawn over the edge of the plate, whereby the same
will be smoothed.
Then a plate of the same size and formas that above specified and provided with
an aperture is placed on the overlapping part of the leather, and the leather
collected in this aperture is drawn outward over the rim or edge thereof, and is
well smoothed, so that a second plate can be put upon it, and the first operation is
repeated; the leather is thus drawn inwards until yet another plate can be laid
on it, and so forth, the leather being thus laid or pressed into regular folds.
When this operation is finished the form is well pressed and the leather is dried,
so that it must retain its shape. Care must be taken that by this operation the
small folds, which usually gather at the corner are as far as possible distributed on
both sides, and this operation is facilitated by the use of the above described
implement.
After having dried the leather it is removed from the form, the rims or borders
accurately cut, and then in order to finish the porte-monnaie, the two parts are
sewn together.
If desired partitions may be provided and sewn or stitched in. For the stitching
of the border of the folds a sewing machine must be employed which allows this
work to be done without injury to the cover of the porte-monnaie.