Year: 1886

page_text: I, WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS, of The Villa, Muswell Hill, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 accompanying
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to improvements in travelling dressing-bags, or cases, the
said improvements being applicable also to other bags, cases, or boxes, and it has
for its object; First. To so construct and arrange the frames of such bags or cases,
and the lids or covers of boxes, that the same may be either partially, or
fully opened as desired, to display to view, more or less, the contents thereof.
Secondly: To provide additional means for receiving and displaying the toilet,
or other fittings, and which means may be operated either mechanically, or by
hand, and when operated according to the former case, simultaneously with and by
the action of opening the bag, case, or box, and Thirdly: That greater internal
capacity shall be afforded for the purpose of packing than heretofore obtainable.
My improvements relate more especially to those frames known in the trade as
Patent Frames," but, for the purposes of my Invention, I dispense with those
portions of the bag or case technically termed "ears" and substitute therefor the
means about to be described.
I proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings to fully describe my
Invention as applied to a travelling dressing-bag.
Fig. 1 (Sheet 1), is a cross section of one arrangement of my improved bag frame,
in its closed position, and Fig. 2 is a plan, in its partially open position. Fig. 3 is a
cross section taken on the line x, x, of fig. 2. Fig. 4 is also a section, but taken on
the line y, y, of the half plan, fig. 5. In these two last named figures the frame is
shewn in its completely open position, the bag (seen in dotted lines) having been
drawn upwardly by the action of such opening.
In carrying out my Invention the free spaces or voids at present existing at the
ends of travelling dressing-bags, and between the "tops" or jaws thereof are now, for
the purposes of my Invention, each provided with a flap or piece a, which I hinge to

page_text: the end frames C, and furnish with any of the necessary toilet fittings. By the
means of the mechanism about to be described these flaps or pieces, on the opening
of the bag, are caused to turn outwardly on their hinges b, which maintain them,
when in such outward position, at a suitable angle (as seen in fig. 3) with respect
to the ends of the bag. These flaps or pieces a, are furthermore governed and
controlled by jointed or linked levers c, c1, c2, c³, which are placed one at each angle
of the bag, as shewn in fig. 2, and these jointed or linked levers are pivotted at
d, d, da, d³, to the flaps or pieces a, and also to the jaw frames or "tops " A, B, in
such a manner that the outward movement of the said flaps or pieces takes place
simultaneously with and automatically on opening the said " 'tops " of the bag.
These "tops" or jaws are themselves hinged or jointed to the frame C, at j, j, j,j³,
thus giving to the same a double movement, and, at the same time, imparting to
the flaps a still further lower position as seen in figs. 4 and 5.
When the bag is closed, as seen in Fig. 1, the flaps or pieces a, extend up to the
end portions of the frame e, of " tops" or jaws, and form end pieces for the bag ;
they thus supply the place of the ears but, as will be seen, with greater
advantage.
"
"
It will thus readily be understood that by this arrangement of the "
tops" or
jaws of the bag, the toilet fittings may be most conveniently arranged therein, and
carried by them, thereby leaving the entire capacity of the body of the bag quite
free for packing, and furthermore, by the double movement of which the "tops" or
jaws are capable, the interior capacity of the bag may be brought more under the
control of the packer, while the fittings are removed further out of the way, as
shewn in fig. 4.
According to an alternative arrangement of my Invention, shewn on Sheet II of
the drawings, in which fig. 6 is a cross section of the frame in its closed position,
Fig. 7 a cross section taken on the line x, x, of the plan fig. 8, and Fig. 9 also a cross
section, but taken on the line y, y, of the plan fig. 10, I dispense with the jointed or
linked levers c¹, c², c³, c, used for the automatic operation of the end pieces or flaps a,
and I simply hinge these pieces or flaps a to the end frames C, and operate them by
hand when it is desired to turn them outwardly. But in this arrangement the
flaps or end pieces can only be turned outwardly when the frame is in its fully open
position, as seen in figs. 9 and 10. Flat springs m, retain these flaps, when in their
open position, or in a partially open position. In this arrangement I further con-
struct each of the "tops" or jaw frames A, B, of the bag, in two portions, an inner
or upper one f, and a lower or outer one g, the former being hinged or jointed to
the latter, by preference, at h, h', h, h³, on the line of curvature of the frames, while
these latter are again hinged or jointed at j, j, j, j in the usual manner, to the
end frames C of the bag. I am thus enabled to obtain at will a double position for
the "tops'
or jaws, that is to say, a partially open position, as shewn in figs. 7
and 8, or a completely open one, as shewn in figs. 9 and 10. When in a partially
open position, the inner or upper portions f, of the "tops" or jaws, which I furnish
with any of the requisite toilet fittings, stand at a right angle to the lower or outer
portions g, as shewn at fig. 7, but when in a fully open position, their lower or
outer portions g, which I also furnish with other of the toilet fittings, stand at a
right angle to the sides of the bag, as shewn in fig. 9 of the drawings, thus fully
displaying the entire set of fittings contained in the "tops" or jaws, and permitting
of their being readily attained without it being necessary to remove any of the
fittings to get at the desired one, as is now often the case.
"
The hinges connecting the flaps or pieces a to the end frames C, may be so con-
structed that these flaps or pieces may be readily detached from the bag when it is
desired to remove the same, to stand them upon a table. Also, instead of hinging
these flaps or pieces, as before stated, they may be provided with pins fitting or
dropping into orifices in the end frames C of the bag.
In a modified arrangement, shewn in figs. 11 and 12, I omit the jointed levers
c, c1, c2, ca shewn in figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and also the hinges or joints h, h¹, h³, h³,
shewn in figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, but in all other respects the bag is constructed in

page_text: the same manner as that described with reference to figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Figs. 11
and 12 also shew a bag constructed according to my invention in which I have
dispensed with the "ears."
I can however construct a bag in which all the improvements hereinbefore
described may be applied.
Although I have described and shewn my invention as applied to a travelling
dressing-bag it may be applied in a precisely similar manner to other bags, boxes,
or cases.
Having now described the nature of the said invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim :-
1. Constructing travelling dressing-bags, and other bags, boxes, or cases, with
flaps or end pieces, for receiving toilet, or other fittings, and arranging the said
flaps to be operated either mechanically on the opening of the bag, box, or case, or
by hand, substantially as herein described.
2. The mechanism herein described and shewn with reference to figs. 1, 2, 3, 4
and 5, for the purpose of operating the flaps or end pieces on the opening of the
bag (or box) and for allowing the "tops" or jaws to open either partially as shewn
in figs. 2 and 3, or to open fully, as shewn in figs. 4 and 5.
3. Constructing the "tops" or jaws of travelling dressing-bags, and other bags,
or boxes, in two portions hinged or jointed together, in order that the same may be
opened either partially or wholly, substantially as and for the purposes described,
and as shewn with reference to Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings.
4. The construction of travelling dressing-bags in the manner substantially as
herein before described, and as shewn by way of example with reference to figs. 11
and 12 of the drawings, whereby greater internal capacity is afforded for purposes
of packing than heretofore obtainable.