Improvements in or relating to Travelling Trunks, Baskets, and the like Receptacles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SEMIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Travelling Trunks, Baskets, and the
like Receptacles.
•
I, HARRY ADOLPHUS NORMAN of Roscoe Arcade, St. Luke's Place, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
In the manufacture of wicker-work trunks, baskets, and other like receptacles,
bamboo aloue has hitherto been found too hard and brittle and rattan or Bengal
cane too soft for the purpose. In order to overcome this difficulty it has been
proposed to combine bamboo ribs with strips of rattan, and also to treat the
bamboo cane with an alkaline lye to make it soft and pliant, moreover the wicker-
work has hitherto been built up on a frame work or foundation which considerably
increased the weight of the trunk and the cost of production.
It
Now, by my invention I do away with this method of manufacture, and employ
a species of bamboo cane of a flexible nature which can be bent in its natural state
without the necessity of treating it with alkaline lye or combining it with rattan
or employing a foundation or frame work. The species of bamboo cine which I
have discovered as suitable for the purpose, is found more especially in Japan, and
neighbouring countries and can, as already stated, be bent in its natural state.
is split into narrow strips of about half an inch in width. Some of these strips are
placed side by side in groups to form the horizontal ribs or members and the
vertical ribs are formed in the same way. These horizontal and vertical' ribs or
members are then interlaced or woven together and form the sides, ends and
bottom of the receptacle. The vertical members are continued without any
joinings, and their ends are fastened to a double strip, an inch or so in depth
which forms the top edge of the receptacle. The horizontal members which
interlace with the vertical ones are secured at their ends in any suitable way.
The lid is formed of interlaced members also similar to the body part of the
receptacle and it is hinged to the receptacle by hinges woven in with the wicker-
work or interlaced therewith. The wicker-work may be covered over on both
sides with a layer of stuff such as sail cloth, leather, painted canvas, or some
suitable waterproof material.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1895.
Improvements in or relating to Travelling. Trunks, Baskets, and the
⚫ like Receptacles.
1, HARRY ADOLPHUS NORMAN of Roscoe Arcade, St. Luke's Place, Liverpool
in the County of Lancaster. Portmanteau: Manufacturer 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:-
In the manufacture of canework trunks, baskets, hat boxes, and other like

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receptacles, bamboo alone has hitherto been found too hard and brittle and rattan
or Bengal cane too soft for the purpose. In order to overcome this difficulty it
has been proposed to combine bamboo ribs with strips of rattan, and also to treat
the bamboo cane with an alkaline lye to make it soft and pliant, moreover the
wicker-work has hitherto been built up on a frame work or foundation which
considerably increased the weight of the trunk and the cost of production.
Now by my invention I do away with this method of manufacture, and employ
a species of bamboo cane of a flexible nature which can be bent in its natural state
without the necessity of treating it with alkaline lye or combining it with rattan or
employing a foundation or framework.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings which show it applied to a travelling
trunk.
It is formed of a species of bamboo cane of a flexible nature known as Japanese
.bamboo cane or in Japan as Také, which can be bent in its natural state without.
having to first treat it to make it soft and pliant. This bamboo cane is first split
into narrow strips of about half an inch in width. They are placed side by side
in groups to form horizontal ribs or members A, and the vertical ribs B are
formed in the same way, and the horizontal ribs A and vertical ribs B are then
interlaced or woven together to form the sides, ends and bottom of the receptacle,
being bent at the corners at the points required. The vertical members are
continued without any joinings and their ends are fastened to a double strip C of
Také cane an inch or so in depth which forms the top edge of the receptacle. The
horizontal members, which interlace with the vertical ones are secured at their
ends in any suitable way, in this way a strong and durable receptacle is produced
without using a wooden frame or foundation, and the weight is correspondingly
reduced.
The lid D is formed of interlaced ribs similar to the body part of the receptacle,
and it is hinged to the double strips Ċ by hinges E, or these hinges may be woven
in with the canework or interlaced therewith.
The canework may be covered with a suitable material such as sailcloth,
American cloth, leather, painted canvas or some suitable waterproof material.
For certain purposes this covering may be omitted. As applied to other
receptacles, the invention will be understood without further description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in the construction of canework trunks, baskets, bat boxes
and like receptacles, whereby the use of a framework or foundation for the cane-
work is obviated, and their weight is correspondingly reduced, substantially as
described.
2. The improvement in the manufacture of trunks, baskets, hat boxes and like
receptacles which consists in forming them of Také or Japanese bamboo ribs bent in
their natural state without previous treatment and interwoven together, the horizontal
ribs, which interlace with the vertical ones, being secured together at their ends,
while the vertical ones are fastened to a strip which forms the top edge of the
receptacle, substantially as described.
3. A trunk, basket, hat box or other like receptacle, whose walls are made by
interlacing strips of Také or Japanese bamboo cane together to form the horizontal
and vertical ribs, and by afterwards securing the contiguous ends of the horizontal
ribs, while the vertical ribs are fastened to a strip forming the top edge of the
receptacle, substantially as set forth.
4. In wickerwork trunks, baskets, hat boxes or other like receptacles of the
kind set. forth, hingeing the lids or covers to the receptacle by means of hinges
woven in with the canework, or interlaced therewith substantially as set forth.

page_text: 5. The manufacture of wickerwork travelling trunks, baskets, hat boxes or like
receptacles, substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 4th day of May 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.