IMPROVEMENTS IN STATIONERY AND OTHER CASES CONSTRUCTED WITH TWO OR MORE LIDS OR COVERS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ricketts, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Insurance Broker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN STATIONERY AND OTHER CASES CONSTRUCTED WITH TWO OR MORE LIDS OR
COVERS."
Sealed the 19th November 1872, and dated the 22nd May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ricketts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd May 1872.
I, JOHN RICKETTS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Insurance
Broker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STATIONERY AND OTHER CASES CONSTRUCTED WITH TWO OR MORE LIDS OR
COVERS," to be as follows:-
:-
The object of my Invention is to provide means by which upon opening
or closing one lid or cover of a stationery, jewel, dressing, travellers'
sample, or other case having two or more lids or covers, the remaining
lid or lids, cover or covers, shall open or close at the same time, whether
such lids or covers be placed diagonally one above another or in any

page_text: other position. For this purpose I connect the ends, or one end only,
of the lids or covers to levers or coupling rods (a single coupling rod
may be used) extending from one to the other and connecting the
whole; any one of these double or single connections may be so arranged
that whilst the lid or cover to which it is attached can be opened without
opening the remaining lid or lids, cover or covers, yet shall be capable
when closed, of closing if open, or securing if closed the remaining lid or
lids, cover or covers.
To cover the thumb openings where these are used, I employ covering
pieces working on pins or otherwise, in such manner, that when the lids
or covers are closed, they press either directly or indirectly on one end of
the covering pieces and move them into closing position; the said
covering pieces when left free fall by their own weight or are otherwise
removed from the thumb openings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Ricketts in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd November 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
RICKETTS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Insurance Broker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Ricketts, Her special licence
that I, the said John Ricketts, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Ricketts, 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 STATIONERY
AND OTHER CASES CONSTRUCTED WITH TWO OR MORE LIDS OR COVERS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Ricketts, my executors

page_text: or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands, 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 John Ricketts, do hereby declare
the nature of my said 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 Sheet of
illustrative Drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say :-
The object of my Invention is to provide means by which upon opening
or closing one lid or cover of a stationery, jewel, dressing, travellers'
sample, or other case having two or more lids or covers, the remaining
lid or lids, cover or covers, shall open or close at the same time, whether
such lids or covers are placed diagonally one above another or in any
other position. For this purpose I connect the ends (or one end only)
of the lids or covers to levers or coupling rods (a single coupling rod
may be used) extending from one to the other and connecting the whole;
any one of these double or single connections may be so arranged that
whilst the lid or cover to which it is attached can be opened without
opening the remaining lid or lids, cover or covers, it yet shall be capable
when closed, of closing if open, or securing if closed the remaining lid or
lids, cover or covers.
To cover the thumb openings I employ covering pieces working on
pins or otherwise, in such manner that when the lids or covers are closed
they press either directly or indirectly on one end of the covering pieces
and move them into closing position; the said covering pieces when left
free fall by their own weight or are otherwise removed from the thumb
openings.
Fig. 1 is a front view; and Fig. 2 an end view partly in section and
partly in elevation of a stationery case constructed in accordance with
my Invention.

page_text: 1, lids placed diagonally one above another and shown open; 2, con-
necting rods one at each end of the lids 1 and secured thereto by pins 3;
4, groove for rods 2 to work in %; 5, pieces for covering the thumb
openings working on pins 6 and raised by pressure of the lids on the
tail piece 7; 8, tapes for raising stationery contained in the compartments
when thumb openings are not used; 9, catch for securing the lids when
closed; 10, hinges. In this modification all the lids open and close
together.
Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. 4 an end view with part of the end
piece removed of a second modification of stationery case constructed in
accordance with my Invention. 1, lids here shown closed; the bottom
lid 1ª is not attached to the connecting rod 2, and therefore can be opened
without opening the rest of the lids, but when closed the part 1 of the
lid presses, as shown in Fig 4, on the rod 2 and secures the remaining
lids; 3, pins attaching the rod 2 to the lids; 4, groove for rod to work
in; 5, pieces for covering thumb openings here shown attached to the
lids and moving with them; 9, lock for securing the lids when closed;
10, pins here used instead of hinges.
Fig. 5 is an end view of a third modification of stationery case con-
structed in accordance with my Invention. 1, lids; 2, connecting rods
here shown on the outside of the case and attached to the lids 1 by
pins 3; the lid 1ª is attached to the rod 2 by the joint 2* which allows it
to open without opening the remaining lids but presents it to close and
secure them; 10%, hinge to allow the lid 1* to fold when open.
Fig. 6 is an end view of a jewel or travellers' sample case. 1, lids here
shown open; 2, connecting rod fitting on the top of the end piece when
the lids are closed.
Fig. 7 is an end view of a pen and ink tray. 1, lids; 2, connecting
rods; the lids for the ink bottles are fitted on the shaft 12 by friction
bearings, so that if desirable, one ink bottle may be closed when the
other is open.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and parti-
cularized the same in such manner that others will be enabled to carry
my improvements into effect, I claim,-
First. The method of closing the thumb openings in stationery and
other cases, described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

page_text: Second. The method of opening and closing simultaneously several
lids or covers, as described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Ricketts, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
In the presence of
J. GLENNY,
Clerk to J. T. King,
Liverpool.
JOHN RICKETTS. (L.S.)