IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR BAGS, PORTMANTEAUS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Otto Holdau, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex,
and Leonard Kleinen, of Euston Road, in the same County, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR BAGS, PORTMANTEAUS, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 25th January 1878, and dated the 28th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Otto Holdau and Leonard
Kleinen at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th July 1877.
OTTO HOLDAU, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, and LEONARD KLEINEN,
of Euston Road, in the same County. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR BAGS,
PORTMANTEAUS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Our Invention relates to the fastenings of bags, satchels, portmanteaus, or other
articles which are required to be firmly closed when necessary, but to be easily
opened when required. It consists of improved methods of constructing and
arranging such fastenings and the mechanism by which they are actuated, so
that pressure upon a stud or handle at or near the centre of the frame of the
bag or other article shall simultaneously disengage and release a central catch,
as well as two lateral ones, and so allow the bag to be opened, whilst when
the bag is closed the three catches are simultaneously engaged and lock into
their respective fastenings. At the same time the sliding pieces outside the
bag by which such lateral fastenings are ordinarily disengaged by hand are
retained in their usual position, but are actuated automatically by our improved
apparatus.
We also provide a locking bolt actuated by a separate key, and which when
locked prevents the stud or handle from being depressed and so releasing the three
catches or fastenings.
At the centre of one half of the hinged frame of the bag or other article we fix a
box, preferably of brass, and containing our improved apparatus. A stud or bandle
projects vertically through the top of this box and through the frame of the bag.
The stud is provided at its inner end with a flange extending laterally on both
D

page_text: sides, its extremities being provided with catches which engage with corresponding
fastenings upon the other half of the hinged frame, which fastenings when the frame
is closed pass through openings in the inner side of the box.
A small bell-crank lever is hinged inside each end of the box, so that their
horizontal arms support the two ends of the flange upon the stud, whilst their
vertical arms are jointed each to a wire or bar, one of which passes out through each
end of the box, and after being continued to a sufficient distance has its outer end
fitted round a projection which passes inward through a slot in the frame, and has
its outer end connected with the sliding piece or fastening which is ordinarily
operated by hand, as has been already described. The projections, together with
the sliding pieces, can thus slide laterally in the slots in the frame, and when the
latter is closed they engage and fasten corresponding catches fixed to the other half
of the hinged frame.
The flange and stud or handle described are constantly pressed upward by one or
more springs under the flange, or the ends of the bell-crank levers and guides may
be provided to ensure the accurate movement of the several parts. Through the
stud or handle an opening is made fitting a key which can be introduced, and when
turned operates a sliding locking bolt, which at one end of its stroke prevents the
flange and stud from descending, and at the other end allows them to descend.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The two halves of the frame of the
bag being closed, the catches or fastenings at the centre and the two ends of the
frame become engaged and locked together, and the bag is held firmly closed. On
depressing the stud or handle the catches upon its flange release the corresponding
ones upon the other half of the frame, whilst at the same time the two bars are
drawn together horizontally and cause the two sliding pieces upon the ends of the
frame outside to approach each other and release the catches upon the other half of
the frame into which they engage, and the bag can then be opened.
If the key be introduced through the stud and the sliding bolt locked, the stud
cannot be depressed, and the bag must consequently remain fastened until the bolt
has been unlocked.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Otto Holdau and Leonard Kleinen in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th January 1878.
OTTO HOLDAU, of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, and LEONARD KLEINEN,
of Euston Road, in the same County. "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENINGS FOR BAGS,
PORTMANTEAUS, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in the fastenings of bags, satchels, port-
manteaus, or other articles of a similar kind which are required to be capable of
being firmly closed so that their frames cannot easily be forced apart for the purpose
of opening them by accident or violence, but nevertheless they can be easily opened
when desired.
Our Invention consists of improved methods of constructing and arranging such
fastenings and the mechanism by which they are actuated in such manner that
simple pressure upon a stud or handle at or near the centre of the frame of the
closed bag or other article simultaneously disengages and releases a central catch as
well as two lateral ones, by which the two halves of the hinged frame are attached
together and so allows the two halves to be separated and the bag to be opened.
When the bag is closed the three catches or fastenings upon one half of the frame
are simultaneously engaged and locked into the corresponding fastenings upon the
other half of the frame.
By our improved arrangement the sliding pieces outside the frame, by means of
which the lateral fastenings are disengaged by hand in bags, as sometimes ordinarily
made, are retained in their usual position, but instead of being operated by hand are
actuated automatically. A locking bolt actuated by a separate key is also provided,
and is arranged so that when locked it prevents the stud or handle from being
depressed and so disengaging or releasing the three catches or fastenings, as already
described.
In order to carry out our Invention we arrange and fix at the centre of and inside
one half of the frame of the bag or other article a box or case, preferably of brass,
containing our improved apparatus. A stud or handle projects through the top of
this box and through the frame of the bag, and this stud is provided at its inner
end with a flange extending laterally on both sides, its extremities being provided
with catches which engage with corresponding fastenings upon the other half of the
hinged frame, which fastenings, when the frames are brought together to close the
bag, pass through openings made for them on the inner side of the box or case.
Inside each end of the box is arranged a small bell-crank lever turning upon
centres, so that their horizontal arms support the two ends of the flange upon the
end of the stud already described, whilst their vertical arms are jointed each to a
wire or bar, one of which passes out through each end of the box, and after being
continued for a sufficent distance has its outer end fitted round or connected to a
moveable projection which passes through a slot in the frame, and is connected at
its outer end to a sliding piece or knob similar to that which in bags as often
ordinarily made is operated by hand. These sliding pieces, together with the pro-
jections at their inner ends, can therefore slide for a short distance backward and
forward laterally in the slots in the frame, and they are arranged so that when the
bag is closed the fastenings upon the other half of the hinged frame engage
with or
round the projections and hold the two halves of the frame together; but when the
sliding pieces are separated laterally the projections are released and the bag can be
opened.
The flange and the stud or handle to which it is fixed are constantly pressed
outward or upward by one or more springs under the flange or under the horizontal
arms of the bell-crank levers, and guides may be provided to ensure the accurate
movement of the several parts. A suitable opening may be made through the stud
or handle for the purpose of introducing a corresponding key, which when turned
actuates a sliding locking bolt, projecting pieces upon which at one end of its stroke

page_text: pass under the bell-crank levers or flange and prevent them from descending, whilst
at the other end of its stroke they allow them to descend.
The accompanying Drawing is in illustration of our Invention.
Figure 1 is a front view from inside, and Figure 2 a view from above, of our
apparatus applied to a bag.
a, a', are the two halves of the frame of the bag hinged together at b, b'. The
box c is fixed to the frame a, and is provided with the stud d, having a flange c
supported by the bell cranks f, f', which are hinged to the box and are pressed up
by the spring g. To the bell cranks f, f¹, are jointed the wires or rods h, h¹, which
pass out through the ends of the box c, and at their outer ends are connected to the
projections,, upon sliding pieces k, k¹, which slide in slots in the frame a. Upon
the other half of the frame a are catches m, m', which when the bag is closed
embrace the projections i, i¹, and catches 1, 1, which enter openings in the side of
the box c and engage in catches upon the flange e. The locking bolt n is actuated
by a key introduced through the stud d, and at one end of its stroke, by means of
the projecting pieces upon it, prevents the flange e from descending for the purpose
of opening the bag, whilst at the other end of its stroke it allows the flange e to
descend. The rods h, h¹, may be covered by guards or cases.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-The two halves of the frame a, a¹,
being closed the catches 2, ', become engaged or held by those on the flange e, and
the catches m, m², catch the projections i, i¹, respectively, and the bag is firmly and
securely closed. On depressing the stud d the catches on the flange e release the
catches 1, 1, and the bars h, h', being drawn together disengage the projections i, i¹,
from the hooks m, m³, and the bag can then be opened.
If the key be introduced through the stud d and the sliding bolt n locked, the
stud d cannot be depressed or the bag opened until the sliding bolt n has first been
unlocked. Figure 3 shews a modified arrangement of the apparatus.
By our novel method of constructing and arranging the apparatus, as described
and shewn, the bag or other article to which it is applied is held closed very firmly
and securely for the length of the frame instead of at its centre only, whilst the
ordinary lateral sliding pieces remain in their usual position.
Having now described our Invention, and the manner in which it is to be per-
formed, we do not claim the use of more than one fastening for the purpose of
securing together the frames of bags, satchels, portmanteaus, or other articles, but we
claim the method of constructing and actuating the apparatus by which the several
fastenings are simultaneously engaged or released, and the sliding pieces outside the
frame are moved, and the method by which the said apparatus is locked and
unlocked, substantially as described, and shewn in the Drawing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Otto Holdau and Leonard Kleinen, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
OTTO HOLDAU.
(L.S.)
LEONARD KLEINEN. (LS.)