A FOLDING TRAVELLING CASE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charlotte Mansel, of Plymouth, in the County of
Devon, for the Invention of "A FOLDING TRAVELLING CASE."
Sealed the 13th October 1859, and dated the 23rd April 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charlotte Mansel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with her Petition, on the 23rd
April 1859.
I, CHARLOTTE MANSEL, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A FOLDING TRAVELLING CASE," to
be as follows (that is to say):-
My Invention, which has reference to a folding travelling case to be called
the United Service travelling case, suitable for containing and stowing away
in less space than hitherto, articles usually required by travellers, such as
linen, toilet apparatus, stationery, food, or otherwise, consists of a strip or
longitudinal wrapper of oilskin, leather, or other suitable material, provided
with a transverse arrangement of pockets or envelopes of forms suitable for
the reception of the articles, together with bands of elastic material secured
to the wrapper, so as to retain the smaller articles in their places upon the
folding of the case, to which also an extensible action is given for the purpose
of rendering the case adjustable to the contents or variable capacity of the
same, straps and buckles being employed for securing the case when folded,
and enabling it to be carried through the medium of a connecting handle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charlotte Mansel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd October 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLOTTE
MANSEL, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charlotte Mansel, Her special licence that I, the said Charlotte
Mansel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Charlotte Mansel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "A FOLDING
TRAVELLING CASE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charlotte Mansel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Charlotte Mansel, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and the Drawings therein referred to (that is to say) :-
My Invention, which has reference to a folding travelling case to be called
the United Service travelling case, suitable for containing and stowing away
in less space than hitherto, articles usually required by travellers, such as
linen, toilet apparatus, stationery, food, or otherwise, consists of a strip or
longitudinal wrapper of oilskin, leather, or other suitable material, provided
with a transverse arrangement of pockets or envelopes of forms suitable for
the reception of the articles, together with bands of elastic material secured
to the wrapper, so as to retain the smaller articles in their places upon the
folding of the case, to which also an extensible action is given for the purpose
of rendering the case adjustable to the contents or variable capacity of the
same, straps and buckles or otherwise being employed for securing the case

page_text: when folded, and enabling it to be carried through the medium of a connecting
handle.
But in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I now proceed to describe it by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and figures thereon
marked (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 represents a front view of my folding travelling case; Fig. 2, an end
view; Fig. 3, a longitudinal edge view, showing the case unfolded; Fig. 4, a
top or plan view of the same; and Fig. 5, a corresponding view with the
pockets or envelopes open. In each Figure the same letters of reference
denote similar corresponding parts.
A, A, the strip or longitudinal wrapper forming the body of the folding
travelling case; B, B, bag or receptacle secured in a vertical position to the
longitudinal wrapper, having a central division, and subdivided and fitted
internally with pockets suitably arranged on either side of the same for
receiving spirit flasks, sandwich or other provision boxes, looking-glass, and
other miscellaneous articles; C, C, flaps or covers secured to the central
division through the medium of elastic material in such manner as to form a
covering to the said bag and case when closed, and at the same time admit of
an extension of the same, the sides of the bag or receptacle, and that portion
of the longitudinal wrapper to which the bag is attached, being also provided
with elastic material D, D, for that purpose; E, E, envelope containing toilet
requisites or apparatus furnished with a folding flap and cover F and F¹,
provided with an inner pocket G, G, supplied with paper, writing pad, or
otherwise, upon the outer surface of which the various small articles are
arranged, as represented, and secured in their places through the medium of
elastic bands or straps H, H, in like manner to the toilet envelope or division
into which it is folded and secured by means of the opening flaps I, I, and
loop straps and buckles J, J', and J; K, K, envelope or wrapper for linen
or otherwise; L, L, inner folding flaps to same; M, M, outer folding flaps for
securing the same and contents thereof through the intervention of loops,
straps, and buckles N, N', and N2; 0, 0, bag or receptacle in which slippers
or other travelling necessaries inay be placed; P and P¹, flap and fastening
for protecting the mouth of the same; Q, Q, bands or fastenings for securing
the envelopes or pockets when folded to the sides of the bag B, B; R, R,
leather belts or girdles retaining the case closed, as represented at Figs. 1
and 2; S, S, connecting handle secured thereto, by which the bag is held or
carried; T, T, locks or fastenings. In conclusion to the foregoing description,
it may be here necessary to observe that the bag or receptacle B, B, may be

page_text: provided with a metallic frame and the handles attached thereto, and the said
case used either with or without the leather straps or girdles aforesaid.
Having now fully described the nature of this my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would have it clearly under-
stood that I do not intend to confine myself to the precise details herein-before
described, as the form and general arrangement or disposition of the case, as
also the several envelopes or divisions, together with the fittings thereof, may
be somewhat modified, or the same may be otherwise varied without departing
from the general principle of this my said Invention; but that which I do
claim as new and of my said Invention is the construction of folding travelling
cases in connection with the general arrangement or disposition of the several
parts in the manner and for the purposes herein-before set forth and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charlotte Mansel, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
CHARLOTTE MANSEL. (L.S.)