New or Improved Device for Carrying or Transporting Luggage and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Device for Carrying or Transporting Luggage
and the like.
I, JAMES TYETH HART, of 2, Langleigh Lane, Ilfracombe, in the County of
Devon, Retired Civil Servant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
-
This invention relates to a simple and effective device whereby luggage and the
like can readily be carried or transported from place to place, said device consisting
of a pair of cords or straps of rope, leather, webbing or other suitable flexible material,
each cord or strap being provided or formed towards each end with a series of
loops, holes or like devices for the attachment of handles, as hereinafter set forth.
The said cords or straps are arranged side by side and kept at a convenient dis-
tance apart by fastening them near one end to a stretcher of wood or other suitable
material provided with an upright or supporting ledge for the luggage to rest
against and preferably furnished beneath with a roller or rollers so that when the
extremities of the cords or straps are lifted, the device with its load may be rolled
along barrow fashion. For mounting or descending stairs a person at each end
places a suitable handle in a convenient pair of loops or holes and may thus
readily grip and carry the package. These handles may be straight bars of
suitable length adapted to engage in the loops, or may be furnished with hooks,
studs or the like to fit holes in the cords or straps. The cords or straps may be
further held in position so as to prevent slipping from the package, by means of
one or more connecting cords, straps or laths, having loops through which the
main cords or straps are reeved. To ease the strain on hands and arms in carry-
ing, shoulder straps may be used, having at their ends hooks, studs or the like
adapted to engage with the loops or holes of the main straps or cords.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Device for Carrying or Transporting Luggage
and the like.
I, JAMES TYETH HART, of 2, Langleigh Lane, Ilfracombe, in the County of
Devon, Retired Civil Servant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to a simple and effective device whereby luggage and the
like can readily be carried up and down stairs or trundled over any plane surface.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now fully describe
the same having reference to the explanatory drawings forming a part of this
specification, wherein :-
Figure 1 is a plan view of a device for the purpose set forth, constructed in
accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 is a like view shewing a slight modification.
Figure 3 is an elevation illustrating how the device may be used for carrying a
load, such as a box, up or down a flight of steps.
Figure 4 is an elevation of a modified form of the device provided with a basket
for carrying small parcels and the like.
Figure 5 is a like view of another modification, here represented as provided
with a chair or seat for carrying invalids and other persons.
Figure 6 is a detail.
Similar letters refer to like parts in all the figures.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, which represent a form of the device
more particularly adapted for carrying or transporting bulky and heavy articles
such as travelling trunks, packing cases, furniture and the like, aa are a pair of
parallel straps of leather, webbing, cord or other suitable material, connected
together by the transverse distance piece b to which they are secured by studs,
rivets or otherwise. The said straps a undergird the article to be carried, such as
the trunk c for example, and one side of the distance piece b is provided or formed
with a suitable stop or stops, such as the brackets d, which engage with the load
and prevent it from sliding forward longitudinally of the straps during transit.
The straps a are each provided towards their extremities with suitable hand
grips so connected with the said straps that they may be attached or fixed at
various desired points thereof as required, said hand grips being preferably
in the form of handle bars e connecting the straps together.
construction of handle bar is shewn in the detail Figure 6 which represents on an
A preferred
enlarged scale a transverse section of a bare having a slot f formed at or near each
end thereof of sufficient dimensions to admit the strap a when folded over on itself.
By inserting a stop piece g, preferably of wedge form as illustrated, in the loop
or bight of the strap the latter, when in tension, is securely gripped between the
said stop piece or wedge and the slot f. The straps a having been gripped at
any desired point by the handle bars may be readily shortened if desired by
rolling them up upon the said bars. Any other suitable form of hand grip may
however be employed and may be provided with hooks, studs, eyes or the like,
adapted to engage with a corresponding series of eyes, studs, hooks or the like
provided or formed along the straps a.
In carrying or transporting articles by means of the device, the handles e at
each end thereof are grasped by the bearers and the load either suspended between
them, as when ascending or descending a fight of steps for example (Figures
and 5), or trundled along barrow fashion when, when moving the load over a floor
or other plane surface (Figure 4), for which purpose small castors or wheels /
may be fixed beneath the distance piece b.
shewn so
In using the device for carrying the load up or down a flight of steps, the
handle e at the rear ends of the straps in ascending (or the front ends in
descending) would preferably be brought close up to the load as
as to equalise the weight upon the bearers, and in order to
avoid injury to the knuckles, one or more distance pieces i (Figures 3 and 5),
which may be made of stout curved wire, may be provided on one or both handle
barse for keeping the latter, under these circumstances, clear of the article
carried.

page_text: In order to avoid risk of the load wobbling or capsizing when suspended by
the device as above described, I may provide the straps a with flexible diagonal
stays or ties (Figure 2) which cross one another and connect each strap a with
the nearest opposite corner of the distance piece b or with the opposite strap close
to such distance piece. The length of these stays or ties & should be such that when
the straps a are in tension they will be drawn slightly towards each other by the
said stays as illustrated (Figure 2).
If considered desirable, the distance piece b may be provided or formed with
additional stops at the ends for preventing the load from slipping sideways.
When a load is being carried or suspended by the device however the grip of the
straps a will usually be sufficient to prevent side slipping. It may also be found
convenient in some cases to provide the straps a with an additional transverse
distance piece (not shewn in the drawings) adjustable along the straps and adapted
to be fixed at any desired point thereof. This may be effected by forming crooked
slots or passages through the said adjustable distance piece through which
slots the straps a are reeved and by which they will be gripped when put in
tension by the load.
Although in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the distance piece b is represented as a flat
rectangular board, it may take various other forms; for example, that of a basket b¹
(Figure 4) suitable for carrying a number of small packages, or of a chair 6³
(Figure 5) adapted for conveying a person up or down stairs.
Although in the drawings I have shewn each strap a as continuous from end to
end, it is clear that either strap may consist of two lengths connected by the
distance piece to which they are securely fixed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A device for carrying or transporting luggage and the like, comprising a
pair of straps provided with suitable hand grips towards their extremities and
connected together by a distance piece, substantially as described.
2. A device for carrying or transporting luggage and the like, as stated in
the preceding claiming clause, but having a distance piece in the form of a
basket or like receptacle, or of a chair or seat, substantially as described.
3. In a device for carrying or transporting luggage and the like, the combination
of the straps a having handles at or near either end, the distance piece connecting
the straps and the castors or rollers fixed beneath said distance piece, all constructed
and arranged substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a device for carrying or transporting luggage and the like, the combination
with the straps a having hand grips, of the distance piece and the diagonal ties or
stays k, all constructed and arranged substantially as described and illustrated.
5. The combination with devices for carrying or transporting luggage and the
like as herein before set forth, of the slotted handle bars e adjustable along the
straps a and fixable at any desired point thereof by the stop pieces or wedges g,
substantially as described and illustrated.
1
1000
Dateu THIS Pay
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON,
Chartered Patent Agents,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents.