An Improved Box for Carriage of Men's Hats, Collars, and other Personal Articles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1899
L
1000
10th an 4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Box for Carriage of Men's Hats, Collars, and other
Personal Articles.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of 9 and 10, High Street, Bath, Portmanteau
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
"
This invention consists in an improved box for containing men's hats, collars,
ties and handkerchiefs, and other personal articles. It is designed to take several
hats of various kinds including a "top" or silk hat. It is specially adapted for
use when travelling. One of the features of the invention lies in the arrangement
whereby the silk hat is so placed and secured that the nap is kept out of contact
with the other hats and the sides or ends of the box. The box may be reversed or
laid on either side or end without causing any ruffling of the nap of the "top'
or silk hat. The latter is placed, brim downwards, over a conical receptacle for
cuffs, which receptacle projects upwards from a shelf adapted to slide from the
front into and out of the box. A clip arranged to clip on to the hat brim secures
the hat in place on the shelf, which is adapted to carry also a hat and cloth brush.
The front of the box is a drop" front, that is to say, it opens outwards on a
bend or fold provided at its union with the box bottom. The front panei carries
on the rear face a pocket or bag for containing ties and handkerchiefs. The top
panel or cover of the box also opens on a bend or fold which connects it to the
back panel. On the inner face of the top panel is carried a box for containing
sleeve links, scarf and other pins, studs and such like. There is also fixed to the
said top panel a pair of straps adapted to fit over the brim of a straw or other
small hat as distinguished from a "top" hat. On the inner face of the back panel
is arranged a pocket adapted to receive and hold an opera" hat in the collapsed
state. On the inner face of one of the side panels is arranged a conical hollow
projection or head projecting inwards and adapted to take collars inside it and
to receive upon it a hat of the "bowler" or like kind. On the inner face of the
opposite panel is secured a pair of straps adapted to fit over and hold a cap or a soft
compressible hat of the "wide-awake or similar kind.
93
33
6
The shelf carrying the "top or silk hat is so arranged that it can be withdrawn
and put back without bringing the hat it carries into contact with any of the other
hats contained in the box.
Dated this fith dar of Var 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Box for Carriage of Men's Hats, Collars, and other
Personal Articles.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of 9 and 10, High Street, Bath, Portmanteau
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
Price R71

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement: -
This invention consists in an improved box for containing men's hats, collars,
ties, and handkerchiefs and other personal articles. It is designed to take several
hats of various kinds including a "top" or silk hat. It is specially adapted for use
when travelling. The leading feature of the invention is the arrangement whereby
the silk hat is so placed and secured that the nap is kept out of contact with the
other hats and the sides or ends of the box. The box may be reversed or laid on
either side or end without causing any ruffling of the nap of the "top
or silk hat.
The "top" or silk hat is placed, brim downwards, over a conical receptacle for
cuffs, which receptacle projects upwards from a shelf adapted to slide from the
front into and out of the box. By a clip or clips arranged to clip on to the hat
brim the hat is secured in place on the shelf, which is adapted to carry also a hat
.brush, or a cloth brush, or both.
وو
The front of the hox is a "drop" front, that is to say. it opens outwards on a
bend or fold provided at its union with the box bottom. The rear panel carries on
its front or inner face a pocket or bag for containing ties and handkerchiefs. The
top panel or cover of the box also opens on a bend or fold which connects it to
the back panel. On the inner face of the top panel is carried a box for containing
sleeve links, scarf and other pins, studs and such like. There is also fixed to the
said top panel a pair of straps adapted to pass over the brim of a straw or other
small hat as distinguished from a top" hat. On the inner face of the front
panel is arranged a pocket adapted to receive and hold an
opera "hat in the
collapsed state.
" opera
"
Instead of being on the inner face of the front panel, the pocket for an
hat may be on the inner face of the back panel, and, in that case, the pocket or bag
for ties and handkerchiefs is on the rear face of the front panel.
On the inner face of one of the side panels is arranged a conical hollow projection
or case projecting inwards and adapted to take collars inside it and to receive upon
it a hat of the "bowler" or like kind. On the inner face of the opposite panel
is secured a pair of straps and a flap adapted to lie over and hold a cap or a soft
compressible hat of the
29
wide-awake or similar kind.
The shelf carrying the "top" or silk hat is so arranged that it can be withdrawn
and put back without bringing the hat it carries into contact with any of the other
hats contained in the box.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of
my improved box for the carriage of men's hats, collars and other personal articles.
It has a skeleton frame of iron over which is stretched and secured leather lined
inside with satin, silk, or other suitable material. The lining is not shown in
the drawings. The front panel a is shown as lowered. It turns up and down
on the bend a as on a hinge. The cover b is shown as down. It turns upon the
piece fixed to the back panel c. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the front panel a
horizontal. The cover is raised to the vertical and is shown as cut through the
line, Fig. 1. The box is fitted with a handle strap and with a lock and
fastening straps such as are ordinarily used for boxes and the like. These and
other usual accessories are not shown in the drawings.
The principal feature in the invention is that the "top" or silk hat d is so
placed and held and carried that it is always kept clear of the other hats and articles
in the box. and can be placed in and drawn out of the box without coming into
contact with the said other hats and articles. The box may be turned upside down
or on to either side or end without causing dislodgement of the
top" or silk
hat d. This object is achieved by the provision of the shelf e which is arranged to
be slid into and out of the box from the front thereof. A tab el is fixed to the shelf e
to facilitate withdrawal and replacement. Narrow rails f fixed to the sides of the
box project over the sides of the shelf e and prevent it from falling down when the
box is turned upside down. Hinged to plates fixed to the shelf e are spring
clips having cushions ¹ on the under faces. When the top hat has been placed

page_text: on the shelf e the clips h, previously raised, are lowered, and the cushions h¹ are
thus made to grip upon the brim of the hat and hold the hat firmly in place. The hat
d is placed over a conical receptacle i of leather or other suitable material fixed to
the shelf and having a covering fitted with a running or draw string for closing the
cover by contraction. The receptacle is designed to contain cuffs. A similar
receptacle to contain collars is fixed to the inner face of the side k, as seen at
Fig. 2. Over this fits a hat 7 of the "howler" type. It is held in place by straps 71
having spring clasps 72. On the inner face of the opposite side m is a flap m¹ fixed
at foot close against the side m.
This makes provision for receiving a cap n which is kept in place by the
straps m² fixed at foot close to the side in and fitted at the upper ends with spring
clasps m³. On the inner face of the rear panel c is fitted a bag or pocket o of
leather. This bag or pocket o is designed to contain ties and handkerchiefs and
the like. To the inner face of the cover bis fixed a box with removable cover p¹.
This box is designed to receive and hold sleeve links, studs, pins, and other
such fastenings, or trinkets.
To the inner face of the cover b are attached straps q for retaining a straw hat r
which, in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, is shown as having a part broken
away. It is so shown as to enable more of the cap n to be seen than would have
been the case had the straw hat r been shown entire.
On the inner face of the front "drop-down" panel a is an expansible pockets for
holding an opera hat in the collapsed state. This pocket is made of silk, satin, or
other suitable material and has an elastic band s¹ around the mouth.
The arrangement of the various devices in the box is such that, as aforesaid,
the top hat is kept out of contact with the other contents, and thus injury to or
ruffling of the nap of the said top hat is obviated.
A hat brush or cloth brush or both may be carried in straps or sockets on the
shelf c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a box for carrying hats, caps and other personal articles, the method
of and means for carrving a "top" or silk hat. namely, by a sliding shelf or tray
on which the top hat is held by clips and which shelf is adapted to be slid. under
side rails, ledges or the like. into and out of the box, without causing the top
hat to come into contact with the sides or ends of the box and the other hats
or articles contained in the box. substantially as herein before described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
"
2. In one box, the combination. with the means referred to in Claim 1, for
holding a top hat, of means for holding a "bowler hat, a straw hat, a soft
or compressible hat or cap. and an opera hat. substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
"
3. In a box for carrying hats the combination of the hat-carrying and hat-
retaining devices with receptacles for ties, handkerchiefs, cuffs, collars, sleeve links,
studs, pins and other personal articles, substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
D1
1.
T1
1000