IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO DRESSING CASES, DISPATCH BOXES, WRITING CASES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Asprey, of New Bond Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Dressing Case, Dispatch Box, and Writing Case Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES, PARTICULARLY
APPLICABLE TO DRESSING CASES, DISPATCH BOXES, WRITING CASES, AND OTHER
SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 4th May 1855, and dated the 17th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Asprey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th November 1854.
I, CHARLES ASPREY, of New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex,
Dressing Case, Dispatch Box, and Writing Case Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES,
PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO DRESSING CASES, DISPATCH BOXES, WRITING CASES,
AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," to be as follows:-
In all handles hitherto constructed for dispatch and other like cases, they
have had the defect of offering too small or uncomfortable a hold. Now, my
Invention is intended to remedy this defect, and consists in providing a handle,
composed of two flaps or parts, one opposite the other, which, when not
required for the purpose of carrying the article, or pulling out a drawer,

page_text: or other similar purpose, according to the nature of the article, fold down
into hollows or channels made for their reception, and lie flush with that part
to which they are fitted; and when required, the two flaps of the handle are
raised, and offer a large and comfortable hold..
Another improvement consists in adapting to handles for similar articles to
those herein-before mentioned, and whether consisting of one flap only or of
two flaps, as herein-before described, a spring or springs,-which- on-being
liberated cause the flap or flaps to fly up in such manner as to be readily taken
by the hand. On-pressing the flap.or flaps of the handle down, it or they
would be retained flush by means of a catch or catches.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Asprey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COMES I; CHARLES
ASPREY, of New Bond Street, in the County of Middlesex: Dressing Case,
Dispatch Box, and Writing Case Manufacturer, send greeting
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand-eight hundred and fifty-four, in-the eighteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Asprey, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Asprey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others, as
I, the said Charles Asprey, 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, tap-Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HANDLES, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO DRESSING CASES,
DISPATCH BOXES, WRITING CASES, AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Asprey, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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.
.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE that I, (the said Charles Asprey, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention,zand in what manner the: same is to be per-
formed,stoibexparticularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference beingshadatos.the Drawings hereunto annexed,
(thats is to say)
Inwall handles shitherto constructed for dispatch and other, like, cases, they
have had the defectfofxoffering too small or uncomfortable a bold. Now, my
Invention is intended to remedy this and other (defects, and consists in: providing
a handle, composed of two flaps.or parts,cone opposite the other, which when
not required for use:fold down into hollows or channels.. made, for their
reception, and liec flush with that part to which they are fitted; and when
required, the two.flaps, of sthe handle are raised, and offer a large and.com-
fortable hold:i A-handleifór carrying a box or other article suspended from it
has hitherto been fitted in such manner that, when the handle is raised for
carrying the box, it is thrown out of the centre. Now, among the advantages
arising from my double flap-handle; it. possesses. that of affording a central
hold: Another improvement, whereby...the annoyance; and inconvenience of
using the nail to:raiseraphandle.is.avoided, consists in adapting to handles, for
similar articles to those herein befores mentioned;cand [whether consisting of
one flap only for offtwo flaps, as herein before described,sa-spring or.. springs,
which tonsbeing liberated cause the flap or flaps to fly up in such manner; as to
be readily taken: by theshand: Onxpressing the flap or flaps of the handle
down, it is, for theytaré, retained flush by means ofsa catch or catches.
nt Inlithe Drawings hereunto. annexed I havesrepresented: the manner..in
which I carry my Invention into effect.cFigurel shews'ai plan of a handle with
both the flaps folded down into channels icut for their reception in the handle
plate; Figure 23representsi aaplan of the under-side with the back, plate
(Figure 1).removed; in order to shewathéz arrangement, of the springs' and
stops; Figure 3 is a side elevationswith the flaps.up, so as to form a handle.
AsiAs is the surface plate, which is cut with two channels B, B, of the same
shape and size as the flaps. C, C, area the: flaps, which are secured to the
surface plate by epiñs a, a, in each end,fand:upon which,the, flaps are free to
turnis DD are two steel wires, one end of each of which is firmly fixed into the
socketsi E,Econ the back of the surfaceplate: Thecopposite ends of these
wires caressecurely attached toxtherflaps. C, C, but with a certain, amount-of
twist; so that: when the flaps.are..up, this twist in the wire acts as a spring to
keep thesflaps-closely together. The pressing downsthe flaps into the channels,
as represented in Eigure.1; twists the wiresi still further, and, makes it necessary
to holdaithexflapsedownbycatches, to prevent their being forced up by the

page_text: wires. These catches are composed of a stud or pin o, which projects from
the end of each of the levers F, F, and after passing through the rim G, G,
takes into a corresponding hole in the end of each of the flaps. The
levers F, F, are centred at c, c, to the back of the surface plate, and the
opposite ends are bevilled off, and bear upon the end of the short lever H.
This lever His hinged at d, and is formed with a conical end, which acts as a
wedge upon the ends of the levers F, F, when depressed by the stud I, which
is passed up through the surface plate A, for the convenience of being pressed
upon. e, e, are springs secured to the rim G, G, bearing against the levers F, F;
so as to keep the catches b, b, in the holes in the ends of the flaps until
released by pressing down the wedge, when the action of the steel wires D, D;
causes the flaps immediately to fly up and form the handle. Upon pressing
down the flaps when not required for use, the catches again fit into the holes,
and the flaps are thereby locked. K, K, are nuts and screws for attaching
the handle to the article to which it is to be applied. Figure 4 represents in
plan a modification of the preceding arrangement, which consists in dispensing
with the steel wires, and substituting in lieu thereof a forked lever, acted upon
by a spring. A, A, is the surface, plate; B, B, the channels; and C, C, the
flaps. D is the forked lever, the ends a, a, of which bear against the ends of
the flaps. This lever is centred upon the pin 6, supported in the bracket E,
screwed to the back of the surface plate. F-is a spring, which presses against
the tail of the lever D, and serves to keep the forked end against the ends
of the flaps; c, c, are the catches for locking the flaps when pressed down into
their channels; they are acted upon by helical springs and wedges, similar to
those described in reference to Figures 2 and 3. The front view of this
handle is similar to that represented in Figure 1; the plate of this handle may
be ornamented with any desired pattern, or may be quite plain as represented
in Figure 5, where the flaps are shewn up and forming a handle. Figure 6
represents a front view of a bandle formed of a single flap, and. adapted for
drawers and such like purposes; this flap is caused to fly out by pressing
upon the stud a, which liberates a spring, and causes the handle to fly out.
Although I have shewn and described two kinds of springs for raising the
flaps, I do not confine myself thereto, as other springs may be employed for
effecting the same object; or the springs may be entirely dispensed with, and
the flaps raised by means of the hand, niches being cut in the surface plate, as
shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 5, to admit of the finger nail or other
substitute being inserted beneath each of the flaps, though I do not recommend
such an arrangement. And instead of grooves or channels being cut in the
handle plate, as herein-before described, the handle plate may be dispensed

page_text: with, and then the grooves may be cut or made in the surface to which the
handle is fitted.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
improvements in handles, particularly applicable to dressing cases, dispatch
boxes, writing cases, and other. similar articles, is the forming them of two
parts or flaps, one opposite to the other, which when not required for use fold
down into hollows or channels made for their reception, and lie flush with that
part to which they are fitted. I also claim the adaptation to the flap or flaps
of a spring or springs, which, on being liberated, cause the flap or flaps to
fly up, and offer a large and comfortable hold for the hand, all as herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Asprey, have hereunto set my
land and seal, this Seventeenth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
CHAS ASPREY. (L.S.)