Improvements in Travelling Dressing-bags, Dress Portmanteaus, Trunks, Boxes, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling Dressing-bags, Dress Portmanteaus,
Trunks, Boxes, and the like.
I. WILLIAM FREDERICK WILLIAMS, of 4 Park Lane, in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
In the Complete Specification of my British Letters Patent, No. 13720, dated
26th October 1886, I mentioned that the end flaps, with which I provide the bag
or other like receptacle, might be so constructed as to be detachable, so as to be
placed upon a table, or elsewhere, but no provision, however, existed whereby such
flaps or end pieces, together with their fittings, when removed from the bag, could,
by the act of placing them on a table, or elsewhere, be converted into stands or
supports.
Now, the object of my present invention is to so construct these flaps or end
pieces that they shall, when removed from the bag, and simultaneously with placing
them, together with (or without) their fittings, on a table or elsewhere, be converted
into stands or holders, thereby enabling them to be used apart from the bag, and
the fittings to be more readily got at.
I will first describe my invention as applied to a travelling dressing bag.furnished
with two of such detachable hinged end flaps or pieces; then to a travelling
dressing-bag wherein I provide four of such flaps; and afterwards to a travelling
trunk, dress-portmanteau, or box, in which I likewise provide four, or other
suitable number, of such flaps, but arrange them to close inwards, so as to protect
the toilet fittings should the trunk, portmanteau, or box, be thrown down through
careless handling, and which flaps shall, at the same time, serve as a means to
prevent the contents of the internal portion of the trunk, dress-portmanteau, or box
from becoming shifted or displaced.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 a cross section on the line A. A of Figure 1, of
a travelling dressing-bag in which the end pieces or flaps are removeable. These
figures shew the jaws of the bag partially open and one of the end pieces or flaps
turned outwards. Figure 3 is a front view and Figure 4 is a cross section on the
line B, B, of Figure 3, drawn to an enlarged scale, and shewing one of the end
pieces or flaps detached. Figure 5 is an end view shewing the position the parts
assume when such end flap is set down upon a table, or elsewhere, to form a stand.
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are details, hereinafter more fully referred to.
Figure 10 is a plan and Figure 11 is a cross section on the line C, C, of
Figure 10, shewing a modified construction of bag in which side flaps are provided,
as well as the end flaps, all of which are made detachable. The bag is here also
shown partially open. Figure 12 shows an end view, to a larger scale, of one.
of the side flaps detached from the bag and set down to form a stand.
Figure 13 is a plan and Figure 14 is a longitudinal section on the line D, D, of
Figure 13 illustrating my invention as applied to a travelling trunk, dress-
portmanteau, or box. In these figures the lid proper is not shewn.
Figures 15 and 16 illustrate a modified construction in which the flaps are so
arranged as to give additional space for the reception of the toilet or other fittings.
In these figures also the lid proper is not shewn.
In all the figures, the leather or other covering of the bag, portmanteau, or box,
and of the flaps, is not shewn for sake of clearness.
Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 9, a, a, are the jaws or "tops"

page_text: .
hinged at a, a, to the end frames b, b, by means of the longitudinal rods a², a².
Firmly secured to each of these end frames are two longitudinally slotted tubes or
sockets into which fit columns.or pillars carried by the lower portion of the
end flaps when these latter are in place within. the bag. Knuckle joints, which
may be controlled by springs e, permit of the Haps turning outwardly when they
are in place within the bag. Other knuckle joints e enable these flaps to assume
the position seen at Figure 5 when they are are detached and stood upon a table,
or elsewhere, the lower portion e² of such flaps then forming a base, and the other,
or upper, portion a holder proper for the toilet fittings. The columns or pillars ci
are so arranged that they revolve and serve as rollers when the flaps are converted
into stands or holders, so that they may be readily shifted along the surface of a
table, or elsewhere. The lower ends of these revolving columns or pillars are
furnished, as is clearly seen in Figures 6 and 7, with ball castors which, when
the flaps are removed from the bag, and when in the act of placing them upon a
table, or elsewhere in the position shewn by Figures 3 and 4-enable the lower
portion c² of said flaps to readily turn about the joint c and to assume the position
shewn by Figure 5. The upper end of each of the columns or pillars is tapped to
receive a spherically headed screw c' by means of which said revolving columns or
pillars and the ball castors c are held in place between the lugs ees, standing out
from the plate which is secured to the lower portion c² of the flaps by screws c
When the flaps are to be replaced into the bag, they are lifted by their upper
portion, the lower portion c² then immediately assuming its vertical position by its
own weight. The columns or pillars are now inserted into the slotted tubes or
sockets and the flaps are thereby securely retained in position within the bag in
the manner illustrated by Figures 8 and 9, the upper portion of the flaps then
forming the ends of the bag. Figure 8 shows one of the columns or pillars in place
within its slotted tube (which latter is shown in section) and Figure 9 is a cross
section on the line a, e, of Figure 8.
In a modified construction shown in Figures 10 and 11, additional hinged flaps
are provided, and are arranged at the sides of the bag. These flaps, which are
likewise detachable, are furnished with columns or pillars e',. e', which fit into
slotted tubes or sockets ², 62. These side flaps in the arrangement shown in the
drawings are made capable of opening simultaneously with the opening of the bag,
by connecting them to the jaws or "tops" a by means of the fastenings e. By
disconnecting the side flaps from these fastenings, they may be removed from the
bag, and be stood upon a table, or elsewhere, when they will assume the position
shewn by Figure 12 and be converted into stands carrying the toilet fittings, in the
same manner as that already described with reference to the end flaps shewn in
Figures 1 to 5.
In the arrangement illustrated by Figures 13 and 14, the travelling trunk, dress-
portmanteau, or box, is furnished with four binged and detachable flaps, i. -two
eud flaps c, and two side flaps e, e, each of which is provided with a pair of
columns or pillars c' fitting into slotted sockets as described with reference to
Figures 10 and 11, and forming, likewise, stands for the toilet or other articles,
when removed. In this instance all these flaps are so hinged that, when closed,
they can turn inwards and assume the position indicated by dotted lines in
Figure 13, and thereby entirely close up the trunk, portmanteau, or box.
In the arrangement shewn by Figures 15 and 16 which illustrate a plan and cross
section, respectively, the side flaps e, e, are curved so as to permit of their folding
over and covering the end flaps c when these latter are turned inwards, as seen at
Figure 16. In this construction the toilet, or other, fittings are effectually
protected, and an increased surface is provided for them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. Constructing the hinged and detachable end flaps and side flaps of travelling

page_text: dressing-bags, dress-portmanteaus, trunks, boxes, and the like, carrying toilet or
other fittings, in such a manner that the act of placing them upon a table, or
elsewhere, causes them to be converted into stands or supports, substantially as
described and shown with reference to the annexed drawings.
2. The combination, with the hinged and detachable end flaps, or side flaps, of
travelling dressing-bags, trunks, dress-portmanteaus, boxes and the like, of columns.
or pillars (such as c¹) furnished with ball castors (such as 6) and adapted to be
received and maintained in slotted tubes or sockets (such as 2) carried by the
bag, trunk, portmanteau, box, or the like, said columns or pillars, when the flaps.
are detached from the bag, or other like article, constituting rollers for the stands,.
whereby they can be rolled along a table, or elsewhere, without injury thereto,
substantially as described and as shown with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
3. My improvements in travelling dressing-bags, trunks, dress-portmanteaus,
boxes, and the like, substantially as herein before described and shown with
reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated this 4th day of March 1892.
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.