IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIELDS FOR TRUNKS OR PACKAGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIELDS FOR TRUNKS OR PACKAGES."-
A communication from abroad by Alford House and Henry Alonzo
House, both of Bridgeport, in the State of Connecticut, United States of
America.
Sealed the 13th February 1866, and dated the 24th November 1865..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
.. at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th November 1865.
I,. WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil. Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIELDS FOR TRUNKS OR. PACKAGES,"
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to render the transportation of valuable but
fragile materials more safe, and to preserve trunks or packages from being
damaged. by rough handling on being removed from place to place.

page_text: To this end the Invention consists in forming a shield or guard of elastic
vulcanized rubber or gutta percha for the corners of packages, so as to
relieve them from jars or shocks when roughly handled. The guard or shield
is formed of vulcanized rubber cast in a mould of the form desired. The
sides of the corner guard are for economy only thick enough to receive nails
or screws to fasten it securely in place, while its more prominent or exposed
corner is made as thick as may be required to give the requisite elasticity to
effectually protect the package to which it is applied from injury; packages of
varying sizes and weights requiring shields varying in dimensions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward William Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 24th May 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or.such others as
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIELDS FOR TRUNKS OR PACKAGES," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, 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 William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to render the transportation of valuable but
fragile materials more safe than heretofore, and to preserve trunks or packages
from being damaged by the rough handling to which they are exposed in
being removed from place to place.
To this end the Invention consists in forming a shield or guard of elastic
vulcanized rubber or gutta percha for the corners of packages, and so applying
them that they shall be the most prominent parts of the package, to relieve it
from jars or shocks when roughly handled.
:
In carrying the Invention into practice it has been found particularly useful
when applied to valuable trunks or packages containing articles of price of a
rectangular form, but it is by no means intended to limit its application to
packages of a particular form.
I
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents in perspective a trunk
fitted according to the Invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an elastic
shield detached.
A is the trunk with shields or guards B applied to each of its corners,
so that in whatever way it may be thrown from the deck of a ship to the wharf,
or from one cart in land transportation to another, or from a railroad car
to the ground, it must always light on one of the protruding elastic guards B,
and thus the violence of the jar will be neutralized, and not only the trunk
but its contents also will be saved from injury. The guard or shield B is
formed of vulcanized rubber cast in a mould of the form desired for economy.
The sides 1, 2, 3 of a corner guard, for example, as shewn in Fig. 2, are
made thick enough to receive nails or screws to fasten it securely in place,
while its more prominent or exposed corner 4 is made as thick as may be
required to give the requisite elasticity to effectually protect the package to
which it is applied from injury; packages of varying sizes and weights will
require shields varying proportionately in dimensions.
It is obvious that for packages containing costly mirrors, rich porcelain
vases, valuable photographic negatives, marble statuary, and many description
of precious goods, the Invention will prove of the highest utility, and that it
is capable of being applied effectively to packages of any form.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Shields for Trunks or Packages," as communicated to me, by my foreign
correspondent, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent

page_text: .I claim the vulcanized rubber or gutta percha package guard constructed and
operating substantially in the manner. above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of. May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
L
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.B.)