IMPROVEMENTS IN FANS, AND IN THE METHOD OF COMBINING THE SAME WITH POCKET BOOKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engincer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FANS, AND IN THE METHOD OF COMBINING THE
SAME WITH POCKET BOOKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES."-A communication
from abroad by Otto Brück, of the City and State of New York,
United States of America.
Scaled the 21st August 1868, and dated the 12th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 12th May 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of. the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FANS, AND IN THE METHOD OF COMBINING
THE SAME WITH POCKET BOOKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," a communication,
to be as follows:-
My invention, relates to a fan of novel construction which can be
worn and used by itself or be combined with other articles of personal

page_text: use, as, for example, with a card case or a pocket book, or with any article
which is not too bulky or too heavy to be conveniently handled. This
object is obtained by the employment of a tubular handle, into which
slides a second tube which is adapted to receive the fan in its folded
state, the said fan being provided with drawstrings so that it can be
readily drawn into its handle and brought in a convenient shape to be
carried in the pocket, or so that it can be drawn out and unfolded ready
for use.
The tubular case which encloses the fan when the same is shut
up, when the fan is not combined with the other articles, forms the
handle whereby it is held and used. The secondary tubular case which
receives the leaves of the fan when the fan is shut up is so made and
arranged as to slide in and out of the first tubular case in closing or
opening the fan. The leaves of the fan are preferably so made and
arranged as to assume a circular shape when fully expanded, but any
other shape may be adopted to suit the taste or judgement of the maker.
The depth of the folds of the several leaves is a little less than the
diameter of the secondary or extension case to allow the said case to
receive the leaves without destroying their shape. The extension,
expansion, and closing of the fan are accomplished by means of cords
attached to a moveable head, which holds the central extremities of the
leaves and is free to slide up and down in the second tubular case. The
fan can also be extended, expanded, and closed by means of pins pro-
jecting from the sliding extension case and the moveable head, so that
they can be operated by hand. The pin of the sliding case projects
through a longitudinal slot made in the side of the outer case, the ends
of the said slot serving as stops to arrest the pin when the inner case has
been moved in or out for the proper distance. The other pin furnishes
facilities for operating the fan by pushing it out or drawing it into the
case, the pin working in a longitudinal slot in the said case. The ends
of this slot serve to limit the movement of the head. The side folds or
leaves when the fan is extended are separated by the second case, along
the sides of which they extend down to the upper end of the first case,
to which they are fastened. When the fan is shut the side folds are
made to take their places along the inner side of the case. It is obvious
that instead of the pins and slots other devices might be used for stopping
the motion of the case and head at the required spots. The size of the
fan can be varied to suit the maker, from the size of a common pencil
case to the size of ordinary fans, and the cases may be
made of metal,
wood, or other suitable material. The leaves of the fan are flexible to

page_text: allow them to be turned into and out of the case.
into and out of the case. When my improved
fan is combined with a pocket book or other like article, the same is
secured in a convenient position upon the tubular handle, and when
the fan is shut up the combined fan and book will not occupy more
5 space than the latter alone.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her
special licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Robert Lake, 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 FANS, AND IN THE METHOD OF COMBINING THE
SAKE WITH POCKET BOOKS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly 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 Robert Lake, do, hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same

page_text: show the head e with distinctness. The fan can also be extended,
expanded, and closed by means of pins projecting through the cases a, b,
as shown in the Drawing, where pins i, j, project respectively. from
the sliding extension case 6 and the movable head e. so that they can
be operated by hand. The pin i of the sliding case 6 projects through
a longitudinal slot c made in the side of the outer case a, the ends of
the slot serving as stops to arrest the pin when the inner case. has been
moved in or out to the proper distance. The pin j in the same way
furnishes facilities for operating the fan by pushing it out or drawing
it into the case 6 the pin working in a longitudinal slot c' in the case b.
The ends of the said slot serve to limit the movements of the head.
The side folds or leaves of the fan when the same is extended.are
separated by the case b, along the sides of which they extend down
to the upper end of the case a, to which they are fastened at h, h, as
shown in Figure 1. When the fan is shut the side folds are made to
take their places along the inner side of the case b.
The operation of my improved fan is as follows:-To extend and
expand it from the condition seen in Figure 3, the cord g is pulled and
the sliding case 6 drawn out 'to, the extent allowed by the pin i and
slot c, the fan meanwhile being drawn out of the inner case because the
ends of its side folds are fastened to the outer case at h, h. When the
case 6 has become fully extended the fan is also fully expanded. In
closing the fan the cord f is pulled and the case b drawn within the
case a into which the case b slides easily, and when the pin i has
reached the bottom of the slot c of caso a, pulling on the cord f begins
to draw the head e downwards, and thereby returns the folds or leaves
of the fan into its sheath or case in which it is fully gathered when
the pin has reached the bottom of the slot c' of the case b. It is
obvious that instead of the pins i, j, and slots c, c', other devices might
be used for stopping the motion of the case 6 and head e at the required
spots, and such devices will readily suggest themselves to an intelligent
mechanic. The size of the fan can be varied to suit the maker, from
the size of a common pencil case to the size of ordinary fans, and the
cases may be made of any suitable material. The leaves of the fan
5 are flexible to allow them to be turned into and out of the case b.
In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown the application of my fan to a
pocket book or portemonaie, the fan being designated by the letter B
and the pocket book by the letter A.

page_text: Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same is to be
performed, I claim, a fan composed of a tubular handle a, tube b, head e,
leaves d, and drawstrings f, g, substantially as shown and described,
when the said fan is used either detached or in connection with a pocket
book or other article.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
Witness,
THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.
(L.B.)