Improvements in Frames for the Mouths of Mail and other Bags.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Frames for the Mouths of Mail and other Bags.
I, CHARLES BATEMAN, of Gales Creek, in the County of Washington and State
of Oregon, United States of America, Bricklayer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide a frame for the mouths of mail
bags or the like, having novel features of construction, which is simple, durable,
convenient in service, that will hold the mouth of the bag open at full extent in
rectangular form for the free reception of mail matter and also adapt the frame
for a secure closure of the bag mouth.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts,
as is hereafter described and defined in the appended claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device applied, and adjusted to hold the
mouth of the bag distended;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the frame in opened adjustment;
Figure 3 is an end view of the frame in closed condition, seen in direction of
arrow in Figure 5;
Figure 4 is an enlarged partly sectional elevation of the frame, substantially
on the line 44 in Figure 2;
Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the frame in place on a bag and in closed
condition;
Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the device, substantially on the
line 6-6 in Figure 2;
Figure 7 is a side view of the closed frame, seen in direction of arrow in
Figure 5;
Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view, substantially on the line 8-8 in
Figure 5; and
Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view, substantially on the line 9-9 in
Figure 5.
The improvement may be applied on the mouths of bags used for different
purposes; preferably it is employed as a mail bag mouth frame, and is repre-
sented as applied upon a mail bag.
In the drawings illustrating the construction and application of the invention,
10 indicates a bag shown in part, which may be of leather or other available
material.
The improved frame shown secured upon the edge of the bag mouth, comprises
essentially four main members 11, 12, 13 and 14, which are in the form of bars
which vary in form, and that are jointed together to be folded together compactly
for closure of the bag mouth, or to be opened to provide a rectangular frame,
whereby the bag mouth is suitably distended for reception of mail matter, the
specific construction of said members being as follows:

page_text: The frame bar 11 is L-shaped in cross section, and substantially parallel on
the side edges, one side of the angular frame bar extending horizontally from
the upper termination of the vertical member thereof, as shown in Figures 3, 4,
8 and 9 of the drawings.
At or near the longitudinal centre of the frame bar 11, a protuberance a is
formed on the vertical side wall thereof, to afford material for the formation in
the inner side of this wall of a recess or cavity opposite the protuberance men-
tioned, said recess receiving a hinge leaf formed on one end of the frame bar 12.
The leaf on the extremity of the frame bar 12 is pivoted at a¹ in the recessed
protuberance a and provided with a rule joint, which permits the free folding of
the frame bar 12 below the horizontal top member of the frame bar 11. The
frame bar 12 is about equal in thickness with the upright wall of the angular
frame bar portion 11" which extends from the joint on the frame bar 11 toward
the right-hand end in Figure 1; and when the complete frame bar is closely folded,
the bar 12 will lie housed below the overhanging member of the frame bar 11,
leaving room on the outside thereof for another bar 13 to be folded beneath the
horizontal member of the frame bar 11.
From the joint a', the upright wall of the angular frame bar, 11 which projects
leftward in Figure 1 is double the thickness of the same wall on the half por-
tion 11 thereof, thereby reducing the width of the horizontal member of the
frame bar 11 correspondingly where it projects laterally from the thickened
upright wall just mentioned.
On the left-hand end of the frame bar 11 as shown in Figure 1, an end of the
frame bar 13 is rule jointed as at b, which will permit the two frame bars 11, 13
to be extended in alignment and also flexed to form a right-angle between them.
The frame bar 13 is equal in thickness for one-half of its length extending
from the joint 6, with the thicker portion of the frame bar 11, and its width
together with the. relative formation of the rule joint b, permits the said bar 13
to fold beneath the horizontal member of the bar 11, as indicated in 'Figure 9.
A protuberance c is formed on the outer side of the frame bar 13, at or near
its longitudinal centre to provide room for a hinge joint recess in the opposite
side thereof, and a joint leaf on one end of the frame bar 14, is pivoted therein
to provide a hinged connection c¹ between the parts named. From the hinge
joint the outermost half portion of the frame bar 13 is reduced in thickness,
so that it is equal with that of the frame bar 14, and these parts when folded
together in the direction of the curved arrow z in Figure 1 should have a com-
bined thickness equal to that of the half of the frame bar 13, that is located
between the joints b and c¹.
The outermost ends of the frame bars 12 and 14 are jointed together as shown
at d, whereby these bars are permitted to fold together when their jointed ends
at d are moved outwardly or in the direction of the arrow z¹ in Figure 1, which
will result in impinging the outer side of the bar 14 upon the inner side of
the outer portion of the bar 13, and at the same time the two contacting bars 12
and 14, together with the bar 13 are all folded compactly beneath the top hori-
zontal. portion on the outer part 11" of the frame bar 11, as shown in Figures 3
and 8.
On the lower edges of each frame bar 11, 12, 13 and 14, depending flanges g
are formed whereon the free top edges of the open bag 10 are secured by rivets
or other means. The frame bars 11 and 13 are equal in length, and at a
suitable point near the free end of the frame bar 13 a vertical slot h (Figure 4)
is formed, for the reception of the slide bolt 15, held projected a proper distance
above the bar by a spring 16 that has its ends respectively engaged with the
frame bar 13 and the slide bolt, as clearly shown in said figure.
A slot e is formed in the top horizontal flange on the frame bar 11, at a point
near one end which will permit said. slot to receive the projected portion of the
slide bolt 15, and in a vertical slot formed in the outer side of the frame bar 13,
opposite the slide bolt 15, a thumb-piece h¹ is inserted, having its inner end

page_text: secured in the slide bolt which affords convenient means to manipulate the bolt
for its introduction within or removal from the slot e when the throat frame is
folded. A perforation is laterally formed in the slide bolt 15 where it projects
above the frame bar 11, for accommodation of the hasp of a mail lock A, of any
preferred construction, which when engaged with the slide bolt will hold the
throat frame in closed condition.
It will be seen that when the frame bars 11 and 13 are opened to form a right
angle, the other bars 12, 14 will be automatically adjusted so as to afford a
rectangular frame where engaged with the bag 10, as shown in Figures 1 and 2,
so that the bag mouth will be distended similarly with the adjustment of the
frame for introduction of mail matter within the bag.
At spaced distance apart two arms 17 are formed or secured on the frame bar 11,
so as to depend therefrom, and on each arm a ring eye 18 is outwardly projected
as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. The ring eyes 18 may be readily slipped over
projecting hooks that are on a side wall either in an office or mail car, and thus
hang the mail bag in an upright position with the mouth thereof fully distended
to admit mail matter, avoiding the need of manual effort to keep the bag open,
so that the mail distributor may use both hands for the work and greatly expedite
it.
There may be one of the arms 17 secured to the side of the mail bag, as indicated
in Figure 1, and it is evident that the employment of said arms which will bear
upon the vertical wall whereon the bag hangs will maintain the bag in a proper
position.
The frame may be of any suitable metal, and while light is very strong and
durable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. A mouth frame for bags constructed and operating substantially in the
manner and for the purpose specified.
2. A mouth frame for bags, the same consisting of a plurality of members
having a hinged connection with each other, sundry of said members extending
beyond the throat formed by the members.
3. A mouth frame for bags in which two long bars one having an overhanging
flange, and two short bars are hinged together, so that the longer bars project
and in which the said longer bars have half their length thickened, the thickened
portion of one long bar being accommodated beneath the flange of the other long
bar and the remainder of the flange accommodating the two short bars, and the
thin free end of the remaining long bar.
Dated this 11th day of December 1899.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.