Improvements in Travelling Trunks, Boxes, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1894-Accepted, 30th June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling Trunks, Boxes, and the like.
A communication from GOTTFRIEd Luithard LipPOLD, of Stephanim-strasse,
Dresden, Empire of Germany, Manufacturer.
I, Alfred JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
Hitherto, it has been customary, to stiffen or strengthen travelling trunks and
the like by the application to the upper edge, on the inside of either a broad
wooden frame, causing a material diminution in the capacity or contents of the
box, because all trays, partitions, compartments which have to be inserted
subsequently, during packing must necessarily be of correspondingly decreased
dimensions, or to make use of an iron-framed box, which, if it were to be adequately
strong and stiff, was necessarily massive and thereby increased the net weight of
the box itself too much. But if in this case thin sheet steel had been used as is
now proposed in the form of a U-shaped bent frame, slipped over the upright edge
to be strengthened, then it is not apt to get in the way or cause embarrassment in
any direction, while scarcely if at all interfering with the full and proper utilization
of the available opening, and all insertions may have for dimensions in length the
full limit of the width of the box.
Owing to its special form, approximately to the tubular, the frame itself is
materially stiffer and stronger, in thin sheet-steel, than had it any other form, as
well as than if constructed out of hoop-iron.
Now for the purpose of stiffening in particular those corners of the box which
are naturally the most exposed angle-pieces formed out of drawn steel wire, of
round or angular cross-section, and further also the flaps of the one side may be
left standing and slipped in under the other part for the purpose of strengthening
it. The angle-pieces are placed in the coruers and rest loose upon the edges of
the box.
By an arrangement of the rounded angles of the box, my correspondent is
enabled, with the aid of rubber packing to provide a dust and water-tight closure
for the trunk or box the said rubber packing being let into the edge of the cover
in the form of a strip or band. When the cover is closed the half-round edge of
the box presses the packing against the projecting edge of the cover, and prevents
the penetration of water.
On the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the box when closed;
Figure 2 a cross-section through the same when opened.
Figures 3 and 4 represent the mounting and fitting of the edges.
The -shaped frame a is placed upon the edge 6 of the box or trunk, and at the
corners stiffened by the insertion of preferably iron angle-pieces c. On the inner
edge of the lid or cover d is placed the packing of soft material, rubber or the
like f.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a travelling-trunk or the like a stiffening frame such as a made of bent
U-shaped metal placed on the edge of the trunk and corner-strengthening angle-

page_text: pieces such as c substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In combination with the metallic framing and strengthening pieces described
in Claim 1 for travelling trunks and the like the arrangement of strips or bands of
rubber or the like material on the edge of the top or cover in order that the
pressure of the two when the trunk is closed may make a dust and waterproof
closure for the same substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
BOLL
M-1001
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.