Improved Methods of and Apparatus for Ensuring the Safety and Facilitating the Direction and Identification of Baggage and the like.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1887
Specification Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Methods of and Apparatus for Ensuring the Safety and
Facilitating the Direction and Identification of Baggage and
the like.
I HIPPOLITE ANTOINE DERAISMES, of the City of Elizabeth, in the County of
Union and State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer 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 :-
The objects of the present invention are to secure the protection and identification
of articles of baggage, and to cause them to carry any desired directions in sight
relating to their keeping or disposal, while in the custody of common carriers or
others to whom they may be temporarily intrusted.
The invention consists, in general terms, of the improvements hereinafter fully
described and claimed in the methods or modes of protecting baggage by the use of
locking baggage checks composed of two parts, a locking device and a check or
direction part, constructed and arranged to be locked to each other and to an article
of baggage in such manner that the marks and words upon the check or direction
part shall be in sight, and when unlocked the check or direction part can be readily
removed or separated from the locking device and others be substituted therefor,
whereby the locking baggage check is made universal in its application.
I will now describe devices which may be successfully used in carrying my
invention into practice, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in
which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a locking baggage check secured to an article of
baggage.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the same.
Figure 3 is an end view of the locking baggage check with the locking slide
withdrawn and showing the checks or directions parts; and
Figure 4 is the unlocking key.
In the drawing, A represents a locking device composed of an outer case or shell
and an enclosed locking mechanism. B is a receptacle or holder for the check or
direction piece and is so formed and arranged relatively to the locking device that a

page_text: check or direction piece can be easily attached to or removed from the locking device
through or by means of its holder or receptacle, and when so attached for use its face
carrying the directions will be in sight. The receptacle or holder B may conveniently
be formed by casting it in the same piece with the locking device A. Its back or
rear part may consist of a single plate C which will prevent the check from removal
in that direction. Its front or face side is left open to afford a view of the face of the
check or direction part when inserted therein. This opening is conveniently formed
by casting a frame or border D raised up from the rear plate C about the thickness
of the check to be inserted, so that the check when in place will lie between the back
plate C and the border D which latter will cover and hold down the edges of the
check while its central face will be exposed to view. One end of the receptacle or
holder is provided with an opening or slit E, for the insertion or removal of the check
or direction part.
A chain is securely attached at one of its ends to the locking device, while its
opposite or free end is provided with a locking slide G constructed to be inserted into
the end of the locking device and to engage with the catch of the locking mechanism
and is thereby held in place till unlocked by the key. A part of the outer end of
the slide G when locked in place overlaps the opening or slit E, or a part thereof, and
the end of check when in place, and thereby locks the check in its receptacle or
holder. K represents a key for unlocking the locking device.
The locking mechanism enclosed in a case or shell, and which together with the
shell makes up the locking device A, may be of any construction which will hold and
retain the slide G, when inserted in place, until it is released by the use of the key K.
A convenient and simple construction of locking mechanism for this purpose is fully
described and shown in letters patent of the United States No. 200,990, granted to
me March 5th, 1878, to which reference is hereby made. I do not, however, desire
to limit my present invention to the construction of the locking mechanism shown
and described in said patent, or to any special construction, as the important feature
of my invention is for the use of removable checks and direction tickets which are
locked to articles of baggage and to the locking device in some convenient manner
and not for the special means by which this is done.
It is important that a check or direction piece when attached to an article of
baggage should retain such position that its marks and directions can be seen and
read with as little inconvenience as possible. This result can be accomplished by
making the links I of the chain F flattened at one of their ends and arranging the
flattened ends to point in the same direction from the opposite ends of the chain
towards its middle part where the flattened ends of two links are attached to a ring J.
This construction will cause the locking baggage check when properly attached to
the handle of a trunk to take and retain a position in which the face of the check will
be in sight and its directions can be read.
H is a check or direction part, piece or ticket of proper size and shape to be
inserted and locked in the receptacle or holder in such manner that it cannot be
removed without unlocking the locking device by the use of the key. These checks
or tickets may be of any suitable material, as thin metal, thick paper or card-board,
upon which the desired numbers, marks or directions can be engraved, printed or
written.
The checks and tickets when used upon baggage to be transported from one station
to any other, preferably should have the name or initials of the carrying company, and
the names of the stations from which and to which the baggage is to be carried,
inscribed upon them, to show in case of loss of baggage the name of the company
incurring the responsibility and the locality to which the baggage when found should
be sent. In practice these checks and tickets preferably are made of cardboard or
similar material suitable to be written upon with a pen or pencil, whereby any desired
directions can be readily placed upon them.
The method of protecting and indentifying baggage by the use of the universal
locking baggage check as above described is briefly as follows -When it is desired
to check an article of baggage at one station to insure its safe delivery and indentifi-
:-

page_text: cation at another station, or to check articles to effect any special disposition of them
in the matter of retention, for a given time, delivery at a certain place at a given
time &c. the desired directions are written or otherwise marked upon the face of the
check which is placed in its receptacle or holder and locked to the locking device and
to the article of baggage so that the check cannot be removed from the baggage
without the use of the unlocking key which is temporarily in the possession of the
owner of the baggage, and is to be presented by him or his agent at the proper time
and place as the means for identification and redemption of the baggage. If the key
is the only means in the custody of the owner of the baggage for its identification, it
should be marked with numbers or characters corresponding with those on the check
attached to the locking device and the baggage, and in such case the key and the
check attached to the baggage afford means for identifying and protecting the baggage
since they are two checks or pieces identified with each other by corresponding
numbers or marks, one of which is in the custody of the owner and the other locked
to the locking device and to the baggage.
Instead, however, of relying upon the key numbered and marked to correspond
with the numbers or marks upon the check secured to the baggage as a means of
indentifying the baggage, the owner of the baggage may receive a check which shall
be substantially a duplicate of the check secured to the locking device and the baggage,
and in such a case this duplicate check would furnish the desired identification for
redeeming the baggage, and when this is done the key need not be identified with the
check by corresponding numbers or marks. In practice it will be found desirable to
permanently identify every key with its locking device, and this may be conveniently
done by conspicuously placing corresponding numbers on each as shown in
Figures 2 and 4 of the drawing. When the key, identified with the locking device, and
a check, the duplicate of that removably secured to the locking device, are both in the
custody of the owner of the baggage, he is provided with a double check or with
twofold means for identifying his baggage.
In case the key and the locking device are identified with each other by
corresponding numbers or marks permanently attached thereto, this will generally
afford sufficient means to enable the owner to identify his baggage, since the numbers
or marks upon the locking device secured to an article of baggage which correspond
to those upon the key must identify the baggage with the presentor of the key. In
this case it will not be necessary that the removable check or direction piece or ticket
be identified with the key or with any check or direction ticket delivered to or held by
the owner, and such direction piece or ticket can be used wholly to carry directions
relating to the disposition of the baggage. When such piece is identified with some
other piece, whether a key or any other piece, in the custody of the owner of the
baggage, it is a check, but when not so identified it is simply a direction piece or ticket.
When the baggage has been identified by the presentation of the key or redeeming
check in the custody of the owner, the mechanism is unlocked and the locking device
becomes detachable from the baggage, when the check or direction piece, as the case
may be, is easily removed or separated from the locking device, and the locking
device is thereby prepared to receive a new check or direction piece which may
indicate that the baggage is to be carried in a different direction and
under different conditions and circumstances from those indicated by the
check or direction piece which was removed, and thus becomes a locking baggage
check of universal application.
It will be seen that the act of locking the locking device to the baggage
locks the check or direction piece to the locking device so that it cannot
be disconnected until the key is used to unlock it. It is also seen that the
act of unlocking the locking device simultaneously makes it detachable from the
baggage and releases the check or direction piece so that it can be easily removed from
the locking device. I do not, however, desire to limit my invention to locking the
check or direction piece to the locking device by means of a receptacle or holder like
that shown in the drawing, as any means by which it is securely locked to the locking
device with its directions or marks in sight at the time the locking device is locked to

page_text: the article of baggage will answer the purpose. The receptacle or holder shown in
the drawing is simply a convenient means for accomplishing this purpose. Neither
do I desire to limit my invention to any special construction of locking device or of
the key (a combination lock and key may be used), or to any special form or size of
checks or directions pieces, or to any special inscription to be placed upon them, the
main and distinguishing features of my invention consisting in having the check or
ticket easily separable from the locking device so that an interchange or substitution
of checks or tickets carrying different directions or instructions relating to the
baggage can be made and at the same time the locking device and the check be
securely locked together and to the baggage thus forming a locking baggage check of
universal application.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is ;-
First. The herein described method or mode of protecting baggage which consists
in providing two checks or pieces identified with each other by corresponding numbers
or marks, securing one of such checks with its numbers or marks in sight to the
baggage by a locking device capable of being unlocked by its key and which when
unlocked simultaneously detaches the locking device from the baggage and releases
the check from the locking device, giving the other check or piece into the custody of
the owner of the baggage, and surrendering the baggage thus checked upon
presentation of the check or piece given to the owner, substantially as set forth.
Second. The improvement herein described in methods of protecting and directing
baggage, which consists in attaching to the baggage, by means of a locking device
capable of being unlocked by its key, a check permanently secured to such locking
device and carrying identifying marks in sight, giving to the owner of the baggage a
check or piece bearing corresponding marks, providing a direction piece or ticket,
locking the direction piece to the locking device simultaneously with the locking of
the latter to the baggage, the direction piece being secured to the locking device only
so long as the latter is locked but removable therefrom for the purpose of substituting a
different direction piece when the locking device is unlocked, substantially as
set forth.
Dated this 27th day of Santamber 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.