Improvements in Travelling and other Trunks and Boxes.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Travelling and other Trunks and Boxes.
We, WILLIAM CHATHAM and THOMAS WILKES, trading together in copartner-
ship as Chatham and Wilkes, of Drayton Works, Graisley Row, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, Japanners and Tinplate Workers, 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:-
This invention relates chiefly to sheet metal trunks and boxes, but is in part
applicable to trunks and boxes made of other material, such as wood.
The invention consists, firstly, in improved shapes of the moulding around a
sheet metal trunk or box, and of the lid thereof, for the purpose of giving greatly
increased strength, and of improved corner clips for use with such specially-shaped
mouldings; secondly, of a guard around the front and ends of a sheet metal trunk
or box, within which the lid closes and is thereby securely prevented from bulging
outwards; and, thirdly, of an arrangement of vertical divisions in a trunk or box,
hinged to be capable of being folded down when not required for use.
According to the first part of this invention, the mouldings frequently formed
around a sheet metal trunk or box are formed along their outer faces of a ridged
shape, having the ridge or angle standing outwards along the middle of the
moulding throughout its entire length. The corner clips for use with these
mouldings have each return thereof formed to the same sectional shape as the
mouldings, so as to fit therearound; but, instead of shaping the clips so that
the ridges join one another in a sharp point at the corner, the corner is formed
slanted across flat, which makes it of a diamond shape in elevation, and thus a
sharp point, such as would be formed if the ridges were continued into one
another, is avoided. The lid is formed of a similar shape, in transverse section,
to the mouldings, that is to say, it is formed with a ridge along the middle.
This part of the invention will be clearly understood on reference to Figures 1, 2
and 3, herewith, of which
Figure 1 is a transverse section through the centre of a travelling trunk, with
the improvements applied thereto;
Figure 2 is an enlarged end view of one of the upper corners of the trunk,
shewing the corner clip in elevation; and
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2.
The mouldings A are formed with the upper and lower halves of their outer
faces inclining outwards, and forming with one another an exterior angle or ridge a;
and the front and back halves of the upper surface of the lid are correspondingly
inclined to form a ridge . The angles or ridges a of the mouldings give great
strength against any tendency to the mouldings being bent or dented in; and the
ridge 6 gives a corresponding strength to the lid. Each corner clip B is formed,
along each return thereof, to fit the exterior of the moulding, but the corner e
of each clip is formed slanted, bevelled, or flattened off, as shewn by Figures 2
and 3, so as to avoid the sharp pointed angle which would be formed if the
ridges a' of the clip were carried into one another at the corner.
It will be obvious that the section of the mouldings, and of the lid, may be
varied considerably without departing from the nature of the invention. It is
preferred to form the mouldings to project for a short distance horizontally from
the body of the trunk or box, as shewn at d Figures 1 and 2, as is usual with
trunk mouldings, and to start the inclined parts, which by meeting at the centre
of the moulding form the ridge, from the cuter edges of the horizontal portions ;
but it will be obvious that the inclined portions might start direct from the side of
the trunk or box, forming in appearance a triangular-shaped moulding such as

page_text: shewn by Figure 14. The mouldings may be formed also to such a shape as
shewn by either of the Figures 1 to 1 inclusive. In the case also both of the
mouldings and lid the ridge may be somewhat flattened, or rounded, as shewn by
Figures 1 and 1, instead of being formed as a distinct angle; and the mouldings
and lid may be formed each with a double ridge, such as shewn by Figure 1,
instead of a single ridge along the middle. A modification of the invention, as
applied to the shape of the mouldings, is shewn also by Figure 1º, but this is not
so strong a shape as are the other sections shewn. The lid is shewn with angles e,
forming the corners along each side, so as to make the shape of the lid correspond
with the shape of the mouldings shewn in Figure 1; but these corners may, of
course, be rounded over if preferred, or to suit another shaped moulding. The lid
may be formed also to other shapes in transverse section, in which a ridge or
exterior angle runs along the middle thereof, such for instance as the shape shewn
by Figure 1. The hasp f of the lock should of course be shaped to fit around the
front of the moulding.
According to the second part of this invention, a guard piece (which may be
employed in lieu of a moulding) is riveted along the front and both ends of a sheet
metal trunk or box, in position to stand somewhat above the shoulder upon which
the lid closes down; and thus the lower edges of the front and ends of the lid are,
when the lid is closed down, inside the upwardly projecting part of the guard, and
the lid is securely prevented from being bulged outwards. This part of the inven-
tion is clearly shewn by Figure 4, which is a transverse section through the front
portion of a travelling trunk with the improvement applied thereto. A guard-
piece C, which may be conveniently formed of a shallow channel-section, as shewn,
is riveted to the body D of the trunk in position to stand up, as shewn, above the
shoulder g on which the lid E closes down. This guard-piece C is riveted along
the front and two ends of the trunk, and thus when the lid is closed down, as
shewn, the lower edges of its front and ends are down between the guard C and
the shuth, that is the part of the body which is inside the lid when the latter is
closed down. The lid is, preferably, wired along its inside edge at its front and
ends, instead of outside as usual, so that the outer surface of the lid may be just a
nice fit inside the guard, and prevent the accumulation of dirt and wet between
itself and the guard; and for the same purpose it is preferred to put the corner
clips for the back of the lid inside instead of outside. The corner clips for the
front of the lid may be dispensed with, as the front corners are securely held
inside the guard.
According to the third part of this invention, transverse vertical divisions are
hinged along the bottom inside a sheet metal or other cabin box, or other trunk or
box, so that they may be folded down when not required for use. This part of
the invention will be clearly understood by reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7, of
which
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through a sheet metal cabin box;
Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line x x of Figure 5; and
Figure 7 is a plan view, with the lid removed.
FF are transverse divisions hinged across the bottom of the box G. The
division F is shewn to be in its vertical position as when for use, and is held in
such position by a pair of hinged clips i each formed with a pair of prongs which
pass one on each side of the division to retain it in position between them.
These clips are hinged inside an upper moulding H, when such is used, and are
turned up into such moulding when it is desired to turn or fold the division F
down into the position shewn by broken lines Figures 5 and 7. The division F¹
is shewn to be folded down on to the bottom of the box, and its vertical position
is indicated by broken lines. One of the clips for holding the division F' in
its vertical position is shewn as turned up within the moulding H, so as to be
clear of the interior of the box when the division F1 is folded down as shewn.
If no moulding is employed around the box, the clips i may be hinged inside
the box, and notches be cut out of the edges of the divisions to allow them to be

page_text: turned up into their proper vertical position notwithstanding the projection of the
clips within the box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :-
1. Sheet metal, travelling and other, trunks and boxes, formed with ridge-shaped
mouldings therearound, substantially as described.
2. Sheet metal, travelling and other, trunks and boxes, formed with ridge-shaped
lids, substantially as described.
3. Corner clips for use with ridge-shaped mouldings of sheet metal, travelling
and other, trunks and boxes, formed with slanted, bevelled, or flattened corners,
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
4. A sheet metal, travelling or other, trunk or box, formed with a guard around
a portion thereof inside which the lower edge of a portion of the lid closes down,
substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
3. In a sheet metal, travelling or other, trunk or box, the combination of a
guard around a portion thereof with a lid having a portion thereof internally wired,
such portion of the lid closing down inside the guard, substantially as described
for the purpose set forth.
6. A travelling or other trunk or box, fitted with vertical divisions hinged
within the trunk or box so that they may be folded down when not required for
use, said divisions being held by suitable fastenings in their vertical position when
required for use, substantially as described.
7. The improvements in travelling and other trunks and boxes, substantially
as described with reference to the drawings herewith.
Dated this 31st day of May 1892.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.