US88992A - Improvement in trunks - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMEN TIN TRUNKS.

Specification forming part of Letters P To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. TAYLOR, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrunks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my invention, l will proceed to describe it.

Myinvention relates to trunks 5 andconsists incertain new and useful improvements in the construction and arrangement of the tray; also, in certain mechanical devices, by the use of which the tray may, or may not, as desired, be raised with the top of the trunk; also, in the novel construction and arrangement of certain metallic devices for firmly supporting and securely holding the top ofthe trunk in position when raised, and allowing it to descend only when properly released; also, in the construction of the buckles for fastening the straps of the trunks, and in the locking devices, &c.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved trunk with the cover raised. Fig. 2 is a cross vertical section of my trunk closed. Fig. 3 are views of my stay devices for supporting the top of the trunk detached. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are also views of other parts detached; and Figs. 7 and S are sectional views on the lines x and y y of Fig. 6.

As is well known, the trunks now used by travelers are, for certain purposes, required to be strong and capacious, with numerous compartments, so arranged as to be conveniently reached. When thus constructed their tops, especially when packed, are heavy, and, unless securely fastened when raised, are liable to fall and injure the party engaged in packing orunpaeking the trunk. To guard against accidents of this kind, to attach and detach the tray from the top at will, and to furnish secure lockingdevices, are some of the principal objects of my invention.

I construct my trunk A in any ofthe usual atent No. 88,992, dated April 13, 1869.

l forms and out of any suitable materials, protecting its outer edges and corners with metal straps or guards.

Within the trunk I place a tray, B, constructed so as to form, practically, two trays, C and D, by hinging an Lipper one, D, to the top of the back of the main tray B, so that it may shut into it, and at the same time leave sufficient room below it for a compartment, which may be divided up by partitions a, as shown in Fig. 2, while the upper tray, D, wiil still be deep enough to admit of being divided off by partitions b, and also of beingprovided with a hinged cover, c, as shown in the same figure.

The outer or main tray B, I protect and strengthen with metallic corner-pieces c, and also attach both to it and to the inner tray, D, a metallic catch, f, shaped and formed as clearly shown in Fig. 2. One of these catches is for supporting the cover c when raised, and the other for supporting the inner tray when it is raised.

The trayB, with its upper and lower compartments or trays-C and D, each partitioned off into separate divisions, and thus strongly andcompactly constructed,I arrange within the trunk in such a manner that it may or may not loe raised with the top of the same, as desired. This I accomplish in two ways, as hereinafter explained.

Near the bottom of the inner rear side of the top of the trunk, I attach metallic pro jections d, which enter recesses or holes made in the rear side of the tray B for that purpose, and in such a manner that when the tray B is carried up with the top of the trunk, it will be supported by these metallic projections catching against a metallic lip on the upper side of the recesses in the rear side of the tray; and also so that when the tray is not carried up with the top of the trunk, they may slip by the metallic lips on the upper side of the recesses.

The tray B, I connect or lock on its front side to the front side of the top of the trunk in either of two ways, or in both at the same time, so that it may be safely raised with it. This I accomplish by placing on the inner side of the front of the top of the trunk a sliding bolt, E, provided with a couple of projections,

g, arranged so as to move under two corresponding projections, 71., on the front side of the tray, as shown in Figs. l and 4.

rJhe sliding bolt F., I also provide with a lug, t', which, when the bolt is in position, projects through the face of thetop, so that the bolt can be readily operated from the outside. By the use of this sliding bolt, arranged in the manner described, it will be readily seen that the tray may be raised or not with the top of the trunk at will.

Instead ot' a sliding boli, E, constructed with projections g for locking under the projections /L on the tray, and with a lug, i, t'or operating it, I accomplish the same thing by attaching to the front side of the tray a metallic spring-plate, F, and to inner front side of the top of thetrnnk a metallic shoulder, j, for it to catch against; and by constructing and pivoting the clasp G ot the lock, so that when raised, as shown by the red lines in Fig. 2, its upper end will turn inan opening in the top made `for that purpose, and strike against and release the springFfrom the shoulder j, as clearly shown in t-he'same figure. When this latter device is used the tray may be lifted with the top or not, as desired, by simply moving the hasp G, as described and shown.

Anotherim portant improvement in my trunk consists in my devices for holding` up the top when raised. In constructing these, I make an L-shaped piece of metal, H, ofthe requisite length to extend along' the lower inner edge of one end of the top, and with a slot, 7c, in one of its sidespas clearly shown in Fig. 3, and to the other, on its inner side, I pivot, at l, an arm or lever, I, which is provided at its lower end with shoulder m broad enough to project over the slot 7c, and also with a spring', n, so attached as to return the shoulder m to its position when moved, and released, as shown in the same iigure.

To this L-shaped metal piece H, I pivot a stay, J, by means of a pivot passing through one end of it, and through the slot 7c, and having on its inner side a broad head, o, to prevent its slipping through, and so arranged that the pivot can slide easily from one end' of the slot to the other. The device thus constructed I attach securely to the trunk, by fastening the I -shaped metal plate H on the inner lower edge of its top, and the loose end ot' the stay J to the inner side of the body of the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

When in position, its operation is very simple. As the top is raised, the pivot connecting the stay J passes along the slot k till it strikes the shoulder m, which is pressed back,

. and the head o of the pivot passes beyond the shoulder, which is then returned to its former position by means of the spring n, and effecttually prevents the return of the pivot, and, consequently, the stay J, until released, which is done by pulling the end of the arm or lever I to the right, by means of the handle p, as shown in the same Fig. 1.

Another important improvement in my trunk consists in the buckles and their connections for not only fastening the straps, but in aiding to prevent any lateral movement of the parts.

To the body of the trunk I attach securely buckle-frames K, constructed and shaped as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and having tongues g, suspended or pivoted therein, of the form clearly shown in the same figure.

To the front side of the top I attach metallic plates L, with lips or points r, which eX- tend on either side of the buckle-frames K, when the trunk is closed, as shown by the red lines in Fig. l, and which aid in preventing any lateral movement of' the parts.-

In using the buckles the strap M is passed under the tongue, drawn as tightly as desired, when a pin, s, on the under side of the tongue, is forced into a hole in the strap, by pressing the tongue toward the trunk, and in such a manner as to insure its holding the strap to the same point to which it may have been drawn. This done, the strap is drawn a little to the right, then passed over the end of the tongue g, and under the end of the loop ot' the buckle, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

Another improvement in my trunk is in its locking devices, for the purpose not only of securing' it against being improperly opened, but also of preventing any lateral movement of its parts.

The lock proper is of peculiar construction. Its hasp G is pivoted in a heavy metal plate, O, which extends down the full length of the hasp on each side of it, and, With the hasp, enters between the sides of a strong metal plate, P, which is securely attached to the body of the trunk in such a manner as to be flush with it, as well as with the hasp, when the trunk is locked.

On each end of the trunk I place a locking device, consisting of a strong' metallic plate, N, having a tongue, Q, provided with a shoulder, t,-at its lower end, shaped so as to form a recess, u, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

To each end of the body of the trunk I also attach a metallic plate, R, provided with a socket, into which the tongues Q of the plates N enter, when the top of the trunk is brought down, and also provided with a sliding bolt, S, to enter the recess u, as clearly shown in Fig. 6.

The sliding bolt S is slotted, and has attached therein a spring, fv, having a pin, w, as shown in Fig. 8, which enters a hole, a', in the plate R, and locks the bolt S in place, and which in turn locks the end of the trunk. It is also provided on its outer end with a little thumb-catch, b', for withdrawing it When desired. This is done by pressing in the pin @c with any suitable instrument, first, and then withdrawing it by means of the thumb-catch. These locking devices on the ends of the trunk render it more secure against being iinproperly opened, and also aid in preventing any lateral motion of the parts.

In this Way I construct a strong trunk, of any size, and provide it With a useful, convenient, and compact double tray, in such a manner that it may be attached or detached from the top at will, and from the outside; also, With a metallic stay, for supporting the top, when raised, in such a manner that it can only fall by design, and also With novel buckles and locking devices.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A trunk-tray havin gan inner trayhinged therein, so as to form a lower stationary and an upper movable compartment, and having both compartments subdivided by partitions, substantially as herein described.

2. The metallic stays f, when constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. So constructing and arranging a tray Within a trunk that it may be attached to or detached from the top or cover of the same, from the outside, at Will, by a sliding bolt, or by the hasp of the lock operating a spring, substantially as herein described, or by any equivalent devices.

4. The device for supporting-the top of the trunk when raised, and locking it in position,

so that it can be released only by design, consisting of the mechanical contrivances constructed substantially as herein described, and arranged to operate as set forth.

5. The combination of the trunk with the device consisting of the frame K, having pivoted therein a tongue, q, provided with a pin, S, for securing the straps, constructed substantially as herein described.

6. The device f'or locking the ends of trunks, consisting of the metallic plate N, provided with tongue Q and shoulder t, and the socketplate R, provided with the sliding bolt S, constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described.

7. In combination, the plate L and frame K of the buckle, when constructed substantially as described, for the purpose of preventing any lateral mot-ion of the parts ot' the trunk.

S. In combination, the metallic plate O, in which the hasp is pivoted, with the metallic plate P, when'constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, and Afor the purpose set forth.

CHARLES A. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. FLAVELL, WM. GONNELL.

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