US1248360A - Letter-package-tying device. - Google Patents

Description

T. O. McVEY.

' LETTER PACKAGE TYlNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. 1917.

Patehted Nov. 27, 1917.

NTTED @TAT% nron.

TELLA 0. MGVEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

LETTER-EAGKAGEEYING DEVICE.

Application filed July 19, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TELLA O. MoVnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Letter- Package- Tying Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fastening device and particularly pertains to a letter package fastener.

In the post-office department considerable twine is used and wasted in tying bundles of letters. It is the principal object of this invention to provide a. simple fasteningdevice with which ordinary string may be used and which may be operated in a rapid manner to securely tie a bundle of letters and permit them to be untied without damage to the string or the fastener.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fastener of the above class which may be rapidly made from inexpensive material and which does not require adjustment or is not liable to become inoperative.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective i1lustrating a bundle of letters as tied with the string and the fastener with which the present invention is concerned.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in plan illustrating the fastener and fragmentary portions of the string when the bundle is tied.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation illustrating the fastener as disassociated from the string.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates a bundle of letters which are bound together by a string 11. It will be understood that other packages may be tied with a device of this character without departing from the spirit of the invention. As here shown, the string is doubled to form strands 12 and 13. The ends of these strands are knotted and are adapted to catch between the convolutions 14 of the fastener 15. This fastener is formed of wire, as par-' ticularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. One end of the wire is bent in the shape of the figure 8 to provide a thumb piece 16. From this portion the wire extends substantially straight and is then Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 191?.

Serial No. 181,627.

wound to form the convolutions 14, four of which are here shown. The free end of the wire is then bent forwardly and upwardly to form a horn 17, for a purpose which will be hereinafter disclosed. This horn is bent upon itself at its end so that it will be blunt and will not be liable to injure the persons tying the packages. It will be understood that the wire used in making the fastener is semi-rigid and possesses enough resiliency to allow the strands of the string to be drawn into position between the convolutions 14.

In operation, the thumb piece of the fastener is held between the thumb and the fore finger of the left hand while the knotted ends of the strands 12 and-13 are slipped between the convolutions 14, preferably the most central convolution. The fastener is then placed upon the package and there held by the left thumb while the left hand is holding the package. The string is then led forwardly around the end of the package, as indicated by the letter o-, and brought under the package around the opposite end, as indicated by the letter b. The free portion of the string is then Wrapped around the fastener and led under the horn 17, from which point it is carried to the left-hand side of the package, as indicated by the letter -c. It is now carried beneath and across the package and brought back to the fastener, as indicated by the letter -0Z. At this time the free end of the string is carried around the side of the fastener adjacent the thumb piece and thereafter wrapped around the coil. After having been wrapped around the coil one or more times, it is swung beneath the horn under the coil and drawn up through the convolutions. This last operation may be repeated any number of times and completes the tying operation. When in this condition the package will be firmly bound and will not become untied. In order to unwrap the package, the free end of the string is grasped and it is rapidly wound in a reverse direction from the tying movement. This will quickly free the string from the fastener without requiring particular attention and will permit the string to be readily removed.

It will thus be seen that the fastening device here disclosed is simple and inexpensive in operation and will permit string to be used economically While a bundle is tied in a firm and rapid manner.

WVhile I have shown the preferred form of my letter package tying device as now known to me, it is evident that various changes in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A fastening device for packages and the like, consisting of a single Wire forming a thumb-piece at one end adapted to lie flat upon the surface of the package to be tied,

a series of convolutions formed of said Wire and disposed with their central aXis parallel to the surface of the package, and a horn formed at the opposite end of said Wire and portion ofthe Wire and disposed tangent to the surface of the package to be tied, and a forwardly extending horn forinedby' the other end of the Wire; said horn being'upturned at its outer end to permit the passage of a cord thereunder.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

TELLA o. Mover.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. V

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