US179449A - Improvement in mail-bag fastenings - Google Patents

Description

A. H. ENHOLIL MAIL BAG FASTENING.

Patented July 4, 1876.

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. INVENTOR By Attorney fly 'tPZrERS. PHOTO-LITHQGFAPHER, wunmmou. 0 C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL ENHOLM, OF MAHOPAO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE K. CHASE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAIL-BAG FASTENINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 179,449, dated July 4, 1876'; application filed April 26, 1876.

thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a plan view, showing the fastening closed and locked. Fig. 2 is .a plan view, showing the fastening opened. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 00 x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 3 y of Fig. 2.

My invention relates to mail-bag fasteners, and consists of a series of pivoted tongues, connected with jointed cranks and adjusted to be simultaneously introduced into and extended through the wire staples, so that the bag may be fastened or unfastened in a moment by a single motion of the hand.

A is the bag, and A the flap. B represents the guard-plates riveted to the flap, and provided with slots to receive the staples b, which are riveted to the bag. 0 represents a series of cranks connected by pivotal joints 2, and riveted bolts e, and are adjusted to" oscillate in staples c, riveted to the guard-plates. D represents a 'series of tongues, formed as shown, and pivoted loosely on the bolts 6, and provided with slots d to receive and slide loosely on the bolts a, riveted to the guardplates and provided with angular heads forming flanges to guide the tongues, and to prevent them from slipping off the bolts. E is the hasp-plate, fastened to a bolt, 0, connected at one end to the jointed cranks by a pivotal joint, and held at the other end by and adjusted to rockin the staple c, riveted to a plate, B, which is riveted to the flap.

The lock F is attached to the bag in position to receive the hasp on the plate E. And any other hasp-lock may be used with this fastening. The cranks are connected by pivotal joints, as described and shown, to render them flexible, andthus less liable to be bent or broken by any pressure or force to which, in handling and in transportation, the mailbags are subjected.

My invention is not confined to any particular mode of jointing the cranks. To close up and fasten the bag, the cranks and tongues are turned up and the flap turned down, and the staples inserted through the slots in the guard-plates, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings; and the turning of the hasp-plate down upon the lock turns the cranks down, and slides simultaneously all of the tongues through the fastening-staples, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings; and in unfastening and opening the bag, the lifting of the hasp-plate from the lock turns the cranks up and withdraws simultaneously all of the tongues from the staples; and thus in a moment, and by the same motion of the hand required to open and close the lock, the mail-bag fastener is opened and closed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p 1. A series of tongues, D, pivoted to flexible cranks O, and adapted to be vertically moved, simultaneously in and out of the fastening staples, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A series of jointed flexible cranks, (J, in combination with the pivoted slotted tongues D, and fastening-staples b, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The tongues D having slots d, in combination with bolts a, cranks C, and staples 11, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The mail-bag fastening mechanism, constructed substantially as described, adapted to be operated by the locking-hasp in opening and closing the bag, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AXEL H. ENHOLM. Witnesses E. G. WEAVER, G. B. ToWLEs.

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