US273175A

US273175A - Trunk

Info

Publication number: US273175A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1883-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 1900-02-27

Description

(No Model.) 7

W. SIMON.

TRUNK; No.'273',175. Patented Feb. 27, 188-3.

o a o n n Q u V Q IHVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT Ori ice,

. WILLIAM SIMON, OE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,175, dated February 27, 1883.

I Application filed Octobcr 4, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concerh:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SIMON, of the cityof Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvementsin the construction of trunks; and the objects of my invention are to make trunks stronger and lighter and at the same time cheaper than they have heretofore been made.

Heretofore the cheaper gradesof trunks have been made of board, canvas, pasteboard, tin, leather, or similar articles strengthened with straps of hoop and sheet iron nailed around the corners and by straight orslightly-curved slats of wood along the top and sides, and by straight cleats of wood along the bottom, clamped around the corners with iron clamps, and a valance of iron has been nailed around the base of thelid. Trunks of this form are liable to break by reason of the lack of elasticity in the iron bands, especially where the trunk is thrown down violently upon'the corner oredge.

I attain the objects of my invention by the employment of double and single bent elbows of hickory or other tough and elastic wood bent substantially at right angles, with the grain running from end to end, so formed into permanent shape by steaming orother well-known process that the angles of the wood shall be at the corners or edges of the trunk, and the straight or slightly-arched portions shall form the valance and the slats and cleats and other strengthening parts, as hereinafter described. The advantages of this arrangement are,first, that the trunk so formed has great strength, by reason of the elasticity of the wood, both at the angles or elbows and between them, and by reason ofa peculiar lapping of the elbows upon one another at the ends of the trunk, as hereinafter described; second, that my trunk is much lighter than one with iron bands, because the wood is lighter than iron, and the extra strength of the construction allows the use of much lighter material for the body, and also because there are very few nails, rivets, or screws required to hold the wood; third, that my trunk is much cheaper, both by reason of the light material and small number of nails, and by reason of wood being cheaper than iron, and the labor of nailing my trunk being about one-tenth as much as in the trunks heretofore made, and because the iron clamps at the corners may be dispensed with.

In theaccompanying drawings, Figurel represents in perspective a trunk containing one form of my invention. Fig. 2 shows an end view of the same. Fig. 3 shows in perspective a trunk with both double and single bent elbows arrangedinasomewhatdifierent manner.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the body of the trunk, constructed of any suitable material, and strengthened entirely with double-bent elbows. B is the top of the same, strengthened in like manner.

0 is a double-bent elbow, forming the valance by means of a rod of hickory or other suitable wood bent into shape and attached to the lower part of the top by screws or nails, so as to run around the front and ends, and the back also, if desired.

D D D are double-bent elbows of wood, passing over the top of the trunk and screwed upon it and its sides, forming both side slats and top slats and the clamps between-them, thus holding together the top and sides. It the trunk is to have an arched top, these supporters D D D should be arched to correspond. V

E E E are double-bent elbows of wood,passing under the bottom of the trunk and screwed upon it, and its sides forming the cleats and the side slats and the clamps between them, thus holding together the bottom and sides of the trunk. Upon the ends of the top of the trunk are the double-bent elbows F F, preferably also of wood, and with the double-bent elbows D D lapping over them above and fitting closely around them, respectively, the bent elbows F F being screwed or nailed firmly to theends of the top of the trunk; and, if desired, the bent elbowsD D may be nailed upon the bent elbows F F; or the bent elbows D and F may be made of a single piece of wood grooved or otherwise formed to receive the edge of the trunk. 1n like manner secured at the ends of the bottom of the trunk are the doublebent elbows G'G, preferably also of wood, and with the double-bent elbows E E lapping over them and fitting closely around them, respectively. These bent elbows F F and G G serve to strengthen the ends of the IOC trunk and attach them firmly to the top and bottom with a strong and elastic support. This support enables the trunk to resist the strain incident upon throwing the trunk violently upon the corner or edge. To fasten these bent elbows upon the trunk, there is required only from one-tenth to one-quarter of the number of nails, screws, or rivets heretofore demanded when sheet-iron or iron bands with iron clamps were used. By the use of these elbows of bent wood the body ofthe trunk 7 may be made of wicker-work or other fragile material, and yet be sufficiently strong to resist violent usage. The double-bent elbow F may also be attached to the end and top of the trunk on the inside, so as to be entirely concealed. Instead of the bent elbows F and G upon the ends of the trunk, the ends themselves may be made, though less advantageously, ofa rigid material, such as wood. The bent elbows D and E will then be a sufficient protection.

Another form of my invention is shown in Fig.3. Here the valance G is in the same form as in Fig. 1, as are also the double-bent elbows D D and'E E but the ends of the trunk are secured by means of the single-bent elbows S S and H 11 above and below, respectively. The bent elbows SS run from the valance upward over the edge of the top and then along the top as far as the double-bent elbow D thus clamping together the top'and end; and in like manner the bent elbowsH H run from the valance around the lower edge of the bottom as far as the double-bent elbow E, and serve the purpose of cleats and slats and clamps to secure the ends to the bottom.

It is evident that. the double-bent elbows and single-bent elbows may be attached to the body of the trunk in other places than those indicated in the drawings.

Tin or steel clamps or protectors may of course in addition be placed over the corners of the elbows to prevent wear; but I do not regard them as necessary.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A trunk having firmly attached to and in contact with the outside of the same at the angles or corners thereof elbows of bent wood, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A trunk provided at its outside angles with double elbows of overlapping bent wood firmly attached to and in contact with the outside df such trunk, substantially as and for the purposes described.

WILLIAM SIMON.

Witnesses:

J. E. HINDON HYDE, HARRY E. LEIBOLD.