US362882A - Baggage-check - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

G. M. DRINKER.

v BAGGAGE CHECK.

No. 362,882. Patented May 10. 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

CHARLES MORGAN DRINKER, OF BLOOMSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BAGGAGE-CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,882, dated May 10, 1887.

Application tiled February 1, 1857. Serial No. 226,178. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAR-LES IVIORGAN DRINKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomsburg, in the county of Columbia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Baggage- Ghecks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in baggage-checks; and it consists in a certain novel construction and arrangement of parts for service, fully set forth hereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved check with one of the checks locked in place and the other cheek detached. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same with the rear plate removed to show the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a similar view with one check inserted and the spring locking-bolts secured out of engagement with the other check, which is partly withdrawn from the device. Fig. 4 shows a slightlymodified form of the mechanism, requiring a differently-shaped check to open the device.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the body of the check, having the front plate, B, and the rear plate, G, secured together by the rivets b I), and held a short distance apart by the flange B 011 the rear side of the front plate around the edge thereof, said flange being cut away for a short distance at the upper and lower ends of the check to form openings 1) b to allow the two checks D and E to enter into the interior of the check to operate the mechanism therein.

The upper edge of the rear plate is extended to form the ear 0, which is bent rearwardly, so that when the check-strap Y is secured in the slit or opening 0 in the said car it will not interfere with the insertion of one of the checks into the opening Z) in the upper end of the body.

The face or front plate, 13, is provided on the outer edges with the flanges I) I), open at the upper ends and closed at the lower ends, and the destination-card (made of pasteboard or metal, but preferably of metal, as brass) is adapted to be inserted between, with the edges thereof engaged. in the said flanges, by sliding said card in at the top. Said destination-card Z is double facedonc side indicating the return-trip, or the trip in the reverse direction to that indicated on the other side.

F F represent spring locking-bolts, pivoted at the points ff, near the outer edge of the body, tothe front plate, and having detentsf f at the upper ends and dctents f f at the lower ends, the inner side of said detents be ing square or abrupt, and the outside beveled or rounded to facilitate the insertion of an article between them. The said pivoted lockingbolts are provided near their centers with the inwardly-projecting arms G G, the inner ends of which are adapted to approach each other very closely, but do not come in contact. A short distance above the arms G are the shortinwardly-projecting armsg 9, also formed integrally with the bolts F and having a re ccss or notch, g, in the inner end on the upper side.

H II are holdingdogs,pivoted at the points 7th, the inner ends of which come in contact and are interlocked or articulated to make it impossible to move one without the other, thus preventing the lock of the check from being picked in detail or one side at a time. The

outer ends of the dogs are adapted to engage in the notches g, as seen in Fig. 3, and hold the upper ends of the locking-bolts apart to allow the withdrawal of one of the checks from one end of the body. Between the inner ends of the dogs on each side and the inner ends of the arms G of the same side are placed the ends of the springs I, held in place by small projections on the said arms, which springs are adapted to normally hold the arms G pressed down and the inner ends of the dogs pressed up. The tendency, therefore, of the upper ends of the locking-bolts F is toward the center of the body Or inwardly, and the tendency of the outer ends of the dogs is downwardly, so that when the upper ends of the said lockin g-bolts are pressed apart against the force of the said springs the outer ends of the dogs will be forced into the recesses g in the ends of the arms g and lock the bolts apart. If, however,

the upper edges of the inner ends of the dogs .are pushed down upon while in the said position, the outer ends of the dogs will be lifted out of the notches or recesses 9 against the action of the springs, and the upper ends of the locking-bolts F will be again forced toward each other. To again lock the bolts apart it is only necessary to press the inner ends of the arms Gr upwardly, thus forcing the upper ends of the bolts apart, and the outer ends of the dogs will drop or spring into the recesses g and hold the said bolts in the desired position.

The check Dis made of athin plate of metal having the opening or slit d,in which to secure the free end of the strap Y, and the sides of the said plate are provided with the notches D, to be engaged by the detents f f on the locking-bars,and the lower edge of the plate, below the said notches,is rounded to glide over the upper sides of thesaid detents. An opening or notch, d, is provided in thelower edge of the check D to receive the rivet or stud b and allow thewings d on either side of the said notch to pass down and come in contact with the inner ends of the dogs H.

To look the check D in place in the body when the locking-bolts are held apart by the dogs, insert the said check D into the opening 1) sutficiently to cause the lower edges of the wings d to press, respectively, on the inner ends of the dogs and lift the-outer ends thereof out of the recesses 9, when the upper ends of the locking-bolts F, being released, will spring toward each other, and the detents thereon will engage in the notches D in the side edges of the check D and prevent its withdrawal until the said upper ends of the bolts are again separated.

The previously-described destination card Z, as has been stated, is held from being withdrawn from the retaining-flange on the faceplate in every way except by drawing or sliding it upwardly; and to prevent this, and thereby effectually fasten said card in the check when the check D is locked in place, I provide a hookshaped' lug, D", on the face of the said check D, to engage over the upper edge of the said card, and thereby prevent the card from being taken out or changed until the check D is unlocked and withdrawn.

The check E is similarin construction to the check D, and is formed of a thin plate of metal having a rounded upper end divided by thenotch 6, similar to the notch (1, into the wings e, the sides of the plate being provided with the notches E, to be engaged by the detents' f on the lower ends of the bolts F when the upper ends of the said bolts are locked apart by thedogs H.

When the check D is locked in place, to unlock and remove it insert the check E and press the upper edges of the wings against the ends of the arms G, thus forcing the said ends up and causing the upper ends of the bolts to move apart. \Vhen pressed sufficiently apart, the dogs H will engage in the recesses g and hold the detents f out of engagement with the notches D, and thus allow the check D to be withdrawn. The check E, on the other hand,

is now locked in the body by the detents f on the lower ends of the bolts F engaging in the notches E in the sides of the said check E. It

above the lower edge of the .other arm.

D is inserted in the opening b in-the upper edge ofthe body it is securelylocked therein, and the check E is released, this alternating action being due to the fact that the engagingdetents f and f 2 are situated on opposite ends of the lever comprising the locking-bolt.

When the check D is locked in place and the check E is released, the said check E is used as a duplicate check to be carried by the party to whom the checked property belongs, and for this purpose it is supplied with a corresponding number to that on the body A.

When the device has been removed from the property by the proper manipulation of the proper check, and the latter, as has been stated,

is in turn locked in the body, it is allowed to remain in this position until the device is again secured to an article of baggage, when the insertion of the check D willrelease the check E.

notches at the same time, and therefore, if

one of the arms G is made wider than the other, so that the lower edge thereof comes below the lower edge of the other arm, it will be seen that to lift both of the said arms at one time it will be necessary to have one of the wings e of the checkE projected as far beyond or above the otherwing as the lower edge of the corresponding arm G is behind or y varying the thickness of the said arms G, a

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great variety of different locks will be made.

Toproduce still further variety, the stud b, which enters the notch iuthe upper edge of the check E between the wings, may be placed at varying distancesfrom the arms G of the IIO bolts; also, the size of the said stud may be varied; also, there may be additional studs placed at different points in the interior of the check, so as to prevent the insertion of all except the proper check E. Fig. 4 shows a check having two additional studs. In these and other ways an endless variety of checks requiring differently-shaped checks or plates D E may be had, and thus prevent the annoyance and loss due to the changing and losing of checks through carelessness and criminal design.

The manner of using these checks is obvious from the above description.

When not in use, the device is put away or hung up with the check D released and the check E locked in the body. When about to be applied to an article, the strap is passed through a convenient loop on said article-as the handle of a trunk -and the check D is inserted in the end of the body and locked there,

check, which is given to the owner of the property.

It is evident that if constructed as herein described the body cannot be taken off of the trunk until the proper check is applied thereto, thus making the checking of property safer and preventing much annoyance and loss.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaiin, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a baggagecheck, the body constructed to receive two cheeks and provided with locking mechanism, in combination with the said two checks to be inserted into the body and actuate the locking mechanism, the insertion of one check in the body causing the releasing of the other check, as set forth.

2. In a baggage-check, the combination of a body having openings, locking mechanism housed within the body, and the two checks adapted to be inserted in the openings in the body to alternately actuate the locking Inechanism,one ofsaid checks being normally locked within the body by the locking mechanism, as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a baggage-check, the combination of a bodyhaving the openings, the movable locking-bolts housed within the body, and the two checks adapted to be inserted into the openings of the body and bet-ween the bolts, one of said cheeks being normally engaged by the bolt and released therefrom when the other check is inserted into the body and actuates the bolts, the latter check being in turn locked in the body when the first-named check is released, as and for the purpose described.

at. In a baggage-check, the combination of the body having openings in opposite ends thereof, the movable locking-bolts housed within the body, the springs for normally forcing the bolts toward each other, a check fitted in one end of the body and looked therein by the bolts, and another cheek fitted in the opposite end of the body to release the firstnamed check and be in turn locked in the body by the bolts, as and for the purpose described.

5. In a baggage-check, the combination of the movable locking-bolts normally forced toward each other by springs, the articulated dogs for holding the bolts separated, and the two checks adapted to be inserted between the locking-bolts at opposite ends thereof, as and for the purpose described.

6. In a baggage-cheek, the combination of the pivoted locking-bolts having the inwardlyextending arms G g, the articulated dogs intermediate the bolts and adapted to engage the shorter arms gthereof, and the springs engaging the dogs and the arms G of the bolts to normally draw one end of the bolts together and hold the dogs out of engagement with the arms 9, as and for the purpose described.

7. In a baggage-check, the combination of a body, the pivoted locking-bolts therein having the extended arms G, the articulated dogs, the springs engaging the dogs and the locking-bolts to normally force one end thereof together, a check adapted to be inserted into the body to press the locking-bolts apart, and another check adapted to be inserted into the opposite end of the body to impinge on the arms thereof, and thereby operate the lockingbolts and the dogs to release the first-named cheek and lock the last-named check in the body, as and for the purpose described.

8. In a baggage-check, the body having the locking mechanism, the check to be held to the body by locking mechanism, another check to operate the latter and release the first-named check, the destination-card to be fitted to the body and held thereto by the first-named cheek, whereby the card cannot be withdrawn until the first-named check is released, as set forth.

9. In a baggage'check, a body having looking mechanism housed therein and with the fixed guides on one of its outer sides, a destination'card fitted in the guides and thereby exposed to View, and the two cheeks adapted to be inserted in the body to alternately actuate the locking mechanism, one of said checks having means for locking the destination-card in the guides, .as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

\ CHARLES MORGAN DRINKER.

\Vitnesses:

J urns MCLosKnY, J OHN J AMESON.

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