US469028A - Mail-bag - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

No. 469,028. Patented Feb. 16,1892. j; QL-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM A. JOHNSTON, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

MAIL-BAG..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,028, dated February 16, 1892.

Application filed October 2, 1891. Serial No. 407,537. No model.) i

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mail-bags; and it has for its obj ects, among others, to provide an improved mail bag or sack which shall have a flexible mouth or mail-receiving opening and which, when closed, shall be rigid at the mouth and will be a safeguard against tampering with the contents of the bag or sack. I provide the mouth of the bag and the flap with metallic plates which, when the bag is closed, overlap to prevent bending of the sides of the Inouth for the purpose of removing the locking means, but which are so arranged that when the mouth of the bag is opened they Will permit of sufficient flexibilitythereof for all the required purposes. I line the inner faces of the locking-tongues with metal to prevent bending thereof to unlock the bag.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the mouth portion of the bag with the parts in their locked position. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the mouth portion of the bag with the flap thrown open. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line z .e of Fig. l.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawn ings by letter, A designates a portion of -a mail-bag of known construction except at the mouth end, and therefore only the upper portion has been shown. It is provided with a flap B, to the inner face of which are secured in any suitable manner the metallicplates C, which, instead of being one rigid strip, are separated, as seen best in Fig. 2, forapurpose hereinafter made apparent. These strips are provided With the staples D, with which the locking-tongues are designed to engage in a manner hereinafter explained. Around the upper end of the bag is astrengthening-strip E, which is provided upon opposite sides of the mouth with the slits or openings a for the reception of the staples D.

F are metallic plates secured to this strengtheng-strip and arranged to alternate with the metallic plates or strips upon the iiap when the mouth of the bag is closed, as seen in Fig. 3. Suitable openings or slits Z) are made in these plates to coincide with those in the opposite sides of the bag, as seen in Fig. 3.

G is the locking-bar of a flexible material, as leather, provided with the tongues c and with longitudinal slots CZ, which are adapted to receive'the guide-pins e on the bag, as seen best in Fig. l, this manner of locking the mouth of the bag being of the usual construction and form. The inner faces Vof y these tongues are faced with metal, as seen at f, for two reasons, to prevent Wear thereon as the locking-bar is moved back and forth and to prevent bending of the tongues by malicious persons to unlock the bag. The central tongue through 'which the locking-staple H passes is faced with metal upon both sides, as seen in Fig. 3.

I is the locking-hasp hinged to thelockingbar, as seen in Figs. l and,v 3, and provided with a slot for the passage of thelocking staple, as seen in said figures. It is formed with a depression or bend, as seen in Fig. 3, for the reception of the staple thereunder.

In operation when 'the bag is locked the metallic plates or strips on the iiap and face ot' the bag overlap each other, as seen in Fig. 3, and thus provide a rigid unbendable mouth, and the metallic lining to the tongues prevent them being bent to disengage them from their staples, as may be done when not thus lined. Yhen' the locking-bar is moved to disengage its tongues from the staples the mouth of the bag may be opened, the separated metallic plates permitting ofthe neces sary flexibility at the mouth, as will be readily understood. The alternating arrangement of the metallic plates is important, for if they were not thus arranged there would still be considerable flexibility at the mouth when the bag was locked. By my construction the mouth of the bag, when closed, is as stil and rigid as if provided with a single rigid bar extending entirely across the bag.

What I claim as new isl 1. A mail-bag having its mouth and tlap provided with separated metallic plates alternatel y arranged to overlap when the mouth of the bag is closed and a locking-bar of flexible material having tongues lined with metal, substantially as specified.

2. A mail-bag having its flap' and mouth provided with alternately-arran ged separated metallic plates having slots for the staples, said plates arranged to overlap when the bag 'is closed, a sliding locking-bar of flexible ma- VILLIAM A. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

HANS KRAFT, CHARLES SPIERLING.

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