US570899A

US570899A - Territory

Info

Publication number: US570899A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-11-10
Anticipated expiration: 1913-11-10

Description

I (No Model.) v

. L. BOYNTON.

MAIL BAG.

No. 570,899. Patented-Nov. 10,- 1896.

M+ =ZWIIII In" l i m l m I ll, Mum nul'hnlli NIH! Wllnlll y l Z UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED L. BOYNTON, OF KINGFISHER, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

' MAlL-BAG.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,899, dated November 10, 1896.

Application filed November 25, 1895. Serial No. 570,111. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED L. BOYNTON, of Kingfisher, in the county of Kingfisher, in the Territory of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Bags, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved fastening for the mouth of a mail bag or sack. The fastening is distinguished by the ease and rapidity with which it may be manipulated for closing or opening the bag, and by its security and durability.

The construction and arrangement of the parts constituting my improved fastening are as hereinafter described, and shown in accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the top portion of a mail sack or bag provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3, a detail view of the sack or bag with flap open; Fig. 4, section on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5, Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a perspective view illustrating the manner ofapplying the fastening and closing the sack. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a modification of the strap.

I will first describe the preferred form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

The bag or sack A has a folding flap B, which is provided with a row of holes 1, through which project bolts 2, secured to and. projecting from the front side of the sack near its upper edge. Said bolts 2 have enlarged spherical heads and pass through the front of the sack and also through washers 3, on the inner one of which they are riveted.

There are two duplicate fastening-straps C O, which are permanently attached to the back of the bag A at such points that when folded they lie on the body of the flap B, Fig. 1, parallel to its lower edge and in alinement with the row of bolts 2. That portion of each strap 0 that thus lies on the front of the flap B is provided with a central lengthwise closed slit or slot 4, which is enlarged at 5, adjacent to the free end of the strap. The sides of this slot 4 are bordered by a series of thin alined metal plates 6, which are secured to the straps by means of rivets. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, there is a back plate opposite each front one.

The plates of each pair on opposite sides of the slit 4 are connected by one or more rigid metal bridge pieces or arches 7, which are preferably constructed of a wroughtmetal rod, whose ends are inserted through both plates and strap and riveted.

The ends of the plates 6 are separated from each other by a narrow space, which permits the strap 0 to be bent at such points as required to give the strap due flexibility.

The arches 7 hold the opposite plates from spreading apart, and yet permit the bolts 2 to pass beneath them. It will be noted the terminal plates are not slotted entirely through, and are hence so rigid that a bridge or arch 7 may be dispensed with as to them.

The adjacent ends of plates 6 may be loosely connected by links 8, as shown, but they are in some cases dispensed with. They serve to prevent the strap O becoming unduly stretched.

The operation of securing the sack-flap B by my fastening is as follows: The flap being folded over the front edge of the body of the sack A, the spherical heads of the bolts 2 pass through its holes 1. Then to apply the straps O O, the free end of each is grasped and held, one in each hand, so that the enlargement of the slot 4 may receive the head of the outer bolt, then the next, and so on, as the straps are drawn together toward the center of the flap B. In this operation the shanks of the bolts 2 pass successively into the slot 4 and beneath the arches 7, as will be readily understood, until the free end plate of each strap 0 may be passed over the staple 9, that is riveted to the front of the sack and projects through-a slot '10 in the same. The free ends of the two straps O 0 thus lie oneover another, and a pad lock 11 is then attached to the staple 9,which completes the fastening, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that the closure of the bag is thus effected practically by two movements, one being the folding of the flap B and the other the drawing of the. straps into place.

The flap B is held securely by the heads of the bolts 2, since they are of greater diameter than the width of the slot 4 and lie in contact with the opposite inner edges of the plates 5. To open the sack, the padlock 11 being removed, the free ends of the straps O O are lifted off the staple and held turned up asbefore, say at a right angle, and pushed laterally or from each other, whereby they are slid off the bolts 2. Then raise the flap B.

The straps proper, C,may be dispensed with, save their inner end portions, which are attached to the back of the sack by connecting the plates 6 by means of hinges or links 12, as shown in Fig. 7.

It is obvious the number of plates may be increased or diminished as judgment or experience dictates.

What I claim is 1. In a mail-bag fastening the combination with a mail-bag having a series of bolts secured to one part and provided with enlarged heads that project through holes in another part, of two series of flat metal plates flexibly connected and separated by a narrow slot whichis of less width than the diameter of the heads of said bolts, save at the free end of the series, where the slot is enlarged to receive the bolt-heads, and means for rigidly connecting the two series, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a mail-bag having a folding flap and a series of bolts with enlarged heads adapted to pass through holes in said fiap, of two straps which are secured to the back of the sack and slotted lengthwise, two series of fiat metal plates secured to the straps on the opposite sides of such slot, and separated by a narrow space that terminates in an enlargement at the freeend of the straps, metal arches rigidly connecting the plates transversely, and a staple adapted to project through the lapped ends of the straps, as shown and described.

FRED L. BOYNTON.

\Vitnesses:

O. W. SMITH, G. C NNINGHAM.