US585174A - Mail-bag fastener - Google Patents

Description

(N0 Model.)

J. BARTLETT.

MAIL BAG FASTENBR.

N0, 585,174. Patented June 29, 189m WITNESS/5S s fue cams Pneus co.. Pnorcmmo.. wnsmncrom u. r.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETEE.

JEREMY BARTLETT, OF COLLINS, NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN- TVELFTHS TO VILLIAM W. HENRY, OF LITTLE VALLEY, AND RODNEY R. CROWLEY, OF RANDOLPH, NEW' YORK. Y

MAIL-BAG YFASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 58 5,174, dated June 29, 1897.l

Application led January 2, 1897. Serial No. 617,752. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMY BARTLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Collins, in the county of Erie, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Bag Fasteners; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure`l is a plan view of the top portion (back) of a'rnail-bag, the hasp and tag-holder in elevation and the chain and hook-fastener and staples in dotted lines, the bag being shown as closed and secured. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the top portion of the mail-bag reverse (or flap) side, the flap being closed down and the staple-plates shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a plan view, same side as shown in Fig. 2, the flap being raised and portions of the front Wall of the bag and the fold or sheath which conceals the fastener broken away to disclose portions of the fastener.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of devices for securing the mouths of mailpouches, and has for its object to produce an efficient, simple, light, and inexpensive fastener Which can be quickly operated to secure and release the liap of the Inail-bag or to close and open the mouth of the bag.

To this end the main feature of my invention embraces the combination, with a series of pivoted hooks, of a plurality of iiexible nonextensible connections attached to said hooks on opposite sides of their pivotal points, whereby the fastening devices are operated from and secured at points on both sides of their points of rotation.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more specifically, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the saine.

In the drawings, A indicates the inailpouch, and B the liap thereof, provided With the usual or any approved form of staples b, attached thereto by the staple-plates c. The alined series of staples b b are those through which the hooks of the fastener pass, while the central leading staple 7L is the one which engages the hasp H.

In that portion of the wall of the bag and in the envelop or sheath a which covers and conceals the fastening devices are a series of slots b b2 for the passage of the staples Z) I), &c., which receive the hooks of the fastener, and opposite the hasp-staple h is a slot 7L, which passes through both walls of the bag and through the intermediate envelop or sheathv a for the passage of hasp-staple 7L, which projects at the back of the bag for the reception of the hasp H.

The hasp H is pivoted in a hasp-plate H, firmly secured to the bag byv rivets or iu other suitable manner, and to the inner end of the hasppivot, within the bag, is secured a short lever l.

On the inner wall of the bag, secured thereto by rivets or in other suitable manner, in line with and preferably equidistant from each other and from the pivot of the hasp H, are a series of pivot-plates 2, on each of which plates is pivoted the vertical shank 3fL of a hook 3, at or about' mid-length of the shank, said shanks so arranged that when the hooks 3 3 are within the staples b and the bag is locked the said Shanks shall stand parallel wit-l1 each other and with the lever l, attached to the pivot of thehasp H.

The Shanks 3fL of the hooks 3 are connected' with each other and with the lever l by a plurality of flexible non-extensible connections 4 -at least two-one. on each side of the pivotal points, and preferablyequidist-ant from said pivotal points, so that on the rotation of the lever l power shall be applied simultaneously to all the hook-Shanks in opposite directions and on opposite sides of the pivotal points thereof, and thus insure easy Y IOO movement of the hook-shanks that might occur or be caused in case of a single chain or flexible connection between the hook-shanks, and thus the plurality of chains on opposite sides of the pivots of the hook-Shanks prevents the independent manipulation of any hook or its removal from the staple by accident or design, and as the hooks 3 are curved or arcshaped to facilitate their entering the staples b the connection 5, which is between the curve of the hook and the pivot, will act as a keeper to the hook and afford additional security to the fastener.

The preferred form of the fiexible connections I 5 between the hook-Shanks 3 and the lever l is that of a chain composed of alternate flat or plate links 6, with which the lever I and hook-Shanks 3 are pivotally connected, as at G, and intermediate rod-links 7, which facilitate the folding of the bag without permitting' the displacement of the hooks.

The hasp H may be provided with inturned flanges, which not only render the hasp more rigid, but constitute a holder T for the reception of a tag or card, and said hasp is preferably arranged to stand and move parallel with lever l and hook-Shanks 3, so that the position of the hasp at all times indicates the position of the hooks 3 or fastener.

The fastening devices when secured within the mouth of the bag are covered and concealed by a sheath or fold a of leather, which maybe riveted at intervals to the wall of the bag to prevent any tampering with the fastener.

The fastener, being constructed substantially as hercinbefore specified, will be operated as follows: The bag being locked and in the position indicated in Fig. I of the drawings, the hasp II is raised from the staple 7L and rotated to the right, as indicated by the arrow, Fig. l, whereupon the lever l and hook-Shanks i5 will rotate to the right, thus simultaneously withdrawing all the hooks 3 from the staples h, after which the bag' can be turned over and the flap raised to expose the mouth of the sack. To lock the bag, fold down the flap and place the bag on a flat surface with flap underneath, whereupon the several staples will register with and enter their respective slots, when the hasp II may be rotated from right to left to bring it back into line with haspsstaple 7L, which movement of the hasp will, through lever l and chains I 5, be communicated simultaneously to all the hook-Shanks 3, causing the hooks 3 to enter the staples b and secure the mouth of the bag, after which the usual padlock will be applied to secure the hasp II.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a mail-bag fastener, the combination with a series of pivoted hooks, of a plurality of fiexible non-extensible connections said connections attached to each of said hooks on opposite sides of their pivotal points; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a mail-bag fastener, the combination with a pivoted hasp, of a series of pivoted hooks, and a plurality of flexible non-extensible connections which connect the hasp and cach of the hooks of said series on opposite sides of their pivotal points; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In a inail-bag fastener the combination of a series of pivoted hooks, and a plurality of non-extensible chain connections therefor, said connections having plate -links with which each hook of the series is connected on opposite sides of the pivotal point of the hook; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a mail-bag fastener the combination of a series of pivoted hooks, and a plurality of non-extensible chain connections therefor, cach of said chain connections consisting of plate and rod links, the shanks of cach hook of the series being connected with a platelink of each of the chain connections on op posite sides ot' the pivotal point of the hook; substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of December, 1396.

lVi tnesscs:

F. A. Rrionns, W. W. HENRY.

Images