US598139A - Thomas doyle - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

T.DOYLE. MAIL POUGH FASTENER.

Patented Feb. 1, 1898 Jim 277/1; AWE/W01? WITNESSES ATTORNEY.

I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS DOYLE, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOMER-A. GORSLINE, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,139, dated February 1, 1898. Application filed April 12, 1897. Serial No. 631,697, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS DOYLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Pouch Fasteners; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail-pouch fasteners; and its objects are to provide a collapsible frame for the mouth of the pouch adapted to hold it open and also improved means to hold the collapsed sides of the frame closely and securely together; and my invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described,pointed 0 at in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top view of the device, showing the flap at right angles to the pouch. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is an end view of the device closed, but not locked. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device, showing the mouth of the pouch held open by the frame; and Fig. 5 is a detail of the springcatch.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The frame consists of two flat bars or rigid sides 6 and 7, with cross-bars hinged at their ends. The cross-bars are formed of two half parts 8 8, hinged at their centers to provide for collapsing. I preferably use knucklehinges 9 for these half parts to give a degree of stiffness to the joints when the parts are fully opened out, as shown in Fig. 4. I also use an additional device for this purpose. A latching-piece 10 is pivoted on one of the half parts 8, so that its end extends beyond the joint, as shown in Fig. 1, and I attach a spring-catch 11 to the other part 9, adapted to receive and hold the latching-piece 10 in place when lifted up into it. hen the two half parts 8 and 9 of the cross-bar are in a is secured by rivets. fitting on the inside.

straight line with each other, the free end of the latching-piece 10 is in position to be lifted up under the spring-catch 11, whereby the cross-bar is held extended. hen the piece 10 is pushed down out of engagement with the catch 11, the cross-bar may be collapsed. The frame is adapted to fit the inside or outside of the mouth of the pouch 12, to which it I have illustrai-edit as A flap 13, preferably part of the pouch 12, is constructed to pass over the top of the pouch when closed and down on the other side of the frame. On the upper end of this flap 13 I attach a metal plate 14, corresponding in length to the side 7 of the frame, and provide it with slots 15 for the passage of the staples or eyebars. The staples or eyebars are preferably three in number, a middle one, 16, and two end ones, 17, all rigidly attached to the rear side 6 of the frame and adapted to project through the end of the pouch, as shown in Fig. 3. In the drawings I have illustrated them as short bars 16 and 17, provided with orifices or eyes 18 at their ends. The two parts 8 8 are also provided with slots 19 for the end eyebars 17 to pass through when the frame is being closed. Other slots 20 are also made for their passage in the front side 7 of the frame, the whole being so constructed that when the frame is collapsed the eyes 18 of the eyebars 16 and 1'7 project just beyond the metal plate lat of the flap 13, whereby if bolts of a padlock were passed through said eyes the pouch would be closely and securely locked; but I prefer the locking device illustrated in Fig. 3. It consists in the construction of two bolts 21 to engage the two end eyebars l7, and they are held in place by two v guides each, one in form of a cover 22, which it, the bolts 21 are thereby forced to engagejoining of parts, as described, the use of staples or eyebars attached to one plate and passing through slots in the others, sothat the eye or staple projects to form an orifice or opening through which a locking device operates, and the locking device consisting of the bolts 21, guides therefor secured to a plate through which the staples or eyebars project, and a center piece provided with a slot for the middle eyebar and connected by hinges, and the intervening bolts 27, with the bolts 21, adapted to operate as stated.

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

1. In a mail-pouch, a fastener consisting of two rigid side plates or bars, cross plates or bars hinged thereto and also hinged at their centers so as to form two equal half parts, three staples or eyebars rigidly attached to one of the sides of the frame, slots in the crossbars and side plate for the passage of the staples or eyebars, and means to lock the frame together when collapsed, consisting of two sliding bars jointed to an intermediate plate which is provided with a slot through which the center staple passes, the two sliding bars being adapted to enter the two end staples or eyebars and thereby lock the frame together and means to lock the center staple, the whole being suitably attached to the pouch, a

2. In a mail-pouch fastener,a locking device consisting of two metallic plates or bars secured to the pouch, one of them provided with three projecting staples or eyebars, two attached at or near the ends and one in the center of the bar; slots in the other bar for the passage of said eyebars, two bolts adapted to enter the end staples respectively, and a center piece or plate provided with a slot for the passage of the middle eyebar; two intervening bolts connecting the ends of the center piece with the inner ends of the bolts by being hinged thereto; adapted to draw the bolts toward the center when the center piece is raised out of engagement with the end eyebars, and to force the bolts into engagement with the end eyebars when center piece is pushed down on the plate or bar; guides for said bolts attached to one of said bars to hold the bolts in place and guide them.

3. In a collapsible frame for mail-pouch openings, two rigidside bars, two cross-bars hinged at the centers, and a latch on one of the half parts and a catch on the other the Whole adapted to lock the frame in an open position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. THOMAS DOYLE.

Witnesses: j

HOMER A. GORSLINE, H. C. HARTMAN.

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