US630694A - Mail bag or pouch. - Google Patents

Description

No. 630,694. Patented Aug. 8, 1899. D. R. HEBING.

MAIL BAG 0B POUCH.

gApplication filed May 8, 1899.!

no Model.)

UNITED v. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE. 1

DANIEL ROBY I-IERING, OF SYKESVILLE, MARYLAND.

MAIL BAG QR POUCH.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters ?Patent No. 630,694,0lated August 8, 18 99.

Application filed May 8, 1899. Serial No. 716,542. 7(N0 model.) i i 10 all whom it mttyco nccrn: I

Be it known that I, DANIEL ROBY HERING,

useful Improvements in Mail Bags or Pouches;

and I do hereby. declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in-:' vention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

pouches, and more particularly to new and improved means for closingor locking the I 5 open or month ,end of such bags or pouches. I

It is the prime object of the invention to provide a bag that can be readily and quickly opened or closed by parties in authority, but

which will at the same time be amply safev and secure from entry by'unscrupulous per-- It is a further object of the invention to provide simple and improved fastening means whereby access maybe had to the interior of. 2 5 the bag by parties in'authority without cut ting or slitting the bag itself in case the lock{ should fail to work at the proper time.

and then more definitely pointed out in the claims which conclude and form a part of this specification.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating my 5 invention, Figure 1 is a side View of a portion of a mail-bag constructed in accordance with my invention, said bag being shown closed and locked. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the month end of the bag open. Fig.4 is a.

similar view showing the bag partially closed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a' modified arrangement of locking means. Fig.

6 is a view of alocking-pin to be used in con-- 5 nection with the strap fastening means illustrated in Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates the bag proper,

which is preferably made of some flexible ma 5o terialsuch as leather, canvas,or the like-so as to be readily folded at its upper or mouth ,end. The said mouth end of the bag is proregistering slots 3, said plates being secured to the bag by means of rivets and the position of the plates being such that the slots 3 willvbe horizontal and on a line above and parallel with the extreme upper edge of the bag, as clearly shown in the drawings. At the top of the bag and intermediate the sides thereof is a substantially triangular-shaped vided at each side with two plates 2, having I plate 4, of considerable dimensions, and said 1 plate. 'isprovided with a vertically disposed This invention relates to mail bags or;

slot 5, which registers with a slot 6 in a plate 7, secured to the front face of the bag directly opposite the said triangular plate 4- Arranged directly belowthe said plate 7 and upon the same face of the bag is a plate 8, carrying a staple 9, which I consider to be of novel construction and which constitutes one of the essential features of my invention. This staple comprises the two outwardly-ex tending legs 10 and connecting-bar 11, which is formed with an upward or rearward extension 12 at the top to provide an overhanging locking-shoulder for the slotted plates, as will presently appear,and the staple is further provided at its lower portion with a small 5 eye 13 to receive the locking means.

The invention comprises further novel features of construction and arrangements of 0 parts hereinafter to be referred to in detail The manner of closing and locking the bag is as follows: The upper corner at one side is first folded over, so that the slotted plates at said corner will take over the staple, and then the opposite corner of the bag is folded over in a similar manner, after which the central portion of the bagat the top, carrying the triangular plate 4: and adjacent plate 7, is foldedover upon the previously-folded corners until the slots in the said plates 4 and 7 also take over the'staple, andwhen so folded it will be seen that the upward or rearward extension 12 of the staple will overhang all the said slotted plates at one end, and thus firmly hold them in position, after which the hasp of a padlock 1e will be passed through the eye13 in the staple, which willthereby hold the lower ends of the plates securely in as this plate not. only formsa rigid covering. for the folded mouth edges of the bag to pre-' vent tampering with such edges, but also 'place, and thus effect a tight and secure clos IOO greatly facilitates the operation of folding over the opposite corners of the bag, for the converging sides 15 of said plate are on a line with and indicate the point where the said corners are to be folded. I also consider the rearward or upward extension 12 on the staple as being important, since it acts in conjunction with the lock to firmly hold the slotted plates and confined corners or folds of the bag securely in place.

Instead of inserting a hasp-lock through the staple to lock the bag I may employ the strap arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This arrangement will be preferable in some instances, since it better meets the requirements of the post-olfice officials in cases where it is desired to provide means for opening the bag without cutting or slittingthe same should the lock for any reason become inoperative or refuse to yield to the action of the key when in the hands of the proper persons. In the said modified arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 I provide a strap 16, secured to the bag at a point 17 said strap being provided at its free end with an eye or ring 18, through which the hasp of a lock 19 is passed. The said strap 16 is further provided near its free end with a stoplug or ball 20 to limit the movement of the strap through the eye of the staple, so that there will be but a short section of strap between the said stoplug 20 and eye or ring l8,thus materially limiting the opening movement of the folded-over portions of the bag. It will now be understood that should the lock fail to open in response to the action of the key the ofiicial vested with proper authority could by simply severing the strap 16 gain access to the bag without slitting or cutting the same, which would be necessary if the hasp were attached directly to the staple, as first explained.

If desired, I may attach a metal pin 21, such as shown in Fig. 6, to the end of the strap and provide an opening 22 in the end of the said pin to receive the hasp of the look. In using this construction I will employ the stop-lug or button upon the strap, as heretofore described, to prevent the pin 21 from being drawn entirely through the eye in the staple. The pin arrangement illustrated in Fig. 6 will afford a rigid attachment and will greatly facilitate the locking of the bag, as will be obvious.

By the construction herein described I provide a mail-bag that can be easily and quickly brought to its closed position and as readily locked in a firm and secure manner.

I am aware that I am not the first to provide a mail-bag wherein a single staple is employed to receive the opposite corners and top of the bag when the latter are folded over, and I do not seek to cover such an arrangement broadly. My invention is confined to the improvements on this type of bag, as herein described, whereby a more secure and rigid locking means is provided and wherein the bag is not unnecessarily weakened by having the slots at the opposite sides thereof pass directly through the material of which the bag is formed.

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

1. A mail-bag havingslotted portions at the upper opposite corners thereof the slots of which are arranged to register, a slot in the upper rear face of the bag at the center, a similar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staple secured to the front face of the bag in position to receive the said slotted portions of the bag when folded as described, and an extension on the said staple arranged to overhang the said folded portions, substantially as described.

2. A mail-bag having slotted portions at the upper opposite corners thereof the slots of which are arranged to register when the bag is folded as described, a triangular-shaped plate secured to the rear face of the bag at the upper central portion, the edge Walls of said plate lying parallel with and indicating the folding-lines for the upper foldable portions of the bag, the said plate being provided with a slot, a similar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staple secured to the said front face of the bag at a point below the top and in position to receive the said slotted portions thereof when the month end of the bag is folded as described, and an extension onthe staple arranged to overhang the said triangular plate to retain the folded portions of the bag in position, substantially as described.

3. A mail-bag having its month end provided upon opposite sides with two pairs of slotted plates, the slots of which are made to register, a slotted plate secured to the upper rear face of the bag at the center, a similar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staple secured to the front of the bag at a point below the top and in a position to receive the said slotted plates when the month end of the bag is folded over as described, and a rearward extension on the said staple adapted to overhang the said slotted plates.

4. A mail-bag having its month end provided upon opposite sides with two pairs of slotted plates, the slots of which are made to register, a slotted plate secured to the upper rear face of the bag at the center, a similar registering slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staple secured to the front of the bag at a point below the top and in a position to receive the said slotted plates when the mouth end of the bag is folded as described, a small lock-opening or eye in the lower part of the staple, and a rearward extension at the upper part of the staple adapted to overhang the said-slotted plates.

5. Amail-bag having slotted portions at the opposite upper corners thereof, the slots of which are made to register, a slotted plate secured to the upper rear face of the bag at the middle, a similar registering-"slot in the opposite front face of the bag, a staple secured to the front face of the bag in a position to receive the said slotted portions of the bag when folded as described, a strap secured at one end to the bag, and having its opposite end provided with an opening or holder for a look, and a stop-lug or button near the free end of the strap, said strap being arranged to be passed through an eye in the staple, substantially as described.

6. A mail-bag having slotted portions at the upper opposite corners thereof and additional slots in the front and rear faces respectively at the upper central portion of the bag, all of said slots being arranged to register when the mouth end of the bag is folded as described, a staple secured to the front face of the bag in position to receive the said slotted portions, a strap secured at one end to the bag and having its opposite end provided with means to receive a lock, and a stop-lug or button near the free end of the strap, said strap being arranged to pass through an eye in the staple and the said stop-lug or button acting upon the staple to limit the passage of the strap therethrough, substantially as described.

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

' DANIEL ROBY HERING. Witnesses:

LoUIs N. GETZ, O. A. SPURRIER.

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