Untitled record

No. 219,230.

T. A. DENNIS.

Mail-Bag

Patented Sept. 2, 1879.

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N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, 0. C.

United States Patent Office

THEODORE A. DENNIS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAIL-BAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 219,230, dated September 2,1879; application filed October 16, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Theodore A. Dennis, of the city of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skiliedin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing·, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which forms a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mail bags or pouches rendered water-proof, and also capable of floating upon the water with their contents, thereby preserving said contents from contact with or being damaged by the water.

The accompanying drawing, to a certain extent, illustrates the nature and character of my improvements.

The figure shown in the said drawing is a longitudinal central section of a mail-bag constructed in accordance with my improvement, as will be presently more fully described and claimed.

The improved mail-bag is composed of duck, or other suitable fabric, and rubber, which are combined iu the process of manufacture, as will be hereinafter set forth.

The rubber which I use in carrying out my invention is prepared substantially in the same manner and of about the same consistency as that employed in the manufacture of india-rubber shoes, or, perhaps, rubber somewhat thicker and heavier would be preferable.

The mode of construction is as follows: The inside lining, c, which is of duck or other suitable fabric heavily coated with rubber c&amp;ment, is cut out by a pattern corresponding with the size and shape of the bag, and is drawn over a form, being made perfectly smooth thereon, and the edges, where joined, being brought nicely together, but not so as to overlap, and secured by a strip of rubber stay-cloth, applied so as to cover the joints at the side and bottom, after which the rubber cover or outside is cut out in the same manner as the inside lining, c, and drawn over the same, the edges, however, being lapped about a quarter or half an inch. Said lapped edges, as well as the whole bag, are then rolled down with a heavy iron roller until the inner lining and outer covering of rubber are perfectly secured together and seamless.

A separate and similar inner lining, ii, is constructed and secured to the inside of the rim B at the top, as shown, leaving an air-space, a, at the bottom and side between said inner lining and the outer portion of the bag.

Mail-bags provided with these air-chambers are intended more especially for the marinemail service, and are provided with a circular metallic rim, B, at the top, upon which is screwed a metal cap or cover, 0, the joint being nicely packed with rubber o, so as to make it perfectly water and air tight, said rim and cover being made as light as practicable, and arranged so as to be securely locked, which may be done with an ordinary padlock, hasp, and staple, or in any other convenient manner.

In bags thus formed with the fabric portions i and e and the rubber portions e e, with an air-chamber, a, between the fabric lining c of the outer part and the rubber lining e' of the inner part, it will be found that the rubber linings do not come in contact with each other, and-hence when the bag is compressed in warm weather, and when not full of mail matter, there will be no danger of that sticking together of the parts which under such circumstances would occur were two rubber surfaces brought into contact.

Owing to the facility with which mail-bags of this description can be manufactured, they can be produced at less than one-half the ex-, pense of ordinary leather bags, while they are superior thereto, inasmuch as they are more flexible, have no stitched seams or joints, are water-proof and will float on the water, and, owing to the combination of fabric and rubber, are much stronger and more durable.

I am aware that mail-bags have been before made of fabric and india-rubber linings, and I am also aware that, broadly considered, aircompartments in mail-bags have before been formed; but