Mail-bag fastener.

(Application filed June 18, 1901.)

<img file="US684656A_D0001.tif" />

<img file="US684656A_D0002.tif" />

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO., WASHINGTON, 0. C.

United States Patent Office.

BENJAMIN WATSON, OF EDEN, NEW YORK.

MAIL-BAG FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,656, dated October 15,1901.

Application filed June 18i 1901. Serial’Ko. 65^014. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

_ Be it known that I, Benjamin Watson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Eden, in the county of Erie and State of New 5 York, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Fastener, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel simple mail-bag fastening which is io much easier to apply and remove than the ordinary strap-fastening, is secure, affords free access to the bag when detached therefrom, is quite light and strong, and may be manufactured at a moderate cost.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described,and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 20 drawings, formingapart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of the improvement applied upon the mouth portion of a mail25 bag. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side view of the bag in part and of the improvement , thereon, substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2.

The mail-bag 10 maybeof canvas or leather and is provided at one end with a normally open mouth for the introduction of mail-matter. The bag-mouth, as shown, extends across one end of the bag and comprises a slit a be35 tween the two free transverse edges of the bag-opening.

The edges of the opening or slit a are preferably formed as shown in Fig. 3, each consisting of a tubulation δ, having a core c of 40 resilient material—such, for example, as a wire coil or a cylindrical strand of gum, the latter being indicated in Fig. 3. The portion of each slit edge is formed into a tubulation by folding it outwardly and sewing or rivet45 ing the folded material near its margin upon the body of the bag, thus producing a casing of suitable diameter for the reception of the core c. Near the termination of the slit a, at each side edge of the bag, a rivet d is inserted and secured transversely, holding the edge 50 portions together at the ends of the slit and correspondingly strengthening the bag-mouth.

The securing device or fastener proper for the bag comprises a plurality of clamp-sections 11, similar in form, each consisting of a 55 tubulation, preferablj⁷ of sheet metal, such as sheet-steel, and having an opening e, formed longitudinally, the marginal edges or flanges e! of the opening being curved outward slightly, as shown in Fig. 3. The opening e 60 of each clamp-section 11 has a suitable width proportioned to the thickness of the mail-bag below and near the mouth-opening a therein.

Any suitable number of the clamp-sections 11 may be provided. As shown, these clamps 65 are five in number, and the combined length of the clamp-sections should nearly equal the width of the bag at its mouth.

The clamp-sections 11 are each perforated near each end at points directly opposite the 70 opening e, these perforations f being in the form of transverse slots of proper dimensions to adapt them to receive loosely an elongated link 12, which is introduced into two slots/ of an adjacent pair of clamp-sections. Pref- 75 erably the links 12 are flattened and so fitted within the slots as to adapt the joints they form between the sections of the clamp to confer proper flexibility thereto when said clamps are positioned on the mail-bag. 80

The sectional clamp formed of the sections 11 and connecting-links 12 has such internal diameter as will adapt it to neatly slide upon the impinging rounded edge portions of the mail-bag mouth, the application of the clamp 85 being from one end and effected after the mouth of the bag is completely closed by a lateral compression of its edges.

A hasp is provided for securing the sectional clamp upon the mail-bag after it has 90 been slid over the tubulated edges, of its mouth and consists of two members 13 14, joined together at g. A flat eye h is formed at the opposite end of the hasp member 13, which is clipped in the slot / at the end of the 95 sectional clamp which is to receive the hasp. A longitudinal slot i is formed in the hasp member 14 for the reception of a staple 15, &amp; 684 which projects from the mail-bag. Another hasp 16 is preferably employed in conjunction with the hasp member 14, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the hasp 16 is hinged at m on the 5 mail-bag, so as to fold upon the staple 15, and has a slot i! therein to facilitate such an engagement.

A handle, preferably in looped form, as shown at 17 in Fig. 1, is secured on one flap ib of the mail-bag mouth and extends upwardly therefrom to afford means for handling the filled bag and also for hanging the bag upon a suitable fixed projection when the bag is to be filled with mail-matter.

i5 Assuming that the bag has been filled, the closure is effected as follows: The operator with one hand, while the’ bag is pendent, grasps the edges of the mouth a aud by compression closes the same, so that the sec20 tional clamp may be freely slid at one end upon the rounded and contacting edges of said mouth, the end of the clamp farthest from the hasp member 13 being thus mounted thereupon.

The sectional clamp is completely mounted upon the mail-bag at its closed opening by longitudinal movement, so as to locate it thereon as shown in Fig. 1, which will manifestly clasp the rounded edges of the bag30 mouth together, affording a water-tight joint between them, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the operation of fastening the bag may now be completed by a proper adj ustment of the haspsection 14 and hasp 16 upon the staple 15', 35 which will permit the application of a lock 18 to the staple-bow and its locking adjustment, as usual.

It is obvious that by forming the clamp employed in a plurality of sections objectionable 40 rigidity is avoided, and from the manner of connecting the clamp-sections with flat links the clamp complete is adapted to flex only a limited degree, so that it may be readily manipulated by grasping it at one end, which 45 enables the operator to readily mount the clamp upon the mail-bag and also freely re

656 move it by handling it at one end, where the hasp-section 13 is secured.

The invention, it is claimed, will expedite the work of closing and opening mail-bags, is 50 very light, is quite secure, and is durable, as well as inexpensive to manufacture.