GB1574312A - Cover for musical instrument - Google Patents

Description

(54) COVER FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENT (71) I, GERALD KEITH NEWSON, a British subject of 13 Wycombe Court, St.

Johns Part, Blackheath, London SE3 do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a cover for a musical instrument, more particularly to a cover for a double bass.

According to the invention there is provided a cover capable of accommodating a double bass, the cover being adapted to surround the double bass closely and being provided with a compartment in or on one major face of a size sufficient to accommodate a coat hanger with clothes hung thereon and containing means with which the hook of a coat hanger can be engaged.

In one advantageous form, the compartment has a closable opening accessible from the outside of the cover.

The hook engaging means may be arranged to enable release of the hanger or to secure the hanger captively in the compartment.

In a preferred form the cover is constructed from a flexible material of double layer thickness at least on said major face the compartment comprising a cavity located between said double layers.

In order that the invention and its various other preferred features may be understood more easily, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which : Figure 1 is an elevational isometric view of one side of a cover in accordance with the invention shaped to accommodate a double bass the view being taken from a point slightly above and to one side of the cover and Figure 2 is another isometric view of the other side of the cover of Figure 1 taken from a point slightly below and to one side of the cover.

In the drawings a cover 10 is formed from a double layer flexible polyester material and as can be seen is shaped to fit over and contain a double bass inserted via an opening 11 along its edge 12. The opening is closeable by means of a slide fastener.

The cover is approximately five feet high, three feet wide and one and a half feet deep.

The polyester material layers have padding material sandwiched therebetween, for example polyester foam to provide protection for the instrument. The material is strong but also very light which is an important consideration with a view to the carrying of heavy double basses.

One major side or face 13 of the cover is provided with a large pocket 14 which extends between the two layers of the polyester material and which extends over almost the entire major side of the cover.

The pocket has an edge 15 which extends up and across the face and is closable by means of a slide fastener in the form of a zip 16.

Inside the pocket 14 and slightly above the opening thereto there is provided a loop 17 of for example fabric or metal which serves as a hanger to receive the hook portion of a clothes hanger. The size of the pocket permits a clothes hanger bearing the clothes of a musician e.g. a jacket, trousers, tuxedo and pair of tails to be inserted through the opening to the pocket and then hooked into the loop 17. This avoids any requirement for a separate suitcase to carry such clothes.

On the opposite major face 18 of the cover 10 there are provided three pockets 21, 22 and 23 again formed between the two layers of polyester material. The pocket 21 on the left hand side of the cover, as shown in Figure 1, is designed to carry a bow for use with the double bass and is approximately thirty six inches long and four inches wide. The pockets 22 and 23 are situated one above the other on the right hand side of the major face 18. The upper pocket 22 is approximately seven inches long and six inches wide and the lower pocket approximately eight inches long and six inches wide.

These two pockets are designed for general purpose use and serve to carry for example spare strings, rosin and dusters. The pockets 21, 22 and 23 are again closable by means of slide fasteners.

Around the middle of the cover there is a belt 24 which is two inches wide and is located by retainer rings 25 provided at opposite edges of each major face. The belt serves as a handle for carrying the instrument in the cover.

Although the particularly advantageous embodiment described is formed from a flexible material it could be formed as a rigid or semi rigid case from other types of material e.g. glass reinforced plastics material. In such cases the pockets could be formed as moulded in cavities.

The opening for admitting the instrument need not be provided from the side adjacent the major faces but could be provided for example in the face 18.

The means from which the hanger can be hung can be of any suitable alternative form e.g. a hook or ring and the hanger may be captively retained in the pocket so as to avoid removal in which case clothes would be hung or removed from the hanger whilst it is situated in the pocket. It may be more convenient in this respect if the edge 15 extended along three sides of the pocket so that the outer layer could be flapped back.

Instead of slide fasteners, other means may be employed to close the pockets e.g.

press studs or self adhesive fabric tapes such as sold under the trademark VELCRO.

Instead of forming the pockets between the double layers of material they may be formed by separate "patch" layers provided on the outside of the cover. If such "patch pockets" are provided on the outer layer of a double layer cover, padding between the layers can be incorporated over the whole of the cover and so provide enhanced protection for the instrument.

WHAT I CLAIM IS 1. A cover capable of accommodating a double bass, the cover being adapted to surround the double bass closely and being provided with a compartment in or on one major face of a size sufficient to accommodate a coat hanger with clothes hung thereon and containing means with which the hook of a coat hanger can be engaged.

2. A cover as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the compartment has a closable opening accessible from the outside of said cover.

3. A cover as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the hanger is nonreleasably secured to the hook engaging means.

4. A cover as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the hanger is releasably securable to the hook engaging means.

5. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hook engaging means comprises a loop.

6. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, provided with one or more additional compartments or pockets.

7. A cover as claimed in Claim 6, wherein one of said additional compartments or pockets is shaped to accommodate a bow.

8. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim formed of a flexible material of double layer thickness at least on said major face, the compartment comprising a cavity located between said double layers.

9. A cover as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the cover has a closable aperture on a side adjacent the major face of size permitting admission of a double bass.

10. A cover as claimed in Claim 8 or 9 wherein the compartment is closable by means of a slide fastener.

11. A cover as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 10 wherein at least part of the cover outside the area of the compartment is of double layer construction and is provided with padding material sandwiched between the layers.

12. A cover capable of accommodating a double base substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. wide. The pockets 22 and 23 are situated one above the other on the right hand side of the major face 18. The upper pocket 22 is approximately seven inches long and six inches wide and the lower pocket approximately eight inches long and six inches wide. These two pockets are designed for general purpose use and serve to carry for example spare strings, rosin and dusters. The pockets 21, 22 and 23 are again closable by means of slide fasteners. Around the middle of the cover there is a belt 24 which is two inches wide and is located by retainer rings 25 provided at opposite edges of each major face. The belt serves as a handle for carrying the instrument in the cover. Although the particularly advantageous embodiment described is formed from a flexible material it could be formed as a rigid or semi rigid case from other types of material e.g. glass reinforced plastics material. In such cases the pockets could be formed as moulded in cavities. The opening for admitting the instrument need not be provided from the side adjacent the major faces but could be provided for example in the face 18. The means from which the hanger can be hung can be of any suitable alternative form e.g. a hook or ring and the hanger may be captively retained in the pocket so as to avoid removal in which case clothes would be hung or removed from the hanger whilst it is situated in the pocket. It may be more convenient in this respect if the edge 15 extended along three sides of the pocket so that the outer layer could be flapped back. Instead of slide fasteners, other means may be employed to close the pockets e.g. press studs or self adhesive fabric tapes such as sold under the trademark VELCRO. Instead of forming the pockets between the double layers of material they may be formed by separate "patch" layers provided on the outside of the cover. If such "patch pockets" are provided on the outer layer of a double layer cover, padding between the layers can be incorporated over the whole of the cover and so provide enhanced protection for the instrument. WHAT I CLAIM IS

1. A cover capable of accommodating a double bass, the cover being adapted to surround the double bass closely and being provided with a compartment in or on one major face of a size sufficient to accommodate a coat hanger with clothes hung thereon and containing means with which the hook of a coat hanger can be engaged.

2. A cover as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the compartment has a closable opening accessible from the outside of said cover.

3. A cover as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the hanger is nonreleasably secured to the hook engaging means.

4. A cover as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the hanger is releasably securable to the hook engaging means.

5. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the hook engaging means comprises a loop.

6. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim, provided with one or more additional compartments or pockets.

7. A cover as claimed in Claim 6, wherein one of said additional compartments or pockets is shaped to accommodate a bow.

8. A cover as claimed in any preceding claim formed of a flexible material of double layer thickness at least on said major face, the compartment comprising a cavity located between said double layers.

9. A cover as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the cover has a closable aperture on a side adjacent the major face of size permitting admission of a double bass.

10. A cover as claimed in Claim 8 or 9 wherein the compartment is closable by means of a slide fastener.

11. A cover as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 10 wherein at least part of the cover outside the area of the compartment is of double layer construction and is provided with padding material sandwiched between the layers.

12. A cover capable of accommodating a double base substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the drawing.