US1051937A - Wardrobe-trunk. - Google Patents

Description

G. H. WHEARY.

WARDROBE TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.10, 1910.

PatentedFeb. 4, 1913;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WARDROBE TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1910.

Patented Feb. 4, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GEORGE H. WHEARY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

WARDROBE-TRUNh Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4,1913.

Application filed December 10, 1910. Serial No. 596,600.

To all whom it may concern:

.Beit known that I, GEORGE H. \VHEARY, a citizen of theUnited States of America, and resident of Racine, Racine c0u11ty, isconsin, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in lVardrobe-Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to wardrobe trunks of the kind in which the clothes hangers are supported on an extensible rack or frame disposed under a door or cover for one end of the trunk, or for one end of the tray or other receptacle in which the hangers are carried, which door or cover can be t-raisecl and opened after the trunk is opened, whereby the clothing is held firmly in place whilethe trunk is closed, and after the said door or cover has first been closed and locked against the clothing resting upon the tops of the said hangers. This method of packing the trunk is often necessary when the clothing is too long for the trunk, it being possible in such cases to fold the clothes upward and over the tops of the hangers, which latter are made especially for this purpose, being provided with upper portions which combine to form a practically flat surface upon which the folded portions .of the clothing can be spread out flat and held in such condition by the clamping action of said door or cover, thus enabling the-user to obtain satisfactory results with a trunk which is comparatively small.

An object of my invention is to provide means whereby the saidrack or frame may be iised as a c0mbined. lever and locking device for pulling the said door or cover closed against the pressure of the clothing, and

looking the same in place when thus closed, whereby the said door or cover is more easily closed. when the trunk is full, and whereby the opening or unfolding of the said rackor frame serves automat said door or cover.

Another object is to provide the folding orswingingportion of said rack or frame ically to unlock the .with improved spring means for yieldingly holding-orv clamping the clothing in place inthe trunk.

Tothese and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In. the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a perspective of atrunk embodying the'principles of my invention, showing the and the frame or .d is held in such same entirely open and ready for packing. F 1g. 2 is a perspective of the upper end of the trunk, when the same is standing on end, showing the manner in which the hanger rack is folded to draw down the cover or end door of the trunk. Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the springpressed clamping bar which is carried on the outer end of the hanger rack or frame, and which holds the clothing in place when thet-runk is closed. Fig. i is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of the door or cover shown in Fig. 2, showing a portion of one of the hooks that are mounted on the said rack or frame, and which engage said door or cover to pull the same down upon the clothing resting on the top of the hangers. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the end door or cover closed rack folded into the trunk, the said door or cover being locked in this position by the hooks on the said rack or hanger.

As thus illustrated, the trunk is composed of sections A and B, the latter serving as the usual cover, and the trunk being opened by swinging the two sections apart, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. After the trunk is thus opened, then the cover or end door C is released by opening out or unfolding the frame or rack D. This door or cover C is hinged to the back wallaof the trunk, and has a slotted brace 0 for holding it open. The frame or rack D is disposed immediately below said door or cover, and has a pair of pivotal or hinge connections d whereby its outer section d may swing up and down, when the trunk is standing on end, as shown in Fig. 1. When raised, the section braces d that catch on the lugs 03 on the inside of the/trunk: The swinging section 03 is provided with pivoted hooks d that are adapted to engage recesses 0 in the door or cover C to pull the latter down into place, when the frame' D is folded into the trunk, as shown in F ig. '2. In thisway the rack or frame section (1 serves as a lever to enable the user to easily close the door or cover C, when the trunk is loaded.-

The frame or rack D is provided with parallel tracks or rods 03 upon-which the bars E are supported said bars having notches e that engage said tracks or rods, whereby the said bars can be separated when the trunk is opened and the rack unfolded.

position by the. pivoted 'l'hcsc bars are preferably covered with cloth the trunk can be handled in packing and so that clothing may rest thereon. Each serves as the top of a hanger e. of any suitable character, and 1f the dre ses or other clothing supported on these hangers are too i long for the trunk, the lower ends thereof can be brought up and laid over the said bars E. form a sort of table upon which portions of In this way the bars E combine to the clothing can he supported and clamped t firmly in place by the cover or door C. The

section (Z has a bar F that slideon the rods f. and which backed by the springs f. hen the rack D is folded, the bar F yieldingly bears against the dresses or other clothing in the trunk and holds the same in place. If the trunk is quite full, and if there is much clothing on top of the bars E, then the cover or door C will have to be forced down, but this is easily done by reason of the leverage exerted by the frame section (7' when the rack D is folded or closed. This is by reason of the fact that the hooks 17* are long enough to engage the recesses 0' before the door C is fully or entirely closed, and consequently the final closure is effected by the folding of the rack. The hooks cl constitute the sole means for locking the cover C inplace, so that the latter can be opened, even when the two trunk sections A and B are open and standing close together. The said hooks can, after the trunk is opened and the rack D unfolded, be dis engaged from the cover C to permit the latter to be opened.

From the foregoing it willbe seen that I provide a construction whereby the clothing is held firmly in place in the trunk, and whereby the opening and closing of the trunk is greatly facilitated, thus Very much increasing the convenience with which unpacking.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a trunk, a swinging door, a folding rack, and means on said rack for engaging said door when said door is partially closed to forcibly close and lock the door in place when the rack is folded.

2. ln a trunk, a swinging door, a folding hanger rack, and means on said rack r engaging said door, when the rack is folded. and when said door is partially closed, to forcibly close and lock the door in place, said means consisting of hooks pivoted on the rack and adapted to be disengaged from said door, when the latter is opened, substantially as described.

In a trunk, a swinging door or closure, a pivotal member, and means on said memher for engaging said door or closure When said door is partially closed. whereby said member serves as a lever with its pivot as a fulcrum, for forcibly closing said door or cover.

4. A wardrobe trunk provided with a door or cover, a foldin hanger rack. and means operated by the folding of said rack when said cover is partially closed, for closing said door against the contents of the trunk.

5. In a trunk, a swinging door, a folding rack, a pair of hooks'carried by said rack and adapted to engage said door when said door is partially closed, whereby said door is forcibly closed and locked in place when said rack is folded.

' Signed by'me at Racine; Wisconsin, this 30th day of November 1910.

GEORGE H. WYIEARY.

Witnesses:

MAX BLooH, CLINT D. FRAZELL.

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