US1540331A - Wardrobe trunk - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1925.

' E. W. HAWLEY WARDROBE TRUNK 1923 2 sneetsLneet 1 Filed Dec. 12.

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E. W. HAWLEY WARDROBE TRUNK Filed Dec. 12. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wfg/fw.

-` shoe box.

Patented June 2, 1925,

EUGENE W, HAWLEY, or rHILAnnLrHIe, rnNNsYnvANrA.

'WARDROBE TRUNK.

Application filed December 12, 19523v Serial No. `680,085.

To all Lo/wm it may con-cern Be it known that I, EUGENE IV. HAWLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wardrobe llrunks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a Apart of this specification.

In wardrobe trunlrs, it is customary to provide one compartment with drawers ,and another' with clothing supports and also, frequently, with a swingable and removable A typical vclothing supporter construction comprises a pair of telescoping rods extending forward from the rear of the trunk compartment and separate and removable wooden hangers adapted to rest and slide on such rods. Wlardrobe trunks are frequently used as substitutes for closets or wardrobes, especially when the user is traveling from place to place. In such cases, it is convenient to allow the trunk to remain in its open position. However', it

Ais objectionable to allow the contents of the clothing compartment to be exposed to view, and therefore, this compartmenthas vbeen provided with a cover that extends across the front of the compartment. Such .covers must, of course, be removable to secure access to the articles of wearing apparel behind them.

The object of my invention is to provide a cover or curtain whichV will effectively serve the purpose of concealing the clothing, which is permanently attached to the trunk, which occupies a minimum of space when not in use, and which is readily ma nipulatable to apply and remove.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a wardrobe trunk in open position, with cover or curtain in unrolled or operative position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the top of the garment compartment of the trunk.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the garment compartment, with the cover or curtain rolled up.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the means e for holding the cover or curtain in operative position. i

Fig. 5 is a section through the cover or curtain andk its supporting and guiding mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a partial front view of said supporting and guiding mechanism.

The trunk comprises the compartments o and hinged together in the usual way. The clothing compartment b carries telescopic supporting rods c, c, having front stop cl, al, and slidably supported, removable, wooden `hangers e, c. The'compartment a is provided with vertical reinforcing bars f, f extending along oppositeront edges fromthe bottom to nearly the extreme top, and these bars carryV vertical guideways g,V g, adapted to be slidably engaged by members von a shoe boxl L.

The compartment a is provided with a lid or arched tope' hinged to the top of the rear wall of the compartment. `This topi has side members y', j and also a front piece chwhose lower edge is substantially above thelowe edges of the side pieces y', y

Between the sidewalls ofthe hinged top, a short distance back of its frontV edges, eX- tends a tubular roller m'supported at opposite ends in a manner similar to anyordinary shade `roller and similarly provided with a coiled spring or springs n and hav ing similarly secured to it the end of a flexible shade, cover or curtain 0, which is coiled about it in the usual way. The specific construction of such shades is so welll known that more specific description and illustration are unnecessary. Indeed, it is preferred4 that the ordinary construction be simplified by the omission of the means commonly provided to allow the shade to be held in various partially unrolled positions, and such means are therefore not illustrated.

Secured against the lower face of the front piece 7c of the top and against the front margins of the side Walls j, j of the top, is a yoke-shaped bar p. Extending across the front of the top z' and secured at opposite ends to the depending members of the yoke p is a rod 7" on which is sleeved a turnable guide roller s.

It will be noted that the roller s is located in front of and spaced from the roller m and that the curtain o extends from the roller m up over the rollers s and thence down in front of the roller s. The roller s therefore acts as a guide for the' cover 0. It is irnpracticable to position the roller m at or very near the extreme front of the top z', as it; so positioned, the cover orcurtain coiled thereon, upon the dropping ol? the top, would strike the stops l on the tele.. scoping rods c. It the roller 0 were positioned as shown and the guide s omitted, the curtain could not clear the upper ends of the bars f. It would` be impossible to secure the curtain roller to the fixed-conipartnient a, as it would prevent the withdrawal toward thev front of the 'hangers or the garments suspended therefrom. lythe arranlgenientV described, the curtain roller is so positioned; as not to interfere withthe manipulation of the clothes, and, in 'the closing; of the top` or lid, notv toengage any part of the garn'ient suspending structi-ire, while when` the curtain is completely uni'oliled it? extends, throughout its exposed heighalong the extreme front ofthe clething compartment in a vertical plane.

The lower end ofthe curtain carries a cross-bart, which, 'when the curtain is pulled down to its lowest position, Vinay be slipped into the socket forined bythe angle clips u-,za and thereby held from rolling kup under the action of' its operating spring.y

It is preferred to niakethel curtain oi a length just sutiicient to overlap the top of the shoe box la The shoe box itself cone ceals the lower part of the compartment, so

when the lid is closed, the unrolled curtain will extend downward from the guide in a substantially vertical plane.

2. In a wardrobe trunk, the lcombination w with one coinpartinen'tthereof, of garmentsi-ipportingl devices therein, a lid hinged to the rear of said coinpartinei'it, a spring rol-ler carried by said lid and so spaced fro-1n the liront of the lid as to clear said garmentsupporting devices upon closure ol the li'd, a guide secured tothe lid adjacent its front edge and iniront ot and spaced troni the curtain support, and a roller to be rolled on and unrolled from the roller, and nieans for securing the end of the curtain when unrolled, the curtain extending from its support forwardly vover said guide and thence downward.

3. In a wardrobe trunk, the combination with one compartmentthereof, otgarmentsupporting devices therein, a lid adapted to front of the roller which also fornis a stop for the curtain roller. Y

In testiinonyof which invention, I have hereunto set iny hand, at 'lVoodbury, New Jersey, on this 6th day olf" December, 1923.'

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