US1608511A

US1608511A - Collapsible trunk, suitcase, and the like

Info

Publication number: US1608511A
Application number: US23766A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kennedy Ernest Norbert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-04-17
Filing date: 1925-04-17
Publication date: 1926-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 1943-11-30

Description

Nov. 30 1926. I 1,608,511

E. N. KENNEDY COLLAPSIBLE TRUNK, SUITCASE, AND THE LIKE- Filed April l7 1925 anoe/ntoz EN. Kennedy M "w v Patented Nov. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST NOEBERT KENNEDY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GQLLAPSIBLE TRUNK, SUITCASE, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 17, 1925.

This invention relates to trunks, suitcases, and the like of the kind which comprises two telescopically arranged parts adapted to be connected together by means of extensible I fastening devices, so that when the trunk or suitcase has been packed, the two parts thereof may be collapsed, or pressed one toward the other, so as to securely hold the contents against undesired movement, the fastening devices being so arranged as to hold the two parts of the trunk, suitcase or the like in any telescoped or collapsed condition of the parts thereof.

A trunk or suitcase of this kind has been disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,508,142

issued September 9, 1924.

In trunks 0r suitcases of this kind some difiiculty may be experienced in opening or swinging the upper part or lid about the extensible hinge devices between thesame and the lower part of the trunk or suitcase, particularly in the fully telescoped or collapsed condition of the parts, if the parts fit closely together and the front walls thereof are perpendicular to the top and bottom walls respectively of said parts. This difliculty is avoided in the patent above mentioned by making the parts of the suitcase of rhombic cross section with the front and rear walls of the parts parallel but inclined with re spect to the top and bottom walls.

The object of the present invention is to provide a form or forms of trunk, suitcase, or the like of the telescopic Or collapsible kind indicated above, having the parts thereof arranged so that the one part or lid may be readily swung about the hinge devices between the same and the other part, even in the fully telescoped or collapsed condition of the parts.

According to the invention the upper part or lid of the suitcase or the like is made of somewhat greater width than the lower part, and a yieldable, compressible, or elastic means is provided arranged to close the space between the parts of the suitcase at the front side thereof, in any telescoped position of said parts, the swinging of the upper part or lid being facilitated either by the yielding,

or the'compression, of said means, or by suitably shaping the front wall of one of the suitcase parts.

The invention is illustrated in different Serial No. 23,766.

forms thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of a collapsible or telescopic suitcase constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the suitcase showing the upper part or lid partially swung toward open position,

Flg. 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 but showing a somewhat modified form of suitcase, and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a further modificatlon.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the suitcase comprises the lower part 1 and the upper part or lid 2, the latter being arranged to fit over the lower part and to assume different telescoped or collapsed positions relatively thereto, according to the extent to which said lower part is packed with clothes or the like.

The two parts 1 and 2 of the suitcase are adapted to be connected together by means of extensible fastening devices which as shown comprise extensible hinge devices 3 at the rear of the suitcase and extensible lockmg devices 4 at the front of the suitcase.

These extensible fastening devices may be of any suitable form, for example the form shown in the prior patent above referred to, or the form shown in the copending application Serial No. 23,768, filed April 17, 1925. So far as the present invention is concerned it is sutficient to state that these extensible devices comprise two

parts

5 and 6, one of which is provided with a ratchet rack element while the other is provided with a pawl element adapted to engage said rack element in the closed or locked condition of the parts shown in Fig. 1 in order to prevent extension of said fastening devices and to hold the parts of the suitcase securely in the telescoped or collapsed condition thereof. The parts 5 of these fastening devices are secured to the upper part or lid of the suitcase and the parts 6 of the hinge devices are pivotally connected to hinge members 7 secured to the lower part of the suitcase. The parts 6 of the locking devices 4 have pivotally connected to the lower ends thereof hasp members 8 adapted to coact with suitable locks 9 secured to the lower part 1 of the suitcase. When the hasps 8 are released from the locks and turned by suitable springs into the position shown in Fig. 2 the pawl elements are released from the rack elements so that the parts 6 may be extended, and when the lid 2 is swung about the hinge members 7 the pawls of the parts 6 of the hinge devices are released from their rack elements so that the

parts

5 and 6 may be extended. lVhen the lid 2 is swung back into the closed position shown in Fig. 1 and the hasps 8 are engaged with the locks 9 the pawl elements are in engagement with the rack elements and the lid 2 may be pressed down to such extent as may be necessary to securely hold the contents of the suitcase between the two parts 1 and 2 thereof, the pawl elements engaging the ratchet racks'to securely hold the upper part or lid against upward movement.

According to the present invention the upper part or lid 2 of the suitcase is made sufficiently wider than the lower part 1 of the suitcase as to permit said upper part or lid to be readily swung about the pivots of the hinge members 7 even when the parts 1 and 2 are in the fully telescoped or collapsed condition indicated in Fig. 2. This arrangement provides a space 10 between the front walls 11 and 12 of the suitcase parts, and means are provided for closing this space so as to prevent ingress of dust or dirt, and to prevent the escape and loss of any small article from the suitcase. Such means may comprise for example a tubular n ember 13 of rubber or any other elastic or compressible material, but the invention is 1101., restricted to any specific form of such means, as any suitable means capable of closing the space between the suitcase parts, without interfering with the swinging of the part 2 of the suitcase about the hinge members 7, may be provided. The element 13 may be secured to the front wall 11 of the lid 2 in any suitable manner, such for example as by stitching or riveting, and it will be seen that this element acts to close the space 10 between the walls 11 and 12 in any telescoped or collapsed position of the parts 1 and 2. This element 13 being of a compressible or yieldable material is adapted to give or yield to such an extent as may be necessary during the swinging or opening of the lid 2, to accommodate the decreasing distance bet-ween the lower partof the front wall 11 of the lid and the front wall 12 of the lower part 1 as will be clear from Fig. 2. This figure shows the lid 2 partially swung toward open position in the substantially fully collapsed condition of the parts of the suitcase, the line of movement of the lower part of said wall 11 being indicated by the dotted line 141 and the element 13 being shown in a compressed or yielding condition between the lower part of the wall 11 and the upper part of the wall 12.

The arrangement described thus provides complete freedom of swinging or opening movement of the lid 2 relatively to the lower part 1 while effectively closing the space between said parts so as to prevent ingress of dust or the like or the loss of articles.

In the modified form of suitcase shown in Fig. 3 the front wall 15 of the lower part 1 of the suitcase is shown as being upwardly and rearwardly curved Or inclined so as to permit the upper part or lid 2 of the suitcase to be readily swung into open position. The dot and dash lines in the figure indicate the substantially fully collapsed or telescoped position of the upper part or lid 2 and the dotted line 16 indicates the line of movement of the lower part of the front wall 11 of said lid when the same is in the fully telescoped or collapsed position thereof. With this arrangement the space 17 between the walls 11 and 15 will be less in the fullytelescoped position of the parts 1 and 2 than in the more exteneed or less telescoped position of the parts as indicated by the full lines in the figure. This space 17 is adapted to be closed by means of a compressible or yieldable element 18 of any suitable form which is adapted to yield or to be compressed be tween the walls 11 and 15 in the fully telescoped position of the parts indicated by the dotted lines and is adapted to expand or resume its normal condition in the more ex tended or less telescoped positions of the parts 1 and 2 such as indicated by the full lines in the figure. This element 18 may be secured in any suitable manner to the wall 11 of the lid 2.

It will be seen that this arrangement also facilitates the swinging or opening move ment of the upper part orlid 2 of the suitcase while the element- 18 serves to eifectively close the space between the front Walls in all telescoped positions of the parts.

Fig. 4: shows a modified form of means for closing the space between the walls 11 and 12 of the suitcase parts 1 and 2. Such means comprises an element 19 extending longitudinally of the lower part of the wall 11 and hing-edly connected thereto in any suitable manner as at 20. Suitable springs 21 secured either to the wall 11 or to the element 19 are provided serving to press said element 19 toward the wall 12 so that said element 19 effectively closesthe space between the two walls but is adapted to yield toward the wall 11 during the swinging or opening movement I of the upper part or 11d 2 so as not to interfere with such swinging or opening movement. The spring pressed element 19 may be employed in the form of-suitcase shown in Fig. 3 as well as in that form shown'in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that while the invention has been specifically described as applied to a suitcase it maybe equally wellemployed in connection with trunks or the like,

LOO

said parts at the rear thereof and the only difference in the case of a trunk being in the depth of the lower part 1 thereof.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A collapsible trunk, suitcase or the like, comprising two telescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting said parts at the rear thereof and extensible fastening devices connecting said parts at the front thereof, the front walls of said parts being spaced from each other in such manner as to permit the one part to be swung relatively to the other about said hinge devices, and compressible means arranged to close the space between said walls in all telescoped positions of said parts.

2. A collapsible trunk, suitcaseor the like, comprising two telescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting said parts at the rear thereof and extensible fastening devices connecting said parts at the front thereof, the front walls of said parts being spaced from each other in such manner as to permit the one part to be swung relatively to the other about said hinge devices, and an element secured to the outermost of said walls, and bearing against the other of said walls to close the space therebetween, and capable of being compressed between said walls.

3. A collapsible trunk, suitcase or the like, comprising two telescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting extensible fastening device-s connecting said parts at the front thereof, the front walls of said parts being spaced from each other in such manner as to permit the one part to be swung relatively to the other about said hinge devices, and a tubular rubber element secured to one of said walls and bearing against the other of said walls to close the space therebetween.

4. A collapsible trunk, suitcase or the like, comprising two telescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting said parts at the rear thereof and extensible fastening devices connecting said parts at the front thereof, the front wall of the inner one of said parts being upwardly and rearwardly inc-lined so as to permit the other part to be swung about said hinge devices, and an element secured to one of said walls and arranged to be compressed between said walls in the fully telescoped position of said parts and to expand between said walls in less telescoped positions of said parts, to close the space between said walls.

5. A collapsible trunk, suitcase or the like, comprising two telescopically arranged parts, extensible hinge devices connecting said parts at the rear thereof and extensible fastening devices connecting said parts at the front thereof, the front walls of said parts being spaced from each other in such manner as to permit the one part to be swung relatively to the other about said hinge devices, and means secured to one of said walls and bearing against the other of said walls to close and adapted to yield, or be compressed, toward the first wall during the swinging movement of said part.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

E. N ORBERT KENNEDY.

the space therebetween,