US1736640A

US1736640A - Handle

Info

Publication number: US1736640A
Application number: US201389A
Authority: US
Inventors: Waterer John William
Original assignee: Barrow Hepburn and Gale Ltd
Current assignee: Barrow Hepburn and Gale Ltd
Priority date: 1927-03-23
Filing date: 1927-06-25
Publication date: 1929-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1946-11-19

Description

Nov. 19, 1929. J. w. WATERER HANDLE Filed June 25, 1927 lun;

fl TTORNE r.

Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITEDr STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN WILLIAM WATERER, OF GREENWICI-I, LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BAR- ROW,`HEPBURN & GALE, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND HANDLE Application led .Tune 25, 1927, Serial No. 201,389, and in Great Britain March 23, 1927.

p A compact stowage of the handles of portable and other articles and for other puri poses when the handles are not in use, is desirable with many different types of handles, as for example those on portable gramophones, cameras, and the like which now upstand rather pronouncedly and in many cases inconveniently, from the surface of the case, inconvenience stepping in on account of obstruction, as for instance, if a winding handle or other working part has to be insei-ted at or near or adjacent to the handle, or, if a fall down front is laid upon a table or other support, or if a number of cases of fing arched or of lying flat, or substantially so, and provided with slide guides on or secured to the article lying in a plane parallel, or substantially parallel, to the article, in which each end of the handle is attached to one end of a link forming a longitudinal eX- tension of the handle, the other end of which link slides freely in thecorresponding slide' guide to allow the handle ends to move away from the surface and towards each other during the arching, and move towards the surface and recede from each other during the attening.

Arching the handle is preferred to be opposed by yielding means which re-ac't positively on the sliding connection with the article so that the handle when not in use is automatically returned to and retained in its alternative and normal position lying Hat or Hush on the article.

The drawings show a constructional example of the invention, Fig. 1 being a side view of an attachJ case, Fig. 2 a section on 1-1 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a lan view, Fig. 4 a section on 3-3 of Fig. 3, *ig. 5 an enlarged section on 1-1 of Fig. 1, Fi 6 is a plan View of a recessed handle, Fig a section on 6.--6 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 an end View of one of the handle plates.

In the drawings, 1 is a strip or blade of spring steel embodied in a leather handle 2 and having links 3 at its ends.

The links 3 move in hollow fittings or handle plates 4, 5 on the article, the links 3 not being wider or substantially wider than the width of the handle and being able to recede into the hollow fittings or handleplates 4, 5 in a notably elegant manner.

The hollow fittings or handle plates 4, 5 are in the form of shallow box-like plates having a pair of slots or notches 6, 7 in the end wall opposite the handle ends for vthe purpose of receiving the links 3 in sliding engagement therewith.

These shallow box-like plates may be secured to the article in divers ways. One way which serves well is to provide the plates with tangs or ears 8 adapted to be passed through the wall of the article and folded or-doubled back toward or away from each other to lie along the inside of the wall (Fig.

4) to which if desired they may be-furtherl v steel strip or blade 1 with its integral sliding links 3, the handle really being a metal handle but resembling a handle of leather or some equivalent material, the spring strip 1 being energized by arching the handle and re-acting positively on the sliding connection with the article to self-return the handle to a flat position. y

lnuse the handle 2 arches under the load and the links 3 slide into contactwith the nearer sides of the box-like fittings 4, 5 on the article and pivot to allow movement of thel handle ends away from the surface, but on the removal of the load following the release of the hand-grip, the action of the spring 1, positively returns the handle 2 to its normal position lying against the surface of the article 9, or flush in a recess 10 therein, and the links 3 which are end-on or in tandem movement of approach and recession for arching or opening of the handle given to the other end.

The present invention rather notably lends itself to mass production under favourable conditions with regard to manufacturing'assembling and fitting economies.

The effect of the blade spring v1 may just as well'be obtained by cylindric spiral tension springs 12 (Fig. 3) attached to the links, or the links may pull against cylindric spiral y compression springs, the springs in either connected to the opposite ends of the handle case reacting positively on the links to selfreturn the handle to a fiat position. No claim is made to springs attached' to the handle ends per se.

The bulk of the handle may be increased for heavier articles Without opposing the action of the spring, by using as a longitudinal packing a strip of rubber 13 Which may serviceably be of semi-torpedo shape. 14 is a bre strip packing.

The term parallel used in the claims is to be read as meaning parallel or substantially parallel.

1. A collapsible luggage handle', comprising a longitudinally flexible handle portion capable of being arched and flattened, links portion and providing longitudinal eXtensions thereof, and slide-guides ladapted for attachment to the luggage in position to receive said links, lsaid links being curved lengthwise and adapted to slide freely in said guides and in a plane substantially parallel with the surface of the luggage.

2. A collapsible handle for luggage, comprising a handle portion longitudinally iexible and adapted to be arched and flattened, links mounted upon the opposite ends of the handle portion and providing longitudinal extensions thereof, and a relatively flat enclosed housing arranged at each end of the handle portion and adapted to receive said links therein, said links being curved lengthwise of the handle portion and adapted to freely slide into and out of said housings in a plane substantially parallel with the surface of the luggage. e

3. A collapsible handle for luggage comprising a longitudinally flexible han le portion capable of being arched and flattened, a

spring in said handle portion for normally urging the same into flattened position against the side of the luggage, alink mounted upon each end of the handle portion, a slide guide of box formation mounted on the luggage at each end of the handle portion for receiving said links, said links being curved longitudinally to admit of the free sliding movement of the links in said guide and in a plane parallel with the surface of the luggage.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

JOHN WILLIAM WATERER.