US1948040A - Hand bag frame - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 20, 1934. c, J MccABE ET AL l ,948, 040

HAND BAG FRAME Filed March 12, 1950 Patented Feb. 20, 1934' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAND BAG FRAlllE tion, Cambridge, Massachusetts Application March 12,

8 Claims.

Our present invention relates generally to a handbag and a-frame therefor and more particularly to the employment of locking means with a frame of the inverted channelled type.

A general object of our invention is to provide a handbag frameand a locking device therefor which will facilitate the manufacture of the finished bag and will result in the production of an improved and highly attractive structure.

A'more particular object is to provide a handbag frame of the inverted channeled type which employs a so-called lift-lock, which is a latch device wherein one of the members is in the form of a handle which is lifted or swung upwardly when it is desired to open the bag.

One of the main features of our invention lies in utilizing certain of the inherent resilience of the frame itself for rendering the lift-lock operative in ahighly efl'icient manner. V

"For the attainment of the foregoing objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, we have constructed a device embodying the features of our invention and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a hand bag frame embodying the features of our present invention;

.Figure 2 is aside elevational view of the same in closed condition, the dot-and-dash lines show-,- ing the frame in opened condition;

.Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, with the frame in closed condition;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the lift-lock in one of the positions it assumes during anopening of. the bag;

Figure 5 .is an enlarged plan view of the midportion of the frame shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a completed bag.

We have illustrated our invention as applied to a frame designed for a handbag having an innercompartment as well as an outer compartment, but it will be understood that the frame portion to form the inner compartment has been included in the disclosure onlyfor purposes of illustrating atype of bag in which the invention can be employed.

The outer portion of the frame is formed of two U-shaped members 10 and 11 which are. hinged Mesa,

a corporation of 1980. Serial No. 435,048

to each other at the free ends of the legs of the U, as by means of the pivot pins 12 and 13. The inner frame portion is similarly composed of two U-shaped members designated generally by the reference numeral 14, and alsohinged to each otherat the free ends of the legs of the U, the pins 12 and 13 being sufficiently long to serve this purpose also Each of the frame members 10 andll issubstantially U-shaped in cross-section, as shown most clearly in Figure 3. Each of these members maybe said to be channeled inwardly to provide spaced inner and outer walls which extend upwardly and outwardly. Thus, the inward channeling of the frame member 10 provides the inner and outer upstanding spaced walls 15 and 16 respectively, while the frame member 11 embodies the inner and outer upstanding spaced walls 17 and 18 respectively. When the bag is closed, the inner walls 15 and 1'7 lie one over the other. Each of the. frame members 10 and 11 is preferably, though not necessarily, in the form of a metal stamping.

The lift-lock which we have provided is composed of two cooperable elements, each of which is mounted on one of the upstanding walls of one ofthe frame members. These cooperable elements are preferably arranged at the mid-portion of the frames 10 and 11 as is customary. One of the elements comprises a latch portion and the other a keeper portion, and they are so constructed and arranged as to interengage automatically when the bag is closed. To disengage the latch portion from the keeper portion, the lift-lock must be manipulated in the manner presently to be described.

In Figure 3, it will be clearly observed that the latch portion 19 is mounted upon the top of a supporting piece 20, the latter being firmly attached, as by soldering or the like, to the wall 1'7. The latch portion 19 extends transversely across the frame member 10 and is provided on its undersurface with a curved undercut recess 21.

Similarly mounted on the wall 15, as by soldering or the like, is a supporting piece 22 which is provided at its upper end with a pivot pin 23 substantially parallel to the upper portions of the frame members. Encircling the pivot pin 23 is a bearing portion 24 preferably formed integrally with an arm 25 extending across the frame member 10, over the top of the outer wall 16, and thence downwardly to form the handle portion 26. The latter is preferably constructed to support a larger and more ornamental shield-like covering 27 which forms, with the portion 26, the handle of the device to be manipulated by the user.

The bearing portion 24 being circular, it is so positioned as to serve as a keeper for the latch 19. With the bag open and about to be closed, more pressure of the frame members 10 and 11 toward each other will cause the latch 19 first to encounter the keeper portion 24, then yieldably and resiliently to ride over the latter, and finally to snap into engagement, as shown in full lines in Figure 2, and also in Figure 3. When the bag is thus closed, the handle 27 extends downwardly and overlies the handbag fabric, as shown most clearly in Figure 6.

When the bag is to be opened, the handle 2'7 is manually lifted, as shown in Figure 4, whereby the arm 25 is caused to encounter and bear upwardly against the end of the latch 19, thus disengaging the latter from the keeper portion 24. With this disengagement effected, the'two frame members 10 andll are disconnected one from the other and the bag may be opened, after which the handle may reassume its normal position.

It will be noted, especially upon viewing Figures 3 and 4, that the lift-lock elements are of extreme simplicity and are totally devoid of springs or similar parts or portions which would render the manufacturer more expensive and cause greater likelihood of improper operation or damage. The resilience necessary for the automatic latching of the two elements is provided by the walls themselves upon which the two elements are mounted. In other words, the walls 17 and 15 upon which we have shown the two cooperable elements have an inherent resilience which tends to keep them in the parallel superposed position shown in Figure 3. At the same time, these walls are sufiiciently thin because of the channeled nature of the frame members to permit of yielding thereof. Thus, in Figure 4, it will be noted that the upward wedging action of the arm 25 causes the wall 1'7, for example, to deflect out wardly. This deflection occurs, of course, throughout the entire upper portion of the wall 17, but occurs to its maximum degree at the midportion at which the supporting piece 20 is attached.

The showing of Figure 4 is exaggerated for the specific purpose of illustrating the manner in which we resort to the resilience of the upstanding walls, and in all probability the wall 15 defiects in the opposite direction at the same time. This deflection is so slight and occurs so rapidly during manipulation of the device that it is practically unnoticed by the user, and imparts long life to the device as a whole. In other words, the resilience does not diminish during use, as would be the case with a spring, and. theliftlock operates with uniform efiiciency and serves its locking function firmly and reliably at all times.

It need hardly be pointed out that as soon as the two frame members 10 and 11 are operated, the upstanding walls reassume their normal position, which then permits the bag to be automatically closed, as previously described.

In the manufacture of the bag, the fabric or bag material 28 is caused at its marginal portions to pass over the outer surfaces of the outer walls 16 and 18, thence over the tops or outer edges of these walls, into the channels of the two frame members respectively. In these channels, the bag material is firmly secured in any desired or preferred manner.

In the embodiment illustrated, the mounting of the locking elements upon the inner walls 15 and 17 is of particular advantage inasmuch as the channels are thus left free and the bag material can be positioned, as above described, in a simple, economical, and labor-saving manner without necessitating any cutting of the bag material or similar operations of a more complicated and expensive nature. It will be understood, however, that as to certain features of our invention this particular mounting of the locking elements is not essential, since the outer walls embody suiiicient resilience to perform a similar function.

In Figure 6, it will be noted that the metallic frame members 10 and 11 are completely concealed, and that the lift-lock elements present to view only attractive portions thereof and add to the pleasing appearance of the bag as a whole.

The inner frame 14 is of the more or less conventional type, and the necessary fabric is secured thereto in any desired manner to provide the customary inner chamber of the handbag.

It will be obvious that changes in the details herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of our invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. It is therefore intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention and illustrated its use, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A handbag frame comprising U-shaped resilient members hinged to each other at the ends of the U, the adjacent surfaces of which are in contact throughout their extent when the bag is closed, and a lift-lock comprising two cooperable elements, each of which is mounted on one of the walls of one of said frame members, whereby said elements are adapted to be held in yieldable interengagement by the resilience of the members, one of said elements comprising a latch extending across the other member, and the other element comprising a pivot pin and a handle mounted thereon, said handle having a rounded bearing portion engageable by the extending portion of said latch and an arm adapted to cam said latch out of engagement with said bearing portion.

2. A handbag frame comprising, in combination, U-shaped members hinged to each other at the ends of the U, each member being channeled to provide a member of U-shaped cross-section having two side walls and a bottom wall and fastening means comprising a lift-lock having two cooperable elements each of which is rigidly secured to one of the walls of the U-shaped members whereby said elements are adapted to be held in yieldable interengagement by the resilience of one of the said elements, one of the said elements comprising a latch and the other element comprising a pivot pin and a handle mounted thereon, said handle having a rounded bearing surface engageable by the said latch and an arm adapted to cam said latch out of engagement with said bearing surface.

3. A handbag frame comprising, in combination, U-shaped members hinged to each other at the ends of the U, each member being channeled to provide a member of U-shaped crosssection having two side walls and a bottom wall and fastening means comprising a lift-lock having two cooperable elements each of which is rigidly secured to adjoining inner walls of the U-shaped members whereby said elements are adapted to be held in yieldable interengagement by the resilience of one of the said elements, one

of the said elements comprising a latch and the 1 other element comprising a pivot pin and a handle mounted thereon, said handle having a round

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