US1977855A - Pocketbook frame - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1934. c. J. McCABE POCKETBOOK FRAME Filed June 10, 1931 FIGJ.

avwenfoz Mar/es J. M-Tae $513 QMOMMMJ Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNlT'ED STATES PATENT ii FFIUE'.

POCKETBOOK FRAME Application June 10, 1931, Serial No. 543,398

2 Claims.

This invention relates to bag frame structure.

The invention particularly relates to the frame structure for handbags and like containers. The arrangement is such that a positive interlock is derived from certain elements retained upon the bag frame, the interlock being a substantially resilient one and arising, not from any particular spring, or other distinct elastic or resilient element, but, in the particular disclosure hereof, from certain elements of the bag frame structure itself. Particular reference will be had herein to a structure commonly known as the three-part frame. However, it will be clearly apparent from the description hereinafter that the invention is also applicable to frames having less than, or more than, three distinct elements.

The bag structure, or frame, includes, at least as one of its elements, a contour defining means for the mouth, or opening, of the bag, which contour defining means is constructed so that there is provided a free, upstanding wall. This wall, in certain phases of the operations of opening and closing the bag, functions in effecting a resilient cooperation of locking elements for the bag. The wall also aids in assuring and, in fact, is so formed, that the exterior surface material for the bag may be disposed as a continuous, unbroken surface extending around the frame so as to enclose it and hide it from view.

The locking elements for the bag preferably consist of portions which are substantially integral with the frame members of the bag. Due to the disposition of the upstanding wall and, therefore, in spite of the rigid association of these parts with the bag structure, the elements will move upon each other so that they will finally engage and retain the bag closed against normal separating stresses. Oneof the elements, however, is, in the particular construction herein, so constituted that it provides means for retaining assembled upon the bag structure an element which, in itself, constitutes means for easily and simply separating the interlocking portions so that the interior of the bag is made readily accessible at will. In the particular construction herein, the separating element is disposed to straddle a portionof a member, so that the interlocking element may be disposed at a point considerably removed from the outer edge surface of the bag and yet the separating elementwill form an ornamental part of the outer surface of the bag without limiting its effectiveness in its separating function.

Other objects of this invention will be herein- (Cl. ISO-29) after set forth, or will be apparent from the description and the drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment of apparatus for carrying out the invention.

The invention, however, is not intended to be restricted to the particular construction and arrangement of parts, nor to the particular application of such construction, herein shown and described, nor to the various details thereof, as the same may be modified in various particulars, or be applied in many varied relations, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, a practical embodiment of which has been herein illustrated and described, without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be practised.

For the attainment of these objects and of such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my new frame;

Figure 2 is a side view in vertical elevation looking toward the rightfrom the left of Figure l with the frame members open;

Figure 3 is enlarged vertical cross-section taken transversely through the locking means of Figure l and partly broken away; and

Figure dis a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the locking arrangement.

The bag frame structure 10, shown on the drawing, is shown as consisting of three distinct frame sections 12, 14 and 16. Sections 12 and 1-6 are here shown to be substantially identical, while section 14 is somewhat different in its structure. As will hereinafter appear more fully, all the sections may, in fact, be of the same crosssectional characteristic. Sections 12 and 16, at their extreme ends, are cut away and the cutaway portions bent to form bearings 18 for reception upon pins 20, so; that the members may move pivotally toward and away from each other. Section 14 is also cut away at its ends and per-- tions thereof formed to provide cars 22, by means of openings in which the section is pivotallv mounted upon pins 20. Section 14 is disposed between sections 12 and 16 so that the latter may be brought into face to face abutment with section 14 when the bag is closed.

These sections are shown herein to be substantially U-shaped in form, but, as can easily be realized, for bags of different contours, it would be possible to applythe invention by the use of sections of many conceivable shapes without in any manner, affecting the scope of the invention hereof. Sections 12 and 16 are each shown to be substantially of U-shaped cross-section, the groove of the U opening outwardly, a desirable condition inasmuch as the bag fabric 24 may be associated with frame sections of this character to produce a continuous, unbroken, smooth surface of exactly the same characteristics throughout. This is accomplished by carrying the bag fabric over the outer face of the walls 26 and 28 of the respective sections 12 and 16, and then folding the material down into the grooves 30 and 32 of the respective sections wherein it is then retained in any well known and desired manner. However, while this is a much desired result, insofar as the invention herein is concerned, it is also possible to effect certain elements of the invention by providing frame sec-' tions, the cross-section of which is not at all U- shaped, but may be of any form which provides a single, upstanding wall upon which certain elements of the interlocking mechanism for the bag may be mounted. With this in mind, it can be seen that the bag frame structure might be J- shaped, or even L-shaped, and yet be constituted to produce the invention appearing herein.

The cross-sectional disposition of sections 12 and 16 is such that the grooves 30 and 32 open outwardly away from the bag. Section 14 herein is shown also to be of U-shaped cross-section, but, in this instance, the groove 34 thereof opens inwardly. By so arranging section 14, it is possible to provide ears 22 formed of the same material as the metal of the section itself. However, this section may also be of the same structural effect as sections 12 and 16, if desired, as appears from the particular structure herein related.

The cross bar 36 of section 14, in this instance, has secured substantially intermediately thereof, and immediately upon the upper surface thereof, an integral T-shaped cam plate 38.

Plate 38 may be soldered or brazed, or in any other desired manner, secured to the cross bar and has formed in the under surface thereof a pair of grooves 40 and 42, communicating with which is the cross-cut 44. The plate 38 extends beyond the bounds of the cross bar 36 so that the grooves will be'positioned, whenthe sections 12, 14 and 16 are brought into abutment, immediately over the adjacent sections. On each of the walls 46 and 48, respectively, of the sections 12 and 16, there are disposed bearings 50 and 52. Each hearing may be formed from the same metal as its respective section or, in a desired instance, may be made up as a distinct element,and then soldered or brazed upon the upper edge of the respective walls 46 and 48. -These hearings, in themselves, constitute camming members which, when brought into contact with the respective vertically disposed edge surface 54 of cam plate 38, will act against such cam plate to rock it about the rigid connection thereof with cross bar 36, and against the resilient action of the metal of the cross bar, so that the bearing will be enabled to slide under the cam plate and finally come to rest, seated within its respective groove 40 or 42. During this camming action, a distinct movement of the metal of plate 38 and cross bar 36 is observable, due to its flexing as the bearing passes beneath the plate; also, the wall 46 or 48, in accordance with which one is being operated, flexes under the pressure exerted between the bearing and the surface 54.

After the bearing has become seated within its each other to the bag.

respective groove, it is necessary, in some manner, to provide means for lifting the plate 38 so that the bearing may be removed from the groove. For this purpose, pins 56 and 58 are carried through the respective bearings 50 and 52, and on such pins are pivoted actuating members 60 and 62. These members each consist of an arm 64, through which the pin passes, the arm extending across the groove 30 or 32 with which it is associated and then terminating in a downwardly extending plate 66 which'may be of any desired design or contour. Arm 64 is merely of such length that the plate 66, when the bearing and the groove are in interlocking engagement, will be disposed so that the upper edge thereof will be immediately at, and slightly out of contact with, the surface 54 of plate 38. The upper edge 68 of plate 66 extends, in this position, slightly above the bottom face 70 of plate 38 and is thus disposed so that the edge may coact with surface 54 for the operations hereinafter appearing. The

arms 64 are intended to seat within the cross-cut 44', therefor provided, so as to provide a substantially compact assembly.

As plate 66 is rocked upwardly, when the bearings and their respective grooves are in resilient contact, edge68 engages surface 54 and thereby exerts a positive lever action against the plate 38 and also a pull against the bearing with which it is associated. The bearing, thus actuated, and which, in fact, does not seat entirely within the groove, but is retained so that its round surface bears uponan edge of the groove so that it may easily be slid past such edge, :will exert a camming action upon such edge as the plate is moved; these forces, together with-the lifting of the plate, effected by the arm 64 acting against the bottom surface of plate 38, as defined by the cross-cut 44, will result finally in the separation of the bearing from its respective groove and permit movement of members 12, 14 and 16 away from permit access to the interior of In the structure herein, plate 38 has been so devised that the bearings 50 and 52 of two sections 12 and 16 may cooperate therewith. However, it can readily beunderstood that one of the sections 12 or 16 maybe eliminated and the structure'constituted' merely by section 14 and one of the sections 12 or 16. Also, a number of sections 14 may be interposed between the exterior sections 12 and 16, the plate 38, in such case, extending a sufficient distance, or the arm 64 being of such dimension that the connection of the bearing with its particular groove may easily and quickly be broken.

The frame 14 may be provided with a pairof eyelets '72, or such eyelets may be disposed upon another frame'or frames of the assembly, for the reception of an ornamental cord, strap, or the like for carrying thebag when in use.

Many changescould be effected in the particular article of manufacture designed, and in the specific details thereof, without substantially departing from the invention hereof, which is intended to be defined in the accompanying claims, the specific description hereinabove being set forth merely to illustrate an operative embodiment for carrying out the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A bag frame comprising, in combination, three frame members arranged side by side and hinged to each other at their ends, the outside frame members being resilient, a lift-lock structure for securing the frame members together and having three elements, one of said elements comprising a rigid T-shaped latch secured to the middle frame member and having arms extending across each of the other frame members, the other elements comprising two pivoted handles one of which is secured to an outer frame member adjacent to the middle frame member and the other pivoted handle being secured to the other outer frame member adjacent to the middle frame member and each of said handles having a portion adapted to engage a shoulder on an arm of the latch and also having a portion adapted to bear against that arm to flex an outer frame and thereby move said shoulder-engaging portion out of engagement with said latch when the handle is lifted to disengage an outer frame member from the middle frame member.

2. A bag frame comprising, in combination, three U-shaped framemembers arranged side by side and hinged to each other at their ends, the outer frame members having spaced walls extending upwardly and outwardly, the inner frame member having spaced walls extending inwardly and downwardly, and fastening means comprising, in combination, a T-shaped latch member secured directly to the top portion of the inner frame member and extending upwardly from the central portion thereof and having rigid arms extending across the outer frame members, each arm having a groove therein extending in a direction parallel to the tops of the frame members and opening downwardly thereby providing shoulders and'each arm provided with a transverse recess intersecting a groove, and pivoted handles each of which is secured to an outer frame member and extends above the inner wall adjacent to the middle frame member, a portion of said pivoted handle extending into a recess in an arm of the T-shaped latch member and another portion of a handle extending into a groove and bearing against a shoulder of an arm of the T-shaped latch member to lock the frame members together as and for the purposes illustrated and described.

CHARLES J. McCABE.

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