US2015092A - Sanitary washable fly swatter - Google Patents

Description

Sept, 24, 1935. c. E. TURNQUIST SANITARY WASHABLEV FLY SWATTER Filed May l5, 1935 Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SANITARY WASI-IABLE FLY SWATTER Carl E. Turnquist, San Gabriel, Calif.

Application May 15, 1933, serial. No. 671,083

6 Claims.

My invention relates to fly swatters, and more particularly to those of the sanitary and washable type, and which have no objectionable protrusions, and at the same time great flexibility in all directions, as Well as great durability, theY surfaces of which are imperforate, it being impossible to mar or injure the surfaces Vwith which it may come in contact when used, it being irnpossible in ordinary use to break, as is the case with known swatters, said flexibility and durability being retained indefinitely.

AIt accordingly is an object of my invention to provide a novel form of swatter comprising a body of any preferred shape or contour and of any desired thickness, means in the form of a suitable filler being provided, which may be of any preferred material, such as an inexpensive, imperforate paper, card board, cloth and the like, of any preferred number of layers, combined distending spring or resilientmeans being associated with said material in any preferred way, a suitable cover, whichV may be of sanitary and pref erably smooth and Washable material being posie tioned over said material and secured thereto as in practice desired as by stitching or otherwise, and preferably forming a peripheral pocket to housevan additional distending spring or resilient means, whereby the swatter is retained in shape, and at the same time provide a rigid and flexible swatter, said body being associated in any preferred Way with a suitable stem and handle, which may also be flexible, for manipulating the same. It will, of course, be understood that I may provide a Vcover for my novel swatter vof any preferred color, such as may be preferred by a housewife or user to harmonize with the color of the rooms, to make said swatter attractive, said color, if desired, may be the same as that of the stem and handle.Y Y

. If desired, I may assemble the body part of my novel swatter by simultaneously stitching an edging, which may be in the form of a bias tape, together with a peripheral resilient means, such as piano or other wire, to said body to hold Vthe, same to shape, which may be any in practice suggested.

The peripheral wire, such as used in the pre#V ferred form of my invention, if preferred, Vmay not be positioned Within a pocket but may engage internally of the body of the swatter against such a pocket, yor said pocket may be entirely omitted.

If desired, also, I may make the cover of myV swatter of transparent material, so that advertisin'g matter may be inserted therebelow inside the body of the swatter, so said matter may be rendered visible therethrough.

It is also Within the province of my invention to omit the filter or pad, and provide a bias binding for the body of the swatter in which may be inserted in any preferred Way the resiilent or spring or other means to provide the desired exibility and rigidity'. Y

I may also use a metal cloth, such as a wire screen, reinforced by suitable at spring means, 10 or a flat or other spring means may be woven into said Wire screen as in practice preferred.

If preferred, also, I may provide a suitable combined guide and label which may bear advertising material, which guide may be positioned Within the body of my novel form of swatter, said guide facilitating the introduction of an intermediate resilient means, after the various parts of said body have been secured together.

The above and further objects and advantages of my invention, as will hereinafter more fully appear, I attain by the construction described in the specification and illustrated on the drawing, forming a part of my application.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar parts. In the drawing,

Fig` 1 is an elevational view of one form of my invention, parts being broken away to disclose the internal construction, 0

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view, taken on the line`33, Fig. 1,

Y Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are more or less diagrammatic viewsof alternative constructions of intermediate resilient or spring means for adding to the ilexibility and rigidity of the'deviee, and

V Fig. '7 is a similar view, illustrating a combined guide and label which may be used to introduce the intermediate resilient or spring means within 40 the body of the swatter after said body has been assembled.

Describing my invention more in detail, I provide a body or body portion 2 of any suitable shape or form, and which body may be composed of` one or more layers of ller material 4, which may be of'fabric of any desired kind, inexpensive absorbentV material and the like, cut to the desired form orshape in any way in practice Asugy gested.

Positioned above and below said filler material 4 are the cover pieces 6, which pieces may be of -anysuitable smooth'material, butrpreferably of the Washable type, and may be of fabric, which may have a rubberized and cellulose base, and

may be of varying colors, affording an attractive appearance, which colors, for example, may be selected to harmonize with the appointments of a room, so as to appeal to the housewife or user, as is the case in oillces, hospitals or other institutions. Thus, by being washable, the swatter will in no way become unsightly and unsanit-ary.

To add to the rigidity of the body 2, and also to increase its flexibility and insure an indenite life of the swatter, I may provide a peripheral resilient or spring means 8, which may take the form of piano or other wire, as shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, or said means may be flat, and constructed of any material in practice suggested or preferred.

The peripheral resilient or spring means 8 may be applied to the body 2 in any manner in practice preferred. If desired, I may use a bias tape I0, which may be stitched or otherwise secured to the cover pieces 6 and the l-ayers of illler material 4, providing a peripheral channel through which the wire or means 8 may be pushed, so that the ends thereof may be assembled in the manner and by the means presently to be described.

If desired, also, the tape I0 and the wire 8 may be simultaneously applied to the periphery of the body 2, as in practice preferred. It may be stated, also, that the wire 8 may be tempered, so that its life may be increased, and all possibility of snapping thereof reduced to a minimum as the swatter is used in practice.

It will also be obvious that the filler material 4 may be omitted, if preferred, the peripheral wire or distending means 8 being sufficient to provide for flexibility and rigidity, said wire or means being positioned within the channel formed by the bias tape or edging I0.

To make the swatter still more eilicient in use, I may provide a means to add to the rigidity and flexibility of the body 2 by supplying an intermediate resilient or spring means I2, which I have shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 2 as composed of two parts, but obviously there may be more than two provided, or even one, and still remain within the province of my invention.

'I'he intermediate means I2 may be provided with inwardly bent end portions I4, to facilitate the introduction of said means within the body 2, which is preferably, although not necessarily done after the body 2 has been assembled, by pushing the same through the opening I6 (Fig. 1) between the cover pieces 6, after which said opening may be stitched or otherwise secured together as shown in said ligure.

The bent portions I4 are also useful to engage the inner periphery of the channel I0, after the wire 8 has been positioned therein, so as to increase the rigidity and flexibility of the body 2. It will also be understood that the intermediate means I2 may take a variety of forms, such as being crossed, in the form of a figure 8, a loop, V-shaped, or in any other way in practice preferred.

After the body 2 has been assembled and the parts thereof secured together, as more particularly shown in Figs. l and 3, the protruding ends of the wires 8 and I2 may be secured together in any way in practice preferred, and may be associated, as desired, with any preferred form of manipulating means, which may be a suitable handle, wooden, composition, or metallic, and any form in practice suggested.

In Fig. 1 I have disclosed a ferrule or sleeve I8 surrounding the ends of the protruding Wires 8 and I2, Within which, also, may be secured one end of a stem 20, which stem may be of any preferred length and may have its other end 22 form part of a suitable handle 24, which handle may be formed of an elongated loop 28, to which the end 22 may be secured by a bent end 28, and another loop 38, the ends of which handle may be secured together with the stem 20 by means of another sleeve 32.

Obviously, such a construction is suggestive 1 merely, and the ends of the handle 24 may be secured to the stem 20 by means of the ferrule or sleeve 32, by crimping, spot welding, or said ends and stem may be associated in any manner in practice suggested. 1;

In Figs. 4-6, I have shown alternative forms of intermediate resilient means, which in Fig. 4 may take the form of a single flat means I2', in Fig. 5, a V-shaped flat means I2, and in Fig. 6 and cross means I2. 2

In Fig. 7 I have shown a convenient means for inserting the intermediate resilient means I2 within the body 2, that may comprise a combined guide and label means 34, the guide 36 of which is positioned within the body 2, so as to be engaged 2 by the means I2 as it is inserted within the channel IB and the body 2, the portion 38 providing a means upon which advertising matter may be placed, said label being secured, if desired, to the protruding ends of the wires 8 and I2. 3

If preferred, also, I may use metallic cloth, such as a wire screen, using therebetween the resilient or spring means of any desired character; and further, to weave said means into a single piece of said metallic cloth.

35 Attention is also directed to the fact that the cover pieces of the body 2 may be provided with suitable advertising material, and said pieces being of smooth material, and that the illler material being absorbent, soft and flexible, the swat- 4 ter will in no way harm or mar the material, such as tables, draperies etc., upon which the ily or other insect is swatted, said ily or insect being in no way crushed, the said cover pieces and filler material being porous, wind resistance Will be 4 negligible, and no hard blow need be struck.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best em- 5 bodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

I claim as my invention:

55 1. In a fly swatter, a swatter body composed of layers of flexible material, a cover of washable material surrounding said material, peripheral means for distending said body, means internally of said cover for adding to the rigidity and 6 flexibility of said body, and means connected to said body for manipulating said swatter.

2. In a ily swatter, a body composed of layers of flexible lller material, and front and rear layers forming a cover for said filler, spring means 6 in said body for distending the periphery of said body, additional spring means for distending the inner portions of said body, means for connecting the parts of said body together, and means connected to said body for swatter.

3. A fly swatter comprising a body composed of layers of flexible material, a, cover for said material, flexible metallic means surrounding the manipulating said 70 periphery of said material and engaging internally the periphery of said corren-additional metallic means in said body, and positioned within the connes of said rst named metallic means for adding to the flexibility and rigidity of said body, means for holding the parts of said body'together, and means connected to said body for manipulating said swatter.

4. In a fly swatter, a body composed of one or more layers of filler material, cover pieces for covering said material, peripheral resilient means positioned internally of said body, additional resilient means in said body and positioned within the connes of said peripheral resilient means, means for securing said material and said cover pieces together, and a handle secured to said body for manipulating said swatter.

5. In a fly swatter, a body composed of one or more layers of ller material, cover pieces for said body, peripheral resilient means and edging stitched together and to the periphery of said body for holding said material'and said cover pieces together, intermediate resilient means positioned within the connes of said peripheral resilient means, for adding to the flexibility and rigidity of said body, and means associated with said body for manipulating said swatter.

6. In a fly swatter, a body composed of one or more layers of ller material, cover pieces for said body, peripheral resilient means for holding said body in shape, means for securing said material, said cover pieces and said peripheral means together, a combined guide and label associated with said body, said guide being positioned Within said body, intermediate resilient means positioned in said body Within the confines of said peripheral resilient means, said guide being flat and extending substantially the width and length of said swatter to facilitate the introduction of said intermediate resilient means within said body after said body has been secured together, and means connected to said body for manipulating said swatter.

CARL E. TURNQUIST.

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