US2015966A - Garment carrying unit - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 1, 1935. J. RITTER, JR 2,015,966

GARMENT CARRYING UNIT Filed June 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l I T INVENTO ATTORNEY.

1935- J. RITTER. JR

GARMENT CARRYING UNIT Filed June 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g INVENTOR. @Z' m Y 'BY /ab ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT CARRYING UNIT Julius Ritter, Jr., Racine, Wis., assignor to Hartmann Trunk Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin This invention relates in general to improvements in garment carrying units, and relates more specifically to an improved garment carrying unit especially applicable to suitcases, trunks, or other forms of luggage, for the purpose of foldably and compactly confining wearing apparel or garments.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved garment carrying unit which. is simple and compact in construction and which is moreover highly efficient and practical in use.

The present modes of travel make it imperative for luggage manufacturers to reduce to a minimum the size and weight of luggage without undesirably sacrificing available space. The traveling public also demands that containers for wearing apparel such as suits, overcoats, and dresses, be adapted to effectively fold and conceal such garments without crushing and wrinkling the same, and that such garments be readily accessible 20 without disturbing other goods confined within the carrying case or piece of luggage. While it is desirable to have such garments thus snugly and safely confined within the case during transportation, it is also frequently desirable to re- 25 move the garments already mounted on hanging devices so that the same may be readily properly hung in a closet or wardrobe when the destination of the traveler has been reached.

' It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide an improved garment carrying unit for cases or luggage which meets all of the special requirements for every class of transportation, and for the traveling trade in general.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved garment carrying unit which is especially adapted for the reception and effective housing in neatly folded condition of wearing apparel such as suits, coats, dresses, or the like.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved garment carrying unit including a detachable garment hanger which occupies a minimum amount of space and which is adapted for snug confinement within a carrier case or for bodily removal therefrom, the garment hanger being susceptible of use independent of the garment carrying unit, for hanging a garment in a closet or wardrobe.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a garment carrying unit adapted for carrying in compactly folded condition either mens or ladies garments irrespective of the length of said garments.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a garment carrying unit for use in cases 55 and luggage, which is extremely fiat and compact.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a garment carrying unit of the character described in which the garments are supported on one surface and are folded about an edge onto the opposite surface, a detachable flexible 5 curtain being provided for retaining the folded garment portions adjacent said latter surface.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide a garment carrying unit adapted to be lodged either within the body portion or the 10 cover portion of a case or trunk.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the several embodiments of the invention, wherein the same is applied to an ordinary luggage case, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in thevarious views:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the improved garment carrying unit with a suit coat mounted on a hanger and stretched over the unit prior to being folded thereon and confined;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan View showing the suit coat as folded and confined with respect to the unit, and the folded position of a pair of trousers on the inverted side of the unit, said view also showing the flexible retaining curtain partially secured in retaining position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end View of the garment carrying unit with a broken line showing of a garment secured in position thereon, and the curtain completely fastened;

Fig; 4 is a transverse sectional view through an open suitcase having the improved garment carrying unit mounted in both cover and body portions thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the unit with the hanger turned to a position for removal from the unit, the hanger hook receiving pocket being broken away;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the garment carrying unit fitted with a bar for the draping of womens garments;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 only showing the confinement and folding of a dress with respect to the unit;

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 3 only showing the unit fitted with a bar for womens garments and having a broken line showing of a dress folded in position;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional View through an open suitcase showing the unit of Fig. 7 mounted Referring to the drawings the suitcase,

which the unit is associated by way of illustration, comprises a main section l2, a cover section.

i3 swingably connected to the main section by means of a hinge l4, and side straps or stays l5 for limiting the swinging movement of the cover section IS. The main section may be provided with a partition IS. Within upper corner portions of the main section brackets may be provided, in order to removably support one of the improved'garment'carrying: units l8 in an ele vated position. The rear wall of the cover |3 may also be provided, interiorly of the cover, with spring clips I9 for releasably engaging an edge of a unit It to'mount the unit Within said cover, as in Figs. 4 and 9. i

The improved garment carrying unit comprises a flat, relatively thin plate or panel 21] of rectangular form and having one edge thereof rounded, as at 2|, to provide a garment foldingedge. In the unit designed for carrying. mens garments, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, one surface of said panel adjacent the edge opposite the gar ment folding'edge 2| isformed with a pocket 22 which opens at its end adjacent the edge. Said pocket is adapted to receive and frictionally hold the hook portion 23 of a hook member 24 pivotally i carried by the upperend portion of a coat hanger 25. In attaching or detaching the hanger 25 with respect to the panel 20 the hanger is turned with respect to the hook element 24, as shown in Fig. '3, and then the hook portion 23 may be A readily manipulated with respect to the pocket 22.

When the hook portionis inserted into'said' pocket the hanger'25 is folded over with respect to the hook and against the surface of the panel 2|] as in Figs. 1 and 3.

The edge portion of the panel 20, adjacent which the hanger 25 is mounted, also has foldably secured thereto the end of a flexible curtain or flap 26.. Said flap is adapted to be stretched across the under-surface of the panel (the surface which is free of the hanger), and the opposite edge portion of said surface is provided with male snap fastener elements 21 to cooperate with female snap fastener elements 28 on the free edge of the flap, to permit releasable securement' of said flap in stretched condition adjacent said surface of the panel.

In using the improved garment carrying unit; the panel 253 is removed from the suitcase or other housing and is disposed on a supporting surface with its pocket side uppermost, as in Fig. 1. hanger 25, which is firstdisengaged from the pocket 22, has a coat 29 or coat and vest, hung thereon in the usual manner. The hook element as is then turned against the inner surface of the hanger and its portion 23 is inserted into the pocket 22. The suit coat will lie flatly over the upper surface of the panel and extenda substantial distance beyond the rounded edge 2| thereof, as shown. Also, the fastening elements 21 and 28 of the flap or curtainshould be released so that the end of the flap is free. Then,

The.

the panel should be turned bodily through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, and the garment will fold substantially medially over the rounded folding edge 2| and onto the opposite surface of the panel, as in Fig. 2. If the coat or garment is of considerable length, releasable straps 30 may be utilized. Said straps, which are optional, are secured at. their ends. and extend transversely across the underside of the panel remote from the folding edge 2|. Buckles 3| at the meeting ends of the straps permit detachable connection of the straps. Depending upon the length of the. garment said straps may be secured over the free ends of the same to hold said garment end portions against the panel, or the garment if sufficiently long may be secured under the straps, and then folded back over the same, as in Fig. 7. After the garment is folded onto the panel, as explained, the trousers of a suit are once folded, medially of their ends, and are then laid over the folded over portion of the coat, transversely of the coat and lengthwise of the panel, as shown in Fig. 2, and adjacent the lower edge of the inverted side of the panel. Then the flap 25 is stretched over the adjacent surface of the panel and the fastener elements 21 and 28 are secured, whereby the folded over portion of the garment, and the folded trousers, are confined between the flexible flap and the panel. One or more of said garment carrying unitsmay be used in a suitcase or trunk. As shown in Fig. 4 one unit is disposed within the body section l2 on the brackets l'l, while another unit is mounted in the cover section 53. For the latter purpose of holding the latter unit its rounded edge 2| is engaged in said spring clips l9.

Other portions of the suitcase may be packed with garments and articles and the same will remain segregated from the garments confined by a unit. The garments in a unit will be held in a tination a traveler may remove a unit from the case and after detaching the hanger 25 from the unit the hanger may be utilized for hanging a garment in a closet or Wardrobe.

A slightly modified form of garment carrying unit is illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive. In the form of unit first described, the panel has associatedtherewith a hanger for coats, suits, and menfs garments, while in the modification, to be described, the panel has a garment bar 32 removably associated therewith,-the bar being especially designed for the draping thereover of dresses and womens garments.

Referring particularly to Figs. 6, 8, and 10 of the drawings, it will be noted that the edge ofa surface of the panel 20, opposite the edge 2|, carries spaced apart spring clips 33. Said clips detachably, frictionally engage the capped end portions 34 of the garment bar 32, the garment bar being of circular form in cross-section. A dress or like garment 35 is medially engaged by and hung over the detached bar 32 and then the bar is mounted in the clips 33 on the panel, with the dress draping over the panel and beyond the folding edge 2| thereof, as in'Fig. 6. When the The flap 26 is next secured in place to confine the garment and the unit is mounted in the suitcase or container in the manner previously described.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the invention provides simple, compact, and readily accessible means for confining garments within a housing in a folded condition, and without wrinkling or crushing the garments. The improved carrying unit besides being light and strong, is extremely flat and compact and occupies a minimum amount of space within a container. Also, the unit may be applied to various types of housings and luggage. Not only is the unit readily removable bodily from a container or housing, but the garment hanger is readily removable from the panel whereby accessibility to the garments and portions of the housing are readily afforded. The garment hanger provides means for hanging a removed garment in a closet. The structure has proven highly successful in commercial use, especially as applied to a standard luggage case as illustrated herein.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. A garment carrying unit, comprising, a frame member having a garment folding edge, a garment hanger removably mounted upon one side of said member near the opposite edge thereof, and a flexible flap attached to said opposite edge and overlying the opposite side of said member to confine against said opposite side the lower end of a garment which has been bent over said folding edge.

2. A garment carrying unit, comprising a flat frame member having a rounded garment folding edge, a garment hanger removably mounted upon one side of said member near the opposite edge thereof, a flexible flap pivotally attached to said opposite edge and overlying the opposite side of said member to confine against said opposite side the end of a garment which has been bent over said folding edge, and means for releasably attaching the swinging .end of said flap to said member near said folding edge.

3. A garment carrying unit, comprising, a fiat, relatively thin panel having a garment folding edge, a garment hanger removably mounted upon one surface of said panel near the opposite edge thereof, a flexible flap attached to said opposite edge of the panel and movable to overlie the opposite surface of said panel to confine against said opposite surface the end of a garment which has been folded thereonto over said folding edge, and means for releasably securing the free end of said flap to said panel adjacent the folding edge.

4. In combination, a. supporting panel having 5 a free edge, a flexible cover flap having an end thereof secured adjacent an edge of the panel opposite the free edge and adapted to overlie one surface of the panel, a garment hanging device mounted on the other surface of the panel remote from the free edge, and means for releasably attaching the unsecured end of the flap to the panel adjacent the free edge thereof.

5. In combination, a garment supporting panel having a garment folding edge, a flexible cover flap having one end thereof permanently secured adjacent an opposite edge of the panel and adapted to overlie one surface of the panel, a garment hanging device mounted on the other surface of the panel remote from the free edge, said hanging device being adapted to have a garment draped thereover which is folded medially over the folding edge of the panel with a substantial portion of the garment being confined between the flap and the first-mentioned surface of the panel, and means for releasably securing the other end of the flap to the panel adjacent the folding edge thereof.

6. A garment housing, comprising, a hollow container having a rigid plate forming one wall thereof and a flexible flap forming another wall, said container having an opening between an end of the plate and an end of the flap, and a garment hanger detachably carried by an exterior portion of the plate remote from the open end of the container and adapted to have garments draped thereover which extend into the container through the open end thereof.

'7. A garment housing insertible in trunks, suitcases and the like, comprising, a relatively flat 40 hollow container having a rigid plate forming one wall thereof and a flexible flap forming another wall, said container having an opening between an end of the plate and an end of the flap,

a garment hanger detachably carried by an exterior portion of the plate remote from the open end of the container and adapted to have garments draped thereover which extend into the container through the open end thereof, means within the container remote from the open end thereof over which projecting ends of garments may be additionally folded, and means for separating and for securing one end portion of the flexible Wall with respect to the rigid wall.

JULIUS BITTER, JR.

Images