US2246571A - Flexible pocket receptacle - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1941. w. R. BuxToN FLEXIBLE l POCKET RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 23, 1939 WNJ lNvENToR WIR/YER wro/v BY T ATToRYs Patented June 24, 1941 2,246,571 FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTACLE Warner R. Buxton, Longmeadow, Mass.; Mabel Allen Buxton executrix of said Warner R.

Buxton, deceased Application September 23, 1939, Serial No. 296,206

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved pocket closure, of a type which is particularly suitable for use in flexible pocket receptacles of that class which are foldable to enable one part of the receptacle to be superposed upon another. Common examples of receptacles of the class men,- tioned are billfolds, wallets, pocketbooks and the like.

It has been common practice in billfolds, heretofore, to utilize as pockets those spaces that lie one between each of the two spaced end sections of the inner Wall and the adjacent portion of the relatively slidable inner-wall section, which partially overlaps each end section and bridges the gap between them. The mouth of each such pocket has been left completely open, according to prior practice, and it is easy for articles to slip out of such pockets especially when the billfold is open.- The difficulty in providing closures for these pockets is that any ordinary form of pocket closure, applied in the ordinary way, would interfere with free relative longitudinal sliding movement between the pocket walls and such movement is necessary in a billfold or other foldable flexible pocket receptacle to avoid buckling of the inner wall when the receptacle is folded into closed position.

This invention has for an object the provision of a closure for a pocket in a billfold, or other foldable flexible pocket receptacle, which will enable :the necessary shifting movement between the Walls of each pocket to take place and which will at the saine time provide a satisfactory closure means for the pocket or pockets.

More particularly, the pocket closing means consists of a ap hinged to the inner pocket wall along the transverse line of fold thereof and overlapping the outer pocket wall and having a tongue and slot engagement therewithmsuch as to permit relative sliding movement between the pocket walls in a longitudinal direction.

Other objects will appear as the detailed de scription proceeds and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a small-scale `front elevational view showing the invention embodied in a billfold;

Fig. 2 is a full-size top plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view, taken similarly to Fig. l but showing one of the pocket closures in open position.

Referring to the drawing; a pocket closure ernbodying the invention has been shown, by way of illustrative example, in connection with two confronting pockets of a billfold. The invention is capable of use in other kinds of foldable flexible pocket receptacles and is not limited to the one kind herein disclosed.

The billfold, Vherein shown, includes an outer or back wall it of rectangular form, and a com.- posite inner or front wall made up of two end sections II and a central or intermediate section iii. Each end section is suitably fixed along its lower lside edge and along its outer end edges to the lower side edge and adjacent outer end edge, respectively, of the outer wall lll. The outer wall Ill has a central line of fold I3 and the central inner wall section I2 has a corresponding line of fold I4. Each end section II also has fixed, preferably integrally, to its upper edge a downturned flap I5 which lies between the end section and the outer wall IB. Each flap i5 is secured along its outer end edge by the same stitches I5 which are used to secure its end section il to the outer end edge 0f outer wall I0. These end sections il are longitudinally spaced and they are located one on each side of the registering lines of fold I3 and Id, and longitudinally spaced therefrom.

The central section l2 has its ends mounted to slide longitudinally relatively to the end sections I I which it partially overlaps, and it bridges across the gap between these two end sections of the inner wall as shown. The section I2 has its upper and lower edges slidably engaged in upper and lower runways. Each upper runway consists of the groove formed between a ap I5 and its end section Il at or adjacent the line of fold which constitutes the junction between these parts. Each lower runway consists of a similar groove formed between each section II and the outer wall It at or adjacent theline of fold, which constitutes the junction between these two integrally connected parts.

When the billfold is closed by folding one half upon the other along the registering lines of fold i3 and lll, the end sections II, being fixed to the outer wall, move in on the central section i2-the latter being held stationary since its central fold is held in the V of the central fold of the outer wall. When the billfold is again opened, the end sections II slide out on the central section l2. The section I I, at its upper corner, has a projection I'I which rides in a slot I8 formed in the adjacent iiap I5. When the billfold is open, these projections engage the inner ends of slots I 8 as shown and, if the section I2 is not centralized relatively to the outer wall, one of these projections will engage the inner end of its slot before the other and pull the section l2 into centralized relation (so that its line of fold l@ coincides with the line of fold l).

The construction, thus far described, is that of one well-known type of billfold. The present invention is concerned with closures for the two confronting pockets I9 which are formed one between each end section Il and the adjacent part of the central section i2. Each such pocket is closed at its outer end by the connected end edges of walls iB and il and, according to prior practice, is open at its inner end-the mouth 2B of one pocket facing the mouth 25 of the other pocket. Both of these mouths have heretofore been left open. With the illustrated construction, the inner wall (section l2) of each pocket is slidable relatively to the outer wall (section l l The closure for each pocket i9 consists of a flap 2l, hinged to the back wall of the pocketthe section l2along the line of fold i4. This closure flap 2| engages and partially overlaps the outer face of the outer Wall of pocket I9 and has a tongue 22 which is inserted in a slot 23 in said outer wall. Mounted in this slot 23 is a deiiector 24 and the tongue 22 slides in back of this deflector and into and through the slot 23. This deflector 2 is or may be constructed as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 280,472, led June 22, 1939. The tongue 32 is free to slide longitudinally in the aforesaid slot and is not held in place in any other way than by frictional engagement with the parts on which it slides.

It will be clear that the inner wall of each pocket-the central section lZ-is free to slide in a longitudinal direction relatively to the outer wall of such pocket. This follows because the tongue and slot connection between each closure flap and the outer pocket wall, allows the closure flap 2l to move back and forth with the section l2. Also, this same tongue and slot connection allows the pocket to expand freely when stuffed with cards or other articles. Ordinary forms of fastening means, if applied to the closure iiap in the usual way, would prevent the relative sliding movement between the pocket walls which is essential in a foldable pocket receptacle to avoid buckling of the inner wall when the receptacle is folded into closed position. It is desirable also where, as here, there are two pockets with their mouths arranged in confronting relation, one on each Side of the line of fold, to utilize a single member to form the closure iiaps for both pockets and in such case it is essential that this single member be xed to the rear wall-forming member I2 solely along the line of fold l. IIhis arrangement also affords the maximum amount of space for each pocket, enabling all the space from one end of the billfold to the central fold line thereof to be utilized.

The invention thus provides a pocket closure of novel form, capable of use in a billfold or any other flexible pocket receptacle that is foldable, for closing pockets which hitherto have not been closed for lack of a satisfactory closure, such closure being characterized in that it does not interfere with the necessary free sliding movement between the outer wall and the central section of the inner wall.

What I claim is:

1. In a foldable flexible pocket receptacle, having a pair of confronting pockets each having its own front wall, a member serving each pocket as a back wall and mounted for relative sliding movement with respect to each front wall in a direction longitudinally of said pockets, said member having a transverse line of fold located between said pockets, a second member secured to said rst member solely along said line of fold and forming two hinged flaps extending in opposite directions from the line of fold into overlapping relation one with each of said front walls, each said flap and the front wall which it overlaps having slidably interengaged parts for holding the flap in pocket closing relation, said interengaged parts being relatively slidable in the same direction as said first named member.

2. In a foldable flexible pocket receptacle, an cuter wall having intermediate its ends a transverse line of fold, a composite inner wall having longitudinally spaced sections and located one on each side of said line of fold and fixed to said cuter wall, and a third section bridging the space between the first two sections and overlapping the rear face of each thereof and longitudinally slidable relatively thereto, said third section having a transverse line of fold located between the rst two sections and registering with the firstnamed line of fold, and a member secured to said third section solely along the line of fold thereof and extending in opposite directions from said line of fold into partially overlapping relation one with the front face of each of the first two sections, and means for retaining each end of said member in overlapping relation with that one of the rst two sections which it overlaps and enabling relative sliding movement in the same direction as that in which the third section slides.

3. In a foldable flexible pocket receptacle, an outer wall having intermediate its ends a transverse line of fold, a pair of longitudinally-spaced wall sections fixed to the outer wall and located one on each side of said line of fold, a third section bridging the gap between the first-named sections and slidable relatively to at least one thereof when the receptacle is folded or unfolded to close or open the same, said third section having a line of fold registering with the first-named line of fold, the third section and one of the first-named sections forming between them a pocket the mouth of which opens towards said lines of fold, a closure flap for the mouth of said pocket, said ap being hingedly secured to said third member solely along the line of fold thereof and extending to and beyond said mouth into overlapping relation with one of the first-named wall sections, said flap and said one of the rstnamed wall sections having slidably interengaged parts for holding the flap in closure-forming relation, said parts being relatively slidable in the same direction as said third section.

WARNER R. BUXTON.

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