US2254543A

US2254543A - Wardrobe tray

Info

Publication number: US2254543A
Application number: US305068A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph H Plotkin
Original assignee: Dresner & Son Inc S
Current assignee: Dresner & Son Inc S; S Dresner & Son Inc
Priority date: 1939-11-18
Filing date: 1939-11-18
Publication date: 1941-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 1958-09-02

Description

p 1941- J. H. PLOTKIN 2,254,543

' WARDROBE TRAY Filed Nov. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 2, 1941. J. H. PLOTKIN WARDROBE TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 18, 1939 "Ill WNW.

Patented Sept. 2, 1941 ili i WARBRGEE TRAY Joseph H. Plothin, Chicago, IlL, assignor to S. Dresner & Son, End, Chicago, Ill a corporation of llilinois Application November 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to a tray, applicable to luggage, which'is equipped with a wardrobe fixtur of improved characten- More particularly, the present invention is directed to the mounting for the wardrobe fixture within the tray, and to provide for the ready accommodation of garments which are to be folded and packed in such a tray, whether or not the tray remains in the luggage intended for its'accommodation. The parts which enter into the construction, hereinafter to be described, are simple, inexpensive, easily assembled, and may be oprated without liability of breakage.

Asuggestive embodiment of ti is invention is set forth in the accompanying drawings, where Figure 1 is a perspective View of a luggage case with its cover opened up to exhibit the wardrobe tray, the clothes supporting rack being shown as swung to an upper or'vertical position; I

Fig. 2 is'a top plan View of the wardrobe tray, the clothes supporting rack being shown as lying fiatwise within the tray;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line .-'i3 of Fig. 2, showing the rack swung to an upper or Fig. 6 which is a detail in section shows a third position of the rack;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a second form of mounting for the clothes supporting rack;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are vertical sections taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7, theracl: being shown in three different positions;

Fig. 11 is a perspective View of a further modifled form of mounting for the clothes'supporting rack; and

Figs. l2, l3 and 1e are details in section on line ii-H of Fig, 11, the rack being shown in a different position in each.

The clothes supporting rack or" my invention is shown in connection with a luggage case hav-- ing a body 13, to which is hinged a cover C. Adapted to fit within the case body is a wardrobe tray T, preferably resting. on a support (not shown) in an elevated position above its bottom. The case may be equipped with the usual carrying handle as and latches 2i bywhich it is main tained releasably in locked condition. The tray comprises a bottom end walls 23, a back wall 25, and, ifdesired, a low front wall 25. The tray may optionally be" equipped adjacent its back wall is, ieeajs'eriai No. states (Cl. rea -n) with a vertical post 26 on which are slidably fitted clothes hangers 21. A strap 28 to holdgarments securely in place may also be arranged across the tray, as shown.

I equip each tray with a clothes supporting rack R which may comprise a fabric covering 36 carried upon a suitable frame having two parallel bars st of spring metal extended therefrom,

one at each end in proximity to the end walls of the tray. This rack is adapted to lie flat within the tray (see Fig. 2), or-to be swung through an arc of slightly more than 99 to a position past ertical where it may rest against the top edge of thebacl: wall of the tray, thus serving in both positions as a convenient means for supporting clothes, whether the tray be removed from the luggage case or not (see Fig. 3).

The means of rotatively and removably mounting the rack R within the tray T which I here disclose are as follows:

The ends of the bars 35 are equipped with short oppositely extended trunnions in the form of pins ie the free ends of which are formed with eccentric enlargements providing heads in the forms of lugs ll. Th bars, being of spring metal, serve to force the trunnions outwardly and thus to keep them in place within the mountings which may be of several kinds as will now be explained.

In the first place (see Figs. l-6), each mounting may comprise a U-shaped strap 12, as of metal, having outturned feet adapted tobe secured'to the end walls 23 of the tray at points near their juncture with the back wall 24. Each strap is equipped with an elongated verticalslot 33 adapted to receive one trunnion 32?, which is of substantially the same diameter as the slot.

Theeccentric'lugs iii of the pins prevent the removal of the trunnions from the strap mountings ii until the rack is so positioned that the lugs are disposed longitudinally of the slots. Then, when inward pressure is exerted on the ends oi'the bars, the trunnions may be disengaged from the mountings. I prefer that this removal be made possible when the rack is in 'a substantially vertical position only. Thus when the lies horizontally in the tray (see Fig.4) or leans back against the back wall 2 of the tray (see Fig. 5), there is no dan -er of the rack becoming disengaged.

' Second (see Figs. 740), the mounting may comprise a metallic plate bent to provide an angular enclosure having side walls 45 and, at and top and bottom ends t! and it, respectively. Extended from the'side wall 46 is a flange is adapted to" rest against the tray back :wall

24 to which it may be secured as by means of rivets 50. When so positioned with the free edge of the side wall 45 adjacent the proximate end wall of the tray, the interior of the mounting is completely enclosed. This. is advantageous in that small articles are prevented from entering within the mounting (see Fig. 7). In the central side wall 46 of this mounting is a long vertical slot widened into a circular shape 52 at one point, preferably near the center. The trunnions 40 when positioned within these slots are free to slide up and down therein to accommodate a greater or lesser amount of clothing which may be draped upon the supporting rack, the rack being free to rotate in every such position (see Figs. 7, 8 and 9). The trunnion heads may enter or leave the slots when the rack is swung to the vertical position, the same as in the case of the mounting last described, or this operation may take place when the rack is elevated (or depressed) to the point that its trunnions lie within the widened circular portion of the slot, permitting the trunnion heads to pass therethrough for disengagement therefrom in response to an inward pressing of the bars 3|.

A third modification of my mounting is illustrated in Figs. 11-14 where I have shown a metal strap 55 bent outwardly at the top and inwardly at the bottom to provide a head 56 and foot 51, respectively. In the foot are holes through which rivets 58 are placed so that the mounting may be securely fixed to the bottom of the tray at a point near the corners formed by its ends and back. The head rests at one edge against the proximate end wall 23 of the tray, and thus serves to provide adequate space for the sliding movement of the pin and lug. In the strap is formed a long, narrow slot 59 having at one point in its length a widened portion 60, but the width of this slot is desirably less than the narrowest dimension of the eccentric head on the trunnion entered therein. In consequence, the rack may be mounted or demounted only when its trunnions occupy positions opposite or within the widened slot portion 60 (see Figs. 12 13 and 14).

The many advantageous features of my invention will be readily apparent. Inuse the rack conveniently removed from the tray when swung to a substantially vertical position, wherein the lugs are disposed longitudinally of the slots, or when lifted to the point where the lugs are free to pass through the circular enlargement wherever this may be located lengthwise of the slot I claim:

1. Means for pivotally mounting a clothes supporting rack in a luggage tray to permit the rack to swing into and out of the tray and to be arranged in an upwardly extending inclined supporting position against the rear wall of the tray whether ornot the tray is within a suitcase or other piece of luggage, said means including a pair of oppositely extending trunnions having means for mounting them on a rack in a laterally progecting position, each trunnion being formed at its outer end with an eccentric enlargement, a pair of mountings secured to the tray adjacent the end Walls thereof, each adapted for cooperation with one of the rack trunnions and there being in each mounting a slot having a width substantially the same as the diameter of the associated trunnion and of a somewhat greater length whereby to provide a pivoted and sliding Connection between the rack and the tray to permit said movements of the clothes supporting rack and an automatic adjustment of the rack to accommodate a greater or lesser amount of clothes, the eccentric enlargements of the trunnions occupying positions along side faces of the mountings remote from the rack and preventin inward movement of the trunnions with consequent disengagement of the rack except when the eccentric enlargements are disposed lengthwise of the mounting slots and permitting such inward movement of the trunnions with consequent disengagement and removal of the rack when the eccentric enlargements are disposed lengthwise of the mounting slots, the rack when is swung upwardly to its upright position, and

trousers are then laid in the tray, the legs extending beyond the ends of the tray, and a coat and vest which are draped over a hanger may then be laid over the trousers. With the hanger positioned on the post the rack is then swung W Two or more suits may be accommodated within the tray, depending upon its depth, additional hangers being used as needed.

' The tray, together with the "draped garments therein, may be lifted from the case in its entirety whenever it is desired to have access to its other contents or for any other reason. Be-

cause of the new feature of support given to the rack whenswung to its upward position, it serves equally well as a clothes support whether the tray is in or out of the case. And while the rack cannot come outaccidentally,it may be supported by the mountings being free to swing from a flat-wise position within the tray through more than to a rearwardly and upwardly inclined position of rest against the top edge of the back wall of the tray, and the mounting slots being disposed at every point throughout their length below and forward of said top edge of the back wall ofthe tray and in spaced relation to the same a suificient distance to cause the trunnion supports for the rack to cooperate with the back wall of the tray to provide a stop against swinging movement of the rack more than a predetermined distance past the vertical and also support the rack in said inclined supporting position.

2. Means for pivotally mounting a clothes supporting rack in a luggage tray to permit the rack to swing into and out of the tray and to be arranged in an upwardly extending inclined sup porting position against the rear wall of the tray whether or not the tray is within a suitcase or other piece of luggage, said means including a pair of oppositely extending trunnions having means for mounting them on a rack in a laterally projecting position, each trunnion being formed at its outer end with an eccentric enlargement, a pair of mountings secured to the tray adjacent the end walls thereof each adapted for cooperation with one of the rack trunnions, there being in each mounting a slot closed at both ends and having a width throughout the major portion of, the length substantially the same as the diameter of the associated trunnion and a somewhat greater length whereby to provide a pivoted and sliding connection between the rack and the tray and an automatic adjustinent of the rack to accommodate a greater or lesser amount of clothes, there being at one point in each slot a widened portion, the eccentric enlargement on the trunnions occupying positions along side faces of the mounting remote from the bars whereon the trunnions are carried and preventing inward springing of such bars with consequent disengagement of the rack except when the concentric enlargements are disposed lengthwise of the mounting slots or lie within the widened portions of such slots and. permittin such inward springing of the bars with consequent disengagement and removal of the rack only when the eccentric enlargements are disposed lengthwise of the mounting slots or lie within the widened portions of such slots, the rack when supported by the mountings being free to swing from a fiatwise position within the tray through more than 90 to a position of rest against the top edge of the back wall of the tray and the mounting slots being disposed at every point throughout their lengths below and forward of such top edges of the tray back wall, whereby to permit the trunnion supports for the rack to cooperate with the back wall of the tray to provide a stop against swinging movement of the rack more than a predetermined distance past the vertical and for also supporting the rack in said upwardly and rearwardly inclined position, said trunnions being removable from said slots only at an intermediate point between both the sliding and pivotal movements of the rack.

JOSEPH H. PLOTKIN.