US2306341A - Coupling means for forming loops - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1942. ,M. L. LINDY 2,306,341

COUPLING MEANS FOR FORMING LOOPS Filed June 10, 1941 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 22, 194-2 COUPLING MEANS FOR FORIWING LOOPS Mordie L. Lindy, Irvington, N. J., assignor to The J. E. Mergott Company, Newark, N. 3., a corporation of Delaware Application June 10, 1941, Serial No. 397,439

Claims.

The present invention relates to methods and means for forming permanent loops on strap or ribbon-like parts useful in the attachment of such parts to keepers.

A particular application of this invention is to be found in the quick permanent attachment of handle straps to handbags, luggage, or the like. In such instance, a handle in the form of a straplike member is attached to keepers on the bag by looping its ends around the keepers and then fastening the ends to the body of the strap such way as to form permanent loops around the keepers. The straps are thus secured to the bags. As substitutes for expedients, heretofore employed for the attachment of handles. applicant has devised simple forms of coupling means which serve to effectively attach the ends of the handle straps to their bodies after loops have been formed around the keepers and which may be assembled with the straps in quick and effective manner.

The invention is applicable in any situation where it is desired to form a permanent loop on a strapor band-like part. It is to be understood, therefore, that while the invention will hereinafter be described with reference to a handbag, the wide range of uses and applications just noted are contemplated.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a novel, simple means for quickly and permanently fastening the looped ends of the strip or strap-like part to the body thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide cheap, simply-manufactured fastening means that can be applied for use with strapor bandlike parts wherever necessary to provide permanent loops on such parts.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of such coupling or fastening means that is capable of producing reliable loop connections around a keeper.

Yet another object is to provide fastening means which improve the appearance of the joint and which may give ornamental or decorative effects to the article with which they are embodied.

Yet other objects are to provide novel methods of assembly of strap-like members with keepers and of forming of loops on strap-like parts.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and i such other objects as may hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the novel methods, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and then sought to be defined in the appended claims, reference being had to the ac- In the accompanying drawing in which similar reference characters denote corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a handbag to'which a strap handle has been applied by the use of one form of coupling member embodied in this invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 illustrating details of the loop and the coupling member and viewed in the direction of the arrows; I

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of one form of blank utilized to form the coupling member;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the blank of Fig. 5 shaped to an intermediate form just prior to its application a a coupling member;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of assembly of the coupling member with the strap or band to form the loop;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 6 illustrating the manner of assembly of a modified form of coupling member;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to that of Fig. 3 illustrating the loop formed with the modified form of coupling member;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 8, and

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the form of blank utilized to form the modified coupling member.

Referring to the drawing, I0 denotes a handbag, or any other type of luggage of any conventional form. This bag It] is provided with suitable attaching rings or keepers I! supported in any well-known manner from the bag. In the embodiment shown, they are pivotally supported at l2 from the frame L? of the bag.

A suitable handle M is connected to the keepers l I. Herein this handle comprises an elongated strap or strip i5 of any suitable flexible material or suitable plies of flexible material. In the embodiment shown, multi-p1y construction is used. The upper or outer ply I5 is of leather and the under or inner ply I5" is of cloth. It is to be understood, however, that this member may be a single ply or a plurality of plies, all of the same material or of any suitable comb-ination of materials which are flexible and capable of being folded or looped. This strip or strap I5 is attached to the keepers II by looping its ends I6 around thesaid keepers II and by then fastening the said ends I6 to the body portion of the strip or strap by the use of suitable attachin coupling members which will now be described.

Figs. 1-6 show one form of coupling means. It consists, as shown in Fig. 5, of a channeled member 20 having parallelly extending side walls 2|, 22 and a connecting or joining wall 23, constituting the bottom of the channel. Both the wall 23 and one side wall as 22 are cut away at 24 to form spaced-apart channeled end portions or wings A and B for the member joined solely by a connecting portion C of the side wall 2|. The spacing between the channeled wings A and B is greater than the width. of the strip I5, for a purpose to be presently described. It will be noted that the vertical axis of the channeled portion A and B extends parallel to the portion C.

In assembly with a strip I5, a member 25 is placed transversely of the strip on the ply I5 with its portion C centered and abutting the said ply and the channeled wings A and B facing toward the other ply I5". The member 20 is then bent around the side edges of the strip I5, as shown in Fig. 6 to bring the walls 22 of the channeled wings A and B into abutting relationship with the ply I5 forming thus a transversely extending channel K facing the end I 6 of the strip, and at the same time embracing the body of strip l5 between the portion of wall 2| and the walls 22.

The end I6 of the strip I is then looped around a keeper I I and inserted into the transverse channel K. The side walls 2! and 22 of the channel K are then firmly pressed together clamping the end I6 firmly therebetween. At the same time, the clamping pressure on the wings A, B in the position shown in Fig. 6 causes them to clamp the body of the strip I5 between their walls 22 and the wall 2| of portion C. Thus not only is the end I5 firmly clamped in the channel K, but the member 20 is firmly positioned in a fixed place on the strip I5. It is to be noted that the portion C of wall 25 lies on the upper face of handle I4 in Fig. 1 and that the looped end lies on the under side of the handle.

The same procedure is followed at the other end of the strap to attach it to the other keeper II. In this way, the handle i4 is provided which is permanently secured to the keepers I I.

An alternative coupling means is shown in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive. Herein, a channeled member 36 is provided. This member has unchanneled continuations, flaps, or wings 3| at each end of one of its side walls 32. The length of the channeled portion of the member 35 is substantially equal to the width of the strip or strap I5a. In assembly of one of these coupling members with the strap, the end I 6a. of the strap is inserted into the channel M of the member 39. Then the side walls 32 and 33 of the member 30 are compressed or collapsed to firmly grip the end Ilia. The so-provided end is then looped around a keeper I Ia and placed in contact with the body of the strip 50. with the member 3|! extending transversely of the strip. The unchanneled continuations or flaps 3| are then bent around the side edges of strip I5a and into contact with the opposite face of strip I5a to embrace the said strip. Th so bent member is then pressed and bent firmly together to clamp the member 30 to the body 01' said strip |5a as well as to its end I 6a.

The blank U used to form the coupling member 20 of Fig. 5 has the initial shape shown in Fig. 4. It consists of a sheet of bendable material, preferably metal, which is first bent along the dotted lines I, 2 to form the channeled member of Fig. 5, and then further along the dotted lines 3, 4 to form the coupling member illustrated in Fig. 6. It is to be noted that the portion C of wall 2| is of sufiicient length to accommodate the width of the strip I5 and permit the folding at 3 and 4 about the side edges of said strip. In general, the blank may be described as having U- shape.

The blank T used to form the coupling member 30 of Figs. '7 to 9 inclusive has the initial shape shown in Fig. 10. It consists of a sheet of bendable material preferably metal which is first bent along the lines Ia, 2a to form the channeled member 30 of Fig. 7 and then along the lines 3a, 4a to form the finished coupling member seen in Fig. 9. In general, the blank may be described as having T-shape.

One specific advantage of the use of the coupling member of Fig. 5 is that when the strap I5 is of multi-ply material and the plies are each different, it is possible to have only the desired ply show on the upper or outer face of the handle I4 and at the same time have an unbroken crosspiece portion C of the connecting member visible on the top side of the handle. This is shown clearly in Fig. 1. On the other hand, if the coupling member 36 of Figs. '7 to 9 is used with the same strip, either the under ply of material would be visible on the top face of the handle, or else, if the end were underfolded, the wings 3| would appear on the top surface of the handle and present a discontinuity or unsightly joint at the meeting line of their ends. If continuity of line of the metal crosspiece is desired, the folded end which is gripped by the channel walls 32, 33 must lie on the top side of the handle. This is not objectionable when the material of the strap is all the same. Where the strap is of single ply or all its plies are of the same material, the coupling means of Figs. 7 to 10 is equally as effective and decorative as that of Figs. 5 and 6.

While the invention has been described with reference to providing a handle for a handbag or luggage, the coupling means can be used with any type of strip or ribbon-like part which is to be attached to another part by looping around that part or around keepers associated with that part. Also it is useful simply for forming secure loops in ribbon or strip-like parts. There is no intention of limitation as to uses herein.

Likewise modifications of structure and method are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims. There is no intention of limitation to the exact details described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, a member having a looped end portion and means for securing the end of said looped portion to another portion of said member, said means comprising a bendable member having longitudinally extending channeled end portions joined by a connecting strip, said bendable member being bent around said first-named member with the latter engaged between said connecting strip and a wall of each of said channeled end portions, said end lying between the walls of said channeled portions and the walls of said channeled portions being bent into gripping engagement with said end of said looped portion.

2. A coupling member for connecting the end of a loop to the body of the material forming the loop comprising a strip of bendable material provided with spaced-apart channeled portions at its ends joined by a flat strip-like connecting portion, the latter constitnting a continuation of one of the side walls of each channel portion.

3. In a device of the character described, a member having a looped end portion and means for securing the end of said looped portion to another portion of said member, said means comprising a bendable member having channeled end portions joined by a flat connecting strip, said connecting strip lying on the uppermost face of said member and said channeled portions being bent around and lying on the undermost face of said member with the said member lying between said connecting strip and a wall of each of said channeled portions and said end of said member lying between the walls of and within said channeled portions, and said walls of said channeled portions being bent into gripping engagement with said end.

4. A coupling member for connecting the end of a loop to a body of the material forming the loop comprising a strip of bendable material having longitudinally extending channeled portions at its opposite ends joined by a connecting element, the latter being a continuation of a side wall of each channeled portion, the vertical axes of said channeled portions extending parallel to said connecting element, said connecting element being longer than the width of said body of material to permit said channeled portions to be bent around said body of material and to lie on the side of the latter opposite that on which said connecting element lies.

5. A coupling member for connecting the end of a loop to a body of the material forming the loop comprising a member having bendable channeled portions joined solely by a fiat connecting portion, the latter being a continuation of a side wall only of each channeled portion, said channeled portions being substantially U- shaped in cross-section and said connecting portion being longer than the width of said body of material to permit said channeled portions to be bent around the opposite edges of said body of material and to lie on the side of the latter opposite that on which said connecting element lies, the walls of said channeled portions being then bendable toward each other to engage and grip said end therebetween.

MORDIE L. LINDY.

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