US2469242A - Collapsible luggage carrier - Google Patents

Description

May 3, 1949. E. Pol-n.

COLLAPSIBLE LUGGAGE CARRIER Filedv June 2, -1948 JNVENToR.- E L 5A P O H I.y

Patented May 3, 1949 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to carriers or carriages for suitcases or similar pieces of luggage.

Objects of my invention are to provide such a carrier with collapsible part-s whereby the dimensions of the carrier can be considerably reduced when not used, to provide a collapsible carrier which can be easily stored in a suitcase or can be conveniently carried by any person without burdening the same appreciably, and to provide a collapsed carrier that can be easily and quickly put into condition of use whereby a traveling person can move his suitcases and bags easily at any desired time.

Other objects are a collapsible luggage carrier that can stand and move like a carriage and that forms a stable support of the carried things throughout its use, a luggage carrier that can be pulled by a handle positioned about at the level of a persons hand whereby the movement of the carrier is convenient, to connect this handle to the platform of the carrier by a shaft whereby the carrier forms a coherent unit which is independent from the carried luggage, to provide this shaft with a hinge pin which allows turning movement of the shaft with respect to the platl form when the carrier i-s in condition for use whereby the direction of the shaft and the height of the handle can be adjusted as desired and convenient, and to conceal the shaft under the platform when the carrier is not used.

Further objects are to provide the carrier with a platform adapted for carrying pieces of lugof different sizes, to provide the carriers platform with an adjustable extension plate, and to shift this plate substantially completely into the platform when the carrier is not used.

Still further objects are to obtain these results with simple and reliable means and with a structure that can be easily and inexpensively made, and that can be easily handled, collapsed and adjusted for use.

Still other object-s and advantages will appear from the following description of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from the appended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l shows a partially sectional side view of an illustrative embodiment of my invention in collapsed condition, the sectionally represented part being cut along the line I-I in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a partially sectional bottom view of the same embodiment, the cross-section being teken along the broken line 2-2 in Fig. 3.

'3 shows a vcross-section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective View of the same embodiment in condition of use, a suitcase carried by this embodiment being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is represented on a smaller scale than Figs. l to 3.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 4 indicates a rectangular platform, and 5 wheels supporting this platform. There are more than two, preferably four, wheels 5 which are so distributed that the-se wheels form a stable support of the platform and of the luggage carried by the latter. For example, the wheels are positioned near the four corners of the platform. Preferably the wheels are casters of well known type. These casters adjust their direction to any moving direction, each wheel being rotatable in a bracket which can turn around a vertical axis relatively to a disk 'I aflixed to the lower side of the platform 4.

A casing 8 is positioned under the platform 4 and so affixed to the latter that the casing and the platform form one piece. The casing has an elongated shape and preferably extends through the length of the platform 4. The crosssection of the casing and of its inner space may be rectangular. The casing comprises a bottom 9 and two lateral walls II. The ceiling of the casing may be formed by the platform 4. The walls II extend to the front of the carrier a little beyond the platform 4. The inner space of the casing forms a straight channel of uniform cross-section vand is open at the front side. The rear` end of the channel also may be open. Each of the lateral walls II has a longitudinal -slot I2 which is closed at both end-s.

A shaft part I3 comprises two parallel elongated arms or tongues I4 which are connected at theirl rear ends whereby the part I3 has a forked shape. Two co-axial pins I5 of cylindrical shape are afl'lxed to the part I3 near its rear end and project horizontally into the slots I2 whereby the part I3 can slide in the direction of these slots as far as the slots allow and, in the foremost position, can tu'rn around the axis of the pins I5. The part I3 fit the inner space of the casing 8.

Another shaft part I6 has an elongated shape fitting the spacebetween the arms I4 and is so connected to the part I3 that these parts can slide relatively to each other in their longitudinal directions. Preferably the arms I4 have longitudinal slots I1, and the part I6 is provided with horizontally extending pins I8 reaching into the slots II. There may be two pairs of pins I8 positioned at a suitable distance from each other.

3 The position of the foremost pins I8 determines the end of the relative shiftability of the shaft parts so that some portions of the parts overlap in any position. A handle I9 is affixed to the front end of the part I6.

The parts I3 and I6 together form a shaft which, in the condition of use shown in Fig. 4, has a considerable length larger than the length of the platform v4` andfsufiicientlyvlarge to raise the handlenlfajfup; tothe levelofr-the .bandi-of a pulling person. In collapsed condition, the combined shaft ts the inner space of the casing 4 and can be concealed within this casing as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. In condition of'-=use`,'fthe-part"l3 of my invention.

the part I6 forms the front and higher partof be shaft.

The upper side of the platform 4 issprovided with a broad groove 2I. which extends in longitudinalldirection of theplatform from` the latters rear' end over ya considerable `portion of the 4plat-- ormsM-length. l"The Vgroove 2| has `dove-tailed fsides. A plate'22 ofv correspondingly dove-tailed `cross-'section ritsU the vgroove `2 I- slidingly. v.In the position. shown in Fig.. 4, the plate22 ispartly jshifted 'out ofthe Y'groove `2I-and formsan exten- "sion ofE theplatform #whereby the carrier is adjusted for carrying a suitcase 23 which is longer lthan the-'unextended platform 4. The 'width of `the platform; is'about' equal tothe usual width fof 'a-suitcase-of" this length-and is-'considerably *smalle-1'" than the'usual height ofsuch a suitcase. 4"'-The'-rearend ofthe' platev 22 maybe provided lwith an upwardly-projectingyend 'plate 24 which Ystops"rearward-'shift of theV suitcase 23.` Pref- '^erably`, the end plate' 24 is hinged to the plate` 22 "whereby'f' the end plate'can -be"folded down 4as `l'shown-in'ligs'. vlto 3. For example,`projections .25 are affixed to the rear end of the plate-22 iand 'entervrecesses ofthe endplate' '24, and a hinge jpi-n 26 lconnects the e'nd'plateand-'the projections "25 rotatably.= In-the'fraisedv position' of the lend V*plate-24 1shown in' Fig. 4, lthe lower-end ofthe end plate contactsthe'rear endof theplate22 whereby thee'nd-'platejis prevented from'turning farther to4 the rear iside.

total height of the carrier vin the collapsed condition shown inf Figs. 1 to L3, or 'the "heightsof v` the platform 4 andtheend plate'24'over the ground-'are considerablysnallerthan the usual vuwidtht of the suitcase 123 whereby' the collapsed carrier has a verysmall 'size and'can be easily placed-withinthe suitcase 23 whenthe' carrier is "notusetk the'carrier'having three dimensions `perpendicular to eachother each ofwhich is smaller than'fon'e of three perpendicular dimensions of ithesuitcase.

In order'toiadjust the carrier for use, the handle "I9 'is p'ulled tothe front whereby first the shaft ,part-'- vI 6,-then 'also the shaftpart* I3 slides out of :"the.. casing 8 until-the 'pins' *I5 "prevent further :extractionfi' Then the lshaftl may be turned-up `laroundtheaxis'of thepins' I5." The' plate 22 is shiftedtoltherearas far asthe'size of the-suitcase t'o becarried' requires, `and the-end platel 24Y is turned up.

'Meansmay be' provided'tosecure the shaft Ways without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular emf'fbo'diment'shown and described is only one of the many that may be employed to attain the objects .'Having described the nature of my invention, what I vclaim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A luggage carrier comprising a platform,

A"wheels supporting said plat-form ina substantially horizontal position, a Acasing `affixed to the lower V*side of said platform-extending along Asubstantially the entire'lengthof said' platform and 'hav- `ing a wallA with lalongitudinal slot, said casing 'being open atits frontend,fsaid slotbeing closed atA the frontend, Aa shaftttingthe inner space ofsaid casing-'slidably, a-"pin'affxed to said shaft *near the reariendof th'e lsame `and reaching 4'into said slot, and'ahandle aiiixed-to the front end ofsaid' shaftsai'd 'pin forming a hingeof said `shaft when' the `latter 'is iri'its foremost position, the front end. of said casing and the rear end of .said shaftl having"'shapes allowing, in said posi- 4tially th'ezentire length of said platform and hav- `ing a wall* with alongitudinal slot, Y said casing beingopen atits'ffront'endysa'id slot being closed rear part near Vthev reare'ndof 'the same and reaching into` said slot, "and a handle afxed to "the front end of said front part, said pin forming a hinge `of saidshaft when the latter is in its foremost position, the frontendof said casing "and they rear'e'ndof said'shaft having'shapes allowing; in said position, turning movement of said shaft relatively 4to said casing.

3'. A luggagey carrier -comprising a platform,

-wheels supporting said platform, a 'casingaflixed 'to the lower *side"of said-platform, vextending along substantially the entire lengthof said platvform and having a'wallwith a longitudinal "slot,

" said casing being'open at-*its frontend,l said slot ibeing closed a'tthe front end, a plate engaging -A said platform vslilably. 'longitudinalv` direction v and shiftable from a position where'saicl plate Yforms arear-v continuationiof said platform to a vposition@where said" plate and said` platform are fccllapsed, a shaft fttingthe" innerl space of said casingbslidably, a ipin `'affixed to said'shaft'near the rear -endi ofthefsame and reachingtintursaid 11 slot', -and afhandle `faffxedzti'r.the frontend of to the lower side of said platform, extending along substantially the entire length of said platform and having a wall with a longtudina1 slot, said casing being open at its front end, said slot being closed at the front end, a plate engaging said platform slidably in longitudinal direction and shiftable from a position Where said plate forms a rear continuation of said platform to a position Where said plate and said platform are collapsed, a shaft having a front and a rear part engaging each other slidably in longitudinal direction whereby said shaft can collapse and has a reduced length in collapsed condition, said shaft, in collapsed condition, fitting the inner space of said `casing slidably, a pin affixed to said rear part near the rear end of the same and reaching into said slot, and a handle aiiixed to the front end of said front part, said carrier, when said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Oyston Mar. 8, 1927 Number

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