US2517369A - Molded luggage handle - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 1, 1950 s. A. WOLFSON MOLDED LUGGAGE-HANDLE Filed March 12, 1948 Patented Aug. 1, IQSO UNITED Samuel A. Wolfson, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The National Plastic Products Company, denton, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application March 12, 1948, Serial No. 14,538

(01. ISO-57) 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to luggage handlesand more particularly to a one-piece luggage handle.

Prior to the instant invention, luggage handles have been made of built-up construction comprising, for example, a metal skeleton, padding about the skeleton, a stitched leather covering about the padding, provision at the ends of the handle for attaching the handle to a piece of luggage which provision would include small metal parts such as swivels etc. Other prior handles have been made of metal of one piece or of other material. Built-up handles have been expensive and with continued wear and perspiration from the hand of the user they have fallen apart and disintegrated. Metal handles are cold and slippery and uncomfortable. Handles of other materials have not always been satisfactory because of their shape or of the material of which they are made or for other structural reasons. In general, prior handles have been expensive, difficult to assemble and uncomfortable.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a one-piece molded, comfortable luggage handle which can be readily assembled with a piece of luggage or similar article.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompaning drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a full size view in elevation of a luggage handle in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the handle I0 is injection molded of a synthetic thermoplastic material such as polyethylene and comprises a generally horizontal body portion II and two vertically depending leg portions l2. Upwardly extending from the horizontal body portion II and outwardly extending from the leg portions I2 is the continuous rib l3 which extends com pletely about the exterior of the handle but stops short of the ends [4. Near the ends [4, the legs I2 are provided with the holes l5 having a horizontal axis and adapted to receive a pin or pintlc associated with the piece of luggage to be supported. The hinge parts of the luggage may be closely associated with the hinge of the handle without interference by the rib [3 in view of the structure described.

The lower part of the body portion II is provided with four curved depressions Is to accommodate the four main fingers 0f the hand associated with the handle in a comfortable manner.

The rib I3 is adapted to be associated with the palm of the hand in order to prevent the handle from slipping, that is, the handle from rotating within the palm of the hand of the user.

The handle I0 is adapted to be injection molded of solid thermoplastic such as polyethylene which may be pigmented in a luggage tan so that the handle, after being molded, is completely finished as to color, comfort, function and is ready for assembly with a finished piece of luggage. When i made of polyethylene, the handle is tough, easy to grip and has a smooth leather-like appearance which is not affected by exposure to moisture or changes in temperature. The handle can not be stained by perspiration, dirt or grease and it will not crack or peel.

Though the handle I0 is light it has great tensile strength and did not fall after free suspension for three hours with a weight of 285 pounds attached to it and did not fail after free suspension of a 40-pound weight attached to i it for a period of 1500 hours.

When made of polyethylene the surface of the handle feels soft and velvety to the touch and affords the user all the comfort of a leather handle with all the advantages inherent in the construction described.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described inthe specification but only as indicated in the appended claim.

I claim:

A molded luggage handle comprising a generally horizontal body portion and two generally vertically extending leg portions, said body portion and said leg portions being of integral structure, circular depressions formed on the underside of said body portion, a ridge projecting upwardly and outwardly from said leg portions and said body portion, said ridge being continuous from near the bottom of one leg and extending upwardly on the outside of one leg and continuously along the top of the body portion and then downwardly along the outside of said second leg portion to a point near the bottom thereof, said ridge being integral with the body portion and leg portions, each of said legs being pierced along the horizontal axis near the ends thereof and closer to the ends than the beginning and ending of the continuous ridge, said handle being solid and of one piece and molded of a synthetic thermoplastic, said. body 3 portion being of larger vertical sectional area than the horizontal sectional area of said leg portions, and the largest vertical dimension of said vertical sectional area through said body portion being larger than the largest horizontal dimension through said vertical sectional area of said body portion.

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REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Niimber umber 1 343,46 3 352,459

4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lake Nov. 14, 1911 Sammis Apr. 16, 1912 Wheary Sept. 2, 1941 Hedu Feb. 17, 1942 QRE EATE TS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 16, 1931 Italy Sept. 14, 1937 fiwitzerland Feb. 1, 1940

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