US2548215A - Casing or cover for a handle or the like - Google Patents

Description

' April 10, 1951 KHCRCH 2,548,215

CASING OR COVER FOR A HANDLE OR"THE LIKE Filed Feb. 11, 1950 INVENTOR. Koweap flaecw Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITEDFSTA'TES PATENT OFFICE CASING OR COVER FOR A HANDLE OR THE LIKE Konrad Horch, Maspeth, N. Y.

Application February 11, 1950, Serial No. 143,704

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-482) A further object of the invention is to make a cover in such a manner that it conforms very closely to the shape of the handle or arm rest 1 to provide a smooth snug fit that enhances the appearance of the part covered and effectively hides the worn upholstery covering with which the handle or arm rest was originally finished.

Still further objects are to provide a cover which can be applied to the handle or restwith Y a. minimum of manipulation; can be closed by the use of a side fastener; can be put on in open position to allow the bolts or other fastening means that secure the handle in place on the frame .or door of the car to be adjusted; can be fitted over the handle or rest very quickly and by the owner of the car, thus obviating 'the necessity of taking the ca to an upholsterer for servicing which is expensive and time consuming; and to provide a cover which can be made in a small number of general patterns so that covers for the handles or arm rests of any standard make of. car can be purchased singly or in sets for refurbishing the worn handle and arm rests coverings that, due to constant use, are the first parts of the interior to show wear and detract from the upholstered appearance of the car.

With these and other objects in View, the invention comprises certain constructions and methods hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out in the claims and a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing a cover constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 showing the interior structure of the cover,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing the relative arrangement of the parts comprising the cover,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the top and bottom forming section of the cover material,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the inner wall section of the cover material,

- 2 Figure 6 is a plan view of the outer wall section of the cover material,

Figure '7 isa View illustrating the initial step in the method of making the cover,

Figure 8 is a 'view illustrating the second step in the process of manufacture,

Figure 9 is a View illustrating the thild step in the manufacturing process, and

Figure 10 is a view showing the final step of the manufacturing method.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I0 indicates a finished cover for the arm rest or handle of a vehicle door or frame consisting of a top and bottom forming piece. I l sewn to shapewith snug or close fitting relation about the handle, for instancewhich it is not deemednecessary to show. The piece H is shaped to form the top section l4 and bottom section I 5 and is initially formed from a blank of desired contour depending upon the slight variations in shape found in door handles and arm rests and is completed by inner and outer wall pieces I2 and I3, respectively. 7

When the parts H, l2 and [3 are sewn or otherwisesecured together to cover shape they can be held about a handle with a close snug fit by a slide fastener closure it which may be placed along the upper edge if desired but is preferably placed along the lower edge to be out of the way of the clothing of the person sitting next to the handle or arm rest. w

The formation of the cover is accomplished by cutting suitably shaped blanks identified as at H toform the top and bottom walls; as at I? to form the inner vertical wall piece and as at 13 to form the outer vertical wall piece. ,The blank I I is of substantially circular or annular shape presenting an outer edge which is cut to provide guide shoulders i defining the ends of that part P8 of the periphery of the blank II to which the material of the slide fastener is sewn or otherwise attached and guide notches IS on the inner and outer peripheries thereof. Matching notches 20 and 2! are cut in the periphery of the blanks l3 and I2 respectively. 1

The first step in the method of constructing the cover is shown in Figure"? in which the slide fastener I6 is laid along the straight edge of the blank l3 and is sewn by the stitching S which joins the fabric strip 22 of the slide fastener structure to the blank l3. The second step consists in bringing one shouldered portion I! of blank H (Figure 8) into register with the fabric 23 of the zipper and then stitching the latter as at 24 about the periphery of blank I l until the other shoulder I1 is reached, as in Figure 9.

Then the edge of blank II is folded over from the Figure 9 position and sewn to the edge of blank I3 so that the notches 20 and I 9 meet and the partsare accordingly drawn into shape or covercontour. The final step is the stitching of the blank [2 about the inner periphery of blank ll so that the latter is gathered to proper contour, this being accomplished by starting the sewing of blank l2 in oblique position as shown in Figure 10 so that the corner 25 thereof will fall into register with the first or adjacent notch H! of blank H and the notches 2| will register in succession with the notches [9 on the inner periphery of the blank H.

Through the aid of these notches and their relative locations, operators with little or no experience can be trained to make up the covers by following the matching or mating of the notches and the orderly sewing of the parts in the manner shown. The blank ll may be made in two parts as indicated by the dot and dash line in Figure 4 and the use of the terminology as relatin to handle or arm rest includes either.

No openings or slots are shown in the cover through which the attaching means for mounting the handle or arm rest may extend but these areusually punched or otherwise formed by the person applying the covers to fit the simple hardware used such as a lip and bolt arrangement as is well understood. If such openings are desired they may be cut in the blanks but this is not found to be necessary.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details of construction shown since various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the invention and without sacrificing the advantages to be derived therefrom.

What I claim is: l. A covering of the character set forth comprising a first blank of annular shape arranged when folded in U-shape to provide spaced upper and lower cover sections for the top and bottom of a handle or the like, a second blank secured to the inner peripheral edge of the first blank to provide a cover for the inside of the handle and a third blank secured to the outer periphery of said first blank to provide a cover for the outside of the handle and complete the covering.

2. A detachable casing for enclosing a handle or the like comprising a first blank of substantially annular shape arranged when bent int U form to present upper and lower cover sections, a second blank having its edges secured to the inner edge of the first blank to provide a cover for the inside of the handle, a third blank, a slide fastener carrying tape secured to one edge thereof and the edges of said third blank and the free edge of the slide fastener being secured to the outer edge of said first blank to provide a coverin for the outside of the handle and to complete said casing.

3. A casing of the character described comprising a first blank of annular shape arranged when folded to U-shape to constitute a covering for the top and bottom surfaces of a handle, second and third blanks secured respectively to the inner and outer peripheral edges of said first blank to cover the inner and outer surfaces of said handle, and guide notches in said blanks for registry when the blanks are assembled for shaping the casing to fit snugly about the handle.

4. A casing of the character described comprising a first blank of annular shape having notches or the like at the inner and outer peripheral edges thereof, the blank when folded to U-shape constitutin a covering for the top and bottom surfaces of a handle, second and third blanks secured respectively to vthe inner and outer peripheral edges of said first blank to cover the inner and outer surfaces of said handle and having notches or the like for register with. the notches of said first blank for shaping the casing as the blanks are being secured together.

5. The method of producing a cover for a handle or the like which consists of forming and marking an annular shaped blank and rectangular shaped blanks of cover material, securing a slide fastener carrying tape to one of the rectangular blanks, securin an edge of the slide fastener tape and one edge of the tape carrying blank to the outer peripheral edge of the annular blank in a substantially continuous operation to form the annular blank into U-shape and close the outer periphery thereof, and then securing the peripheral edges of the remaining blank to the inner periphery .of the annular REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Underwood et a1. Aug. 29, 1950

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