US2654409A

US2654409A - Billfold

Info

Publication number: US2654409A
Application number: US230946A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harlan S Cox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-06-11
Filing date: 1951-06-11
Publication date: 1953-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 1970-10-06

Description

' H. S. COX

BILLFOLD Oct. 6, 1953 Filed June 11, 1951 INVENTOR. flcz/"Zarz 5 C513,

I I'll II II III l llIllW lllllll Ill Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved billfold and more particularly to a holder for paper money especially designed for free access to the bills contained therein.

Usual types of billfolds contain pockets for holding bills, these pockets being open only along one side. With such containers it is difilcult to distinguish th denomination of a bill without at least partially withdrawing the bill from the pocket. Also in many cases such billfclds are not adapted to receive and hold large numbers of bills. It is difficult to put many bills in the long pocket closed at one side and both ends. Also, when folded once across the middle as is cus-= tomary, the container becomes bulky and distorted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved billfold especially designed for the holding of paper money.

It is a further object to provide a construction which holds the bills adequately while permitting their ready inspection and removal as desired.

It is also an object to provide a construction which is simple in design and manufacture and which may be provided with additional pockets for holding cards or th like.

It is another object to provide a construction which may be formed from a blank cut from a single sheet of material and fabricated by means of a minimum of stitching or other securing means.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a complete billfold in open position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, the fasteners being omitted;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a blank used for forming the 'billfold of Figures 1 to 3 inclusive; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing a modified form of holding lug.

In the drawings, referring first to Figure 4 the billfold may be formed from a single flat blank, as shown, having a body portion ll integrally connected at one end along fold line 13 to an outer pocket portion [5 which is in turn connected along a side fold line H to an inner pocket portion [9. It will be noted that the outer edges 2| and 23 of the pocket portions [5 and I9 join in a rounded projection 25 in line with the fold line H. The body portion II is provided with a snap fastener member 21 adapted to mate with another fastener member ZQ on the outer pocket portion 15 when the billfold is assembled and. is folded to be placed in the pocket. It will be understood that other usual securing means may be substituted for the snap fastener if desired.

In assembling the billfold the inner pocket member 19 is first folded over on outer pocket member [5, being folded on line H, with edge 3! of member l9 overlying edge 33 of member it. It is to be noted that edge 35 of member ii! is offset below fold line l3 between body member H and outer pocket member [5. This allows space for the next folding operation which is made on line it and brings member 19 in contact with member H. In this position the edges 3i and 33 overlie that portion of the edge 31 of the body member adjacent the fold line I3.

With the parts in position after this second folding operation, a single stitching operation will secure together edges 31 and 33 and the adjacent portion of edge 31. Instead of stitching, any well known method of securing edges of the material used may be carried out. It will be Understood that the billfold may be formed of fabric, leather,

, plastic or from any suitable sheet material having sufficient body while also having sufiicient fiexi bility and resistance to wear.

With the billfold assembled and with the edges secured, as described, a pocket for cards, indicated by broken lines at 39 in Figure 1, is provided between the inner pocket portion 69 and the outer pocket portion 55. The bottom of this pocket is closed by fold line i3. A money pocket for paper money is provided between the inner pocket portion is and the body portion ll. This pocket is proportioned so as to be substantially wider than the standard paper money and of a length somewhat more than one half the length of paper money. The money pocket is closed at its left end, as seen in Figure 2, by the fold on line l3 and on its lower edge by the stitching or other securing means.

The projection 25 on the fold line ll when folded provides a stiff lug which extends beyond edge 2|. This assists in holding the bills in place in the billfold. It will be noted that the width of the billfold is Wider than standard paper money, indicated at M in broken lines on Figure 1, so that the lug 25 will be effective even when the billfold contains a substantial thickness of bills.

In Figure 5 an alternate construction has been shown for providing a separate holding lug instead of the folded projection 2'5 made of the material of the billfold. The adjacent folded portion of the billfold has been indicated in Fi ure at 43 and the holding lug is shown at 45. This lug, as shown, may be formed of metal, hard plastic or other suitable material and attached as a separate element to the folded inner and outer pocket portions at their edge, as shown in the drawing. It functions in the same manner as the holding lug 25 shown in Figure 1.

While I have shownand described a preferred embodiment of my invention this is to be understood to be illustrative only as it is capable of variation to meet differing conditions and requirements and I contemplate such modifications member wider and longer than the bills to be carried, a pocket member integrally connected to one end of the body member, said pocket member being less than half the length of the body member and of substantially the same width as the body member and folded over on the body member, one free side edge of the pocket member being secured to the adjacent edge portion of the body member, and a bill holding 111g eX- tending from the free corner of the pocket member lengthwise of the body member.

2. A billfold formed of a unitary blank of flexible material, said billfoldcomprising a body member wider and longer than the bills to be carried, an outer pocket portion less than one half the length of the body member and substantially the width of the body member integrally connected to one end of the body member, an inner pocket portion integrally connected to a side edge of the outer pocket portion, the inner pocket portion being folded over onto the inner face of the outer pocket portion, the combined pocket portions being folded over on the inner face of the body member, and the free side edges of the pocket members being secured to the adjacent edge portion of the body member.

3. A billfold formed of a unitary blank of flexible material, said billfold comprising a body member wider and longer than the bills to be carried, an outer pocket portion less than one half the length of the body member and substantially the width of the body member integrally connected to one end of the body member, an inner pocket portion integrally connected to a side edge of the outer pocket portion, the inner pocket portion being folded over onto the inner face of the outer pocket portion; the combined pocket portions being folded over on the inner face of the body member, and the free side edges of the pocket members being secured to the adjacent edge portion of the body member, a bill holding lug extendin lengthwise of the body memher from the inner end of the folded edges of the inner-and outer pocket member, and cooperating securing means on the body member and outer pocket member to hold-,the parts detachably in folded position.

4. In a billfold, a body member wider and longer than the bills to be carried and a pocket member attached to one end of the body member, the pocket member being substantially the same Width and less than one half the length of the body member, the pocket member being folded over against the body member andsecured to a; portion of one side of the body member, the free corner of the pocket member being provided with a bill holding lug projecting longitudinally of the body member.

HARLLAN s. cox.

References Cited in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,146,524 Rolfs July 13, 1915 1,165,746 Borg Dec. 28, 1915 1,228,251 Smith May 29, 191 7 1,772,891 Gardner Aug. 12, 1930 2,288,704 Herbener July 7, 1942 2,387,490 Becker Oct. 23; 1945 2,397,366 Ogden Mar. 26, 1946