US2718988A - Dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 27, 1955 R. c. POTTS DUAL-SHOULDER LOOPED-STRAP CARRYING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6. 1951 FIG. I.

FIG.5.

INVENTOR Sept. 27, 1955 R. c. POTTS DUAL-SHOULDER LOOPED-STRAP CARRYING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6 1951 PIC-3.6.

F I6. 7A.

FIG. 7.

INVENTOR United States Patent DUAL-SHOULDER LOOPED-STRAP CARRYING lVIEAN S Roy C. Potts, Winter Park, Fla.

Application February 6, 1951, Serial No. 209,605

7 Claims. (Cl. 224) This invention relates to devices for carrying packages and the like by means of a looped-strap and with the package secured to the pendant portion of the strap by a fastener element connected to the strap.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a simple carrying means for packages and containers in which a looped-strap member may be hung upon the shoulder, arm, or hand, and, by means of a fastener member connected to the pendant portion of the looped-strap member, a package, to which the fastener member is attached, may be carried.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device that is simple of construction in its various parts and that may be assembled manually or mechanically.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby two of the package carrying devices of my invention may be connected together to provide a dual carrying means with which two separate packages may be carried by looped-strap members pendant from one or both shoulders of the carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide shoulder shields or pads which may be securedto the looped shoulder-strap and in combination with it serve to distribute the load over the area of the shoulder covered by the shield. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an interconnecting neck-encircling looped-strap threaded thru a slit in each of the shoulder shields which limits the outward movement of the said shields, one from the other, and likewise the dual-looped carrying straps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wearresistant surface on the inner ply of the looped-strap thereby increasing its strength and durability in the region Where the strap is attached to the fastener member.

A further object of the invention is to devise various methods of attaching the fastener member to the packages or containers.

The practicability of my invention and its many distinct and peculiar advantages will be further obvious and best understood by referring to the following detailed specifications of certain preferred embodiments, taken in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general perspective view of my invention in operative position upon the shoulders of a person using it.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view of one form of a loopedstrap secured to a fastener element.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my device which shows the various members comprising it in a connected relation to each other and to two packages suspended from the pendant ends of the looped-straps.

Fig. 3 is a two-legged fastener element of my Patent No. 2,463,306.

Fig. 4 is a one-legged fastener element of my application Serial No. 145,442, filed February 21, 1950, now Patent No. 2,690,867.

Fig. 4A is a modified form of Fig. 4 and is Fig. 5 of my application Serial No. 145,442, filed February 21, 1950, now Patent No. 2,690,867.

Fig. 5 shows a preferred form of a blank for a shoulder shield.

Fig. 6 shows a close perspective view of the shoulder shield with the pendant looped shoulder-strap and an inter-connecting neck-encircling, closed looped-strap secured thereto.

Fig. 7 shows the pendant portion of the looped-strap with a reinforcing Wear-resistant member applied over the inner ply of the looped-strap in the area where it is connected to the fastener element.

Fig. 7A shows a cross section of Fig. 7 on line 7A-7A.

Fig. 8 shows the pendant end-portion of the loopedstrap of Fig. 1A in cross section.

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of the fastener element of Fig. 3 attached to a container wall and a reinforcing inner ply of material clamped between the legs of the fastener element and the inside surface of the container wall.

Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of the attachment of the fastener element to a container having a strap of steel, wire, or other material extending across a wall of the container.

Fig. 11 shows in perspective a method of creasing the closed top of a gusseted bag and of attaching a fastener element to it by illustrating the lines of creasing and folding the bag; the placement of a supplementary reinforcing member which is infolded within the folded area of the bag; and, the securement thereto of the fastener element.

Fig. 12 shows in perspective an alternate method of folding the closed top of a fiat-wall bag by illustrating the lines and areas of folding the bag; the placement of a supplementary reinforcing member which is infolded within the folded area of the bag; and, the securement thereto of a fastener element.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I show in perspective the various parts of the device comprising my invention, arranged and connected together, to provide a dual carrying means, shown generally as 1, in place upon the shoulders of the person using it. The fragmentary sections of the trunk, neck, shoulders, and arms of the person using it are lettered respectively as A, B, C, and D. The two loopedrstrap members of my carrying means are shown as 2 and 2, respectively; the inter-connecting neck-encircling loop-strap member as 3; the fastener elements as 4 and 5 respectively; the two packages or containers being carried as 6 and 7; and, the shoulder pads or shields as 8 and 8. Throughout the drawings and this specification, like members represent like parts or members.

Fig. 1A shows a preferred form of a looped-strap in which the separate pendant ends of the strap are each separately connected to the fastener member, 2 being the looped-strap and 5 the fastener member.

Fig. 2 shows the assembled parts of my dual carrying means connected together for use, like parts and members being given the same numbers as in Fig. 1. Each part or member of Fig. 2 will now be fully described.

The looped-strap member 2 may be a closed loop of the type of member 3 or it may have closed loops at each end of it as shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 8. I form the looped-strap by laminating together strips of reinforced tape-strap. A preferred type of tape-strap for use in making my looped-strap has at least one of its surfaces coated with an adhesive. A second ply is laminated to the first ply by bringing it flat upon and lengthwise of the coated surface of the first ply. But, I also find that it is practicable to use in the construction of the looped- strap members 2 and 2 of my device 1 of Fig. 1, gummed coated tape-strap which, like the adhesive coated tapestrap, is reinforced by filaments or threads of fiber such as rayon, nylon, Fiberglas, and the like which generally lie closely adjacent and parallel to each other and run lengthwise of the strap and are themselves adhesively secured to the surface of at least one ply of the tapestrap. In fact, the reinforcing filaments or threads are actually imbedded' in and lie under an adhesive or gummed coating on the ply of flexible sheet material that forms the backing or base material sheet of the tapestrap. By forming closed loops in each end of the loopedstrap as shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. 8, or, by overlapping the ends of the tape-strap and laminating them together, a completed looped-strap is made. By this simple operation and method of laminating several plies of reinforced tape-strap into a multiply closed looped-strap or open looped-strap with closed loops at each end of it, it is possible to manually make the members 2 and 2 and 3 of Fig. 1 also member 2 of Fig. 1A of my invention.

In one method that I employ, I fold a length of tapestrap approximating 36 to 40 inches in length upon its median lengthwise line to form a two-ply looped-strap of either the closed-loop form or with closed loops at each end of it. Another practicable method of laminating three plies together consists of using as the center ply a single ply of tape-strap that is adhesive or gummed coated on both of its surfaces and then applying the other two plies to the first ply with one on each of its coated surfaces. The outer plies may be uncoated strips of tape strap of any selected material that has the desired characteristics, such as water resistant, wear resistant, etc. Obviously, the methods described for the formation of the looped-straps of both the forms described may be employed when commercial equipment and methods are used. The parts of Fig. 2 denoted by the shoulder shields 8 and the fastener elements 4 and 5, also, the methods of applying the fastener elements 4 and 5 to the packages 6 and 7 will be later described in detail as the separate Figs. 3 to 12 inclusive are explained.

The inter-connecting neck-encircling looped-strap member 3 of Fig. 2 is a completely closed loop which passes thru a longitudinal slit in each of the shoulder shields 8 and also passes over and around the portion of each of the dual-looped carrying strap members 2 which are threaded thru the two transverse slits shown as 11 and 12 in Figs. 5 and 6.

The neckencircling looped-strap, in operative position, lies in a practically horizontal plane extending from the top of one shoulder shield to the top of the other as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Also, in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown the pendant operative position of the looped-strap member 2 which hangs downwardly and somewhat outwardly from the shoulder shield in practically a vertical plane from that portion of the shoulder shield into which it is threaded.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one form of a two-legged fastener element of my invention which is covered by Fig. 1 and claim 6 of U. S. Patent 2,463,306and is fully described therein.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one form of a one-legged fastener element which is shown as Fig. 1 of my copendapplication, Serial No. 145,442, filed February 21, 1950, and is fully described therein.

Fig. 4A shows a modified form of Fig. 4 and is Fig. 5 of my copending application, Serial No. 145,442, filed February 21, 1950, and is fully described therein.

Fig. 5 shows a preferred form of a somewhat elongated shoulder shield or pad 8 of Figs. 1 and 2. In it 16 is a blank of a somewhat pliable sheet material, such as B-flute sheet of corrugated firbeboard with die cuts 13 and 14 made from opposite sides and terminating in the slots 11 and 12 respectively which are parallel and are spaced apart so that a desired portion of the blank lies between the die-cut slots 11 and 12 and is substantially the width of a persons shoulder. The length of the slots 11 and 12 is slightly greater than the width of the looped shoulder-strap 2 of Figs. 1 and 2. A slot 15 is die cut in the blank about mid-way of the space between the slots 11 and 12 and in substantial parallel alignment with the slit- lines 13 and 14. A slit 16 extends from one end of slot 15 to the adjacent parallel edge of the blank 10. Thus, as shown in Fig. 6, the looped shoulder-strap 2 may be inserted through the cuts 13 and 14 to lie in the slots 11 and 12, and the inter-connecting closed looped-strap 3 may be inserted through slit 16 to lie in slot 15.

Fig. 6 shows the inter-connected arrangement of the looped-strap 2 and the inter-connecting neck-encircling looped-strap 3 and their inner-locked positions in the slots 11 and 12 and slot 15 respectively of the shouldershield and how they hold it in rather permanent position upon the top of the shoulder of the person using the carrying device of my invention.

The placement and horizontal position of the closed loop neck-encircling strap is shown in Figs. 2 and 6. It will be noted that it encircles the neck from the upper and lower topmost. surfaces of the shoulder shields and lies in a plane substantially coincidental with a horizontal plane resting on the uppermost portion of each of the shoulder shields.

Fig. 7 shows the application of a short length of a reinforcing ply 21 to the inner surface of the looped-strap 2 in the region of the folded pendant end-portion of the looped-strap into which the fastener element 4 is connected to it. It is in this area of the looped-strap, and particularly within the folded end of the looped-strap where the fastener element lies, that the greatest stress, strain, friction, and wear on the looped-strap occurs. Therefore, the application of an inner reinforcing ply of a tough wear-resistant material tends greatly to strengthen the looped-strap at this point.

Fig. 7A shows a cross section of Fig. 7 taken on line 7A7A. Parts 2, 21 and 4 of Fig. 7A correspond to parts 2, 21 and 4 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of the closed-loop end of the looped-strap 2' shown in Fig. 1A and has an inner ply reinforcing member 21 which, by its length, tends to limit the inner circumference of said loops.

Fig. 9 shows the application of the fastener element of Fig. 3. The legs of the fastener element 4 are inserted through the container wall just under the lower edge of the inner-ply reinforcing strip 42. Thus, with the lower edge of the inner-ply reinforcing strip resting upon the wall penetrating base member of the fastener, and its opposite edge abutting the opposing wall of the container to which the first mentioned container wall is hingedly connected adjacent the line of abutment of the said reinforcing ply, the first mentioned wall is relieved of a substantial part of the load or stress that would come upon it at the points of insertion of the legs of the fastener element 4, were it not reinforced by the inner-ply reinforcing and weight relieving strip 42.

Fig. 10 shows the application of the fastener element 4 to a container having a strip of tape-strap, steel-strap, wire, or other material extending across the surface or wall of the container and/ or bound around it or adhesively at tached to it. In Fig. 10, the legs of the fastener element are not inserted through the container wall, for actual penetration of the container Wall by the legs of the fastener element is not necessary for the legs of the fastener element are passed under and around the strip of strap material which is bound around the container and extends across one of its Walls. In a similar manner, not shown, the leg members of the fastener elements of either Fig. 3, Fig. 4 or Fig. 4A may be passed around a cord, rope, or other material tied or bound around the container or package or adhesively secured to it and the container or package may be carried by a looped-strap connected to the fastener element.

Fig. 11 shows a method of infolding certain segments of a gusseted bag around a supplementary reinforcing strip 52 and the securement thereto of the fastener elements of either Fig. 3, Fig. 4, or Fig. 4A. The supplementary reinforcing strip 52 comprises a narrow strip of rather stiff sheet material such as a narrow strip of solid fibreboard of a desired length. The first fold is made by laying the reinforcing strip 52 along the top side wall edge of the bag with one edge of the reinforcing strip even with the top edge of the bag and then folding the top of the bag and the reinforcing strip over on line x-x. Then, a second folding is made on line yy to line zz. The legs of the fastener are inserted thru the wall of the bag at points c and e on line zz when the fastener element of Fig. 3 is used, or thru the wall at point d when the fastener element of Figs. 4 or 4A is used. Always, the fastener element is inserted thru the walls of the bag from the opposite side of the bag so that its legs lie upon the infolded segments and tightly holds them and the reinforcing strip in close contact with each other and with the walls of the bag through which the fastener element is inserted. Thus, the stress on the walls of the bag, caused by the weight of its contents when carried by the attached fastener element, will be carried by those portions of both walls of the bag which lie adjacent the fold lines xx and yy and overlies both of the edges of the reinforcing strip 52.

Fig. 12 shows an alternate method of infolding the top of a fiat wall bag. Here, the corner portions of the fiat top of the bag are both infolded on lines aa and b-b. Then the reinforcing strip is applied as in Fig. 11 and it and the top segment of the bag adjacent to it are folded on line x-x to lines yy. Then they are again folded on line y-y to line z-z. The fastener element is then inserted in the same manner as explained above for Fig. 11. The methods and results in both cases are practically the same.

While I have described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I do not intend to be limited to the precise details disclosed herein but only as set forth in the subjoined claims which are to be broadly construed.

What I claim is:

1. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means for carrying packages and containers consisting of five cooperating and coacting independent elements adapted for manual assembling without mechanical means for use as a carrying means, comprising a pair of dual-looped shoulder carrying straps, a neck-encircling closed looped strap and a pair of shoulder pads or shields, each of said shoulder shields cooperating and coacting with the neck encircling strap and one of the dual-looped shoulder carrying straps, said shoulder shields each comprising an elongated strip of somewhat pliable sheet material of greater length than width and having three die-cut slits in it each continuous with a slot therein, two of said slits being rightangular to their respective slots and each of said slits entering from an opposed elongated end of the sheet material near a lateral side of the sheet through which the third slit enters obliquely and forms an acute angle with its continuous slot, the three slots each being substantially parallel to the end or side edge of the said sheet through which its continuous slit entered, the first two slots described being spaced apart at opposite ends of the elongated sheet and parallel to each other and substantially at right angle to the third described slot, each of the dual-looped shoulder carrying straps of said pair being interconnected with a shoulder shield by passing through the pair of first described slots in said shoulder shield, the neck-encircling closed looped strap being inter-connected with each of the shoulder shields by passing directly through a lateral or third slot in each of said shields, the said slots in the said pair of shoulder shields providing a cooperative means which connects and establishes coaction of the neck-encircling closed looped strap with each strap of the pair of dual-looped shoulder carrying straps.

2. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein a looped preformed fastener element is engaged within the pendant loop in each of the dual-looped shoulder carrying straps whereby each of said carrying straps may be attached to a separate package or container.

3. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein the inter-connecting neck-encircling closed loop strap lies substantially in a horizontal plane coincidental with a horizontau plane resting on the uppermost portion of each of the shoulder shields.

4. In a dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character set forth in claim 1, the combination of two independent coacting elements, as described, comprising a shoulder shield and a dual-looped carrying strap having a pendant loop engaged with a looped fastener element, the said combination comprising a carrying means unit adapted for the carrying of a package or container to which the looped fastener element is secured.

5. In a dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character set forth in claim 1, the combination of two separate looped-strap carrying units, each composed of a shoulder shield as described in said claim which coacts with a dual-looped carrying strap having a pendant loop engaged with a looped fastener element which provides means for attaching said fastener element to a package or container, each of said separate carrying units being inter-connected to a shoulder shield as described in said claim and each of said pair of shoulder shields being interconnected with the other shield by means of a closed looped strap and each of said separate carrying units being adapted for use in carrying a package or container that is entirely separate and apart from the package or container carried by the other unit.

6. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein a looped preformed fastener element is engaged within the pendant loop in each of the dual-looped shoulder carrying straps whereby each of said carrying straps may be attached to a container having flexible walls and having coincidental perforations in two opposite walls, the said looped fastener element having at least one leg adapted to be inserted through said perforations in said walls and to grip together the infolded walls of the container and a reinforcing ply strip around which the walls of the container are infolded.

7. A dual-shoulder looped-strap carrying means of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein a looped preformed fastener element is engaged within the pendant loop in each of the dual-looped shoulder carrying straps whereby each of said carrying straps may be attached to a container having perforations in at least one of its walls and a ply of reinforcing material located on the inner surface of said wall and extending at least from said perforations in said wall to the upper edge of said wall and perforated to coincide with the perforations in said wall, the said looped fastener element having at least one leg adapted to be inserted through said perforations in said wall and said reinforcing ply and to grip and clamp them together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,259 Braden Oct. 14, 1924 1,618,435 Jacobs Feb. 22, 1927 1,689,051 Richardson et al Oct. 23, 1928 2,485,720 Elliot Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,832 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1906 205.706 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1939

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