US3054435A - Bowling bag - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 18, 1962 H. 1.1-: GOFF BOWLING BAG 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1960 .Lom ocn H. Le $05 INVENTOR.

BY 11/ M HTTOR/YQ Sept. 18, 1962 H. LE GOFF BOWLING BAG Filed May 26, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 oman H. La G ff INVENTOR.

Sept. 18, 1962 L. H. LE IGOFF BOWLING BAG 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 26, 1960 3,054,435 BGWLKNG BAG Loman H. Le Gofi, 3 Maple Ave, Lawrenceville, NJ. Filed May 25, 1969, Ser. No. 31,959 3 Claims. (Cl. 159-52) This invention relates to bowling bags of the general type having a lower compartment for containing a bowling ball and an upper compartment for containing a pair of bowling shoes, for example, as illustrated in my Patents Nos. 2,860,681 and 2,922,453.

Such bags have heretofore been formed in a single unit having a fixed partition dividing the bag into the two compartments, the partition constituting a support for the shoes and also means for imposing pressure on the top of the ball for holding it in a central seat in the bottom of the bag. In such bags one side of the lower compartment is provided with an opening to permit the insertion into and the removal of the ball from the bag and with a closure for the opening having slide fastening means at its edges. The top of the shoe compartment in such a bag is provided with an elongated slitted opening for permitting the insertion into and the removal of bowling shoes from the compartment, the edges of that opening also having slide fastening means.

The bowling bags referred to are made of flexible material and have certain disadvantages, among them being that it is difficult to insert and remove the shoes through the slitted opening and to insert and remove the ball through the frontal opening; also under usage, rough handling in transit and exposure, the walls of the bag become distorted to such a degree as to render it difficult to manipulate the slide closure fastening devices of the two compartments. Another disadvantage of such bags resides in the difficulty of removing dirt from the compartments and keeping them clean inside.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a bowling bag of the same general shape and function as the bags disclosed in my patents referred to, but in which the bowling ball and shoe receptacles are formed separately and hingedly connected together along adjacent edges at the open ends of the compartments. Such receptacles having stilf but resilient Walls may be formed of plastic material by molding or other economical fabricating means, and provided at their edges opposite the hinged edges with snap or other quick engaging and releasing fastening means.

With the above mentioned improved construction the ball and the shoes can be lifted from the receptacles without obstruction immediately upon opening them. Dirt in the receptacles can be emptied therefrom by merely turning them upside down. Also the inner walls can easily be scrubbed at any time to keep them in a clean condition. The shoes may be held in their compartment above the ball by means of a transversely extending flexible strip, a plurality of such strips or a flat board of substantially the same shape and area as the opening in the shoe receptacle hingedly connected at one edge to the wall of the compartment and having snap or other fastening means for quick engagement and release from the opposite wall of the compartment. The strips, or the board, are fastened across the shoes which may be inserted into the receptacle with their soles facing either outwardly or inwardly.

When either a plurality of strips or a board is employed, cushion means may be attached thereto for engagement with the ball when the bag is closed in the same manner as shown in my Patent No. 2,922,453, previously referred to, to clamp or hold the ball in its central seat.

The walls of the two receptacles are spaced apart in a manner to provide a slight gripping action on the bowling ball and the shoes. The side walls of the ball receptacle am nes Patented Sept. 18, 1962 may be slightly convergent toward its open end to prevent the ball from falling out if upset when in open position. The side walls of the shoe receptacle may be slightly divergent toward its open end, so that the bowling shoes maybe slightly wedged into the receptacle.

Other objects and advantages of my improved bowling bag will be apparent or pointed out in the following specification in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, and in winch FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved bowling bag in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the bag taken on the line 22 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view at one side of the bag;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bag shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in open position with the bowling ball and shoes in their respective receptacles;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2 and showing the open position of the shoe receptacle in broken lines;

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the shoe receptacle in open position without the shoes;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 but with different means for holding the shoes in their receptacle;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the bag structure shown in FIG. 7 taken on the line 88 of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts in the several views, and referring particularly to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FEGS. 1 to 6, the bag designated generally by the numeral 16 comprises a pair of cup- shaped receptacles 12 and 14 for-med of stiif but resilient plastic or other suitable material molded, pressed or formed by other suitable means, the two receptacles being assembled together with their open ends in horizontal, opposed relation, the lowermost of the receptacles 12 being of the greater depth and of a sufiicient length and width to contain a bowling ball A this receptacle having a conventional type of central seat 15 for the ball on its floor. The uppermost of the receptacles 14 is of sufiicient length and width to contain a pair of bowling shoes B in side by side relation. The spacing of the side walls of the receptacle 12 is such as to impose a slight gripping action on opposite sides of the ball, which aids in holding it in its central seat. Also the walls are slightly convergent toward the outer end of the receptacle to a normal width slightly less than the diameter of the bowling ball, which tends to prevent accidental escape of the ball from the receptacle if upset while in open position, but will not prevent forcible Withdrawal of the ball from the receptacle. The spacing of the side walls of the shoe receptacle 14 is such as to impose a slight gripping action on opposite sides of the bowling shoes. Moreover the side walls are slightly divergent toward the open end of the receptacle, so that the shoes are subjected to a slight wedging action when inserted into their receptacle.

The plane of the open ends of the two receptacles 12 and 14 when assembled together is in approximate tangential relation with the top of the bowling ball A when in its receptacle. The bowling shoes B are held in their receptacle by means of a strip 16 of fabric or other suitable flexible or elastic material, this strip being hingedly connected at 13 (FIGS. 5 and 6) to one wall of the shoe receptacle and provided with a snap or other suitable fastener 20 at its opposite end for detachably securing it to the opposite wall of the receptacle after passing the strip transversely across the outer surfaces of the shoes. Although the shoes are illustrated as having been inserted with their soles facing outwardly and with the strip 16 engaging the outer surface of the soles immediately in front of the heels, it should be understood that the shoes may be inserted in a reverse manner and that the strip may be of sufi'icient width to engage the outer surfaces of the heels as well as other surfaces of the shoes. Also, if desired two or more strips may be employed.

The two receptacles 12 and 14 are hingedly connected together at one side by means of a hinge 22 and provided at the other side with snap latches or other suitable means 24 and 24 for detachably fastening the adjacent edges together. A conventional type of handle 26 is attached to the shoe receptacle 14 for carrying the assembled bag 10.

The form of bag shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 except with specifically different means for holding the shoes B in their receptacle 14 comprising, instead of the strip 16, a stiff but resilient board 16a of substantially the same shape and area as the opening in the shoe receptacle connected to the wall of the receptacle opposite the hinge 22 of the two receptacles by another hinge element 18a of any suitable type, so that the board can be opened away from the bowling ball receptacle as shown in the broken lines in FIG. 7. At its opposite edge the board 16a is provided with snap or other suitable fastening means ZC-a. It may also be provided with a lift strap 20b. As shown in FIG. 7 the board 16a when fastened over the shoes B forms a closed shoe compartment above the ball A and thus protects the ball surface against dirt from the shoes. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 7 the outer side of the board 16a may be provided with resilient cushion elements 28 for engaging the top surface of the ball on each side of the vertical center for holding the ball in its central seat 15a, in a manner similar to that shown in my Patent No. 2,922,453.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a bowling bag, or case, of the same general formation and the same utility as previous bowling bags, but with distinct advantages over previous designs, some of such advantages being more economical fabrication, greater convenience of inserting into and removing the bowling ball and shoes from their respective receptacles,

. 4 greater facility of maintaining the ball and shoe receptacles or compartments in a clean and sanitary condition, and a more attractive unitary appearance of the bag.

Obviously, various changes or modifications may be made in my improved bowling bag without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments of my invention shown and described are intended to be illustrative only and restricted only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a bowling bag having a lower compartment for containing a bowling ball and an upper compartment for 4 containing a pair of bowling shoes in side by side relation,

' with means for fastening the other pair of edges together;

said resilient member being hingedly connected to one of the free edges of the upper receptacle for supporting contact with the ball and shoes when the two receptacles are in closed relation;

2. A bowling bag as in claim 1 in which the side walls of the lower receptacle are convergent toward its open end to a width normally less than the diameter of the bowling ball contained therein.

3.. A bowling bag as in claim 1 in which the side walls of the upper receptacle are divergent toward its open end to aflord a wedging action against the outer surfaces of a pair of bowling shoes contained therein.

References Cited in the file'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,572,706 Eichholz et al Oct. 23, 1951 2,633,136 Nesvig Mar. 31, 1953 2,754,870 Glantz et al July 17, 1956 2,783,874 Brown et al. Mar. 5, 1957 2,860,681 Le Golf Nov. 18, 1958 2,922,453 Le Goff Jan. 26, 1960

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