US3162227A

US3162227A - Billfold

Info

Publication number: US3162227A
Application number: US230486A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bakken Joseph Edwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-10-15
Filing date: 1962-10-15
Publication date: 1964-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-12-22

Description

United States Patent Olitice 3,162,227 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,227 BILLFOLD Joseph Edwin Bakken, 212 State St., Crookston, Minn. Filed Get. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 230,486 Claims. (Cl. 150--35) This invention pertains to an improved billfold or wallet, and to the method of manufacturing the same.

Wallets of the type used by men and carried in the inside breast pocket of a suit coat are presently in widespread use. Such wallets are generally manufactured from several cut pieces of material, such as leather or an appropriate thermoplastic sheet material, the pieces being sewn or otherwise secured together at various points along the margin. The resulting, generally bilateral, wallet is commonly rectangular when folded, and has a plurality of pockets on the facing inner sides which are covered when said facing inner sides are folded against each other to close the wallet.

Such wallets are expensive to manufacture due to the necessity of cutting and assembling the several pieces, some of which tend to be small and irregularly shaped so as to form small pockets when assembled into the wallet; and the waste resulting from cutting such irregular pieces tends to further increase the cost of the wallet. Furthermore, such wallets are often rather bulky and cause unsightly bulging of the suit coat while in use, and they are generally found to be unsatisfactory for carrying coins unless formed with a pocket that can be mechanically closed by means of a slide fastener, snap or equivalent.

Thus, itis a primary object of my invention to provide an improved wallet of the type that is commonly used by a man in the inside breast pocket of his suit coat, which is thin when folded so as to be non-bulky, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and which is provided with a plurality of large, regularly shaped pockets.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a Wallet in which one or more of said pockets is suitable for carrying coins or other similar articles.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a wallet in a trilaterial configuration.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved method for manufacturing such a wallet.

These and other objects of my invention will become apparent upon examination of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: l

FIG. l is a front elevation of the flat, rectangular piece of sheet-material used in my wallet.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view thereof when initially folded.

FIG. 3 is' a top edge view thereof, illustrated after being somewhat further folded.

FIG. 4 is a top edge View as in FIG. 3, with the wallet completely folded and ready for sewing, and

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the folded wallet ready for sewing.

My improved wallet may be formed from a single rectangular piece or blank of sheet-material A, such as leather, thermoplastic or equivalent, as shown in FIG. 1, wherein the folds are illustrated by numbered, dotted lines. The various panels between the folds have also been numbered, and it should be noted that all of the fold lines are parallel.

After cutting blank A, my wallet is formed by folding the blank along the indicated fold lines as is shown sequentially in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. Panel is folded forwardly at 11 until the front side of panel 10 lies against the left front side of panel 12; narrow panel 16 is folded forwardly at 15 until the front side of panel 16 lies against the right front side of panel 14, and the adjacent narrow panel 18 is simultaneously folded rearwardly at 17 until the back sides of

panels

16 and 18 are together; panel 14 is folded forwardly at 13 until the front side of

panels

14 and 18 lies against the right front side of panel 12; panel 20 is folded rearwardly w1th respect to panel 18 at fold 19 until the back side of panel 14 lies against the left back side of panel 20; and panel 22 is folded rearwardly at 21 until the rear side of panel 22 lies against the right back side of panel 20.

Blank A when folded as described is viewed in FIGS. 4 and 5, and the assembly is completed by sewing the folds together along

lines

30 and 31 as shown, or by fastening the edges or margins together by any suitable means. The resulting billfold has four regularly shaped pockets of relatively uniform size, including a pocket between panel 10-12, back to back pockets between panels 12-14 and 14-20, and a pocket between panelsl 20-22. These are suitable for bills, check books, bank deposit books, etc.

A special feature of my wallet is the self-closing pocket, suitable for coins, between

panels

12 and 14. The flap formed by

panels

16 and 18, which is adjacent the opening of said pocket, tends to bear against panel 20 and close the pocket, thus permitting the use of this pocket for carrying coins without risk of loss.

Although flap 16-18 is effective to hold the panel 12-14 pocket closed, I have found it desirable in some cases to increase the effectiveness of the ap through use of an elongated generally rectangular stiiener 25. This stilfener is preferably made of a resilient thermo plastic material, and is assembled into the wallet as shown in FIG. 3. The left edge of stitfener 25, as viewed in FIGS. l and 2, is fitted against fold 17 between

panels

16 and 18 and since it is somewhat

widerthan panels

16 and 18, a longitudinal fold 26 is formed in stitfener 25 adjacent fold 15 between

panels

14 and 16 as the wallet is folded for sewing. This stilfener tends to increase the pressure of flap 16-18 against panel 14, and provide the desired increased effectiveness thereof.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, I have shown

fold lines

32 and 33, these being used to fold the wallet in the direction of the arrows shown in FIG. 4 for insertion into a pocket in a coat or other garment. When folded, the back side of panel 10 lies against the left front side of panel 20, thereby closing the opposed open edges of the adjacent pockets formed by elements 10-12 and 12-14; and the front side of panel 22 lies against the back right side of panel 12, thereby closing the opposed open edges of the adjacent pockets formed by elements 14420 and 20- 22. The resulting pocket-size rectangular wallet is somewhat slimmer than many comparable wallets presently in widespread use, has more pocket space, is convenient to use, and is inexpensive to manufacture.

What has been described is believed to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it should be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Thus, I do not want to be limited to the specific embodiment herein described, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A trilaterally foldable wallet comprising:

(a) A rectangular blank of sheet material having portions thereof folded upon other portions thereof along fold lines parallel to the narrow dimension thereof to thereby form a pair of pockets on either side of said blank with a central portion thereof common to one pocket in each pair, the elongate open edges of the pockets in each pair being in opposed, adjacent relation, and the folded open edge 3 t f 'of one pocket being folded back upon itself to form an inwardly turned resilient ap for holding said one pocket closed; andl (b) a stitener having a resilienceV greater thanvsaid sheet material and a'.V width greater thanV saidl ilapinsertedinto the fold ofv said open edge portion of said onev pocket prior to the formation of' sa'i'd flap and effective when folded"y intoV said: ap asy it is formed: to increasethe pocket-closingfability off said iiap, saidz folded blank being sewn along thev no11' folded' edges to cl'o'se the ends of ysaid pockets.l

2. A wallet comprising a rectangular blank ofI sheetmaterial havingA asmall dimension equal to the finished length of the wallet, said, blank being folded forwardly upon itself=at one end and forming a first 'pocket-v on. one

Vside ofsaidblank, being folded rearwardly upon itself at: the other end and` forming ay second pocket Aon' the other side of saidV blank, and being folded on both sides of a central panel thereof andy forming thirdV and fourth pockets in back-to-back relation between "said *central panel' andthe'` folded end por-tions of said blank, each of said pockets having elongate open edges defining its opening, the elongatelf'open edges ofk said first and third pockets, and of saidsecond and fourth pockets, being in opposed adjacent relation, said'folded blank being4 sewn along its longitudinal edges to thereby close the Y pockets, and -off said second and fourth pockets, being in opposed adjacentfrelation', said/folded blank being secured along its longitudinalr edges to thereby close the ends of said'pockets and form a tri-laterallyy foldable wallet wherein the' pockets are regular inl shape and of uniform size.

5. A wallet comprising a rectangular blank-v of sheet,-

material' having a smallfdimension equal to the finished length of the wallet, said blank being folded forwardly upon itselfat onev enclv and forming a first pocket on one side ofV said blank, being folded rearwardly upon itself at the other. end: and forming a second pocket` on the other side of fsaid blank andbeing folded on both sides of a1 central. point` thereofY and' forming,` third; and' fourth `pockets, in back-to-back relation between said,` central f point. and the folded end portions of said'blank, each of ends of said: pockets andy form a trilaterally foldable wallet Whereinithe pockets are regular in shape and of uniform4 size. i a

3. A walletI asv claimed in claim 2' wherein thefopen edge portion of said third` pocket is folded back upon itself-:to forman inwardly turned resilient flapwforholding said third: pocket closed, and additionally comprising a` stiffener having a resiliency greaterthan the resilience of saidvv sheet-material and a width greaterthan said; ap, inserted into the fold of said open-edge portionA of said third pocket andy 'effective toincrease the,-

pocket-closing ability of said flap.'V 4*. A walletcomprisinga rectangular blanklof sheet;- material havingl a small dimensionv equaLtp the finished said fpo'ckets havingl elongate openedges defining its openingvthe elongate open edges offsaid first andA thirdy pockets, andof said/second and fourth pockets, being in, opposed adjacent relation, said folded blank being `secured along its longitudinal. edges to thereby close the ends of! saidpockets and; form a. trilaterally foldable walletI wherein the:v pockets are regular in shape and of uniform size. 1 Y

References Cited by,l the Examiner UNITEDl STATES, PATENTSl 1,269,245/ `6/18; Aslin 150,- 38 FRANKLIN 'TL Pmm'yExamz'nlen

Claims

1. A TRILATERALLY FOLDABLE WALLET COMPRISING: (A) A RECTANGULAR BLANK OF SHEET MATERIAL HAVING PORTIONS THEREOF FOLDED UPON OTHER PORTIONS THEREOF ALONG FOLD LINES PARALLEL TO THE NARROW DIMENSION THEREOF TO THEREBY FORM A PAIR OF POCKETS ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID BLANK WITH A CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF COMMON TO ONE POCKET IN EACH PAIR, THE ELONGATE OPEN EDGES OF THE POCKETS IN EACH PAIR BEING A OPPOSED, ADJACENT RELATION, AND THE FOLDED OPEN EDGE OF ONE POCKET BEING FOLDED BACK UPON ITSELF TO FORM AN INWARDLY TURNED RESILIENT FLAP FOR HOLDING SAID ONE POCKET CLOSED; AND (B) A STIFFENER HAVING A RESILIENCE GREATER THAN SAID SHEET MATERIAL AND A WIDTH GREATER THAN SAID FLAP INSERTED INTO THE FOLD OF SAID OPEN EDGE PORTION OF SAID ONE POCKET PRIOR TO THE FORMATION OF SAID FLAP AND EFFECTIVE WHEN FOLDED INTO SAID FLAP AS IT IS FORMED TO INCREASE THE POCKET-CLOSING ABILITY OF SAID FLAP, SAID FOLDED BLANK BEING SEWN ALONG THE NONFOLDED EDGES TO CLOSE THE ENDS OF SAID POCKETS.