US840140A - Trunk. - Google Patents

Description

. PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907. RM. LEE.

TRUNK. A'rrmouron IILED SEPT. 25. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: WW0 9 mm on. n. c.

UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

FRED M LEE, OFNEWARK-, NEW JERSEY, ASSl-GNOR TO T. B. PEDDIE AND 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY:

TRUNK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

To all whom it may cancer-ml Beit known that I, FRED M. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks; and-I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which-it appertains to make and use the same, reference being. had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention-relates to certain improvements in that class of wardrobe-trunks in which a vertically-disposed body, oblong inv an easy and convenient access to the clothing suspended therefrom.

The objects of the present improvements are to reduce the cost of construction, to provide a more simple and convenient device, to enable access to be gained to the clothing with greater ease by permitting the suspensory frame serving to clamp the clothes in the trunk to be removed, .and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved wardrobe-trunk and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open trunk of my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of the upper portion of the same. Fig. 3 is another sectional view taken at line 2c of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating more clearly the construction of the side bars of the suspensory frame. Fig. '5 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the frame, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the same.

In said drawings, 7 indicates the body of the trunk, which is longer than the average trunk found on the market, so that when standing vertically endwise, as shownin Fig. 1, it will permit dresses or other garments to be suspended full length from the supporting devices at the top without transversely folding said garments. At one end or top of said body the same is provided with a hinged cover-section 8, and at the bottom a coversection 9 is similarly hinged to the body, the

two sections being sufficient in size to completely close the trunk. These may be pro vided with lockin means of any suitable kind, and the trunk may be furnished with the usual metallic furnishings, whereby the said trunk is rendered more strong to resist the severe usage to which trunks are comnionly subjected during transit from place to p ace.

Within the upper part of the body of the trunk, at the sides thereof, are arranged cleats 10 10, disposed horizontally and provided at their) upper edges with rollers 11 to facilitate the movement or rolling operations of the supporting-frame. Said cleats are also provided with stops 12 of any suitable kind to limit the out passage or movement of the said frame by engagement with the stops 12 on the frame. Said stops 12 and 12 permit the horizontally-movable frame to extend outward a sufficient distance to enable the dresses to be conveniently manipulated; but

said frame remains within the trunk-body,

The movable horizontal frame comprises a back piece 13, two side pieces 14 1 1, and a front piece 15, forming a quadrangular frame, the pieces being properly fitted together and glued, so that said frame will retain its shape with. ample certainty. The side pieces 14 14 of this frame are of peculiar construction, and certain im ortant features of novelty reside therein. aid side pieces'at their outer sides are provided with angular bars 16, of sheet metal, which form flanges adapted to overlie the cleats. These flanges stand horizontally out from the sides of the said frame and rest upon the rollers of the cleats above referred to. Atthe tops of said side pieces are two horizontal bars 17, one on each side piece. These are preferably tubular for the sake of lightness and provide seats for the separable clothing-supports 18, Figs. 2 and 3, said bars being secured at opposite ends to the side pieces. On the inner sides of said side pieces the same are each providedwith a longitudinal slot 19, adapted to receive flanges 20 of the separable vertical frame 21 for clamping the clothes Within the trunk when the latter is closed.

At the top of the clamping-frame 21 are formed at opposite sides thereof laterallyprojecting fixtures 22, consisting of. a body portion 23, riveted or otherwise secured to the sides of the frame 21, and at the upper ends of said body portion horizontally projecting and inclined flanges 20, before referred to, of a thickness sufficient to allow an easy entrance into the slots 19. The inclination of the horizontally projecting and inclined flanges 20 enables an easy entrance into the grooves only when the suspensory clamping-frame 21 is at an inclination and when the said suspensory frame is thrown out so as to lie in a true vertical plane, the opposite edges of the inclined flanges impinging upon the upper and lower walls of the slot in such a manner as to clamp said frame so that it will not slide in the slots or grooves 19. When the clothing is being packed, the dresses or other garments being suspended from their bars 18 directly or through the medium of the supports 25, the lower part of the suspensory frame 21 is pressed first inward against the garments so as to compress the same, the upper part inclining forward. Then upon inserting one flange 20 in its groove and then the other the said suspensory frame is forced forward at the bottom by the pressure of the clothes, so as to stand parallel to the lane of the front of the trunk, and thus the anges are brought to inclined positions in the slots to lock the frame from sliding forward.

By pressing the frame and its supported garments back into the. trunk the dresses, &c. are carried entirely into the trunk. Then by pressing the vertical frame out of its vertical position and backward against the garments said garments are pressed Within the trunk-body, the lower end of the frame being on releasing the hands forced out by pressure of the garments, thus causing the inclined flanges to again impinge upon the walls of the slots 19, and thus lock the frame automat ically, so that the hands can be fully occupied in tying the tapes commonly found in such trunks around the clothes and frame.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is An improved trunk containing a horizontally-sliding frame arranged to be Withdrawn from the trunk, projecting strips on the opposed sides of the frame, rollers on the side of the trunk to receive the strips, the frame being provided with slots on the inside of its 0pposed sides, a supporting-frame having inclined plates to fit the slots in the sliding frame, the supporting-frame being adapted to be swung to assume a vertical osition and thus lock the inclined pieces in t e slots, and a set of clothes-sup ports on the sliding frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of September, 1905.

- FRED M. LEE. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUssELL M. EVERETT.

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