US944593A - Convertible trunk and wardrobe. - Google Patents

Description

S.'W. BONSALL. A CONVERTIBLE TRUNK AND WABDNOBB.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1,3, 190B.

Patented Dec.28,1909.

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A s. W. BONSALL.

CONVERTIBLE TRUNK' AND .WARDROBB APPLICATION FILED NOV.-13. 1908 944,593. Patented Dec.28, 1909.

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5mm@ Wto/a SEYMOUR W. BONSALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONVERTIBLE TRUNK .AND WARDROBE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 28, 1909.

Application filed November 13, 1908. Serial No. 462,359.

yTrunks and ardrobes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trunks intended to be stood on end, and provided with inclosed receptacles intended to be removable when the trunk is unpacked.

While this improvement is particularly intended for use in ward-robe trunks of the general Innovation type, my invention is not limited to its use in trunks of that kind.

Trunks intended to be stood on end have been hitherto provided either with an inclosed tray swung upon hinges on one of the trunk edges which stands upright when the trunk is on end, or with a long boX, containing various compartments, which may be lifted out of the trunk and placed on end by itself. The former plan is sometimes objected to in connection with wardrobe trunks because the hinged or swinging tray interferes to some extent with access to the suspended garments. The latter plan is objectionable because of the weight of the long box, and the frequent difficulty of disposing of so bulky a container in small quarters.

My present invention has for its object the provision of means whereby all the advantages of both of the above mentioned devices may be secured while their disadvantages may be avoided. This improvement supplies a form of container removable in sections and arranged for very convenient attachment to the main trunk body; whereby light units are provided and the problem of their disposition while unpacking is satisfactorily solved.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein n Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my improved trunk, when open, omitting the lower iiap, Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the entire trunk shown opened, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the top of the trunk closed, with the two half trays supported thereon in a preferred manner.

The main outer casing is shown at 10, and in the form shown, the cover' consists of two iaps 11, 12, intended to swing up and down respectively in opening the trunk.

At 13 is shown the horizontal sliding rack or frame of a form of garment supporter substantially as shown in my Letters Patent No. 642,075, dated Jan. 30th 1900.

At 14 is shown the sliding prop for the frame 13, and at 15 are shown some hangers for garments carried by said frame.

IVhile my invention is notl limited to use in wardrobe trunks, I prefer to use the same with this type of trunk, and to so arrange the parts that, when packed, the hangers and prop occupy the bottom or back of the trunk, being located behind the independent superposed trays. These latter are shown at 16, placed one upon the other and occupying the space immediately within the covers 11,- 12, and in front of the prop ll. The suitably shaped body 16 of each tray is provided preferably with a handle 17, and is closed at the back by a swinging cover, 18, which may be made in two hinged halves. as shown in Fig. 3. Three or more trays are within my invention. To each half tray 16 there is attached a frame consisting of a back strip 19 and two side supports 20, the ends of which latter are pivoted to the sides of the container 16. Tapes 21 are preferably fastened to the back strips 19. These tapes are arranged to form single loops whereby the half trays may be suspended if desired; and I prefer to make them of such a length that each may be hung over a side of the suitably placed handle 22 of the trunk. Thus each half tray may be supported opposite the other upon one side of the trunk casing 10.

As shown on the left of Fig. 3, the normal position of each half tray is with its length vertical and with the back strip 19 between the container 16 and the trunk casing. It is one function of the strip 19 to hold the cover 18 closed, which is the effect in this position. Then so hung, the tape 21 should be short enough not to permit any appreciable tendency of the half tray to hang away from the trunk, either closed or opened. lhen this is the case, and with the sides 20 of the supporting frame pivoted near the bottom of 16, as shown, there is a strong tendency of each container to preserve its normal or closed position. In order to open a suspended half tray 16 the same is drawn forward by the handle 17 in the direction of the arrow at the left in Fig. 3. When the same assumes the position shown at the right in Fig. 3, the rear edge comes up to a stop against the back strip 19, and the whole device tends to hang snugly against the side of the trunk, as shown. In this position the cover 18 is free to be thrown back to expose the contents of the container 16. The construction thus shown is quite stable and secure.

It will be seen that, by the use of the construction above described, I accomplish a double object. In the first place, I provide a divisible removable container in the front space of a trunk, which can be easily and conveniently moved by anyone, whether packed or not, and which lends itself particularly well to convenient disposition when the trunk is unpacked. In the second place, I provide a novel forni of wardrobe when the trunk is unpacked, by combining the peculiar species of half trays shown with the trunk body in the symmetrical structure shown in Fig. 8. The article of furniture produced by this last named arrangement affords a very handy wardrobe for the safe keeping of shirts, shoes, hats, etc., which can be instantly and easily packed by simply removing the tapes from the handle 22 and placing the half trays one upon the other within the trunk substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

What I claim is- 1. A convertible trunk and wardrobe, comprising a trunk casing adapted to stand on end when open, a handle on one end of said casing, a divisible container composed of independent sections adapted to stand one on another within the front portion of the interior of the casing, and means on each section of said container for suspending the same from said handle against one side of said trunk casing, substantially as described.

2. A convertible trunk and wardrobe comprising a trunk casing adapted to stand on one end of said casing and having a handle on the opposite end thereof, a divisible container composed of independent sections adapted to stand one on another within the front portion of the interior of the casing, a supporting frame pivoted to each section of the container, and means attached to each supporting frame adapted to engage said handle, substantially as described.

3. A convertible trunk and wardrobe comprising a trunk casing adapted to stand on end when open, a handle on one end of said casing, a divisible container composed of independent sections adapted to stand one on another within the front portion of the interior of the casing, a cover on each section of the containei` and a supporting frame pivoted to each of said sections adapted to hold down said cover, substantially as de-V scribed.

ll. A convertible trunk and wardrobe comprising a trunk casing adapted to stand on end when open, a container adapted to tit into said trunk, a supporting frame pivoted to said container, a handle on said trunk, and means whereby the container and frame may be suspended from said handle; the whole proportioned and arranged so that, when the container and its supporting frame are hung from said handle by said means, they will lie flat against the side of said trunk substantially as described.

5. A temporary wardrobe structure Comprising a trunk body having a handle at the top, a supporting frame, a suspending means attached to said frame and engaging over said handle, and a container pivoted to said frame and engaging therewith so as to hang iat against the side of said trunk, substantially as described.

6. A temporary wardrobe structure comprising a trunk body having a handle at the top, a container, a supporting frame pivoted at the sides thereof and having a back strip, and a tape passing around said handle and fastened to said back strip; the whole proportioned and arranged so that the container and its supporting frame will lie flat against the side of said trunk whether the container be tipped open or hang closed, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a trunk having a handle at one end, an interior removable container for trunks comprising a body hav ing a hinged cover, a supporting frame pivoted to the sides of said body and having a back strip adapted to secure said cover, and suspending means attached to said frame adapted to engage the handle on said trunk, substantially as described.

8. A wardrobe trunk comprising a main casing, sliding garment-supporting means adapted to be confined nearthe bottom of the trunk, and a divisible-container composed of independent sectionsadapted to stand one upon another in front of said garment-supporting means, when the trunk is packed, each section being provided with means for suspending it against the side of the trunk when the latter stands on end, substantially as described.

SEYMOUR IV. BONSALL.

lVitnesses H. S. MACKAYE, M. A. BUTLER.

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