US2780330A - Handles for brief cases and luggage - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 1957 L. LIFTON 2,

HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE Filed May 17, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 1' SK M Feb. 5, 1957 L. LIFTON HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 17, 1955 INVENTOR.

Feb. 5, 1957 [F| ON 2,780,339

HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE Filed May 17, 1955 .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR- Q6 6.

a/ 4 BY United States Patent M HANDLES FOR BRIEF CASES AND LUGGAGE Lewis Lifton, New York, N. Y. 7 Application May 17, 1955, Serial No. 508,965

2 Claims. (Cl. 190-57) This invention relates to brief cases and luggage and more particularly to handles therefor. One object of the invention is to provide an improved handle of the type referred to wherein a foldable blank constituting the body of the handle embodies flange means adapted to be held in close juxtaposition to a one piece hollow keeper applied to the blank after folding of the latter to characterize the handle. Another object is concerned with a simplified handle wherein the keeper comprises means cooperating with the handle to prevent accidental removal of the keeper from the handle. Other important objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed specification taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the handle in accordance with my invention but illustrating the keeper thereof anchored to and appropriately concealing the outer and juxtapositioned margins of the outside wrapper of the handle.

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and top views of Fig. l but before the keeper is secured to the handle.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged and exploded view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank before folding into juxtapositioned complementary handle components.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the blank mounted on a flexible covering adapted to be wrapped and secured to the blank before folding the latter.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3, that is, after the wrapper is secured to the outside faces of the blank.

Figs. 8 and 9 are transverse sectional views on the lines 88 and 9-9 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 8, however showing the keeper covered by an outside wrapper.

According to the invention, handle H comprises, the one piece sheet metal substantially ring shaped blank B, the flexible wrapper or covering W, and the keeper or retainer K. Blank B is provided with intermedially arranged webs or reduced portions 10 interconnecting inwardly concaved outwardly convexed sections S each provided with a peripheral laterally extending flange or lip 12. These lips are adapted to be arranged in juxtaposition (Fig. 7) after the blank is folded along webs 10. Each section S may be said to embody spaced limbs 13 merged with bridge portion 14.

Wrapper W may be of leather, or any suitable flexible and foldable material. This wrapper has an inner interrupted margin defining spaced lips L adapted to be wrapped about the inner margins of sections and secured within the sections against the concaved surfaces thereof and against the inside surfaces of webs 10.

Wrapper W is tightly and adhesively secured to the outside convex surfaces of the complementary handle sections while the marginal portions 16 thereof are anchored to 2,780,330 Patented Feb. 5, 19 57 the laterally extending peripheral flanges 12. Thereafter these margins 16 in excess of the width of flanges 12 are sheared off.

With the wrapper adhesively secured to the blank, the latter is folded along the covered webs 10 to bring the covered complementary handle sections towards each other to the closed position of the handle shown in Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive.

To retain the handle sections in a fully closed relation the channel shaped inverted U-shaped one piece sheet metal keeper K is employed. This keeper in cross section is approximately C shaped having spaced legs 20 interconnected by the bridge portion 21.

Tongues -22 depend from the lower parts of bridge 21 and serve as will be hereinafter pointed out to prevent removal of the keeper, that is, after legs 20 are shifted down to receive and closely and frictionally embrace the covered flanges 12 extending from limbs 13 and after bridge 21 receives and closely embraces the covered flanges 12 of the bridge portions 14 of the juxtapositioned handle sections. In other Words keeper K in fact closely and frictionally receives the covered and juxtapositioned flanges of complementary handle sections after blank B has been folded along webs 10, holding the handle sections together and against accidental spreading apart. Keeper K is of a sheet metal and closely grips the covered flanges 12 to pre vent spreading thereof. However, after the keeper is in its fully set position, tongues 22 are first bent inwardly into the openings of sockets SK defined by covered Web-s 10. Thereafter tongues 22 are bent upwardly against the lower ends 25 of the juxtapositioned peripheral flanges 12, thus providing interlocking means to prevent accidental removal of the keeper from the closed handle sections.

In Fig. ll, the keeper K is along the lines of the embodiment according to Fig. 8 except that it has tightly secured thereto the flexible Wrapper 30.

Various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

I claim:

1. A hollow handle, comprising; a one piece substantially ring shaped metal member defining complementary U-shaped handle sections having spaced exteriorly con vexed surfaces and spaced internally concaved surfaces, said sections having spaced web means reduced relative to said sections and disposed intermediate of said member and merged with said sections, flange means extending outwardly from the outer margins of said sections and free of said web means, a flexible wrapper having a cent=rally arranged opening and defining a closed band embodying an intermediate portion secured smoothly and tightly against said convexed surfaces and against the outside faces of said web means and having outer marginal portions secured to the outside faces of said flange means of said sections and having an inner interrupted margin secured against said concaved surfaces and against the inside surfaces of said Web means, said web means being bendable for closing said sections to arrange said flange means in juxtaposition and to define spaced sockets, hollow cross sectionally substantially C-shaped keeper means closely and frictionally straddling said marginal portions to hold said flange means in juxtaposition for maintaining said closed relationship of said sections, and means ex-- tending from said keeper means and disposed within said sockets to preclude accidental displacement of said keeper means away from said flange means.

2. A hollow handle, comprising; a one piece substan-- tially ring shaped sheet metal member defining comple mentary U-shaped handle sections having spaced exteriorly convexed surfaces and spaced internally concaved surfaces, said sections having spaced web means reduced.

relative to said sectionsrand disposed intermediate of said member and merged with saidsections, flange means/e tending outwardly from the outer margins of said sections and free of said web means, said web means being bendable for closing said sections to'arrange said flange means in juxtaposition and to define spaced sockets, a keeper having spaced sides closely and f-rictionally straddlingisaid flange means tohold the latter in juxtaposition for maintaining'said closed relationship of said sections, and means extending from said keeper and disposed in part within said sockets and cooperating with said flange means to prevent accidental removal of said keeper from said juxtapositioned flange means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,470,355 Gluckman Oct. 9, 1923 2,563,134 Rornolt Aug. 7, 1951 2,694,477 Romolt Nov. 16, 1954 2,719,557 Bell Oct. 4, 1955 2,747,706 Finkel'stein May 29, 1956

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