US2828844A - Reinforcing means for an article of luggage - Google Patents

Description

April l, 1958 w. H. ARLrrT, JR 2,828,844

REINFORCING MEANS FOR AN ARTICLE 0F LUGGAGE INVENT OR ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent 2,828,844 iPa-tentevd'Apr. 1, 1958 REINFORCING NEANS FOR AN ARTICLE F LUGGAGE William H. Arlitt, Jr., San Antonio, Tex.

Application August 26, 1955, Serial No. 530,774

1 Claim. (Cl. wil- 28) This invention relates to articles of luggage, and more specifically, the invention pertains to reinforcing means for the ends of the walls of the baggage compartment and closure member therefor.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a continuous strip of extended light weight metal or of other suitable materials as a reinforcing device for the edges of the walls of the baggage compartment of an article of luggage and for its closure member, reference being made to those edges of the walls of the compartment and member disposed adjacent their respective open ends.

Another object of this invention is to provide reinforcing means of the type described with interlitting means to make dust and waterproof the junction between the closure member and the luggage compartment.

A further object of this invention is to provide reinforcing means of the kind referred to above with friction means to prevent inadvertent or accidental separation of the reinforcing means from the suitcase walls.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a reinforcing device for the walls of a suitcase which is economical to manufacture, non-complex in construction and application, and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present inention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational View of an article of luggage constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 2-2 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of the article of luggage illustrated in Figure l.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the reinforcing device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken on the horizontal plane of line 5-5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional View of the reinforcing strip shown in Figure 4, the ligure illustrating the reinforcing strip in its position prior to connection with the side and end walls of the article of luggage.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail cross-sectional view taken on the horizontal plane of line 7 7 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, the side wall of the luggage being omitted.

Figure S is a fragmentary detail cross-sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 8-3 of Figure 7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

This specification should be read in conjunction with my copending application Serial No. 530,772, filed August 26, 1955, and entitled Luggage Construction.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, an article of luggage such as, for example, a suitcase in which has 2 been incorporated the reinforcing device constructed in accordance with the present invention. The reinforcing device is seen to comprise an elongated strip of extruded light weight material 14 such as, for example, aluminum. The reinforcing strip 14 has a -substantially U-shaped configuration including lthe spaced side walls 16, 18, the side walls 16, 18 being integrally. connected Yat one 'of their respective adjacent ends by a bight member 20. As is seen in Figure 6, the leg 1S prior to its attachment to the suitcase is inclined outwardly from the bight 20 at an acuate angle relative thereto, and at the inner cover of their junction the strip 14 is formed with a longitudinally extending substantially circular groove 21. An elongated substantially rectangular longitudinally extending flange 22, having an inclined face 23, projects laterally from the bight member 20.

As is illustrated in the drawing, a'pair of raised longitudinally extending ribs 24 and 26 project laterally from the adjacent surfaces of the walls 16 and 18.

ln applying this reinforcing means to the suitcase 10, the strip 14 is slipped over the upper ends of the side walls 2S and end walls 3d of the luggage compartment 32 `of the suitcase 10, the ends of the walls 28, 30 engaging against the bight member 2t), and the side wall 16 engages against the sides of the walls. In this position the flange 22 projects upwardly toward the lid or closure member 34, and the wall 1S diverges downwardly away therefrom The wall 1S is then bent inwardly toward the adjacent sides of the side and end walls, the groove 21 weakening the strip 14 to facilitate this operation, the wall 18 assuming the dotted line position as shown in Figure 6. The ribs 24 and 26 slightly penetrate the side and end walls, 2S and 3d, which are now tightly clamped between the side walls 16, 18.

A second strip of material 14A is applied to the ends of the side walls 36 and end walls 38 of the closure member S4. it is to be noticed that the inversion of the strip 14A when applied to the closure member results in a laterally offset relation of the flange 22A of the strip 14A on the closure member 34 with respect to the flange 22 of the strip 14 applied to the luggage compartment 32.

The side 18A of the strip 14A is now bent as before to cause a slight penetration of the ribs 24A and 26A therein thereby securing the strip 14A lixedly thereto.

The offset relationship between the flanges 22 and 22A on the strips 14 and 14A applied to the walls of the luggage compartment 32 and closure member 34 permits the faces 23, 23A flanges to move into juxtaposed sideby-side relationship when the closure member 34 is moved to its closed position. When fully closed, the ends of the flanges 22, 22A engage against and seat on the bight portions 29 of their respective oppositely disposed strips 14.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that the same is o'l'ered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to kbe limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In luggage of the type having a compartment member and a closure member hingedly connected thereto with said compartment member and said closure member each having side Walls with abutting terminal edges, a reinforcing means for said terminal edges comprising an elongated relatively at arm, a second elongated relative flat arm coextensive with said first arm and arranged in substantially parallel spaced relation thereto, said arms each having parallel inner and outer faces, a bight extending generally perpendicularly to and integrally connecting adjacent edges of said arms, a flange having one side thereof aligned with one side of said bight and the other side thereof spaced inwardly from the other side of said bight, a rib formed on said rst arm in parallel spaced irceff Y i j 2,828,844

aid high 827,229 Germany Feb. 21, 1952

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