US3379367A - Hamper supported laundry bag - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1968 c. E. MURCOTT 3,379,367

HAMPER SUPPORTED LAUNDRY BAG Filed March 14, 1966 ffg. Z. 20 /7 59 7 INVENTOR 6HARL5 E. MURCOTT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,379,367 HAMPER SUPPORTED LAUNDRY BAG Charles E. Murcott, Valley Drive, Bay Crest, Huntington, N.Y. 11743 Filed Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 534,192 Claims. ((31. 23243.2)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hospital laundry bag which is supported upon a portable hamper in movement of the bag from place to place. The bag structure has, at the top thereof, a pair of overlapping closure flaps controlling a closure at the top of the bag. Further, a bag structure, wherein the lower portion of the bag is opened and closed by a reversible closure wall.

Background 0 the invention l) The invention deals with a hamper supported laundry bag, wherein said closure wall forms a closed bottom on the bag in one position of said wall in retaining soiled laundry in the bag and, wherein, the soiled laundry is discharged by simply moving the closure wall into another or reverse position on the lower portion of the bag. Further, the invention deals with provision of means on both end portions of the bag for support of the bag in a hamper in two reverse positions in the hamper.

(2) While laundry bags have, in open position, been supported upon hampers in hospital uses, to applicants knowledge, laundry bags have not been formed with top wall closures for the purposes intended, nor with a reversible wall structure, facilitating simple disposal of soiled laundry collected in the bag and, further, a reverse support of the bag in the hamper. This structural combination is believed to be neW in this art.

Summary of the invention With the structural combination defined, laundry bags can be quickly and easily coupled and uncoupled with respect to the hamper and, further, the laundry bag is capable of being cleaned or sanitized during successive uses of the bag and the only metallic parts on the bag are the eyelets used for support of the bag in two positions on the hamper.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the flap top of a bag made according to my invention, i'lustrating support of the bag upon side members of a hamper frame, wiih part of the construction broken away.

FIG. 2 is a partial diagrammatic perspective view of a collapsible portable hamper which I employ showing the frame in open position.

FIG. 3 is a view, generally looking in the direction of the arrow 3 of FIG. 1, showing only the bag structure, with parts of the construction broken away and in section, indicating in dot-dash lines open position of the top closure flaps of the bag and omitting background showing at the top of the bag.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic detail view of one side portion of a hamper frame illustrating, in part, a multiple support of bags in the frame.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view, substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1, with the hook of a bag supporting member in bag engaging position and illusice trating, in dotted lines, the normal non-use position of said member.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic sectional detail view of the lower portion of the bag illustrating in dotted lines the closed bottom of the bag, as noted in FIG. 3, and in full lines the reverse position of the closure wall, leaving the bottom of the bag open for discharge of laundry therefrom; and

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic detail view showing one corner portion of the top of the bag to illustrate more accurately the location of the eyelet for reception of the hook of the bag supporting member, it being apparent that the showings in FIGS. 1 and 5 are employed to simplify the illustrations.

Considering FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the drawing and,

particularly, for the moment noting FIG. 2 of the drawing, at 10 is diagrammatically seen a collapsible portable hamper structure, comprising two generally similar side U-shaped frames 11, including depending leg members 12 consituting, in part, sides of the frames 11 and lower ends of the leg members 12 will have the conventional rubber tired casters, one only of which is seen at 13. It will be apparent that the frames 11 fit one within the other and are pivoted together, one of the pivots being diagrammatically seen at 14.

Each frame 11 comprises similar side members 15 having a top horizontal rail 16 and the rails of the members of each frame 11 are joined by a coupling sleeve or tube, as at 17, secured to 16 by bolts or other fasteners, as diagrammatically seen at 18 in FIG. 1 of the drawing. In FIG. 1, parts of the rails 16 of the two frames 11 are shown.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that each of the U-shaped frames 11 are formed from two basic parts, namely the members 15 and the sleeve or tube 17 and the as:emblage of these will produce the combination, as diagrammatically seen in FIG. 2 of the drawing. Flexible chains 19 are coupled with the upper portions of the frame to check opening movement of the frames and the linkage of these chains will be such as to control spacing of the rails 16 to properly engage laundry bags, as later described, particularly in the taut support of the upper portions of the bag.

Mounted on the top rails of the frames 11 are bag supporting members 20 comprising a rounded portion engaging the rail 16, which portion is preferably covered with a plastic tube, as noted clearly at 21 in FIG. 5 0f the drawing. The member has a long extending rod 22 which operates as a handle for actuation of the members 20 and the other side of the members terminate in bag engaging hooks 23, which are normally directed outwardly with respect to the top of the frames 11, as diagrammatically seen in FIG. 2 of the drawing and indicated by the dotted line showing in FIG. 5. To retain the members 20 indefinite position on the rails 16 are pairs of pin members 24, note FIG. 1 of the drawing, the members 20 being free to rotate and swing slightly on the rails 16 between the pin members 24. Here again, the positioning of the members 20 on the rails 16 is such as to support a laundry bag in taut position at the top of the hamper 10.

Considering FIG. 4 of the drawing. I have shown, in part, at 10 a modified form of lhamper structure which differs from the hamper 10 shown in FIG. 2, simply in that the hamper will be constructed to support two or more bags and this is accomplished by simply lengthening the coupling sleeve or tube, as at 17'. The structure of the members 15' will be identical with the members 15.

At 20 are shown two of the bag supporting members which would be comparable to the members 20 shown in FIG. 2, but at 20" is shown one of another pair of members arranged solely upon the sleeve or tube 17' for support of a second bag and hampers of the type and kind under consideration have been constructed for the supfort of four bags.

Turning now to the showing in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7, here is diagrammatically shown a laundry bag 25, composed of two generally similar sides 26 secured together by seams, as indicated at 27 in FIG. 1, one of the seams being also illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawing.

The upper edge of the bag has a hem, as seen at 28 in FIGS. 3, and 7, and secured to this hem at corner portions of the bag are eyelets 29, most accurately shown in FIG. 7 for the reception of the hooks 23 of the members 20. The lower portion of the bag also includes a hem 30, as best seen in FIG. 6 of the drawing. Secured in the hem 30, at one side of the bag, is a reversible closure wall 31,

cured by' the seams 27. This wall 31, at corner portions of the bag, is cut-away and hemmed, as seen at 33 in FIG. 3 to form a hand opening 34at each corner for reception of the hand in facilitating quick and easy reversal of the wall 31 from its closed position, as shown in FIG. 3, and indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 6, to its open position as shown, in part, in FIG. 6 in full lines.

Mounted in the lower hem of the bag are four eyelets, alined generally similar to the eyelets 29 at the top of the bag, one only of these eyelets being indicated at 35 in FIG. 3 of the drawing. Considering FIG. 3 of the drawing, it will appear that the lower portion 36 of the bag, or that portion including the wall 31, is of greater width than the top portion 37 of the bag.

Secured to the hems 28 at the top of the bag are inner and outer closure flaps 38 and 39 collectively forming an overlapped wide closure portion, diagrammatically seen at 40 in full lines in FIG. 3.

Considering FIG. 1 of the drawing, it will appear that the free edge 39' of the outer flap 39 is of greater length than the edge portion 39, note FIG. 3, attached to the opposing hem. In other words, the fiap 39 has the tapered side secured to the side hems of the bag. It will be apparent that the sides of the inner flap 38 will be correspondingly formed and no further description in this respect is deemed to be necessary. This structure widens the sides of the bag, as diagrammatically seen in FIG. 1, but, in actual use and when the top of the bag is tensioned between the opposed top rails of the hamper, the hemmed sides will assume a more or less straight position and this will allow both of the flaps to drop downwardly and rest definitely one upon the other, particularly at the closure portion 40 which is reasonably close to the central portion of the top of the bag.

In the insertion of laundry, the upper flap 39 is simply raised, as indicated, in part, in dotted lines in FIG. 3 and the laundry will be inserted into the bag through the opening thus formed, in which operation, the lower flap 38 will be depressed, as indicated, in part, in dotted lines in FIG. 3. After the laundry has been inserted, the two fiaps will be moved into the closed positions, as shown in full lines in FIG. 3, thus providing a top closure at all times for the bag, as the bag is moved about from place to place by manipulation of the hamper. This maintains the sanitary conditions which are accomplished by maintaining a substantially sealed bag, except for the moments of insertion of laundry into the bag and minimizes the atmospheric contamination that normally occurs upon depositing and storing soiled laundry in an open bag.

As and when a bag becomes filled with soiled laundry, the bag is detached from the members 20 and then inverted to put the lower portion of the bag containing the wall 31 upwardly. At this time, the wall 31 is in the position shown in FIG. 3 and indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 6. In discharging the soiled laundry, the wall 31 is reversed from the position shown in full lines in FIG, 3 and in dotted lines in FIG. 6 to the full line position shown in FIG. 6 which opens the bag and the bag is then reversed in discharging the contents as will be apparent. The soiled bag is then laundered and, in this connection, the only metallic parts on the bag would be the eyelets 29 and 35 and it will, thus, be apparent that this laundry operation can be practically performed and the bag will then be in condition for further use. It will be understood that, in attaching the bags to the hamper, the normally depending handle rods 22 are swung into the top portion of the bag, bringing the hooks 23 into easy engagement with the eyelets 29 and the rods 22 will extend into the bag and aid, to some degree, in maintaining the closure flaps in depressed position as indicated, in part, in FIG. 5 of the drawing wherein a portion of the flap 39 is shown. In

detaching the bags, the handle rods 22 are simply swung upwardly and the bag will be quickly and easily released.

The eyelets 35 are employed for support of the bag in connection with the members 20 in what might be termed a reverse position, wherein the wall 31 will be retained in the open position, shown in full lines in FIG. 6, and the flaps 38 and 39 would then collectively form the bottom of the bag and, in this way, the bag can be used for the conveyance of clean laundry in delivery from room to room in a hospital. Thus, the bag has two distinct uses. The overlap between flaps 38 and 39, note FIG. 3, is sufficient to provide a bottom wall structure and support in the reverse position of the bag.

In constructing the bag, it will be understood that the width of the fabric sides between the stitchings or seams 27 will be the same throughout the length of the bag. In this connection, it will be apparent that, in the showing of FIG. 3, the bag has been flattened-out, so as to illustrate the corner portion of the wall 31, as at 33 in forming the opening 34. In the other words, when the bag is actually in use and the top of the bag is supported in the square state, as heretofore mentioned, the rest of the bag, including the bottom portion thereof, will generally conform to this contour, its shape being governed, to a degree, by the positioning of laundry therein. It will also be apparent that the bag can be constructed in any desired materials and, in some instances, the bags can be composed of an inexpensive plastic material which can be simply discarded, thus dispensing with the laundering of the bag.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A laundry bag and hamper assemblage comprising a hamper having a pair of frames, including side members coupled by top rails, pairs of bag engaging members movably supported on said top rails, a laundry bag having at the top thereof pairs of eyelets adapted to receive said members of the rails in detachable support ofthe bag in the hamper, the top of the bag having a pair of closure flaps including overlapped portions normally forming a seal and closure at the top of the bag, the lower portion of the bag having a reversible wall normally, forming, in combination with the bag structure, a closure for the bottom of the bag in collection of soiled laundry in the bag, and said reversible wall being mounted to move into another position on the lower portion of the bag opening said bottom of the bag for discharge of laundry collected in the bag.

2. An assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein said closure flaps have tapered sides facilitating flexing of the flaps in opening the bag and further arrangement of overlapped portions of the flaps one upon the other when the bag is supported in the hamper to effect a definite closure between engaged portions of the flaps.

3. An assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein the coupling of the top rails of the frame includes coupling sleeves, and said bag engaging members including hook portions engaging the eyelets of the bag.

4. An assemblage as defined in claim 3, wherein the end portion of the bag including said reversible wall have pairs of eyelets adapted to be engaged by the hooks of said members in reverse support of the bag in said hamper.

5. An assemblage as defined in claim 3, wherein the length of said sleeves will control the number of pairs of members employed on the rails and sleeves in support of a plurality of bags in the hamper.

6. An assemblage as defined in claim 3, wherein the hook portions of said bag engaging members are directed outwardly with respect to the rails of the hamper, and said bag engaging members including handle rods facilitating operation of said members.

7. A laundry bag of the character defined comprising upper and lower portions having hemmed edges, the upper portion of the bag having a pair of flaps, the liaps overlap ing one with respect to the other in forming a substantially wide closure portion between said flaps, the bottom of the bag being open, reversible means forming in one position a closure for the bottom of the bag for support of laundry delivered to the bag between said flaps, said last named means being moved to another position on the lower portion of the bag to open the bag in discharge of laundry delivered to the bag, and the hem at the upper end of the bag having spaced means for support of the bag in connection with a hamper.

8. A laundry bag as defined in claim 7, wherein the hem at the lower portion of the bag includes spaced means for reverse support of the bag in a hamper.

9. A laundry bag as defined in claim 7, wherein overlapped portions of said flaps are of greater dimensions than the end portions of the flaps opposed to said overlapped portions.

10. A laundry bag as defined in claim 8, wherein the top portion of the bag is generally rectangular in form when in suported position, and said first named spaced means being disposed at corner portions of said rectangular form.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,639 1/1911 Hall 248 100 1,330,681 2/1920 Campen 248100 1,376,660 5/1921 Ward 248100 2,401,969 6/1946 Schlank 248100 2,432,845 12/1947 Wing 150-48 2,495,505 1/1950 Bella 232-435 2,703,426 3/1955 Barkl 229-62.5 3,000,416 9/1961 Lindegren 150-49 FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner.

BOBBY R. GAY, Examiner.

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