US818712A - Portable display-case. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

J. W. SHAW.

PORTABLE DISPLAY CASE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21. 1905 llllllll!IIVIIIII/IIIIIIIIllllllllllllllfllll/J/lIll!!! PVJTNESSES: g

INVENTOR,

Ja/m W/mzz A TTORNE ys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed December 21,1905. Serial No. 292,782.

To all "whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN WV. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Humboldt, in the county of Humboldt and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Portable Display-Case, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traveling bags, satchels, and the like, and has for its object to provide an improved device of this character which is particularly arranged for carrying samples and is constructed in such a manner as to be conveniently unfolded for the purpose of displaying the samples in an effective manner without necessitating the removal thereof from the case.

In constructing the present case it is proposed to have the same made up of sections which are successively connected so as to enable the convenient unfolding without separation thereof, whereby the sections may be refolded into compact form to present the appearance of an ordinary suit-case, whereby the invention is embodied in a form for convenience in carrying the same as well as for convenience in displaying the samples.

\Vith these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the cases of the present invention open in position to display its contents. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the case closed, the manner of successively unfolding the sections of the case being illustrated by dotted lines.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings.

As hereinbefore indicated, the present case has the general appearance of what is commonly known as a suit-case and includes a main case-section 1, which is closed throughout its outer side, top and bottom, and opposite ends, while its inner side is open through the entire area thereof. The bottom of this main case-section is extended laterally, as at 2, for a distance substantially equal to the width of the bottom and the main case-sec tion and has short upstanding outer and end walls 3 and 4. The corners of the main casesection are provided with shields 5 of any material in the usual manner, and a suitable handle 6 is provided upon the top of the case.

The space between the extended bottom of the main case-section and the top thereof is filled out by a supplemental section 7, which has a relatively narrow bottom 8 and a wider top 9, the ends 10 of the supplemental section having the same width as the top 9, while the inner side of the section is open. The outer edge of the bottom of the section 7 is swung upon the upper edge of the base extension 2 in any suitable manner-for instance, by hinges, one of which has been indicated at 11 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The section 7 is proportioned so that its top 9 comes into the same plane with the top of the main section 1 when the case is closed and is provided with a lock 12 for engagement with a keeper 13 upon the top of the section 1, so as to lock the case when closed. Supplemental latches (not shown) are intended to be provided upon the top of the section 7, so as to engage keepers l i, provided on the top of the main section 1. The lock and the latches may be of any conventional form, and it is not deemed necessary to illustrate any specific form of these devices.

The inner open side of the section 7 is closed when the case is closed by means of a double tray, including a back 15, which is hinged, as at 16, to the inner edge of the top 9 of the section 7, so as to fold into the section when the latter is closed and to swing out of the section when the case is open. A walled compartment 17 is carried by the inner side of this back and extends from the free end of the back toward the hinged end and terminates short of said hinged end. The outer side of this compartment is provided with a closure 18, which is hinged to the outer end of the compartment, as at 19. The compartment 17 is subdivided transversely by partitions 20 whenever desired. As best indicated in Fig. 1, it will be noted that the compartment 17 terminates short of one end of the back 15, so as to accommodate another compartment 21, which is somewhat narrower than the com artment 17 The cover or lid 19 serves for 0th compartments 17 and 21, and one end is notched, as at 22, so as to cover the compartment 21 only and expose the space between the compartment 21 and the hinged edge of the back 15. U on the outer side of the back 15 there is a wa led compartment 23, which terminates short of the free end of the back 15 and also short of the hinged edge thereof. This compartment has a fixed outer wall portion 24 extending for about one half of the width of the com partment, and the remaining half of the compartment is closed by a lid or cover 25, hinged to the wall 24, as at 26.

With the case closed, as in Fig. 2, and its several compartments filled with samples, as shown in Fig. 1, the case-section 7 is swung outward, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, after which the composite tray formed by the compartments 17 and 23 is swung outwardly until the section 7 and the tray rest against the table or other support upon which the case stands, whereby the open sides of the main case-section 1, the supplemental section 10, and the compartment 17 will be unobstructed and a clear view may be had of the contents of these elements, whereby the samples may be effectually displayed without removing any of them from the case. In folding the case the cover 19 is first swung over the compartment 17, and then the tray is swung inwardly upon its hinges 16 into the case-section 10, whereby the open sides of the case-section 10 and the compartment 17 are mutually closed, after which the ease-section 7 is swung into the main section, which thereby folds the case into its closed condition. When closed, the composite tray bears against the samples in the case-section 1 and prevents looseness thereof, when the case is closed.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the device of the present invention has the appearance of an ordinary suit-case when closed and may be conveniently unfolded or opened without disconnecting any of its sections, so as to display the goods contained therein without necessitating the removal of the goods. Furthermore, the case-sections may be conveniently folded without requiring particular care to prevent displacement of the goods, for the reason that the successive folding of the sections promptly closes the same, and therefore prevents displacement of the goods when the sections are being folded.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A display-case comprising a main section which is open throughout one side and provided with a base extension at the open side and rigidly connected to the main section, a supplemental section hinged to the base-section to fold thereagainst and close the case, a tray hinged to the top of the supplemental section and constituting a closure thereto, a supplemental case-section hingedv to the base extension and constituting a closure for the op en side of the main case-section,

a tray including a back hinged to the top of the supplemental section and provided with a compartment upon each side thereof, and hinged closures for the two compartments, the tray capable of being folded upon the supplemental section to form a closure therefor, and the supplemental section with the tray therein capable of being folded against the main case-section to close the latter.

3. A display-case comprising a main casesection which is open throughout its inner side and is provided with a base extension at the open side of the section, a supplemental section hinged to the base-section with its bottom narrower than its top, a back member hinged to the free edge of the top of the supplemental section, a walled compartment carried by one side of the back and terminating short of the hinged edge thereof, said compartment lying between the back and the supplemental section when the case is closed, a hinged cover for said compartment, another compartment carried by the other side of the back and terminating short of the hinged and free edges of the back, and a hinged cover for the latter compartment.

4:. A display-case comprising a base, an upright section rigidly carried by the base and 0 en at its inner side, a handle upon the top of the upright section, a supplemental upright section hinged to the base to swing outwardly from the main section and normally closing said main section, and locking means to detachably connect the supplemental section with the main section in the closed condition of the case.

5. A display-case comprising a base, two upright sections carried thereby and open at their inner sides, one section being rigid upon the base and provided upon its top with a handle, the other section being hinged to the base to fold outwardly therefrom, a tray hinged to the top of the foldable section and constituting a closure for the open side thereof, and a hinged cover for the open side of the tray.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN 1 W. SHAW. lVitnesses A. G. LELAND, W. W. STERNS.

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