US1343195A - Disappearing handle for suitcases, valises, and the like - Google Patents

Description

H. J. CHILTON.

DISAPPEARING HANDLE FOR SUITCASES, VALISES, AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23,1915. 1,343,195. PatentedJune 15,1920.

UNITED STATES HENRY acnrnron, or cHrcAeo, rumors.

DISAPPEARING HANDLE FOR SUITCASES, VALISES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of 'Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

Application filed September 23, 1915. Serial No. 52,178.

I To all whom it may concern:

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in disappearing handles for suit cases, satchels, traveling bags, sample cases, and the like. Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a construction in which a suit case, valise, or other similar article when not in use has no projecting handle or other gripping member by which it may be lifted and carried away; to provide a constriuct1on in which the ordinary su1t case or valise handle is so secured to the article in question as to be inclosed and locked within the interior of the suit case, valise or other article, whereby the latter is effectively locked and proof againstbeing lifted or carried away; to provide a construction in which the hinge supports for the handle are so mounted that they maybe entirely c011- cealed within the suit case or valise or similar article when the handle is swung into its inoperative position, and which when the handle is in use serve as centering and strengthening members for the meeting edges of the article to which they are attached; to provide a construction in which the hinge supports are so arranged as to relieve the meeting rails or edges of the article from undue strain when such article is lifted; to provide a construction which does not interfere with the normal operation or use of the handle when the valise is in unlocked position; to provide a construction which is not only adapted for use with any well known type of valise, traveling bag, suit case, or the like, but which can also be readily attached to an old suit case, valise, or-thelike, without in any way'reconstructing such article, as for example, changing the key lock, catches or "other locking means; to provide a constructlon in which the hinge supporting members also serve as catches when the handle is in use, thus obviating the necessity of other catches or devices of this character; to provide a construction in'which the handle when not in use folds fiat into the suit case or analo-' gous article, and does not take" up any ap type of construction.

preciable amount of room within the arti 'cle; to provide a construction which not only does not detract -fromthe appearances of the suitcase or satchel; but can be easily constructed so as to add to its attractive ness ;'to provide a construction in which the hinge supports proper are preferably'e'ach made from a single piece of fiat metal and which can be very economically manufac tured; to provide a construction which is devoid of any complicated or delicate mechanism, and which is adapted to withstand the ordinary rough usage to which devices of this character are put, and in general to PIOVldG an improved construction of the character referred to.

In the drawings V Figure 1 is a perspective view of avalise equipped with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the handle in its operative position; 7

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing thehandle in its inoperative position, folded within the article; 7 i

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing one of the hinge members detached. 1

In the present instance my device is shown as applied to a valise or traveling bag-although as above stated it may be-applied to many other articles. 1

Referring to the drawings- 1 designates a valise having the meeting rails 2 and '3 and ordinary key lock 4 of any well known Secured to the inner face of the rail 3 are hinge blocks 5 having pintle eyes 6 which it will be noted lie adjacent the edge of the flange 7 of the rail 3.

In each of these pintle eyes is mounted a pintle pin or pivot pin 8 to the protruding ends of which are connected as shown at 9, a forked extension 10 of the movable-hinge member 11, the ends of the extension'lObeing apertured to fit over the pintle pin. At

its upper end this movablehinge. member is opening between these two plates'12 and'13 serving as a centering iaw'to fit over the opposed rail member 2 when the device is'in closed position. On the upper face of each members are secured Wear plates 18' which bent outwardly as shown at 12, and then e 'bentback upon itself as shown at 13, the

projects above the upper edge of the valise as shown in Fig. 1. When thevalise isnot in use,- and forexample is set down 1n a public place such as a railway station, the va out a handle.

lise is opened and the handle swung into the interior of the valise, the latter is then closed and if desired locked with a key. This is all there is to the operation of the device.

Anyone attempting to carry off the suit case, valise or the like'without opening the valise and swinging the handle up into position, as there'is no other gripping member on the article by which it can be carried or lifted, nor is there any projecting part by which a detachable handle can be secured, would be open to grave suspicion. The lat ter is particularly true for the reason that not only the handle but its entire supporting members are swung out of sight into the interior of the article in question. It is of course very apparent that to raise the bag and carry it off bodily would attract suspicion.

By the term traveling bag as used in the claims ismeant to include suit cases, satchels, sample cases and the like; his to be noted that this invention relates to bags or to the like of such character that they I cannot be conveniently carried without the handle so that'when the handle is in it's inoperative position, there .is no means. for readily or easily carrying the bag. The invention is not intended for use on small articles such as ladies purses, ladies hand bags and the like which are of such a size and character that they can be carried with- I It is to be furthernoted that I combine with the mechanism for placing the handle in inoperative position and inclosed within the bag means for positively locking the bag in such closed position as distinguished from mere securing catches or the like.

The invention is not limited to the details of construction shown except as set. forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a'portable case, of a carrying handle therefor, hinged supports for-connecting the handle to the case,

said supports and handle being mounted to swing into the interior of the case, where by they may be entirely concealed within saidcase;

2. The combination with a portable traveli-ng bag,of a carryinghandle therefor, and

edges and handle supporting connections so mounted as to permit the handle and connections being moved into the-bag and locked therein. y

4E. The combination with a hand baggage case having their meeting edges adapted to I be locked together, of a handle therefor and a hinged support. secured to the inner side of one of said meeting edges and having an offset portion secured to said handle whereby said hinge and handle may be swung entirely into the case when the latter is not in use.

5. The combination with a traveling bag,

of a. size adaptable to handle traveling efv fects and having mechanism for locking the meeting edges together, of ahandle having its ends connectedtooneo-f said meeting edges at the central part of the latter, said connections when the handle is in operative position embracing said meeting edges and -adapted to move with the handle when in inoperative position into the bag, and be locked therein. r

6. A fitting for a traveling bag, having meetlng edges, comprising a supporting member secured to one meeting edge and.

projecting inwardly therefrom and a movable member pivotally connected to the inwardly projecting part of the stationary member and having a substantially U-shaped portion adapted to fit around said meeting edge and provided with a handle carrying portion whereby the handle may be moved into or out of the interior of the bag. I

7. In a traveling bag, the combination with members having meeting edges, of a stationary support attached to one of said members, connections movably secured to the support and a handle carried by the con nections and adapted to be swung into and out of the bag, and locking mechanism for simultaneously locking the meeting edges together and the handle in inoperative position concealed within the bag.

8. In a traveling bag, the combination with twomembers having meetingedges, of a lock attached to one member :midway between the ends of said meeting edges for locking the latter together, handle support- "ing means secured to one of said members on either side of the lock, movable connections having operative relation with the supporting'meansand adapted to receive a-handle whereby the latter maybe moved into or-out of the bag.

ling bag. the: aanaa m with two members having meeting edges, of supporting means attached to one of said members, movable connections having an operative relation with the supporting means and extending around one of said meeting edges When in operative position and a handle secured to said connections and adapted to move into the bag when the connections are in inoperative position.

10. In a traveling bag of a size inconven-' ient to carry otherwise than by a handle,.

the combination with opposed meeting edges of a stationary support, attached to one of said edges, a handle movably connected to the support and adapted to be swung into and out of the bag, and means for locking the meeting edges together and the handle in inoperative position within the bag.

11. A traveling bag having a frame composed of two portions which may be opened topermit of access to the interior of the bag, and closed to prevent access thereto, said frames having imperforate edges, a handle secured to one of said frames and arranged to be moved from the interior of the bag to the exterior thereof into substantial alinement with said frame, and the other frame being movable into alinement with the first mentioned frame when said handle is arranged in said-last named position.

12. A traveling bag having a frame composed of two portions which may be opened to permit of access to the interior of the bag, and closed to prevent access thereto, a ban dle secured to one of said frames and arranged to be moved from the exterior of the bag to the interior thereof, and said frame presenting an imperforate exterior face when the handle is placed within the bag? 13. In a traveling bag the combination of a handle therefor, the handle being arranged to be moved into and out of the interior of the bag, a frame, the handle being connected to the frame and the frame being imperforate in the path of movement of the handle.

14. A traveling bag having a frame, a fitting secured to the frame, one end of the fitting being connected to the frame and constructed to be moved interiorly and exteriorly of the bag, and said frame being imperforate in the path of movement of the fitting.

15. In a traveling bag, the combination of a handle therefor, the handle being arranged to be moved into and out of the in-- terior of the bag, a frame, the handle being connected to the frame and the frame being 17. The combination with an article of the class described, of a handle and coupling members associated with opposite ends thereof for connecting the same to the article, said coupling members being pivotally connected at corresponding ends within the article.

18. In an article of the class described having one marginal edge portion of the opening thereinto underlying the companpath of movement of the ion marginal edge portion of said opening,

.when the article is closed, of a handle for the article pivotally supported from the inner side of said underlying marginal edge.

portion and adapted to occupy a position within the article when it is closed and a second position outside of the article and above said marginal edge portions.

19. In an article of the class described having one marginal edge portion of the opening thereinto underlying the companion marginal edge portion when the article is closed, of a handle, coupling members pivotally supported at corresponding ends from the underlying edge portion in a vertical plane substantially intersecting the longitudinal axis of the article, said coupling members being connected at their free ends to the handle and being adapted to swing about their pivots to bring said free ends into a position within the article and into a second position outside of the article and above the marginal edge ortions.

HENR J. CHILTON.

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