Traveling bag

Application filed November 8, 1927. Serial No. 231.863

This invention relates to improvements in traveling bags or similar forms of hand luggage, the openings of which are closed by separable fastening means.

The use of separable fastener means in connection with hand bags and similar luggage is desirable because it permits the omission from the bag structure of metal frames and incidental locks and catches, and consequent10 V provides a bag of comparatively light weight, while also permitting the production of bags in various special shapes.

The use of separable fastener devices as a means to close'the openings of hand bags and the like, as heretofore employed, involves some disadvantages. For example, when a: bag so equipped is packed full, the packed content tends to hold the cooperating fastener strips apart, and offers considerable resist20 ance to the closing together of the same in mutually interengaged relation, and consequently the separable fastener devices are subjected to very considerable strains when it is sought to close the bag, for the reason 25 that the opposed fastener strips tend, under the outward pressure of the bag content against the sides of the bag, to diverge too sharply away from the advancing manipulating slide by means of which the fastener ₃₀ elements are caused to engage and disengage, with the.result that said fastener elements are likely to be unduly distorted or improperly engaged so that frequently such injury thereto is produced as to render the sepafa35 ble fastener means permanently inoperative, necessitating frequent repair or replacement thereof. Furthermore, when bags so equipped are packed full, projecting parts of the content are likely to be interposed and 40 accidentally caught between the. fastener strips, causing jamming of the same,: which also frequently results in injury to the cooperating fastener elements.

It is the principal object of this invention. 45 to provide a novel construction arid arrangement of bag closure in combination with separable fastener devices, whereby means are provided to preliminarily hold the meetingedges of the sides of the packed bag in parto tially closed position and so as to dispose the opposed but yet disengaged fastener strips in substantially parallel.position, and whereby the manipulating slide may / be quickly, easily, and without undue strain, run along the fastener strips to effect the mutual ₆₎mterengagement or disengagement, as the case may be, of the fastener elements thereof.

This invention also has for a further Object to provide, an inner guard tongue, to underlie the fastener strips when the bag is in eo partially closed condition so as to. prevent any part of the packed content from protruding or from being accidentally interposed between the fastener elements’.of the opposed fastener strips, while the former are being 55 engaged, or disengaged. .

, Other objects of this invention; not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same. , .: 70

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of hand bag equipped with separable fastener closing means and provided with auxiliary 75 fastener means and guard tongue according to the principles of this invention, the bag being shown in open condition; Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the bag shown in preliminary partially closed condition, ready for go the interengagement of the separable fastener strips; and Fig, 3 is a view, similar to that:. shown in Fig. .2 but showing the separable. : fastener strips in the course of being engaged in operative closed condition. . 55

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section, taken on line 4—4 in Fig,.2 ; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the auxiliary fastener means detached from the bag.

Similar characters of reference are em- 90 ployed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Tn the drawings, the reference character · 6 indicates a bag body, usually made of leather, but which may be made of any other. 96 suitable material. In the form and styleof bag body illustrated, the same is constructed to provide a substantially cylindrical· shape, the ends of the body being closed by end members 7 sewn or otherwise permanent- 100

1,859,970 ly secured to the main body portion 6. It will be understood, however; that other forms or shapes of bag bodies may be employed within the scope of this invention as defined _β by the appended claims. The main body portion 6 is provided with opposed meeting edges 8 which border the mouth or· opening giving access to the interior of the bag. Underlying said meeting edge portions 8 of the I bag body 6 are the fastener strips 9 of separable fastener devices, the outer marginal portions of which project beyond said edge portions 8. Secured to said outer marginal portions of said fastener strips are the fasten; er elements 10. By the arrangement common to separable fastener devices the fastener elements 10 of the respective strips 9 are mutually opposed along the sides of the bag opening or mouth. Mutually cooperating with said opposed fastener elements 10 is the longitudinally movable manipulating slide plate 11 by means of wdiich said opposed fastener elements are caused to interengage or disengage as the slide plate is moved in one direction or the other along the same; all of which will be readily understood by those familiar with the operation of the various forms of so-called separable fastener devices. Coupled with said slide plate 11 is the usual pull tongue or finger piece 12 for engaging and actuating said slide plate.

The bag body is preferably provided with an interior lining 13 of any suitable material, the same extending over the fastener strips 9 so as to terminate beneath the respective meeting edges 8 of the bag body 6. In the form of bag shown and described, the body portion 6 is made of unstiffened or flexible leather or other material, so that when the separable fastener devices are disengaged, the said meeting edges may be bowed apart to give access to the bag interior. In order to reenforce and stiffen the meeting edge portions 8 of the bag body it is preferable to provide in connection therewith to extend longitudinally thereof flexible metallic reenforcing strips 14 extending from end to end of the bag opening or mouth. Said reenforcing strips 14 are held in place by keeper strips 15 of leather or other suitable material. To retain the above described parts in assembled relation the said meeting edge portions 8, fastener strips 9, lining 13 and keeper strips 15 are stitched together by the main stitching 16, and by auxiliary stitching 17 which is sewn through the rearward edges of said keeper strips 15 and fastener strips 9 and through the lining 13.

The means for retaining the bag in preliminary partially closed condition, comprises cooperating auxiliary fastener means the members of which are connected with opposite sides of the opening or mouth of the bag so that the same may be brought into mutually engaged relation at desired times. Said

ΙΟ auxiliary fastener means comprises a female element 18 connected with one side of the bag opening or mouth, and a male element 19 connected with the opposite side of the latter. In preferred form said female element 18 is formed by a metallic plate having its inner or rearward end disposed beneath one marginal side portion of the bag opening or mouth and suitably secured in fixed connection therewith so that its free end projects toward the opposite side of said bag opening or mouth. If desired, the required fixed connection of said female element 18 may be attained by means of a fastening rivet 20 extending therethrough and then through the overlying assembled keeper strip 15, reenforcing strip 14, lining 13, fastener strip 9 and bag body edge portion 8. The free end portion of said female element 18 is furnished with an eye or opening 21. In preferred form said male element 19 is formed by a metallic plate having its inner or rearward end disposed beneath the opposite marginal side portion of the bag opening or mouth and suitably secured in fixed connection therewith so that its free end projects outward and in alignment with the opposed female element. If desired, the required fixed connection of said male element may be attained by means of a fastening rivet 22 extending therethrough and then through the overlying assembled keeper strip 15, reenforcing strip 14, lining 13, fastener strip 9, and bag body edge portion 8. The free end portion of said male element 19 is furnished with a hook-member 23 separately engageable through said eye or opening 21 of said female element 18.

In order to shield the separable fastener devices from accidentally projecting parts of the packed contents of the bag, I provide, along and beneath one side of the bag mouth for lateral projection toward and beneath the other side of said bag mouth, a guard tongue or flap 24. Said guard tongue or flap 24 may be formed by a lateral extension or Π0 wing integral with the keeper strip 15 at the side from which the tongue or flap 24 springs, in which case the latter is provided with an opening 25 through which the adjacent auxiliary fastener elements may pass, so that the 115 same will be above the tongue or flap 24 when in closed mutual engagement.

It is sometimes desirable to furnish the bag structure with means to automatically move the meeting edge portions apart to hold 1*0 the mouth open, when the same, are released from holding engagement of the separable fastener devices and the auxiliary fastener elements. Such means may comprise discontinuous spring steel hoops 26 which trans- 1*5 versely encircle the body portion 6 so as to extend.from side to side of the bag mouth or opening; said hoops 26 being retained in place by cover strips 27 stitched to the bag body. The inherent resiliency or “spring” 130

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1.859.970 3 of said hoops tend to open up the bag, and at the same time bow outwardly the reenforcing strips 14 bordering the sides of the bag mouth, all in the manner more especially 5 illustrated _φ in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. * Two or more of said hoops 26 may be employed.

While I have described the use and functions of said reenforcing strips 14 and said 10 hoops 26, it will be obvious that the same are not absolutely necessary under the essential principles of the instant invention, and consequently either one or both said features may be omitted from the bag structure, if desired. 15 Handle members or grips 28 are provided in connection with the bag body and secured thereto in any manner found suitable and convenient.

I have shown a single set of cooperating 20 auxiliary fastener elements 18—19 arranged in central location relative to the bag opening or mouth, although it will be obvious that a plurality of sets thereof longitudinally spaced apart may be employed, if desired, 25 especially in connection with the larger and longer sizes of bags.

In operation the instant invention functions as follows

After the bag is filled or packed with the 30 desired content, the sides are pushed together so as to bring the female and male auxiliary fastener elements into engaged relation, with the hook member 23 of the latter engaged in the eye or opening 21 of the former. When 3S said auxiliary fastener elements are thus engaged, the opposed fastener strips 9 will be brought into substantially parallel relation but with the fastener elements 10 thereof spaced somewhat apart and still in disen1.0 gaged condition, while at the same time the guard flap or tongue 24 will underlie the fastener elements 10 of the strips 9. to prevent the intrusion of any parts of the bag content between the still disengaged fastener ⁴⁵ elements 10. It will be obvious, that under such conditions the bag will be partially closed, and that, the outward pressure of the content against the bag sides with tendency to flare open the mouth of the bag will be re³³ sisted and counteracted by the engaged auxiliary male and female fasteners 18—19. Under such circumstances the separable fastener device may be easily and smoothly actuated, without strain or likelihood of injury, by ⁵⁵ running the manipulating slide plate longitudinally thereof to bring the fastener elements into operative interengaged relation. In like manner, when opening the bag, the auxiliary fastener elements 18—19 will retain ⁸⁰ the sides thereof against premature springing apart, so that the manipulating slide plate may be reversely moved to disengage the fastener elements 10 equally without undue strain or likelihood of injury.

⁸⁸ In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention; and have described the same in the above specification merely in preferred form and by way of example; but obviously many alterations and variations may be made therein aind in its mode of application, ⁷⁰Which will still be ctjmprised within its spirit. Generally speaking, I desire it to be understood that I do not limit myself to any specific form or embodiment except in so far as is specified in the here following claims:— ⁷⁸