Traveling case

Application filed June 23,

My invention relates to traveling cases and is particularly useful in connection with cases of the .Gladstone type, though the invention is not to be thus limited. My inveng tion is inclusive of an article carrier which is detachably applicable to suitable anchoring means in the case. When the invention is employed in conjunction with a traveling' case of the Gladstone type, two. anchorages are preferably provided for the article carrier, one at the hinged side of the usual swinging partition that separates the two main compartments of the case and the other at the opposite side of said partition in the loca₁₅ tion occupied by this side when the partition is in its normally closed position. The anchorage at the hinged sicte of the partition is desirably not provided directly upon the partition, but is in the form of a tab afford20 ing a hinged connection between the article carrier and partition permitting these two elements to be widely swung apart. The article carrier is desirably collapsible and in that event such a tab may be employed in 25 conjunction with another tab to bind and hold the article carrier collapsed. The anchorage for the article carrier which is in the region of the free side of the partition when this partition is closed is desirably also 30 mounted apart from the partition and is preferably in the form of a tab, which may be employed to hold the partition directly closed when the article carrier is collapsed, or it may be employed to hold the article car35 rier in assembly with the partition and to hold the partition closed through the intermediation of the article carrier.

The article carrier may be constructed in various ways suitable to the articles to be 40 carried thereby. In one embodiment of the invention I provide large pockets suitable for holding shoes or the like. When the article carrier is made flexible and collapsible the pockets are desirably also flexible and col45 lapsible, folding lines of both pockets and carrier being substantially parallel so that both may be folded in the same folding operation. When the article carrier is unfolded or stretched and is held so by its anchorages, 50 the pockets are automatically unfolded and

1930. Serial No. 483,087.

opened sufficiently for the reception of the articles to be carried thereby.. I.do not wish, however, to be limited to the employment of one or more pockets as the means for enabling the article carrier to carry articles though ca my invention finds great utility when thus embodied. Each of the aforesaid anchorages is desirably duplicated to firmly secure the article carrier in its expanded or collapsed adjustment. go

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a Gladstone case containing the preferred form of article carrier which is shown collapsed; e5 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the article carrier expanded; and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, on a larger scale, showing the case opened and the article carrier in the position it occupies when fully assembled vo with the case in expanded adjustment.

The traveling case illustrated is inclusive of two half sections 1 and 2 which are hinged at two of their adjacent margins and which are provided with the usual complemental y.g latching means 3, 3 and 4, 4 upon the two halves of the case. Key controlled locking means may also be employed of which complemental parts .5 and 6 respectively are shown upon the two casing halves. The so . usual handle 7 is provided upon the casing half 1 for carrying the case. _

A swinging partition 8, of somewhat stiff or semi-rigid material is hinged in the usual or any preferable way at the hinged sides of .85 the casing halves, as by means of. a bar 9 which is riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the case in the region of the hinged edges of its halves as indicated, for example, in Fig.

3. Two holding tabs 10 are mounted upon 90 the frame 11 pertaining to the casing half 1 and at the open side of this casing half and opposite the hinged edges of the two casing halves. These tabs and the contiguous portion of the partition are provided with in- 95 terengaging holding formations whereby said partition may be held in a closed position to maintain the casing at 1 closed and permitting full access to the casing half 2, when the case is opened. Such complemen- loo

1,908,178 tai holding formations are desirably in the nature of snaps having female fastening members 12 upon said tabs and male fastening members 13 upon the partition.

In accordance with my invention I provide an article carrier which is detachably applicable to and within the traveling case. This article carrier is preferably in the form of a flexible and collapsible sheet 14 which is de10 tachably applicable to the part of the case which is to carry it and is so applicable at its four corner portions, partcularly if the carrier be made of flexible material, so as to be collapsible. The anchoring means whereby 15 the article carrier may be attached is desirably inclusive of the aforesaid tabs 10 which for the purpose are disengaged from the fastening members 13 and are engaged with the male fastening members 15 instead, so that 20 said tabs 10 may perform the double function of holding the partition 8 in closed position and also serving as a part of the anchoring means for the article carrier. The attachment of the article carrier may. be completed 25 with the aid of additional tabs 16 which are disposed at the hinged side of the partition and which constitute anchorages for the contiguous side of the carrier. These tabs and the carrier are desirably also pro30 vided with snaps inclusive of interengaging holding formations 17 and 18 that are respectively carried by the tabs 16 and the carrier 14 and in the nature of male and female parts.

The carrier shown is adapted to carry shoes and to this end has added thereto the pockets 19 which are in the nature of collapsible pieces of fabric which are sewed at their margins to the main sheet of the carrier and ⁴⁸ along the hinged edge of the partition.

When these pockets are not occupied or if they should contain sufficiently small objects, the carrier may be detached from the tabs 10 and collapsed, together with the pockets, the ⁴⁵ carrier then being adapted to be tucked into . one corner of the casing half 2 adjacent the hinged edges of the casing halves. In order that the carrier may be held in its collapsed position, I provide other tabs 20 in the casing ⁵⁰ half 2 which cooperate with the tab 16 to bind the collapsed carrier and hold it in its place in the case. When the carrier is thus positioned, the tabs 16 are disconnected from it _g, and are connected with the tabs 20 which are ⁰ desirably provided with male fastening snap members 21 that cooperate with the female snap members 17 to hold the tabs in contracting relation to the collapsed carrier.

When the carrier is to be attached, it is suitably stretched between its anchorages that assemble it with the partition 8, the pockets 19 also then sufficiently unfolding to adapt them them to the reception of the articles which 65 are to be held thereby.

Changes may be made without departing from the invention.