Convertible wardrobe-handbag

July 13, 1937.

Η. B. MARBURY et AL

CONVERTIBLE WARDROBE HANDBAG

2,087,210

Filed June 5, 1935

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Patented July 13, 1937''

2,087,210

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,087,210 CONVERTIBLE WARDROBE-HANDBAG Herbert B. Marbury and Roy C. Jones, Atlanta, Ga., assignors to Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills, Atlanta, Ga.

Application June 5, 1935, Serial No. 25,165

Claim.

Generically this invention relates to clothes containers, but it more especially is directed to a combination wardrobe travel bag and handbag.

One of the principal objects of this invention 5 is the provision of a combination wardrobe travel and handbag formed in one surface with a cut out opening of such dimensions and disposed at such an angle as to permit the expeditious insertion and removal of the contents of the bag, 10 said cut out portion constituting a closure flap for said opening, and fastener means for securing the flap in closed position.

• An important object of this invention is the provision of a substantially flat flexible sack15 like container adapted to normally support therein clothes and the like in wardrobe fashion when in extended position, and adapted to be folded and secured in folded position to provide a handbag.

One of the principal objects of this invention is the provision of an airtight, waterproof, dustproof travel bag, adapted to support therein clothes in wardrobe fashion and to be normally suspended in extended position when traveling 25 by automobile, train, bus, plane, or steamer, and instantly convertible into a handbag by simply folding the bag upon itself with its free end detachably secured to one side thereof.

A further important object of this invention 30 is the provision of a combination travel bag and handbag constructed from a one-piece blank adapted to normally support therein clothes in wardrobe fashion when in extended position, so constructed as to eliminate interior obstructions 35 tending to wrinkle the clothes when folded to provide a handbag, said bag being air tight when closed whether in extended or folded positions, and constituting a permanent moth and dust repellent sealed clothes container when not be40 ing used for traveling purposes, said container adapted to maintain the clothes in non-wrlnkled condition, and instantly available as a travel and handbag when desired.

With these and other objects in view, which 45 will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which 50 like characters of reference indicate like parts .throughout the several figures, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of our improved convertible handbag in extended a,nd open position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken 55 on the line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device folded to constitute a handbag.

The types of luggage cases or handbags with which we are familiar have proven deficient in 60 many ways, such a§ being too bulky, too expen(Cl. 190—43) sive to produce, having foldover flaps, etc., causing wrinkling of the clothes when folded, incapable of use as a handbag and also as a wardrobe container when traveling and as a clothes container when not in use for traveling, and 5. it was to overcome such deficiencies and to provide a substantially flat, flexible, airtight, waterproof, dustproof wardrobe container while being transported by land, air, or water, yet instantly foldable into a handbag adapted for 10 manual transportation as desired and without causing wrinkling or mussing of the contents, that we designed the combination travel and handbag forming the subject matter of this invention. 15

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown a travel bag A in which principally clothes are adapted to be normally carried wardrobe fashion. The luggage case or travel bag A is formed from a one- 20 piece substantially rectangular blank of flexible material such as suede, transversely folded upon itself as at I and with its side edges and curved end edges turned inwardly in overlapping relation and stitched with a liner strip or insert 2 25 interposed therebetween and extending to the exterior so as to form a water and airtight seam and enhance the appearance of the bag.

In order to provide an opening B of minimum size, yet so designed as to permit complete access 30 to the interior of the bag and the expeditious insertion therein and removal therefrom of clothes and other articles, the front side or face 3 is out forming a slot 3' substantially conforming to the contour of said upper edge from a 35 point 4 spaced from one side edge and from the upper edge transversely to a point 5 spaced from the opposite side edge and downwardly a distance substantially equal to the distance from 4 to 5 and terminating at 6, thereby forming a substan- 40 tially triangular flap 7 having a hinge-like fold line 8 extending diagonally from the starting point 4 of said cut to the end 6.

In order to lock and hold the flap 7 in closed position, a tape (a) is secured by stitching (b) 45 to the under surface of side 3 along the edge of the opening B and a similar tape (a) similarly secured along the periphery of the flap with their meeting edges extending substantially to the center of the slot when the flap is in closed position. 50 Suitable cooperating fastening means 9 may be applied to the meeting edges of the respective tapes, comprising the well known form of interlocking metallic eyes or loops 10 which are moved into, and out of interlocking engagement by means 55 of a slide I i provided with an operating tab 12. By drawing the slide 11 in one direction, the elements of the fastener are interlocked and the flap 7 is moved to and held in closed sealed position. ’ By drawing or pulling the slide in the 60

2,087,210 opposite direction, the elements of the fastening means are disengaged causing the flap to automatically move to open position. It is therefore apparent that the movement of slide 11 not only 5 fastens and unfastens the flap but at the same time effects, without other aid, movement of the flap from complete open to complete closed position, as desired. In this connection, it will be noted that the metallic elements 10 of fastening 10 means 9 when in interlocking or bag sealing relation are positioned in slot 3' and below the exterior surface of the bag.

A tab (c), in the present instance, substantially shield-shaped is suitably secured to the bag 15 at the ends 4 and 6, respectively, of slot 3' as a reinforcement and protection to the ends, respectively, of the slot and hinge fold 8 of said flap, which are also adapted to add to the appearance of the bag.

The ends 13 of handle 14 are interposed between and extend beyond the upper meeting edges of the sack or bag A and are secured by the stitching I' uniting the said edges. While in the present instance the bag and handle are shown 25 as preferably constructed of waterproof suede, either or both may be constructed of any suitable material. Each of said ends 13 of handle 14 is divided and tacked or otherwise suitably secured to opposite sides of a hanger support 15 con30 structed of wood or any suitable material of a length equal to the interior width of the sack and curved to conform to the contour of its upper ¹ end, so that the weight of the bag will be distributed over said upper end.

Support IS not only effects an even distribution of the weight of the sack over its upper end, but maintains the shape of the sack or bag at all times and additionally constitutes a supporting medium for articles of clothing placed on one or 40 more of the clothes hangers 16 detachably supported by the anchor screw 11 threadedly or otherwise seemed to said support 15, as will be clear without further discussion.

A substantially rectangular piece of flexible 45 material 18 which may be of the same material as the lining has one longitudinal edge secured by a line of stitching 19 to the inner surface of the rear side 20 approximately in alignment with the upper or transverse edge of the opening B. 50 The lower edge of the material is folded upwardly upon Itself and secured to said side 20 by a line of stitching 21 to provide a blouse-like effect which not only increases the capacity range of the compartment 22, adapted to contain shirts 55 and other articles of apparel, but maintains said articles in a substantially flat, smooth condition. Said compartment is open at both ends, and one end or mouth. 23 is spaced from one edge of the bag so as to permit ready access to the compart80 ment. Positioning the compartment with its mouth or receiving end spaced from the edge of the sack and directly opposite to the widest portion of opening B, not only renders it easy to insert the desired articles in, ahd remove them 65 from said compartment, but likewise renders it possible to accomplish the same by effecting only a partial opening of flap 7 which is desirable when the compartment only is desired to be reached.

A sectional fastening element 24, in the pres70 ent instance of the well known snap fastener type, is suitably' secured to side 3 intermediate the edges and points 4 and 5, respectively, and a similar element is secured to flap 7 adjacent its upper edge. The complemental sections 25 are suitably 75 secured to the lower edge of bag A, so that when it is desired to convert the wardrobe travel bag A into a handbag C it is only necessary to transversely fold said bag upon itself as at 26 and bring the elements 24 and 25 into interlocking engagement. The handbag may be reconverted 5 into the wardrobe bag by simply disengaging fastening elements 24 and 25. In this connection it will be noted that only one handle 14 is employed, the same being common to both forms A and C.

The operation and versatility of our improved 10 light weight, compact, combined travel bag and handbag would seem to be clear from the abovedescription.

From the above it is apparent that we have designed a unique combined wardrobe bag and 15 handbag, manufacturable at a minimum of cost, adapted if desired to be supported in extended position when being transported by automobile, train, bus, plane, or steamer, affording a compact way of carrying suits and other articles ²⁰Without wrinkling, etc., eliminating troublesome packing and unpacking, providing a light, conveniently handled protection for said suits, the latter being instantly available by simply moving the slide fastener member to complete flap opening position, or only sufficiently to partially open said flap if other articles such as shirts are desired; and from this point to reconvert the wardrobe bag, simply close the slide fastener, transversely fold the bag, snap the complemental ³⁰fastening elements into interlocking engagement, and a compact handbag is the result.

Although in practice we have found that the form of our invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing and referred to in the above ⁶ . description, as the preferred embodiment, to be the most efficient and practical; yet, realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of our- invention will necessarily vary, we desire to emphasize that various minor changes in detail ⁴θ of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to within the'scope of the appended claim without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.