Carrying device

March 9, 1948.

A. P. ROBINSON

2,437,405

CARRYING DEVICE

Filed Dec. 4, 1945

Sheets-Sheet 1

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March 9, 1948.

A. P. ROBINSON

CARRYING DEVICE

Filed Dec. 4, 1945

2,437,405

Sheets-Sheet 2

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INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY

Patented Mar. 9,1948

2,437,405

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,437,405 CARRYING DEVICE

Albert F. Robinson, Seattle, Wash.

Application December 4,1945, Serial No. 632,714

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in handles and carrying devices, and it has reference more particularly to carrying devices of a resilient character whereby heavy objects may be carried, by hand or by means of a shoulder strap, as live loads and thus the tiring and jarring effect of carrying a dead weight may be overcome to maximum degree.

More specifically stated, the invention relates to improvements in carrying means for such articles as too] boxes, golf bags, suit cases and various other articles comprised within that kind usually carried by a hand grip or shoulder strap.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a carrying device that is of resilient or yielding character, and by which the object or load may be more easily carried, and jar, jolt and tiring effect of carrying a dead load materially reduced.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a handle or carrying device that, in various modifications and applications, provides for obtaining a better, or an exact balance of the load being carried.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrying device that is especially applicable for the carrying of golf bags, combining in its structure, means for carrying either by a hand hold or by shoulder strap or by both of these used together.

Another object of the invention js to apply the principles of the present invention in a carrying device applied to the frame structure of a golf bag.

Yet another object resides in thte provision of a carrying· bag for such heavy objects as railway rails, wherein the principles of the invention areembodied.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts, and in the mode of application and use of such devices as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein—

Fig. 1 is a ride view of a tool chest equipped With a carrying means embodied by this invention.

Fig. la is a view illustrating an alternative manner of adjustably attaching the carrying means to the chest to obtain balance.

Fib. lb is a cross section on line lb—lb in Fig. la.

(Cl. 224—45) . 2

Fig. 2 is a side view of a golf bag illustrating the application of carrying means thereto in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a bag, or like object, 5 equipped with a carrying means of an alternative form.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a bag equipped with still another modification of the present carryingmeans.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the embodying of the present device as a part of the frame structure of a golf bag.

Referring more in detail to the drawings—

In use of the various forms of handles and 15 carrying devices herein shown or described, it is the intent that the dead weight of the object being carried by a person while walking shall be changed to Hye load which, by reason of having an upward movement imparted thereto while a 20 step is being taken, will, to some extent, sustain its own weight at the end of each step and at the beginning of the next step, thus to eliminate the₇ jarring and extremely tiring results of carrying a dead weight. Also, it is the intent that 25 this effect of changing dead weight to live weight shall be embodied in the present device as equipped only with a hand hold, or with shoulder strap, or with both hand hold and shoulder strap. Furthermore, to incorporate the means 30 to effect better balance of the carried load in all of the various modifications of the device.

Referring first to the device as shown in Fig. 1: 10 designates what may be a common form of tool chest, or the like, and li designates, in 35 its entirety, a carrying device therefor that is equipped with both hand hold arid shoulder strap.

The device comprises a flat resilient strip or bar of metal 12, disposed lengthwise of and cen40 trally above the top of the chest. At a location centrally between its ends, the bar 12 has an upwardly offset portion forming a handle or hand hold portion 13 to which a grip 14 of wood, rubber or other suitable material is applied. ⁴⁵ At its ends, thte bar is formed with upwardly turned loop forming portions 15—15 to which the opposite ends of a shoulder strap 16 are fixed by suitable means; here shown to comprise rings 16' which are applied to the loops and 50 through which the strap ends are looped and secured.

The opposite end portions of the bar 12 are extended through mounting blocks 17—17' that are fixed to the top of thte chest, and it is under55 stood that the bar may be adjusted endwise in

2,437,405

Also, by adjustment of the blocks closer together, greater resiliency is obtained when carrying the load by means of the strap. If the load is to be carried by the hand hold only, then the adjusting 5 of the blocks farther apart adds to the resiliency.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a carrying means embodied by this invention as applied to a common type of golf bag; the bag being designated by reference numeral 20. As here shown, the bag 10 has a flexible fabric or leather case 21 applied about a frame structure including as a part thereof, a longitudinal bar 22 that is fixed at its upper and lower ends, respectively, to a ring 23 and end closure 24. If the bar 22 has any resil15 iency, this will augment the resiliency of the carrying device.

The carrying -device of Fig. 2 is substantially like that Shown in Fig. 1 in that it comprises a resilient’bar 12 adjustably mounted in bearings 2o 25—25, one or both of which are adjustably fixed to theframe bar 22, as is the block of Fig. lb, and each may have a set screw 26 adapted to be tightened against the bar to hold it at any position of its longitudinal adjustment in .the bearings.

The manner of affixing the blocks 25 to bar 22 could either be like the showing in Fig. lb or a succession of screw holes might be formed in the frame bar 22 and screws applied therethrough to the blocks 25 after the blocks had been located 30 at the most practical places for balancing of the carried load.

A shoulder strap 39 .of adjustable length is attached by suitable means at its ends, to the ends of the -bar. This bar also has a hand grip 35 portion, as at 31., which may be used with or independently of the shoulder strap to carry the bag.

In.Fig. 3,1 have illustrated an alternative form of carrying device as applied to what may be a 40 traveling bag or suitcase 35. This device comprises a -resilient metal bar 36 formed -centrally between its ends with an upwardly offset hand hold portion 37 to which a grip sleeve member 38 is applied. The bar extends lengthwise of the 45 case, and at its opposite ends, is pivotally attached, at 39, to mountings 49 fixed to the case. Between the hand hold portion and its opposite ends, the bar is downwardly arched to give added resiliency thereto. This device affords the same 50 carrying resiliency as the devices of Figs. 1 and 2, but is not here shown as being adjustable endwise to obtain balance in carrying an unevenly loaded case. Such bars may be made in various lengths to accommodate the particular kind of 55 article or weight of article to be carried thereby.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a type of carrying device that may be applied to any suitcase or chest and secured thereto by straps applied about’the case. In this view, 49 designates a suitcase, chest or 60 other article that is to be carried and 4’1—41 designates .straps that are applied about the opposite end portions of the case. The carrying device here comprises a substantially straight bar 45 which, between its ends, is -formed with. ^e5 an upwardly offset hand hold portion 4S. The opposite end portions of the bar are applied to the case beneath the spaced straps 41—¢1. It is contemplated and is desirable that the ends -of the bar be turned back over the straps to prevent 70 any possibility of the bar ends slipping from beneath the straps by endwise shifting. The bar may be increased or decreased in length or its resiliency may be more or less dampened by shifting the straps farther apart or closer together.

75- i_n pig. 5^ i have illustrated the incorporation these blocks to the extent permitted by the hand hold 13 and the end loops of the bar. A set screw, as at 18, may be applied to one or to both blocks for tightening against the bar to hold it at a set position of longitudinal adjustment. Also, it is desirable that the bar be set up slightly from the top of the chest by the blocks so that it will not be limited or restricted in its resilient action.

In Fig. Ια, I have illustrated an alternative means for the securing of the handle member to the top wall of the chest, and for adjusting the handle bar 12 endwise in order to obtain a better or proper balance of the carried object. ..In this view, the mounting blocks for the handle are designated at Πα—17α and instead of their being fixed solidly to the top wall of the chest, as the, blocks in the showing in Fig. 1, they are slidably mounted for adjustment along a bar 5 that ds fixed rigidly to the top wall of the chest I O'. The bar 9, as shown best in Fig. lb is T-shape in cross section, and the blocks 17α—17α are adjustable along the bar and have passages therein slidably receiving the bar flange in . a holding connection. Also, the blocks are independently adjustable along the bar and may be spaced at different intervals so that any desired balance can be obtained or more or less resiliency provided.

In this modification, which in some cases may be preferred to the form of mounting shown in Fig. 1, the blocks may have set screws, as at 18a; in Fig. 14, to secure them at a set position of adjustment, and the bar 12 could be .fixed against movement therein by a set 18, as in Fig. 1, or the blocks might be fixed permanently at,a definite spacing on the handle bar, and caused to move in unison along bar 9 when an adjustment is made.

Assuming the device of Fig. 1 to be so constructed and applied to the chest as described, it will be readily understood that if the chest is being carried by a person by means of the shoulder .strap .placed over the person’s shoulder, as the person walks along, .the resiliency of the bar will impart an up and down oscillating action to the chest in accordance with the steps being taken and that the weight of the chest will be moving upward at the time each step is being finished. This permits the next .step to be started while the load as applied through the shoulder strap is the lightest and -the body momentum can be more readily increased to counteract the weight of the load on its downward travel. Thus the jar, and the tiring effect of the dead weight of the load is overcome by giving life to the load.

If it is not desired to use the shoulder strap, the weight can be carried by means of the hand grip portion. Or, both the shoulder strap and hand grip portion can be simultaneously used to equal extent, or one merely to more or less supplement the other.

If the weight, as -contained in a tool chest, should be out of balance by being more to one end than the other, then this objection can be compensated for by shifting the bar 12 endwise in its mounting blocks, in one direction or the other, to obtain the proper or the desired balance. When proper adjustment has been made, then the bar can be secured by the tightening of the set screw 18.

The same resiliency is obtainable by use of the modification of the device shown in Fig. la, which permits -an adjustment to different positions along the chest of the mounting blocks to obtain a desired or accurate balance of the carried load.

8,437,406 of the present idea in a golf hag structure. In this illustration, 50 designates a golf bag of typical design in which there is a frame structure including a resilient bar 51 extended along the top of the bag either inside or outside of the canvas or leather case. At its lower end, the bar is fixed to the end closure 53. At its upper end, it is fixed to a resilient metal ring 54 that surrounds the mouth of the bag. Near the upper end of the bag, the bar 5 i is formed with an outwardly offset hand hold portion 55 and there is a shoulder strap 55 attached at one end to' the bar 51 at its forward end, and attached at its other end to a clip 57 that is fixed to the bar 5i toward the lower end of the bag. To provide 15 for an adjustment of balance when carrying the bag by means of the shoulder strap, I have attached a strap 60 of adjustable length to the bar 51 between the hand hold portion 55 and the clip 57 and the other end portion carries a ring 20 61 that is applied to the adjacent portion of the shoulder strap. By shortening this strap 60, the bag may be shifted rearwardly relative to the shoulder and thus a desired balance obtained.

It is quite readily apparent that the present 25 device in its various modifications or alternative forms may be changed in dimensions and proper- ~ tions to meet any special requirement and that it may be adapted to various articles or loads to be carried. The feature of all devices is that 30 through the resiliency of the support and its mode of attachment, the dead weight of any load is given that necessary life that makes it easier to carry and a better balance obtainable.