Flag container and attaching means

Oct. 20, 1959 j. r. s. crowder 2,909,147

FLAG CONTAINER AND ATTACHING MEANS Filed Aug. 27, 1956

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2,909,147

Patented Oct. 20, 1959

United States Patent Office

2,909,147

FLAG CONTAINER AND ATTACHING MEANS

John R. S. Crowder, Chicago, HI., assignor to Martha H. Crowder, Chicago, Bl.

Application August 27, 1956, Serial No. 606,503

Claims. (Cl. 116—173)

This invention relates to a flag container and attaching means.

Advertising and publicity campaigns, and particularly political campaigns, frequently involved the use of flags haying the desired emotional, inspirational or other indicia, imprinted thereon; In order to assure wide distribution and use of these flags, it is desirable that they be readily attachable to some existing flagstaff member such, for example, as is provided by the tubular radial antenna with which most automotive vehicles are provided. It is further desirable that such flags be inexpensive but at the same time constructed of a durable material so that they will not become frayed or worn during the period of intended use.

It is further desirable that means be provided for readily attaching such flags to existing flagstaffs. Heretofore, 30 an undesirable item of expense in the merchandising and distribution of such flags has resided in the cost of containers for the flags and attaching means. The instant flag as sold is accompanied by an attaching means. It is usually necessary or desirable that they be packed in some box or container and it frequently happens that the cost of the box or container approximates the total cost of the flag and attaching means.

It is an object, therefore, of this invention to provide a flag attaching means which, at the same time, provides a satisfactory and attractive container in which the flag may be distributed and sold or in which the flag may be stored when not in use.

According to the present invention, this desired result is accomplished by providing a tubular casing of resilient material which is open at each end and which is provided with a longitudinal opening along one side to which the rolled flag may be inserted. One side of the tubular casing is preferably flattened somewhat to afford a surface on which may be imprinted any desirable data such, for example, as the name and address of the manufacturer, the trade mark by which the product is designated or the like. When it is desired to attach the flag to a flagstaff, it is only necessary that the same be removed from the casing through the longitudinal side opening, an edge of the flag wound about the flagstaff, and the casing engaged thereover to resiliently grip the edge of the flag between its inner surface and the outer surface of the flagstaff.

It is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide a flag container and attaching means of simple and inexpensive construction which may be used as a merchandising package, a storage package for the rolled flag and which, at the same time, serves as a convenient and effective attaching means for securing the flag to a flagstaff.

Other and further important objects of the present invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the flag attaching means of this invention in association with the flagstaff member, such as a radio antenna holding the flag in display position thereon;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the flag container and attaching means of this invention showing the rolled; 5 flag positioned within the tubular casing which forms both the container and the attaching means;

Figure 3 is a section on the line III—III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an elevation view showing a side of the container opposite to the longitudinal opening therein; 10 and

Figure 5 is a section on the line V—-V of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawings:

The tubular casing which forms the combined container, and flag attaching means of this invention is generally 15 designated by the reference numeral 10 and is preferably made of extruded plastic-resin material such, for example, as cellulose acetate, although it may be formed of any resilient sheet-like material.

The tubular casing has a somewhat flattened portion 20 10α, reentrant portions 106 and outwardly flaring edge portions 10c which decline in longitudinal opening extending along the entire length of one side of the casing. The casing is open at both ends.

A flag 11, preferably but not necessarily, made of 25 plastic impregnated cloth and imprinted with suitable indicia 12 may be rolled up and carried within the casing as shown in Figure 3 or carried for display on a tubular flagstaff member 13 which, for exemplary purposes, is shown in Figure 1 as a tubular radio antenna of an automotive vehicle.

Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the flag 11 is secured along one edge to the tubular flagstaff member 13. As shown in Figure 5, an end portion Ila of the flag 11 is wound about the tubular member 13 after ³⁵ which the casing 10 is engaged thereover so that the inner surface of the flat portion of the casing 10 in the re-entrant portions 106 of that casing grip said portion Ila of the flag firmly to the outer surface of the tubulaf flagstaff member 13.

⁴θ The flattened portion 10α of the casing affords a desirable surface on which may be imprinted identifying indicia such as the name of the manufacturer, a desired trademark or any other desired decorative or identifying indicia. The manner in which such indicia may be imprinted on said surface 10 α is indicated by the reference numeral 14 and I have found that such indicia readily may be imprinted on the casing by a simple roll printing operation.

By using a polyvinyl resin impregnated cloth as a magQ terial for the flag 11, the flag is given a certain stiffness which holds it in display position and, at the same time, it retains sufficient flexibility so that it may be rolled and re-rolled for storage within the casing 10 without destroying or impairing the attractiveness of the indicia imgg printed thereon. Furthermore, such impregnation renders the flag weather-resistant.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a flag container and attaching means which is simple and inexpensive, serving the combined ₆₀ functions of providing a container in which the flag may be carried in rolled position for sale, distribution or storage, such container at the same time providing a convenient and efficient means for attaching the unrolled flag to a flagstaff by resilient gripping of an edge of the g₅ flag between the flagstaff and said container.

The provision of the surface 10α on which identifying or other indicia may be imprinted adds to the salability of the device.

I am aware that details of construction may be varied γθ without departing from the principles of this invention and I therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

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