US3301358A

US3301358A - Hand luggage

Info

Publication number: US3301358A
Application number: US328245A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rubens Harry Ernest
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-12-05
Filing date: 1963-12-05
Publication date: 1967-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1984-01-31

Description

H. E. RUBENS HAND LUGGAGE Filed Dec.

Jan. 31, 1967 INVENTOR- United States Patent 3,301,358 HAND LUGGAGE Harry Ernest Rubens, Westport, Conn. (2 Sutton Place S., New York, N.Y. 10022) Filed Dec. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 328,245 Claims. (Cl. 190-20) This invention relates to luggage intended to be carried by hand, and more particularly to luggage provided with rollers for ease in transport.

It is an object of the invention to provide luggage with self-contained rolling means in the event porters are not available.

Further objects are to provide such luggage with special shapes, eliminating the need for storage space for the rolling means when the luggage is not in use; to provide such luggage with rolling means that are instantly available; to provide luggage with rolling means which do not necessarily add extra weight and cost; to provide stronger and more durable hand luggage than is conventionally provided; and to provide all the foregoing objects in luggage adapted to mass roduction methods.

I accomplish the foregoing and other objects of the invention, and obtain my new results by providing luggage in wheel form which can be easily rolled on the rim of the wheel, having advantages readily apparent from the following description, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross section in part, taken on a diametric plane passing through the ballbearing support, and looking in the direction of the latching means for the removable lid of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a end view of FIG. 2 with the cover removed showing a desirable partition layout;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross section of a bearing support;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section in part of another embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through plane 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view of the rim construction of another embodiment.

FIGURE 1 of the drawing comprises a drum-shaped container 10, which may be molded of thermo-plastic materials, wood veneers, or other type of existing luggage materials.

The rim 12 may be formed with peripheral fins 14 spaced apart sufliciently to give the container upright stability. A tough resilient track 16 may be sewn or otherwise attached to the fins to provide resilient operation.

The drum opening is formed with a seat 18 for lid 20 which may be secured to the container by inserting projection 22 into recess 24 of the rim, and causing the latch 26 of the lock 28 to be projected into the catch 30.

The parallel partitions 32 may be used to divide the container as shown in FIG. 3 allowing central chamber 34 to be formed for suits, dresses, and similar articles while small top and bottom chambers 36 may be used for smaller items. Straps 38 can be utilized to secure the articles when the luggage is being transported.

For rolling, a ball-bearing support 40 may be provided for each flat side or end of the luggage as is shown in FIG. 4, which may include the handle 42, the flexible or rigid connecting members which can be a chain 44, or strap, connecting the handle to the ball-bearing housing 46. The housing contains the ball-bearing race 48, a

3,301,353 Patented Jan. 31, 1967 central shaft 50 having a square shaped plug 52, and a'setscrew 54, operable by a coin or the like to lock the plug to similarly shaped recess 56 in hub 58 mounted on the flat sides of the luggage at their centers.

Thus when the luggage container is packed and the lid secured, the handle can be used to pull the luggage from one point to another without having to carry the entire weight. The ball-bearing supports will provide a substantially frictionless motion enabling a heavy piece of luggage to be readily rolled on the rims with a finger.

The luggage container may be made adjustable as is shown in FIGURE 5 where the container is provided with two container halves or sections 10a and 1% which can telescope one into the other to form a closed container. The two tracks may be provided on the outside rim of half 10a or one track on each half such as 1611 and 1611 as shown. In the latter case the track 16b will extend sufiicient-ly radially to provide upright support.

A method for locking the two container halves together is shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 wherein the inner half is provided with threaded sockets 60 which may be formed on the rim of inner half 10b, while bolts 62 are provided in the flat end of the compartment half 1011. The bolts may be rotated in the lid by a coin fitting into slot 64 of the head 66 of the bolt. The shoulder 68 in the flat side of the half will engage the shoulder 70 on the bolt to permit rotation While urging the two halves together. The head of the bolt may be provided with a lock 72 by which a key fitting into the cross-slot 74 will cause a latch 7-6 to engage catch 78 in the wall of the container.

In FIGURE 7 a dufile bag type of rolling container 100 is shown, with lid 20c openable as shown to make the contents available. The container including the lid may be provided with hinges 80 and lock 82 as shown.

The tracks of the luggage forming the invention may consist of substantially shape retaining material such as metal or plastic with a resilient cover such as rubber. The tracks can be joined by flexible material such as canvas to form the drum-shaped luggage. If such luggage is firmly packed the Whole becomes substantially shaperetaining for rolling.

As is shown in FIGURE 8 the luggage may be made by using tracks positioned on member or rim 91 with the wheel-shaped compartment 92 spaced from the tracks and rim 91 by ball-bearings 94. In this manner the compartment need not be rotated during transport because the tracks 90 with the rim 91 will roll along the supporting surface. This of course would be a more expensive construction.

The luggage can be easily stored by removing the ball bearing support, thus leaving the side substantially flat for storing one upon the other.

The drum shaped luggage is substantially stronger than conventional oblong luggage. Any type of outside track may be utilized which will permit the luggage to be rolled either by pulling the flexible support or by pushing a rigid support in place of the chain or straps.

One narrow track may be used in place of a wider or spaced-apart tracks, but of course more effort is required to manipulate and balance such luggage in rolling the same.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular form or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other Ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities com-ing within the scope of the appended claims, and by means of which objects of my invention are obtained and new results accomplished, since the particular embodiments here-in shown and described are only several of the many that can be employed to obtain these objects and accomplish these results.

I claim:

1. Wheel shaped luggage comprising a wheel, said wheel having a rim for rolling on a supporting surface, and a luggage compartment positioned inside the rim for transporting clothing and other articles, said luggage compartment having two fiat ends, one end thereof being entirely removable and forming a closure; and a bar forming a handle having attaching members, at least one of the attaching members being secured to the closure, and movable therewith, the other attaching member being secured to the opposite end of the luggage compartment, said bar hav-ing a length in excess of the distance between the two ends of the compartment so that by grasping the bar the luggage compartment can be freely rolled and lifted with one hand.

2. The luggage of claim 1 wherein the attaching members of the handle are flexible.

3. The luggage of claim 1 wherein ball-bearings are positioned between the rim and the luggage compartment whereby the rim can be rotated with respect to the compartment.

4. The luggage of claim 1, wherein the luggage compartment is provided with partitions, and said partitions and one flat end are formed of a single piece of material.

5. The luggage of claim 1, wherein the luggage compartment comprises telescopic section-s, each section including a flat end, and means are provided for securing the sections in a variety of positions.

4 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 146,616 1/1874 Scoville 190-20 284,825 9/1883 Deimel 190-20 311,176 1/1885 Deimel 190-20 311,919 2/1885 Redmond et al. 190-20 318,455 5/1885 Deimel 190-20 395,055 12/1888 Hyde 190-18 432,138 7/1'89O Jones l-20 508,057 11/1893 Stechhan 190-22 X 546,429 9/ 1895 ONea-ll 190-20 666,967 1/1901 Marx et a1. 1,153,250 9/1915 Phillips 46-220 X 1,206,187 11/1916 Whitfield 94-50 1,250,591 12/1917 Karl 94-50 1,924,644 8/1933 Himmelberger 94-50 2,756,830 7/1956 Hurthig -10 X 2,802,541 8/1957 Albee. 2,925,283 2/1960 Stilger -18 X 3,023,826 3/1962 Larson et a1. 3,029,855 4/1962 Telford 190-53 X 3,236,538 2/1966 Johan sen 190-18 X FOREIGN PATENTS 723,375 8/1942 Germany.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Examiner.

M. L. MINSK, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. WHEEL SHAPED LUGGAGE COMPRISING A WHEEL, SAID WHEEL HAVING A RIM FOR ROLLING ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE, AND A LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT POSITIONED INSIDE THE RIM FOR TRANSPORTING CLOTHING AND OTHER ARTICLES, SAID LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT HAVING TWO FLAT ENDS, ONE END THEREOF BEING ENTIRELY REMOVABLE AND FORMING A CLOSURE; AND A BAR FORMING A HANDLE HAVING ATTACHING MEMBERS, AT LEAST ONE OF THE ATTACHING MEMBERS BEING SECURED TO THE CLOSURE, AND MOVABLE THEREWITH, THE OTHER ATTACHING MEMBER BEING SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT, SAID BAR HAVING A LENGTH IN EXCESS OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO ENDS OF THE COMPARTMENT SO THAT BY GRASPING THE BAR THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT CAN BE FREELY ROLLED AND LIFTED WITH ONE HAND.