US2475961A - Variable volume suitcase - Google Patents

Description

y 1949- G. J. HELEERT VARIABLE VOLUME SUITCASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31, 1946 INVENTOR -Jv'z" \L l w AC1 TOQNEY y 3949 G. .J. HELBERT 2,475,963

VARIABLE VOLUME SUITCASE Filed July 31, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m R W a m N G I Q\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I\ E m M. F W W W W W a a ATTORNEY Patented July 12, 1949 a "jZl475,9.61 VARIABIZE'MOLUMESUITCASE George H rt. .Ut a, N- Ysyassig o o n half to ChittlQsKA. Heaton, ,Utica, 'N. Y.

.. Application July 31, 1946;:SerialNo. 687,253

4 4. Glaims; (Cl. 190-47) This invention I relates generally to- ;;improvements .in suit ,cases or; lug age, but, more" particularly to-a suit casecwhich is adjustable to different 1engths.-1and=;thereby serves tortakerthe place of three standard;size-,suit, cases.

It: has for; one of its; objects to providera selfcontained sectional suitlcase which is, so.;designed and constructed: that it can be readily Zandeasily adjusted-by: the usento any standard;s-lze desired, say to simulateqeither an .-l8-inch,. 21-inch or 24-inch suitgcasemand whichis; balanced in all positions thereof.

Another: object of the-inventionis to provide a self-adjustable suit case of this; character which is; neat in appearance, light in 3 weight; compact ,and inexpensive in construction,;and,which-embodies-effective means forllatching thelcase in its different positions; of adjustment.

Other features of the-invention reside imthe construction and arrangement of parts ;herein+ afterdescribed and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

.In the accompanying drawings:

Figure; 1 is a; perspective view ot the suit case a it p s in ts; mal t; ad usted size-.11; eu -e I 2 is a perspective view thereof asit appears in its largest adjusted size. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the case shown in Figure 2, but in its open position ready forpacking. Figure 4 is a detached perspective rear, view of thcmiddlepr. ma nb y section of the case, but omitting an interior ,iront wall guide panel. Figure 5 is a detached perspective viewof 'oneof-theend sectionsoi the case. Figure 6 is a horizontal sectiontaken in the plane ofline 6-45, Figure 7, with-the,- case adjusted to its intermediate size. Figure 7,-is anenlaiged cross section taken on line 1-4, Figure 3 Figure .8 is a similar fragmentary, cro$S/:.Sectin taken in the plane of line 8-8, Figure 3, but with the cover sections closed.

Similar characters of ,reference indicate-the corresponding parts throughout the several-views.

In the; preferred embodiment ,Of my invention shown in the drawings, the same comprises a main central or middle section III' which is of rectangular cross-section and tubular in form, and end sections II, II which are substantially box-like in form and are telescopically fitted in the opposite ends of the central section for longitudinal adjustment relative thereto to vary the length and capacity of the case. These sections may be made of any appropriate material and suitably covered both exteriorly and interiorly thereof, with the interior provided with customary pockets and other appurtenances common to the luggage art.

w-Thelmain or. central section In of the suit .caseis: composed of; a body 12 vof substantially ,Li-shape, in cross-section, to provide a bottom and sidewalls, and a companion cover l3 of like shape, but, shallower, hinged at M to the rearwall of suchbody asshown in Figure 4. This main section.,is, also.provided with the customary hardwareemployed for; carrying and latching purposes, a handle I 5 beinglattached to the topside wall of the body 12, while pivoted catches l6 and companion, latching plates I! are applied to theadjoining top. sides of the cover l3 and body, respectively.

7 The ,end sections M, H which. nest or telescopically fit within. the opposite ends of. the central section [0 andform end closures therefor areeach composed of a body N3 of substantially U-shape in cross-section to provideabottom, sides. and amend wall, and a companion. cover 19 of likeshape, but shallowerghinged at 20 to the, rear, wall -oi-such body, as shown in Figure landiadapted to swing in the same plane as the. cover [3 .of the main section. The bodies .of theseend sections nest within the companion ,body l2 of the central section while the covers 19 thereof nest within the cover I3 of suchcentral section, asv shownin Figures .2, 3, 7 and 8. ,The inner or opposing. ends of the end sections are open to provide .or establish open communication with thecentral section, and such end sectionsconstitute the ends of the adjustable suit case. In. the smallestsize of the case, shown in, Figure ,1,. the ,enddwalls of the end sections are substantiallyflush .with the mating ends of the central section, while in theintennediate adjustment, shown by the dot and dash lines in Figure 2, and. in the maximum size adjustment shown by full lines in thesame figure, the end sections project uniformly corresponding distances beyond the opposite ends of the central section.

v For the purpose of properly andeffectually 3 ing. The free ends of these strips are normally flexed toward the body side Walls and thereby serve to frictionally grip and properly guide the end sections in a straight path. To limit the outward travel of the end sections relative to the main section, transverse cleats 25 are applied to the contiguous opposing faces of the bottom walls of such sections, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, which abut against each other in the maximum extended positions of the sections.

The means employed for retaining the end. sections H in their respective adjusted positions consist of the cover-latching catches I1 and a longitudinal row of equi-spaced openings 26 formed in the front side wall of each end section and with which such catches are adapted to releasably interlock. The tongues 21 of these catches are of a length to extend into one or an- '4 former, and complementary means applied to the cover of the main section and to the bodies of the main and end sections for jointly releasably latching the latter in their respective adjusted positions relative to the main section and the respective covers in their closed positions.

3. A suit case of the character described, comprising a main central section of tubular-like form having opposing parallel side walls, two end sections of substantially box-like form telescopically fitted in the opposite ends of said main section for adjustment relative thereto to vary the length and capacity of the case, each of said sections including a body and a separate cover hinged thereto with the covers of the end sections disposed to nest partially or completely within the cover of the main section as determined by other of the companion latching openings and thereby serve the dual function of latching the cover I3 of the case in its closed position as well as latching the end sections of the case in'their adjusted positions to retain them in place against endwise displacement. By this construction, the end sections are effectually held in place when the suit case is closed and carried from place to place, and when opened the sections are automatically unlatched and may be adjusted to suit the particular needs of the user. It will be understood that the covers IQ of the end sections are held closed by the cover of the main or central section.

I claim as my invention;

1. A suit case of the character described, comprising a main central section of tubular-like form including a body and a cover hinged thereto, end sections of substantially box-like form telescopically fitted in the opposite ends of said main section for adjustment relative thereto to vary the length and capacity of the case, each of said end sections being in open communication with and constituting an end closure for the main section and including a body and a cover hinged thereto to swing in the plane of the cover of the main section, and complementary means applied to the cover of the main section and to the bodies of the main and end sections for jointly releasably latching the latter in their adjusted positions relative to the main section and the respective covers in their closed positions.

2. A suit case of the character described, comprising a main central section of tubular-like form including a body and a cover hinged thereto, end sections of substantially box-like form telescopically fitted in the opposite ends of said main section for adjustment relative thereto to vary the length and capacity of the case, each of said end sections being in open communication with and constituting an end closure for the main section and including a body and a cover hinged thereto to swing in the plane of the cover of the main section, coengaging means on said main section and said end sections for limiting the outward displacement of the latter relative to the the adjustment of the sections, means applied to the opposing side walls of the main section in spaced coextensive relation thereto for receiving and guiding the companion opposing side walls of the telescoping end sections, and inter-engaging means applied to one of the side walls of the main section and its cover and to the adjoining side walls of the end sections for releasably latching the latter in their respective adjusted positions relative to the main section and the respective covers in their closed positions.

4. A suit case of the character described, comprising a main central section of tubular-like form, two end sections of substantially-box-like form telescopically fitted in the opposite ends of said main section for adjustment relative thereto to vary the length and capacity of the case, each of said sections including a body and a separate cover hinged thereto with the covers of the end sections disposed to nest partially or completely within the cover of the main section as determined by the adjustment of the sections, and releasable catches applied to the main section and its cover for latching the same and the end section-covers in a closed position,'the body of each end section having a row of openings therein with one or another of which the companion cover catch is adapted to interlock to retain such end sections in a set position of adjustment.

' GEORGE J. HILBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 584,279 Wallace June 8, 1897 1,748,024 Machemer ,Feb. 18, 1930 1,849,046 Arndt Mar. 8, 1932 1,941,375 Wildman Dec. 26, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 223,754 Great Britain Oct. 30, 1924 562,057 Germany Oct. 21, 1932

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