US2910707A - Bag lounges - Google Patents

Description

1959 M. L. LAWSER ETAL 2,910,707

BAG LOUNGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1957 Nov. 3, 1959 M. 1 LAWSER ETAL 2,910,707

BAG LOUNGES Filed Aug. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 2,910,707 BAG LOUNGES Mary L. Lawser and Florence J. Schippert, Radnor, Pa. Application August 9, 1957, Serial No. 677,303 Claims. (Cl. 5-444 The object of the invention is to provide improvements in carrying bags, bag lounges, cases and such devices as are particularly adapted for but are by no means limited to use, as a unitary part of beach and general out-ofdoor leisure equipment.

Another and more specific object is to provide a pair of preferably though not necessarily hollow elements, either one or both of which are so curved transversely as to permit their use as headrests and knee supports, when separated as far as desired and laid upon a beach, lawn, floor, or other available surface, with their externally curved surfaces exposed upwardly, so as to resemble and function one as a pillow and the other as a knee-lift or the like, and said elements, when hollow and positioned closely adjacent to each other with their convexly curved surfaces directed outwardly, form a transversely enclosed space, adapted to contain such articles as a light weight blanket, a robe, one or more bathing suits, cosmetics, lotions, etc.

A further object is to provide the major section of each of a pair of such elements with generally transverse curvature, that may terminate in one direction in a substantially plane section, whose free edge is adapted, when in contact with the ground or other suitable surface, to support the adjacent portion of said curved major section in well raised position with respect to such surface, so that when the opposite free edge of such curved section also rests upon such surface, said curved section may function as a pillow or an elevated knee rest.

to place, and at the same time maintaining the upper edges in close parallel relation, to thereby prevent the accidental escape and loss of the devices contents past said upper edges.

And a still further object is to provide a device of this class in which the sheet metal, plastic, veneer, or other material, of which said elements are primarily formed is normally protected outwardly at least by a suitable cover, which by suitable means such as grommets-and-studs, glove-fasteners, or the like, may be detached at will as for cleaning and replacement, or for the substitution of another cover of different material, color and/or design,

while preferably positioned between the outer surface of each of said sections and its cover is a removable pad of foam latex or other suitable cushioning material.

With the objects thus broadlyset forth, the invention comprises further details of construction, function and operation, which are hereinafter fully described in the following specification, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled device, as when ready to be carried from place to place; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the two principal elements of the device in separated relation with a bundle representing possible contents positioned between them; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the two essential elements in widely spaced relation upon a lightweight blanket or the like, that may be spread upon a beach or other suitable surface; Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a person lying across said elements when spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 3, with his head and shoulders resting upon one of said elements as a pillow, while the other of said elements serves as a means for elevating the knees and thighs, while such person is in the reclined position; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the uppermost free end portions of said elements as when being carried as a unit; Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower central portion of the assembled device, showing the manner in which the two elements are normally joined together in the preferred embodiment of the invention when being carried about; Fig. 7 is a disassembled view showing the three basic members of which each of the two main elements is formed; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-3 of one of the elements shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a slightly modified form of the assembled device; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the two similar elements of this modified form; Fig. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the relatively longitudinally movable method of assembly of a pair of elements having a slightly different form of interconnection at their lower edges; Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view showing the pie-engaged locking position of the lower portions of two further modified elements; and Fig. 13 is a similar fragmentary end view of the same two elements after they have been interlocked and shifted relatively angularly into their normally engaged operative relationship.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the invention essentially comprises a pair of similarly shaped primary elements 1 and 2, each of which is characterized by a relatively slightly curved .rest for the shoulders of a reclining person in one position (Fig. 4), and in a reversed position, spaced widely from the first, serves as a comfortable rest for that persons lower thighs, while his neck is supported comfortably by the abruptly curved portion in the first instance and his under-knees in the section position, at the same time that the relatively plane sections serve to maintain said first-mentioned sections in their properly elevated positions with respect to the surface upon which the user may be reclining.

That edge portion of each of said elements, that determines the free end of the but slightly curved section, is provided with properly spaced apertures 6 through which may be passed sections of suitable rope 7 or other flexible articles, Whose opposite ends in each instance are knotted or oterwise prevented from accidental removal, while each such rope or the like is provided with oppositely projecting free extensions having suitably protected ends 8, said extensions when tied together at the opposite ends of the assembled device preventing them from becoming accidentally separated, while the central portions of said ropes or the like are intended for use as means for carrying the device from place to place.

Said elements are provided with removable protective covers, that differ from each other at their normal lower ends as hereinafter referred to. Each such cover is composed preferably of cloth of suitable type, and comprises a central generally rectilinear portion 9, laterally outwardly positioned reversely folded marginal strips 10, and at their upper ends with a reversely turned portion 11, through spaced portions of which extend grommets or other suitable form of protected eyelets 12, that are normally in alignment with the apertures 6 in the adjacent ends of said elements, so that the end portions of said ropes can pass through them and be securely though detachably secured in such manner, that the ropes themselves cannot be accidentally lost, nor become separated from their respective elements, and at the same time will operatively secure the protective covers to said elements, and foam latex or other suitable cushioning means 12a beneath them. i

The opposite and normal lower end portion of each of said covers is inturned at 13, and such inturned portion is secured to the body portion of the cover by suitable stitching at the marginal edges 14, so as to thereby provide pockets in which is normally positioned the lower end portion of the respective supporting element. Additionally, the said lower portion of one of said covers,

such as the one on the right side of Fig. 2, is provided with a longitudinally extending strip of fabric 15, that may also be elastic if preferred, or instead may be formed of any other suitable flexible material, beneath which may be inserted the relatively fiat or plane portion 4 of the other of said elements along with the protective material covering the same. By this construction the two elements may be detachably jointed by a relative parallel, rectilinear movement of the said elements, to form the assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, a modified form of the device is here shown as comprising a pair of similarly constructed, complementary elements, each of which is composed of a hollow stiff wire or tubular peripheral frame member, which in general follows in shape the outline of the basic elements of the preferred form hereinbefore described. Thus, there is provided in each element a bottom rectilinear section 16, from the opposite ends of which extend relatively short parallel sections 17, that merge into relatively abruptly curved sections 18, then into relatively straight sections 19, and finally come together in a handle-simulating curved upper section 2t). The curved sections 18 together with the adjacent portions of the bottom parallel sections 17 and the uppermost sections 18 are covered by a fabric, plastic, or other suitable material, so as to afford comfortable surfaces to support the shoulders and neck of a reclining person when in one position, and when on a given surface in widely spaced relation with respect to such first position, to comfortable support the users thighs and under-knees as in the first described instance. The lower edge portion of such covering may be secured to the lower straight section 16 in any suitable manner, as for example by a heavy cord or the like 21 that has its ends secured to widely spaced portions of the adjacent edges of said cover, while its central portion passes around the central portion of said straight frame section. Similarly the upper edge portion of such covering may be secured to the upper curved handle section Ztl, by a suitable length of heavy cord or the like comprising oppositely divergent loops 22 and 23 secured to the center of the upper edge portion of said cover and at their opposite ends encircling widely separated portions of the said handle section 20. There is no special locking connection between the normal lower parallel sections 17, when the two elements are in closely adjacent and operative relation for containing various extraneous articles between them, but it will be found by extensive tests that the weight of such articles upon the lower flat sections of said elements, added to the frictional engagement between them, will prevent them from becoming accidentally separated with resultant escape and possible loss of the contents. However, said elements when desired are easily separated, and arranged in any desired relationship upon the chosen supporting surface, as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 11, there is shown a'pair of preferably rigid metallic or but slightly yielding elements 25 and 26, the lower end portions 27 and 28 of which are reversely folded loosely to provide spaces 29 and 30, into which the freely reversely extending portion of the other can be inserted, so that with said spaces being but slightly wider than the corresponding thickness of the other end portion in each instance, the said end portions Will be removably retained in position when in assembled relationship as for carrying from place to place, and the upper edges of said elements being constructed so as to function the same as hereinbefore described. When this form is provided, it will be understood that said elements are maintained in expended relationship as the space between them is filled with extraneous articles, such as those hereinbefore referred to.

Referring to Figs. 12 and 13, the lower portions of said elements are provided with normally interlocking, reversely curved flanges 31 and 32, which are in effect hooked portions that may be interlocked at will, by first positioning said elements substantially as indicated in Fig. 12, intercngaging said hooked portions, and then reversely moving said elements, with respect to each other into the final operative position shown inFig, 13. Then it will be seen that by providing shoulders 33 immediately inwardly from said hooked portion 31, it becomes impossible to remove one such hooked portion from the other, as long as said elements are in normally close relationship, and their upper ends in close juxtaposition, as when being carried by means of the ropes or other means hereinbefore described.

it is to be understood that when referring to relatively or substantially stiff elements, the same may be actually rigid if desired, but likewise if preferred they may be slightly yielding so as to thereby yield with the weight of the head or thighs, as for example when used as shown in Fig. 2.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of oppositely positioned, stiff transversely irregular, curved wholly separable sheet elements, adapted to enclose a hollow space between them, and a broad flexible strap secured at its ends to the opposite edges of the bottom of one of said elements, and normally receiving slideably and frictionally gripping the lower edge portion of the other of said elements in close parallel relation, to normally secure the adjacent portions of said elements in overlapping wholly detachable relationship.

2. A device according to claim 1, in combination with carrying means attached to the parallel upper edges of said elements, and which are simultaneously held when in closely adjacent relation to carry the device from place to place.

3. A device according to claim 2, in combination with a protective cover of yieldable material spanning the outer surface of said elements, and a pad of cushioning material between the outer surface of each of said elements and its cover.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of substantially rigid sheet elements having oppositely positioned outwardly curved midsections merging in opposite directions in angularly related substantially plane sections, slideable flexible means to detachably connect a pair of said plane sections together frictionally, and carrying means upon the free longitudinal edges of the other pair of said plane sections operative to secure the adjacent upper edges together, while said device is being transferred from place to place.

5. A device according to claim 4, in combination with a detachable cover spanning the outer surface of each of said elements, and a pad of cushioning material between the outer surface of each of said elements and its cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 597,734 McConnell Jan. 25, 1898 1,158,356 Wilson Oct. 26, 1915 1,479,903 Erland Jan. 8, 1924 1,805,803 Bulgarini May 19, 1931 2,105,319 Hedden et al. Jan. 11, 1938

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