US2301182A - Receptacle - Google Patents

Description

H. E. KASER Nov. 10, 1942.

RECEPTACLE Filed Dec. 1, 1939 Sheets-Sheet l A rromvfys Nov. 10, 1942. KASER 2,301,182

RECEPTACLE Filed Dec. 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVE'NI'OI? z {M A TTOR/YEKS Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RECEPTACLE Herbert E. Kaser, Clarence, N. Y., assignor to Raymond Schutz, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,135

4 Claims.

such as leather.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a case equipped with so-called zipper or analogous fastening means comprising opposed series of cooperating talons, fingers or elements which are interengaged or interlocked with one another, as by an operating slide, for securing the relatively movable parts or sections of the case in closed position, said sections of the case being preferably constructed with flexible rims, lips or edges which carry and are joined by the fastening means but are braced so as to prevent the collapsing of these portions of the case; also to provide a case of desirable construction and attractive appearance which, while having flexible or non-rigid walls, will nevertheless retain its shape and be prevented from collapsing or tible to injury.

Further objects and advantages of the invention .will appear from the following specification of the preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, and the novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is an inside plan view of an opened case embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the case, closed.

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the form on which the case is built up, respectively showing successive steps of the method of making the case.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections, on an enlarged scale, on the planes of lines 55, Fig. ,3, and 6-6, Fig. 4, respectively.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View illustrating the next step in the method of making the ,case.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section, enlarged, on the plane of line 8-8, Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a transverse, sectional elevation showing the case removed from the form and its parts stitched together.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary transverse section of the finished case.

Fig. 11 is a sectional plan View on theplane together.

of line HH, Fig. 10, with parts broken away to show the internal construction.

In its preferred form, the case comprises opposite or top and bottom sections or walls 10 and H provided with peripheral walls or rims which are hinged or movably connected at one part of the periphery of the case to enable the opening and closing of the case, and are equipped with fastening elements for connecting other peripheral portions of the case for releasably retaining the case sections in closed position.

The opposite walls Ill and I l are preferably made of more or less flexible or pliable leather or analogous sheet material which is of attractive and desirable .external surface appearance and feel, said walls being adapted to flex or yield in handling the case, and the case may be ,of the generally elliptical or elongated form .With rounded ends shown, or of other shape. The peripheral walls of the case, which may be sub,- stantially perpendicular to the walls [0 and ,H preferably are formed by two opposing flexible talonstrips I72 and [3, each on one case section, which-carry the talons or elements of the fastening means which interlock or cooperate with each other for securing the sections .of the .case

As shown, each of the opposing flexible strips is provided with a series of projecting fingers Land the fingers on one strip are adapt.- ed to be. interlocked with .the cooperating fingers on the opposing strip by a slide or fingerengaging device l5, suchas employed in fasten.- ers of the type popularlyknown as zipper fasteners. This invention is not concerned with the particular construction or formation of the interdigitating fingers or cooperating elements of the fastener; or of the fastener operating slide or device 15, and these parts may be of any known or suitable construction for the purpose, but the strips I12 and i3 carrying the fastener elements are ,of suitable character to adapt them to flex, as required, for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements for closing and opening the case. These fastener strips constitute, in

effect, flexible rims or lips on the margins or edge portions of the case sections.

In order to support or brace these flexible rims or lips carrying the fastener elements =so as to prevent the collapse :of the periphery of the case or the portion or portions thereof connected by the fastener elements and hold the opposite walls It! and I l of the case in the intended spaced relation, each section of the case is provided with a collar or flan e [6, which is disposed inside of and preferably in contact with the inner face of the fastening rim or lip of that section of the case. These flanges I6 may be attached to the lip strips back or inwardly from their free edges or from the fastener elements so that the free edge portions of the lips I2 and I3 which carry the fastener elements, are movable relatively to the supporting flanges to permit the engagement and disengagement of the fastener elements. Preferably, the outer edges of the supporting flanges are so disposed that when the cooperating fastener elements are connected with each other, said edges of the flanges I6 will abut and the connected lips I2 and I3 will retain the supporting flanges thus in edge-abutting relation so that the abutting flanges will form a relatively rigid rim or periphery for the case. These flanges can be made of more or less flexible but relatively stiff sheet materials, such as fiberboard, Celluloid or the like, which is light and more or less flexible laterally but relatively stiff in the direction of width of the flanges, and these flange pieces may have surface coverings or finishes desirable for the interior finish of the case.

The case can be economically and expeditiously made by the following method:

Two strips, which form the supporting flanges I6, are placed edge to edge around the periphery of a form 20, Figs. 3-8, the circumference of which is equal in length to the internal peripheral surface of the completed case, and which form may be of substantially the same shape and size as the interior of the case to be produced. The ends of the two flange strips are fastened together about the form as by suitably skiving the ends and cementing them together, as indicated in Fig. 3. Then, the strips I2 and I3 which carry the fastening elements and which form the external peripheral wall of the case are placed around the form outside of the flange strips, and their ends are connected to each other (see Fig. 4), preferably by a piece 2I, of thin leather or other suitable sheet material which is to form the hinge or part for movably connecting the two sections of the case. This hinge piece is secured, as by cementing, to the ends of the fastener strips I2 and I3 and to the underlying portions of the flange strips I 6. Then the opposite walls I!) and II of the case, which may have been previously formed by pressing or other suitable shaping process to provide the same with peripheral flanges 22, are placed over opposite sides of the form with the flanges of these walls overlapping the outer edges of the fastener strips I2 and I3, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and are secured thereto, as by cementing. .The fastener is then operated to unfasten or open the opposite sections of the case, and the case as thus far completed is removed from the form.

After removing the case, its several parts are preferably permanently secured together by lines of stitching 23 extending along the edges of the flanges 22 of walls I and II, the stitching passing through these flanges, the fastener strips I2 and I3 and the supporting flanges I5, and permanently securing these parts together. The stitching may be performed by any suitable stitching machine. The stitching which attaches the supporting flange I6 and the fastener strip I2 or I3 of each case section is located somewhat back from or inwardly from the line of fastener elements, so as to leave the free edges of the opposing fastener lips free for movement relatively to the supporting flanges to enable the 7 connection and disconnection of the fastener elements.

After the several parts of the case have thus been secured together, a disk 25 of suitable, relatively thin, stifi sheet material, such as cardboard, fiberboard or the like is preferably placed in each section of the case with the edges of the disk inserted and retained between the inner edge of the supporting flange I 6 and the Wall I i! or II of that case section. This disk has a circumference substantially equal to the external circumferential size of the peripheral wall of the case or to the internal circumferential size of the flange 22 of the wall I i] or II of the case section, so that the disk will be retained in place between the Wall ID or II and the inner edge of the supporting flange I6 of the case section. These disks serve to back or reinforce the walls I8 and II of the case and retain the intended top and bottom shape of the case, but they are not sufficiently rigid to prevent some flexure of the leather walls I0 or II of the case. The disks 25 may have a surface finish or covering that provides a desired interior finish for the case, or if desired the case can be lined or finished interiorly in any desired Way, for instance, by cementing padded or un-' padded lining pieces 23 of velvet, silk, leather or other material in the case on the reinforcing disks of the two case sections, these finishing inserts being preferably made to fit the internal dimensions of the top and bottom sections to produce a neat, attractive appearance. It is also usual to cover the edges of the rims of the case sections interiorly at the hinged side thereof by a finishing piece 21, Fig. 1, which may be cemented or secured between the reinforcing disks and lining inserts 26. This strip may be of the same material as the lining inserts or of any other desired material.

I claim as my invention:

1. A receptacle comprising sections providing opposite relatively flexible walls and peripheral walls projecting towards each other from said opposite walls, and hingedly connected at one side of the receptacle for opening and closing the receptacle, said peripheral walls being formed in part by flexible slide-fastener strips projecting towards each other from the marginal portions of said opposite walls approximately perpendicularly to the walls, fingers on the adjacent outer edges of said fastener strips which are interengageable for releasably fastening said strips together to hold the receptacle closed, and relatively stiff inflexible rim flange strips on said sections arranged against and attached to said flexible fastener strips face to face therewith to brace said fastener strips, said flange strips being of approximately straight non-angular cross sectional shape throughout their width and projecting approximately perpendicularly from said opposed walls and arranged to abut edge to edge for holding said opposed walls spaced apart and supporting the said fastener strips and the rim portions of the receptacle against collapsing, the outer edge portions of said talon strips being left free to flex for engaging and disengaging said fingers.

2. A receptacle constructed as set forth in claim 1 and having a thin reinforcing disk for the flexible wall of each section arranged at the inner side of the flexible wall with its margin extending and retained between the flexible wall and the inner edge of said rim flange strip.

3. A receptacle formed of two generally similar sections disposed face to face and together forming a complete enclosure, each of said sections having a relatively flexible wall of substantial area and a separate-piece, relatively stiff, inflexible flange along substantially the entire marginal edge of said well, connected thereto and extending normal thereto toward the other of said section-s, each flange being of approximately straight non-angular cross sectional shape throughout its width, said flanges abutting edge to edge when the sections are face to face to form said closure and limiting the approach of said sections, means hingedly connecting adjacent portions of said abutting flanges along one side of said enclosure, flexible slide-fastener strips disposed flat against and extending along said flanges approximately from one end of said connecting means to the other end thereof, and having fingers along their abutting edges and releasably interlocking with one another, said fastener strips being secured to said flanges a short distance spaced from the abutting edges of said flanges and leaving free to flex the finger-carrying edges of said strips, whereby said connecting means and interlocked fingers maintain said sections face to face with the edges of said flanges abutting each other.

4. A receptacle formed of two generally similar sections disposed face to face and together forming a complete enclosure, each of said sections having a Wall of substantial area and a relatively stiff, inflexible flange along substantially the entire marginal edge of said wall, connected thereto and extending normal thereto toward the other of said sections, each flange being of approximately straight non-angular cross sectional shape throughout its width, said flanges abutting edge to edge when the sections are face to face to form said enclosure and limiting the approach of said sections, a piece of flexible material hingedly connecting said abutting flanges along one side of said enclosure, flexible slidefastener strips disposed flat against and extending along said flanges at least approximately from one end of said flexible hinge-piece to the other end thereof and having fingers along their abutting edges and releasably interlocking with one another, said fastener strips being secured to said flanges a short distance spaced from the abutting edges of said flanges and leaving free to flex the finger-carrying edges of said strips, whereby said connecting means and interlocked fingers maintain said sections face to face with the edges of said flanges abutting each other.

HERBERT E. KASER.

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