US2313884A - Collapsible package carrier - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1943. L, E. MATTOON COLLAPSIBLE PACKAGE CARRIER Filed March 2,.1942 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTOR. \MATTOON ATTORNEY.

E M U 4 March 16, 1943. L. E. MATTOON v COLLAPSIBLE PACKAGE CARRIER Filed March 2, 1942 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE-5.

IN VEN TOR.

1402A 'E. Mar-7'00 Patented Mar. 16, '1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y 2,313,884 I p l l f ooLLArsmLaPAoxAGE CARRIER. Laura E. Mattoon, San Francisco, Calif. Application March 2, 1942, Serial No. 432,935 0m ns. (o1. 280-51) This invention relates to improvements in package carriers, and more particularlyto a collapsible wheeled carrier which may be readily collapsed into a compact formwhen it is to be carried by hand, and which maybe extended into an elongated wheeled container when it is to be moved from ping tour.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved packagecarrier having a construction capable of being carried as a. handbag when place to place during a shop empty or when partially filled, and which may be extended and wheeled along the ground when filled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a package carrier of the kind characterized,consisting of a collapsible frame having a foldable bag mounted thereon.

While I show and describe a package carrier considered to be a preferredembodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that changes as to form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is .a perspective view of my improved package carrier, showing a side partially open and also showing the same fully extended and in a form whereby it may be wheeled about; t Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the package carrier, showing the same collapsed and in a compact form whereby it may be carried as a handba Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken vertically throug the carrier when in. the form shown inFig.2; Fig.4 is a perspective view of the collapsible framein an extended or unfolded form, showing by the dotted lines the relative positions .of. the

various parts when they are moved to partially I collapsed positions; and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken ver-. tically through the carrier when in a fully extended or unfolded form.

Referring to the drawings, the numeralI designates a lower U-shaped frame member having a plurality of casters 2 depending therefrom. The upwardly disposed legs of the U-shaped frame member are pivotally mounted on a trans- U-shaped elements 6 are over the upwardly disposed ends of the U-shaped frame member I when the said side members and the upwardly disposed legs of the U-shaped frame member are in alignment. When the sleeves are in positions whereby they extend around the lower ends of the side frame members 4 and the upper ends of the upwardlly disposed legs of the U-shaped frame member I, the said frame members are held in rigid positions with respect to each other, and when so positioned the lower part of the frame is prevented from, pivotally moving about the rod 3. l

Pivotally attached to the upper ends of the side frame members 4 are two U-shaped elements 6, both of which are capable of being moved to positions where they extend upwardly in oppositely inclined directions, as shown by the full lines in Fig. 4, or they may be moved to downwardgy disposed positions with their transverse cen ral 'parts extending outside the U- shaped member I and in adjacent and parallel relation to the corresponding part thereof as shown by the broken lines inthe same figure.

Pivotally mounted on the' side frame members lnear their. upper ends, as by means of thumb screws 1, are two keepers 8, which when in upwardly extended positions as shown by the full lines in Figs. 4 and 5, serve to support the U- shaped elements 6 in upwardly disposed inclined positions. The keepers may be moved to positions alongside their associated side frame membersas shown by the broken lines in Fig. 4 when the frame and its bag are to befolded into a compact form. The thumb screws 'I serve to maintain the keepers 8 in either of thetwo positions with respect to the side frame members 4. The preferably made from heavy semi-rigid flexible steel wire, and being capable of bending slightly, the keepers 8 may be readily brought into engaging or non-engaging positions with respect thereto. Pivotally mounted at their ends on the transverse rod 3 are two U-shaped wires 9 which have a fabric piece lll secured thereto. The fabric piece I0 forms a bottom support for as will be later described.

Supported on the frame is a foldable bag It versely disposed rod 3. Also pivotally mounted on I the rod3 are two side frame members 4 which I are preferably of the samewidth as the U-shaped frame member I. Sleeves 5 slidably carried by the side frame members I are adapted to extend suitable openings for the side legs of the U- shaped member I to extend through. The fabric piece I II is adapted to extend interiorly across the lower end of the bag, and snap fasteners I2 serve to secure the opposite ends of the said fabric piece to the oppositesides of the bag, as "shown in Fig. 5. The fabric piece when attached the inside of the bag,

to the sides of the bag provides an inner bottom support for supporting the packages dropped into the bag, thereby providing means whereby the weight of the packages or articles carried may be supported on the frame rather than on the bottom of the bag proper.

The opposite sides of the bag ll near its upper area is slit and its upper end is looped and is secured to the transverse parts of the U-shaped elements 6. Secured to the upper end of the bag at points where it is 1ooped and is secured to the U-shaped elements 6, are two handles 13 which are preferably made from the same material from which the bag is constructed.

Secured to the upper end of the bag at points where the U-shaped elements extend through the looped parts are two depending panels M which are made preferably from the material from which the bag proper is made. These panelsareiprovided at their side edges and at their lowerends with hookless fastening means I5 by means of which they may be attached together. When the bag is in an unfolded position as shown in Fig. 5, the lower fastening means I5 is detached, thereby leaving an opening at the lower ends of the panels I4 through which packages inserted into the bag may drop onto the bottom piece Hi.

When the bag is thus unfolded the frame and the bag are in extended positions and the U- shaped elements 6 are separated at their upper ends, thereby providing means for maintaining the bag in a position with its upper end open. The device may be wheeled about by suitably pulling on one of the handles l3.

When it is desired that the device be collapsed so it may be carried as a handbag, the sleeves 5 are first slid upwardly to permit the U-shaped member I to be swung over to a position where the casters 2 and the central part thereof are in engagement with a side of the bag. The keepers 8 are then disengaged from the U-shaped elements 6, and after the unfastening of the hookless fasteners I5 at the sides of the panels [4, the said elements are swung outwardly in opposite directions and then toward each other to positions where their central parts are in close proximity to one another. When so positioned the handles l3 may be both grasped by a persons hand. The-side and bottom fastening means [5 are thereupon fastened together, thus forming a shortened handbag having a top opening at points between the handles.

It will be seen that my improved package carrier is capable of holding and conveniently transporting a number of packages or articles of merchandise which might otherwise be too heavy to comfortably carry by hand.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. A package carrier comprising a collapsible frame having side members and a U-shaped lower part pivoted to the side members, rotatable wheels carried by the U-shaped part of the frame, a bag supported by the frame having inner depending panels which are adapted to be positioned outside the bag when the U-shaped part of the frame is in a collapsed position with respect to the side members, and means for fastening the panels together after they are positioned outside the bag, and handle means secured to the upper end of the bag.

2. In a package carrier, a frame formed with side members and a depending pivoted bottom member adapted to be swung from an extended normal position to a collapsed position with respect to the said side members, roller means carried by the bottom member a foldable bag extending over and supported by the frame, having means in its bottom for the outward projection of that part of the bottom member of the frame which carries the roller means, a pair of spaced rigid members pivoted to the upper ends of the side members of the frame, the said rigid members being secured to the upper end of the bag and so arranged when in certain positions to normally hold the upper end of the bag in an open position, extensions on the upper end of the bag for extending around the bag and frame when they are in a collapsed form, and means for attaching the extensions together at their sides and at their free ends, and handle means on the bag.

3. In a package carrier, a frame formed with foldable parts adapted to be collapsed into folded positions or to be unfolded and arranged in extended positions, means for maintaining the parts in relative rigid positions when they are extended, roller means on the frame for engaging with a floor or supporting surface, a collapsible bag extending over and supported by the frame, means carried on the frame for normally holding the upper end of the bag in an open position, and flexible extensions on the upper endof the bag, the said extensions being arranged to be positioned inside the bag when the frame and bag are unfolded and when the bag and frame are'folded to be positioned outside and around the said bag and frame.

4. In a package carrier, a frame formed with pivoted attached parts adapted to be collapsed into folded positions or to be unfolded and ar ranged in extended positions, means for maintaining the frame parts in substantially rigid positions with respect to each other when they are extended, roller means carried by the frame, a collapsible bag supported on the frame having its lower end closed and its upper end open, extensions on the upper end of the bag having means for fastening their sides and free ends together, the said extensions being normally positioned inside the bag when it and the frame are in unfolded positions, and the said extensions beingarranged so they may be positioned outside the folded bag and the folded frame whereby a carrying device of reduced size may be provided when the bag and frame are in folded positions, and handle means connected to the bag.

LAURA E. MATTOON.

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