US2003704A - Mothproof bag - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1935. J. w. WENZELL 2,003,704

MOTHPRO OF BAG Filed Jan. 17, 1954 INVENTOR.

Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

The present invention relates to bags of the type which are employed for the storage of clothing and the like particularly where it is desired to seal the bag against the entrance of moths and the like and/ or to retain those vapors which are used therein to discourage the entrance of moths.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bag which may be elfectively sealed while suited for continued use; it being understood that those bags which are sealed with glue are temporary only and suited to use only once.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bag of this nature which may at any time be quickly sealed or unsealed without damage to the seal or contents.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bag of this nature which is re-enforced to retain shape and which may be hung in the usual manner or folded as required to fit a drawer, traveling bag, trunk orthe like.

Various materials are available in dry form which when placed within a bag of this kind will give off by sublimation suitable vapors or gases for the protection of the contents and it is an object of the invention to provide a bag which while being readily sealed or unsealed may be quickly sealed so that it is practically gas tight. It will be understood that even those temporary bags which are sealed by a glued flap, do not insure against ingress of moths or egress of vapors, and, bags of this nature cannot be made economically of higher grade materials. By providing a bag which can be opened and closed repeatedly without losing its efiiciency the present invention makes it economically possible to provide a bag made of high grade material which does not tear readily and which at all points other than the main opening may be very effectively sealed when manufactured.

In carrying out the present invention the bag is provided along the open edge with a flap pocket and a flap so arranged that when the flap is folded over the bag opening and inserted in the pocket the only possible communication with the interior of the bag is a labyrinthine path three times the depth of the flap and this is still further sealed by that which I term a resilient compression seal.

This seal comprises, in one practical form described hereinafter, a strip of rubber co-extensive of the flap and acting to increase the thickness thereof. When the flap with its rubber strip is inserted in the false pocket and equally compressed and so held thruout its length the seal is about as effective as is physically possible. For sake of low first cost coupled with long life and high efliciency the flap may be, and is, an integral part of the bag in the embodiment described hereinafter, and the rubber is provided in the form of a long strip suitably glued thereto.

To keep this rubber seal effectively compressed at all points thruout its length I provide along each edge of the bag at the main opening suitably rigid means which when forced toward each other and so held act to place the rubber under compression and so hold all contiguous surfaces pressed against each other in gas-tight relationship. Various means may be employed for proments are broken at such point but the invention provides for still retaining the rubber and contiguous parts under compression.

The said embodiment illustrative of my invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing in which;

Figure 1 is a face view of the bag.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail section thereof on a line 2-2 of'Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section thereof on a line 33 of Figure 1 showing the bag closed and sealed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary edge view of the bag when in closed, sealed and folded condition.

More specifically the bag 6 may be made of any suitable material such as paper or the like and is here shown as having its main opening, and only opening, along one vertical edge as at l. (Io-extensive along the open edge and as an integral part of the bag there is provided the flap 8.

C'o-extensive of the edge and flap and on the side of the bag opposed to that carrying the flap there is suitably provided the flap pocket 9. This is formed by the strip of bag material l0 which may be suitably glued thereto or formed as an integral part thereof; the latter being shown in the drawing for the purpose of clearly illustrating this pocket altho the former is the most practical construction. I

It will be apparent now that if the flap is bent from the open position in which it is shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively and inserted in the pocket 9 as shown in Figure 3, that the interior space I2 of the bag is separated from the atmosphere by a labyrinthine path three times the depth of the flap.

Along this flap is secured the rubber strip I4 which has one edge I iathereof directly along the point at which the flap bends while the other edge is of appreciably increased thickness to provide the longitudinal shoulder l5 co-extensive of the flap. This shoulder is thruout its length spaced a constant and given distance from edge I 4a so as to be disposed at given depth within the pocket 9.

Immediately parallel to the rubber strip and the open edge of the bag are provided the reenforcing members I6, I6 and I1, I7. These are secured to opposite sides of the bag proper and not to the flap so that when the flap is in sealed position as shown in Figure 3, these members I6 hold the open edge of the bag, the flap and the material of the flap pocket clamped between them. These members, which are here shown as half-round wooden strips may be clamped together by any suitable quickly operated fastener but owing to their shape or cross section they are readily clamped by the slotted tubes til, I Ii which are readily moved slidably over opposed members or strips and which are a well known and eiiective means for holding two opposed half-round sections clamped to each other; particularly as in the present invention where a resilient strip such as the rubber is disposed between them. One such slotted tube is provided for each opposed pair of strips It and are designed to be a snug fit over them to the extent that the rubber is suitably compressed. The bag may be provided internally with any usual means for holding garmerits therein, such as a common clothes hanger (not shown) while externally it may be provided with any usual loop or hook (not shown) by which it may be suspended if it is to be used unfolded as shown in Figure 1.

With the bag in the open position as shown in Figure 1 contents are easily introduced or removed to or from the interior space. To close the bag the flap is folded and then inserted in the flap pocket so that all adjacent'portions of the bag and flap become disposed as shown in Figure 3.

As the members I 6 are pressed toward each other the rubber strip on the flap becomes compressed while the material IE) which forms the pocket 9 becomes, at that point, clamped between the shoulder i5 and the corresponding edge of the members (5. This makes the seal additionally effective and also keeps members I6 and I8 alined with the opposite members I? and I1.

It will be understood that without illustrating same specifically, that where the bag is not to be folded as shown in Figure 4, that instead or two members IE5, IS with the space 28 between them, there would be only one such member co-extensive of the length of the open edge of the bag.

While at the points indicated at 20, it may appear that the bag is not perfectly sealed it is to be understood that the spaces 28 are provided only where the bag is to be folded. The ends of members I8, Hi, and I7, I! are cut angularly as at 2| and the space 23 is of such width that the now closed edge of the bag as indicated at 22, the rubber strip It, and the material 5 0 of which the flap pocket is formed become slightly stretched over the diverging surfaces 2! of that member I6 which now lies parallel and in juxtaposition to member I? corresponding.

Thus while the re-enforcing members are broken as at 23 to permit bending of the bag at that point, the act of folding the bag compresses the rubber and provides a seal at that point as effectively as if members I6, I6 and I1, Il were two single parallel members instead of being in 'two pairs with those of a pair separated at 20.

It will be apparent now that I have provided a bag construction which attains the objects of the invention and while I have illustrated and described a specific construction this does not mean that my invention is limited thereto and in fact any other construction within the meaning of the appended claims comes within the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture a bag having an open edge, half-round wooden strips oppositely positioned externally of said bag adjacent to and co-extensive of the open edge; said bag formed with a flap pocket underlying said strips, a resilient flap to said bag co-extensive of the open edge and disposed to be folded over the open edge of said bag and inserted in said pocket, and slotted tubes fitting slidably over said strips to clamp opposed strips together.

2. The bag as in claim 1 and further including a shoulder formed on said flap disposed to be in said pocket in offset parallel relation to the plane of the corresponding edge of one of said strips.

3. The bag as in claim 1 and in which said strips are broken intermediate their ends to permit of the bag being folded along a lateral line; the broken ends of said strips being so spaced as to place intermediate portions of the bag and flap under tension when the bag is so folded.

As an article of manufacture a bag having an open edge, strips of rigid material oppositely positioned externally of the bag adjacent to and co-extensive of the open edge, and clamping means fitting slidably over said strips to clamp the strips together.

5. The article as in claim 4 and further including a stripof more resilient material co-extensive ofthe edge of said bag and intermediate of said rigid strips.

6. The article as in claim 4 and further including a strip of more resilient material co-extensive of the edge of said bag intermediate of said rigid strips and provided with a shoulder positioned to be abutted by'a corresponding edge of one of said strips when the strips are clamped together.

7. As an article of manufacture a bag having an open edge and composed of flexible material, strips of rigid material oppositely positioned externally of said bag along the open edge and coextensive thereof; each strip being divided intermediate its ends to provide for opening said bag, and means for clamping said stripstogether comprising means slidable over said strips.

8. The article as in claim '7 and further including a resilient sealing element intermediate of said strips.

9. As an article of manufacture a bag having an open edge and composed of flexible material, strips of rigid material oppositely positioned externally of said bag along the open edge and coextensive thereof; each strip being divided intermediate its ends to provide for opening said bag, and means for clamping said strips together for sealing said bag;

10. The article as in claim 9 and further including a fiap co-extensive of the open end of said bag to one side of the opening and a flap pocket provided by said bag co-extensive of the other side of the opening.

JOSEPH WILLIAM WENZELL.

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