Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to an improved laundry bag and
method of manufacture.
~ver-growing pressure to control escalating costs of
hospitalization has caused even the lowly hospital laundry bag to
come under scrutiny. Such factors as initial cost, bag capacity,
handling efficiency, wear resistance, and ability to withstand
rough handling without tearing or splitting (even after repeated
washing of the bag itself) all enter into the cost picture.
Considering the great frequency with which towels, bed linens,
wearing apparel, and other fabric items are changed and laundered
in routine hospital operations, necessitating the maintenance of
a large inventory of laundry bags which are used over and over - -
again, small differences in the above-mentioned cost factors can
have significant economic impact. Evidencing this fact, knowledge-
able purchasers of hospital supplies have established detailed
specifications for such bags with the objective of achieving
maximum performance at the least possible cost.
Among the bags meeting existing specifications is a
commercial product similar to the prior art bag disclosed in
U.S. Patent No. 2,789,610, to R. J. Pritchard. Such bags include
a flap, stitched to the sides of the bag, which acts as a
combined bag closure and support band. When the bag is open, the
flap forms a pocket with a downwardly directed mouth which can
be slipped over the back of a chair to support the bag. When this
pocket is pushed inside out and slipped over the top opening of
the bag itself, it serves as a closure, protecting the bag contents
from loss and further soiling.
Heretofore, there has~ been a problem of tearing of this
1ap, or of the stitching which secures it to the side seams of
the bag. To provide adequate strength in the face of rough
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handling, gussets have been cut out and sewn between the lower
edge of the flap and the side seams of the bag. This measure
contributes significantly to the construction costs of these bags.
Nevertheless, the use of such gussets has generally been accepted
heretofore as an important factor in achieving adequate resistance
against destruction of the bags by rough handling.
According to the invention, the lower edge of that flap
on a laundry bag which constitutes a combined bag closure and
support band and which is attached to opposite sides of the bag
by a pair of upstanding seams, intersects with each of said seams
at an acute angle. The result is a bag which is less costly to
produce ~- requiring no gussets -- which is highly resistant to
splitting or tearing of the aforementioned seams or of the
material adjacent to said seams and along said lower edge.
The savings effected in this manner make it possible,
if desired, to provide the bag with cylindrical walls and a
rounded bottom panel, thereby significantly increasing its
capacity, while retaining the overall cost of the bag at a very
reasonable level.
If the aforementioned flap -- or, more preferably, the
entire bag -- is of a bias cut cloth fabric, a particularly
damage-resistant structure is thereby obtained.
Since the center of the flap is narrower than its sides,
it is possible to practice a particularly advantageous method of -
cutting bag components from a fabric, resulting in better utiliza-
tion and savings of fabric. The method is described below.
If the flap lower edge describes a substantially
continuously concave curve, it tends to redistribute tearing
forces exerted intermediate the ends of said lower edge, apparently -
further increasing resistance against such tearing forces.
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If the acute angle portions of the flap are connected
by a substantially continuously concave curve and the material is
bias-cut, the application of a pucker-free binding to the curved
edge is an easier and less time consuming task, saving production
costs.
In a form of laundry bag of the invention which is
particularly convenient to handle, the bag is defined at least in
part by two side panels joined by upstanding seams, which panels
. form a substantially cylindrical wall portion when the bag is
filled; and a lateral extension of one or both of said side
panels, having a free upstanding edge, extends to the outside of
the bag from each of said upstanding seams, said extensions being
folded against the outer surface of the bag and having their
lower edges secured to the bag to form handle pockets.
In a particularly easy to manufacture version, the pair
of handle pockets is formed adjacent the bottom of the cylindrical
wall portion by lateral extensions of both side panels from both
of said upstanding seams, forming double thicknesses of fabric
which are folded back at essentially diametrically spaced
locations to overlie the cylindrical wall portion.
When the bag includes a handle pocket or pockets and a
bottom panel having a peripheral seam along which it is joined
to the lower edges of the side panels, the lower edges of the
extension or extensions which form the handle pockets may be
secured to the bag by said peripheral seam.
Therefore, in the bag of my invention which includes a
wall portion and a flap secured to the upper portion of said wall
portion, said flap having a bag-open position in which said flap
forms a pocket with a downwardly directed mouth to receive a
means for supporting said bag, and a bag-closed position in which
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said pocket has been pushed inside out and slipped over an
opening in the top of the bag, said flap being attached to
opposite sides of the wall portion by a pair of upstanding seams,
with which the lower edge of said flap intersects, the improvement
is characterized in that said flap, when laid flat in an
unstretched condition, is narrower at the center than at the side
edges thereof, and said lower edge, viewed with the flap in both
the bag-open position and the bag-closed position, intersects with
each of said seams at an acute angle, the flap is otherwlse
free of seams which intersect with said lower edge.
The method of cutting out bag components, referred to
above, includes cutting two of the above-mentioned flaps from a
single piece of material. The flaps are cut from the material s
along cutting lines corresponding to the two lower edges of the
respective flaps, thereby defining a panel of fabric between the
cutting lines. This panel is then formed into one or more other
components of the bag, such as a bottom panel, and is preferably
divided into a pair of bottom panels for a pair of laundry bags.
According to an optional but advantageous aspect of this method,
each of the aforementioned flaps is formed integral with, i.e.,
from the same continuous running length of material, one of the
side panels which in part defines the side walls of the bag. The
line of intersection between the top of the flap and the top edge
of the adjoining side panel can be a stress point when the bag is
in use, assuming this line of intersection defines the top of the
pocket which is used to hang the bag on a chair or other object.
When this line of intersection is formed by a fold in a single
piece o~ fabric, which includes both the flap and the side panel,
the tensile strength of the full thickness ànd width of the
material is made available at this stress point.
The method of my invention for laying out and cutting
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the component pieces of a laundry bag of the type having wall
portions; a bag closure and support band, said band having a
concavely curved edge; and an essentially round bottom portion,
comprises the steps of:
laying out two of said bag closure and support bands
on a length of material with their concavely curved edges facing
each other;
laying out two of said bottom portions in the spaces
between said concavely curved edges;
10 - laying out said wall portions on said strip in series
with said bands; and
cutting said bands, wall portions and bottom portions
from said length of material.
The product and method of my invention will now be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a laundry bag
according to the inyention in which the -
combined closure and support band is in its
support position so that the bag may be
fi.lled with laundry;
Figure 2 shows a laundry bag according to the invention
with the combined bag support and closure band
arranged in its closed position so that the
bag may be transported without spilling its
contents;
Figure 3, and an enlarged portion of it,
Figure 4, show the mode of attachment of the bag
closure/suppoxt band to the bod~y of the bag;
Figures 5.and 6 show the manner in which gripping
loops are attached to the upper portion of
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the bag according to the invention, to
facilitate closing the bag;
Figure 7 shows the upper portion of the handle pockets
according to the invention indicating the
manner in which the bag wall is folded to
form the pocket structure;
Figure 8 shows a section taken along line 8-8 of -
Figure l, indicating the location of the
handlé pockets according to the invention;
Figure 9 shows an enlarged view taken along line 9-9
of Figure l indicating the geometry of the
handle pockets according to the invention;
Figure 10 shows a bottom view of a laundry bag
according to the invention;
Figure 11 shows a bolt of bias-cut material; and
Figure 12 shows how the bag components are laid out
on the material in accordance with the method
of the invention. ;-
There follows a detailed description of the preferred
embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the drawings
in which like reference numerals identify like elements of struc-
ture in each of the several figures. Although the invention has
particular utility as a laundry bag, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that it has additional applications.
The bag is made of any sheet material having the
requisite strength and flexibility, but is preferably made of
fabric, and more preferably a heavy woven cloth such as canvas or
the like. The most preferred material is a woven blend of
polyester and cotton.
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Referring to Figures 1 - 4, a laundry bag 10 according
to the invention comprises a front wall portion or panel 12 and a
rear wall portion or panel 1~ which, if laid flat, would be
rectangles of essentially equal area~ Wall portions 12 and 14
are joined together along upstanding side seams 16 and 18 to form
an essentially cylindrical bag, as illustrated. In this instance,
the upstanding seams are essentially vertical. Those skilled in
the art will realize that the wall portions 12 and 14 could also
be made from a single piece of material rather than the two pieces
illustrated, without departing from the scope of the invention.
Front wall portion 12 includes as an integral extension
thereof a combination bag closure and support band or flap 20
which extends across the front of the bag from the vertical side
seam 16 to vertical side seam 18. At its center, flap 20 has a
depth of about three-fourths of the diameter of the top opening
of the bag to provide enough material for closing the bag;
however, this depth may be varied somewhat without departing from
the scope of the invention. As illustrated in Figure 1, flap 20
is folded down in front of front wall portion 12 and sewn to the
upper perimeter 22 of bag 10 by means such as an upper seam 24.
Flap 20 is also secured to both front and rear portions 12 and 14
by side seams 16 and 18.
The lower edge 26 of support and closure flap 20 is
smoothly, concavely curved toward the center of the flap so that
it intersects side seams 16 and 18 in upwardly opening acute
angles ~. A preferred form for edge 26 is essentially circular,
having an average radius of at least about five eights and more
preferably at least about three fourths of the width of flap 20.
If the angle ~ is any amount substantially less than 90, one may
obtain a measure of the advantages of the invention; however, an
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angle in the range of about 20 to 60 has been found to be prefer-
able, with about 45 being considered best. This configuration of
the lower edge of flap 20 eliminates the need for the reinforcing
gussets commonly used in prior art laundry bags, thereby simplify-
ing manufacture of the device.
As stress is placed on flap 20, it is distributed along
a substantially longer portion of side seams 16 and 18 than would
be the case if the lower edge of flap 20 intersected the side seams
at a right angle. The upwardly curved shape of edge 26 also
facilitates closing the full bag to the condition shown in Figure
2, since the center of the flap is narrower and may be flipped
over the bag more easily. Thus, the combined support and closure
band according to the present invention considerably simplifies ~ ~
construction of the laundry bag without any sacrifice in bag ~ .
strength and convenience of use. Preferably, a binding tape 27 of
a distinctive color is added to the lower edge 26 for identifica-
tion and appearance purposes.
In the bag-open configuration illustrated in Figure 1,
bag 10 would be supported by a chair back or support frame, not
shown, which would be inserted behind flap 20, thereby leaving the
bag open at its upper end for receiving laundry in the conventional
manner. When the bag has been filled, it is removed from the
support, and flap 20 is pulled over the top of the bag to the bag-
closed position illustrated in Figure 2 in which the bag may be
transported without spilling its contents.
Figures 5 and 6 show gripping loops 28 which may be
provided, if desired, for assisting the user in changing the flap
20 of a filled bag from the bag-supporting to the bag-closure
position. Loops 28 may, for instance, be secured between flap 20
and front wall portion 12 by stitched seam 24. To close the bag,
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the user reaches under flap 20, grips loops 28, and pulls them
downward and out from under flap 20. Then, when the weight of
the filled bag is lifted by loops 28, the pocket formed by the
flap 20 and the adjacent side wall panel is pulled inside out and
the flap is thus flipped over to the closed position shown in
Figure 2.
Referring again to Figures 1 and 2 and particularly to
Figures 7 to 9, the practice of the invention may also include
provision of a pair of handle pockets 30 and 32 located at the
lower end of bag 10, which can be used to carry the loaded bag
once it has been closed as in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 7,
side seams 16 and 18 comprise an overcast stitch portion 34 which
prevents unravelling of the bag material and a straight stitch
portion 36 which secures front and rear portions 12 and 14 to
each other. In this preferred embodiment, a double thickness of
the bag wall, comprising extensions of wall portions or panels
12 and 14, and possibly the lower portions of side seams 16 and
18, are folded back against the main body or cylindrical wall
portion of the bag. The fold, which is essentially triangular in
configuration as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is then sewn back
through both thicknesses of the bag as best seen in Figure 9,
using a third straight stitch 38 which tapers pockets 30 and 32
to open gradually from a location below flap 20 toward the lower
edge of wall portions 12 and 14.
A bottom portion or panel 40 of essentially circular
shape may be sewn to wall portions 12 and 14 and to the lower edges
of pockets 30 and 32 by a seam 42. Thus, an essentially round bag
is provided which provides max:imum carrying volume.
Bag 10 is generally inverted when full and while being
transported to assure hygienic protection and to prevent spilling
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of the bag contents. I~andle po~kets 30 and 32 facilitate the
lifting and handling of the bag in the inverted position, as well
as the emptying of the bag. Due to the presence of folded, double
thicknesses of bag material in the outer edges of pockets 30 and
32, the pocket handles are particularly strong and have sufficient
thickness to provide a good grip for the user.
An optional but quite advantageous feature of the
invention is the construction of flap 20, and possibly other
parts of the bag, or most preferably the entire bag, of bias-cut
material. Such material is a woven cloth having a warp and weft,
which is so oriented in the bag that the warp and wet both run at
an appropriate angle to the bag seams, e.g. side seams 16 and 18,
to impart lateral stretchiness to the one or more parts of the
bag, thereby minimizing stresses on the seams and/or spreading
tearing forces exerted on the lower edge of flap 20. One may
employ any angle greater than 0 and less than 90 which is
sufficient to perform the foregoing function, but the angle of
the warp and weft relative to the side seams will generally be in
the range of about 10 to 80, more preferably about 15 to 75 and
most preferably about 20 to 70.
The bias-cut arrangement is most conveniently provided
by using cloth supplied in running lengths in which the warp and
weft are both "on the bias" (skewed at the above-described angle)
relative to the edge of the cloth. Then any straight edges of
those bag components which are intended to be of bias-cut material
can be laid out on or parallel to the edge of the cloth. However,
if raw material with the warp and weft on the bias is not avail-
able, one can use material in which the~warp and weft run parallel
and perpendicular to the edge of the cloth, laying out the bag
components with their edges at an appropriate angle to the edge of
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the cloth. ~lowever, this last-mentioned alternative can prove
wasteful of material.
If the flap 20 is made of cloth which is not bias-cut
material, e.g. the warp or weft of the cloth run parallel and
perpendicular to the side seams 20, the curved edge 26 will
normally be bound with bias tape. This is a narrow tape woven on
the bias which, when sewn onto edge 26, will more readily conform
to its curvature than square woven ribbon or the like. However,
i an advantage of having the flap 20 bias-cut, is that its wedge 26
' 10 can be more quickly and conveniently self-hemmed than the
corresponding edge of a flap which is not bias-cut. Generally,
puckering of the edge during self-hemming is reduced.
Figure 11 shows a bolt 44 of bias-cut material of the
type preferred for use in the invention. The warp 46 and weft 48
i f the material are at angles of about 15 and about 75 to the
edges of the cloth. Such material has considerable give or
"stretchiness" in the length or width direction, and preferably in
both directions, so that the bags fabricated therefrom are particu-
larly stretchy. This stretchiness helps to reduce localized
stressing of the bag seams.
In Figure 12, bolt 44 has been unrolled to illustrate a
unique method constituting one advantageous technique for manu-
facture of bags according to the invention. Each of the flaps 20a
l and 20b, integral with an adjoining wall portion 12 (only one of
which is shown), are laid out on the material using paper patterns
or any other suitable means, with their lower edges 26a and 26b
¦ facing each other as illustrated. The boundary between the flap
;~ 20b and its integral side wall panel or portion 12 is indicated
by dot-dash line d. Two rounded bottom panels or portions 40 are
,30 laid out in the rounded panel of material between edges 26a and
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26b and two sidewall panels or portions 14 are laid out in series
with and between each pair of wall portions 12. The material is
then cut on the dashed lines e and f to produce the components of
a bag according to the invention with virtually no waste material.
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