United States Patent [191
`Horenstein et a1.
`
`[11]
`[451
`
`3,840,162
`Oct. 8, 1974
`
`[541 PACK FRAME WITH RIGID LINK
`SUSPENSION
`[75] Inventors: Harold S. lrlorenstein, Los Angeles;
`Allan M. Olson, Whittier, both of
`Calif.
`[73] Assignee: Camp Ways Inc., Los Angeles,
`Calif.
`Nov. 16, 1972
`[22] Filed:
`[21] Appl. No.: 307,032
`
`.................... .. 224/25 A
`[52] US. Cl ....................
`[51] Int. Cl. ............................................ .. A451‘ 3/10
`['58] Field of Search ......... .... .. 224/25 A, 8 R, 9, 11
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`' UNITED STATES PATENTS
`
`1,448,918
`3,282,483
`3,355,075
`
`Drager ..................... .. 224/25 A UX
`1923
`1966 Babcock ...................... .. 224/25 A
`1967 Dean ............... .., ............. .. 224/25 A
`
`3,581,961
`1971 Owens ............................ .. 224/25 A
`FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS
`76,066
`1949 Norway ............................. ._ 224/8 R
`
`Primary Examiner-Robert J. Spar
`Assistant Examiner—Jerold M. Forsberg
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-—Edmond F. Shanahan
`
`ABSTRACT
`'
`[57]
`A pack frame assembly for carrying a load on a per
`son’s back; the assembly comprising a pack frame; an
`upper suspension comprising a pair of shoulder straps
`attached to the frame; and a lower suspension on a
`hip~belt, said lower suspension comprising a pair of
`down-hanging rigid links, each with upper. pivot at
`tachment to said belt, and lower pivot attachment at
`the lower end of said frame, permitting restricted
`movement of the frame with each stride of the carry
`ing person.
`
`1Claim, 3 Drawing Figures
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`Petitioner Ex. 1048 Page 1
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`

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`PAIENTEDBBT 31974
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`‘
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`_
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`3.840.162
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`Petitioner Ex. 1048 Page 2
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`Petitioner Ex. 1048 Page 2
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`

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`1
`PACK FRAME WITH RIGID LINK SUSPENSION
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`3,840,162
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`25
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`30
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`35
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`2
`In FIG. 1, the numeral 10 is used to indicate the en
`tire pack, which is comprised of a pack frame assembly,
`indicated collectively by the numeral 11, and a pack
`load indicated by the bag 12 shown mounted to the rear
`of the pack frame assembly 11.
`The pack frame assembly 11 is comprised of several
`parts assembled to a typical metal frame 13, which is
`best constructed of aluminum or magnesium tubing. It
`has been standard practice to hang the pack frame 13
`from the shoulders of the carrying person (not shown
`in this illustration) by a pair of shoulder straps l4 and
`15, which are typically provided with rubber or plastic
`foam padding 14a and 15a on the parts of their links
`which place the load of pack 10 in bearing on the '
`shoulders of the carrying person. Another typical part
`of the pack frame assembly is the stretched canvas
`back band 16, which provides a comfortable and yield
`ing contact of the load pack 10 against the back of the
`carrying person.
`A comparatively recent improvement in pack frame
`assemblies is the padded waist belt 17, which is con
`structed of a belt which may be belted onto the waist
`of the carrying person. Typically such a belt is a con
`struction of canvas webbing straps 17a and suitable
`padding 17b, in back and side portions‘, of the belt 17
`at which the carrying person feels the load of pack 10.
`Pack frame 13 may be of a variety of constructions, in
`cluding‘most of those known in the recent .past. In the
`embodiment illustrated,vpack frame 13 includes a right
`side bar 21, at the right side rear of the carrying person
`and a left side bar 22, at the left side rear of the carry
`ing person. Generally, these side bars 21 and 22 are not
`perfectly straight or perfectly vertical, and are usually
`slightly contoured in some manner, such as that illus
`trated in FIG. 1, to make comfortable conformation to
`the back of the carrying person. However','for conve
`nience, side bars 21 and 22 will be referred to herein
`as substantially vertical, and this terminology is in
`tended to include side bars such as 21 and 22, which
`depart slightly from the vertical, and which are slightly
`contoured or angled at one end or throughout their
`lengths.
`'
`Typically, the pack frame includes several horizontal
`bars across the back of the carrying person. In the illus
`trated construction, there is a shoulder-level bar 23, at
`an elevation slightly below the shoulders of the carrying
`personQAn intermediate bar 24 is formed in concave
`contour to avoid contact with the back of the carrying
`person. A bottom hip-level bar 25 is approximately at
`the elevation of the lower hips of the carrying person,
`and is likewise of a concave contour.
`.
`The frame is strengthened by additional intermediate
`vertical bars 26 and 27, and by reinforcing bars such as
`28 and 29.
`Side wires 30 are provided as a convenient means for
`attachment of bag 12 to'the frame 13.
`Although shoulder straps l4 and 15 may be attached
`to frame 13 in a variety of ways, and may themselves
`be constructed with various constructions, in general
`they provide suspension of all or a substantial part of
`the load of pack 10 from the shoulders of the carrying
`person.
`,
`In packs of the type in which the present invention is
`employed, shoulder straps l4 and 15, may be referred
`to collectively as an upper suspension, since .a second
`substantial part of the load is carried by waist belt 17,
`through a lower suspension employing a pair of rigid
`
`This invention relates generally to a pack frame as
`sembly, and more particularly to a rigid link suspension
`employed in hanging a pack frame in swinging suspen- ‘
`sion from a hip-belt.
`The sport of back packing has achieved an amazing
`growth in popularity in recent years, which has, in turn,
`produced a great increase in production of back packs
`for hikers, and has also stimulated the development of
`many improvements in designs of pack frame assem
`blies for carrying camping equipment.
`Many improved designs have been based on the re
`cent discovery that the back pack should be allowed to
`swing, to a restricted degree, with each stride of the
`load-carrying person. The hiker can carry his pack for
`a longer period of time, with less fatigue and greater
`comfort, if the pack frame assembly on his back is
`freely movable, within limits, so that his body is not re
`quired to jerk the pack through a series of forceful os
`cillations corresponding to the walking rhythm. The
`slight swings of the pack reduce the pounding on the
`hiker’s back.
`‘
`On the other hand, it is important that the swinging
`movement be not only restricted, but also adjustable to
`the peculiar characteristics of each hiker. Every person
`has a slightly different body build, muscle distribution,
`and stride characteristic. Even the same person may
`prefer changing the adjustment of his pack frame as
`sembly from time to time, in order to switch the load
`slightly from one set of muscles to another. In previ
`ously known movable back packs, a crude combination
`of restricted movement and adjustability has been
`achieved by simply loosening the canvas straps by
`which it has been customary to tie the lower end of the
`pack frame to a padded waist belt encircling the waist
`of the load carrying person. Such ?exible straps permit
`the pack'frame to swing in unpredictable manners, not
`adequately restricted for the needs of comfort of the
`wearer. Also, adjustability has proven unreliable, since
`a canvas strap may stretch, or loosen.
`The present invention comprises a new form of sus
`pension for suspending the lower end of the pack frame
`from the waist belt, particularly by using a pair of rigid
`aluminum links pivotally attached to the waist belt and
`pack frame at locations which permit the swinging
`movement required for comfort, but eliminate the er
`ratic and unwanted movement permitted by canvas
`strap suspension.
`‘
`The foregoing and other objects of the invention will
`best be understood from the following description of‘a
`preferred speci?c embodiment of the invention, which
`embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying draw
`ings in which:
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pack frame assembly
`constructed according to the invention, and carrying a
`typical back pack load, as seen from a location which
`would be to the right of and in front of a person carry
`ing the pack of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower,
`rear, right side corner of the pack of FIG. 1, as seen
`from a location to the right rear of a person carrying
`the pack; and
`FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partially sectioned, of
`a rigid link in the right side of the pack of FIGS. 1 and
`2, as viewed in the direction of the arrows 3-3 in FIG.
`'2.
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`45
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`50
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`55
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`Petitioner Ex. 1048 Page 3
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`3
`links, comprising right side link 31 and left side link 32.
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`3,840,162
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`4
`54 and 55, or at their lower ends at 54a and 55a. For
`example, the manner of anchoring at points 54, 55,
`54a, and 55a may permit of attachment of the respec
`tive straps l4 and 15 at different points along their
`lengths to permit shortening or lengthening of strap dis‘
`tance between the upper and lower anchoring loca'
`tions. Also, these anchoring points may be constructed
`to provide a plurality of. anchoring locations to pack
`frame 13, or in various ways well known to those famil
`iar with the art of pack construction.
`1 claim:
`a
`1. An improved pack frame assembly for movable
`suspension of a pack load carried on the back of a
`walking person, said assembly comprising:
`a pack frame comprising: substantially vertical right
`and left side bars disposed behind the shoulders of
`said person and extending vertically from the re
`gion of the shoulders downwards to the hip region
`of said person; a plurality of transverse members
`between said side bars, including a lowermost hip
`level member, and a shoulder-level member; and
`side bar ends projecting downwardly and rear
`wardly from said hip-level member;
`an upper suspension comprising a pair of shoulder
`straps for suspending said pack frame from the
`shoulders of said person, each of said straps ex
`tending from said shoulder-level member to the
`lower outside of one of said side bar ends;
`a lower suspension comprising:
`a waist belt encircling the waist of said person;
`a pair of rigid links, one near each side of said per
`son, for ‘suspending the lower end of said pack
`frame from said waist belt, each of said links
`being provided with
`an upper pivot attachment pivotally attaching the
`upper end of said link to said waist belt at one
`side of said person; and
`.
`a lower pivot attachment for pivotally attaching
`the lower end of said link to the lower inside
`surface of the adjacent one of said side bar
`ends at an elevation below said waist belt, to
`permit restricted swinging of said pack with re
`spect to said person, during walking.
`
`'
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`* *
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`*
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`*
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`*
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`The enlarged perspective view of P10. 2 shows the
`manner of assembly of right side link 31 (left side link
`32 being attached in the same manner on the left side
`of the pack 10). At its upper end, link 31 is pivotally
`attached to belt 17 by means of a pivot pin 33 received
`and anchored in a grommet 34. It will also be seen that
`the upper pivot attachment by pivot pin 33 may be
`shifted to another side location 35, if that provides a
`better pack movement and pack carriage for the partic
`ular person wearing pack 10. The lower end of link 31
`is pivotally attached to the lower inside of substantially
`vertical side member 21 by means of a lower pivot pin
`40, which has a head 41 and a retainer ring 42 for re
`taining it in assembly through transverse bore 43 (in
`side bar 21) and hole 44 in the lower end of link 31. A
`second feature of adjustability in the construction iil
`lustrated is provided by having a plurality of pivot at
`tachment holes disposed longitudinally of link 31. An
`additional pivot attachment hole 45 is illustrated in the
`lower end of link 31. It will be seen that this construc
`tion permits varying the swinging links of link 31 be
`tween upper pivot attachment 33, and lower attach
`ment to frame 13 by pin 40.
`It is a preferred form of construction to anchor the
`lower ends of shoulder straps l4 and 15 at correspond
`ing lower ends of side bars 21 and 22 by the same pivot
`pin 40, which connects the lower end of one of the links
`31 and 32, link 31 being illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.
`Preferably, washers 47 and 48 are employed to provide
`an extended bearing surface on the adjacent parts of
`shoulder strap 14 and link 31, respectively (left side
`link 32 having the same kind of assembly).
`Preferably, shoulder straps l4 and 15 have one or
`more adjustments which permit shifting the portion of
`the load carried by upper and lower suspensions, re
`spectively. A simple form of such load-shifting adjust
`ment is simply to change the lengths of the shoulder
`straps 14 and 15; for example, this may be accom
`plished by shortening the straps through buckles 14b
`and 15b. Shortening or adjustment may also be accom
`plished, however, by changing the location and manner
`of anchoring of straps l4 and 15 at their upper ends at
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`Petitioner Ex. 1048 Page 4