Rolling bag. History of invention and production

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HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY, OBJECTS AROUND US
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Rolling bag. History of invention and production

The history of technology, technology, objects around us

Directory / The history of technology, technology, objects around us

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In the 1970s and 1980s, the world was seized by a thirst for "a change of place." But it was not easy for travelers - in the literal sense of the word: they had to carry luggage in their hands or on themselves for a fair part of the way.

To alleviate their plight, one of the world's largest manufacturers of travel bags, Samsonite, in 1974 patented the design of a suitcase with wheels located in one of the corners of the plastic case. By pulling out the handle on the other side, such a suitcase could be rolled in an inclined position. But this suitcase did not gain much popularity (although it is still being produced today): on turns or bumps, it fell on its side and, moreover, did not fit on the upper shelves in the cabin of an airliner.

Rolling bag

46-year-old pilot of the American airline Northwest Airlines, Robert Plath, fully experienced the difficult burden of the traveler.

He never considered himself an inventor and could not even imagine that his decision would literally change the world. In 1988, in his garage in Boca Rayton, Florida, Plath screwed two small furniture wheels bought from a nearby hardware store to his favorite upright bag. To the side of the bag, he sewed a pocket that disguised a retractable handle made of metal rods and tubes.

The wide track of the two wheels ensured a stable rolling even in sharp turns and made it possible to overcome fairly large obstacles. Field (or flight) tests confirmed all the best qualities of Plath's idea. The pilots and flight attendants looked at the unusual design with undisguised surprise, which after a while grew into envy. A couple of days later, one of his colleagues turned to Robert with a request to modernize his bag as well (of course, not for free). Then another.

When the number of orders exceeded a dozen, Plath began to give colleagues who brought him the next buyers "commissions" in the form of a $ 5 discount on the next purchase. In 1989, Plath filed a patent for a "travel bag fitted with wheels and a retractable handle," which he called the Rollaboard. In the same year, Plath founded Travelpro, and in 1991, when patent number 4995487 was registered, he retired from the airline. Looking at the pilots and stewardesses, easily rolling their bags through the aisles of airports, passengers also began to wonder where they could buy this "miracle of technology."

Demand was so high that Travelpro sold $1,5 million worth of bags in its first year. By 1999, when Plath retired and sold his stake in the company, sales were $50 million. Robert Plath's invention changed the world of travel : few people today go on a trip without a travel bag or a suitcase on wheels.

Travelpro products proved so popular that airlines even had to increase the volume of the top shelves in their planes. The only ones who lost from their appearance were porters - today, wheels built into a suitcase or bag do an excellent job with their hard work ...

Author: S.Apresov

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