This year the first suitcase on wheels appeared. Suitcase: history of creation

Not a physicist, not an engineer, not an inventor, Bernard David Sadow, the father of all modern suitcases on wheels, in the distant 70s could not even think that the success of his discovery would be so grandiose. Dozens of the largest American companies rejected his business idea, only to bite their elbows within a few years - after all, the idea cost millions.

In 1972, Bernard David Sadow, a humble employee of the United States Luggage company, became the owner of the patent for the first suitcase on wheels. One day, returning with his wife from a vacation on the island of Aruba, during a tedious customs inspection, David noticed how easily a port worker’s cart, loaded with tourists’ luggage, maneuvered around the hall. The idea to create a rolling suitcase came to him at that very moment. It's so obvious: you just need to attach four wheels to the bottom, and then pull the strap through the handle of the suitcase for convenience - and the invention is ready for use.

The insight that came haunted David, and he, without wasting any time, hastened to contact the heads of leading stores with an offer to make and supply such suitcases for them. Despite the fact that the inventor himself saw the idea as surprisingly interesting and profitable, in response to his generous offer he received only refusals and ridicule. Some called him a fool, others called him crazy. After many days spent in vain attempts to set up production, David finally received a positive response from Macy's, thanks to which Sadow became the sole holder of the patent for a period of five years - exactly until other luggage bag manufacturers woke up and challenged patent through court.

Of course, Sadow’s invention was not perfect: his suitcases tended to tip over as they moved. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining, and in search of a solution to this problem, David managed to make another important invention - an “outrigger” - a counterweight that gives stability to the suitcase. Very soon after the release of the first suitcase with such a device, Sadow’s competitors patented a “vertical” suitcase that could be carried on just two wheels. By the way, over time, the design of the suitcase itself has undergone changes. Thus, wheels attached to the side surface allowed luggage to squeeze through even the narrowest aisles of modern airport terminals.

In 1997, Sadow also patented a suitcase that protects computers and other equipment using a special “air cushion.” However, the story does not end there. Indeed, in the late 80s, the suitcase had another “father” - Northwest Airlines pilot Robert Plath, who created a suitcase not only with wheels, but also with a retractable handle.

In an attempt to make transporting things as easy as possible during constant flights, Robert screwed two small furniture wheels to his favorite vertical bag, and sewed a pocket to the side, masking the retractable metal handle. The design was amazingly convenient: the wide track of the two wheels ensured stable rolling even during sharp turns and made it possible to overcome large obstacles. Field tests confirmed all the best qualities of this suitcase. The flight attendants and pilots looked at the functional new thing with poorly concealed surprise, which after a couple of minutes quickly turned into genuine envy. A couple of days later, Robert was approached by his first “client” - one of his colleagues asked to modernize his own bag. The pioneer was followed by other lovers of comfort. When the number of orders exceeded a dozen, Plat was not at a loss and began giving out S5 discounts on his next purchase to colleagues who referred their friends to him.

In 1989, Plath filed a patent application for a “travel bag with wheels and a retractable handle,” which was aptly named Rollaboard. In the same year, Robert founded the Travelpro company and quit his job as a pilot, unable to withstand the colossally increased volumes - looking at airline workers easily transporting their luggage, Plat’s clients also became numerous passengers who wanted to get their hands on such a “miracle of technology” as quickly as possible.

The demand was so high that in the first year of its existence, the Travelpro company sold bags worth one and a half million dollars. And by 1999, when Plath had already retired, sales were fifty million a year. Isn't this a great reason, decorated with more than six zeros, to be a little more attentive when you are presented with a seemingly crazy idea?

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Large size soft or rigid design with a short or retractable handle or two medium length straps. Can be equipped with two or four wheels. Locks with a latch, zipper, and straps. Suitcases are made from natural or artificial leather, fiber, textiles, metal, wood, and synthetic materials.

Differences: suitcase, briefcase, diplomat (case)

A suitcase is the largest type of bag and can be equipped with a retractable handle and wheels. A diplomat, unlike a briefcase and a suitcase, always has a rigid frame, a rectangular shape, and is closed with latches.

Story

Prehistory and antiquity

The prototype of a modern suitcase is considered to be a box. During the Paleolithic period, primitive people stored things in boxes made from tree bark. In the Neolithic era, people made boxes from boards and closed them with a lid. By 1539 - 1292 BC. the first chests appeared. Initially they became widespread among the Egyptian pharaohs. Their products were shaped like a sarcophagus and were equipped with a movable lid. The chests were decorated with hieroglyphic writing and colored ornaments. They were made of wood or bronze, decorated with gold and precious stones. Chests were part of the interior: they were used as a chair, bed, bench, etc. At that time, they were used only for storing things, but not for carrying them.

Medieval period and Renaissance

Medieval chests had locking devices: expensive options were built-in locks or secret mechanisms, cheap options were padlocks. During that period, caskets appeared, which were used to store jewelry and supplies, as well as to collect taxes. Depending on their purpose and the class of the owner, caskets were made of wood or precious metals. During the Renaissance, traveling by carriage became widespread. Men and women carried chests on trips, attaching them to the vehicle with straps.

XVII – XVIII centuries

At that time, boxes made of plywood were used to transport things. They were upholstered with metal strips for structural strength and locked with locks. To ensure an attractive appearance, the boxes were covered with leather. For wicker baskets were also used to transport things. An honorable craft during this period was the profession of a clothes stacker, who was invited to the house in preparation for the journey.

19th century

At the beginning of the 19th century, railway communication began to develop. People began to travel more, and there was a need for compact and lightweight containers for transporting things. The first suitcases were made from cardboard. These were three-dimensional models with a convex lid, which were closed with fastener straps sewn across the body. The profession of clothes stacker ceased to exist.

In 1858, Louis Vuitton created the "Trianon" suitcase with airtight clasps and a flat lid. The edges of the model were equipped with metal frames that protected the corners from knocking down. One of Louis Vuitton's regular clients was Eugenia de Montijo, wife of Napoleon III.

In 1897, David Nelken founded the British travel luggage company Globe-Trotter. The frame of the products was made of ash, and then a vulcanized sheet of fiber was attached to it. Finally, the product was covered in leather. All operations were performed manually. Admirers of the brand included the statesman and politician Winston Churchill, the conqueror of Everest Edmund Hillary, the Duke of Edinburgh, the discoverer of the South Pole Roald Amundsen,
South Pole explorer Robert Scott.

XX century

In the 1920s Jesse Shwayder, head of the American company Shwayder Trunk Manufacturer Company (since 1962), suggested that travelers distribute toiletries among suitcases, bags, traveling bags and briefcases.

In the mid-1920s. Alphonse and Angele Lancel, founders of the French company Lancel, released colored suitcases. Previously, they were made only in brown and black versions.

Who invented the suitcase on wheels?

Have you ever wondered who invented the suitcase on wheels? Just imagine that until the 70s of the 20th century, travelers knew nothing about them! Why didn't they know? Yes, because such suitcases did not exist yet! Nowadays we can no longer imagine a single trip without wheels, and quite recently it was commonplace. Fortunately, modern tourists are not affected by this inconvenience. How did a suitcase on wheels appear? We can say “thank you” to the appearance of such suitcases to David Sadow. It was he who was granted a patent for this invention in America in April 1972. In official papers it was called “rolling luggage.” Sadow really had to prove the convenience and necessity of a suitcase on wheels, because for a long time no one agreed with him. Well, thank you, Mr. Sadow, for being able to prove the benefits of “rolling luggage”! Nowadays they have become commonplace for modern travelers; not a single trip is complete without such a convenient companion. For almost half a century, global brands have achieved the highest technologies. The range of suitcases on wheels is huge and everyone can find their own model!

Fabric suitcases on wheels are wildly popular among travelers. Here, too, the choice is very rich and varied. Suitcases with 2 wheels and 4 wheels, large, small, medium! Everything for every taste! For example, four-wheeled suitcases are equipped with dual wheels, which provide additional maneuverability. These travel suitcases can be rolled at any angle. But two-wheeled suitcases, such as, for example, will go over any off-road terrain! Among the fabric suitcases on wheels there are also expensive luxury suitcases such as, or. These luxury suitcases will emphasize the high status and well-being of their owner. You will have no equal!

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Many people on the planet dream of getting rich and are looking for various ways to do this. For this purpose, some begin to study business at universities, take courses and read various kinds of literature on this topic. If some money appears and the question arises of where to invest it, then most people have a standard approach in this regard; open either a cafe, or a store, or a beauty salon, or a sauna. But in the history of business there are cases when people managed to make multimillion-dollar fortunes on seemingly trivial things. And the history of the suitcase is direct confirmation of this.

First suitcase

People, going on a long journey, tried to take with them only the most necessary things. Only these essentials often took up entire chests loaded into the cart. Of course, this was not entirely convenient, especially on a long journey. This would continue to this day until one person came up with the simple idea of creating a suitcase.

This man was Louis Vuitton, the son of a simple carpenter. A brief background is as follows. Louis Vuitton was born on August 4, 1821 in the French town of Jura. Even as a child, Louis learned to handle the tools of his father, who worked as a carpenter. At the age of fourteen, Vuitton went to Paris in search of a better life, and he walked all 400 kilometers that separated his hometown and the capital.

Arriving in Paris in 1837, Vuitton became an apprentice to a master chest maker, Mr. Marechal. Thanks to his “golden” hands, Louis quickly learned the technique of making travel chests. Soon his name was already heard among French bohemia. Thanks to expensive materials and quality finishing, Vuitton chests were a great success. In 1854, Louis Vuitton opened his first store, Louis Vuitton: Malletier a Pari. And after some time, the wife of Napoleon III, Eugenie de Montijo, signed up as a client of Vuitton. Even then, Louis Vuitton chests were made for the elite.

And finally, in 1858, Louis introduced his new product - a flat suitcase, which was called “Trianon”. This new suitcase was very light and airtight and could be opened from the side for the first time. Before him, suitcases were round in shape, opening at the top, and it was not possible to stack them during transportation, but Vuitton suitcases could simply be stacked one on top of the other and easily transported. This was the beginning of the creation of the suitcase that we are all accustomed to.

Demand for the new product instantly increased, not only in France, but throughout Europe. By 1885, Louis Vuitton opened its first store in London on the famous Oxford Street. Having entered the world stage, Vuitton began to mark each of its products with the inscription: “marque L. Vuitton deposee,” which, in essence, was a guarantee of the authenticity of the product.

As a result, today the Louis Vuitton brand is owned by the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) conglomerate, and is the most expensive brand in the fashion industry.

Wheels for a suitcase

Bernard David Sadow, the father of all modern suitcases on wheels, in the distant 70s could not even think that the success of his discovery would be so grandiose. Dozens of the largest American companies rejected his business idea, only to bite their elbows within a few years - after all, the idea cost millions.

In 1972, Bernard David Sadow, a humble employee of the United States Luggage company, became the owner of the patent for the first suitcase on wheels. One day Mr. and Mrs. Sadow were returning from vacation in Aruba. Barely breathing, they dragged two heavy suitcases to the Puerto Rican customs counter. Puffing and fanning themselves with tickets, they looked at their luggage with hatred. At that moment, a port worker with an extremely loaded cart walked easily past. And then a Thought with a capital T came into Mr. Sadow's head. Returning to his homeland, Sadow went to his father-in-law's factory, where he worked. Here, in one of the back rooms, he attached four wheels to the bottom of the suitcase, pulled a strap through the handle and rolled his invention into his father-in-law's office. The father-in-law cast a gloomy glance at the suitcase and stated what he had long suspected: “You are crazy.”

This did not bother the inventor one bit, and soon Bernard David Sadow received patent number 3,653,474 dated April 5, 1972. In the column “type of invention” it says: “rolling luggage”. Sadow goes to New York, where his know-how is one by one rejected by all the large and small luggage companies, until he is invited by the vice president of Macy's. “Rolling Luggage” was put into production. Mr. Sadow He was not satisfied with this: over the next 40 years, he patented another two dozen useful inventions, most of which were improvements in the construction and design of the suitcase.

Retractable suitcase handle

In the late 80s, the suitcase had another “father” - Northwest Airlines pilot Robert Plath, who created a suitcase not only with wheels, but also with a retractable handle.

In an attempt to make transporting things as easy as possible during constant flights, Robert screwed two small furniture wheels to his favorite vertical bag, and sewed a pocket to the side, masking the retractable metal handle. The design was amazingly comfortable. The flight attendants and pilots looked at the functional new thing with poorly concealed surprise, which after a couple of minutes quickly turned into genuine envy. A couple of days later, Robert was contacted by his first “client” - one of his colleagues asked to modernize his own bag. The pioneer was followed by other lovers of comfort. When the number of orders exceeded a dozen, Plat was not at a loss and began giving out S5 discounts on his next purchase to colleagues who referred their friends to him.

In 1989, Plath filed a patent application for a “travel bag with wheels and a retractable handle,” which was aptly named Rollaboard. That same year, Robert founded Travelpro and quit his job as a pilot, unable to cope with the enormously increased volumes. Looking at airline workers carrying their luggage with ease, numerous passengers also became Plat’s clients who wanted to get their hands on such a “miracle of technology” as quickly as possible.

Scooter suitcase

The author of this unique vehicle, created on the basis of an ordinary travel suitcase and powered by batteries, is an amateur inventor from China, Hi Liankai. A scooter-suitcase can carry two people, and the maximum weight of luggage should not exceed 7 kg. The unusual vehicle can travel at a maximum speed of 20 km/h. One battery charge is enough for a trip of 50 km. The invention is recent, so what the demand will be is still unknown.

Conclusion

There is only one conclusion that can be drawn from these stories. Be more attentive when you are confronted with a seemingly crazy idea. For example, here is another extremely crazy idea that eventually became in demand. In Belgium they came up with a suitcase for transporting money, which, if touched by a stranger, will immediately explode. The suicide suitcase is intended for use by banks and government agencies. So don’t be afraid of your ideas, even if they are stupid at first glance. Perhaps this is what will bring you success and wealth.

The collection of short stories “Suitcase,” authored by Sergei Dovlatov, has become one of the best works of Russian literature. A summary of S. Dovlatov's stories can be found in this article. What the author writes about, hiding the meaning behind the lines, becomes truly important problems of our time.

The main character, around whom the description unfolds, decides to move to America. It’s strange, but he doesn’t take any things, bags, etc. with him. The main character only has a small suitcase with him. When he arrives at the apartment, he puts the suitcase aside and forgets about its existence. Only a few years later, the main character opens the suitcase, and what does he find there? An ironed suit, several pairs of good socks, a winter hat, a carefully ironed shirt and a bright jacket. Touching each item, the main character plunges into the memories that the items of clothing carry.

Speaking about the summary of “Suitcase” by Sergei Dovlatov, it must be said that it is not capable of conveying all the emotions and feelings that the author put into his work. It is recommended to read the work in detail.

Crepe Finnish socks

The main character got socks because of his financial problems. One of his acquaintances, who worked at the factory, offered the man his help: the main character only needed to buy several pairs from the black marketeer, which could then be resold at twice the price. Tired of poverty, the man agrees, realizing that this is his only way out of this situation. When he buys socks and is already deciding who to sell them to, Soviet factories suddenly fill the shelves of all stores with exactly the same product, only at several times cheaper than the main character wanted to sell it. This is how an expensive and scarce product suddenly became unnecessary and affordable.

Nomenclature boots

The main character began working in a working team of stone cutters. They were entrusted with a painstaking job: at one of the newly opened metro stations they had to make a drawing that would depict After the work was completed, a huge banquet was held in honor of the opening of the new metro station. Sitting at the same table with the head of the city, the main character notices that he has taken off his shoes and is sitting barefoot. While no one is looking, the man simply puts the shoes in his bag and calmly returns to the table.

Decent double breasted suit

In the editorial office where the main character worked, a new employee appears who behaves very strangely. The day after the newcomer arrives, the protagonist is called into the office of the editorial director. The director explains to the employee that the new guy is a spy and asks for help in a small matter. All that is required of the main character is to get to know the newcomer better and go to the theater with him. For this job, the director orders an excellent suit to be sewn for his employee.

Officer's belt

The main character changed many professions. This time he served as camp guard. One day, the foreman gives an order for the main character to take one of his partners to a hospital for the mentally and mentally ill. When the main character finds his colleague, he is busy in the workshop melting a huge plaque for Despite the order of obedience, the incompletely manufactured belt becomes a serious weapon for self-defense.

Fernand Leger jacket

The main character talks about his long friendship with the family of the People's Artist Cherkasov. When the actor died, his wife went to France to visit her friend. From there she brought the main character a jacket - old, tattered, with dried paint on the sleeves. As it turned out, this jacket was worn by the artist Léger. Before his death, he told his wife to be on good terms with any rabble. That is why she gave the jacket to the main character.

Poplin shirt

Elections were due to take place very soon. The main character is visited by a famous agitator. Instead of going to his site, the agitator accepts the protagonist’s offer to join him in the cinema. But after watching the movie, they don’t go to the station - they visit. It was on this evening that the future life of the protagonist was decided. The agitator herself started the conversation about the need for emigration. The main character has not yet made a final decision, and therefore decided to stay in Russia for a while. The wife did not wait for the authorities to turn their exclusive attention to them: she nevertheless decided to move. On the day of her departure, she gave her beloved husband a beautiful poplin shirt.

Winter hat

One day the main character and his brother decided to relax in one of the Soviet hotels. There they meet a group of female actresses who were celebrating successful filming. The feast was gaining momentum, and one of the girls asked the main character to accompany her to the airport, where the main director of the film was supposed to fly.

However, adventures awaited the main character already at the taxi parking lot: having gotten into trouble with some guys, the man got into a fight. The journey to the airport will continue first in the department, then in the emergency room. Despite the huge number of problems that the main character had, he had a reward - during the fight he became the owner of a beautiful fur hat made of a seal.

Driver's gloves

The main character was offered a role in a film directed by an amateur journalist. He needed to enter the image of Peter the Great, to which he agreed. All items of clothing necessary “to create the desired image” were found. The main character was very afraid that during filming, people passing by would look at him as if he were crazy. However, people met the main character in the image as if they see this every day.

About the book

Speaking about the summary of Dovlatov’s “Suitcase,” it must be said that each story is a separate independent work that carries its own morality. Collection since 2013, it has been included in the lists of those works that are excellent for extracurricular reading in high school. It represents stories (as can already be seen from the summary of Dovlatov’s “Suitcase”), which the author wrote about his life. All this became a great story about the early life of a writer whose career could not take off under the Soviet government.

Reviews of the book

Speaking about the summary of the book “Suitcase” by Dovlatov, the reviews cannot be ignored. The books that came out from the hand of the writer are still a huge success today. The way readers positively perceive Sergei Dovlatov’s collection of stories “Suitcase” is simply surprising and thereby proves that the author truly had enormous potential and talent.

Brief summary of S. Dovlatov’s story “Foreigner”

Speaking about this story, it should be noted how vividly it expresses all the events of those years, when many Soviet citizens were forced to emigrate to other parts of the world.

The main character grew up in an excellent Soviet family. The girl’s parents never achieved career advancement, since their pedigree was not the best example. They always worked in those positions that were available. Having worked all their lives, the family was firmly entrenched in the middle financial and social class. They did everything possible for their daughter to make her happy: they gave her a piano, bought a color TV for her apartment, lived in a good area where the police were always on duty.

After graduating from school, the main character easily entered a prestigious institute. But the family’s happiness began to crumble when the girl fell in love with a guy whose parents were purebred Jews. The parents had nothing against the nationality of their daughter’s boyfriend, but they thought with horror about their common children who might appear in the future. Her parents introduced the girl to another young man from a good family. The girl liked him. Very soon the young couple got married, but there was no family happiness in the marriage. The main character began to constantly cheat on her husband out of boredom, and they soon divorced. Not long grieving because she was left alone again, the girl first fell in love with a musician, to whom she was eventually engaged. It didn’t work out - after the musician there was love with the artist. It didn’t work out again - the girl met a magician. However, she did not have a relationship with anyone. The main character had the feeling that all her suitors were deliberately running away from her. In addition to the musician, he died due to a serious illness.

Time passed, and the girl began to realize that she would soon be thirty years old, and very soon there would be no opportunity to give birth. She began to worry about it. And then a famous singer appears in her life. It seemed like there was love, but it turned out that the girl’s chosen one was constantly cheating on her. Disappointed in men, the girl no longer hoped for happiness.

And then suddenly her first love bursts into the life of the main character - a guy with Jewish roots. He insisted that the girl simply needed to emigrate. It was after this that the heroine entered into a fictitious marriage with a Jew, and within three months she was on the other side of the world. The girl wandered around the world a lot, not finding her place. Having left for America, the girl meets several Russian emigrants. One of them helps the main character and her children settle down.

Time passes. The girl calls her friend to ask him for help. She gained a Latin American fan who once again raised his hand to the main character. The work ends with the girl eventually marrying a jealous admirer, hoping to find happiness with him. At the wedding, everyone is waiting for that friend who once helped the main character when she called him. He appears and the girl begins to cry.