Luggage manufacture

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING A TEXTILE FABRIC LINED AND TEXTILE FABRIC OUTER SURFACE COVERED CONCAVELY SHAPED MOLDED SHELL FOR LUGAGE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING PROVIDING A MOLD ASSEMBLY HAVING A CAVITY TO FURNISH THE MOLDED SHELL WHEN THE MOLD IS CLOSED, PROVIDING A PREFORMED TEXTILE FABRIC CONFORMING SUBSTANTIALLY IN SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS TO THE INNER SIDE OF THE FINISHED MOLDED SHELL, POSITIONING THE PREFORMED TEXTILE FABRIC IN THE MOLD AND MAINTAINING THE FABRIC AGAINST THE MOLD MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY WHICH FURNISHES THE INNER SIDE OF THE FINISHED SHELL, PROVIDING A PREFORMED TEXTILE FABRIC CONFORMING SUBSTANTIALLY IN SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS TO THE OUTER SIDE OF THE FINISHED MOLDED SHELL, POSITIONING THE PREFORMED TEXTILE FABRIC IN THE MOLD AND MAINTAINING THE FABRIC AGAINST THE MOLD MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY WHICH FURNISHES THE OUTER SIDE OF THE FINISHED SHELL, CLOSING THE MOLD, INJECTING A HEATED THERMOPLASTIC RESIN MATERIAL INTO THE CLOSED MOLD THROUGH EDGE GATES BETWEEN SAID FABRICS, THE MOLD BEING MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE MELTING POINT OF THE PLASTIC MATERIAL INJECTED INTO THE MOLD, WHEREBY THE PREFORMED TEXTILE FABRICS ARE DIRECTLY BONDED TO THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE SHELL BY THE PLASTIC MATERIAL ITSELF, THE ADHESION OF EACH FABRIC TO THE PLASTIC MATERIAL BEING CONFINED TO THE SURFACE OF THE FABRIC ADJOINING THE MOLDED PLASTIC MATERIAL, THE EXPOSED SURFACE OF THE FABRICS HAVING THE TEXTURE AND APPEARANCE OF TEXTILE FABRICS.