The origin histoty of Trolley Case

Let’s dig into the origin history of the trolley case (the wheeled suitcase you pull along — a super common travel item now).

The idea of the trolley case came much later than you might expect. Here's a quick rundown:

Before wheels: People traveled with heavy trunks or carried suitcases by hand. These were often big, boxy, and very heavy — no fun at all to haul through airports or train stations.

1970: The big change came thanks to a guy named Bernard Sadow, an American luggage company executive. While dragging his heavy suitcase through an airport, he thought, "Why not just put wheels on it?" He mounted four small casters (like furniture wheels) onto a suitcase and added a strap so it could be pulled.

1972: Bernard Sadow received a patent for his "Rolling Luggage" invention. His version looked like a standard suitcase being dragged flat behind you, kind of like pulling a sled.

Late 1980s: A pilot named Robert Plath made another huge improvement. He invented the modern upright rolling suitcase — the version with two wheels and a retractable long handle so you could easily pull it standing up behind you. Plath called it the Rollaboard, and it first became popular with airline crews before exploding into the mainstream.

Today’s trolley cases are direct descendants of Sadow’s and Plath’s inventions — they've just gotten more stylish, lighter, and have evolved into four-wheel "spinners," hard shells, smart luggage, etc.

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