US2733113A - Holder for tools - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3l, 1956 n K s. M. HUMBARGAR 2,733,113

HOLDER `FOR TOOLS, MECHANICAL PARTS, AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 28, 1952 United States Patent' O HOLDER FR TGLS, MECHANICAL PARTS, AN D THE LIKE Solomon M. Humbarg'ar, Minneapolis, Minn. Application February 2l?,` 1952, Serial No. 274,034

3 Claims. (Cl. S12-251) This invention relates to a holder for articles such as tools and more particularly to a compact and portable holder adapted to be placed near the operator for his convenience in selecting tools and parts while working.

it is a principal object of this invention to provide for a simple and convenient collapsible and portable holder device which will retain a variety of tools within` easy reach and further will hold parts such as nuts, bolts, washers and cotter pins substantially at the level of the surface upon which the holder is supported.

Another object is to provide for a simple but structurally rigid tool and parts holder in which all of said tools and parts are exposed in a forward upstanding position unattached by physical latching means to any part of the holder whereby a mechanic may select ata glance any desired article therefrom or may select and replace such articles by manual touch as where he ist working in a dark place or where he does not wish to remove his eyes from his work.

It is a further object of this invention to provide for an article of the class described in which metal articles such as tools may be held at the paneled outer face thereof and smaller articlessuch as washers and cotter keys may be placed in a convenient tray which is adapted to be pivoted to a closed position cooperating with the paneled outer face of the stand and to an open position at the surface upon which the holder stands with means for preventing the spilling or mixing of the smaller articles in the tray during pivoting of the tray or during transportation of the holder.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of my holder in open position ready for use while standing upon a supporting surface;

Fig. 2 is a side View of the holder in the position shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the hinge connection in my supporting structure;

Fig. 4 is a side View of my holder with the pivotal tray moved to upper position and the legs of the supporting structure in collapsed position; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged and segmented view of the pivot or hinge arrangement of the tray and its lid.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, my holder is shown in open position in Fig. l with the tools and mechanical parts disposed in a forward position for easy selection. The supporting structure indicated generally at S comprises a double framework constructed of light material such as steel wire. The forward wire frame is formed in an inverted U-shape with upstanding legs interconnected with a horizontal portion 11. Hingedly attached at the upper horizontal portion 11 are legs 12, which may be braced as by cross member 13. The feet of the legs 10 and 12 may be enlarged and encompass the horizontal portion 11 of the U-shaped t frame.

Attached to the U-shaped frame comprising legs 10 and cross member 11 is an article holding assembly H one part of which is panel 15 which may be formed of such` suitable material as sheet steel. The outer peripheral margins of the panel 15 are formed over the U-shape'd frame as shown in Fig. 1 and are preferably recessed along the marginal connections so that the plane of the panel 15 will lie substantially below the fo1wardmost edges of the U-shaped framework. Corners 16 are deleted from the panel structure so as to allow free hinge movement of legs 12 attheir hinge connection with the framework lll-41. Another crossv brace 1'7 is allixedto the legs 16 in parallel relation to the cross member 11 at the top of the framework. Tab portions of the` panel 15 may be formed over cross wire 17 at spaced intervals as at 13 so as to increase the rigidity of the entire panel and framework arrangement.. The other portion of the article holding assembly H is movable compartmented tray 19, This tray may be semi-cylindrical in shapeand may have a plurality of dividers 2i) to form compartments of various sizes for retainingsmall articles therein. The cross brace 17 is placed in such position with respect to the dimensions of the tray 19 that the tray willl rest upon t'ne supporting surface such as a floor when the holder is in operating position as viewed in Fig.. 2. The inner surface of the compartmented tray is thus exposed in a forwardly facing direction with a small portion of its curved shell 21 extending forwardly of the contact position 22 with supporting surface. A latch device 23 is aiixed to the leading edge of tray 19 so as tocooperate with lid 24 which is likewise hinged to cross brace 17 as by tabs Z5. When in normal operating position as in Figs. l and 2 the lid 24 is releasably'retained by latch means at 26 attached to the face of panel 15. The lid 24 may thus be pivoted to its retained position against the panel 15 or may be pivotally urged in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 so as to engage latch 23 and be'- come secured to the open portion of tray 19 so as to prevent spilling or mixing of the small articles retained within the tray. With the lid 24 secured to the tray 19 the entire enclosed tray 19 may now be again pivoted upwardly and retained in closely cooperating position with the panel 15 releasably secured by the same latch members 26 which first held the lid 24 alone. Tray 19 is hinged to brace 17 by tabs 19a.

Means for releasably retaining tools in a forward position is supplied at the face of panel 15 and may constitute magnetic bars 27, 28 and 29. For large tools such as wrench 30 the natural dimensions of such tools will render it large enough to extend across the two magnetic bars 27 and 2S, thus being firmly gripped by the magnetic forces of both bars. Smaller tools such as the small wrench 31 will be adequately supported by the magnetic force of one of the bars 27. The magnetic bar 29 may be employed for other small tools such as the socket portions of a socket wrench set and will be disposed for easy removal and replacement. A notched out portion 32 in the panel 15 exposes the cross member 11 which thus becomes a handle for carrying the holder at that point. A flexible retaining member such as chain 33 extends across from the back side of panel 15 to the cross member 13 for limiting the spread of legs 12 from legs 10.

I prefer not to rely upon magnetic holding means where very small items such as washers and cotter keys are concerned. It is a well known phenomenon that Patented Jan. 31, e

such items, when in a magnetic field, will cluster in a group and removal of one may separate several of such items. The forward face of the curved bottom 21 in tray 19 becomes the handiest and simplest means of presenting small articles for the mechanics use while he is working. My holder is especially adaptable for disposition close to the person of a mechanic while working in awkward positions or under adverse circumstances upon a piece of mechanical equipment. Thus when working on the underside of an automobile my holder becomes a means of rendering assistance to the mechanic in retaining in a handy position all the tools which he may require and may furnish means for holding and selecting parts which he may remove from the equipment he is working on. Tools may be selected by manually touching and feeling and may be replaced upon any portion of the magnetic bars 27 and 28 without regard to their specific orientation. My holder is designed to maintain the tools and mechanical parts in as close proximity to the supporting surface as is practical while still maintaining them in an upright position for efficient handling. The magnetic bars 27, 28 and 29 may be formed of small segments of magnet bars, having a plurality of north and south poles or may constitute one single magnetic bar with but one north and south pole at each end. I prefer the former arrangement since, in the latter instance, there will be a neutral Zone intermediate the ends which will be ineffectual to magnetically retain the articles.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A holder for articles such as tools and mechanical parts which comprises a supporting structure for standing upon a supporting surface, a panel member rigidly mounted in upstanding position upon said supporting structure, magnetic means at the surface of said panel for retaining metal articles thereupon in a forward position, a swingable tray mounted at the lower part of said panel and adapted to lie in forwardly facing and easily accessible open position in proximity to said supporting surface and to lie over against a portion of said panel in closed position, and lid means for retaining articles within said tray against displacement therefrom while swinging said tray from its position in proximity to the supporting surface to its closed position against said portion of the panel.

2. A holder for articles such as tools and mechanical parts comprising in combination an upstanding panel,

.means upon the surface of the panel for holding tools in readily removable position, a supporting structure for positioning said panel in proximity to a surface such as a oor, an elongated compartmented tray horizontally hinged adjacent the bottom of said panel and swingable downwardly therefrom to contact at its bottom a surface upon which the holder is positioned, a tray cover removably positioned ovcr said tray for maintaining mechanical parts within the compartments of the tray, and latch means for holding said tray cover and tray upwardly against said panel whereby the entire tray, together with articles held therewithin, may be positioned securely against the face of said panel and alternatively swung downwardly to present the tray compartments in a forward and open position adjacent the supporting surface for convenient and ready accessibility to both tools and parts.

3. A holder for articles such as tools and mechanical parts comprising a supporting structure having lower members for positioning on a supporting surface, a panel for retaining tools and parts secured to said supporting structure in upward upstanding relation thereto, an elongated and generally horizontal tray for also retaining tools and parts swingably mounted on said supporting structure, said tray being movable from an upward and closed position against said panel to an open and forwardly facing position resting upon a supporting surface, whereby an operator in close proximity to said supporting surface will have ready and convenient access to tools and parts.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 361,248 Winton Apr. 12, 1887 507,233 Marshall Oct. 24, 1893 887,152 Timberlake May l2, 1908 1,235,521 Koenig July 31, 1917 2,211,660 Kidd Aug. 13, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,360 Great Britain 1893

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