Tool storage system

• US 4,819,800 A
• Filed: 04/04/1988
• Issued: 04/11/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tony E. Wilson
• Original Assignee: Tony E. Wilson
• Inventors: Wilson, Tony E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, William
• Application Number:
  US07/179,207
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 224/42.45 R, 211/70.6, 206/373, 206/375, 206/376, 206/377, 206/349
• US Class Current: 206/373
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/023 movable relative to one another for access to their interiors
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/04 Racks

Abstract

A tool box is formed of two identical shallow halves hinged together to have an open position for use and a closed position for carrying. A set of supports permit the box to be temporarily attached to a wall, such as the rear cab wall of a pickup truck or the like, in the open position providing access to tools held in a plurality of tool holders attached to planar walls of the box halves. The supports include resilient portions for quick release of the box halves. Handles on the tool box permit carrying in the closed position.

Claims

1. A tool box and supports comprising:

first and second, essentially identical and rectangular, shallow boxes hingedly attached together to permit closing to form a closed tool box, each of said boxes having a planar wall portion and a frame portion;

a pair of lower hangar supports for attachment to a vertical wall to receive and support a lower side of each of said frame portions when said tool box is in an open position;

a pair of upper hangar supports, each having an operable clamp element, said pair of upper supports for attachment to a vertical wall for clamping an upper side of each of said frame portions when said tool box is in an open position, said lower sides being supported by said pair of lower hangar supports;

a plurality of tool holders attached to said planar wall portion to hold tools in a vertical position when said open tool box is disposed in said upper and lower hangar supports;

locking means for locking said first and second shallow boxes together to form said closed tool box when removed from said upper and lower supports; and

carrying means for carrying said closed tool box.

2. The tool box and supports as recited in claim 1 in which:

said lower hangar supports each includes a horizontal shelf portion having an upturned outer end thereof; and

said upper hangar supports each have a horizontal portion having along an outer end thereof a downwardly projecting clamp element and a grip element, said horizontal portion formed of a resilient material.

3. The tool box and supports as recited in claim 1 in which said carrying means includes:

a horizontal upper portion of each of said frame portions having a carrying handle portion attached thereto wherein said handle portions mate together to form a single handle when said tool box is in a closed condition.

4. The tool box and supports as recited in claim 1 in which said tool holders are of varying shapes and sizes to hold a variety of tools.

5. A portable tool case for mounting, in an open condition, to a back cab wall of a pickup truck or the like to thereby provide access to stored tools, and having a closed condition when removed from said cab wall for carrying to a work site comprising:

(a) a pair of essentially identical rectangular shallow boxes, each having a frame portion and a planar wall portion;

(b) a hinge attached between portions of each of said frame portions to permit said boxes to be in an open coplanar condition for mounting to said wall and to be folded together to form a closed case for carrying;

(c) a lock attached to said frame portions for securing said boxes together when closed;

(d) a carrying handle having a handle portion attached to an upper element of each of said frame portions, said handle portions mating to form a single handle when said case is closed;

(e) a plurality of varying shapes and sizes of tool holding elements attached to each of said planar wall portions; and

(f) a set of wall mounted supports for said tool chest having

(i) lower supports, each having a horizontal shelf portion with an outer end thereof upturned, and

(ii) upper supports, each having a resilient horizontal portion with a downwardly projecting clamp element and a handgrip element at the outer edge thereof,

said upper and lower supports attached to said cab wall for supporting lower frame portions of said shallow boxes and for engaging upper frame portions when said case is open.