Suspendible tool box

• US 5,547,080 A
• Filed: 08/22/1994
• Issued: 08/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph J. Klimas
• Original Assignee: Joseph J. Klimas
• Inventors: Klimas, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gehman, Bryon P.
• Application Number:
  US08/293,546
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 206/373, 206/806, 312/902, 248/210, 248/211, 248/214, 248/215, 248/238, 182/33, 182/129
• US Class Current: 206/373
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/02 Boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/023 movable relative to one another for access to their interiors
• CPC Class Codes: E06C 7/14 Holders for pails or other equipment on or for ladders

Abstract

The invention relates to a tool box that has a lid that may be unobstructedly opened while the box is suspended by its own hanger from a horizontal member of a scaffold. Moreover, the tool box is designed to block rotation of the box while suspended, so that it may be opened, closed, and accessed while remaining out of the way in its hanging position on the scaffold.

Claims

1. An improved tool box, having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls, each lying generally in a vertical plane, and a bottom wall lying generally in a horizontal plane, said front wall and said rear wall each having their bottom edges connected to the front edge and the rear edge, respectively, of the bottom wall, said side walls each having their bottom edges connected to the side edges, respectively, of the bottom wall, the front side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the front wall, and the rear side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the rear wall, a lid connected to at least one of the walls lying in a generally vertical plane, wherein the improvement comprises:

a. a means for suspending the box from an object while permitting free movement of the lid for opening and closing and without limiting movement of the lid by the object to which the box may be suspended,

said means for suspending being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of said box, adapted to suspend said box from a horizontal member of a scaffold, said scaffold having the horizontal member supported on each end by a parallel vertical support member, and said means for suspending the box extends horizontally and is centrally disposed on said vertical wall and has a horizontal length that is less than the horizontal length of the vertical wall of the box to which the means for suspending the box is attached,

wherein each end of the vertical wall of the box on which the means for suspending the box is disposed extending beyond the centrally disposed means for suspending the box defines a vertical section, and

wherein each vertical section may be positioned adjacent to a parallel vertical support member of a scaffold having a horizontal member disposed between parallel vertical support members,

whereby, rotational movement of the box about said horizontal member of a scaffold is obstructed by contact between each of said vertical sections and the adjacent parallel vertical support member; and

b. a horizontal lid hinge operably connected to the lid and having an axis disposed along and operably connected to the vertical wall of the box that is opposite the vertical wall of the box on which the means for suspending the box is disposed,

said lid being pivotally movable about the axis of said lid hinge from a closed position with the lid resting generally horizontally on top of said box to an open position,

whereby, a scaffold from which the box may be suspended will not impede the use of the lid which may be opened and closed while the box is suspended from the scaffold.

2. The improved tool box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for suspending the box is disposed at a spaced distance from at least one of the side edges of the vertical wall of the box to which the means for suspending the box is attached,

said spaced distance delimiting a section of the vertical wall of the box to which the means for suspending the box is attached,

said spaced distance being sufficiently sized to allow the section to be placed in face to face relationship with one of the parallel vertical support members of a scaffold as the box is suspended from a horizontal member of the scaffold,

whereby, rotational movement of the box about said horizontal member of the scaffold is obstructed.

3. An improved tool box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for suspending the box comprises at least one bracket, having a downwardly extending lip spaced from the wall of the box, adapted to affix to a horizontal member of a scaffold.

4. An improved tool box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for suspending the box comprises at least two brackets and an elongated horizontal means for guiding said brackets,

each of said brackets having a proximate end slidably disposed longitudinally within said elongated horizontal means for guiding and a distal end adapted to affix to a horizontal member of a scaffold,

said elongated horizontal means for guiding being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of the box and having the brackets slidably secured to said elongated horizontal means for guiding.

5. The improved tool box as set forth in claim 4, wherein each of the brackets has an elongated generally horizontal surface with a proximate longitudinal edge adjacent to the vertical wall of the box on which the means for suspending the box is operably connected and a distal longitudinal edge connected to an upper edge of a downwardly disposed surface thereof.

6. The improved tool box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises a bottom surface with interior storage boxes disposed thereon which are accessible when the lid is in a fully opened position, a recessed handle, and an internally disposed tool tray in said box.

7. An improved tool box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid is pivotally movable about the axis of the hinge from a closed position with the lid resting generally horizontally on top of said box to an open position with the lid positioned adjacent to the vertical wall of the box on which the lid hinge is operably connected,

said lid being moveable about the hinge axis from the closed position through an angle of rotation of approximately 270°

to a fully open position,

whereby, the lid may be openly disposed adjacent to the box out of the way of a user.

8. The improved tool box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the lid further comprises a bottom surface with interior storage boxes disposed thereon,

each of said interior storage boxes having a cover that is disposed horizontally when the lid is in an open position,

said cover being secured in a closed position by the vertical wall to which the lid is attached when said lid is in the closed position;

a recessed handle; and

an internally disposed tool tray in said box.

9. An improved tool box, having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls, each lying generally in a vertical plane, and a bottom wall lying generally in a horizontal plane, said front wall and said rear wall each having their bottom edges connected to the front edge and the rear edge, respectively, of the bottom wall, said side walls each having their bottom edges connected to the side edges, respectively, of the bottom wall, the front side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the front wall, and the rear side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the rear wall, a lid connected to at least one of the walls lying in a generally vertical plane, wherein the improvement comprises a means for suspending the box from an object while permitting free movement of the lid for opening and closing and without limiting movement of the lid by the object to which the box may be suspended,

said means for suspending being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of said box and comprising at least two brackets and an elongated horizontal means for guiding said brackets,

each of said brackets having a proximate end slidably disposed longitudinally within said elongated horizontal means for guiding and a distal end adapted to affix to a horizontal surface,

said elongated horizontal means for guiding being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of the box and having the brackets slidably secured to said elongated horizontal means for guiding.

10. An improved tool box as set forth in claim 9, wherein the width of the generally horizontal surface of each of the brackets is at least one and a half (1.5") inches.

11. A tool box having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls, each lying generally in a vertical plane, and a bottom wall, lying generally in a horizontal plane, said front wall and said rear wall each having their bottom edges connected to the front edge and the rear edge, respectively, of the bottom wall, said side walls each having their bottom edges connected to the side edges, respectively, of the bottom wall, the front side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the front wall, and the rear side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the rear wall, a lid connected to at least one of the walls lying in a generally vertical plane, and a means for suspending the box from an object while permitting free movement of the lid for opening and closing and without limiting movement of the lid by the object to which the box may be suspended,

said means for suspending being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of said box and comprising at least two brackets and an elongated horizontal means for guiding said brackets,

each of said brackets having a proximate end slidably disposed longitudinally within said elongated horizontal means for guiding and a distal end adapted to affix to a horizontal surface,

said elongated horizontal means for guiding being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of the box and having the brackets slidably secured to said elongated horizontal means for guiding.

12. A tool box having a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls, each lying generally in a vertical plane, and a bottom wall, lying generally in a horizontal plane, said front wall and said rear wall each having their bottom edges connected to the front edge and the rear edge, respectively, of the bottom wall, said side walls each having their bottom edges connected to the side edges, respectively, of the bottom wall, the front side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the front wall, and the rear side edge of each of the side walls connected, respectively, to the side edge of the rear wall, a lid connected to at least one of the walls lying in a generally vertical plane, and a means for suspending the box from an object while permitting free movement of the lid for opening and closing and without limiting movement of the lid by the object to which the box may be suspended,

said means for suspending being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of said box, extending horizontally and being centrally disposed on said vertical wall with a horizontal length that is less than the horizontal length of the vertical wall of the box to which the means for suspending the box is attached

wherein each end of the vertical wall of the box on which the means for suspending the box is disposed extending beyond the centrally disposed means for suspending the box defines a vertical section, and

wherein each vertical section positioned adjacent to a parallel vertical support member of a scaffold having a horizontal member disposed between parallel vertical support members,

whereby, rotational movement of the box about said horizontal member of a scaffold is obstructed by contact between each of said vertical sections and the adjacent parallel vertical support member;

and

further comprising a horizontal lid hinge operably connected to the lid and having an axis disposed along and operably connected to the vertical wall of the box that is opposite the vertical wall of the box on which the means for suspending the box is disposed,

said lid being pivotally movable about the axis of said lid hinge from a closed position with the lid resting generally horizontally on top of said box to an open position,

whereby, a scaffold from which the box may be suspended will not impede the use of the lid which may be opened and closed while the box is suspended from the scaffold.

13. The tool box as set forth in claim 12, wherein the means for suspending the box comprises at least one bracket, having a downwardly extending lip spaced from the wall of the box, adapted to affix to a horizontal member of a scaffold.

14. The tool box as set forth in claim 12, wherein the means for suspending the box comprises at least two brackets and an elongated horizontal means for guiding said brackets,

each of said brackets being disposed in a longitudinally horizontally slidable relationship with said elongated horizontal means for guiding,

said elongated horizontal means for guiding being operably connected to one of the vertical walls of the box and having the brackets slidably secured to said elongated horizontal means for guiding.