Tool hanging device

• US 5,799,847 A
• Filed: 04/08/1997
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph Sandor
• Original Assignee: Joseph Sandor
• Inventors: Sandor, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Long Dinh
• Application Number:
  US08/841,924
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 248/220.22, 248/223.41, 248/222.41, 248/682, 224/197, 224/198, 224/271, 224/272, 224/904, 24/3.11, 24/3.12, 24/3.1, 24/575, 24/680, 24/666
• US Class Current: 224/197
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/026 with a pin having an enlarged head detachably connected to a fastening device, e.g. to a pin receiving slot
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0575 Portable tools
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/904 Tool holder carried by belt

Abstract

A tool hanging device having two parts. One part is attached to a tool. The second part is a slotted member which is attached to a support surface such as a person'"'"'s belt. One of the parts such as the part attached to the tool has a button held to the end of an oblong stud. The slotted member which is attached to the person'"'"'s belt has a front plate with a V-shaped opening and at the bottom of the V-shaped opening is a throat into which the oblong stud will only fit lengthwise. Below the throat is an enlarged stud holding area. The button holds the stud and thus, the tool, in the slotted member and the tool is permitted to hang freely supported by the slotted member. The tool is removed by rotating the tool 90° from a free-hanging position to orient the oblong stud so that it will pass upwardly through the throat.

Claims

1. A tool hanging device having a first member affixable to a tool and a second member affixable to a hanging surface, said tool hanging device comprising:

one of said first and second members comprising a slotted member, said slotted member (10) having a front plate (11) and a back plate (22), said front plate (11) having an outer face (12) and an inner face (13), a top (24) and a bottom (25) and a thickness (14), said front plate (11) having an open area (21) between the inner face (13) and the back plate (22), said open area (21) having an open area width (23), said front plate (11) having an angled, wide-mouthed opening (15) beginning at the top (24) and said wide-mouthed opening (15) having a stud sliding edge (17) and a stud-stopping edge (16), said stud-stopping edge (16) terminating at a stud-receiving throat (18) between a throat edge (27) and the stud sliding edge (17), said throat (18) having a throat width (29) with a narrowmost portion (29'"'"') and a throat length (19) and said throat edge (27) continuing generally parallel to said stud-sliding edge (17) and said stud-sliding edge (17) terminating in a stud holding area (20), said stud holding area (20) continuing until it intersects said throat edge (27) and said slotted member (10) having a slotted member vertical central axis (28) and said stud sliding edge (17) at said throat (18) having an angle of between about 25 and 35 degrees from said slotted member central axis (28);

the other of said first and second members comprising a stud assembly (30) having a supporting plate (31), a stud member (32) extending outwardly a stud extension distance (34) from said supporting plate (31), said stud member (32) having two rounded ends (38,

     39) spaced apart from each other a stud length (37), said stud member (32) having a stud width (36) and said stud width (36) being narrower than said stud length (37) and narrower than said narrowmost portion (29'"'"') of said throat width (29) and said stud length (37) being greater than said narrowmost portion (29'"'"') of said throat width (29), said stud member (32) terminating in an overhanging button (33), said overhanging button (33) having a button thickness (35) less than the width (23) of said open area behind said front plate, the stud extension distance (34) being greater than the thickness (14) of said front plate and the stud assembly having a stud assembly vertical central axis (40) and a line extending through a stud central axis (41) of said stud is at an angle between about 55 and 65 degrees with respect to said stud assembly vertical central axis (40); and

wherein said throat length (19) is at least the length of one half the stud length (37) whereby when the tool (42) is held by one of said first and second members (10 or

     30) above a tool center of gravity (43), said one of said first and second members (10 or

     30) is oriented so that it hangs freely with its vertical central axis (28 or

     40) oriented vertically and the second of said first and second members (30 or

     10) is affixed to a supporting member so that its vertical central axis (40 or

     28) is oriented vertically and when said tool (42) is dropped into said second of said first and second members (10 or

     30), said wide-mouthed opening (15) contacts said stud member (32) and said button (33) enters the open area (21) behind said front plate (11), said stud member (32) abuts said stud sliding edge (17) and said stud stopping edge (16) where it is retained against the stud stopping edge (16) and the stud sliding edge (17) adjacent the throat (18) until said tool (42) is rotated about 90 degrees when said stud member (32) becomes aligned with said throat (18) and the stud member (32) moves into the stud holding area (20) where the tool (42) is free to return so that a vertical central axis of the tool (40'"'"') is oriented vertically.

2. The tool hanging device of claim 1 wherein said first member is the stud assembly (30) and said second member is the slotted member (10).

3. The tool hanging device of claim 1 further including a button contact wedge plate (44) located in said open area (21) to narrow said open area (21) to a narrowed open area (45) at a position so that the button contact wedge plate (44) contacts said button (33) when said button (33) is in said stud holding area (20).

4. The tool hanging device of claim 3 wherein said button contact wedge plate (44) is located on said inner face (13) of said front plate (11).

5. The tool hanging device of claim 4 wherein said button contact wedge has an uppermost edge (45) which intersects said stud holding area.

6. The tool hanging device of claim 1 wherein said throat length (19) is about 3/8".

7. The tool hanging device of claim 1 wherein said throat (18) has a straight throat edge (27) which is positioned at an angle of about ten degrees with respect to said stud sliding edge (17).

8. The tool hanging device of claim 1 wherein said first and second members are fabricated from a polymer.

9. The tool hanging device of claim 1 wherein said throat width (29) be wider at its intersection with said stud stopping edge (16) than at an intersection with said stud holding area (20).

10. A tool hanging device having a stud assembly affixable to a tool and a slotted member affixable to a hanging surface such as a belt, said tool hanging device comprising:

a slotted member (10) having a front plate (11) and a back plate (22), said front plate (11) having an outer face (12) and an inner face (13), a top (24) and a bottom (25) and a thickness (14), said front plate (11) having an open area (21) between said back plate (22) and the inner face (13), said open area (21) having an open area width (23), said front plate (11) having an angled, wide-mouthed opening (15) at the top (24) and said wide-mouthed opening (15) having a stud sliding edge (17) and a stud-stopping edge (16), said stud-stopping edge (16) terminating at a stud-receiving throat (18) having a throat edge (27) and a throat width (29) with a narrowmost portion (29'"'"') and a throat length (19) and said throat edge (27) continuing at a slight angle to said stud-sliding edge (17) oriented so that the narrowmost portion is adjacent a stud holding area (20) and said stud-sliding edge (17) terminating in said stud holding area (20), said stud holding area (20) continues until it intersects said throat edge (27) and said slotted member (10) having a slotted member vertical central axis (28) and said stud sliding edge (17) having an angle of between about 25 and 35 degrees from said slotted member central axis (28) and said slotted member further including a button contact wedge plate (44) located in said open area (21) extending inwardly from the inner face (13) to form a narrowed open area (45) at a position so that the button contact wedge plate (44) contacts said button (33) when said button (33) is in said stud holding area (20);

a stud assembly (30) having a supporting plate (31), a stud member (32) extending outwardly a stud extension distance (34) from said supporting plate (31), said stud member (32) having two rounded ends (38,

     39) spaced apart from each other a stud length (37), said stud member (32) having a stud width (36) and said stud width (36) being narrower than said stud length (37) and narrower than said narrowmost portion (29'"'"') of said throat width (29) and said stud length (37) being greater than the width of said narrowmost portion (29'"'"') of said throat width (29), said stud member (32) terminating in an overhanging button (33), said overhanging button (33) having a button thickness (35) less than the width (23) of said open area behind said front plate (11), the stud extension distance (34) being greater than the thickness (14) of said front plate and the stud assembly having a stud assembly vertical central axis (40) and a line extending through a stud central axis (41) of said stud is at an angle between about 55 and 65 degrees with respect to said stud assembly vertical central axis (40); and

wherein said throat length (19) is at least the length of one half the stud length (37) whereby when a tool (42) is held by said stud assembly (30) above the tool center of gravity (43), the stud assembly (30) is oriented so that it hangs freely with its vertical central axis (40) oriented vertically and the slotted member (10) is affixed to a supporting member so that its vertical central axis (28) is oriented vertically and when the stud assembly (30) affixed to said tool (42) is dropped into said angled wide mouth opening (15) of said slotted member (10), said stud member (32) contacts said wide-mouthed opening (15) and said button (33) enters the open area (21) behind said front plate (11), said stud member (32) abuts said stud sliding edge (17) and said stud stopping edge (16) where it is retained against the stud stopping edge (16) and the stud sliding edge (17) adjacent the throat (18) until said tool (42) is rotated about 90 degrees when said stud member (32) becomes aligned with said throat (18) and the stud member (32) moves into the stud holding area (20) where the tool (42) is free to return so that the vertical central axis of the tool (40'"'"') is oriented vertically.

11. The tool hanging device of claim 10 wherein said button contact wedge plate (44) extends from a middle area of said stud holding area (20) to a point below said stud holding area (20).

12. The tool hanging device of claim 11 wherein the thickness of said button contact wedge plate (44) and the thickness (14) of said front plate (11) is less than said stud extension width (34) by about 1/32".