Appliance support

• US 6,077,029 A
• Filed: 05/29/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James D. Johnson
• Original Assignee: James D. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MORSE, GREGORY ALLAN
• Application Number:
  US09/087,443
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 280/47.12, 414/754, 414/778
• US Class Current: 414/778
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 1/00 Work benches; Portable stands or supports for positioning portable tools or work to be operated on thereby

Abstract

An aid for use in repairing large appliances. The appliance support slips under a large appliance such as a washing machine and allows the service technician to tilt the appliance forward or sideways to an easier position to work on. The support has two angled working positions one at about 45 degrees tilt and a second at about 90 degrees of tilt of the appliance. This allows a technician to remove parts such as the back off a washing machine without bending down into an uncomfortable position. Flipping the appliance support over it can serve as a step stool.

Claims

1. An appliance service support comprising;

a plate having a first ground engaging surface and an upper surface, said plate being sufficiently thin to fit under the lower frame of an appliance;

said first ground engaging surface on said plate having an edge;

a second plate connected to said first plate at said edge and perpendicular to the first plate said second plate having a face;

a riser connected to the first ground engaging surface near said edge such that when said lower surface is placed under an appliance, said riser is between said edge and the ground such the weight of said appliance urges said face on said second plate is into engagement with a face of said appliance.

2. The appliance service support of claim 1 wherein there is a second ground engaging surface;

and including a first stable position where said first ground engaging surface of said plate is approximately parallel with the ground surface;

and a second stable position where said first ground engaging surface is generally at 45 degrees to the ground and said second ground engaging surface rests on said ground surface.

3. The appliance support of claim 2 wherein there is a third ground engaging surface;

and including a third stable position where said first ground engaging surface is approximately perpendicular to said ground surface and wherein said third ground engaging surface rests on the ground surface.

4. An appliance service support comprising;

a plate having a first ground engaging surface and an upper surface, said plate being sufficiently thin to fit under the lower frame of an appliance such that tilting the appliance support will cause the appliance to tilt;

said first ground engaging surface on said plate having an edge;

a second plate connected to said first plate at said edge and perpendicular to the first plate, said second plate having a face;

a first stable position of said appliance service support wherein said first ground engaging surface rests on a ground surface and wherein a riser located on said ground engaging surface at said edge tilts the support toward the appliance, urging said face of said second plate into engagement with the appliance;

a second stable position of said appliance service support wherein said first ground engaging surface is generally at a 45 degree angle with the ground surface.

5. The appliance service support of claim 4 further comprising;

a third stable position of said appliance service support wherein said first ground engaging surface is generally perpendicular to the ground surface.

6. An appliance service support for supporting an appliance in part by engaging a face of said appliance, said support comprising;

first means to maintain an appliance in a first stable position;

riser means using the weight of said appliance to urge a face of said appliance service support into engagement with the face of said appliance when said appliance is in said first stable position;

second means to allow tilt of said appliance to a second stable position and maintain said appliance in said second stable position wherein said second stable position is at a 45 degree angle relative to said first stable position;

third means to tilt said appliance to a third stable position and maintain said appliance in said third stable position wherein said third stable position is at a 90 degree angle about a horizontal axis from said first stable position.

7. The appliance support of claim 6 wherein said appliance in said second stable position is displaced in a vertical direction from said first stable position.

8. The appliance support of claim 7 wherein the appliance in the third stable position is displaced further in said vertical direction from said first stable position.

9. An appliance service support for supporting an appliance by engaging a face on the appliance, the support comprising;

a first appliance engaging plate, said first plate being thin enough to slip under said appliance,

a top surface of said first plate designed to contact the under side of said appliance,

a bottom surface on said first plate designed to contact the ground when said top surface is contacting the bottom of said appliance,

a second plate, generally perpendicular to the first plate having a first surface to contact a face of said appliance,

a riser on an edge of said bottom surface of said first plate, said riser positioned to tip said first and second plates such that said first surface of said second plate is tilted into tight engagement with said appliance front face.