Mechanics portable adjustable tool tray adapted to be supported on opposed edge configurations of a vehicle engine compartment

• US 6,520,092 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arthur A. Marshall, Darrin A. Marshall
• Original Assignee: Arthur A. Marshall, Darrin A. Marshall
• Inventors: Marshall, Arthur A., Marshall, Darrin A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, JOSE V
• Application Number:
  US09/999,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 108/44, 108/43, 108/42, 108/49, 108/143, 108/137, 108/25, 108/45, 224/42.11, 224/42.13, 297/180.12, 297/180.18
• US Class Current: 108/44
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 5/00 Tool, instrument or work supports or storage means used in association with vehicles; Workers' supports, e.g. mechanics' creepers collecting or removing exhaust gases in workshops B08B15/002; vehicle lifting devices, e.g. jacks, platforms or ramps B66F

Abstract

A portable mechanic'"'"'s bench removably spans vehicle hood ledges having lateral flanges extending from upstanding fender components bordering the vehicle engine compartment and may comprise a tray with an open top. A pair of drawers with open tops are laterally telescopically received by the tray to be movable from a first position in which the drawers are in laterally inward storage position to an outwardly extended operative position. Legs diverge downwardly and laterally outwardly to exert wedging stress on the fender upstanding components to hold the bench in position.

Claims

1. A portable mechanic'"'"'s bench for removably spanning vehicle hood ledges having lateral flanges extending from upstanding fender walls to provide an upwardly open confluent socket wall configuration bordering the engine compartments of diverse vehicles comprising:

a. a tray of generally U-shape with an open top, including a bottom wall and upstanding laterally extending side walls along said open top, which provides access to said tray bottom wall;

b. a pair of drawers of generally U-shape with open tops, including drawer bottom walls and upstanding side walls extending along said open tops which provide access to said bottom walls, laterally telescopically received by said tray to be movable in laterally opposite directions from a first position in which said drawers are in laterally inward storage position to a laterally outwardly extended operative position in which said tray bottom wall and said drawer bottom walls are all available as upwardly open tool and part support surfaces; and

c. legs dependant from said drawers, said legs angling downwardly and laterally outwardly relative to said drawer bottom walls in relative divergent relation to provide lateral as well as vertical components of engagement pressure, said legs terminating in lowermost edge portions extending in divergent relation in a direction to engage said confluent wall configuration and exert spreading forces on said fender upstanding walls augmented by the weight of articles in said tray and said drawers and hold said bench in position.

2. The bench of claim 1 wherein said drawers have transversely outer end walls and said legs are an integral extension thereof.

3. The bench of claim 1 wherein said legs angle laterally outwardly relative to a vertical plane at an angle in the range of 10 to 45 degrees.

4. The bench of claim 3 wherein said angle is about 15 degrees.

5. The bench of claim 1 wherein said drawers have transversely inner end walls upstanding from said drawer bottom walls and the upper ends of said inner end walls have transversely outwardly extending flanges forming opposing hand holds.

6. The bench of claim 1 wherein said tray bottom wall includes a light reflective external lower surface and has an upwardly and downwardly open electrically powered luminous member mounted on said external surface to project light downwardly into the engine compartment and upwardly to said light reflective surface for redirection downwardly to said engine compartment.

7. The bench of claim 6 wherein laterally spaced, U-shaped, downwardly open resilient clips releasably mount said luminous member on said bottom wall of said tray.

8. In combination with a vehicle hood fender structure having laterally spaced hood ledges with vertical and laterally inturned wall components forming an upwardly open confluent corner configuration on opposite sides of and bordering the vehicle engine compartment to support the hood;

a portable mechanic'"'"'s bench with opposed ends for removably spanning said vehicle hood ledges;

said bench comprising;

a. a first tool support platform of generally U-shape with an open top;

another tool support platform comprising a drawer of generally U-shape including a drawer bottom wall with upstanding side walls bordering an open top relatively telescopically mounted to be relatively removable from a first position in which said platforms are in a laterally compressed storage position to a laterally expanded operative position; and

b. dependent bench legs angling downwardly and outwardly relative to said platforms in divergent relation to support said opposed ends of said bench and provide lateral as well as vertical components of engagement pressure, said legs having terminal lower ends extending in said divergent relation in a direction to engage said corner configuration and exert wedging forces on said ledge wall components and anchor said bench legs and thereby said bench in position.

9. The bench of claim 8 wherein said platforms have outer end walls and said legs are an integral extension thereof.

10. The bench of claim 8 wherein at least one of said platforms has an inner end wall portion with a hand hold thereon.

11. The bench of claim 8 wherein said legs angle downwardly and outwardly at an angle in the range of 10-45 degrees.

12. The bench of claim 8 wherein an upwardly and downwardly open luminous member mounts on an exterior bottom surface of said first tool support platform.

13. A method of making a portable mechanic'"'"'s bench for removably spanning vehicle hood ledges having lateral flanges extending laterally inwardly from upstanding fender wall components to provide upwardly open confluent angular socket configurations bordering the engine compartments of diverse vehicles comprising:

a tray of generally U-shape including a bottom wall with upstanding transversely extending side walls open at its top to provide access to said tray bottom wall;

a drawer mechanism of generally U-shape including a drawer bottom wall with upstanding side walls open along the top to provide access to said drawer bottom wall telescopically received by said tray to be removable from a first position in which said drawer mechanism is in transversely inward storage position to an extended operative position;

comprising

providing legs dependent from the ends of said bench, said legs angling downwardly and outwardly relative to said bench in divergent relation to provide lateral as well as vertical components of reactance support, said legs terminating in lower free edge portions extending in a direction to engage said confluent configurations and exert spreading forces on said engine compartment upstanding wall components and hold said bench in position without the need of ledge locks.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising providing said drawer mechanism as oppositely telescoping drawers with transversely inner end walls upstanding from drawer bottom walls and providing the upper ends of said inner end walls with transversely outwardly extending flanges forming opposing hand holds.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said legs diverge at an angle of about 10-45 degrees from vertical planes.

16. The method of claim 13 comprising providing one of said bottom surfaces with clips for releasably securing an elongate luminous apparatus and providing a connection for electrical energy to illuminate the engine compartment.

17. The method of claim 13 comprising providing said tray bottom surface as a light reflective surface and mounting a light source on said tray bottom surface open to project light downwardly into the engine compartment and upwardly to said light reflective surface.

18. A method of making a portable mechanic'"'"'s bench for removably spanning vehicle hood ledges having lateral flanges extending laterally inwardly from upstanding fender wall components to provide upwardly open confluent angular socket configurations bordering the engine compartments of diverse vehicles comprising:

a. providing an open ended tray of generally U-shape including a bottom wall with upstanding transversely extending side walls and open at its top to provide access to said tray bottom wall;

b. providing opposed drawer mechanisms of generally U-shape, including drawer bottom walls with upstanding side walls and open along the top to provide access to said drawer bottom walls, telescopically received by said tray at the open ends thereof to be removable from a first position in which said drawer mechanism is in transversely inward storage position to an extended operative position in which said tray bottom wall and said drawer bottom walls are all available as upwardly open support surfaces for tools and parts; and

c. providing legs dependent from the outer ends of said drawer mechanisms, said legs extending downwardly from said bench and terminating in lower free edge portions extending in a direction to engage said confluent configurations and configured to support said bench in position without the need of ledge locks.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising providing said tray bottom surface as a light reflective surface and releasably mounting a light source on said tray bottom surface open to project light downwardly into the engine compartment and upwardly to said light reflective surface.