Lockable railing trough

• US 6,666,342 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: H/T Fabricators LLC
• Original Assignee: H/T Fabricators LLC
• Inventors: House, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US10/299,125
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 211/70.6, 211/88.01, 211/86.01, 182/129, 248/214
• US Class Current: 211/70.6
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/06 Trays
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 5/00 Component parts or accessories for scaffolds connections E04G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 5/003 Devices for storing material on the scaffold

Abstract

The present invention is to a lockable railing trough. The railing trough may have end panels, forming a bin. The locking mechanism comprises a mechanically separate item from the trough. The trough or bin may be hung on a railing, perhaps on a man lifter, by a hook portion of the trough or bin and locked there with the locking mechanism, which engages the trough or bin and not the railing. The trough or bin may hang on the inside of the railing or on the outside of the railing. Matched pairs of troughs and/or bins may be arranged in saddle-bag fashion, with their hook portions overlapping over the railing. A plurality of bins and troughs may be used on a plurality of railings on a single man lifter. The bins and troughs may be adapted to particular work environments such as painting, electrical work, or plumbing. The troughs and bins may comprise compartments, trays, tool tethers, and other adaptations to particular work requirements.

Claims

1. A lockable railing trough comprising:

a container comprising;

a trough portion; and

a hook portion, the hook portion extending from a side of the trough, the hook portion adapted to engage at least one length of railing, the hook portion substantially aligned to the trough portion; and

a lock, the lock adapted to releasably engage the container, the lock operable to close without contacting the railing, the lock operable in a closed position to prevent the hook portion from disengaging from the railing.

2. The lockable railing trough of claim 1, wherein a side of the trough portion comprises a side oblique to the a bottom of the trough.

3. The lockable railing trough of claim 1, further comprising a lip, the lip comprising a shaped portion of an edge of a side of the trough.

4. The lockable railing trough of claim 1, further comprising at least one partition, the at least one partition comprising at least one web, the web engaging portions of interior surfaces of at least one of the bottom of the trough, a first side of the trough, and a second side of the trough.

5. The lockable railing trough of claim 4, wherein the at least one web comprises at least one end of the trough.

6. The lockable railing trough of claim 5, wherein the at least one web comprises at least one opening.

7. The lockable railing trough of claim 1, wherein the hook portion and the trough portion comprise a single shaped sheet of material.

8. The lockable railing trough of claim 7, wherein the shaped sheet of material comprises a plurality of substantially mutually parallel angular bends.

9. The lockable railing trough of claim 7, wherein the material comprises at least one of metal, plastic, fiberglass, and a composite material.

10. The lockable railing trough of claim 1, wherein the engagement of the hook portion of the container with the railing comprises contact between at least one surface of the railing and at least a portion of at least one interior surface of the hook portion, the lock operable to prevent the railing from making simultaneous contact with the lock and all of the at least a portion of the at least one interior surface of the hook portion.

11. The lockable railing trough of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises:

a support, the support comprising a substantially rigid panel, the panel sized and shaped to engage at least a portion of at least one exterior surface of the container; and

a catch, the catch comprising a catch hook moveably connected to the support and manipulatable between an open position and a closed position, the catch hook sized and shaped to receive the hook portion of the container and to engage the hook portion of the container in the closed position of the catch.

12. The lockable railing trough of claim 10, wherein the lock further comprises a brace, the brace comprising an elongated substantially rigid member fixed to the support, the brace adapted to brace against at least one rigid object in proximity to the railing.

13. The lockable railing trough of claim 10, wherein the connection between the support and the catch comprises:

a slider pin, the pin fixed to a portion of the support that engages a first side of the trough beneath the hook; and

a slider slot, the slider slot comprising an elongated bore transverse through the catch, the slot slidingly engaging the slider pin.

14. The lockable railing trough of claim 12, further comprising:

a first locking pin bore, the first locking pin bore transversely though a portion of the support that engages the first side of the trough beneath the hook;

a second locking pin bore in the catch, the second locking pin bore aligning with the first locking pin bore in the closed position of the catch; and

a locking pin, the locking pin sized and shaped to be inserted through the first and second locking pin bores.

15. The lockable railing trough of claim 10, wherein the catch further comprises:

a body, the body comprising at least one substantially rigid panel.

16. The lockable railing trough of claim 1, further comprising a brace, the brace comprising an elongated substantially rigid member attached to the container, the brace adapted to engage a fixed object in proximity to the railing, operable to constrain rotation of the container about the railing.

17. The lockable railing trough of claim 15, wherein the attachment of the brace to the container comprises at least one of a moveable attachment, a lockable attachment, and an adjustable attachment.

18. The lockable railing trough of claim 1, being the first lockable railing trough, further comprising a second lockable railing trough, the second lockable railing trough comprising a length of hook portion extending longitudinally beyond at least one end of the trough portion by a length sufficient to be engaged by the lock, the hook portion of the container adapted to engage a length of a hook portion of the first lockable railing trough.

20. The lockable railing trough of claim 18, wherein the hook portion and the trough portion comprise a single shaped sheet of material.

23. The lockable railing trough of claim 18 wherein the lock further comprises:

a support, the support comprising a substantially rigid panel, the panel sized and shaped to engage at least two exterior surfaces of the trough;

a catch, the catch moveably connected to the support and manipulatable between an open position and a closed position, the catch operable in the closed position to prevent the hook portion from disengaging from the railing.

19. An lockable railing trough comprising:

a container comprising;

a trough portion; and

a hook portion, the hook portion extending from the trough, the hook adapted to engage and suspend from a length of railing, the hook portion aligned to the trough portion; and

a lock, the lock configured to releasably attach to the container, the lock having a closed position, the lock in the closed position operable to prevent the hook portion from disengaging from the railing;

wherein the lock comprises a support and a catch, the support engaging the trough portion, the catch moveably attached to the support, the catch comprising a body and a catch hook, the catch hook sized and shaped to receive and engage the hook portion of the container, the catch manipulatable between the closed position and an open position and wherein the lock is operable to prevent the railing from simultaneously contacting the support and a portion of the hook engaged in suspension.

21. The lockable railing trough of claim 19, wherein the shaped sheet of material comprises a plurality of mutually parallel angular bends.

22. The lockable railing trough of claim 19, wherein the material comprises at least one of metal, plastic, fiberglass, and a composite material.

24. The lockable railing trough of claim 22, wherein the lock further comprises a brace, the brace comprising an elongated substantially rigid member, fixed to the support, the brace sized and shaped to engage at least one of a second railing or a platform edge.

25. The lockable railing trough of claim 22, wherein the moveable connection between the support and the catch comprises:

a slider pin, the pin fixed to a portion of the support that engages a first side of the trough beneath the hook portion; and

a slider slot, the slider slot comprising an elongated bore transverse through the catch, the slot slidingly engaging the slider pin.

26. The lockable railing trough of claim 24, further comprising:

a first locking pin bore, the bore transversely though a portion of the support that engages the first side of the trough beneath the hook;

a second locking pin bore in the catch, the second locking pin bore aligning with the first locking pin bore in the closed position of the catch; and

a locking pin, the locking pin sized and shaped to be inserted through the first and second locking pin bores.

27. The lockable railing trough of claim 22, wherein the catch comprises:

a body, the body comprising at least one substantially rigid panel and

a catch hook, the catch hook extending from the body, the catch hook sized and shaped to receive the hook portion in a rotated position of the catch and to engage the hook portion of the container in the closed position of the catch.

28. A lockable railing trough comprising:

an elongated container, the container comprising a constant cross-sectional shape for most of its length, the container adapted to independently engage and suspend from an elongated member; and

a mechanism, the mechanism comprising substantially rigid materials, the mechanism adapted to the constant cross-sectional shape of the container and engaging the container along a length having a constant cross-sectional shape, the engaged mechanism operable to prevent the elongated member from being simultaneously in contact with the mechanism and a portion of the container engaged in suspension.

29. The lockable railing trough of claim 28 wherein the engagement between the container and the mechanism is further operable to prevent rotation of the container about the elongated member in at least one rotational direction.

30. The lockable railing trough of claim 28 wherein the container comprises a single sheet of material having a plurality of mutually parallel bends.

31. A method of retaining a container on a railing, the method comprising the steps of:

engaging the railing with a hook portion of the container;

engaging at least three surfaces on the container with a lock; and

avoiding engagement of the railing with the lock.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of:

engaging a fixed object with a brace, the brace further engaging at least one of the lock and the container.

33. A method of making a lockable railing trough, the method comprising the steps of:

shaping and sizing a single sheet of material into a trough having a hook portion;

shaping and sizing a support to engage exterior surfaces of the trough;

shaping and sizing a catch, the catch comprising a catch hook, the catch hook shaped and sized to receive and engage the hook portion; and

connecting the catch to the support with a moveable connection.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of shaping a sheet of material comprises at least one of bending, stamping, casting, and forming.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of drilling a locking pin bore through the catch and the support.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of attaching a brace to at least one of the support and the container.

37. A lock for a lockable railing trough, comprising:

a support, comprising;

substantially rigid material sized and shaped to engage a bottom and two sides of a lockable railing trough;

at least one slider pin extending perpendicularly from at least one side of the support;

a locking pin bore through the support; and

a catch, comprising;

a body, comprising

at least one slider slot, sized and shaped to engage the at least one slider pin;

at least one locking pin bore through the body, the at least one locking pin bore through the body positioned to align with the locking pin bore in the support in a closed position of the catch;

a catch hook the catch hook sized and shaped to receive and lockably engage a hook portion of a lockable railing trough; and

a brace attached to the support, the brace comprising substantially rigid material sized and shaped to engage a rigid object to constrain rotation of the lockable railing trough about a railing.

38. The lock of claim 37, wherein the lock is sized and shaped to prevent the railing from simultaneously contacting the support and all interior surfaces of a hook portion of the lockable railing trough.