U.S. patent application number 09/873466 was filed with the patent office on 2002-12-05 for tool support and lock.
Invention is credited to Shaw, Stanly G..
Application Number | 20020179659 09/873466 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25361689 |
Filed Date | 2002-12-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020179659 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shaw, Stanly G. |
December 5, 2002 |
Tool support and lock
Abstract
A tool support and lock for supporting and suspending a tool,
such as a commercial stapler or similarly constructed tools, from a
user's belt. The tool support and lock is an elongated inverted
U-shaped loop having an outward diverging leg, rounded upper
portion and an opposing leg terminating in an eccentric cam
portion, said diverging leg and cam portion having aligned
apertures therein, said cam portion sized to frictionally engage
the tool and secure the tool components from loosening and
disengaging from the tool by means of a fastening device passing
through the appertures into the tool.
Inventors: |
Shaw, Stanly G.; (Saco,
ME) |
Correspondence
Address: |
William F. Hameock, PA
50 Winter Harbor Road
Kennebunkpoer
ME
04046
US
|
Family ID: |
25361689 |
Appl. No.: |
09/873466 |
Filed: |
June 4, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/269 ;
224/272; 224/904 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 5/021 20130101;
B25C 7/00 20130101; A45F 5/02 20130101; B25H 3/006 20130101; A45F
2200/0575 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/269 ;
224/272; 224/904 |
International
Class: |
A45F 005/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A tool support and lock for supporting and suspending a tool
from a belt and locking components of the tool in place, said tool
having a planar wall and a releasable mounting base with a base
wall having an underside and an upright side wall which slidingly
engages said planar wall releasably engaging said tool, said tool
having a releasable fastening device mounted in a bore adjacent to
said upright side wall, comprising the tool support and lock
comprising a flat spring sheet bent into an elongated inverted
U-shaped loop having an outward diverging leg, a rounded upper
portion and an opposing leg terminating in an eccentric cam
portion, said diverging leg and cam portion having aligned
apertures therein, said eccentric cam portion sized to slide
in-between and frictionally engage said upright side wall and said
planar wall and said underside of the mounting base, said fastening
device releasably mountable on said tool support and lock through
said apertures into said bore, said tool support and lock
releasably mountable on said belt.
2. A tool support and lock according to claim 1 wherein said tool
is a commercial stapler.
3. A tool support and lock according to claim 1 wherein said flat
spring sheet is spring steel.
4. A tool support and lock according to claim 1 wherein said
outwardly diverging leg is releasably mountable on the inside of
the belt.
5. A method of mounting a tool to a belt and locking components of
the tool in place, said tool comprising a planar wall and a
releasable mounting base having a base wall with an underside and
an upright side wall which slidingly engages said planar wall
releasably engaging said tool, said tool having a releasable
fastening device mounted in a bore adjacent to said upright side
wall, comprising providing a tool support and lock comprising a
flat spring sheet bent into an elongated inverted U-shaped loop,
having a an outwardly diverging leg, a rounded upper portion and an
opposing leg terminating in an eccentric cam portion, said
diverging leg and cam portion having aligned apertures therein,
sliding said eccentric cam portion in-between said upright side
wall and said planar wall and engaging said underside of the
mounting base, and aligning said aperture with said bore,
releasably mounting said fastening device through said aperture and
said bore.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said tool is a commercial
stapler.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said fastening device is a bolt.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a tool support and lock, and more
particularly, to a support which is mounted on a tool and securely
locks the structure of the tool together, and clips on to a user's
belt which supports and carries the tool dangling therefrom.
[0002] Workmen are known to use numerous tool holders for support
and carrying various tools on their belts. Generally, these tool
supports have been limited only to supporting and carrying the
tools and nothing more. Thus, if the structure of the tool has a
tendency for its components to loosen and disengage from the tool,
the tool holder cannot prevent it from taking place. In many
instances, this loosening and disengagement renders the tool
inoperable. This situation is particularly true with respect to
commercial staplers and other similarly constructed tools. With
commercial staplers, a stapler arm encompasses a retention spring
mechanism that forces staples up through the arm. As depicted in
FIG. 3, a flat mounting base having opposing planar sides and a
hook retainer locks into the arm and holds the retention spring
under pressure within the arm. The problem is that when using the
tool, the hook retainer has a tendency to loosen and disengage from
its locked position. This causes the flat mounting base to fall
away from the arm making the stapler inoperable.
[0003] Accordingly, there is a need for a tool support that clips
onto a user's belt which not only will support and carry tools,
such as commercial staplers and similarly constructed devices, but
will also prevent the tool structure from loosening and falling
apart.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention relates to a tool support and lock made from
flat spring steel or similar material having an outward diverging
leg, a rounded upper portion, and an opposing leg terminating in an
eccentric cam shaped portion, said diverging leg and cam shaped
portion having aligned apertures disposed therein. It attaches to
the user's belt by means of its rounded upper portion clipping onto
the belt by having the diverging leg on the inside and the terminal
eccentric cam shaped leg on the outside of the belt. It is secured
to the tool by sliding the cam portion of the opposing leg
in-between the overlapping flat side of the mounting base and the
planar side wall of the tool structure, mounting a bolt through the
aligned apertures of the opposing legs and the bore in the
structure of the tool and tigthening the bolt in place with the
interposed cam portion pressing upwardly and outwardly on
theoverlapped components with the rounded upper portion in position
to clip on to the user's belt.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0005] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate a preferred
embodiment of the invention and, together with a general
description given above and the detailed description the preferred
embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the
invention.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a frontal side perspective view of the tool holder
and lock according to the invention.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the tool holder and
lock supported on a belt.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an exploded rear side view of a commercial stapler
lying flat depicting attaching of the tool holder and lock of the
invention to the tool.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a rear side view similar to FIG. 3 with the tool
holder and lock attached in the locked position to the commercial
stapler.
[0010] FIG. 5 is an upright rear side view with the tool holder and
lock in the unlocked position.
[0011] FIG. 6 is an upright rear side view similar to FIG. 5 with
the tool holder and lock in the ocked position.
[0012] FIG. 7 is an upright rear side view depicting the stapler
attached to the tool holder and lock supported on a workman's
belt.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] Reference is made in detail to the preferred embodiments of
the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7.
[0014] Shown in FIG. 1 is tool support and lock 10 for operatively
securing a tool, such as a commercial stapler, onto a belt and
securing the mechanism of the tool in place. The tool support and
lock 10 is made from flat spring steel however plastic or other
metal materials can be used. The tool support and lock is bent into
an elongated inverted U-shaped loop having an outward diverging leg
12, rounded upper portion 14 and an opposing leg terminating in an
eccentric cam portion 16 having an aperture 18 therein. When it is
being attached to a workman's belt or other belt, it loops around
the belt as shown in FIG. 2 with the diverging leg 12 on the inside
of the belt.
[0015] The opposing leg with eccentric cam shaped portion has been
designed to fit within the lower structure 20 of a commercial
stapler arm 22 as depicted in FIG. 3. Generally, stapler arm 22
encompasses a retention spring mechanism that forces staples up
through the arm to the top gun portion of the device which when
activated forces staples into an object. As seen in FIG. 3, flat
metal mounting base 24 includes opposing flat planar metal sides
26, hook retainer 28 and spring metal sheet 30. Flat metal mounting
base 24 fits into the lower structure 20 of stapler arm 22 by means
of opposing side walls 26 slidingly and loosely engaging planar
flat walls 36 of stapler arm 22 which allows hook 28 to
frictionally engage slot 34. Mounting base 24 is further secured to
the stapler lower structure 20 by means of bolt 38 threadedly
engaged in bore 40 by internally pressing against metal spring 30
adjacent to stapler spring arm 32. However, in use mounting base 24
has a tendency to become loose causing hook 28 to disengage from
slot 34 resulting in the entire mounting base to completely fall
out of stapler arm lower structure 20 making the stapler
inoperable.
[0016] In accordance with the present invention in improving the
operability of the commercial stapler and similarly constructed
tools, there is provided tool support and lock 10 which is mounted
on the stapler as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Tool support and lock is
fixedly secured to lower stapler structure 20 by removing bolt 38
from bore 40, sliding the cam portion of opposing leg 16 in-between
flat side 26 of flat base 24 and planar side wall 36 of stapler
structure 20, aligning apertures 18 of the diverging leg and cam
portion with bore 40, and fixedly tightening bolt 38 thrrough the
apertures into the bore. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, the cam portion
pressing upwardly against the under surface of base wall 27 locks
in place the flat base and hook 28 in slot 34 so that the flat base
cannot loosen or fall out with the cam portion in position.
Further, the increased tightening pressure on the engaged sides 26
of the base and the planar wall 36 by the interposed cam portion
prevents any movement or loosening of the flat base or disengaging
of hook 38 from slot 34.
[0017] Shown in FIG. 5 is the holder and lock in the unlocked
upright position on the tool whereas in FIG. 6 the holder and lock
is in the locked upright position. FIG. 7 depicts the commercial
stapler hanging from the holder and lock attached to the belt of a
workman.
[0018] Although the preferred embodiment has been diverted to a
holder and lock for a commercial stapler, tool holder and lock 10
of the invention is applicable to any tool having sided attachment
that becomes loose during use. If there is not a bolt attachment as
with the staples a bolt or other attachment would be applicable to
hold the holder and lock secured to the tool.
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