Paint Can Hanger

Abstract

A paint can hanger has a pair of parallel inner and outer members forming a channel which fits over a ladder side rail and with cutout portions receivable over a round rung or flat step. A web, spaced from the ladder side rail, joins the parallel members. A flange extends inwardly from the inner member and has two channellike fingers which fit over and embrace the can lip. A paint can is secured between the fingers and the side surface of the inner member, both when the hanger is on or off the ladder.

Description

This invention relates to a paint can hanger, and more particularly to a device for hanging paint cans and the like from various types of ladders.

Paint can hangers have been known for a long time. However, most of them have been subject to disadvantages which it is the object of the present invention to correct. Many such prior hangers have involved clamping or other semipermanent securement of the hanger to the ladder, and with the angle of the hanger being dependent on the angle of the ladder side rail. Some have provided a complex framework within which the can sits. To the inventor's knowledge, virtually none of the prior can hangers are fastenable to the can so that they can be carried by the can when the can is lifted by its handle.

The present invention provides a can hanger of simplified construction which is easily attached and removed from a ladder, and which does not depend for its position on the ladder side rails. The hanger is positioned adjacent only a small section of the can top and is carryable with the can from one ladder position to another.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint can hanger constructed in accordance with the invention, and with a portion of a paint can and ladder shown in phantom;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the hanger attached to a ladder and with a paint can hung therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a section taken generally on line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2 and showing several positions of the ladder side rail;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the hanger mounted on a step ladder;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the can with hanger attached; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a paint can held by its handle and with the hanger attached thereto.

As shown in the drawing, the hanger 1 of the invention is adapted to be removably secured to a ladder 2 and to hold a paint can or the like 3. Ladder 2 is shown in FIGS. 1-4 as having suitable side rails 4 which secure the ends of round steplike rungs 5. Can 3 is of the conventional type having a bottom 6, cylindrical sidewall 7 and a radially inwardly overhanging curved flange or lip 8 which serves for securement of a can top, not shown. Lip 8 also includes an outer bead 8a.

Hanger 1 may be suitably formed from a single unitary piece of rigid metal, plastic or the like. In accordance with the invention, hanger 1 comprises an elongated step-engaging outer member 9 having a centrally located rectangular cutout portion 10 disposed in its lower edge, and having a generally circular cutout portion 11 extending upwardly from the center of portion 10, for purposes to be described.

A web 12 joins one end of step-engaging member 9 to one end of a ladder or can-engaging inner member 13. Member 13 is spaced from member 9 and is generally parallel thereto to form therewith a ladder side rail receiving channel. While members 9 and 13 are shown as generally flat to accommodate a flat side rail 4, they could be curved to accommodate a curved side rail without departing from the spirit of the invention. In either case, the members would be generally coextensive.

To connect the hanger channel to a can 3, a bracket is provided. For this purpose, a flange 14 extends from the top edge of member 13 and generally perpendicular thereto. The inner portion of flange 14 is adapted to rest on the can lip 8. The inwardly facing portion of flange 14 is formed to provide means to hookingly secure the hanger to the can. As shown in the present embodiment, this hook means comprises a pair of generally U-shaped spaced fingers 15 which extend downwardly from flange 14 and which have a reverse bend which creates an outwardly facing channel having bottom flanges 16. Flanges 16 are generally parallel to flange 14.

The hanger is applied to a can so that the finger channels fit over and embrace the inside of can lip 8. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the outer portion of flange 14 extends outwardly beyond lip 8 and joins member 13. When the hanger and can are free of a ladder, the can is secured between the fingers and the side surface of member 13, as shown in FIG. 6. When the hanger and can are mounted on a ladder, the can is secured between the fingers, the surface of member 13, and the ladder side rail, as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the fingers form one portion, and the surface of member 13 forms a second portion, of a spaced dual can securing means, whether the hanger-can assembly is on or off a ladder.

In FIGS. 1 -4, the channel formed by portions 9 and 13 is applied over a side rail 4, and the round rung 5 is received in circular cutout 11. Web 12 is positioned a substantial distance from the vertical center line 17 of cutouts 10 and 11 so that the web will be spaced from the edge of side rail 4 no matter what angle from the vertical rail 4 takes during normal use. See FIG. 4. That is, web 12 does not act to position the hanger relative to a rail 4; web 12's basic function being to join members 9 and 13. A secondary function of the web is to prevent a can from tilting sideways any significant amount when it is on a ladder, so that paint cannot spill from other than a full can. The weight of can 3 with paint or the like inside will cause it to be tightly secured between the finger channels and the surface of member 13; and the can will hang substantially vertical no matter what the angle of rails 4.

FIG. 5 shows the hanger used with a step ladder wherein the steps 18 are flat and receive the edges of rectangular cutout 10 thereover. In this instance, also, web 12 is spaced from the ladder side rail 19. A double-rung-type ladder, not shown, could also utilize cutout 10.

The hanger construction is such that when the can is lifted by its pivotal handle, the hanger will actually hang from the can. FIG. 7 shows this feature, which permits moving the entire assembly from step to step on the ladder. In the event the can has only a small amount of paint 20 therein, the weight of hanger 1 on one side of the can will cause it to tilt so that the remaining paint accumulates in the bottom corner thereof.

THe embodiment shown in the drawing includes a concave curved edge 21 extending between fingers 15 in flange 14. This edge is generally coextensive with the curvature of lip 8 and serves to strengthen the hanger and provide a brush wiping means supplemental to lip 8 to assist in removing excess paint from the brush.

The construction of the hanger is such that when the hanger-can assembly is mounted on a ladder, the can handle will be permitted to rest against the can, as in FIG. 6, and will not interfere with access to the can's contents.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated by the inventor.

The following claims particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. For securement to a ladder having side rails joining steps and to a can having an inwardly extending top lip and a sidewall, a hanger comprising:

a. an outer and an inner member joined by a web to form a ladder side rail receiving channel,

b. said outer member having ladder step receiving means,

c. a flange extending inwardly from said inner member and generally perpendicular thereto for resting on the said can lip,

d. and a pair of spaced fingers extending downwardly from said flange, with said fingers being generally U-shaped to form a channel having a reverse bend to supportingly embrace a can lip,

e. the construction being such that said fingers form one portion of a spaced dual can securing means.

2. The hanger of claim 1 wherein said flange includes a concave curved edge extending between said fingers, said edge being generally coextensive with the can lip when the hanger is on the can to provide a supplemental brush wiping means.

3. For securement to a ladder having side rails joining steps and to a can having an inwardly extending top lip and a sidewall, a hanger comprising:

a. an outer and an inner member joined by a web to form a ladder side rail receiving channel,

b. said outer member having ladder step receiving means,

c. a flange extending inwardly from said inner member and generally perpendicular thereto for resting on the said can lip,

d. and finger means extending downwardly from said flange, with said finger means being generally U-shaped to form a channel having a reverse bend to supportingly embrace a can lip,

e. the construction being such that said finger means forms one portion of a spaced dual can securing means.