GB2042326A - Improvements in or relating to a holder - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder for an electric drill comprises a tubular housing 1 for accommodating part of a drill body and having a "U" shaped aperture 2 extending downwardly from an upper edge thereof for receiving the handle of the drill. The holder is provided with apertures 8, 15 to receive fixing screws and may also have means for receiving a detachable cleat 23 for receiving the flex of a drill stored in the holder. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to a holder THIS INVENTION relates to a holder and more particularly to a holder for an electric drill.

Electric drills are used intermittently in workshops or in other work areas. When the users are not using their drills such drills are generally left in a position close at hand.

Generally the drill is left either at the edge of a workbench or on the floor. Whilst the drill will be close to hand for the user to use when necessary, the drill can often become knocked, or will be dropped or can in some cases prove to be a hazard, for example to meddling children.

This invention seeks to provide a device for safely retaining an electric drill so that the above described disadvantages of the prior practice may be obviated.

According to this invention there is provided a holder for an electric drill, said electric drill having a handle, said holder comprising a generally tubular housing for accommodating at least part of a drill body, said housing having side walls one side wall of the housing having an upper edge and lower edge and having a cut away portion providing an aperture in said side wall extending downwardly from said upper edge for locating the handle of a drill, and said holder being provided with means for mounting said holder in a desired position.

Preferably said generally tubular housing is of generally rectangular cross section and preferably said cut away portion provides a generally "U" shaped aperture which extends substantially half way down the said side wall.

Conveniently a protruding portion may be provided adjacent the lowermost portion of said aperture to serve as a reinforcing portion.

Preferably said mounting means comprise at least one rib having at least one aperture formed therein for receiving screws.

Advantageously a base wall is provided in the lower region of the tubular housing and conveniently the base wall is provided with an aperture to enable the chuck of a drill to pass therethrough.

Suitably said holder is provided with a cleat for the flex of a drill and such cleat may be detachable there being attaching means on said side wall to facilitate attachment of said cleat to the holder.

Advantageously the holder is formed of plastics material and conveniently the material may be polypropylene.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features may be appreciated, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top perspective view of an electric drill holder in accordance with the invention, the holder having a cleat attached thereto; Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the holder of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a view from one side of the holder of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a view from another side of the holder of Fig. 1; Figure 5 is a bottom perspective view of the cleat of Fig. 1 and; Figures 6, 7 and 8 are schematic side plan views of the holder having a drill held therein, the views showing different ways of mounting the holder.

Referring to the drawings a holder for an electric drill comprises a generally tubular housing 1 of generally rectangular cross-section, the housing 1 thus comprising four side wall portions 1 a, 1 b, 1 C and 1 d. The housing 1 encloses a space intended to accommodate the body of an electric drill. However, in order to enable a drill to be introduced to the space defined by the housing 1 a "U" shaped portion of a first side wall portion 1 a is cut away to define a "U" shaped aperture 2 extending downwardly from the upper edge of the wall portion 1 a to receive a portion of the handle of a drill.

A rectangular recess 3 extends downwardly from the lowermost part of the "U" shaped aperture 2 and is bridged by an outwardly bridging protruding portion 4. This bridging portion 4 serves to reinforce the part of the wall portion 1 a adjacent the base of the "U" shaped aperture so that any tendency of the handle of a drill to bend the part of the wall portion 1 a adjacent the base of the "U" shaped aperture 2 when a drill is dropped into the holder, is reduced.

A second wall portion 1 b of the housing 1 (see Fig. 4) is provided with a wide rib 5 extending from top to bottom of the wall portion 1 b, the rib itself being provided with two symmetrically formed parallel channels 6, 7 extending from adjacent a top edge of the rib 5 to positions adjacent the bottom edge of the rib 5. The channels 6, 7 thus divide the rib 5 into three rib portions 5a, 5b and 5c.

The first rib portion 5a is provided at a position slightly spaced from the upper edge of the wall portion 1 b with two circular apertures 8 for screws or the like, which may be provided to mount the housing 1 in position.

Spaced from the apertures 8 there is provided a first pair of apertures comprising a first narrow rectangular aperture 9 and a second wide rectangular aperture 1 0. A second similar pair of apertures 11, 1 2 are provided in the rib portion 5a below the first pair of apertures 9, 10. These apertures serve to facilitate the mounting to the holder of a cleat as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The second rib portion Sb has a first pair of circular apertures 1 3 about a quarter of the way down and a second pair of circular apertures 14 about three quarters of the way down. The third rib portion Sc is provided with a further pair of circular apertures 15 spaced a short distance from the upper edge of the wall portion 1 b.

The third wall portion 1 d is a mirror image of the second wall portion 1 b. The parts of the wall portion 1 d(See Fig. 1) corresponding to similar parts of the wall portion 1 b are identified by the same reference numerals.

The remaining wall portion 1 c of the housing 1 of the holder is provided with a single central rib 1 6 extending between the upper and lower edges of the wall portion 1 c. Equidistantly inwardly located from each end portion of the rib 1 6 are circular apertures 17, 18. A pair of lateral ribs 1 9 extend respectively from each side of the rib 1 6 from positions adjacent the aperture 1 7. A similar pair of ribs 20 are provided adjacent the aperture 18.

Referring in particular to Fig. 2 it can be seen that the holder includes a base wall 21 at its lower end the base wall 21 being provided with a generally oval aperture 22 to accommodate the nose of the device.

A cleat 23 for the flex of an electric drill is detachably connected to the holder as may be seen from Fig. 1, the cleat in this instance being attached to the wall portion 1 d. As will be seen from Fig. 5, the clear 23 comprises a retaining plate 24 and a spacer 25. The spacer 25 includes two flanges 26, 27 defining a longitudinally extending channel which faces in a direction away from the retaining plate 24. Two "L" shaped protrusions 28, 29 each provided at its free edge portion with a wedge shaped barb 30, 31, protrude into the channel. Behind each "L" shaped protrusions 28, 29 there is provided a small wedge shaped protrusion 32 (only one of which is visible in Fig. 5).

Two triangular reinforcing portions 33 are provided at each end of the spacer 25 and extend between the spacer 25 and the retaining plate 24. A "U" shaped aperture 34 is provided in the retaining plate 24 at each end thereof.

The cleat 23 is attached to the holder by placing the cleat in a position in which the "L" shaped protrusions 28, 29 protrude through the apertures 10, 1 2 formed in one of the wall portions 1 b or 1 d. When the cleat 23 is in such a position, the flanges 26, 27 will abut the rib portion 5a on respective sides thereof. To secure the cleat in position, the cleat is then pushed downwardly so that the barbs 30, 31 engage the interior surface of the rib portion 5a, the barbs thus serving to urge the cleat 23 towards the holder. The cleat 23 is finally located in position when the wedge-shaped protrusions 32 are seated in respective apertures 9, 11 of the rib portion 5a.

In use the holder will initially be attached to a suitable surface such as, for example the underside of a shelf, work table or bench, the leg of a work bench or any other suitable position by means of screws or other suitable means which are passed through appropriate selected circular apertures provided in the housing 1 of the holder. The arrangement of wall portion 1 c is particularly intended to facilitate attachment of the holder to a planar under surface of an object such as a sheet or table.

Once positioned the holder may be used by pushing or dropping the body of an electric drill into the space defined within the housing 1, the handle of the electric drill being received in the aperture 2 and the chuck or nose of the drill and any drill bit which may be attached thereto passing through the aperture 22 in the base wall 21 of the holder. The flex of the electric drill may be wound around the cleat 23.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show how a drill 35 is held in the holder 1, the holder shown in Fig.

6 being mounted in a vertical position at the edge of a table 36, the holder shown in Fig. 7 being mounted on the sideof a workbench 37 and the holder shown in Fig. 8 being mounted underneath a shelf 38. Of course, it is possible using the various apertures provided in the side wall of the holder to mount the holder in a variety of alternative ways.

Claims (11)

1. A holder for an electric drill, said electric drill having a handle, said holder comprising a generally tubular housing for accommodating at least part of a drill body, said housing having side walls, one side wall of the housing having an upper edge and a lower edge and having a cut away portion providing an aperture in said side wall extending downwardly from said upper edge for locating the handle of a drill, and said holder being provided with means for mounting said holder in a desired position.

2. A holder according to claim 1 wherein said generally tubular housing is of generally rectangular cross-section.

3. A holder according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said cut away portion provides a generally "U" shaped aperture which extends substantially half way down the said side wall.

4. A holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a protruding portion is provided adjacent the lowermost portion of said aperture to serve as a reinforcing portion.

5. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said mounting means cosmprise at least one rib having at least one aperture formed therein for receiving screws.

6. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a base wall is provided in the lower region of the tubular hous ing.

7. A holder according to claim 6 wherein the base wall is provided with an aperture to enable the chuck of a drill to pass therethrough.

8. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said holder is provided with a cleat for the flex of a drill.

9. A holder according to claim 8 wherein such cleat is detachable there being attaching means on said side wall to facilitate attachment of said cleat to the holder.

10. A holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the holder is formed of plastics material.

11. A holder according to claim 10 wherein said plastics material is polypropylene.

1 2. A holder for an electric drill substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

1 3. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.