GB2058553A - Holders for suspending elongate articles - Google Patents

Description

SPECIFICATION An adjustable holder for elongated articles This invention relates to holders for elongated articles such as the handles of brooms and garden ing tools, guns, billiard cues, fishing rods and other sporting equipment, such articles being hereinafter referred to in the following description as elongated articles.

Holders of the kind set out above have been described and claimed in our co-pending application No. 7909792 filed on the 20th March 1979 and published under No. 2018343A. In this prior application we have described a holder which basically comprises a base member for attachment to a supporting structure, a pair of metal strips each of part circu lar or like configuration, the ends of the strips being attached to said base member so that the portions of said strip intermediate therein extend substantially parallel to each other and project outwardly from said member, and a resilient bristle strip mounted in each of said metal strips, said bristle strips extending from said metal strips in opposing relationship for holding therebetween an elongated article in a plane spaced from but substantially parallel to that of said base member.

in the preferred embodiment the pair of metal strips are of semi-circular shape and are mounted on the base member in spaee-ri-ation sftia'hebris tles of the bristle strip mounted therein are in end to end cot. In one particular embodiment described in the prior application the metal strips supporting the bristle strips are movably mounted on the base member so that the spacing between the adjacent ends of the bristle strip can be adjusted to suit particular requirements of the user.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved holderofthe kind described above in which the metal strips are adjustably mounted on the base member.

In its brnadestaspectthe holderofthe invention comprises an elongated base plate formed with a pair of spaced grooves or slots therealong for slidably receiving the ends of the part-circular metal strips. To facilitate the mounting of the strips, the ends of each strip are provided with foot members fitting the grooves in the base plate. Preferably the base plate is an anodised aluminium alloy extrusion.

The metal strips when slidably fitted in the grooves sr slots are held in a predetermined position by an elongated cover plate which is secured to the base plate by spaced screws and tightened thereto for engaging the cover plate with the foot members of the metal strips. To facilitate the clamping action the cover plate is formed with flanges along its longitudinal edges and which project into the grooves or slots in the base plate.

In order that the improved holder of the invention is fully understood a preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a holder in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in the drawings comprises firstly a base member in the form of an elongated plate 10 which is made of any suitable material but which is preferably extruded in an aluminium alloy and provided with an anodised finish. The plate may be of any predetermined standard length or it may be cut to a desired length.

The elongated base plate 10 has its upper and lower longitudinal edges 11 and 12 bent as at 13 so as to provide inwardly directed flanges 14 which are spaced from the main back section of the base plate.

The base plate 10 is furthermore formed with a central flat section 15 which is spaced outwardly from the plane of the plate and which has upper and lower projecting edges 16 which extend longitudinally of the plate and which are also spaced outwardly from the plane of the back section of the plate.

The spaced flanges 14 and the edges 16 together provide a pair of spaced channels or grooves 17 which extend longitudinally of the base plate 10 and which are adapted to receive slidably a number of holder elements 18to be herein described.

The base plate 10 is adapted for mounting on a base structure 19 which may be a wall, a cupboard surface, the frame of a rack or other fitment. To assist the fixing of the plate it is provided with apertures 20 along its length for receiving fixing screws 21 or other suitable attachment means.

Each holder element 18 is of part-circular shape as shown in FIgure Rand they each comprise a metal strip 22 of channel construction for receiving an elongated bristle strip 23, the bristle strip consisting of nylon brush fibres which are looped over a wire-- core and held in place in the channel strips by cleating, crimping or other locking means. A foot portion is attached to each end of the metal channels, the foot portions being nylon mouldings which are pressed onto the ends of the channels while hot Each foot portions has a boss-like section 24 having a central bore for receiving the end of a metal channel and a washer-like foot 25 which is adapted to fit slidably in a channel 17 in the base plate.

Each holder element 18 is fitted slidably onto the base plate 10 by engaging the spaced feet 25 of the element into the spaced channels 17 from the open ends of the channels. The holder elements are then slidably moved to a desired position on the base plate 10, two such elements being located with their bristle elements 23 in opposed relationship so that they provide a holding device for supporting an article in a desired position. Two such elements 18 are shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the elements being adjustable along the plate 10 as shown by chain lines so as to accommodate various articles of different sizes.

As shown in Figure 2 the holder elements 18 when positioned on the base plate 10 are held firmly in position by a cover plate 26 which is fixedly secured to the central flat section 15 of the plate 10. As shown the cover plate 26 is shaped to curve outwardly in section and has longitudinally extending flanges 27 which project into the channels 17 between the boss-like section 24 of the holder elements and the flanges 16 to engage the adjacent surface of the feet 25 of tlo bristle holders 18.

The cover plate 26 is also of predetermined size so as to extend the length of the associated base plate 10 and it also is preferably extruded in an aluminium alloy and provided with an anodised finish. In order to retain the cover plate in position it is formed along its length with a number of internally projecting bos ses 28 adapted to receive fixing screws 29 which engage threaded apertures drilled in a central lon gitudinally extending section 30 of the base plate 10.

As the Thing screws 29 are tightened the flanges 27 engage firmly the washer-like feet 25 of the bristle holders 18 and so hold them securely in position in the plate 10.

The device is completed by elongated self adhesive foam rubber cushion strips 31 which are attached to the outer surface ofthe cover plate 26 between pairs of longitudinally extending ribs 32 positioned above and below the fixing screws 29.

The cushion strips 31 are adapted for engagement by an article supported between a pair of bristle hol ders 18.

In a modified embodiment of the holder device of the in-lention Pke self-adhesive foam rubber cushion strips ear be eE;3aced by extruded foam rubber sec- tions JJhieh fit ionic slots in the base plate.

I, ilI be anpreciated also that rubber strips may be used in ace the elongated bristle strips in the channei sections of the holder elements. ~ ~ rnt picecting siapofthe h ristle holders 18 enables relatively iong articles to be held securely in a releasable manner in any desired positio on the the plate 10 and in a plane substantially parallel to the piate. The resi@@tent bristles may be of any desired size and width and may be formed of any desired natural or synthetic material.

It will also be appreciated that the holder may be of any desired length so that a plurality of articles may be easily and neatly suspended from the device along a supporting structure. The device can be from duced in standard lengths or may be cut to suit indi vidual requirements when shop fitting or for incor poration into any desired equipment

Claims (6)

1. A holder for elongated articles as herein defined, said holdercomprising a base plate for attachmentto a supporting structure, a pair of metal elements each of part-cirnular or like configuration, the ends of the elements being attached to said base plate so that the portions of said elements inter mediate their ends extend substantially parallel to each other and project outeiardly from said base plate, and a resilient strip mounted in each of said metal elements, said resilient strips extending from said metal elements in opposing relationship for holding therabetejeen an elongated article in a plane spaced from but substantially parallel to that of said base plate, wherein the ends of each of said metal elements are slidably mounted in a pair of spaced channels or grooves in said base plate, and said base plate is provided with attachment means for secur ing the ends of each of said metal elements in a desired position on said base plate.

2. A holder as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the resilient strips are bristle strips bonded in the metal elements, which metal elements are of channel section and the bristle strips are crimped in said channels.

3. A holder as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the ends of each of said metal elements are provide with feet which are adapted to engage slidably in a corresponding channel in the base plate.

4. A holder as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the attachment means comprises an elongated cover plate which is detachably fitted to the base plate and which is provided with flanges along its longitudinal edges which project into the grooves or slots in the base plate to engage the feet therein of the said metal channels.

5. A holder as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the cover plate is provided with one or more longitudinally extending cushion strips for engagement by an article supported between the pair of metal elements.

6. A holder assembly substantially as described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.