GB2178407A - Container for accessories - Google Patents

Abstract

An accessory container (10) comprises a main body (11) comprising a base portion (12) and a back portion (14) formed from one piece of sheet metal. Both the base and back portion have secured thereto various storage members in which various tools and accessories may be located, and the back portion (14) is provided with support means, afforded by one or more apertures, whereby the container may be hung on a machine or wall adjacent to a machine at which the accessories are to be used. A cover (40) is pivotally secured to the main body for movement between an open position in which it hangs beneath the main body, permitting convenient access to the accessories, and a closed position in which it may be locked to prevent unauthorised usage of the accessories and a handle is provided on the cover member (40). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Accessory holder This invention relates to a holder suitable for use primarily, but not exclusively, in the storage of workshop accessories.

Conventionally, in the use of machine tools, a variety of different types of clamping accessories are used for clamping a workpiece either directly, or indirectly (e.g. by clamping a vise holding the workpiece), to a support on a machine tool, in order that a machining operation may be performed on the workpiece using the machine tool.

Such an operation may, for example, involve the use of one or more drilling accessories, such as bits.

Additionally, maintenance workers generally carry a set of maintenance accessories (e.g. tools and/or spare parts) with them from one machine to another when carrying out servicing.

Such accessories may often be easily lost or may be borrowed but not returned by other workers.

Furthermore, in use, it may be difficult to find a convenient surface on which to stand a set of accessories.

It is an object of the invention to facilitate the storage and use of such accessories.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accessory holder comprising a main body, accessory storage means associated with the main body, mounting formations suitable for use in mounting the holder on a suitable support such as a wall or machine, and a cover which, in a closed position, forms, in conjunction with the main body, a box within which the storage means is enclosed, the cover being movable whilst the holder is so mounted to an open position wherein the cover substantially does not hinder access to the storage means.

In this manner, the accessory holder may be wall mounted (or similarly mounted) as desired at a machine location or workstation, and the cover, when closed, may lessen any risk of losing accessories, whilst with the cover open, convenient access to the storage means, and any stored accessories, may be gained.

Preferably, the accessory holder comprises means to secure the cover in its closed position.

In this manner, securing of the holder against loss of accessories may be facilitated, and the holder, with the cover secured in its closed position, may be more easily transported than would otherwise be possible.

The securing means may, for example, comprise a clasp. Advantageously, the clasp may be locked, for example using a padlock.

The cover may be pivotally connected to the main body, for example by being hingedly connected to a lower front edge of the main body.

The main body may comprise a base portion and a back portion extending upwardly therefrom, and the cover may comprise a front portion and a top portion, said portions, in the closed position, affording corresponding portions of the "box".

Preferably, side portions of the holder (i.e. side walls of the "box") are afforded by side portions of the cover when the cover is in its closed position.

In this manner, with the cover in its open position, such side portions should not interfere with sideways-access to the storage means.

A carrying handle, for use when the holder is closed, may be provided on the cover part, and may be positioned to suit the distribution of accessory weight to be expected during carrying of the holder.

Preferably, the cover is capable of lying or hanging beneath the body when open, so facilitating access to the storage means from the front, from above, and from sideways directions.

The storage means may be mounted on the body.

Preferably such storage means is moulded, e.g. from plastics material.

Where the main body comprises a base portion and a back portion extending upwardly therefrom, such storage means is preferably provided at least on the back portion.

The storage means may comprise projecting formations over which certain clamping or other accessories may be passed for storage thereof.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an accessory holder comprising a main body and moulded storage means mounted on the body and capable of receiving clamping or other accessories for storage thereof.

Preferably such storage means is moulded from plastics material.

Preferably, the main body comprises a base portion and a back portion extending upwardly therefrom, such storage means being provided at least on the back portion.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided an accessory holder having a main body comprising a base portion and a back portion extending upwardly therefrom, and storage means mounted on the back portion and capable of receiving clamping or other accessories for storage thereof.

Preferably the storage means is formed by moulding.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided an accessory holder comprising a main body and storage means mounted on the body and comprising projecting formations over which certain clamping or other accessories may be passed for storage thereof.

Preferably the holder is in accordance with more than one, and preferably all four, aspects of the invention.

The main body of the holder may be formed from sheet material, for example one piece of sheet metal which is subjected to a bending operation during manufacture in order to define and produce the base portion and the back portion of the main body.

Where storage means is provided on the back portion, such storage means may comprise a shelf vertically spaced from the base portion and comprising a plurality of through-holes adapted to receive and support elongate accessories (e.g. studding for clamping purposes, or drill bits) which may be passed therethrough so as to stand upon the base portion.

Each hole may be provided with tubular guide means around its periphery, such guide means for example being formed integrally with the shelf, in order to guide passage of such accessories therethrough.

The shelf may further comprise relatively large apertures, which may for example be rectangular, for example at respective opposite ends thereof, for use in the storage of large clamping blocks which may be passed through such apertures so as to stand upon the base portion.

Where storage means is provided on the base portion, such storage means may be adapted to receive relatively small accessories (for example nuts, washers, small threaded blocks and small clamping blocks) and may for example comprise a plurality of compartments, which may be open-topped, for such accessories.

Such compartments may be provided by a structure, which may be plastics moulded, affording an array of compartments.

Where such respective storage means are provided on the back portion and the base portion, preferably the shelf does not overhang said structure.

Preferably, the or each storage means may be fixedly or removably secured to the main body.

Where both such storage means are present, preferably each storage means when mounted does not block access to mounting means for the other storage means.

Preferably the projecting formations, where present, comprise a plurality of pillars, preferably unthreaded, mounted on the base portion, preferably on either side of, and spaced from, said structure (where present) and preferably in front of the shelf (where present), over which pillars nuts, washers and other accessories with central apertures may be slidably passed for storage until their use is required. Such pillars may be welded or brazed to the base portion.

Preferably the back portion comprises the wallmounting formations, such as inverted-keyhole formations adapted to receive mounting elements e.g.

screw heads and shanks protruding from a wall or a part of a machine or workstation.

Preferably, the holder is capable of being freestanding on the base portion at least when it is closed, and preferably also for some open position of the cover.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective front view from above of an accessory holder embodying the invention, a cover of the holder being shown in a closed position thereof; Figure 2 is a perspective front view from above of the accessory holder of Figure 1, with the cover in a partially open position thereof, certain accessories being shown in positions which they could occupy on the holder in use; Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the holder of Figure 1, on the line Y-Y of Figure 1; Figure 4 is rear elevational view of a rear wall of the holder; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the holder, when wall-mounted with the cover in an alternative open position thereof.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, an accessory holder 10 embodying the invention has a main body II comprising a base portion 12 and a back portion 14, these portions being formed from one piece of sheet metal which is subjected to a bending operation during manufacture to define and produce said portions so as to be substantially normal to each other, so that the portion 14, in use, extends upwardly from the generally horizontal base portion 12.

The base portion 12 is provided with storage means in the form of a moulded plastics open-topped structure 15, comprising an array of compartments 16, 16, 18, 18, 20, 20 in which small accessories such as washers W, small threaded blocks B1 and small clamping blocks B2 may be stored when not in use on a machine tool.

The back portion 14 is provided with a plastics moulded shelf 22 mounted thereon for support and vertically spaced from the base portion 12. The shelf 22 is rivetted to the back portion 14, and in the embodiment illustrated is not interchangable.

However, such rivets may be passed solely through vertical slots in such a shelf, to permit the shelf to be interchangable with other such shelves without removing the rivets.

The holder 10, in addition to comprising the main body II and storage means associated therewith, comprises a cover 40 comprising a front portion 41, a top portion 42 and two side portions 43. The front portion 41 and the top portion 42 are formed from one piece of sheet metal which is subjected to a bending operation during manufacture to define and produce said portions so as to be substantially normal to each other. The side portions 43 comprise respective pairs of integrally formed tabs via which they are spotwelded to the portions 41 and 42. The cover 40 is hingedly connected to a front edge of the base portion 12 via a hinge 44 extending along said front edge. The pivotting halves of the hinge 44 are spot-welded to the base portion 12 and to the front portion 41 respectively.

In Figure 1, the cover 40 is shown in its closed position wherein it encloses the storage means and, in conjunction with the main body II, forms a "box" of generally rectangular geometry. The back portion 14 is provided with two tortuously formed lugs 45, and the top portion 42 is provided with corresponding clasps 46 having respective over-centre catches with looplike elements. 47. With the catches raised, the elements 47 may pivot freely without interfering with the lugs, but if extremities of the elements 47 are positioned behind the lugs and the catches are depressed, the over-centre action secures the cover 40 to the lugs, thereby preventing relative movement between the cover 40 and main body II, this condition being shown in Figures 1 and 3. Small padlocks may be passed through apertures 45a to lock the holder 10.

A carrying handle 48 is spot-welded to the cover 40, the handle being located rearwardly of the centre of the top portion 42, as appropriate to the generally rear-of-centre weight distribution to be expected for stored accessories.

If said clasps are released, the cover 40 becomes free to pivot forwardly about the hinge 44, for example to the partially open position shown in Figure 2, or that shown in Figure 5 (to be described later), in which the cover 40 substantially does not hinder access to the storage means. Since the side walls of the "box" are provided on the cover 40, with the cover so opened the side walls do not interfere with sideways access to the storage means.

The back portion 14 comprises two upside-downkeyhole shaped mounting apertures 32, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 and indicated in Figure 5, the purposes of which are described later.

The shelf 22 comprises a plurality of through-holes 24 formed therein and adapted to be capable of receiving elongate accessories (e.g. lengths of studding, drill bits or elongate tools or spare parts of appropriate sizes) passed therethrough so as to stand upon the base 12. Each hole 24 is provided with a respective peripheral downwardly protruding guide-tube portion 26 (see Figures 2 and 3 especially) formed integrally with the shelf 22, which guides such assessories. The shelf 22 further comprises large rectangular apertures 28 at each respective end thereof, the apertures 28 being suitable for receiving relatively large clamping blocks (not shown) for storage purposes, such blocks standing upon the base 12 during storage.

The shelf 22 does not overhang the storage structure 15, and neither does it overhang pluralities of projecting formations comprising pillars 30 provided on the base portion 12, and so does not hinder access thereto. The pillars 30 are welded (or could alternatively be brazed) to the portion 12, on either side of, and spaced from, the structure 15, and are unthreaded. In use, nuts N and washers W may be slidably passed over such pillars, and allowed to descend under gravity, so as to be stored on the pillars until required for use.

Since the shelf 22 extends forwardly partially over the base 12, from the portion 14 which is located at the rear of the base 12, and since the clamping or other accessories are stored (at least generally) such that in plan view, their centres of gravity lie within the boundary of the base 12, the holder 10 is usually capable of being free-standing on the base portion 12.

The portions 1 2 and 14 and the pillars 30 are given a common uniform protective/decorative coating before the plastics moulded parts 15 and 22 are rivetted thereto using appropriate rivets R.

In the embodiment illustrated, no storage part 22, 15 or 30 blocks access, for example by a rivetting tool, to mounting points of another storage part, so that rivetting of the storage parts 15 and 22 to the respective portions of the main body may be achieved without difficulty.

Although particular examples of the storage formations provided by the structure 15 and the shelf 22 have been given, other storage formations may be used if desired, to suit any given accessories.

As hereinbefore stated, the back portion 14 comprises two upside-down-keyhole shaped mounting apertures 32 formed therein by stamping operations. These are adapted to be passed over mounting elements (e.g. screw heads and shanks) protruding from a wall or machine or workstation in order to mount the holder 10 on the wall, machine or workstation. For example, in Figure 5, the apertures 40 receive the heads and shanks of respective nails or screws 50 (only one of which is visible) which protrude from a wall 51, thereby mounting the holder 10 at a convenient position. The cover 40, when opened, may hang freely, generally as shown in Figure 5. The cover 40 tilts slightly rearwardly under its own weight.

In this manner, a user may easily gain access to accessories stored in the holder.

Such mounting elements may, for example be provided on each of a plurality of walls, machines or workstations, so that as a maintenance worker reaches each of them in turn, he may hang the accessory holder in a respective convenient position on each wall, machine or workstation, while working there.

The clamping accessories described above are used for clamping a workpiece either directly, or indirectly (e.g. by clamping workpiece holding means such as a vise) to a support on machine tool in order that a machining operation may be performed on the workpiece using the machine tool. In general, a length of studding is passed through a slot in the support on the machine tool, and a nut and washer are applied to the lower end of the studding, the workpiece, which is placed on the support, then being retained between the support and a clamping block held on the upper endof the threaded studding by a further washer and nut applied to that upper end.Numerous shapes of clamping blocks are available, adapted to suit particular applications, so that substantially any workpiece may be clamped in some manner to the support on the machine tool in order that machining may take place.

Such machine tool accessories, or machine maintenance accessories, if left scattered on a work bench, tend to be lost or to become unsightly and disorganised, and a holder in accordance with the invention permits such accessories to be stored neatly and securely, whilst ensuring that they are all at least reasonable accessible whenever their use is required.

Whilst the preferred embodiment has been described above as comprising a cover member comprising a handle 48 by which the accessory holder may readily be carried from place to place, it will of course be appreciated that an accessory holder comprising a main body, storage means mounted on the body, and support means whereby the body may be supported on a wall or machine, may be used to advantage without a cover member. Further, where a cover member is provided, specifically a cover member which is hingedly mounted on one of the base and wall portions and comprises locking means to secure the cover member to the other of the body and wall portions, such an accessory holder may be used to advantage (specifically in enabling an engineer to secure his tools against unauthorised borrowing whilst he is temporarily away from the machine) irrespective of the provision of the handle.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (12)

1. An accessory holder comprising a body, storage means mounted on the body, and support means whereby the body may be supported on a wall or on a machine.

2. An accessory holder according to Claim 1 wherein said support means is provided by one or more mounting formations by which the holder may be supported on members (such as screw heads or shanks) projecting from the wall or machine.

3. An accessory holder according to one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the main body comprises a base portion which when the holder is supported on a wall or a machine extends generally horizontally, and a back portion which extends generally vertically.

4. A accessory holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the storage means comprises one or more of the following: (a) projecting formations over which clamping or other accessories may be passed; (b) a plurality of through-holes adapted to receive and support elongate accessories which may be passed through the holes so as to stand on the base portion; (c) relatively large apertures, which may be rectangular, for use in the storage of large clamping blocks which may be passed through such apertures so as to stand the base portion; (d) a plurality of compartments, which may be open-topped, adapted to receive relatively small accessories such as nuts, washers and the like.

5. An accessory holder according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the storage means is provided by one or more members of plastic material secured or adapted to be secured to the main body.

6. An accessory holder according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a cover member secured or adapted to be secured to the main body and movable thereon between open and closed positions.

7. An accessory holder according to Claim 6 wherein the cover member is hingedly secured to one portion of the main body, and the holder comprises locking means to secure the cover member to another portion of the main body.

8. An accessory holder according to Claim 7 wherein when the cover member is in its open position it lies or hangs beneath the body portion.

9. An accessory holder according to one of Claims 7 and 8 wherein the cover member comprises sidewall portions whereby when the cover member is in its closed position the cover member and the main body define an enclosure within which tools are located.

10. An accessory holder according to any one of Claims 6 to 9 wherein the cover member is provided with handle means to facilitate carrying of the holder.

11. An accessory holder constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. Any novel feature or novel combination of features as hereinbefore described and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.