US2487174A - Tool kit - Google Patents

Description

J. N. PETRE Nov. 8, 1949 TOOL KIT 2 SheetsSheet' 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1946 INVENTOR. 'Jbfiw 77. Pei re agmnfl .Nov. 8, 1949 J. N. PETRE 2,437,174

TQOLiKIT Filed Feb. 12, 1946 2 Shee's-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. J577 Pei??? Patented Nov. 8, 1949 This" inventionfirelates tor an improvement in" tour-kits: of the: general. type whichiincludes a; box" fo'rz" the: distribution; display; support and" storage'oftoolsprovidedias'a set orseries; The

inventionconsistsgenerailyiri structural details oft the' box, enabling-its cooperation in. a novel mamrer "withrtoor features "of the general ty e to be h'ereiirdscribed'andalsoenablin'g'the attainmentof the objects setforth belowr'.

the typewhic'h comprise'a handl'e :anwashank" projecting from" and? co=axia1 71 with, the handle and-removab1jrh fitted thereto; and the f tool set comprises shanks provided with 11601 elements Which are suitably differentiated, and a' hand1e15- common-tathe-*shanksyttfeseibeifrg adaptewfor connection, to and removal from the hand'l'e" Whereb Jthe several-."jsharrks"may;' from time to time as occasion may require be'use d-with such" v 2*? tling" or: marrin'gf, the b'oxi." with, the; contained; toolparts mayj be "conveniently shipped or carried; frompia'ce'to' place, and,"thelbox' when open, will" be" avafl'abTTor' "advertisingfand sales. display or;

Thuswhen the boiris open the. dis'play ofjtheetool2 parts will betcompiet; attractivewandtindicativev. of-"lthe manner. of use; andfithe itool "partslwill .b'e.

accessible"for-'easy, arid'fquick jindividual..iremovaL'l andt replacement; withbutflinterfe'rencetb oth'eri. par sr' Inthe'accompanyingiirawingsl Figure 1"is a perspectitecview 0t antoollboxt embodyingmrinvention as cldsedfonthe pure poses of shiitmrent' err-of? 'bein'g carried. by. the. workin'en'ffomfpiaceto pilace:

for-the purposes .of dflsplzitr'orv use;

Figure s is.awertioar'seetionaisvievv on the line which cooperatea novel a-Ird'- advantageous manner withprojections provided orr-the shanks" and b'ymeans ofwhiclf-the shanks may severally" be -operatively'='associated with"the=*h'andi.

Figure-41's "a' horizontal "sectional .view along the," line 1| '-ll-ofiFigure-21 Fi'gure'-5 is""a"fragm'entary horizontisectibnal Varioustools conform to the type" described? The-*- bbx*"comprises? companion" haif section's Exampls are screwdriversy socketwrenches and spannerss Th'e kit which is' illustrated as -an ex-=- ample includes socket' wrenehes' of'varying' d-i ametrss' The composition of the kit is; of"

hingedly connected'fanm each including :a." side" wa1 1=,- the box being" opened' and closed by V rel-1' ative-movem'ents-ofthe sections-imbbok fashion; The -side walls l an *2 carryf'sets'oFtooI \parts'" course subjeet -to modifibation; according to the Aar-1'd B resp e v ifitfieconstructfon of the sec need 01- desire 0t theu'ser: for" example; the kit showm includes a series of socket-wrenches and a screwdrivers Th'e partioui ar means L ofconnection" between ferent toohshanks may beinterchangeabiy attes to -the handle-maybe of any kn'own; or 'suitablei" construction which-"includes a projection 'formed on the sh'arrktoxerrableits operative association withthe handles- The construotiom shown; by 40 veni'enceof manufacturethe front andirear wralfs Way oft exampi, is'that wh ich 'iS -di'scIOsed in 'de-' tai-lfiinz. the: :coeperrdihg: application for patent of John N. Petreand Johw o'i: Olsen, Serial No;

646554;? now Patent/"No: 25476,?625 d-ated July 19%119499;

Th'eobj ect ofthe-invention-"is to provide a tool kit wvhereim the tboxswilli have= meansfor thesup port ofatwo vsets of 'F'toob (shanks severally difier entiatediim'eachi set, amigi if desired-, an: associated i of seachn omrbotkmsets s-theebbx when:cl'oseol' W1 1 haslet: maximumrz; compactnessp. ami the J box: -h'asfeaturesoimzsuohi:coopenatiorrzwith the prog'ection's omtheetoolspaizts's-asatocmamtaimisaidzpants :in a

tions and the arrangement ofthe'setsbeingisuchz that 'whenthe '-box-is opened; as "showmm' Figur'e 2, any of "tHe-"'=too1 parts may be't-freely'removed Z or replaced. The-sections are otherwise'so con,-

the" relative closing -movements'of"th'et sections the side rails are in paraiIe'P planes For con 3 are preferably formed as paral'lrfianges pro; jeoting fr'om' the longitudinai-edgesfof theside wall an'd the to'p'and =bott'6m"wa1-1s"4 areipref erab1y=f6rmed as"paraliel' flanges projecting' from" the transverse edges of" the e smewaif 2 I" The r tioned-" to -close th e bbx the -opposite"wa11 L3 vi/11'1" handlesfmguse. withlzan-y one '-0f thetool-shanks =*abut'the-sidewal12 adjacent its? free-longitudinalrelation such1asssubstantiaitlmtoe-eliminate:rat whichywhenthe walrzis closed 'agairistthe adjacent front wall 3, may be engaged through a slot 8 in said front wall.

The set A consists of a series of tool" shanks 9 of uniform length and arranged in parallel relation, and preferably includes a handle Ill arranged parallel to the shanks 9 and carrying a tool shank 9a which is of the same construction as the shanks 9 and, as above described, is removably fitted in the handle. The shanks are provided at their free ends with any desired tool elements II. For example, and as shown, the tool elements are socket wrenches graduated in diameters. The shank 9a. is similarly provided at its free end with a tool element I la which may be of any form desired, the form shown being a screw driver. If desired, and as shown, a second series of tool shanks 91) may be arranged at the side of the handle opposite the shanks 9, the shanks 9b being of the same construction as the shanks 9 but being longer whereby they are more suitable for tool elements of the larger sizes. The tool parts of the set A are arranged with their upper ends in close adjacency to the upper end of the half section by which they are carried whereby when the box is open they may be severally removed through the open upper end of the said half section from the positions in which they are normally supported or inserted through said open upper end into the positions in which they are normally supported. The upper end of the handle I9 is substantially in the common plane of the upper ends of the tool elements II.

The set B consists of a series of tool shanks I2 arranged in parallel relation and preferably includes a handle I3 arranged in parallel relation to the shanks I2 and carrying a tool shank I212. The tool shanks I2 and I2a are of the. same construction as the tool shanks 9 but are of shorter length to enable their use in situations for which the longer tool shanks 9 are not suitable or avail- H able. The shanks I2 are provided at their free ends with any desired tool elements I4, these, as shown, being socket wrenches graduated in diameter. The shank I2a is similarly provided at its free end with a tool element I4a which may be of any form desired, the form shown being a screw driver. The set B, in which the tool shanks I2 are of uniform length, is arranged adjacent the lower end of the half section by which it is carried and the length and arrangement of the shanks I2 are such that the upper ends of said shanks, when the box is closed, closely adjoin, but without contacting, the lower ends of the shanks 9. The handle I3 with its attached shank I2a substantially conforms in length to the shanks I2, the upper end of the handle I3 being substantially in the common plane of the upper ends of said shanks. The location of the set B upon the wall 2 is such that when the box is closed the parts composing the set B will be positioned under the shanks 9.

Each of the tool shanks 9, 9a, 9b, I2 and I2a, as an element of the detachable connections between it and the handle, is provided at a suitable distance from its inner end with a projection I5. In the construction shown (which, as above mentioned, conforms to the disclosure of the Petre and 'Olsen application, Serial No. 646,654) the projections I5 are in the form of splines or keys. The projections I5 cooperate with elements which support the tool parts from the side walls I and 2 and hold themin properly centered relation relatively to one another.

The tool supporting elements are designated as I 6 I1 and I8 in the order of their cooperation 4 with the shanks 9, 9b and I2, the shanks 9 being supported by the elements IS, the shanks 9b and the handle I9 and its associated shank 9a being supported by the element I1 and the shanks I2 and the handle I3 and its associated shank I2a being supported by the element I8.

The elements I6, I"! and I8 are similarly constructed, the elements I6 and I! being rigidly connected in transverse relation to the side wall I and the element IB being rigidly connected in transverse relation to the side wall 2. The elements I6, I! and I8 are preferably of channel cross section and each include opposing, suitably spaced, upper and lower horizontal flanges I9 and 29, preferably of the same widths as the front and rear walls 3. The opposing flanges I9 and 20 are provided with registering openings 2I through which the shanks are inserted. The projections I5 have supporting engagement upon the upper flanges I9; and the flanges I9 and 20, in opposing pairs, cooperate to hold the shanks in parallel and properly centered relation to one another. The handles I0 and I3 are similarly supported upon the upper flanges I9 and their associated shanks 9a and I2a, respectively, similarly project through registering openings 2I in the opposing flanges whereby the handles are held in parallel and properly centered relation relatively to the adjacent shanks.

The element I 8 is preferably of the same extent as the element I6 and has the same number of pairs of registering openings 2I although, as shown, not all of these openings will necessarily be utilized. Thus the elements I6 and I8 may be made from the same die.

Assuming a vertical position of the box for display or use the shanks 9, 9b and I2 are positioned with their tool elements uppermost. When the box is opened, as shown in Figure 2, the bottom wall 4 and the bottom edges of the walls 3 provide stable support for the box upon a counter, Work bench or table. Any of the tool parts of the set A may be removed through the open upper end of the half section by which they are carried, the tool parts in such movement being lifted in the axial direction from their supporting element. Similarly any of the tool parts of set B may be removed by being lifted in the axial direction from their supporting element, the space between such tool parts and the top wall 4 being ample to permit such removal. The tool parts of set A are replaced by a movement in the axial direction in which the shanks are passed through the registering openings 2 I, such movement being continued until the projections I5, or, in the case of the handle, the bottom of the handle engages upon the supporting element. The tool parts of set B are similarly replaced.

The element I8 is so located upon the wall 2 that when the box is closed the tool parts of the set B will have their upper ends under and in closely adjacent relation, and suitably offset relatively to, the lower ends of the shanks 9 as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2. Thus the upper ends of the tool parts of the set B will have contact with the lower ends of the shanks 9 when the box is tilted or inverted, as may happen incidental to transport or storage, and by such contact the displacement of the shanks I2 will be prevented. The adjacency of the upper ends of the shanks I2 to the lower ends of the shanks 9 is of such close degree that the rattling of the shanks I2 will be substantially eliminated. In like manner the upper ends of the shanks 9a and 9b will be adjacent the top wall 4 in a degree of such closeness that displacement of the shanks 9 and 9b will be prevented and the rattling thereof substantially eliminated. Thus the shanks 9 will be positively held in a position in' which their lower ends will, as above described, prevent displacement of the shanks I2.

The box thus provides an exceedingly compact container for tool parts of the construction described and, when closed, prevents the displacement of such parts and substantially eliminates their rattling. When open it provides an effective display of the tool parts which may be utilized for advertising or sales purposes and an orderly arrangement thereof which facilitates their proper selection and enables any part to be freely and instantly removed from and replaced into the position in which it is normally supported without interference by any other part.

I claim:

A tool kit comprising a tool box composed of companion half sections hingedly connected for book-fashion opening and closing movement and each including a side wall, the side wall of one section being provided with a top wall which extends in right angular relation, the side walls being in parallel planes when the sections are closed and the top wall, when the sections are closed, bridging the space between the side walls, the section which does not carry the top wall having an open upper end when the sections are opened, tool parts supporting elements mounted transversely upon the side wall of the section which does not carry the top wall and formed with openings having longitudinal axes, an upper set of tool parts having shanks of uniform length, the shanks in each instance being provided with a projection between its ends, the projections being located in the same relative positions on the several shanks, the shanks being fitted in the openings of the tool parts supporting elements whereby the tool parts are maintained in mutually parallel relation and the projections on their shanks have supporting engagement upon the tool parts supporting elements, the supporting elements cooperating with the projections in supporting the tool parts with their upper ends in close adjacency to the open upper end of the section by which the supporting elements are carried and to the top wall in the closed relation of the sections, other tool parts supporting elements similar to the supporting elements first named and mounted transversely upon the side wall of the section which carries the top wall and at an elevation substantially below the elevation of the tool parts supporting elements first named, a lower set of tool parts having shanks of uniform length and of shorter length than the shanks of the upper set of tool parts, the shanks of the lower set of tool parts in each instance being provided with a projection between its ends, the projections being located in the same relative positions on the several shanks of the lower set of tool parts, the shanks of the lower set of tool parts being fitted in the openings of the second named tool parts supporting elements whereby the tool parts of the second named set are maintained in mutually parallel relation and the projections on their shanks have supporting engagement upon the second named tool parts supporting elements, the second named tool parts supporting elements cooperating with the projections on the shanks of the second namedtool parts in supporting the second named tool parts, in the closed relation of the sections, with their upper ends in close adjacency to the lower ends of the shanks of the first named set of tool parts.

JOHN N. PETRE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 436,543 Quigley Sept. 16, 1890 1,043,891 Zange Nov. 12, 1912 1,569,142 Rippetoe Jan. 12, 1926 1,608,274 Grayson Nov. 23, 1926 2,305,021 Meier Dec. 15, 1942 2,408,227 Ramsey Sept. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 354,937 Germany June 1'7, 1922

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