US3822019A

US3822019A - Adjustable tool holder

Info

Publication number: US3822019A
Application number: US00307447A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Baatz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-11-17
Filing date: 1972-11-17
Publication date: 1974-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-02

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an adjustable rack ideally adapted to hold hand tools such as wrenches. It comprises two rack members having opposing recesses for holding objects. The rack members are connected by two pivotally connected intersecting arms which form an X-support. The ends of the arms are pivotably connected to the rack members. There are a plurality of connection locations along both the arms and the rack members which permits a change in the geometry of the rack to hold a wide variety of tools of different lengths.

Description

Umted States Patent 1111 3,822,019

Baatz .1 July 2, 1974 [54] ADJUSTABLE TOOL HOLDER FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 1 lnvnmri Jemlme T- B8311, 412 Paragon, 397,111 8/1933 Great Britain 211/178 R Troy, Mlch- 48084 15,722 7/1909 Great Britain 211/60 R [22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 307,447

[52] US. Cl. 211/60 T, 206/16 D, 248/167 [51] Int. Cl B25h 3/04 [58] Field of Search 211/42, 43, 60 R, 60 T, 211/69, 60 A, 69.9, 175,64, 105; 206/16 D, 17, 17.1; 248/167, 37.3; 108/54 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 164,386 6/1875 Merrick 248/164 317,468 5/1885 Morstatt 248/421 X 639,740 12/1899 Kirby 211/699 X 1,186,032 6/1916 Peele 248/167 2,599,863 6/1952 Riemvis 248/167 3,477,586 11/1969 Haluska 211/64 3,702,136 11/1972 Albertson 211/60 T Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Abraham Frankel Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Joseph D. Odenweller [5 7] ABSTRACT Disclosed herein is an adjustable rack ideally adapted to hold hand tools such as'wrencliies. It comprises two rack members having opposing recesses for holding objects. The rack members are connected by two pivotally connected intersecting arms which form an X- support. The ends of the arms are pivotably connected to the rack members. There are a plurality of conned tion locations along both the arms and the rack members which permits a change in the geometry of the rack to hold a wide variety of tools of different lengths.

l ADJUSTABLE TOOL HOLDER BACKGROUND Tool racks used in the past are of fixed size which requires a different tool rack when the rack is used to hold a different size set of tools for which it was originally constructed. The present invention overcomes this problem and makes available an adjustable tool rack that can be adjusted to accept tools of varying length.

SUMMARY The present invention comprises a tool rack compris- 7 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective of tool holder adapted to hold wrenches.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a number of geometrical patterns which can be achieved with but one rack.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the rack comprises first and second rack member 1 and 2. These may be constructed of readily available sheet metal angle-iron. One flange of each angle rack member has a plurality of opposing recesses 3 adapted to hold a tool. Rack members I and 2 are connected by an X-support 4 comprised of first and second intersecting

arms

5 and 6.

Arms

5 and 6 are pivotably connected at their intersection location 7 using any of the many available connectors. The connector is of the type that can be readily removed and replaced. A nut and bolt inserted through openings in the intersecting arms can be used; A preferred means is the well-known snap fasteners which is pivotable and permits rapid change of connection location.

One end of first arm 5 and second arm 6 is pivotably connected to the non-recessed flange of first rack member I at locations 10 and 11. The opposite end of first arm 5 and second arm 6 is pivotably connected to the non-recessed flange of second rack member 2 at locations l2 and 13.

First arm 5 has at least two openings and 16 along its length in addition to the opening at its ends. Second arm 6 has at least two

openings

17 and 18. Openings l5, 16, 17 and 18 are adapted to receive a pivotable connector such as a rivet, nut and bolt, or snap fastener. As shown,

openings

15 and 17 are in-line and pivotably connected.

Rack members 1 and 2 have openings at locations 11 and 13 proximate to one end and a plurality of openings at

locations

20, 10, 21, 22, 12 and 23 proximate their other end. Openings at 11 and 13 are adapted to form a pivotable connection to ends of

arms

6 and 5. Openings at 20, 10 and 21 are adapted to form a pivotable connection to the opposite end of arm 5. Openings at 22, 12 and 23 are adapted to form a pivotable connection to the opposite end of arm 6. Pivotable connections can be made by any of many known means such as by rivet, nut and bolt, snap fastener, or other such connecting means. Preferably, the connectors are readbly connected at location 7 by a pivotable connector installed at

openings

15 and 17 in

arms

5 and 6. The geometric form of the tool holder when

arms

5 and 6 are connected at this location is shown by the solid line 25 in FIG. 2.

Disengaging the connection at 7 allows rack members 1 and 2 to change their angular relationship to each other while

arms

5 and 6 perform a scissor-like motion. Lining up

positions

16 and 18 and forming a pivotable connection results in a tool holder of entirely different geometric shape. This is shown by phantom line 26 inFIG. 2.

Alternatively, the shape may be changed by changing

connection

10 and 12 to either 20 and 22 or 21 and 23. Moving

connection

10 and 12 to 20 and 22 results in the geometric shape shown by phantom lines 27 in FIG. 2

It can be seen that the present invention provides a rack that is adjustable such that it can be changed by the user to any desired configuration depending on what the user desires to place in the recesses in the rack.

I claim:

1. An adjustable tool holder comprising first and second rack members, said rack members having an angle cross-section, one flange of each of said rack members having a plurality. of recesses adapted to receive and hold a tool, and first and second unitary intersecting arms forming an X-support member, each of said first and secondarms having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings, at least one of said openings in each arm being off-center along the length of the arm, the openings in said arms being equally spaced from their corresponding ends forming matched pairs of openings on each of said first and second arms, each of said matched pairs of openings adapted to receive a pivotable connecting means, one of said matched pairs of openings being connected by pivotable connecting means, first matching ends of said first and of said second intersecting arms being pivotably connected to the non-recessed flanges of said first and of said second rack members proximate one end, a plurality of spaced openings in said non-recessed flanges, the openings in each of said non-recessed flanges and being equally spaced from their corresponding ends and forming matched pairs of flange openings, each of said matched pairs of flange openings adapted to' receive a pivotable connector, the opposite matching ends of said first and of said second intersecting arms being pivotably connected to one of said matched pairs of flange openings.

are snap fasteners.

Claims

1. An adjustable tool holder comprising first and second rack members, said rack members having an angle cross-section, one flange of each of said rack members having a plurality of recesses adapted to receive and hold a tool, and first and second unitary intersecting arms forming an X-support member, each of said first and second arms having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings, at least one of said openings in each arm being off-center along the length of the arm, the openings in said arms being equally spaced from their corresponding ends forming matched pairs of openings on each of said first and second arms, each of said matched pairs of openings adapted to receive a pivotable connecting means, one of said matched pairs of openings being connected by pivotable connecting means, first matching ends of said first and of said second intersecting arms being pivotably connected to the non-recessed flanges of said first and of said second rack members proximate one end, a plurality of spaced openings in said non-recessed flanges, the openings in each of said non-recessed flanges and being equally spaced from their corresponding ends and forming matched pairs of flange openings, each of said matched pairs of flange openings adapted to receive a pivotable connector, the opposite matching ends of said first and of said second intersecting arms being pivotably connected to one of said matched pairs of flange openings.

2. An adjustable rack of claim 1 wherein said pivotable connecting means are snap fasteners.

3. An adjustable rack of claim 2 wherein said pivotable connections with the ends of said intersecting arms are snap fasteners.