Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02202452 2002-06-25
TOOL SECUREMENT DEVICE
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a securement device to safely hold or clamp
a tool in association with a tool holder or utility belt or apron.
Background of the Invention
Many users of hand tools and particularly professional tradesmen,
have tool belts, pouches or belt attachments that have leather or metal loops
for
holding a tool. Carpenters, for example, use tool belts that have a ring or
loop
protruding outwardly of the belt and through which the handle of a hammer or
like tool is inserted. The head of the hammer rests on the ring or loop.
Moving
around a work site often can cause the hammer to fall out of the ring or loop.
Accordingly there is a need for a simple device which will lock or
assist in releasabfy holding a tool in association with a loop or ring on a
utility belt
or the like.
Summary of the Invention
The invention seeks to provide a tool holder that cooperates with a
first loop, usually in a belt, through which the tool is loosely inserted and
a
second flexible loop coupled to the first loop for contacting the tool or at
least a
part of the tool and releasably holding the tool in the first loop. The second
loop
preferably includes a stretchable material or is otherwise expandable so that
the
second loop clamps or holds a portion of the hand tool to retain it in the
first loop.
This invention is particularly useful with hammers, including claw hammers,
ballpeen hammers or mason's hammers. In this case, the second loop is
preferably designed so that it is sufficiently large and elastic to fit over a
portion
of the hammer head. The second loop thus helps prevent the tool from
inadvertently falling out of the first loop.
The device and in particular the second loop can be used for
clamping other tools, such as a wrench or a square.
The invention in one broad aspect provides a tool holder having a
front face and comprising means for detachably securing the holder to a belt
worn
by a user. First holding means is associated with the front face and extends
outwardly therefrom, the first holding means having means for cooperating with
a
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CA 02202452 2002-06-25
first portion of a tool for loosely holding the tool. A second holding means
is
swingably connected to the first holding means and comprises a ring of
flexible,
expandable material having an inner diameter less than the diameter of a
second
portion of the tool, the ring being adapted to be stretched and pulled over
the
second portion of the tool when the tool is located in the first holding means
to
further secure the tool in the first holding means.
Further the invention provides an article of manufacture for use in
combination with a belt associated tool holder having a tool holding ring
means
which ring means is adapted to loosely hold a tool, the article of manufacture
being connectable to the tool holding ring means for further securement of a
tool
in the tool holding ring means. The article comprises a flexible, expandable
piece
of material having opposed first and second ends, front and back faces and
opposite side edges, the piece of material having a portion with one aperture
therethrough and a slot located inwardly of both side edges and spaced
longitudi-
nally between the aperture and the first end. The piece of material is adapted
to
be attached to the tool holding ring means by wrapping the piece of material
about the ring means and forcing the second end through the slot and pulling
the
second end and the apertured portion of the piece of material through the slot
so
that a portion of the piece of material adjacent the first end encircles the
ring
means. The aperture is expandable about a portion of a tool to be secured.
Further still, the invention comprehends an article of manufacture for
use Vvith a belt associated tool holder, the article comprising a flexible,
expandable
piece of material having opposed first and second ends, front and back faces
and
opposite side edges. The piece of material has a portion with an aperture
there-
through and a slot located inwardly of both the side edges and spaced
longitudi-
nally between the aperture and the first end. Opposed slits extend inwardly
from
the side edges and are located longitudinally between the aperture and the
slot.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Other features and advantages will be apparent from the following
description of preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the
following
drawings in which:
FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a toot holder according to
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the invention.
FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing a hammer
associated with the tool holder.
FIGURE 3 is a front perspective of a particularly preferred loop.
FIGURE 4 shows connecting partial securement of the loop
connector of FIGURE 4 to a ring member.
FIGURE 5 shows a complete securement of the loop connector of
FIGURE 4 to a wing member.
FIGURE 6 shows the loop connector in association with a hammer
member in a ring member.
Description of a Preferred Embodiment
Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, a tool holder 10 is shown, a hammer
12 being shown held in tool holder 10 in FIGURE 2. Tool holder 10 includes a
first loop 16 that is generally in a horizontal plane (when the holder 10 is
worn on
a belt) and a vertical portion 18 extending up from the first loop to an
offset
support 20. First loop 16 is partially rotatably connected to the support 20
by
rivet 22 for limited movement as indicated by arrows 28. The support 20 is
attached to a leather backing 30 through rivets 32 and backing 30 has slits 36
for
receiving a belt (not shown). A holder 10 of a type including loop 16, portion
18,
support 20 and backing 30 is commercially available as Model R-739 under the
brand name Rooster Products.
According to the present invention as shown in FIGURE 1, on one
side of loop 16, a second loop 40 is held or secured to the first loop 16 with
a
connector 44. Connector 44 can include one or more pieces of wire, or
preferably as shown, includes a single strip of metal 46 wrapped around both
loops and pressed or crimped securely so that the second loop 40 stays coupled
to the first loop 16. However connector 44 allows for some horizontal movement
around the first loop as indicated by arrow 50.
Second loop 40 is preferably made from a stretchable material, such
as a braided elastic material, so that it snugly clamps or holds a portion of
a tool.
A variety of materials can be used for loop 40 including a portion of a bungee
cord or some other synthetic braid, such as a loop designed to hold hair in a
pony
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CA 02202452 1997-04-11
tail. Second loop 40 can be designed to have a variably adjustable radius,
that is,
expanded so that the loop can be wrapped around a portion of the tool, then
reduced for clamping. This can be effected by a split loop 40 with VELCRO
fastening means on the opposite ends of the split loop. In one representative
embodiment, loop 40 has an inside diameter of about 1 inch, an outer diameter
of
about 1.4 inches and a fully stretched length of about 3 inches.
As shown in FIGURE 2, loop 40 is sufficiently large and has
sufficient flexibility or expandability so that it can be brought up and over
a
portion of a tool, e.g. over a hammer head end 60 of a hammer 12. In such
position, loop 40 holds the hammer 12 in place in first loop 16. Thus after
the
hammer handle 62 is inserted through the first loop 16 so that it is loosely
held in
loop 16, second loop 40 is stretched out in a direction of arrow 66, (FIGURE 1
),
then pulled - rotated - so loop 40 is pulled over head 60. Thus, second loop
40
releasably secures hammer 12 to first loop 16 but hammer 12 can easily be
removed from loop 16 by first pulling loop 40 off hammer head end 60.
A particularly preferred form of tool connector or second loop device
is shown in FIGURES 3 through 6. This device 70 comprises an elongate strap or
piece of material 72 having upper and lower ends 74, 76 and a hole or aperture
80 approximately centered between ends 74, 76. Three sets of paired holes,
namely 82, 84 and 86 are substantially evenly spaced between aperture 80 and
end 74. Holes 84 permit riveting strap 72 to a tool holding device if
preferred in
an alternative embodiment. With respect to the set of small holes 82, there is
a
slit or slot 90 extending between them, whereas with respect to the set of the
small holes 86, there are slits 92, 94 respectively extending outwardly from
the
respective holes to the respective adjacent side edges 96 and 98 of the
device.
Preferably one of each of the holes 82, 84 and 86 are longitudinally in line
with
each other which line is tangent to an associated side of aperture 80. Holes
82
with intermediate slot 90 and holes 82 with outwardly extending, cooperating
slits 92, 94 permit strap 72 to be detachably secured to a first loop of a
tool
holder, such as loop 100 of FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, which loop 100 is like loop 16
in FIGURES 1 and 2.
Turning to FIGURES 4 and 5, strap 72 is attached to ring or loop 100
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(shown in dotted lines) of a tool holder like that in FIGURES 1 and 2.
Assuming
loop 100 is placed behind strap 72 in FIGURE 3, end 76 of strap 72 is turned
rearwardly, upward around loop 100, (see arrows A in FIGURE 3). Then end 76,
which curls as shown in FIGURE 4, is forced through slot 90. End 76 is pulled
through slot 90 until the opposed edges 96, 98 of strap 72 at points 110, 1 12
adjacent hole sets 82 meet slits 92 and 94 to assume a position shown in
FIGURE
5. Device 70 is detachably secured to loop 100 and ready to hold or secure a
portion of a tool. Slits 92 and 94 and the material adjacent thereto
effectively
provide locking means in cooperation with the material outwardly adjacent slot
90.
FIGURE 6 shows a hammer 120 in loop 100 with aperture 80 pulled
over head 116. When hammer 120 is placed in loop 100, end 76 of strip 70 is
pulled outwardly and upwardly over head 1 16, aperture 80 stretching as
necessary.
Strap 70 is made of resilient, flexible material that can be stretched
and manipulated in order to provide a lock or securement means for holding the
tool such as a hammer in loop 100. Material such as rubber, neoprene or the
like
is preferred.
In an alternative aspect, it will be appreciated that if a tool holder is
leather or does not include a loop-like loop 100, the inventive device itself
can be
riveted through holes 84 directly to the holder, (not shown), adjacent the
first
opening in the holder where the tool is inserted. Aperture 80 is pulled over
some
portion of the tool such as the handle of a screwdriver. The material around
the
aperture 80 will stretch and then naturally shrink about the tool portion.
Accordingly I have provided a securement or lock device for use with
a loop of a tool holder which will securely hold the tool in the loop
regardless of
the movement of the user, whether climbing ladders or bending over.
The preferred embodiment is a simple one-piece device which can be
attached and detached easily to the loop of a holder and yet has flexibility
and
stretchable that provides secure holding of the tool to the loop. It will be
apparent that other shapes of aperture 80 may be chosen to be configured to
suit
the particular tool or a portion thereof and provide a snug fit when
associated
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with the tool or a portion of a tool.
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