Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TOOL HOLDER CASE
SPECIFICATION
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a carrying case, and more
particularly to a carrying case with an internal frame and rack
for holding multiple drill bits and screw driving tools.
Tool cases having a pair of hinged wall portions for hold,_na
the tools within the case are known. See, for example, United
States Patent No. 3,154,192 to Cowley. Further, tool cases are
known wherein tools are mounted in a rack which is pivotally
tilted outside the case for removal of tools when needed. See,
for example, United States Patent No. 5,692,609 to Lin and United
States Patent No. 2,736,426 to Hamilton.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a
carrying case having an internal frame and rack for ho7dinq
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multiple drill bits or other tools wherein the rack holding the
tools may be pivoted outwardly from the case for removal of the
tools, and when the tools are to be stored, the rack is pivoted
back into the case wherein locking fingers cooperate with a
groove on a horizontal shank of a tool for locking the tool in
this position within the case.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
A tool case including a box case with an open front and a
cover hingedly attached to the box case. A frame having a
plurality of locking fingers for cooperating with a groove
located on the shank of a drill tool to be stored in the tool
case is mounted within the box case. A rack having a plurality
of chambers for receiving drill tools is pivotally mounted within
the frame for pivotal movement from a drill tool storage position
where the locking fingers extend into the grooves of the drill
tools being stored to a position where the drill tools are
exposed through the open front of the box case so that a user can
select and remove an appropriate drill tool.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, a preferred embodiment of the
invention will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tool holder case according
to the present invention, with a tool holding rack retracted into
the case;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tool holder case shown
in Fig. 1 with the tool holding rack pivoted to a position where
tools can be removed from the rack;
Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a tool holding rack shown
in Fi.g. 1;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tool holding rack
taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the tool holding rack shown
in Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the tool holding rack shown in
Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 is a right end view of the tool holding rack shown in
Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the tool holding rack
taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. 5;
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the tool holding rack
taken along the line 9-9 in Fig. S;
Fig. 10 is an elevational view of a frame for holding the
tool holding rack shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the frame shown in Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of the frame shown in Fig. 10;
Fig. 13 is a right end view of the frame shown in Fi.g. 10;
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Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the frame taken along
the line 14-14 in Fig. 11; and
Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the frame taken along
the line 15-15 in Fig. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A tool holder case 10 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The tool
holder case 10 includes a conventional case which is formed by
hingedly joining a box case 12 and a box cover 14 along one edge,
as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Box portion 12 includes a rear base
wall 16 and a bottom end wall 18.
A frame 20 is fixedly attached to the interior of wall 16,
adjacent the bottom end wall 18, as by gluing. As best seen in
Figs. 10 and 11, frame 20 includes a back wall 22, a pair of side
walls 24, and a bottom wall 26. In a preferred embodiment, a
series of equally spaced apart locking fingers 28 are fixedly
attached to back wall 22. The locking fingers 28 include a semi-
circular shaped portion 30 facing outwardly, as shown in Fig. 11.
A pair of side posts 32 extend on either side of fingers 28 to
provide support for fingers 28. The bottom wall 26 includes cut-
out portions 34 at each end of bottom wall 26, as shown in Figs.
11 and 12.
The side walls 24 are each provided with an axle carrying
bore 36 extending therethrough, as shown in Figs. 13 and 15. An
indentation 38 is provided in sidewall 24, as shown in Fig. 13,
and extends outwardly to an edge of sidewall 24. The side walls
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24 are further provided with an inclined surface 40 which extends
from an outer edge of wall 24 to the bore 36, as shown in Fig.
15.
A rack 42 is pivotally mounted within frame 20. Rack 42
further includes a front wall 48, a top wall 50, and end walls 52
and 54. Rack 42 further includes axle posts 44 which are
integrally formed on end walls 52 and 54, as shown in Figs. 5, 6,
and 9. The axle posts 44 include screwdriver slots 46. Axle
posts 44 are inserted into axle carrying bores 36 of side walls
24 of frame 20. The axle posts are shoved against the inclined
surface 40 to move sidewalls 24 outwardly so that when the axles
posts 44 are aligned with bores 36, side walls 24 will snap back
to their normal position to lock posts 44 in boxes 36.
The rack 42 is further provided with a series of equally
spaced apart chamber walls 56 which extend from the top wall 50
to the base wall 48. The top wall 50 is provided with equally
spaced apart bores (not shown) extending through wall 50 into a
chamber defined by the chamber walls 56. Above each of these
cylindrical bores is positioned a hollow cylinder 58 which opens
through the cylindrical bores into a chamber defined by chamber
walls 56. A material-reducing slot 60 is provided in the base
wall 58, as shown in Fig. 8. A seat 62 is molded to base 48, as
seen in Figs. 8 and 9.
The present invention is used with conventional drill too,~s
64, including drill bits and screw driving tools, having a
working tool 66 at one end and a hexagonal shank 68 at the other
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end, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A groove 70 is cut
circumferentially around the hexagonal shanks 26.
In operation, the rack 42 is pivoted outwardly to the
position shown in Fig. 2. The hexagonal shank 68 of drill tool
64 is inserted through a cylinder 58 so that the hexagonal shank
extends into the chamber defined by the walls 56. The bottom of
the hexagonal shank 68 rests against the base wall 48 of rack 42,
and against the seat 62 provided on the base 48, as shown in Fig.
4.
The rack 42 is then rotated to the position shown. in Fig. 1,
against the locking fingers 28. The locking fingers 28 are
positioned so that a semicircular portion 30 rests in the groove
70 of hexagonal shank 68, thus locking the drill tool 64 in this
position. Locking fingers 28 prevent the drill tool 64 from
being removed from rack 42. The only way that the drill tools 64
can be removed from rack 42, is by again rotating the rack 42 to
the position shown in Fig. 2. The locking fingers 28 are then
released from the groove 70 of shank 68, and the drill tool may
be removed.
While the fundamental novel features of the invention have
been shown and described, it should be understood that various
substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those
skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit or Scope of:
the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications or variations
are included in the scope of the invention as defined by the
following claims:
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