Abstract:
A mobile industrial tool chest having modular shelving is provided. A frame having a top, a base and a rear wall therebetween defines an interior of a first embodiment of the tool chest. A pair of generally L-shaped doors are pivotally coupled to the frame on opposite sides and adjacent to the rear wall. The doors are movable between open positions where access to an interior of the tool chest is permitted and closed positions where access to the interior of the tool chest is prohibited. The shelving brackets are preferably arranged in a plurality of vertical columns. A plurality of variously shaped shelves are provided for removable coupling with the shelf brackets. A second embodiment of the tool chest defines an interior of the tool chest by a back wall and first and second side walls. The interior of the second embodiment similarly includes columns of shelving brackets accessible through an opening in the front of the tool chest. A retractable roll-up door is provided to control access to the interior of the second embodiment.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    Not applicable.  
         STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a device for storing tools. More particularly, this invention relates to a mobile industrial tool chest having modular shelving.  
           [0004]    Tool chests, of various shapes and sizes, are well known in the art. Standard large industrial tool chests generally resemble a chest of drawers. The chest generally has a plurality of heavy duty drawers which may be pulled out to permit tools to be stored therein. The chest are usually on wheels to provide mobility and generally come with locks to prevent unwanted opening of the tool chest. In order to increase the variety of tools which can be stored in a chest, the chests are usually manufactured with a number of different sized drawers. Generally, however, while a user can buy different chests of drawers, users cannot change the configuration of drawers in the tool chest to permit customization of the chest depending on the items the user wishes to store.  
           [0005]    Therefore, there is a need for a tool chest which permits a user to readily modify the storage therein to allow the user to customize the tool chest to their own needs.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    In order to overcome the above-stated problems and limitations, and to achieve the noted objects, there is provided a mobile industrial tool chest with modular shelving.  
           [0007]    In general, a first embodiment of the tool chest includes a frame having a top, abase and a back wall. The frame defines an interior of the tool chest. The tool chest preferably also includes first and second opposing doors and a plurality of shelf brackets supported therein. A second embodiment of the tool chest includes a frame having a top, a bottom, a back wall, and first and second side walls. The frame of the second embodiment similarly defines an interior of the tool chest. The tool chest further includes a plurality of shelf brackets supported therein and a retractable door. Modular shelves of a number of different configurations are readily received and supported on the shelf brackets of both embodiments.  
           [0008]    Preferably, the shelf brackets include upper and lower generally horizontal and parallel crossbars. A plurality of the shelf brackets are arranged one on top of another whereby all of the crossbars are contained in a single plane to provide a vertical column of shelf brackets. The shelves, while being of numerous different shapes and configurations, are all preferably removably supported on the shelf brackets in a similar fashion. In that respect, the shelves all include a rear wall with a rearwardly depending attachment flange extending therefrom adjacent a top edge. The rear wall and the attachment flange cooperate to define a generally upside down J-channel which is sized to receive the upper crossbar of a shelf bracket. The rear wall is designed to have a bottom edge which abuts the lower crossbar of the bracket when the upper crossbar is received in the channel. By providing a wide variety of shelves having a similar attachment feature, the tool chest can be readily customized by the user.  
           [0009]    Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention over the prior art will become apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]    The objects and features of the invention noted above are explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tool chest of the present invention with doors in closed positions;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tool chest of the present invention with the doors in open positions;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rear of the tool chest illustrating a rear door in a closed position;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tool chest illustrating the rear door in an open position;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the tool chest of the present invention with the doors in the open position;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a door of the present invention taken generally along the line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a door cylinder of the present invention taken generally around the area  7  of FIG. 5;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the tool chest of the present invention taken generally along the line  8 - 8  of FIG. 5 with the second door removed for clarity;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a modification of the first embodiment of a tool chest of the present invention with doors in closed positions;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the modification of the first embodiment of a tool chest of the present invention with doors in open positions;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a tool chest of the present invention with a retractable door in a closed position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the tool chest of FIG. 11 with the detachable door in the open position; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the tool chest of the second embodiment taken generally along the line  13 - 13  of FIG. 12 and illustrating alternate shelf constructions. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]    Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 2, numeral  10  generally designates first embodiment of a tool chest of the present invention. The tool chest has a frame  12 , a plurality of shelf brackets  14 , a first door  16 , a second door  18  and modular shelves  20 .  
         [0025]    The frame  12  includes a top  22 , a base  24 , a back wall  26  and a front post  28 . The top  22  preferably presents a generally flat and horizontal upper surface  30 . The top  22  may be fabricated from a solid metal plate or, preferably, consists of square metal tubing welded together to define a periphery with a piece of sheet metal welded on an upper surface thereof.  
         [0026]    The base  24  is preferably constructed of four sections of large square metal tubing which have been welded together to form a square. Casters  32  are preferably mounted to an underneath side of the base to permit the tool chest to be rolled to various locations during use. Preferably, the casters  32  are the type which, when locked, not only prevent the wheel of the caster from rolling but also prevent the casters from rotating about a vertical axis.  
         [0027]    The base  24  preferably also includes a storage bin  34  to permit storage of additional items in the tool chest. The storage bin  34  is defined by four side walls  36  and a bottom  38 . The side walls  36  can be sheets of metal welded to interior surfaces of the four square tubing sections which define the base. The bottom, in turn, preferably consists of a sheet of metal welded around its periphery to lower ends of the side walls. As illustrated, the side walls preferably have a height dimension greater than a height dimension of the square tubing which defines the base  24  to thereby permit the bottom  38  to be lower than the underneath side of the base upon which the casters are mounted to thereby provide for greater storage in the storage bin  34 .  
         [0028]    The top  22  is spaced apart from the base  24  and is preferably maintained in the spaced apart relationship by way of the back wall  26  and the front post  28 . The top  22 , base  24  and back wall  26  cooperate to define an interior  40  of the tool chest.  
         [0029]    The back wall  26  preferably includes first and second support columns  42 ,  44 . The support columns are preferably constructed of the same large square tubing as the base  24 . A plate  46  is preferably welded between and to the support columns to define the back wall  26 . The plate  46  is preferably welded to the support columns  42 ,  44  towards a front  48  of the tool chest. As can be seen in FIG. 4, by attaching the plate  46  between the support columns  42 ,  44  towards the front  48  of the tool chest, a storage compartment  50  is provided in the back wall  26  that is accessible from a backside  52  of the tool chest  10  via a rear door  54 .  
         [0030]    The plurality of shelf brackets  14  are all preferably contained within the interior  40  of the tool chest  10  when the doors  16  and  18  are in the closed positions illustrated in FIG. 1. In a preferred embodiment, each shelf bracket  14  includes an upper crossbar  56  and a lower crossbar  58 . Preferably the crossbars are formed of square bar or tubing stock. The upper and lower crossbars  56  and  58  are spaced apart from each other and are generally parallel to each other and in a horizontal orientation. It should be noted that while the shelf brackets  14  have been illustrated and described as preferably including a pair of crossbars, it is within the scope of the present invention to replace the pair of crossbars with a metal plate having a height dimension sufficient to support a shelf thereon.  
         [0031]    Multiple shelf brackets  14  are preferably aligned one above another to form a generally vertical column  60 . In this arrangement, all of the crossbars  56 ,  58  in the column  60  are preferably generally contained within a single vertical plane. By providing the shelf brackets  14  in this column type arrangement, the tool chest  10  can accommodate numerous shelves at varying heights. Each column  60  includes first and second generally vertical support bars  62 ,  64  for supporting ends  66  of the crossbars  56 ,  58 . In addition to supporting the crossbars of the shelf brackets  14 , the support bars  62 ,  64  also space the crossbars away from the items located behind each column  60  to permit the upper crossbar  56  of the shelf brackets  14  to receive the modular shelf  20  in the manner described in greater detail below.  
         [0032]    In a preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the tool chest  10  includes four columns  60  of shelf brackets  14 . One column  60  is supported on an interior surface  68  of the first door, two columns are supported intermediate the top  22  and base  24  in the interior  40  of the tool chest and one column  60  is supported on an interior surface  70  of the second door  18 . Each column  60  preferably has a front side  72  which receives the modular shelves  20  and from which the modular shelves  20  extend outwardly therefrom and a backside  74  opposite the front side  72 .  
         [0033]    The two columns  60  of shelf brackets  14  which are positioned in the interior  40  of the tool chest are preferably arranged in a back to back orientation. In this arrangement, the two columns cooperate to define an interior wall or divider  76 . Also in this back to back arrangement, the two columns preferably share first and second support bars  62 ,  64  with the first support bar  62  being the front post  28  and the second support bar  64  being secured to a front side of the plate  46  in the back wall  26 . Preferably, the divider  76  is in a vertical orientation, is perpendicular to the back wall  26  and is equidistant from the sides of the tool chest  10 .  
         [0034]    The first and second doors  16 ,  18  are preferably identical in construction. Each door is preferably generally L-shaped when the tool chest is illustrated in a plan view. The doors  16 ,  18  have a skeleton  78  which is preferably constructed of square tubing welded together. The skeleton  78  is then covered on its exterior surface by a panel  80  preferably made of sheet metal. Each door has a bracket wall  82  and an end wall  84 . The bracket walls  82  each support a column  60  of shelf brackets  14  thereon. Each bracket wall  82  has a proximal edge  86  and a distal edge  88 . The doors  16 ,  18  are pivotally mounted to the frame  12  of the tool chest  10  adjacent the back wall  26  adjacent their proximal edges  86 . The end walls  84  are preferably perpendicular to the bracket walls  82  and are connected to the bracket walls adjacent their distal edges  88 .  
         [0035]    The doors  16  and  18  also each preferably include a handle  90  to permit a user to pull the tool chest around and a locking mechanism  92  to permit the user to lock the doors in their closed positions and thereby secure the tool chest. The handles  90  are preferably mounted to an exterior surface of the panels  80  on the end walls  84  which, when the doors  16  and  18  are in their closed positions, is the front  48  of the tool chest  10 . As can be readily ascertained, the handles  90  need to be of heavy duty construction to permit the user to pull around the tool chest, especially when the tool chest is filled with tools and other items.  
         [0036]    The locking mechanism  92  preferably includes a lever arm  94 , a body  96  and locking rods  98 . The lever arms  94  are located exterior of the tool chest  10  on the outer surface of the end walls  84  and are coupled with the body  96 . Proximal ends  100  of the locking rods  98  are also coupled with the body  96  of the locking mechanism. Distal ends  102  of the locking rods are slidably received in bores  104  in the skeleton  78  of the doors  16 ,  18 . Cavities  106  in the top  22  and base  24  align with the bores  104  in the doors  16 ,  18  when the doors are in their closed positions such that rotation of the lever arms  94  causes the locking rods  98  to extend outwardly from the doors  16 ,  18  through the bores  104  and into mating cooperation with the frame  12  to lock the doors in the closed position.  
         [0037]    The modular shelves, as best illustrated in FIG. 6, can take many shapes and perform a variety of tasks. However, all of the shelves preferably share a few similar features. Preferably each shelf includes a rear wall  108  and an attachment flange  110 . The real wall has a top edge  112  and a bottom edge  114 . The attachment flange  110  is connected to a rear side  116  of the rear wall  108  adjacent the top edge  112  and depends rearwardly therefrom. The attachment flange  110  can be a length of angle iron or, alternatively, the rear wall  108  and attachment flange  110  combination can be constructed from a single piece of sheet metal bent to form the attachment flange. The rear wall  108  and attachment flange  110  combination define a generally upside down J-shaped channel  118 . The channel  118  is sized to receive the upper crossbar  56  of a shelf bracket therein. Accordingly, each shelf  20  is supported on a shelf bracket  14  by the J-shaped channel  118  being slipped over the upper crossbar  56  of the shelf bracket  14 . A lower portion  120  of the rear surface of the rear wall  108  adjacent the bottom edge  114  abuts the front side of the lower crossbar  58  when the shelf  20  is received on the shelf bracket  14 . The lower crossbar  58  prevents the bottom edge  114  of the rear wall  108  from swinging back into the column  60  and thereby tilting the shelf  20  forward. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the square shaped upper crossbar  56  cooperates with the square shaped channel  118  to also prevent the shelf  20  from rotating on the upper crossbar  56 .  
         [0038]    The attachment flange  110  also includes a downwardly depending portion  122 . As the modular shelves  20  are designed to be easily removed from cooperation with the shelf brackets  14  to permit a user to customize the types of shelves contained in the tool chest, the distance between a lower crossbar  58  of one shelf bracket and the upper crossbar  56  of shelf bracket immediately below the column must be greater than the height dimension of the downwardly depending portion  122  of the shelf  20  to permit the user to easily remove a shelf from a shelf bracket.  
         [0039]    As stated above, the shelves  20  can be of a wide variety of shapes and perform a wide variety of functions. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the shelves can take the shape of a lidded bin shelf  20   a , a reinforced shelf  20   b , a bin shelf  20   c , a deep bin shelf  20   d , a standard shelf  20   e  and a pegged shelf  20   f . By virtue of the ease at which a user can remove a shelf  20  from cooperation with a shelf bracket  14  in the present tool chest, by providing the user with a wide variety of shelves, the user can readily customize the interior of the present tool chest to better serve their particular needs. For example, the lidded bin shelf  20   a  can be used when a user needs to store small items which the user desires to keep free of contamination of dust. The lid of the shelf  20   a  could be formed of a transparent material, such as plexiglass, to permit the user to see the stored items yet still protect them from contamination. The reinforced shelf  20   b  can be used to store heavy items which could not readily be supported on the standard shelf  20   e . The deep bin shelf  20   d  would be suitable for storing instruction manuals for tools stored in the tool chest while the pegged shelf  20   f  could be used to support hanging items such as combination wrenches, sockets or apparel. As will be readily understood, a plurality of holes can be placed in the bottom of the standard shelf  20   e  to receive portions of hand tools. For example, the holes could be made large enough to receive the shafts of screwdrivers, but small enough to prevent the handles of the screwdrivers to go through. This would allow the user to store a large number of screwdrivers in a vertical orientation in a relatively small area. Such an arrangement would be a vast improvement over simply piling all the screwdrivers on top of each other in a horizontal orientation in a drawer. Pliers and ratchets and other elongate tools could also be hung in a similar fashion with appropriately sized holes in the shelf.  
         [0040]    The storage compartment  50  in the back wall  26  of the tool chest  10  also preferably includes a plurality of shelf brackets  14  for supporting shelves  20 . As illustrated in FIG. 4, the storage compartment  50  containing a pegged shelf  20   f  and a deep bin shelf  20   d  is well suited for storing a lab coat and instruction manuals.  
         [0041]    The tool chest  10  can also be outfitted with safety and custom features. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the doors  16  and  18  can be provided with cross bracing  124  to help support the loads which will be put on the doors as they support the column of shelf brackets. The doors  16 ,  18  can also be coupled with the frame via a stroke cylinder  126 . As best illustrated in FIG. 7, the stroke cylinder has a cylinder  128  which receives a piston  130  in telescoping fashion. As illustrated, the cylinder  128  is mounted to an underneath side of the top  22  of the frame and a piston  130  is pivotally coupled with an interior surface of the skeleton  78  of the doors  16 ,  18 . The stroke cylinder preferably not only holds the doors in their open positions but assists, when desired, in moving the doors to and holding them in their closed positions.  
         [0042]    Other features of the tool chest may include an outlet strip  132  mounted on an underneath side of the front  48  of the base  24 . A power cord (not shown) mates in from the rear of the tool chest and may be plugged into a power source to provide power to the outlet strip. A user of the tool chest may then plug power tools into the outlet strip  132  to power the tools therefrom. In a modification of the first embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the tool chest may also be provided with an air compressor  134  for compressing air to permit the use by pneumatic tools. In this arrangement, the support columns  42 , 44  and a portion of the base are preferably constructed out of large square pieces of hollow steel tubing. The pieces are preferably arranged such that the pieces define a continuous inner chamber or tank that can be used for storing the compressed air. This arrangement prevents the necessity of outfitting the tool chest  10  with an air tank specifically designed to store the compressed air. In this arrangement, a coupler or nipple  136  can be provided on the frame  12  to allow access to the compressed air stored in the frame  12  and to permit a user to attach pneumatic tools thereto. Alternatively, it is well within the scope of the present invention to enclose the storage bin  34  to have the storage bin become an air tank.  
         [0043]    A second embodiment of a tool chest of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS.  11 - 13 . The tool chest of the second embodiment is generally designated as  138 . The tool chest  138  includes a top  140 , a bottom  142 , aback wall  144  and first and second sidewalls  146 ,  148 . As with the tool chest  10  of the first embodiment, the tool chest  138  of the second embodiment is built around a frame  150 . The frame  150  supports the shelf brackets  14  of the present invention. Accordingly, the tool chest  138  includes a column  60  of shelf brackets  14  supported on the first side wall  146 , a column  60  of shelf brackets  14  supported on the back wall  144 , and a column  60  of shelf brackets  14  supported on the interior of the second side wall  148 . In an effort to decrease the amount of space taken up by the tool chest  138  during use, the tool chest  138  is provided with a retractable roll-up door  152 . Unlike the doors  16  and  18  of the first embodiment which swing open during use to permit access to the interior  40  of the tool chest  10 , the roll-up door  152  does not increase the footprint of the tool chest during use and yet still provides complete access to the interior  40  of the tool chest  138  while providing a means for locking the tool chest in a closed position.  
         [0044]    From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with the other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the invention.  
         [0045]    Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention, and not in a limiting sense.