Abstract:
A device for holding and securing backing nuts for tools, such as disk grinders. The device includes a threaded screw that can be inserted into a threaded connector on the tool. Further, the device includes a threaded receiver that can accept one or more threaded backing nuts. The backing nuts are screwed onto the threaded receiver and thus, attached to the tool such that the backing nuts will not be lost, misplaced or stolen.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The origins of the term “gone nuts” is not clear but, everyone knows that it means to go crazy or to act irrationally. And although the term most likely did not sprout its roots from the following example, it may cause one to pause and think. In some power tools, typically the kind that include a rotating disk, such as a disk grinder, a disk sander and a circular saw, a special nut is used to attach the disks to the power tools. These nuts are traditionally referred to as keepers and backing nuts. A problem arises on the work site with some of these tools as some attachments require the use of the backing nuts and some do not. And so, what often happens is a worker will remove the backing nuts, set them down, install an attachment that does not require backing nuts, and then proceed to use the tool. Sometimes minutes or hours later, the worker may wonder where he placed the backing nuts. In some cases another worker may come by and remove the backing nuts thinking that they were his or hers, or simply taking them for extra. But, once the backing nuts are gone, the tool is crippled and cannot be used with certain attachments until the backing nuts are found or replaced. Such situations have resulted in much frustration in the work place, and in some instances have even resulted in violence. And hence, one may wonder if the saying, “gone nuts” may have originated in relationship to this situation. 
         [0002]    What is needed in the art is a solution to provide a secure and reliable device for storing backing nuts when they are not in use. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0003]    The present disclosure presents various embodiments, as well as various features, aspects, advantages and variations that may be selectively incorporated into the various embodiments of a device for holding attachment or removable fasteners used for various tools. One embodiment includes a device for holding and securing backing nuts for tools, such as disk grinders. The device includes a threaded screw that can be inserted into a threaded connector on the tool. Further, the device includes a threaded receiver that can accept one or more threaded backing nuts. The backing nuts are screwed onto the threaded receiver and thus, attached to the tool such that the backing nuts will not be lost, misplaced or stolen. 
         [0004]    More specifically, the various embodiments are generally directed towards an apparatus that can be secured to, or built into a tool, or a system, that operates to securely hold and retain removable attachment elements. One embodiment of the apparatus is a removable attachment receiver that can be screwed into the handle receptor of a disk grinder. Such an embodiment includes a receiver that is configured to receive one or more attachment elements of a tool and store the attachment elements. Further, the apparatus includes a connecting interface for attaching the apparatus to the tool. Advantageously, this and other embodiments enable one or more attachment elements to be stored on the apparatus to prevent loss and provide access to the attachment elements. In some embodiments, the receiver, so named as it receives the attachment elements, is threaded and is configured to receive one or more threaded attachment elements. 
         [0005]    In various embodiments, the apparatus can be attached to, connected to, affixed to, removeably attached to manufactured in, incorporated in and embedded within a tool, as non-limiting examples. In one such embodiment, the apparatus includes a connecting element that is a threaded screw that can be inserted into the tool. For instance, the tool may have a threaded recess and the apparatus can be screwed into the tool. Further, in some embodiments, the tool includes multiple threaded recesses typically used for the attachment of a handle for controlling to tool. When one of the recesses is not in use, which is typical, the apparatus can be attached to that recess. Typically such tools will include multiple recesses so that the handle can be left hand or right hand mounted. In other embodiments, the apparatus may simply include a connecting rod that can be slid into a recess or aperture of the tool and held in place by a pin, a bring loaded protrusion, a spring loaded ball bearing, or the like as non-limiting examples. 
         [0006]    Typically, tools that include removable disks, such as disk grinders, circular saws, etc., include nuts or backing nuts, also referred to as keepers, to hold the disks on to the tool during operation. Generally, the tool includes an axel that rotates and the disk is placed concentric to the axel or spindle and then attached with the backing nut. However, some disks or attachments do not require a backing nut and thus, when installed the backing nut needs to be stored. Thus, the backing nuts can be removed from the axel or spindle and then placed on the receiver of the apparatus. 
         [0007]    These embodiments, features, aspects, advantages and variations can take on a variety of forms and further details are presented in the detailed description that follows. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment element holder. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of an attachment element that can be held by embodiments of the attachment element holder. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment element holder. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment element holder with two attachments and a washer installed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a conceptual diagram of a tool ready to receive an embodiment of an attachment element holder. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a conceptual diagram of a tool with an installed attachment element holder. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7A  is a diagram of a disk grinder illustrating a spindle for receiving a backing nut. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7B  is a side view of a spindle on a disk grinder. 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side view of another embodiment of the attachment element holder. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    The present disclosure, as well as features and aspects thereof, is directed towards providing a technique to hold and store removable items for a tool to alleviate the risk of losing the items, such as attachment nuts. More specifically, an exemplary embodiment is directed towards an apparatus that can be screwed into a vacant handle receptor of a disk grinder. The apparatus includes a threaded receptor that is the same size as the spindle that receives the backing nuts. Thus, the apparatus is screwed into the disk grinder and is then used to receive and hold/store the backing nuts when they are not in use. 
         [0018]    Turning now to the figures, in which like labels represent like elements throughout the several views, various embodiments, as well as various features, aspects, advantages and variations that may be selectively incorporated into the various embodiments are presented in greater detail. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a side elevation diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment element holder. Throughout the description, the apparatus will be referred to as the holder. In the illustration, an exemplary holder  100  is shown as including an attachment receiver  105 , a connecting interface  110 , a friction knob  115  to tighten the holder to a tool by hand and a nut  120  to tighten the holder to a tool with a wrench. In the illustrated embodiment, the attachment receiver  105  is threaded. In an exemplary embodiment used in conjunction with a disk grinder, the attachment receiver  105  is the same diameter and thread count as the spindle. The attachment receiver  105  is configured to receive backing nuts  125  and  130 . In typical embodiments, the backing nuts  125  and  130  include an aperture,  126  and  131  respectively, through the center of the nut that is threaded with the same thread count as the attachment receiver  105 . In some embodiments, as illustrated, the attachment receiver  105  may include one or more notches  107  that can be used for locking nuts. The notch may be v-shaped, u-shaped, squared or any of a variety of shapes and depths. 
         [0020]    The illustration also depicts a washer or spacer  135  that can be positioned between the attachment elements or backing nuts  125  and  130 . The washer helps to prevent the backing nuts  125  and  130  from vibrating and becoming loose. The washer  135  can be fabricated from metal, plastic, and silicone as non-limiting examples. The washer  135  includes an aperture  136  passing through the center of the washer. The aperture  136  could be threaded compatibly with the receiver  105  but may also be sized to simply slide over the receiver  105 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of an attachment element that can be held by embodiments of the attachment element holder. The illustrated attachment element  130  is a backing nut with a threaded aperture  131 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment element holder. The friction knob  115  is illustrated from a top plan view and the top of the receiver  105  can be viewed in the center of the friction knob  115 . In addition, nut  120  illustrated as being concentric with the friction knob  115  and the receiver  105 . The nut  120  includes at least two opposing flat edges  121  that can be used to receive a wrench or pliers for tightening the holder to a tool. 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of an attachment element holder with two attachments and a washer installed. As illustrated, the receiver  105  has received two backing nuts  125  and  130  with a washer  135  positioned there between. The holder  100  is illustrated as being free standing but it will be appreciated that typically the holder  100  would be installed on or connected to a tool. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a conceptual diagram of a tool ready to receive an embodiment of an attachment element holder. The tool  500 , which in the illustrated embodiment generally represents a disk grinder as a non-limiting example, is illustrated as including two threaded female receptors  525  and  530 . The illustration presents a handle  515  that includes a male threaded screw  510  that can be screwed into either of the threaded female receptors  525  or  530 . In the illustrated embodiment, the handle  515  is illustrated as being poised for being attached to the tool  500  at receptor  525 . Further, the holder  100  is illustrated as being poised for being attached to the holder interface  530  of the tool  500 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a conceptual diagram of a tool with an installed attachment element holder. In the illustrated embodiment, the handle  515  has been screwed into the tool and the holder  100  has been screwed into the other vacant female receptor  530 . The tool  500  is further illustrated as including a guard  550  and a disk element  560 . It will be appreciated that while embodiments are predominately described as being utilized with a disk grinder, the holder is applicable for any of a variety of tools that include one or more locking or attachment nuts, including, but not limited to 4.5″, 6″, 7″ and 9″ disk grinders, circular saws, table saws, rip saws, sanders, floor polishers, etc. 
         [0026]      FIG. 7A  is a diagram of a disk grinder illustrating a spindle for receiving a backing nut. The disk grinder  500  with handle  515 , guard  550  includes a spindle  705 . A disk  560  can be placed over the spindle  705  by aligning the central hole of the disk (not illustrated) with the spindle  705  and sliding down the spindle  705  until the lock nut  720  extends through the hole of the disk to secure the orientation of the disk  560 . At this point a backing nut can be placed over the disk  560  to secure it in position. The holder  100  is only partially visible. 
         [0027]      FIG. 7B  is a side view of a spindle on a disk grinder. In this illustrated embodiment, the spindle  705  is shown as extending from the disk grinder  500 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 8  is a side view of another embodiment of the attachment element holder. In this embodiment, the attachment element holder  800  is shown as further including an offset element  810  that provides a stop-gap between the a friction knob  115  and the body or casing of the tool, such as a disk grinder. The offset element could simply be one or more washers, a threaded spacer, a rubber grommet that slides over the threaded connecting interface  110  or screws onto the same, as well as a structure that is molded into the attachment element holder  800 . Advantageously, this element can allow the attachment element holder  800  to be more compatible or suitable for various power tool configurations and can also aid in the removal of the attachment element holder from the tool. 
         [0029]    Various embodiments may be utilized to achieve the same spirit and scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, the holder can be fabricated from metal parts by welding a spindle together with a handle screw and a backing nut. Thus, the holder can be fabricated by using spare parts or discarded parts of an old disk grinder. In other embodiments, the holder can be machined, tooled or cast. The materials utilized can vary including various metals having various degrees of hardness such as stainless steel or aluminum, plastics such as nylon, PVC, Teflon or a variety of other hard plastics. Other materials of manufacture are also anticipated. 
         [0030]    In the illustrated embodiments, the holder includes a screw that is threaded into a female receiver on the tool. As illustrated, tools may come with several such female receivers in order to accommodate moving a handle to one of several positions. As such, the unused female receivers are ideally suited for installing a holder. However, in some embodiments, space female receivers may not be available. As such, the holder can be attached in a variety of other ways including adhesive, being screwed into the casing of the tool or even built into the tool. Similarly, rather than attaching the holder to the body of the tool, the handle maybe configured to receive the holder. The handle may include a female receiver or other mechanism for receiving the holder. Further, the holder may be attached to the power cord and left dangling. 
         [0031]    In addition, rather than a threaded screw, the holder may include a rod with an indention at the distal end. The rod can be slid into a female receiver that includes a spring-loaded lock. As such, the rod can be forced into the female receiver and pressure applied to move the rod past the spring-loaded lock such that the lock is secured within the indention of the rod and thereby holding it securely in place. 
         [0032]    In some embodiments, rather than the attachment receiver being threaded, the receiver may simply be a rod that is sized such that the backing nuts can be slid over the rod. The backing nuts can then be secured onto the rod in any of a variety of manners including lock pins, rubber caps, etc. 
         [0033]    In the description and claims of the present application, each of the verbs, “comprise”, “include” and “have”, and conjugates thereof, are used to indicate that the object or objects of the verb are not necessarily a complete listing of members, components, elements, or parts of the subject or subjects of the verb. 
         [0034]    The present invention has been described using detailed descriptions of embodiments thereof that are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The described embodiments comprise different features, not all of which are required in all embodiments of the invention. Some embodiments of the present invention utilize only some of the features or possible combinations of the features. Variations of embodiments of the present invention that are described and embodiments of the present invention comprising different combinations of features noted in the described embodiments will occur to persons of the art. 
         [0035]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described herein above. Rather the scope of the invention is defined by the claims that follow..