Abstract:
A suspendible container for holding items that is capable of being attached to holes on a horizontal surface. The container is particularly adaptable to being attached to the top cap of a ladder. The container includes at least one prong which attaches to the container and is removably insertable into a hole in the horizontal surface. The container is particularly suited for holding items such as tools and paint cans that would be needed by the user of a ladder.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Suspendible device for holding items, particularly for suspension on a ladder.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Suspendible containers are often helpful to users of ladders, scaffolding, ledges and the like. These users often require the containers to hold their tools and other work items. Examples of such tools and items include paintbrushes, cans of paint, and tools used by window washers and builders. The number of possible uses for ladders and elevating apparatus, and the tools required for such uses, is unlimited. The prior art teaches a number of suspendible containers that can be elevated from building surfaces such as ladders, scaffolding and ledges. However, the prior art primarily is limited to containers that clamp to the edges of the top caps or rungs of a ladder or other elevating building surfaces. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,810 (the “′patent”) entitled “Tool and Parts Tray”. The ′810 patent discloses a suspendible ladder pan that is attachable to the top cap or rungs of a ladder through the use of an adjustable clamping member.  
           [0003]    Many ladders today are manufactured with holes in their top caps. However, none of the prior art teaches a removable suspendible device that can be suspended exclusively from these holes on the top caps of ladders.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention relates to a suspendible container for holding items, such as tools and paint cans, that is capable of being attached to a horizontal surface containing holes. At least one prong is attached to a container at one end, and at the other end is removably insertable into the hole on the horizontal surface. Preferably, the container has two prongs, which are adjustable along three dimensions, thereby enabling the container to be attached to a horizontal surface having holes of numerous configurations.  
           [0005]    The present invention is particularly adaptable to be suspended from the top cap of a ladder. Top caps of ladders, typically are constructed with holes of various configurations. The adjustable nature of the prongs of the invention enable the container to be suspended from a variety of ladders containing a variety of configurations of holes. In addition, the adjustability of the prongs enables the bottom surface of the container to lay flat even as the ladder is positioned at various levels of inclination. In a preferred embodiment, the dimensions of the container are sufficient for holding tools, paint cans, and other items often needed by the users of ladders. The suspension of the container from the top cap of a ladder enables the user to have access to items inside the container while standing on the ladder.  
           [0006]    Because the prongs of the device are removably insertable into a number of ladders, the device is both easy to use, efficient, and economical. The device, however, is not limited to use only with ladders, it may be used on scaffolding or other ledges that contain horizontal surfaces containing holes. In addition, the container could include a removable and/or rotatable lid for protecting items in the container.  
           [0007]    In the preferred embodiment, the adjustable prongs are comprised of a horizontal member that is perpendicularly attached to a vertical member. The horizontal member is attached to a flange which is perpendicularly attached to the top edge of one of the sidewalls of the container. The horizontal member is adjustably attached to the flange and the vertical is adjustably attached to the horizontal member. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, illustrate the embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0009]    In the drawings:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention, showing the device attached to a ladder.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the container of the device;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the device;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of the device;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device illustrating the adjustable features of the prongs;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of fragmentary perspective view  6 ;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the device illustrating the adjustable features of the prongs;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a view of a version of the flange;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention, with a removable lid shown;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the device, according to one embodiment;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 13 is a side view of an inner piece of FIG. 12, according to one embodiment; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 14 is a side view of an outer piece of FIG. 12, according to one embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalence which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.  
         [0025]    With reference to the drawings, in general, and FIGS.  1 - 14  in particular, the device of the present invention is disclosed.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 shows a suspendible device  10  suspended by at least one prong  44  inserted in at least one hole  14  of a horizontal surface  12 . In this preferred embodiment, the device  10  is suspended by two prongs  44  inserted in two holes  14  in the horizontal surface  12 , which is the top cap of a ladder. However, the device  10  may be suspended from any horizontal surface containing at least one hole.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 1, along with FIGS.  2 - 5 , show a preferred embodiment of the device  10 . As illustrated in these FIGS. , the device  10  includes a container  16 . The container  16  is made of a plurality of side walls  18  and a bottom wall  20  which are connected to one another thereby defining a cavity  22  into which items may be placed. In this embodiment, the prongs  44  are made of a horizontal member  24  and a vertical member  26 , which is generally perpendicularity attached to the horizontal member  24 . The horizontal member  24  has a container end and a suspension end. The container end is the end that is closest to the container  16  and the suspension end is the end that is furthest from the container  16 . The vertical member  26  is removably insertable into the hole  14  of the horizontal surface  12 .  
         [0028]    Each sidewall  18  has a top edge and a bottom edge. One sidewall  18  has a flange  52  projecting from the top edge of the sidewall  18 . In this preferred embodiment, the flange  52  is molded from the same material as the container  16  is made. In a preferred embodiment, the container  16  and flange  52  are molded from plastic, and the horizontal member  24  and vertical member  26  are made of metal. It is to be understood that the type of metal from which the horizontal member  24  and vertical member  26  are made is discretionary. However, metals that can be used include, but are not limited to, sheet metal, tin, aluminum and copper. The type of metal from which the container  16  and flange  52  can be formed also is discretionary, however a preferred metal is sheet metal. Other metals that can be used include, but are not limited to, tin, aluminum and copper. Alternatively, the container  16  and flange  52  can be molded from any of the plastics currently known in the art or later developed.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIGS. 4 and 5 show a preferred embodiment in which container  16  has a front sidewall  36 , a back sidewall  38 , and two end sidewalls  40 . One end sidewall  40  is located between each front sidewall  36  and back sidewall  38 . Preferably, the front sidewall  36  has dimensions of approximately 14.5 inches long and 4.75 inches wide; each end sidewall  40  has dimensions of about 3.25 inches high, 3.75 inches wide along the bottom edge, and 4.75 inches wide along the top edge; and the flange has dimensions of approximately one inch wide and {fraction (1/16)} th  of an inch thick. It is also preferred that the horizontal member  24  be about ¾inches wide, 4½inches long and ⅛ th  of an inch thick.  
         [0030]    As one skilled in the art would recognize, different dimensions for each of the above-named parts may be used depending on the particular use intended for the device. For example, a worker on scaffolding may require a container longer or shorter than 14.5 inches.  
         [0031]    FIGS.  1 - 5 , along with FIGS.  6 - 8 , particularly illustrate the adjustable embodiments of the horizontal member  24  and the vertical member  26 . As seen in these embodiments, the flange  52  has at least one elongated slot  46  to which the horizontal member  24  is attached. The horizontal member  24  may be attached anywhere along the elongated slot  46 . In addition, as seen in these embodiments, the horizontal member  24  may be attached to flange  52  at a 90 degree angle, thereby creating a perpendicular orientation between the horizontal member  24  and the flange  52 , as seen in FIG. 6. Alternatively, the horizontal member  24  may be attached to flange  52  at an angle that is greater than or less than 90 degrees, thereby creating a diagonal orientation between the horizontal member  24  and the flange  52 , as illustrated in FIG. 8. The horizontal member  24  can be attached to the elongated slot  46  by any adjustable fastener  48  currently known in the art or later developed. Adjustable fasteners that could be used include, pins, screws, bolts, rivets and the like.  
         [0032]    FIGS.  6 - 8  also particularly show the adjustable nature of the vertical member  26  in relation to the horizontal member  24 . In this preferred embodiment, the vertical member  26  is shown in the form of a stove bolt  32 . Each horizontal member  24  contains a channel  50  through which the stove bolt  32  may be inserted.  
         [0033]    The stove bolt  32  contains a head  54  which is wider than the channel  50 . Accordingly, as the stove bolt  32  is inserted through the channel  50 , the head  54  cannot pass through the channel  50 . A hex-nut  34  is then threadable onto the bottom of the stove bolt  32  to rest against the underside of the horizontal member  24 , thereby holding the stove bolt  32  in place along the channel  50 . As illustrated in FIGS.  6 - 8 , the stove bolt  32  can be attached to the horizontal member  24  at any point along the channel  50 , thereby creating a range of adjustability for the stove bolt anywhere along the length of the horizontal member  24 . As a result of the adjustability of both the horizontal member  24  and the vertical member  26 , which in this preferred embodiment is a stove bolt  32 , the device  10  can be suspended from any member of configurations of holes  14  in a horizontal surface  12 .  
         [0034]    As discussed above, the flange  52  and the container  16  can be one piece made of the same material. For example, the flange  52  and container  16  can be molded together or can be made from one piece of sheet metal. In another embodiment, the flange  52  and container  16  are separate pieces that are attached to each other.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 9 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the flange  52  where the flange  52  is comprised of a projecting arm  28  and an attachment arm  30 . Device  56  is shown in FIG. 10. In this embodiment, the flange  52  is attached to the container  16 . Preferably, the attachment arm  30  of the flange  52  is attached to the container  16  by welding. However, the manner by which the flange  52  is attached to the container  16  is discretionary. As a result, the flange  52  could be attached to the container  16  by an adhesive, rivets, and the like. In this embodiment, the attachment arm  30  is generally perpendicularly oriented to the projecting arm  28 . Preferably, the projecting arm  28  has a length that is shorter than the attachment arm, and the projecting arm  28  is centrally located along the attachment arm  30 . The horizontal member  24  is attached to the projecting arm  28 , in the manners previously described in relation to FIGS.  1 - 8 .  
         [0036]    Reference is now made to FIG. 11 which is another embodiment of the device  58 . In this embodiment, the horizontal member  24  is attached to the top edge of one of the sidewalls  18  directly. In this embodiment, the horizontal member may be adjustably attached to the sidewall  18  by any number of adjustable fasteners currently known in the art or later developed. Alternatively, the horizontal member  24  could be fixedly attached to sidewall  18 . This embodiment also shows an optional lid  42  which may be removably attached to one of the sidewalls  18 .  
         [0037]    In an alternative embodiment, the container  16  could be made of two pieces so as to be adjustable in size. As illustrated in FIGS.  12 - 14 , this is accomplished by allowing an inner piece  100  to fit inside an outer piece  102 . A folded or formed channel  104  is located on a top edge  106  of the outer piece  102  to hold a top edge  108  of the inner piece  100  allowing them to slide together. Holes  100  are formed through the top edges of both pieces to permit the pieces to be locked together, with a clip  112 , at the desired size. Instead of one flange  52  on the side of the container  16 , there are two shorter brackets  114 , one on the inner piece  100  and one on the outer piece  102 . Each bracket  114  would be designed to allow the same adjustability as the flange  52 . The clip  112  is made to insert through two of the holes  110  on the top edge. The clip  112  has a groove  116  cut in a pin part  118  to allow an “E” ring  120  to snap onto it, thus securing the pin  118  in place. The pins  118  could also be made with a knob  122  on the end causing it to snap in place. Each half of the container  16  would be similar in shape to the original design, but would be 10 ¼″ long, allowing adjust from approximate 14″ to 19″ in length.  
         [0038]    Although this invention has been illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made which clearly fall within the scope of the invention. The invention is intended to be protected broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.