Organized storage for miscellaneous parts

This invention is a storage device that economically, handily, and orderly stores miscellaneous parts such as would appear in homes, hobby shops, professional shops, laboratories, technical work places, offices, parts stores, and many other places. It is a means of attaching bags in a hanging position to the under side of any surface, including a shelf, cabinet, ceiling, work bench, and others, in such a manner that the bags are readily slid into and out of the attaching structure. It uses otherwise unused space and frees up the higher valued space that the cluster of drawers now occupy on the top of work benches, and shelves, and is far more durable and economical.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to a novel storage device and more particularly to a 
handy, transparent, efficient, economical and durable apparatus for 
storing miscellaneous parts. 
NEED FOR THIS INVENTION 
This invention fills a need for inexpensive and orderly storage of 
miscellaneous parts and is needed many places including homes, hobby 
shops, professional shops, laboratories, technical work places, offices, 
parts stores, and many others. 
BACKGROUND OF THIS INVENTION 
In the past this need has been filled by the use of bins, drawers, boxes, 
bags, shelves, and the like. The said bins, drawers, and boxes have been 
adapted and fitted with various apparatus to organize them in stacks and 
rows, generally in a cluster to be placed on top of benches and shelves. 
When these clusters are placed on work benches, valuable work area is 
compromised. When they are placed on shelves space that is more valuable 
for other purposes is taken up. 
SUMMARY OF THIS INVENTION 
This invention is a means of attaching bags in a hanging position to the 
under side of any surface including a shelf, cabinet, ceiling, work bench, 
and others, in such a manner that the bags are readily slid into and out 
of the attaching structure. It allows for the use of otherwise generally 
unused space and frees up the higher valued space for higher priority 
service. It also produces a better, more convenient durable means. 
Presently a popular method of storing miscellaneous small parts is the 
cluster of small drawers, in columns and rows in a cubical frame. 
Although the drawers are made of transparent material, they are so close 
together, it is impossible to look into them from the top, bottom or sides 
to see the contents. The front panels are all that is exposed to see 
through and they are so small that they are very restrictive. 
A label may be put on the face of the drawer but the allowable surface for 
such an attachment is so small that legability and variety are extremely 
limited. The most common methods of finding an article in this system is 
to open drawers one at a time and look inside, or laboriously keep a 
separate index. 
The plastic material that most of the transparent drawers of the presently 
used clusters are made of, are by necessity made of stiff brittle 
material. During use they some times break. It is difficult to get a 
replacement because there are no standard spare parts marketed. 
USEFULNESS OF THIS INVENTION 
This invention uses low value space rather than the high value space. 
The storage containers of this invention are suspended storage bags made of 
flexible, tough, plastic film and are very durable. 
The storage containers of this invention are transparent and being 
suspended there contents are easily visible from all sides. 
The supporting structure of this invention and the suspended bags are 
economically and handily manufactured from durable easily obtainable 
material including metal, or plastic sheets, or wire, or castings. 
Sufficient industrial and craft practices exist to facilitate manufacture 
of a practical and durable product. 
Readers will find further advantages of this invention from consideration 
of the following description and the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
This invention consists of a general assembly 11 made up of two major 
parts; a support structure 12, and a number of suspended storage bags 13. 
The said support structure 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is preferably 
attached to the under side 14 of an over hanging structure 15 employing a 
fastening means 16 which may be a screw, bolt, or other means. The said 
over hanging structure 15 of which the said under side 14 is a part of may 
be a shelf, cabinet, soffit, ceiling, work bench or other. 
The said support structure 12 of this invention as illustrated in FIG. 1 
can be made of many materials including sheet metal, or wire and can be 
coated with materials to resist corrosion and facilitate cleaning. The 
said support structure 12 can also be made of plastic or other material. 
For the purpose of description sheet metal material will be used in this 
specification. 
The said support structure 12 of this invention as illustrated in FIG. 1 
has a bottom side 17, a front side 18, a back side 19, a front flange 20, 
and a back flange 21. The said support structure has a resemblance to a 
structural steel channel. The said bottom side of the said support 
structure resembles the web of such a channel, and the said front side and 
back side of the said support structure resembles the flanges of the 
channel. 
The said bottom side 17 of the said support structure 12, as illustrated in 
FIG. 1, occupies a horizontal plane. The said front side occupies another 
plane that intersects with that of the said bottom side forming an angle 
22 that opens toward the back side. This angle is preferably slightly 
obtuse. The same is true of the back side 19 that occupies another plane 
that intersects with that of the said bottom side of the said support 
structure. This angle is also preferably slightly obtuse. These obtuse 
angles cause the channel shape of said support structure to be wider at 
its rim 24 than at its bottom 25 and facilitates one said support 
structure to nestle within another. This requires less space when more 
than one is stored or packaged together. 
The front flange 20 and the back flange 21 being included in said support 
structure 12, as illustrated in FIG. 1, having a purpose of facilitating 
the attachment of said support structure to the under side 14 of an over 
hanging structure, is fitted with notches 26 along the edge of said 
flanges. Said notches being a means to accomodate fasteners, such as 
screws, bolts, or others, to the under side of an over hanging structure. 
Normally the surface of the said front flange 20 and back flange 21 as 
illustrated in FIG. 1 are two separate surfaces, both in the same plane. 
This will accomodate the normal attachment to an over hanging structure 
15, with an under side in a single plane. In the condition that the 
surface of the said underside is not of a single plane, the relationship 
of the surfaces of the said front flange 20 and back flange 21 must be 
adjusted to fit. This adjustment may be as complex as required. 
The front side 18 as illustrated in FIG. 1 has a number of oblong holes 27 
spaced across its length. These said oblong holes have there major axis 
perpendicular to the previously described horizontal plane that is 
occupied by the bottom side 17. The said major axis of these said oblong 
holes is great enough to allow the tops of the suspended storage bags to 
pass easily through without touching and without folding down. These 
suspended storage bags will be described in a later paragraph. These 
oblong holes also have a minor axis that is parallel to the previously 
described horizontal plane that is occupied by the said bottom side. The 
said minor axis of these oblong holes is great enough to allow the tops of 
the suspended storage bags to pass easily through without touching their 
sides. 
The said oblong holes 27 as illustrated in FIG. 1 are disposed in such a 
manner that the lower part of there perimeter extends below the line of 
the intersection 28; of the front side 18 and the bottom side 17. The said 
line of intersection passes through the perimeter of the oblong holes at 
two points on each of there perimeters. The parts of the said lines of 
intersection between these pairs of points being within the oblong holes 
become gaps and are the large openings of converging guides centering on 
the narrow slots 32. These converging guides help direct the said thinner 
portion 33 of the suspended storage bags 13 into the narrow slots 32. 
The said narrow slots 32 as illustrated in FIG. 1 being disposed along the 
bottom side 17 of the said support structure are of such a width that it 
will allow the insertion of the thinner portion 33 of the suspended 
storage bag 13 but will not allow the thicker portion 34, which resembles 
a bead at the top part of the said suspended storage bag to pass, causing 
it to hang freely. A description of the suspended storage bag is in a 
later paragraph. The said narrow slot is of sufficient length that the 
majority of the width of the said suspended storage bag may be inserted. 
The suspended storage bag 13 of this invention as illustrated in FIG. 1 has 
a main part 35 manufactured of film or fabric which is thin, durable and 
flexible, and is joined on the sides and the bottom end in a monolithic 
manner, leaving the top end 36 open. The thicker portion 34 around this 
top opening supports the suspended storage bag after the thinner portion 
has been inserted 37 into the narrow slots of the support structure. The 
said thicker portion being above the thinner portion resides above 38 the 
narrow slots and resists gravitys effort to draw it through the said 
narrow slots while the said suspended storage bags are inserted into the 
said narrow slots their top ends are held closed by the narrow slots. 
DESCRIPTION USING LESS PREFERRED BRACKETS 
Brackets 39 as illustrated in FIG. 2 are a less preferable substituted for 
the said over hanging structure. When secured to a vertical surface 40, 
brackets 39 may be attached to the said support structure 12 of the 
general assembly 11 by fastening means 16 which may be screws, bolts, or 
others. These said fastening means are accommodated by the said notches 26 
that are along the edge of said front flange 20 and the back flange 21 of 
the said support structure 12. 
Any number of said brackets 39 may be used with any number of said general 
assemblys 11 to form rows and columns on a vertical surface to create 
storage capacity of any magnitude needed. 
Note that in FIG. 2 there is no design change required to the support 
structure 12 to adapt to the use of brackets. 
DESCRIPTION USING LESS PREFERRED LEGS 
Legs 41 as illustrated in FIG. 3 are a less preferable substitute for the 
said over hanging structure. The said legs 41 are shaped with grooves 42 
so that they are pressed into the said notches 26 that are along the edge 
of the said front flange 20 and back flange 21; they support the general 
assembly 11 in such a manner that the said suspended storage bags 13 hang 
freely 43. The said legs 41 are as long as may be required to support as 
many general assemblys 11 as are necessary for a given application. 
Note that in FIG. 3 there is no design change required to the support 
structure 12 to adapt to the use of said legs. 
The above descriptions and the accompanying drawings show that this 
invention provides a novel storage device, with features and advantages 
not found in previous storage devices. 
This novel storage device can be handily manufactured using common methods 
and materials. 
This novel storage device can normally be manufactured for much less cost 
than the drawers and bins now being used. 
This novel storage device is an improvement over other storage devices in 
that it occupies space that is not normally used for other purposes. 
This novel storage device is an improvement over other storage devices in 
being able to readily and easily see the contents of the suspended storage 
bag. 
This novel storage device is an improvement over other storage devices in 
that the suspended storage bag is manufactured using a very tough, 
resilient, flexible, transparent plastic material while the clusters of 
drawers commonly being used are by necessity manufactured using ridgid, 
brittle plastic material. 
This novel storage device is an improvement over other storage devices in 
that irregular shaped parts can be stored in the suspended storage bags, 
the support structure will not interfere with the resulting irregular 
shape of the suspended storage bag. The drawers and bins with there rigid 
shape and the confinement of the frame around them will not allow this. 
It is apparent that various modifications in addition to those discussed 
above can be made in this novel storage device without changing the scope 
of this invention. The size, configuration, and arrangement of components 
can be changed to meet specific requirements, provided the functioning 
thereof is not adversely affected, therefore the scope of this invention 
is to be limited only by following claims.