Combined work-belt and tool storage system

A combined work-belt with detachable pouches for holding small tools and supplies, and an organizing pouch storage unit. The work-belt is made from strong, flexible material and includes a plurality of apertures with grommets extending along its length. Each of the pouches has two heavy duty metal hooks for supporting the pouch on two of the apertures. The organizing pouch storage unit also contains a plurality of apertures for accepting the hooks of the pouches. Each of the pouches has a storage location on the unit with indicia provided to indicate the contents of the pouch normally stored at that location. The pouches are provided in various shapes and sizes for holding hardware, tools or supplies and include two apertures along their bottom edge, for consecutively attaching another pouch to the bottom of the first pouch. This consecutive attachment can be repeated several times such that a plurality of pouches is suspended from a single pouch location on either the storage unit or the work-belt. The work-belt may include suspenders for additional support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates generally to small tool storage and carrying
 systems. More specifically, the invention comprises a combined work-belt
 with detachable pouches for holding small tools and supplies, and an
 organizing pouch storage unit.
 2. Description of the Prior Art
 Work-belts with detachable holders for supporting different tools and
 supplies on the belt are known. In addition, tool storage systems such as
 peg boards are also known. What is lacking in the prior art is a tool
 storage system having a plurality of pouches that are attachable to a
 work-belt or to a specific storage location on a pouch storage unit. In
 this manner, the present invention allows a user to select the tools and
 supplies needed for a specific job, remove the pouches containing these
 articles from the pouch storage unit, and attach the pouches to their
 work-belt.
 U.S. Pat. No. 920,413, issued to Batchelder on May 4, 1909, discloses a
 cartridge belt or bandoleer. Cartridge pouches are removably attached to
 the belt using a loop and clip system. Detachable suspenders are also
 provided to support the belt. There is no provision for attaching a second
 pouch to a pouch directly connected to the belt. In addition, this
 reference does not contain a system or method for storing and/or
 organizing the pouches as does the present invention.
 A personal webbing system is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,419, issued to
 Victor on Jun. 30, 1987. The system uses a series of hooks and apertures
 to attach various items to a belt. Velcro fasteners are used to secure the
 connection by maintaining the hooks in the apertures. The apertures
 include reinforcement grommets, and a removable support strap connects a
 shoulder yoke to the belt. Means for attaching the items to each other or
 for organizing the items while they are not attached to the belt, are not
 disclosed.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,846, issued to Hannemann on Apr. 11, 1989, is drawn to
 a sportsman's belt having a plurality of pockets. The pockets are
 removably attached to the belt using hook and loop fastener material such
 as Velcro. Velcro is also used to hold the ends of the belt together.
 There is no arrangement to attach the pockets to one another, or to
 organize the pockets when they are not in use.
 A horse grooming organizer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,765, issued
 to Little et al. on Sep. 4, 1990. The organizer includes a rectangular
 panel member having detachably secured pouches thereon. The pouches have
 labels indicating the horse grooming items contained within. The pouches
 having the desired items are removed from the panel and removably attached
 to an apron. Hook and loop fasteners are used to attach the pouches to the
 panel or apron. There is no disclosure or suggestion to attach the pouches
 to one another for consecutive support. In addition, the present invention
 provides labels for the storage location of the pouches, as opposed to
 directly labeling the pouches.
 U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,614, issued to Bonofiglo on Feb. 19, 1991, discloses a
 pocket member for a tool belt. Velcro or snaps removably connect one or
 more of the pocket members to the tool belt. The pocket members are not
 designed to attach to one another. Furthermore, there is no teaching of
 organizing the pocket members when they are not on the tool belt.
 A janitorial utility belt for carrying spray bottles, gloves, dusters and
 cleaning towels is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,136, issued to Leath on
 Apr. 2, 1991. The belt has a plurality of rings for attaching pouches to
 the belt. Loops of material connect the rings to the belt and pouches. A
 hook member may be alternatively used to connect the rings to the pouches.
 There is no structure or method for attaching consecutive pouches to one
 another or for storing the pouches when not in use.
 U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,443, issued to Hagan on Oct. 6, 1992, is drawn to a
 utility belt. The belt includes a variety of different tool holders for
 items such as a brush, a spray bottle, a rag, and paper towels. Sections
 can be added to the belt to change the size of the belt. There is no
 disclosure of sequentially hanging the tool hangers from each other, or
 storing the tool hangers.
 A modular component system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,156, issued
 to Sicotte et al. on Aug. 31, 1993. A support member in the form of a belt
 or vest includes a support surface of looped material. Compartment modules
 with hook material can be attached to the support surface in any desired
 position or angular orientation. The compartment modules cannot be
 attached to one another, nor is a storage system for the modules provided
 as taught in the present invention.
 None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in
 combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention comprises a combined work-belt with detachable
 pouches for holding small tools and supplies, and an organizing pouch
 storage unit. The heavy duty work-belt is formed with a plurality of
 apertures (for accepting hooks on the pouches) extending substantially
 along the entire length of the work-belt. Optional suspenders are used
 when a large number of pouches or heavy pouches are attached to the belt.
 The belt is made from leather or other suitably strong, flexible material
 used to make heavy duty belts. The apertures preferably have grommets to
 increase their strength.
 The organizing pouch storage unit also contains a plurality of apertures
 for supporting the hooks of the pouches. Each of the pouches has a
 separate and specific storage location on the unit. Indicia is provided at
 each location on the storage unit to indicate the contents of the pouch
 normally stored at that location. The storage unit may be rigid and in the
 form of a storage and display board (made of material similar to
 peg-board). The board can be mounted on the wall of a shop, in a work van
 or truck, or in a number of other suitable locations. Alternatively, the
 storage unit may be in the form of a flexible storage unit made of canvas
 or similar material. The flexible storage unit can be lain on a flat
 surface (or hung on a wall) to select and return pouches, and can then be
 rolled up for storing and transporting.
 The pouches are provided in various sizes for holding hardware, tools or
 supplies. To form the pouch, a rectangular piece of leather (or a suitable
 synthetic material such as plastic) is folded over itself and sewn or
 otherwise bonded along its sides. The front and back top edges of the
 piece of material are not bonded together, thereby forming an open pouch
 or pocket. Each of the pouches has two heavy duty metal hooks for
 supporting the pouch on two of the apertures on the belt or on the storage
 unit. The hooks are attached to the back top edge of the pouches. The
 basic pouch is sized to hold small hardware items such as screws, nails,
 rivets, electrical connectors, pipe brackets, etc. The hooks on the basic
 pouch are spaced apart at a distance such that they engage adjacent
 apertures on either the belt or storage unit.
 The basic pouch also has two apertures located along the bottom of the
 pouch and spaced apart this same distance for attaching another basic
 pouch "in series" or consecutively to the bottom of the pouch attached
 directly to the work-belt. This consecutive attachment can be repeated
 several times such that a plurality of pouches is suspended from a single
 pouch location on either the storage unit or the work-belt. This not only
 allows greater flexibility and capacity when using the work-belt, but also
 provides for several pouches to be hung under a single label on the
 storage unit. The number of consecutively attached pouches is limited only
 by the length of the storage unit, or, when mounted on the work-belt, the
 required freedom of movement on the part of the wearer must be considered.
 Normally, a maximum of three consecutively attached pouches are used on
 the work-belt, to keep the contents of the lowest pouch within reach, and
 to avoid interfering with walking.
 A larger pouch for supporting larger hardware or small tools on the
 work-belt, is also provided. The large pouch is slightly wider than two
 basic pouches and has two hooks similar to the basic pouch, but spaced
 further apart for engaging two non-adjacent apertures on the work-belt or
 storage unit. As with the basic pouch, the large pouch has two apertures
 located along the bottom of the pouch and spaced apart the appropriate
 distance for attaching a basic pouch to the bottom of the large pouch. Due
 to the increased size and weight of the intended contents of the large
 pouch, they are preferably designed only to be directly attached to the
 work-belt. For lighter applications, however, the large pouches may have
 apertures at the bottom thereof that are spaced further apart for
 supporting a second large pouch in a consecutive fashion as described
 above.
 Custom pouches for supporting specific items on the work-belt are also
 envisioned. One type of custom pouch is a tape pouch for attaching a roll
 of adhesive or measuring tape to the work-belt or storage unit. The tape
 pouch is similar in size and shape to the basic pouch, except for a
 cut-out section in the front of the pouch. A double hook loops over the
 top edge of the rear of the pouch and through the center of the roll of
 tape, to further secure the tape within the pouch. The cut-out section
 leaves room for the double loop, as well as aiding in removing an encased
 measuring tape from the pouch (in which case the double hook would not be
 used). The two hooks on the tape pouch are spaced further apart than the
 basic pouch, to increase lateral stability.
 Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a
 combined work-belt and tool storage system wherein a user can quickly
 select pouches containing the tools and supplies needed for a job from a
 pouch storage unit, and can attach these pouches to their work-belt for
 easy access to the required tools and supplies.
 It is another object of the invention to provide a work-belt with a first
 tool pouch that is supported directly on the work-belt, and a second tool
 pouch that is supported on the first tool pouch.
 It is a further object of the invention to provide a work-belt with small
 pouches for hardware, large pouches for larger hardware and small tools,
 and custom pouches for specific items.
 It is yet another object of the invention to provide a combined work-belt
 and tool storage system with a pouch storage unit that can be mounted on a
 wall to store and display the pouches until the items in the pouches are
 needed.
 It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a combined
 work-belt and tool storage system with a pouch storage unit that can be
 rolled-up to store the pouches until the items in the pouches are needed.
 It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and
 arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is
 inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended
 purposes.
 These and other objects of the present invention will become readily
 apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 In FIG. 1, the work-belt 100 of the present invention is shown with several
 of the basic pouches 120, 120' and 120", attached thereto. Work-belt 100
 is of the heavy duty variety and includes a plurality of apertures 101
 spaced along its length. The apertures 101 preferably include
 reinforcement grommets for added strength. A conventional heavy duty
 buckle 102 is also provided to maintain the work-belt 100 about a user's
 waist as is well known with belts. An optional pair of suspenders 103 can
 be provided to further support the work-belt 100 when the work-belt 100
 supports a large number of pouches or pouches containing heavy tools
 and/or supplies. The suspenders 103 are attached to four of the apertures
 101 on the work-belt 100 using clips, or the ends of the suspenders may be
 tied to the apertures or attached directly to the belt.
 Each of the basic pouches 120, 120' and 120" include two hooks 121 for
 engaging two of the apertures 101 to thereby support the pouches 120 on
 the work-belt 100. The spacing of the apertures 101 on the work-belt 100,
 is such that the hooks 121 on the basic pouches 120 are inserted into two
 adjacent apertures 101 for support. The pouches 120, 120' and 120"
 themselves are made of a high strength material such as leather or strong
 pliable plastic that is folded over itself and sealed along the side edges
 to form the pocket 122 of the pouches 120, 120' and 120". Although the
 sides can be sealed or bonded using adhesive only, when leather, canvas,
 or other cloth type materials are used, reinforcement stitching may be
 substituted for the adhesive, or provided in addition to the adhesive, to
 increase the strength of the pouches 120, 120' and 120".
 Hooks 121 are formed of heavy duty metal and may be sewn or glued to the
 back top edge of the pouches, as is known in the art. While hooks 121 are
 shown as simple loops, they may be in the form of a locking type clip (not
 shown) to insure that the hooks remain in the apertures. At the bottom of
 the pouches 120, 120' and 120" two apertures 123, which preferably include
 reinforcement grommets, are spaced apart the same distance as hooks 121.
 In this manner, the topmost pouch 120 of the pouches is attached directly
 to work-belt 100 by placing the two hooks 121 in two adjacent apertures
 101. The next pouch 120' is then attached to pouch 120 by placing its two
 hooks 121 into the two apertures 123 provided in tab 124 formed at the
 bottom of pouch 120. It will be seen that tab 124 is outside and below the
 compartment of its associated pouch 120'. Still another basic pouch 120"
 can be attached to pouch 120' by placing its hooks 121 into the bottom
 apertures 123 of pouch 120'. Pouches 120, 120', 120" are thus in
 vertically stacked relationship, one immediately below or above the next.
 This can be repeated several times as described above.
 An example of an organizing pouch storage unit of the present invention is
 shown as 200 in FIG. 2. The storage unit 200 contains a plurality of
 apertures 201 for supporting the hooks of the pouches. Each pouch has a
 specific storage location on the unit that includes indicia 202 that lists
 the contents of the pouch normally stored at that location. The storage
 unit 200 is provided in two basic embodiments, both of which are
 illustrated by FIG. 2. The first embodiment is a rigid storage and display
 board that could simply be made of peg-board having apertures
 substantially covering the board, or custom apertures could be drilled in
 a board to match the spacing of the hooks. The board is mounted in a
 convenient location for access to the pouches, and may include a frame 203
 for protecting the edge of the board and/or for mounting purposes. In a
 second embodiment, the storage unit 200 is a flexible, pouch storage unit
 made of canvas or similar flexible material. The flexible storage unit can
 be unrolled on a flat surface to select and return pouches, or could be
 hung on a wall. Three holes 204 are provided for hanging the storage unit
 on wall hangers. After use, the flexible, pouch storage unit can be rolled
 up for storing and transporting.
 FIG. 2 also illustrates two types of pouches in addition to the basic pouch
 120. The large pouch 220 is similar in construction to the basic pouch
 120, being approximately two times wider and slightly deeper, to provide a
 much larger pocket 222 for carrying large hardware (brackets, large
 construction nuts and bolts, etc.) or small hand tools. Hooks 221 are
 formed of heavy duty metal as in the basic pouch, however, hooks 221 are
 spaced further apart. While the actual size of the large pouch 220 can be
 varied, in the embodiment shown the hooks 221 engage every eighth aperture
 201 on the storage unit 200, or 101 on the work-belt 100. The bottom of
 the large pouch 220 also has two apertures 223 with reinforcement
 grommets. Apertures 223 are preferably spaced apart the same distance as
 hooks 121 on the basic pouch 120. A basic pouch 120 can thereby be
 attached to the bottom of the large pouch by placing hooks 121 in
 apertures 223. It follows then that spacing apart of aperatures 201 of
 storage unit 200 is equal to that of aperatures 101 of work-belt 100. This
 is also seen by examining and comparing FIGS. 1 and 2. Should the large
 pouch 220 be intended for holding lightweight materials or tools, the
 apertures 223 may be spaced further apart for consecutive attachment of
 large pouches to each other.
 A tape pouch 230 is also provided for supporting a roll of tape
 (electrical, duct, adhesive, etc.) or an encased tape measure, on the
 work-belt 100 or the storage unit 200. The tape pouch is similar in size
 and shape to the basic pouch, and includes two hooks 231 attached to the
 top of the back 232 of the pouch 230. A cut-out section 234 in the front
 233 of the pouch 230 accommodates a double hook 235 that loops over the
 top edge of the rear 232 of the pouch 230 and through the center of the
 roll of tape 240, to further secure the roll of tape 240 within the pouch.
 When an encased measuring tape is stored in the pouch 230, the double hook
 235 is not used, and the cut-out section 234 aids in removing the encased
 measuring tape from the pouch. (in which case the double hook would not be
 used). The two hooks 231 on the tape pouch 230 are shown spaced further
 apart than on the basic pouch 120, although the spacing can be the same
 for attachment of the tape pouch 230 to a basic pouch 120. Along the same
 vein, tape pouch 230 may include two apertures at the bottom thereof for
 consecutive attachment of a pouch to the tape pouch 230.
 Other alterations and optional features include providing additional sets
 of apertures above the bottom apertures on each pouch. This provides for
 successive attachment of the pouches in a shorter arrangement.
 Furthermore, the pouches may be provided with flaps for holding the
 contents within.
 It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the
 embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments
 within the scope of the following claims.