Abstract:
A double arm peg board support hook includes a pivoting lock bar that establishes a detent locked condition across the free ends of the hook support arms to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of articles stored thereon.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/326,939, filed Dec. 23, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,940. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to storage hooks and, in particular, to a locking device for retaining equipment on cantilevered peg-board type hooks. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Various tools and equipment are required for the maintenance and landscaping of a household and grounds. Many are elongated and bulky and pose difficulties in storage within a garage or utility enclosure. One common type of storage uses peg-board hooks that attach to wall mounted peg boards. While the foregoing approaches provide for adequate organization and storage, a multiplicity of tools requires considerable lineal space, which is not always available. An improved tool storage using such hooks is disclosed in our pending patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 10/326,939 filed on Dec. 23, 2002 and entitled “Tool Organizer”. Therein, double arm cantilevered peg-board hooks are attached to folding arms for more compactly storing the support tools. 
   The double arm hooks provide convenient support for most tools and related articles. If inadvertently impacted, however, it is possible for the tool to be dislodged from the support arms and fall from the hook. Inasmuch as many tool have sharp projections and considerable weight, such dislodging can pose safety risks to those in the surrounding area, particularly to children. 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a peg-board support hook having a locking device that prevents a supported article from dislodging and falling. 
   Another object is to provide a peg-board hook having a locking device that is readily incorporated on existing hook designs. A further object is to provide a locking device for peg-board hooks that resists inadvertent movement from the latched condition. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The foregoing objects are accomplished by a double arm peg-board type support hook having a lock bar pivotally supported on one arm and rotatable to a locked detented position with the other arm to capture the article carried on the hook and prevent inadvertent dislodging and falling thereof. The lock bar comprises a rectangular plate having a hole for journaling one support arm and a downwardly opening slot at the other end that receives the other support arm thereby blocking the hook access slot and preventing dislodgement of the carried article. The lock bar slot is outwardly inclined and provides a detent that resists inadvertent movement of the lock bar from the latched condition. The lock bar is readily assembled by insertion over the free end of one arm. Thereafter, the free end is swaged to form outwardly extending tabs that maintain operative position and prevent removal. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tool rack organizer having tools carried on support hooks provided locking bars in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the support hook with the lock bar in the closed position; 
       FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the support hook with the lock bar in the raised open position; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the support hook with the lock bar in the closed position; 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the support hook with the lock bar in the closed position; and 
       FIG. 6  is a front view taken along line  6 — 6  in  FIG. 5  showing the lock bar in the closed position. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a tool rack organizer  10  mounted on a vertical support surface  12 , such as a garage or storage wall, and supporting and organizing various articles  14  on peg-board type support hooks  16  having rotatable lock bars  18  for preventing dislodging of the articles  14 . The organizer typically carries thereon articles such as lawn and garden implement, tools and the like. The organizer  10  is preferably of the type disclosed in our pending application, U.S. Ser. No. 10/326,939, filed on Dec. 23, 2002 and entitled “Tool Organizer”. As will be apparent, the support hooks and lock bars may also be used in conjunction with other applications for the hooks. 
   The organizer  10  includes a support bracket assembly  20  supporting a rear arm  22 , a middle arm  24  and a front arm  26  aligned in horizontal rows parallel to the surface  12 . Each of the arms  22 ,  24 ,  26  is provided with a plurality of uniformly longitudinally spaced holes  28  on A front wall  30 . For the tool bar application, the holes are in a longitudinal series with 1 inch on-center spacing. The hooks are attached at 2 inch spans. 
   The support hooks  16  are of a type widely commercially available in varying forms. These hooks are generally characterized by a pair of hooked legs that are inserted through the mounting holes and have upwardly extending ends that engage the rear surface of the mounting substrate, a pair of downwardly extending legs that engage the front surface of the mounting substrate, and a pair of spaced forwardly extending cantilevered support arms that provide a frontally opening slot for receiving the lower portion of the stored article, with the weight of the article applied at the supports arms. The weight of the hooks and carried articles apply a torque to the hooks effecting a secure compressive engagement between opposed walls of the mounting surface, all in a well-known manner. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the hook  16  for use with the present invention comprises an assembly comprising a hook mounting base  40  and a pair of spaced support arms  42 . The assembly is formed of heavy gage wire. 
   The base  40  is generally U-shaped and includes a horizontal center rod  44  having reversely extending legs  46  at the ends thereof. The legs are laterally spaced to register with selected holes on front wall, preferably 2 inch on-center for the tool organizer. The legs  46  extend through the hole  28  and terminate with upwardly extending ends  50  that engages the rear surface of the front wall  30 . Each support arm  42  includes a horizontal support rod  52  rearwardly terminating with a downwardly turned leg  54  that engages the front surface of the front wall  30  below the holes  28  and an upwardly inclined free end  56  terminating with a rounded protective plastic tip  58 . Outwardly swaged tabs  60  are formed in one of the support arms at the transition between the rod  52  and the end  56 . The tabs  60  are formed after assembly of the lock bar  18  and serve to prevent forward movement and removal thereof. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the lock bar  18  comprises generally rectangular body  70 . The body  70  has a mounting hole  72  at one end and a downwardly opening slot  74  at the other end. The support arm  42  extends through he mounting hole  72  is rotatably supported thereat with a sliding clearance fit. The slot  72  includes a hemispherical base  76  tangentially merging with downwardly and outwardly inclined, spaced sidewalls  78 ,  80 . The axes of the hole  72  and base  74  are laterally spaced such that in the illustrated closed locked position, the base  76  registers with and engages the other support arm  43 . 
   The sidewall  80  and bottom wall  82  of the lock body  70  form a detent tab section  82  that normally engages the support arm  43  to prevent free rotation to and from the closed position. Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , as the lock bar is pivoted from the illustrated unlatched open position of  FIG. 3  to the closed latched position of  FIG. 2 , the tab section  82  engages the support arm  43 . Thereafter, the support arm  43  is manually outwardly deflected into alignment with the slot  74  allowing final pivoting to the latched condition. To unlock the lock bar  18 , the foregoing sequence is reversed. While the slot  72  is outwardly and downwardly inclined, it should be apparent that the inclination may be reversed, or eliminated if the detenting feature is not desired. 
   The lock bar  18  is preferably formed of heavy gage galvanized sheet and is well suited for the above tool applications. For lighter articles, alternative materials such as molded plastics may be used. 
   Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the sprit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claims.