Abstract:
A method and apparatus for supporting a grease gun is described. The method involves attaching a barrel of the grease gun to a body having one or more magnetic elements and then magnetically securing the body to a work piece in proximity to a grease nipple using the one or more magnetic elements. The apparatus was developed for use in accordance with the method.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    There is described a method and apparatus for supporting a grease gun during use, the apparatus having a secondary function of facilitating storage. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A grease gun generally consists of: a barrel, a hose connected to the barrel, an applicator tip at a remote end of the hose and a lever which is manipulated to pump lubricant from the barrel along the hose to the applicator tip. During use, the grease gun is positioned in close proximity to a grease nipple to which grease is to be applied. The applicator tip of the grease gun is coupled with the grease nipple. The lever of the grease gun is then manipulated to pump lubricant along the hose through the applicator tip and into the grease nipple. What is required is a method and apparatus for supporting the grease gun in order to make it easier to simultaneously control the barrel, the applicator tip and the lever. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    According to one aspect there is provided a method for supporting a grease gun. The method involves attaching a barrel of the grease gun to a body having one or more magnetic elements and then magnetically securing the body to a work piece in proximity to a grease nipple using the one or more magnetic elements. 
         [0004]    According to another aspect there is provided an apparatus for supporting a grease gun, which includes a body, means for securing a barrel of a grease gun to the body, and one or more magnetic element on the body for securing the body to a work piece. 
         [0005]    As will hereinafter be further described the foregoing method and apparatus supports and stabilizes the barrel of the grease gun. This enables the user to operate the lever with one hand and control the applicator tip with another hand. It could be said that the apparatus serves as a third hand for the user. 
         [0006]    A secondary benefit obtained is the ability to facilitate storage of the grease gun when not required, by magnetically attaching the grease gun to a metal surface, such as the exterior of a tool box. 
         [0007]    The description which follows will describe in greater detail an illustrated embodiment. It will be appreciated that there are a number of aspects of the apparatus which could be altered and still have a useful device that will function in accordance with the teachings of the method. 
         [0008]    There are different ways of securing the barrel to a supporting body. Beneficial results have been obtained when the body is a sleeve that overlies the barrel of the grease gun. Similarly, there are various ways of securing the barrel of the grease gun to the sleeve. Beneficial results have been obtained through the use of set screws which extend through threaded apertures on the sleeve to clamp the barrel within the sleeve. With this configuration, the grease gun can be placed in any orientation without concern of the grease gun becoming detached from the support, if accidentally bumped. 
         [0009]    While the magnetic elements could be attached directly to an exterior surface of a sleeve, it has been found that the magnetic attachment of the sleeve is more versatile when the sleeve has one or more depending feet, with at least one of the one or more magnetic elements positioned at a lower extremity of each of the one or more depending feet. The feet are capable of stepping over irregularities on a surface where the sleeve could not be laid flat. 
         [0010]    A hose of a grease gun can get in the way. If it is hanging down, there is danger that it could become pinched, cut or damaged in some way. In order to address that problem, one or more of the depending feet can be provided a hose guide to receive a hose of the grease gun. The hose guide can take a number of forms. It can be as simple as a passage through a depending foot. Regardless of the foam that the hose guide takes, it serves to confine the hose and, thereby, reduce or eliminate damage as a result of the hose hanging down. 
         [0011]    There is invariably a residue of grease remaining in the hose of the grease gun after each use. When the grease gun is used in a relatively cold location and then stored in a relatively warm location, the grease will become mobile as it warms and run down the hose. In order to address this problem, a threaded dummy applicator tip coupling is provided. When an applicator tip is coupled with dummy applicator tip coupling, it prevents residue grease in the hose of the grease gun from exiting the applicator tip. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    These and other features will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be in any way limiting, wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an apparatus for supporting a grease gun. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 , in use with a grease gun. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a front elevation view, in section, taken along section lines A-A of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view, in section, taken along section lines B-B of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a front elevation view, in section, taken along section lines C-C of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a side elevation view, in section, taken along section lines D-D of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the apparatus with grease gun of  FIG. 2 , in an operative position on a piece of equipment. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the apparatus with grease gun of  FIG. 2 , in a stored position on a tool chest. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    An apparatus for supporting a grease gun generally identified by reference numeral  10 , will now be described with reference to  FIG. 1 through 8 . 
       Structure and Relationship of Parts 
       [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , apparatus  10  has a sleeve  12 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , when in use, sleeve  12  overlies a barrel  102  of a grease gun  100 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , sleeve  12  has an exterior surface  14  and an interior surface  16 . Threaded apertures  18  extend through sleeve  12 , from exterior surface  14  to interior surface  16 , Referring to  FIG. 2 , set screws  20  positioned in threaded apertures  18  of sleeve  12 , serve to clamp barrel  102  of grease gun  100  within sleeve  12 . It will be appreciated that apparatus  10  may have a body other than sleeve  12  and that other means may be used to clamp the barrel of the grease gun within the body. In an earlier proto-type, the body was U-shaped and C-clamps were used to secure the barrel of the grease gun to the U-shaped body. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a front foot  22  and a rear foot  24  depend from sleeve  12 . Each of feet  22  and  24  have a lower extremity; identified as lower extremity  26  and lower extremity  28 , respectively. Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , two magnetic elements  30  are secured to lower extremity  26  of front foot  22 . Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , two magnetic elements  32  are secured to lower extremity  28  of rear foot  24 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , magnetic elements  30  on front foot  22  and magnetic elements  32  on rear foot  24  are used to secure sleeve  12  to a work piece  200 . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , front foot  22  has a hose guide in the form of an aperture  34 . Referring to FIG,  2 , a hose  104  of grease gun  100  extends through aperture  34 . Referring to  FIG. 5 , rear foot  24  has a threaded dummy applicator tip coupling  36 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , when an applicator tip  106  of grease gun  100  is coupled with dummy applicator tip coupling  36 , residue grease in hose  104  of grease gun is prevented from exiting applicator tip  106 . A typical stored position is illustrated in  FIG. 8 . Referring to  FIG. 1 , exterior surface  14  of sleeve  12  has a magnetic engagement  38 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 8 , magnetic engagement  38  magnetically secures a lever  108  of grease gun  100  to sleeve  12 . 
       Operation 
       [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , barrel  102  of grease gun  100  is inserted into sleeve  12  of apparatus  10 . Set screws  20  positioned in threaded apertures  18  of sleeve  12 , are then used to clamp barrel  102  within sleeve  12 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , hose  104  is extended through aperture  34 , which is provided as a hose guide, in front leg  22 , in order to reduce the amount of free hose, Referring to  FIG. 7 , apparatus  10  is magnetically attached to work piece  200  adjacent to grease nipples  202 . A piece of heavy equipment has been chosen for illustration as work piece  200 . Referring to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , magnetic elements  30  on front foot  22  and magnetic elements  32  on rear foot  24  are illustrated which enable apparatus to be magnetically secured to work piece  200 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , with apparatus  10  magnetically secured in position, the user has his one hand free to control applicator tip  106  and his other hand free to pump lever  108 , causing grease to flow into grease nipples  202 . 
         [0026]    There are some further features of apparatus  10 , which are of benefit when apparatus  10  is stored between uses. Referring to  FIG. 8 , apparatus  10  is illustrated in a stored orientation. It will be appreciated that movement of lever  108  of grease gun  100  results in grease being pumped out of applicator tip  106 . Referring to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 8 , magnetic element  38  on exterior surface  14  of sleeve  12  is used for magnetically securing lever  108  of grease gun  100  to sleeve  12 . In the absence of magnetic element  38 , lever  108  could move by force of gravity. Even a minor movement of lever  108  can cause storage problems. Quite apart from pumping, movement of lever  108  can result in voids being created that fill with air causing air lock. Magnetic element  38  also plays an important role in securing lever  108  during transport. If lever  108  is not secured, vibration experienced during transport can cause an undesirable pumping action. Grease gun  100  is typically used outdoors and then returned to an indoor storage area. As grease gun warms, any grease residue in hose  104  will tend to become mobile. Referring to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 8 , applicator tip  106  of grease gun  100  is coupled with dummy applicator tip coupling  36 , residue grease in hose  104  of grease gun  100  is prevented from exiting applicator tip  106  during storage. 
         [0027]    In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. 
         [0028]    The scope of the claims should not be limited by the illustrated embodiments set forth as examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with a purposive construction of the claims in view of the description as a whole.