Patent Publication Number: US-6705032-B2

Title: Holder for construction plans

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a device for storing and displaying construction plans. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A number of patents have been issued for rollers which store and display elongated, flexible material, such as maps. 
     These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,812,171; 1,823,996; 2,589,641; 4,157,626; 4,525,946; 4,794,715; 5,392,549; 5,966,854; and 6,038,800. 
     Except for U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,589,641; 4,157,626; and 5,996,854, the devices covered by the preceding patent are complex and subject to be damaged by the dirt that exists around construction sites. 
     The device of U.S. Pat. No. 2,589,641 has no means for attaching the wallpaper that it holds to the cylindrical rod and also appears merely to rotate the roll of wallpaper, having no described means for rotating the rod. 
     The technology of U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,626 does not employ a roller or cylinder. 
     And the Roll-up Information Display of U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,854 only utilizes a “self-coiling display sheet.” 
     The Motor-driven Map Holder of U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,715 has a longitudinal groove in a cylindrical rod for attaching one end of the elongated, flexible material to the rod; but, as noted above, the Motor-driven Map Holder of that patent is complex and subject to having its operation degraded by the dirt around a construction site. 
     Finally, the similarly complex Map Display and Storage Device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,549 employs separate knobs attached to the cylindrical rods. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present Holder for Construction Plans is simple in structure so that its operation will not be adversely affected by the dirt at a construction site. 
     A longitudinal groove in a cylindrical rod retains a folded end of the construction plans, and the rod is rotated simply with a first end of the cylindrical rod. 
     Moreover, the Holder is adapted for being removably but securely attached to a motor vehicle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the Holder for Construction Plans. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates knob used for turning the cylindrical rod. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Construction plans are often bulky and difficult to store. 
     The present Holder for Construction Plans enables such plans to be rolled for storage and unrolled for review. 
     The Holder comprises a base  1  with a first perpendicular segment  2  attached to a first end  3  of the base  1  and a second perpendicular segment  4  attached to a second end  5  of the base  1 . The first perpendicular segment  2  contains an aperture  6  through which a first end  7  of a cylindrical rod  8  extends. 
     The second perpendicular segment  4  contains a cavity  9  to releasably retain the second end  10  of the cylindrical rod  8 . 
     The first end  7  of the cylindrical rod  8  is shaped in the form of a knob  11 . 
     An opening  12  is transversely located in the cylindrical rod  8  near the first end  7  of such rod  8  but sufficiently far from such first end  7  that such opening  12  will be situated between the first perpendicular segment  2  and the second perpendicular segment  4  when the second end  7  of the cylindrical rod  8  is retained by the cavity  9  in the second perpendicular segment  4 . In order to preclude the cylindrical rod  8  from inadvertently slipping from the second perpendicular segment  4 , a peg  13  is removably inserted into the opening  12 . The dimensions of the peg  13  are such that friction will removably retain it within the opening  12 . 
     The cylindrical rod  8  contains a longitudinal groove  14 . When an end  15  of the construction plans  16  is folded back upon itself, such folded end  15  is inserted into and retained by the groove  14 . The construction plans  16  can then be rolled or unrolled by turning the knob  11 . 
     Magnets  17  may, furthermore, be placed on the bottom  18  of the base  1  for removably retaining the Holder on a vehicle.