Patent Publication Number: US-9415503-B1

Title: Portable tool box

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/666,151 filed on Jun. 29, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to an improved toolbox (preferably carried in a truck bed) and specifically to a portable toolbox that can be easily transferred from a truck bed to the job site manually and easily returned manually to the truck bed. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Toolboxes are well known in the prior art. Many skilled craftsmen such as carpenters, painters, plumbers, builders and others utilize a permanently mounted toolbox that is typically mounted in the bed of a truck in a permanent manner. This allows the toolbox to be locked and permanently attached in the truck bed to prevent theft. The problem with this permanently mounted toolbox is that it is not movable to the job site which can be hundreds of yards from where the truck is parked requiring the skilled craftsmen to waste time going back and forth to and from the jobsite to retrieve or restore the proper tools to the toolbox. Accordingly, it is desirable for craftsmen to have a portable toolbox that can be mounted safely and securely in a truck bed but at the same time be manually portable and removable from the truck bed to the jobsite during the workday and placeable back in the truck bed at the end of the workday. The invention described herein accomplishes this. It is important that the toolbox support legs do not interfere with each other during the transition from moving the toolbox into or out of a space such as a truck bed. It is also important to realize that most toolboxes that are typically found in a truck bed are much too heavy for one or two people to carry or lift. Therefore the transition of a toolbox resting on a flat surface from a flat surface such as a truck bed to a mobile position where the legs are extended beneath the toolbox must be such that no lifting of the toolbox is necessary to extend the legs. This is accomplished in this invention by having the pivot axis of one pair of legs spaced apart from the end surface of the bottom of the toolbox so that there is a lip area where the toolbox remains supported at one end on a flat surface while the wheels can be moved manually into place and contact the ground, so that the toolbox does not have to be lifted by anyone during the transition. 
     It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings of the prior art that the present invention is directed. Due to the large weight of a typical craftsman tool box, manually carrying the conventional truck bed mounted tool box by one person is not feasible. Moving the tool box out of the truck bed is also problematic due to the tool box weight. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A portable toolbox comprising a tool storage container having four vertical sidewalls, a bottom wall, and a removable closure to cover the top opening securely of the container. The tool container is substantially rectangular in shape and sized to house a substantial number of tools inside securely and safely which are accessible by having a hinged removable closure on top of the container. The container can be sized in length to fit substantially almost across laterally a truck bed. 
     The portable toolbox has four independently movable legs attached to side walls of the toolbox. Each of the legs contains a wheel or a castor. Two sets of the legs have cross braces pivotally attached thereto. All four legs have support braces pivotally attached thereto. 
     The positions of the legs determine the operating condition of the portable toolbox. When the legs are in the vertical down position, or mobile position, the cross braces and the support braces are engaged so that the legs are firmly held in place relative to the toolbox container. This is the operating position of the portable toolbox which allows the toolbox to be moved manually over the ground on its wheels and casters to and from the truck bed to the jobsite. 
     In the storage position the cross braces and support braces are disengaged at one end and the legs are pivoted to storage positions adjacent the outer sidewalls of the container, out of the way so that the toolbox is securely stored on its bottom frame in a truck bed. The container may also include a plurality of spherical rollers on its underside to facilitation movement of the toolbox in and out of a truck bed when the legs are not deployed. 
     In some embodiments, provided is a portable toolbox comprising a container, a first set of legs pivotably attached to a first end of said container, and a second set of legs pivotably attached to a second end of the container. The toolbox is operably configurable between a storage position and a mobile position; wherein in the mobile position the first and second sets of legs are deployed downward. Wheels are attached to the ends of each of the legs. The first set of legs is interconnected by a first cross brace when the toolbox is the mobile position. A first support brace is attached between the container and the first set of legs when the toolbox in said mobile position. The second set of legs is interconnected by a second cross brace when the toolbox is in said mobile position. Second support braces are attached between said container and the second set of legs when the toolbox is the mobile position. A plurality of spherical rollers is attached to an underside surface of the container to assist maneuvering of the toolbox when the legs are not deployed. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable toolbox that has independently rotatable and storable legs and wheels and that can be easily mounted securely in a truck bed adjacent the truck bed gate. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a toolbox that includes rollers on its bottom to assist maneuvering the toolbox within a truck bed. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a toolbox that is strong, durable, and useful in a variety of situations. 
     In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of the invention mounted in a truck bed partially cutaway. 
         FIG. 3  side elevational view showing the portable toolbox with one set of wheels engaging the ground during set up between the stored position and the mobile position. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the portable toolbox in the mobile position. 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the portable toolbox in the mobile position with the cross braces engaged. 
         FIG. 6  side elevational view of another embodiment of the present invention showing the portable toolbox with one set of wheels engaging the ground during set up between the stored position and the mobile position. 
         FIG. 7  is a side elevational view another embodiment of the portable toolbox in the mobile position. 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the portable toolbox in the mobile position with the cross braces engaged. 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings and in particular  FIG. 1 , the portable toolbox  10  is shown comprising a substantially rectangular container  12  that is used to house tools as shown in  FIG. 1 . The size and shape of the container  12  can vary and is not limited to the embodiments shown in the exemplary drawings herein. In some embodiments, the container  12  is disposed on a base  14 . Attached to a first end of the toolbox  10  are a first set of bilateral extended legs  16   a  and  16   b . The first set of legs  16   a  and  16   b  are connected to each other by cross brace  22  and each leg is supported in a rigid position by a support brace  26  which is connected between the respective leg  16   a  and  16   b  and the base  14 . At the second end of the toolbox  10  are a second set of bilateral rotatable legs  18   a  and  18   b  which, in an extended position, are disposed vertically and essentially perpendicular to the bottom of the toolbox  10 . The second set of legs  18   a  and  18   b  are connected to each other by cross brace  24  and each leg is supported in a rigid position by a support brace  28  which is connected between the respective leg  18   a  and  18   b  and the base  14 . In some embodiments, the first set of legs  16   a  and  16   b  have a pair of wheels  20  rotatably attached at the end of each leg. In some embodiments, the second set of legs  18   a  and  18   b  include casters  36  at each end thereof. The legs sets herein, in some embodiments, are each telescopically adjustable in length to the allow use of the portable tool box with truck beds of different heights. 
     Leg  16   b  pivots around pin  16   c  and leg  18   b  pivots around pin  18   c , pins are also provided on the other side of the toolbox  10  for legs  16   a  and  18   a . Cross brace  22  pivots around pin  22   a  and is removably fastened by fastener  22   b  to leg  16   a . Support brace  26  pivots around pin  26   a  and is engaged at one end to the frame  14  by fastener  26   b . Support brace  28  pivots around pin  28   a  and is removably secured to frame  14  by fastener  28   b.    
       FIG. 2  shows the toolbox  10  disposed transversely across an exemplary truck bed  30  adjacent the truck bed tailgate  32  which represents the storage position of the present invention. Here, the first set of legs  16   a  and  16   b  are shown in a retracted position. In some embodiments, top surface  12   c  of the tool box is sloped from the back side  12   b  of the tool box to the front side to allow storage of other objects in the truck bed. In this storage position, supplies, materials and equipment such as boards can be placed on the tailgate  32  without interfering with the tool box  10 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3  the portable toolbox  10  is shown in transition wherein the toolbox  10  has been turned from its storage position about truck bed  30 . The toolbox  20  is pulled toward the edge of the tailgate  32  and the first set of legs  16   a  and  16   b  are rotated downward. Shown here, leg  16   b  has been rotated down to the mobile position such that wheel  20  contacts the ground below the truck bed  30 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the support brace has not yet been connected to base  14 . Leg  18   b  is still shown in the storage position and its complementary leg  18   a  (not shown) is also in the storage position. Cross braces  22  and  24  and support braces  26  and  28  are in the storage position. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the toolbox  10  is shown with the first set of legs  16   a  and  16   b  and the second set of legs  18   a  and  18   b  all in the extended position. Here, the sets of legs are supported by support brace  26  and support brace  28 , respectively, so that the legs are firmly attached to the base  14  of the toolbox  10 . In some embodiments, a support lip  14   a  extends from the rear of the base  14  to help support the end of the toolbox  10  on the truck bed tail gate while the legs are being deployed. The support lip  14   a  allows the toolbox to rest at the end of the tailgate in order for the user to deploy the second set legs  18   a  and  18   b  without the toolbox  10  falling off of the tailgate  23 . As shown in  FIG. 4  the cross braces  22  and  24  have not yet been deployed. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the toolbox  10  is fully deployed in the mobile mode of operation and is ready to be moved around and transported, such as to a jobsite. Here, the cross braces  22  and  24  have been deployed such that each set of legs of the toolbox  10  are firmly interconnected. Here, the wheels  20  and casters  36  are firmly on the ground, allowing the toolbox  10  to be easily transported and maneuvered as desired. 
       FIGS. 6-8  depict an alternate embodiment of the present invention, wherein the first set of legs  16   a  and  16   b  are extended such that they are pivotably attached to the container  12 , rather than the base  14 . Support braces  26  are likewise extended upward and attached to the container  12 . This provides additional clearance for the legs  16   a  and  16   b  and avoid potential interference with the second set of legs  18   a  and  18   b  in both the storage position and the extended mobile position. Additionally, as shown in  FIGS. 6-8 , some embodiments of the toolbox  10  may include a plurality of spherical rollers  141  attached to the underside of toolbox  10 , at base  14 . The rollers assist the user in moving the toolbox  10  in and out of the truck bed  30  and also ease maneuvering of same from a transverse position across the bed  30  to a lengthwise position along the bed  30 . The rollers  141  can be disposed along either side of the base  14  to provide additional upward support for the toolbox  10  when the legs are not deployed. The rollers are located on the toolbox  10  such that they will not interfere with the action of the legs. 
     The portable toolbox shown because the legs independently rotate between a storage position and a mobile position allows a significantly sized toolbox to be moved quickly and easily manually from a truck bed where the toolbox has been secured safely to a jobsite. When the toolbox is in the storage position, the legs, support braces, and cross braces can all be conveniently folded up parallel to the legs and the legs rotated to a storage position so that the toolbox can be safely stored in a truck bed. Additional securing devices such as locks security bars can be installed in the truck bed so that the portable toolbox is safely secured to the truck bed when not in use. 
     The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.