Patent Publication Number: US-9428320-B1

Title: Fastener storage and organizer tray

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/035,366, filed Mar. 10, 2008. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to storage containers and trays, and more particularly to a fastener storage and organizer tray for storing, organizing and transporting a supply of headed fasteners such as bolts of different bolt shank diameters, thread configuration and length, mating nuts, washers, screws, and other fasteners and fittings of different shapes and sizes, having a compartment configuration that facilitates easily grasping and removing an individual fastener from the compartment. 
     2. Background Art 
     It is necessary, particularly for maintenance and repair personnel, to maintain a supply of bolts of different bolt shank diameters, thread configuration and length, as well as mating fastening nuts, washers, screws, and other fasteners and fittings of many different shapes and sizes on hand for quickly and effectively repairing machinery and the like. 
     Various trays, carriers, and storage containers are known in the art, which typically are divided into a plurality of compartments of various sizes for containing such articles, and usually a number of the articles of a particular characteristics and size are kept loosely in individual compartments. However, they often become mixed together in a single container, which makes it extremely difficult and time consuming to locate a bolt of a desired shank diameter, thread configuration and length. It is also difficult and time consuming to grasp and remove an individual bolt or fastener from a number of loosely held articles contained in an individual compartment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fastener storage tray for storing and transporting a supply of headed fasteners such as bolts of different shank diameters, thread configuration and length, mating nuts, washers, screws, and other fasteners and fittings of different shapes and sizes. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide a fastener storage tray for storing and transporting a supply of headed fasteners such as bolts of different shank diameters, thread configuration and length, mating nuts, washers, screws, and other fasteners and fittings of different shapes and sizes wherein such articles are readily accessible. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a fastener storage tray for storing and transporting a supply of headed fasteners such as bolts of different shank diameters, thread configuration and length, mating nuts, washers, and other fasteners and fittings of different shapes and sizes wherein the tray has a compartment configuration that facilitates easily grasping and removing an individual fastener from the compartment. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a fastener storage tray as characterized above which enables the various articles to be stored in predetermined locations within the container so as to be readily identifiable and accessible as to size, shape or other characteristics. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide a fastener storage tray as characterized above which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and rugged and dependable in operation. 
     Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification and claims as hereinafter related. 
     The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems and is distinguished over the prior art in general by the present fastener storage tray for storing, transporting and easily accessing headed fasteners such as bolts of different bolt shank diameters, thread configuration and length, mating nuts, washers, screws, and other fasteners and fittings of different shapes and sizes. The tray has a bottom wall bounded by upstanding peripheral side walls, and a plurality of individual compartments of different lengths and widths defined by upstanding lateral and transverse divider walls. At least one compartment has a generally rectangular raised platform with a top surface disposed horizontally in a plane a distance below the top end of the peripheral end walls and divider walls and a generally rectangular recessed transverse trough at each end. Some compartments may also have a recessed trough along either side of the raised platform divided by a transverse divider wall into two longitudinal troughs. A number of headed fasteners are supported on the platform top surface in laterally adjacent alternating inverted side-by-side relation with the shank of each fastener supported on the platform, the head received in the transverse trough at one end of the platform and the end of its shank extending over the transverse trough at the opposed end or over the longitudinal troughs. A fastener is easily removed by pressing down on the end of the shank to pivot it downward into the recessed trough and raise the head of the fastener above the compartment walls, and then grasping the head of the fastener to remove it from the compartment, or vice versa. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the fastener storage tray in accordance with the present invention, as seen from the top. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the fastener storage tray. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the fastener storage tray, taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the fastener storage tray, taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the fastener storage tray, showing a plurality of fasteners in various compartments. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of the fastener storage tray, taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 , showing the laterally adjacent alternating inverted head and shank storage position of the fasteners, with the heads disposed in a recess at one end of the raised platform in the compartment. 
         FIG. 7  is an illustration showing somewhat schematically, a user pressing down on a shank of a fastener to raise the head above the compartment to facilitate easily grasping and removing the fastener from the compartment. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the fastener storage tray in accordance with the present invention, with the cover closed. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , a preferred fastener storage tray  10  for storing and transporting a supply of fasteners such as bolts of different bolt shank diameters, thread configuration and length, mating nuts, washers, screws, and other fasteners and fittings of different shapes and sizes. 
     The tray  10  is a generally rectangular box-like configuration formed of suitable plastic material having a bottom wall  11  bounded by upstanding peripheral side walls  12 , with upstanding transverse and lateral divider walls  13 A and  13 B, extending upwardly from the bottom wall and terminating in a plane approximately flush with the top end of the peripheral end walls, which divide the tray into a plurality of storage compartments of different lengths and widths. 
     A number of the individual compartments  14  of the tray  10  are each provided with a generally rectangular raised platform  15  having a top surface  15 A spaced a distance inwardly from two opposed transverse divider walls  13 A at opposed ends to define a generally rectangular recess or transverse trough  16 A at two opposed ends of the raised platform. The generally rectangular raised platform  15  is also spaced a distance inwardly from a lateral divider wall  13 B on at least one side to define a recessed lateral trough along either side of the raised platform which is divided by a shorter transverse divider wall  17  into two longitudinal troughs  16 B. A shorter transverse divider wall  18  may also be provided between the opposed facing ends of two adjacent spaced raised platforms  15  to define a generally rectangular recess or transverse trough  16 A between the opposed facing ends of the adjacent raised platforms. The top surface  15 A of the rectangular raised platform  15  is disposed horizontally in a plane a distance below the top end of the peripheral end walls  12  and transverse and lateral divider walls  13 A and  13 B. The shorter transverse divider walls  17 ,  18  extend upwardly from the bottom wall  11  of the tray  10  and terminate in a plane approximately flush with the top surfaces  15 A of the raised platforms  15 . 
     The opposed lateral divider walls  13 A and  13 B are spaced a predetermined distance apart so as to accommodate the combined diameters of the shank portions of a number of adjacent inverted side-by-side headed fasteners F, such as bolts or cap screws, of particular standard sizes. 
     For example, as best seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a number of bolts and fasteners F are shown supported in several compartments  14 . The shanks S of the bolts or fasteners F are supported on the raised platform  15  in laterally adjacent alternating inverted side-by-side relation with the head of each bolt or fastener received in the recess or transverse trough  16 A at one end of the platform  15 . The end of the shank S of at least one fastener extends over the lateral recess or longitudinal trough  16 B at the side of the platform  15 . 
     As shown somewhat schematically in  FIG. 7 , a user may easily remove a desired fastener F by simply pressing down on the end E of the shank S of the fastener, which pivots it downward into the lateral recess or longitudinal trough  16 B and raises the head H of the fastener above the compartment walls, and then grasping the head removing the fastener from the compartment. 
     It should be understood that desired fastener, which may or may or may not have the end of its shank extending over the lateral recess or longitudinal trough  16 B at the side of the platform  15 , may also be easily removed by pressing down on the head end of the fastener to pivot it downward into the recessed transverse trough  16 A and raise the end of the shank above the compartment walls, and then grasping the shank of the fastener to remove it from the compartment. 
     It should also be understood that the length of the raised platform  15  may be correlated to the length of the shanks of the fasteners such that when the head of the fastener is received in the recess or trough  16  at one end of the platform, the end of its shank will extend a predetermined distance beyond the opposite end of the platform over the recess or transverse trough  16 A at the opposite end of the platform to allow the shank end to pivot downward into the recess or trough. 
     The compartments  14  with platforms  15  and troughs  16  are sized to accommodate headed fasteners of different shank diameters, thread configuration and length. Other ones of the compartments may be of a conventional configuration not having platforms and troughs for accommodating mating nuts, washers, and other fasteners and fittings. A number of the trays may be stacked on top of another in a tool box or other container, of individual trays may be slidably supported in a cabinet. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the tray has a generally rectangular cutout  19  in the bottom wall at two opposed ends adjacent to the peripheral side wall to form a handle for lifting the tray or sliding it in and out of a cabinet. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the tray  10  of the present invention may also be provided with a hinged cover  20  having a conventional hinge and a latch mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, the cover  20  has a generally rectangular cutout  21  in its top wall at two opposed ends adjacent to the peripheral side wall which is aligned with the cutout  19  in the bottom wall at two opposed ends adjacent to the peripheral side wall of the tray  10  to jointly form a handle for lifting the tray or sliding it in and out of a cabinet. 
     While the present invention has been disclosed in various preferred forms, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and are not to be considered in a limiting sense in interpreting the claims. The claims are intended to include all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various elements, features, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein. Variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art from this disclosure, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed in the following claims defining the present invention.