Patent Publication Number: US-6338459-B1

Title: Paint bucket holder for a ladder

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a ladder paint bucket holder and more particularly pertains to a new paint bucket holder for a ladder for supporting either a gallon or a quart of paint upon a ladder. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The use of a ladder paint bucket holder is known in the prior art. More specifically, a ladder paint bucket holder heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. 
     Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,106,045; 4,824,060; 4,776,550; 5,305,977; 5,687,941; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 304,084. 
     While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new paint bucket holder for a ladder. The inventive device includes a clamping member being adapted to securely fasten to a rail of a ladder; and also includes an arm member having a first end and a second end which is securely attached to the clamping member; and further includes an adjustable holder support member being securely attached to the first end of the arm member and including a housing; and also includes a bucket holder member being movably mounted to the adjustable holder support member. 
     In these respects, the paint bucket holder for a ladder according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supporting either a gallon or a quart of paint upon a ladder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of ladder paint bucket holder now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new paint bucket holder for a ladder construction wherein the same can be utilized for supporting either a gallon or a quart of paint upon a ladder. 
     The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which has many of the advantages of the ladder paint bucket holder mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art ladder paint bucket holder, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a clamping member being adapted to securely fasten to a rail of a ladder; and also includes an arm member having a first end and a second end which is securely attached to the clamping member; and further includes an adjustable holder support member being securely attached to the first end of the arm member and including a housing; and also includes a bucket holder member being movably mounted to the adjustable holder support member. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which has many of the advantages of the ladder paint bucket holder mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art ladder paint bucket holder, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which is of a durable and reliable construction. 
     An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such paint bucket holder for a ladder economically available to the buying public. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder for supporting either a gallon or a quart of paint upon a ladder. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder which includes a clamping member being adapted to securely fasten to a rail of a ladder; and also includes an arm member having a first end and a second end which is securely attached to the clamping member; and further includes an adjustable holder support member being securely attached to the first end of the arm member and including a housing; and also includes a bucket holder member being movably mounted to the adjustable holder support member. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder that easily and conveniently clamps to a ladder for the user to have easy access to paint while being upon the ladder. 
     Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new paint bucket holder for a ladder that can be used to securely support gallon and quart paint buckets. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a new paint bucket holder for a ladder according to the present invention shown in use. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the present invention shown in use. 
     FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the holder support member of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the clamping member of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the bucket holder member of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new paint bucket holder for a ladder embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, the paint bucket holder for a ladder  10  generally comprises a clamping member  11  being adapted to securely fasten to a rail  47  of a ladder  46 . The clamping member  11  includes a main wall  12 , a first and second end walls  13 , 14  being conventionally attached and welded to ends of and extending perpendicularly from the main wall  12 , and also includes a threaded member  15  being threaded through the first end wall  13 , and further includes a plate-like member  16  having an edge  17  and being securely and conventionally attached to an end of the threaded member  15  and being movable toward and away from the second end wall  14  to securely fasten about the rail  47  of the ladder  46 . The plate-like member  16  includes a flange member  18  extending from the edge  17  thereof and toward the second end wall  14  with the second end wall  14  including a flange member  19  extending from an edge thereof and toward the plate-like member  16 . 
     The paint bucket holder for a ladder  10  also includes an arm member  20  having a first end  23  and a second end  24  which is securely and conventionally attached to the clamping member  11 . The arm member  20  includes a first portion  22  and a second portion  21  which is angled relative to the first portion  22  with the second portion  21  being securely and conventionally attached to the main wall  12  of the clamping member  11 . 
     An adjustable holder support member  24  is securely and conventionally attached and welded to the first end  23  of the arm member  20  and includes a housing  26  having a first cover member  27  and a second cover member  28  which is mirrored and fastened with a fastener  29  to the first cover member  27 . Each of the cover members  27 , 28  includes a side wall  44 , an end wall  40 , 41  and slot  42 , 43  extending through a portion of the end wall  40 , 41  and the side wall  44 . 
     A bucket holder member  31  is movably mounted to the adjustable holder support member  25  with the bucket holder member  31  including an upper cylindrical portion  32  and a lower cylindrical portion  34  which has a circumference relatively smaller than that of the upper cylindrical portion  32 . Each of the cylindrical portions  32 , 34  has a side wall  33 , 35 . The bucket holder member  31  also includes an annular ledge  36  being securely disposed between the upper  32  and lower  34  cylindrical portions and being adapted to support a paint bucket. The bucket holder member  31  further includes a bottom wall  37  being securely and conventionally attached at a bottom of the lower cylindrical portion  34  and also includes a stem-like member  38  conventionally attached to and extending from the bottom wall  37  and having an end portion  39  which is movably and adjustably disposed within the housing  26 . The annular ledge  36  is essentially attached to a bottom of the side wall  33  of the upper cylindrical portion  32  and to a top of the side wall  35  of the lower cylindrical portion  34 . The end portion  39  of the stem-like member  38  is essentially shaped like that of the housing  26  and is relatively smaller than the housing  26 . The end portion  39  of the stem-like member  38  is essentially disc-like and integrally extends outwardly on edge of the stem-like member  38 . The disc-like end portion  39  of the stem-like member  38  is securely held within the housing  26  with a washer-like member  30  which is engageable to a side of the disc-like end portion  39 . 
     In use, the user clamps the clamping member  11  about a portion of a rail  47  of the ladder  46  and adjusts the bucket holder member  31  so that it is essentially vertically disposed and then tightens the fastener  29  to the housing  26  to secure the disc-like end portion  39  of the stem-like member  38  within the housing  26 . The user then places either a gallon or a quart of paint within at least one of the cylindrical portions  32 , 34  of the bucket holder member  31  so that the user has access to the paint while standing on the ladder  46 . 
     As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include 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, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.