TOOL HOLDER

Abstract

Provided is a tool holder comprising a body comprising a lengthwise grooved rail; a plurality of equally spaced sliding seats on the rail, each seat being adapted to hold a tool in place and comprising a marking anchoring member on a side extension thereof, the marking anchoring member including a block having markings, the block being releasably secured to the marking anchoring member; and a plurality of magnetic members on a bottom of the body. Thus, the holder can magnetically adhere to an object of iron, steel, or the like. Also, changes of markings of the holder are possible.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to tool holders and more particularly to such a tool holder having pairs of magnetic members on bottom for securing the holder to an object of iron, steel, or the like. Also, changes of markings of the holder is possible.

2. Related Art

Devices for holding tools (e.g., sleeves) are well known. A conventional sleeve holder 1 is shown in FIG. 1. The holder 1 is implemented as an elongate plate and comprises a body 11 comprising two holes 111 proximate both ends, an aperture 112 between the other hole 11 and the other end, a lengthwise groove 113 defined by two inwardly inclined sidewalls, and a stop member at one end; and a plurality of equally spaced seats 12 on the groove 113, each seat 12 including a bottom sliding member 121, a top square riser 122 having a spring depressible detent (e.g., steel ball) at its other side, and a marking 123 on an extension. Each of a plurality of sleeves 3 is adapted to put on the riser 122 and is fastened by elastically inserting the detent of the riser 122 into a mating recess (not shown) at one of six inner walls of the sleeve 3.

In use, as shown in FIG. 2, put the aperture 112 on a mating tab on a wall for fastening with the holder 1 disposed vertically. As such, a user is able to easily access the sleeves 3. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the holder 1 is placed on a recessed upper surface of a cart 4. As such, a user may draw or push the cart 4 to any desired place for easily accessing the sleeves 3.

However, the prior art suffered from several disadvantages. For example, in the cases discussed in FIG. 2, the wall is required to have a tab provided thereon. This can greatly reduce the number of suitable mounting locations of the holder 1. For the case discussed in FIG. 3, the holder 1 tends to move or slide due to no fastening. This is particularly true either when a person is working on an inclined surface (i.e., the cart 4 is on the inclined surface) or when the person is working on a higher, inclined place (i.e., easy access of sleeves 3 being impossible). Further, holder 1 may be mixed with other objects placed on the upper surface of the cart 4, resulting in a messy arrangement. In addition, the marking 123 is fixedly formed on the seat 12. Hence, a marking change is made impossible. This feature is not desired since marking change for tool holder is necessary in many situations. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool holder comprising a body comprising a lengthwise grooved rail; a plurality of equally spaced sliding seats on the rail, each seat being adapted to hold a tool in place and comprising a marking anchoring member on a side extension thereof, the marking anchoring member including a block having markings, the block being releasably secured to the marking anchoring member; and a plurality of magnetic members on a bottom of the body. The holder is able to magnetically adhere to an object of iron, steel, or the like. Also, changes of markings of the holder are possible.

In one aspect of the present invention, the marking anchoring member further comprises two inwardly inclined sidewalls, a trough defined by the inwardly inclined sidewalls, and a projection on a center of the trough; and the block comprises a bottom recess adapted to matingly engage with the projection when the block is fitted in the trough.

In another aspect of the present invention, the rail comprises a plurality of through holes each for matingly putting on a tab for fastening the tool holder on a wall.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional tool holder;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conventional holder fastened vertically on a wall in one configuration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the conventional holder placed on top of a cart in another configuration;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tool holder according to the invention where some sleeves have been fastened thereon and some sleeves are to be fastened;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of body of the holder of FIG. 4 viewed from bottom;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the holder with a sleeve fastened on a seat thereof;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 for illustrating the change of a marking block on the seat;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 4 fastened vertically on a wall in a first preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 4 fastened horizontally on a wall in a second preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 4 placed on top of a cart in a third preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the holder of FIG. 4 fastened on an inclined surface in a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 7, there is shown a tool (e.g., sleeve) holder 4 constructed in accordance with the invention. The holder 4 is an elongate plate and comprises a body 41 comprising two holes 411 proximate both ends, an aperture 412 between the other hole 411 and the other end, a lengthwise groove 413 defined by two inwardly inclined sidewalls of the body 41, a stop member 414 at one end, a lanced out latch 415 at the other open end, a plurality of (three are shown) pairs of circular cavities 416 equally spaced on a bottom of the body 41, and a plurality of (three are shown) pairs of magnetic members 417 formed in the cavities 416; and a plurality of equally spaced seats 42 on the groove 413, each seat 42 including a bottom sliding member 421 for slidably placing the seat 42 on the groove 413 from the other end by passing through the latch 415, a top square riser 422 having a spring depressible detent (e.g., steel ball) 423 at its other side, and a plurality of marking anchoring members 424 on a side extension, the marking anchoring member 424 including a trough 426 defined by two inwardly inclined sidewalls thereof, a projection 425 on a center of the trough 426, and a separate marking block 427 having a bottom recess 428, the marking block 427 adapted to snugly fit in the trough 426 with the projection 425 matingly engaged with the recess 428. That is, the marking blocks 427 are releasably secured to the troughs 426. Hence, changes of markings in millimeters of marking blocks 427 (see FIG. 4) to markings in fractional parts of inches of marking blocks 427 (see FIG. 7) are made possible. Each of a plurality of sleeves 5 is adapted to put on the riser 422 and is fastened by elastically inserting the detent 423 of the riser 422 into a mating recess (not shown) at one of six inner walls of the sleeve 5.

Use of the holder 4 will be described in detail below in first, second, third, and fourth preferred embodiments of the invention by referring to FIGS. 8 to 11 respectively. Put the aperture 412 on a mating tab on a wall for fastening with the holder 4 disposed vertically (see FIG. 8). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9, adhere the magnetic members 417 onto an object (e.g., iron board) 6 for horizontally holding the holder 4 in place when no mating tab is provided on the wall. As such, a user is able to easily access the sleeves 5. It is also possible of putting the holes 411 on two mating tabs on a wall for fastening with the holder 4 disposed horizontally. Still alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, the holder 4 is placed on a recessed upper iron surface of a cart 7 with the magnetic members 417 adhered thereon (i.e., the holder 4 is fastened). As such, a user may draw or push the cart 7 to any desired place for easy accessing the sleeves 5 without worrying an undesired movement or sliding of the holder 4. Also, tools on the upper surface of the cart 7 are arranged in order. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the holder 4 is fastened on an inclined surface 8 of an object of iron by adhering the magnetic members 417 thereon when a user is working on, for example, an inclined roof. As such, a user is able to easily access the sleeves 5 without worrying a falling of the sleeves 5.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A tool holder comprising:

a body comprising a lengthwise grooved rail;

a plurality of equally spaced sliding seats on the rail, each seat being adapted to hold a tool in place and comprising a marking anchoring member on a side extension thereof, the marking anchoring member including a block having markings, the block being releasably secured to the marking anchoring member; and

a plurality of magnetic members on a bottom of the body.

2. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the marking anchoring member further comprises two inwardly inclined sidewalls, a trough defined by the inwardly inclined sidewalls, and a projection on a center of the trough.

3. The tool holder of claim 2, wherein the block comprises a bottom recess adapted to matingly engage with the projection when the block is fitted in the trough.

4. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the rail comprises a plurality of through holes.

5. The tool holder of claim 1, further the body further comprises a plurality of cavities on its bottom for fitting the magnetic members therein.