MECHANIC'S SEAT AND STEP STOOL
A combination step stool and mechanic's seat in the form of a molded plastic, generally parallelepiped configuration includes a seat on one side supported on casters on the opposite side with a step stool surface adjacent the backside of the seat and spaced from a front side surface of the seat which includes a recess tray for tools and other items.
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This is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 11/511,018 filed Aug. 28, 2006 entitled Mechanic's Seat and Step Stool, which is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 10/921,507 filed Aug. 19, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,097,241, which is a continuation-in-part application of Ser. No. 10/444,228 filed May 23, 2003, abandoned, entitled Mechanic's Seat and Step Stool which was a utility application based upon and derived from prior provisional application Ser. No. 60/383,206 filed May 24, 2002 for “Mechanic's Seat and Step Stool” each application being incorporated herewith by reference and for which priority is claimed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a molded work seat which may also be utilized as a low-rise step stool.
When a worker, such as a mechanic, tradesman, or the like is required to assume a seated position in order to perform repair work, the use of a chair may not be convenient or adequate. That is, a typical chair, for example, a folding chair, may have a seat which is elevated relative to the work area. Additionally, such a chair is difficult to move from one place to another. Finally, such a chair typically will not include a means for storage of tools for easy access while using the chair or seat.
An alternative to a chair is a stool such as a three-legged stool which can be moved from place to place. A stool will typically have many of the disadvantages associated with a chair including the further disadvantage that there is no lateral or back support when sitting on a stool.
Another alternative is to utilize a creeper seat. Such a seat typically includes a metal frame mounted on a platform which, in turn, is mounted on rollers. The seat is supported by the metal frame. The rollers enable ease of movement of the creeper seat. The platform upon which the frame is mounted allows storage of tools thereon for ease of access. Lisle Corporation, Clarinda, Iowa, has marketed such seats as their Product Nos. 98302 and 98702.
Such chairs, seats and stools are either cumbersome or have other disadvantages as discussed above. Thus, there has remained a need for an improved seat construction which can be used by a mechanic or other work person and which desirably has alternative utility.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONBriefly, the present invention comprises a molded polymeric, step stool and seat which is in the form of a six-sided, rectangular parallelepiped and includes a first wall having casters and a second opposite side wall with a molded work seat. A third transverse sidewall connecting the top edge of the first and second walls defines a flat planar step surface. A fourth transverse wall is generally parallel to and spaced from the third wall and connects the lower edge of the first and second walls defines a floor support surface including optional floor support pads to prevent skidding of the device when it serves as a step stool. The fourth wall may also include a recess shelf for storage of tools and implements. In an additional embodiment, the first wall may include a molded step below the level of the third wall to facilitate stepping to the third wall step surface.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a combination step stool and creeper seat.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a molded polymeric combination step stool and creeper seat which is lightweight, economical, and rugged.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combination mechanic's step stool and creeper seat which includes a shelf for storage of tools and implements when the device is oriented or positioned as a mechanic's seat.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mechanic's creeper seat which may be mounted on casters for ease of mobility.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGIn the detailed description which follows, the drawing is comprised of the following figures:
Referring to
A first side surface 14 includes a series of casters or wheels 16 arranged at the four corners of the first side face or side surface 14. As shown in
Bottom or third side surface 12 is generally parallel to top surface 10 and also includes a first corner support pad 32 and a second corner support pad 34 so that the surface 12 includes four corner pads 25, 27, 32, 34 which facilitate support of the stool as depicted in
As depicted in
The surface 12 also includes a recessed section 38 beneath the seat 18. The recessed section 38 includes a generally flat shelf 40 for placement of tools and other items to be used by the mechanic who is sitting in the seat 18 and wishes to reach between his/her legs to have access to a tool. As shown in
Referring therefore to
A caster assembly 140 is provided at each of the four corners of the base 100. Caster assembly 140 includes a wheel 142 mounted on an axle 144 retained in a wheel housing 146 which is attached to a stem 148 in
As previously indicated, a preferred method of manufacture of such a molded plastic stool is by blow molding techniques. However, other molding techniques may be utilized in order to manufacture the stool. Thus, the stool is comprised of a molded plastic material, such as HDPE forming a wall such as the wall 160 in
Thus, as depicted in
The shelf assembly or insert 402 is depicted in greater detail in
The remaining figures including
The leg member 500 is attached to the wall 470 by means of fasteners, for example, as depicted in
In any event, a number of fasteners 520 are used to attach the vertical runs 504 and 510 to the side wall 470. In this manner the side wall 470 as well as the side wall 472 are reinforced. The U-shaped legs 500 and 502 also provide impact protection for the side walls 470 and 472. The assembly 400 may be pivoted so that it may sit upon pads, such as pads 530, 532, 534 and 536 to thereby support the assembly and in the form of a step stool. Of course, as depicted in
The various embodiments can be made by means of a blow molding process or another thin wall or relatively thin wall plastic molding process. When manufacturing certain embodiments of such a product using blow molding techniques, the plastic material which is utilized in the process will initially be adequately soft to permit the insertion of sub-assemblies, shafts and bushings as described above.
Thus, variations from the embodiments are considered within the scope of the invention which is limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. A combination step stool and seat comprising:
- a six sided, unitary, hollow, single molded plastic, generally rectangular parallelepiped assembly of walls including a first side wall, an opposed second side wall with a molded seat, said seat including a back support section with a hand grip passage, a transverse third side wall between the first side wall and second side walls, said third side wall comprising a generally flat, planar step surface with said back support section along one side thereof, a transverse fourth side wall spaced from and generally parallel to the third wall for support of said combination assembly as a step stool, said first wall being positionable over the floor to define a creeper with a molded seat supported on the molded second side wall, said fourth wall being positionable at the floor in an alternative orientation of said assembly to define said step stool, said fourth wall comprising an upper wall section, a spaced lower wall section with an opening through the fourth wall to the interior of the assembly of wall, and opposed fifth and sixth generally planar spaced walls joined to the first, second, third and fourth walls;
- a separate molded recess shelf section in the form of a five sided bucket, said recess shelf wall section mounted to the fourth wall and comprising a bucket shaped insert with an open side open outwardly from the fourth wall, the open side including a rim fitted into the opening in the fourth wall and generally aligned with the upper and lower wall sections of the fourth wall; and
- casters mounted to the assembly of walls for maintaining the first wall elevated above a floor.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the second wall includes arm support sections on each side of the molded seat extending from the back support section along the edge of the seat.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the first wall includes a molded step.
4. The combination of claim 1 including first and second separate leg support members attached respectively to the fifth and sixth walls, said leg support members including said casters.
5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said leg support members comprise a first U-shaped bar member attached to the outside face of the fifth wall and a second U-shaped bar member to the outside face of the sixth wall, said U-shaped bar members generally congruent each including elongate sections positioned along outer margins of the fifth and sixth walls.
6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the front and second leg support members are attached by fasteners respectively to the fifth and sixth walls.
7. A combination step stool and seat comprising:
- a six sided, unitary, hollow, single molded plastic, generally rectangular parallelepiped assembly of walls including a first side wall, an opposed second side wall with a molded seat, said seat including a back support section with a hand grip passage, a transverse third side wall between the first side wall and second side walls, said third side wall comprising a generally flat, planar step surface with said back support section along one side thereof, a transverse fourth side wall spaced from and generally parallel to the third wall for support of said combination assembly as a step stool, said first wall being positionable over the floor to define a creeper with a molded seat supported on the molded second side wall, said fourth wall being positionable at the floor in an alternative orientation of said assembly to define said step stool, said fourth wall comprising an upper wall section, a spaced lower wall section with an opening through the fourth wall to the interior of the assembly of wall, and opposed fifth and sixth generally planar walls joined to the first, second, third and fourth walls;
- a separate molded recess shelf section in the form of a five sided bucket, said recess shelf wall section mounted to the fourth wall and comprising a bucket shaped insert with an open side open outwardly from the fourth wall, the open side including a rim fitted into the opening in the fourth wall and generally aligned with the upper and lower wall sections of the fourth wall; and first and second separate leg support members attached respectively to the fifth and sixth walls said leg support members including casters, said leg support members each comprising a U-shaped bar member attached to the outside face of the fifth wall and a second U-shaped bar member attached to the outside face of the sixth wall, said U-shaped bar members generally congruent including elongate sections positioned along outer margins of the fifth and sixth walls.
8. The stool and seat of claim 7 wherein said first and second bar members are substantially identical and each comprise connected runs positioned along the outer margins of the fifth and sixth side walls, respectively.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 26, 2007
Publication Date: Nov 15, 2007
Applicant: Lisle Corporation (Clarinda, IA)
Inventors: Kevin Tally (Clarinda, IA), John Lisle (Clarinda, IA), William Meis (Crescent, IA)
Application Number: 11/828,669
International Classification: A47C 9/02 (20060101);