TOOL HOLDING BRACKETS
A heavy tool holding floor anchored bracket 40 for holding a tool weighing 20 pounds or more in a vehicle 10 has a first end bracket 42 having an inverted “U” shaped securing opening 41 for inserting and securing an end of the tool and a second end bracket 44 having a “U” shaped opening 48 upon which the tool is supported. The second end bracket 44 is aligned with and spaced a distance from the first end bracket 42 such that a center of mass of tool lies between the first end bracket 42 and second end bracket 44. A wall mounted tool holding bracket 30 for holding a tool weighing 20 pounds or more in a vehicle 10 has a housing 30A having a wedge shaped opening 32 having a large width upper end opening 37 extending toward a small width lower end opening 38. A centerline 36 of the wedge shaped opening 32 passes through the upper end opening 37 and the lower end opening 38 midway between the width of the first end opening and second end opening.
This invention relates to heavy tool holding brackets adapted to support and hold tools that are being transported in vehicles, more particularly the heavy duty tools used in emergency rescue vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONCurrently modern fire departments and fire and rescue units have fire trucks and or emergency vehicles that are equipped to carry large pneumatic or hydraulic tools that are designed to spread, cut and otherwise provide access to a crushed vehicle at the scene of an accident. These tools include cutters that can cut through metal and steel, spreaders that con be positioned on vehicles to pull a vehicle apart to provide access into the doors when the doors are jammed and other devices that provide access into the vehicle to recover injured occupants so that they can be transported to the hospital. As can easily be appreciated these tools must be accessible very quickly to get to the location where needed and used immediately as the occupants survival sometimes depends on the quick actions of the rescue team on site. Most emergency vehicles have cabinets on tee side wherein these large tools are stored. These cabinets may have doors that swing open or preferably have roller type doors that can be lifted and stowed internally so that the door itself is not interfering with the action of the rescue team in trying to recover their tools from the cabinet.
As shown in
On the floor of the cabinet typical mounting brackets provide two parallel supports upon which a tool can be rested, these supports hold the tool in a horizontal plane and the operator upon stowing them tie straps around the tool to insure that it doesn't bounce or otherwise vibrate from the mounting bracket and are found laying loose by the time the emergency personnel arrive at their location.
Each of these tools weighs anywhere from 25 to more than 53 pounds, Accordingly when the rescue operator attempts to open the door and enter the cabinet area to access these tools, he must bend over, untie the unit, grasp the unit and pull it from the mounting bracket whether it be a vertical wall mounted bracket or a horizontally laid tool resting on a mounting support. By providing these mounting brackets, the cabinet is better organized, however, it has been determined that the majority of injuries caused to firefighters and emergency personnel are back injuries caused by heavy lifting or reaching for among other things these large tools in a rather cumbersome fashion such that the lower back of the rescue personnel is being strained as they try to reach into a cabinet and pull these heavy pieces of equipment out of the vehicle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a superior means of supposing these heavy tools that will provide a strapless mounting of the tools onto a holding bracket such that the operator can pull the device out of the cabinet using minimal exertion on his back by providing the tool in a move readily accessible orientation prior to removal. The present invention provides a unique orientation of the tool during transport such that upon opening the access door the tool will be held in an orientation that greatly facilitates the removal of the tool so that it can be immediately used at the site, no untying or unlatching of the equipment is required by use of the present invention as described below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA heavy tool holding floor anchored bracket for holding a tool weighing 20 pounds or more in a vehicle has a first end bracket having an inverted “U” shaped securing opening for inserting and securing an end of the tool and a second end bracket having a “U” shaped opening upon which the tool is supported. The second end bracket is aligned with and spaced a distance from the first end bracket such that a center of mass of tool lies between the first end bracket and second end bracket. The tool when mounted on the second end bracket and in the first end bracket is inclined at least 10 degrees or more relative to the floor so that the tool portion supported by the second end bracket is elevated relative to the end of the tool secured in the first end bracket.
A wall mounted tool holding bracket for holding a tool weighing 20 pounds or more in a vehicle has a housing having a wedge shaped opening having a large width upper end opening extending toward a small width lower end opening. A centerline of Me wedge shaped opening passes through the upper end opening and the lower end opening midway between the width of the upper end opening and lower end opening. The housing has a pair flanges, a side extending from each flange and a front extending between each side. When mounted to a wall, the housing is secured at the flanges. The sides, front and wall define the wedge shaped opening which has the centerline of the opening tilted at an angle between 30 and 60 degrees off a vertical direction relative to the vehicle. The housing is preferably formed from a sheet of non-corrosive metal such as aluminum or stainless steel.
An emergency vehicle having side compartments for stowing heavy tools has a side storage cabinet having a floor, vertical side walls, a rear wall and an access door covering a side facing access opening A wall bracket is attached to a side wall. The side wall bracket is a wedge shaped structure having a tapered opening having a larger opening at a first upper end and a smaller opening at an opposite second lower end. The bracket has a centerline extending through the larger and smaller openings. The centerline is inclined between 30 and 60 degrees off vertical, having the larger opening at the upper end tilled closer to the access opening. The tapered opening is for receiving, holding and securing a heavy toot in an inclined position for rapid removal and is preferably formed from a sheet of non-corrosive metal such as aluminum or stainless steel.
The emergency vehicle may include a floor bracket for attachment to the floor of the cabinet. The floor bracket having a first end bracket end and a second end bracket. The first end bracket is an inverted “U” shaped structure with a securing opening into which a first end of a heavy tool is inserted and the second end bracket is an open “U” shaped structure for holding a second end of a tool. The second end bracket end is closer to the access opening and vertically higher than the opening of first end bracket. When held in the floor bracket the held tool has the second end of the tool tilted and inclined at least 10 degrees or more vertically upward relative to the first end of the tool to permit rapid removal.
An emergency vehicle is shown in
As in
In order to properly store the equipment and tools needed certain prior art brackets have been proposed to hold the toots. These brackets generally provide either vertical or horizontal storage of the equipment and as such further require straps and or locking mechanisms to hold the equipment in place while stored on these brackets. The present invention found a unique way of designing brackets which eliminates the need for any strapping or additional tie downs to secure the equipment. The brackets of the present invention are uniquely adapted to work with heavy equipment or heavy tools, tools weighing as much as 20 pounds or more, sometimes as much as 50 pounds can be stored very conveniently and easily.
By utilizing the weight of the tool in association with the proper orientation of the tool, he tool can be maintained in a secure manner without the need for tie downs or strapping. As illustrated in
With reference to
Optionally the floor mounted bracket 40 between the first end bracket 42 and the second end bracket 44 can have optionally a base plate 49 in which the second end bracket 44 and the first end bracket end 42 are rigidly attached or can be formed integrally such that the base mounting plate 49 can be secured to the floor directly in this fashion the individual bracket mounting flanges can be eliminated.
As shown in
Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.
Claims
1. A heavy tool holding floor anchored bracket for holding a tool weighing 20 pounds or more in a vehicle comprises:
- a first end bracket having an inverted “U” shaped opening for inserting and securing an end of the tool;
- a second end bracket having a “U” shaped opening upon which the tool is supported, the second end bracket being aligned with and spaced a distance from the first end bracket such that a center of mass of tool lies between the first end bracket and second end bracket; and
- wherein the tool when mounted on the second end bracket and in the first end bracket is inclined at least 10 degrees or more relative to the floor the tool portion supported by the second end bracket being elevated relative to the end of the tool secured in the first end bracket.
2. A wall mounted tool holding bracket for holding a tool weighing 20 pounds or more in a vehicle comprises:
- a housing having a wedge shaped opening having a large width upper end opening extending toward a small width lower end opening, a centerline of the wedge shaped opening passes through the upper end opening and the lower end opening midway between the width of the upper end opening and lower end opening, the housing having a pair flanges, a side extending from each flange and a front extending between each side, wherein when mounted to a wall the housing is secured at the flanges, the sides, front and wall define the wedge shaped opening, the centerline of the opening is tilted at an angle between 30 and 60 degrees off a vertical direction relative to the vehicle.
3. The emergency vehicle of claim 4 having side compartments for stowing heavy tools further comprises;
- a wall bracket attached to a side wall, the side wall bracket being a wedge shaped structure having a tapered opening having larger opening at a first upper end and smaller opening at an opposite second lower end, the bracket having a centerline extending through the larger and small openings, the centerline being inclined between 30 and 60 degrees off vertical and having the larger opening at the upper end tilted closer to the access opening, the tapered opening for receiving, holding and securing a heavy tool in an inclined position for rapid removal.
4. An emergency vehicle having side compartments for storing heavy tools comprises:
- a side storage cabinet having a floor, vertical side walls, a rear wall and an access door covering a side facing access opening;
- a floor bracket for attachment to the floor of the cabinet, the floor bracket having a first end bracket end and a second end bracket, the first end bracket end being an inverted “U” shaped structure with an opening into which a first end of a heavy tool is inserted and the second end bracket being an open “U” shaped structure for holding a second end of a tool, the second end bracket end being closer to the access opening and vertically higher than the opening of first end bracket, wherein the second end of the tool being held is tilted and inclined at least 10 degrees or more vertically upward relative to the first end of the tool to permit rapid removal.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 31, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 1, 2009
Inventor: Robert C. Thon (White Springs, FL)
Application Number: 12/058,886
International Classification: A47F 5/00 (20060101);