PORTABLE WIRE REEL RETAINING APPARATUS

Abstract

A retaining apparatus for a tool or accessory includes a first and second hanger each having a first and second end. The first ends each include an attachment member securable to a wearer. A leg strap includes a fastening device to allow the leg strap to be opened and closed and secured around the thigh of a wearer. The second ends of the hangers are attached to a leg strap. The first hanger is spaced from the second hanger along a length of the leg strap.

Description

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/729,098 filed on Nov. 21, 2012, and U.S. application Ser. No. 29/449,889 filed Mar. 15, 2013 the entire contents of both applications are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for securing a tool or accessory to a user. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for securing a wire reel to a wearer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During construction, it is desirable for a worker to have the tools and accessories needed for a particular job in close reach or preferably secured to the worker. Typically, in such cases, a worker will wear a tool belt including one or more pouches for holding tools.

In one form of construction, specifically working with reinforcing bar, one common piece of apparatus needed by a worker is a wire reel which holds a spool of wire used in order to tie reinforcing bar together. These reels typically include a generally round structure having a diameter of several inches. A wire reel may include attachments to secure to a belt around the worker's waist. However, because of the size of the wire reel, it tends to dig into the side or ribs of the wearer and limits freedom of movement.

In addition, during various construction jobs, it is desirable, or required, to wear a safety harness in order to prevent falls. Such harnesses typically include straps which go around the waist and can interfere with the wearing of a wire reel.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus for retaining a wire reel on a wearer which allows for freedom of movement and permits other devices to be worn.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a retaining apparatus for a tool or accessory which includes a first and second hanger each having a first and second end. The first ends each include an attachment member securable to a wearer. A leg strap includes a fastening device to allow the leg strap to be opened and closed and secured around the thigh of a wearer. The second ends of the hangers are attached to a leg strap. The first hanger is spaced from the second hanger along a length of the leg strap.

The present disclosure also provides a retaining apparatus for a wire reel including a first hanger having a first and second end. The first end includes an attachment member securable to a belt of a wearer. The hanger strap is securable to a wire reel. A leg strap is adapted to be removably secured around a leg of a wearer. The second end of the first hanger strap is connected to the leg strap. The leg strap includes a fastening device to allow the leg strap to be opened and closed and secured around the leg of a wearer. The first hanger strap has a length such that the wire reel is secured a distance D below the belt of the wearer.

The present disclosure also provides a portable wire reel retaining apparatus including a wire reel having a housing for securing therein a spool of wire. The housing has a rear side including a pair of spaced slots. A retaining device includes a first hanger, having a first and second end, and the first end is securable to a wearer. The first hanger extends through at least one of the wire reel slots. A leg strap is securable to the second end of the hanger strap, the leg strap having a fastening device for removably securing the leg strap to the thigh of a wearer, and wherein the first hanger strap has a length such that the wire reel is secured a distance D below a waist of the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the wire reel retaining apparatus secured to an individual.

FIGS. 2 is a front view of the wire reel retaining apparatus secured to a wire reel with a portion of the wire reel removed.

FIG. 3 is a back side view of the wire reel retaining apparatus secured to a wire reel.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views of the wire reel retaining apparatus secured to a wire reel.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are top views of the wire reel retaining apparatus secured to a wire reel.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the wire reel retaining apparatus unsecured to a wire reel and with a leg strap in an open condition.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the wire reel retaining apparatus unsecured to a wire reel and with a leg strap in a closed condition.

FIG. 10 is a back side view of an alternative embodiment of a wire reel retaining apparatus secured to a wire reel and a waist belt.

FIG. 11 is a front view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention including a pad and showing a wire reel in phantom.

FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the wire reel retaining apparatus with the wire reel and waist belt shown in phantom.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the wire reel retaining apparatus of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a back perspective view of the wire reel retaining apparatus of FIG. 12

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention provides a portable retaining apparatus 10 for securing a tool or accessory such as a wire reel 12 to a user 14. The retaining apparatus 10 allows the tool or accessory to be carried by the user around a job site without the use of their hands.

The retaining apparatus 10 includes one or more hangers 16. The hangers 16 may be securable to a wearer for example a wearer's waist belt 20. However, it is also contemplated that the hangers 16 may be attachable to other elements of the wearer or their clothing. Each belt hanger 16 may be a pliable piece of material, such as a strap, including a first end 18 having a belt attachment device 22. The belt attachment device 22 may include a loop in which a belt is inserted. The belt hangers 16 may be formed of a nylon material or formed of leather or synthetic leather or other type of material known in the art for making straps or strap-like devices. The loop may be formed by overlapping the hanger material and stitching, or otherwise fixing the end to the hanger material. Alternatively, the attachment device 22 may be a clip or a buckled device which would allow the belt hanger 16 to be secured and removed from the belt 20 without the wearer having to remove their belt.

The belt hangers 16 may be formed as a fixed length or may have an adjustment means such that the length of the belt hangers may be adjusted. It is contemplated that the length of the belt hangers may be set to about 7 to 12 inches although other lengths could be selected.

The belt hanger second end 24 may be secured to a leg strap 26 which is securable around the thigh or upper portion of the wearer's leg. The belt hanger second end 24 may have a leg strap securement device 28 including a loop through which the leg strap 26 may extend there through. In this way, the leg strap 26 may be slid through the belt hangers 16 for attachment thereto. Alternatively, the securement of the belt hangers 16 to the leg strap may be by way of stitching 25 or otherwise fixedly securing the belt hanger second end 24 to the leg strap 26 as shown in FIGS. 12-14. In this embodiment, the belt hangers are positionally fixed on the leg strap. The leg strap securement device 28 may alternatively include a buckle (not shown) secured to a complimentary buckle component secured to the strap 26 or a clip such that the leg strap could be removed from the belt hangers without undoing the leg strap.

The leg strap 26 may extend through the leg strap securement devices 28 of the belt hangers and also through the tool or accessory 12 as shown in FIGS. 3-5. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3-7, the leg strap 26 extends through slots 30 in the back side of a wire reel. The slots 30 may be formed by raised portions extending from the back of the wire reel. Accordingly, the leg strap 26 can be used to further secure the wire reel 12 to the user.

The leg strap 26 may include buckles or other fastening device 32 at the ends which allow the strap to be secured around the upper portion of the leg of a wearer, as shown in FIG. 1. The fastening device 32 may include complementary side or center release buckle components 32a, 32b of a type known in the art as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The leg strap 26 may also include an adjustment device 34 of a type known in the art in order to allow the leg strap to be loosened or tightened around one's leg. The adjustment device 34 may be part of the fastening device 32 as shown in FIG. 3. The adjustment device may be a strap buckle clip that allows the length of the strap to be adjusted. A tri glide 35, shown in FIG. 12 may also be used to aid in the adjustment of the strap length.

The leg strap 26 may be formed of a nylon material or formed of leather, synthetic leather or other type of material known in the art for making straps and strap-like devices. The leg strap 26 may also be formed of multiple layers of strapping material 27a and 27b secured together such as by stitching. The strapping material may extend over the entire length or only over a portion of the length as shown in FIGS. 2 and 12. First strapping 27a may extend the entire length of the leg strap and have the fastening device components 32a and 32b secured to the ends thereof. The second strapping 27b is disposed between the first strapping 27a and a wearer. The second strapping 27b may be wider than the first strapping 27a and may only extend over a portion of the leg strap. The wider strapping provides increased comfort for the wearer.

When secured to a wearer as shown in FIG. 1, the belt hangers 16 are secured to a belt 20 worn by the wearer. The second end of the belt hangers are secured to the leg strap. Accordingly, the leg strap is spaced a distance from the belt which is worn around the wearer's waist. The leg strap 26 is also attached to the wire reel 12. Therefore, the wire reel depends downwardly from the wearer's belt and waist a distance D (FIGS. 1 and 12) due to the length of the belt hangers 16. The distance D is from the belt line, or waist, of a wearer to the top the wire reel. Accordingly, when the wire reel retaining apparatus 10 is secured to a wearer, the wire reel 12 is located on the outer portion of the outer thigh below and away from the hip/waist area. This position gives the wearer significant increased freedom of movement. In addition, by locating the wire reel below the waist, it is located at a natural position where one's hand would fall making for easy access to the wire held within the wire reel 12.

With reference to FIG. 2, in one embodiment of the present invention, the tool or accessory is a wire reel 12 of a type known in the art including an outer housing 36 and an inner spool 38. The spool 38 may include a length of wire 40 such as the type used for securing reinforcing bar together. The spool 38 is rotatably secured in the housing 36 such that it spins to permit a user to remove wire from the spool 38. The outer housing 36 includes an opening 42 therein in order to allow the user access to the wire 40 and remove it from the spool 38.

While the retaining apparatus 10 of the present invention is shown securing a wire reel to a user, it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the retaining apparatus could be used to secure other tools, accessories, or devices for holding tools, such as pouches.

With the securement apparatus 10 attaching the tool 12 to the wearer, the tool is securely held in place. Therefore, the user can freely maneuver around a work site without the tool coming loose or interfering with the wearer's movement.

In addition, the leg strap 26 may include auxiliary tool holders 50 (FIGS. 4 and 12) in the form of loops sewn into the leg strap. These allow for pliers, screwdrivers or other tools to be secured to a user. The tool holders 50 may be formed by stitching an undulating looped portion of first strapping 27a to a relatively straight portion of the second strapping 27b. The tool holders may be disposed between the two hangers 16.

With reference to FIGS. 3-7, in order to attach the retaining apparatus 10 to the tool, shown in the Figures as a wire reel, a user may insert one end of the leg strap 26a through one of the slots 30 in the back side of the wire reel and pull it through. The other end of the leg strap 26b may then be inserted into the other slot 30 in the back of the wire reel and pulled through. In this embodiment, the slots 30 may be aligned in a generally horizontal orientation. One of the belt hangers 16a may be disposed between the two slots 30 such that the weight of the wire reel 12 is directly supported by one of the belt hangers 16 as shown in FIGS. 3-7. The other belt hanger 16b may be slid onto another end of the strap such that it is spaced from the first belt hanger 16a. The back side of the wire reel will then lie against the wearer's thigh. The leg strap may then be placed in the closed condition around the wearer's leg by way of fastening device 32. The strap may then be adjusted.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12-14, the one end of the leg strap 26b may be inserted though the slots 30 and the belt hanger 16a may be folded and inserted though one of the slots. Alternatively, leg strap end 26b may be inserted through one slot 30, and the other end 26a and hanger 16b may be inserted through the other slot. This leaves hanger 16a disposed between the slots 30 aligned in a generally horizontal orientation as shown in FIG. 12. Accordingly, one belt hanger 16a will be positioned between the slots 30 and the other belt hanger 16b will be disposed beyond and outside of the wire reel slots 30.

In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 10, the securement device 10 may include a single belt hanger 16. The belt hanger 16 extends through both of the wire reel slots 30. In this embodiment, the slots 30 are aligned in a generally vertical orientation. The user's belt 20 is attached to the belt attachment device 22 and the leg strap 26 attaches to the leg strap securement device 28. In this embodiment, the wire reel 12 may be positioned with the opening 42 facing upwardly or downwardly as desired by the user.

In a further alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the securement device 60 may include a pad 62 disposed between the wire reel 12 and the wearer. When the wire reel 12 is secured to the wearer, it can get pushed into the leg during use. In order to increase the comfort for the wearer, the pad 62 may be secured to the back side, or wearer's side of the wire reel. The pad 62 may be formed of a piece of leather or foam or other resilient or padded material. The pad 62 can be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes.

The pad 62 may be secured to a wearer's belt by a belt attachment device 64. The belt attachment device 64 may be in the form of a strap ending in a loop 66, clip or other device for attaching to a belt of strap on the user. In FIG. 11, a loop 66 is shown. The belt attachment device 64 may, at one end, be sewn to or otherwise attached to a top portion of the pad 62. The other end may include the loop 66. The bottom of the pad may have secured thereto a leg strap 68. This leg strap 68 may similar to the leg straps described above and end in a fastening device 32 such as complementary side or center release buckle components, for joining the two ends of the strap together. This strap may be adjustable in length to comfortably secure it to the wearer's thigh. The leg strap 68 may be fixedly secured to the bottom of the pad 62 by rivets 70, stitches of other connecting devices and methods as known in the art.

A wire reel attachment device 72 may be fixedly secured to the pad between the leg strap 68 and the belt attachment device 64. The wire reel attachment device 72 may include a strap that is insertable in the slots 30 in the back of the wire reel 12. The wire reel attachment device 72 may end in a securement device 73 that joins and secures the ends to retain the wire reel onto the pad. The securement device 73 may be a clasp, snap fastener, hook and loop or other device known in the art. The wire reel attachment device 72 may be fixedly secured to the pad 62 by stitches 74, rivets of other connecting devices and methods as known in the art. In one embodiment, the wire reel attachment device 72 may be orientated to extend thought the slots 30 when they are aligned in a generally horizontal orientation. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the wire reel attachment device 72 may be orientated to extend thought the slots 30 when they are aligned in a generally vertical orientation. For example, in this alternative embodiment, the wire reel attachment device 72 could be orientated 90 degrees from the orientation shown in FIG. 11.

The pad 62 may be secured to the wearer's belt by the belt attachment device 64 and thigh with the leg strap 68. The wire reel attachment device 72 may face away from the wearer. The wire reel 12 may then be attached to the pad 62 by the wire reel attachment device 72. The pad distributes and/or absorbs impacts to the wire reel 12, thereby protecting the wearer from the back side of the wire reel, thus providing a level of comfort for the wearer.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. It will also be appreciated that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the disclosed embodiments and the following claims.

Claims

1. A retaining apparatus for a tool or accessory comprising: a leg strap including a fastening device to allow the leg strap to be opened and closed and secured around the thigh of a wearer, the second ends of the hangers being attached to a leg strap, and the first hanger being spaced from the second hanger along a length of the leg strap.

a first and second hanger each having a first and second end, the first ends each including an attachment member securable to a wearer; and

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second ends of the first and second hangers each include a loop formed therein, the loop receiving the leg strap, wherein the position of the first and second hangers are adjustable along the length of the leg strap.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the second ends of the first and second hangers are fixedly secured to the leg strap.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the leg strap is formed of a first and second strap secured together.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the first strap has a longitudinal extent extending beyond a longitudinal extent of the second strap, the first strap having ends to which complementary portions of the fastening device are attached.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the first strap is thinner than the second strap.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the first and second straps are formed of pliable material.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second hangers are straps formed of pliable material.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the length of the first and second hangers is the same.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the first and second hangers have a length of generally 7 to 12 inches.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the leg strap includes thereon an auxiliary tool holder disposed thereon for removably securing one or more tools to the leg strap.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the auxiliary tool holder includes a plurality of loops disposed between the first and second hangers.

13. A retaining apparatus for a wire reel comprising:

a first hanger strap having a first and second end, the first end including an attachment member securable to a belt of a wearer, the hanger strap being securable to a wire reel; and

a leg strap adapted to be removably secured around a leg of a wearer, the second end of the first hanger strap being connected to the leg strap, and the leg strap including a fastening device to allow the leg strap to be opened and closed and secured around the leg of a wearer, wherein the first hanger strap has a length such that the wire reel is secured a distance D below the belt of the wearer.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, further including a second hanger strap having a first and second end, the first end including an attachment member securable to the belt of the wearer and the second end being connected to the leg strap at a position spaced from the first hanger strap.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the second ends of the first and second hanger straps each include a loop formed therein, the loops receiving the leg strap, wherein the position of the first and second hanger straps are adjustable along the length of the leg strap.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the second ends of the first and second hanger straps are fixedly secured to the leg strap.

17. The device as defined in claim 13, further including a pad positionable between the wire reel and the wearer, and the first hanger strap is secured to the pad at a first position and the leg strap is secured to the pad at a second position, and the wire reel is securable to the pad at a location between the first and second positions.

18. A portable wire reel retaining apparatus comprising:

a wire reel having a housing for securing therein a spool of wire, the housing having a rear side including a pair of spaced slots;

a retaining device including a hanger, having a first and second end, the first end being securable to a wearer, the hanger extending through at least one of the wire reel slots; and

a leg strap securable to the second end of the hanger, the leg strap having a fastening device for removably securing the leg strap to the thigh of a wearer, and wherein the hanger has a length such that the wire reel is secured a distance D below a waist of the wearer.

19. The device as defined in claim 18, wherein the hanger first end includes a loop adapted to receive a waist belt of a wearer.

20. The device as defined in claim 18, further including a pad disposed between the wire reel and the wearer.