1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for holding or carrying tools, materials, supplies and other work items and, more particularly, to a tool and work material caddy for a step ladder.
2. Background Art
Many work projects are performed at heights above the height of a worker, which may require the individual worker to utilize a ladder to complete the work project at the elevated height. It is common to utilize a step ladder to aid in performing various overhead work projects. Step ladders are a common apparatus for any operation requiring a worker to perform a work project at an elevation that is overhead including such work projects involving painting, plumbing, electrical work, wood work and various other like work projects. One common problem associated with utilizing a step ladder to perform a work project is the problem of inaccessibility of the tools required for performing the particular project. Further, it may require that a ladder be moved to various locations in order to complete the work project at the elevated height, which will require moving the necessary tools to the new location approximate the ladder thereby requiring some sort of tool carrying means to avoid multiple trips from location to location to retrieve and move tools.
Virtually all forms of working on a ladder require some type of tool or part to complete the related project. Retrieving tools or parts or materials while on a step ladder has been an ongoing problem because most work projects require multiple tools as well as multiple material items in order to complete the project. Therefore, it is not uncommon for the person performing the elevated work project on the ladder to make repeated trips up and down a ladder in order to access the appropriate tool to complete or perform a portion of the elevated work project. Repeated climbing up and down the ladder will result in unnecessary fatigue for the worker.
Various trays, caddys and other holding devices have been adapted for ladders and are known in the art for attaching to a step ladder such that the worker can readily access tools contained therein. There are trays that are permanently attached to ladders that can pivotally fold out or retract within the legs of the ladder. There are other various trays that are removably attached to a step ladder for holding and supporting tools and various other items. There are also various caddy devices that are removably attached to a step ladder including utility baskets having a unshaped bail rod handle that fits atop a step ladder for holding tools such as the utility basket with a carrying handle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,819.
The bail rod handle design of U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,819 allows the utility basket to be quickly removed and installed atop a step ladder rather than requiring other types of brackets for positioning the basket atop the step ladder. However, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,819, the bail rod handle design being pivotable and centrally connected prevents the bail rod handle from being used as a basket carrying handle such that the basket has another handle positioned in the container area of the basket. However, this single bail rod design that is centrally and pivotally attached to the basket thus requiring a separate handle for carrying is not an optimal design for such a ladder caddy.
One embodiment of the present invention is a vented wire mesh basket having pivotally mounted unshaped bail rod handles for installing atop a step ladder for the purpose of holding various tools and other work materials. The vented basked or ladder caddy comprises a plurality of elongated length wise and width wise wires that are formed into a substantially u-shaped pattern where the base of the u-shaped pattern is substantially flattened and the opposing sides of the u-shaped pattern are canted outward with respect to one another. The length wise and width wise u-shaped wires are attached along the length of their base interconnecting to form a vented mesh pattern for the base of the basket. The plurality of sides of the plurality of unshaped wires form a vented wall of the basket. A top frame wire is formed into a top rim or frame portion that is connected along the top ends of the plurality of sides of the u-shaped wires. There is also a center frame wire formed in an endless loop and connected around the peripheral of the sides of the u-shaped wires proximate a central portion of the sides with respect to the top end and base end of the u-shaped wire. There are also a pair of u-shaped bail rod handles that are pivotally attached to the top frame rod for installing atop a step ladder and for carrying a basket.
Also, one embodiment of the invention can include a wire locking system for an extension cord or electrical cord for a power tool and a spool rod for mounting a spool of wire.
These and other advantageous features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein below.
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
According to the embodiment(s) of the present invention, various views are illustrated in
One embodiment of the present invention comprising a formed top frame and center frame connected around the periphery of interconnected unshaped wires teaches a novel apparatus for a ladder caddy.
The details of the invention and various embodiments can be better understood by referring to the figures of the drawing. Referring to
The importance of this top frame 106 become critical after the caddy has been installed on the stepladder. As down load force is put inside the caddy, this frame will experience an outward horizontal force. If the steel top formed frame becomes bent or deformed, the fulcrum point of the caddy would change, a factor critically affecting the outcome or reaction. The result may be that the caddy will not hang in a level manner or hang at the appropriate height.
The two loops incorporated in the body of the formed top frame 106, along with Items 114 and 120 referred to as hooks or locking pins, secure electrical cords away from the steps 208 of the stepladder 200, see
A center frame 108 is preferably made of steel and can be preferably about approximately ¼″. The importance of this frame becomes critical after the caddy has been installed on the stepladder. As down load force is put inside the caddy, this frame will experience an inward horizontal force against the legs of the stepladder. This frame keeps the spacing of the wire basket from separating. If the spacing between wire in the caddy should separate, the fulcrum point of the caddy would change, a factor critically affecting the outcome or reaction.
Items 102 and 104 of the caddy can be referred to as the long 104 and short 102 substantially u-shaped wires that are interconnected along the length of the base of the u-shaped wires to form a meshed crossing pattern thereby forming the bottom of a basket. The opposing upright sides of the u-shaped wires form the walls of the basket. The long wires are interconnected to the short wires along the lengths of the bases of the u-shaped wires in one embodiment such that all the bases and sides of the long wires are in parallel with respect to each other and the same for the short wires. Number ten (10) gauge wire can be used for the long and short wires. Ten (10) gauge wire builds strength in the caddy so that the caddy will not be deformed.
Two (2) handles 110 and 111 or bail rods can be used for the caddy. Each handle or bail rod can be made of about approximately ¼″ steel wire. The length of each bail rod can be about approximately 17⅛″ wide plus or minus as shown. The importance of the length dimension is that either handle on the caddy will swing around the top of most stepladders, holding the caddy securely in place. The handle over the top of the stepladder applies horizontal force to the legs of the stepladder. However, the length of the handle can vary depending on the dimensions of the step ladder for which it is to be used.
The width of the handle can be about approximately 8 3/16″ as shown. It is a critical point that the short dimension N be maintained consistent with the type of ladder for which it will be used. This holds the caddy near the top of the stepladder. If this dimension was made shorter, the handle may not go over the top of most stepladders which, at this point, the unit could not be used as a ladder caddy.
By increasing this 8 3/16″ dimension N to something greater, the fulcrum point of the caddy would change, a factor critically affecting the outcome or reaction. The caddy would also drop lower on the stepladder which would limit its usefulness by making it more difficult to reach materials and supplies inside the caddy, and would increase tipping of the stepladder which is a large safety issue. The dimension N can be optimized for ladders for which the present invention will be utilized; however, based on the typical step ladder one embodiment is about approximately 8 3/16″.
Hooks and or locking pins can be made of about approximately ¼″ wire. Two for each caddy is shown for example as one embodiment. They are pivotally connected in the top frame in the loop area of the top frame of the caddy. By making a loop in an electrical cord, and inserting that loop through the bottom of the loops found in the formed frame, then placing the hooks or locking pins through the loop in the electrical cord, this now serves as a locking device securing electrical cords away from the steps of the stepladder for safety.
The wire locking system can be made up of ten (10) gauge support wire that can be 4⅜″ long and two can be used for each caddy. Wires 118 and 125 can be used as a paint roller handle lock 118 or 125. When a person is using the caddy to hold a paint pan, paint and a paint roller, a need arose to develop a locking system to keep the paint roller handle from falling into the paint. These wires 118 and 125 located on each side of the caddy serve as the locking device for most paint roller handles. The dimensions of the caddy can be optimally designed to allow a standard sized paint pan to fit on the bottom of the caddy or dimension such that the paint pan can be securely nested on the top frame.
Item 126 can be made of eighteen (18) gauge sheet metal which can be about approximately 7½″×3⅜″. Its function is to offer a place on the caddy to support labels.
Items 116 and 124 are two gap wires that can be about approximately ¼″ welded to the top formed frame. The function of the gap wires is to support an accessory referred to in
The spooler shown on
Item Z is referred to as the side wall angle and that can be seen in
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The various ladder caddy examples shown above illustrate a novel ladder caddy apparatus. A user of the present invention may choose any of the above ladder caddy embodiments, or an equivalent thereof, depending upon the desired application. In this regard, it is recognized that various forms of the subject ladder caddy could be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. It is accordingly intended that the claims shall cover all such modifications and applications that do not depart from the sprit and scope of the present invention.
Other aspects, objects and advantages of the present invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.