US3556623A - Combination carrying case and tool-holder for portable power tools - Google Patents

Abstract

AN ASSEMBLY HAVING A CARRYING COVER SLIDABLY INTERFITTING WITH A BASE TO WHICH A POWER TOOL IS REMOVABLY MOUNTED, THE BASE BEING APERTURED FOR ADMITTING A WORKING ELEMENT OF THE ATTACHED TOOL AND FOR MOUNTING WORK GUIDING FENCES. THE BASE AND COVER ARE EACH U-SHAPED AND ASSEMBLED IN COMPLEMENTARY INVERTED RIGHT ANGULAR RELATION, THE BASE HAVING RIGID PERIPHERAL STABILIZING FLANGES FACILITATING ASSEMBLY OF THE COVER FOR HOUSING THE TOOL.

Description

Jan. 19,1971 KDAMUONMQ 3,556,623

COMBINATION CARRYING CASE AND TOOL-HOLDER FOR PORTABLE POWER T OLS Filed Sept. 26, 1968 O 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR KESTUTIS DAMIJONAITIS BY ,2 M7? I 1. w, 1971 .DAMIJONAITIS 355636 COMBINATION C ,YING CASE AND TOOLHOLDER FOR PORTABLE POWER TOOLS Filed Sept. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet z United States Patent 3,556,623 COMBINATION CARRYING CASE AND TOOL- HOLDER FOR PORTABLE POWER TOOLS Kestutis Damijonaitis, Newington, Conn., assignor to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 762,824 Int. Cl. A47b 95/02 US. Cl. 312-244 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An assembly having a carrying cover slidably interfitting with a base to which a power tool is removably mounted, the base being apertured for admitting a working element of the attached tool and for mounting work guiding fences. The base and cover are each U-shaped and assembled in complementary inverted right angular relation, the base having rigid peripheral stabilizing flanges facilitating assembly of the cover for housing the tool.

This invention concerns a combination carrying case and toolholder for portable power tools.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved combination carrying case and toolholder assembly to which a portable power tool is mounted in working posture and which affords firm support for a workpiece.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive assembly of the above described type which is of simplified, compact construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide an as sembly of the type described which is conditioned for use by bodily removing a cover member from a base member and simply inverting the base member.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an assembly of the type described which may be either free standing or secured to a supporting surface.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred embodiment of a combination carrying case and toolholder of this invention in assembled relation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view of the carrying case and toolholder shown partly disassembled;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing a base member in inverted exploded relation to a workpiece guide and a supporting surface; and

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of another type of tool mounted on the base member shown on a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a preferred embodiment of a combination carrying case and toolholder assembly for portable power tools is shown. The assembly 10 comprises only two sheet metal parts including abase 12 and a cover 14, thebase 12 being of a sufiicient- 1y heavy gauge sheet material to provide a rigid member.

In the specific illustrated embodiment of this invention, thebase 12 and cover 14 are both of simplified U- shaped construction particularly suited for quick and easy assembly in complementary inverted right angular relation to provide an enclosure for a portable saber saw, sander or similar power tool such as the router shown at 15 for purposes of illustration.

The cover 14 includes a bridge 16 and a pair of dependinglegs 18 shown releasably connected to thebase 12 "ice with any suitable device such as the springbiased thumb latch 20 mounted on eachleg 18 for engaging tongue andbutton elements 22 fixed to thebase 12. The bridge 16 of the cover 14 is provided acarrying handle 24 for transporting the assembly 10.

Thebase 12 comprises a pair ofopposed legs 26 connected by aflat bridge 28. Atool mounting shoe 30 is removably attached to an interior face of thebridge 28 by screws 32 driven home flush with an exterior face orwork surface 33 of thebase 12. Thetool 15 is thus removably secured within thebase 12 and can be utilized interchangeably as either a hand held or operatively mounted tool. When the cover 14 has been removed and set aside, thebase 12 can be simply inverted to present thework surface 33 in a generally horizontally upwardly oriented posture. A relatively large tool admitting aperture 34 is provided in thebridge 28, and a suitable work element such as the saw blade 35 of the illustrated saber saw 15a (FIG. 4) then can be quickly installed. Appropriate guide fences such as 36 (FIG. 3) and 36a (FIG. 4) may be adjustably fixed to thebridge 28 at a number of convenient locations through suitable apertures such as at 38 in thebridge 28, if needed and the assembly 10 is conditioned for use.

So that a single flat piece of sheet material bent along two fold lines can be used to provide the cover member 14 in accordance with another feature of this invention, rigid peripheral stabilizing flanges such as shown at 40 are integrally formed on thebase 12 at right angles to thebridge 28. The aforementioned tongue andbutton element 22 is preferably mounted on theflange 40 which is also shown apertured at 42 for receiving an auxiliary work guiding fence, not shown, particularly adapted for use With a router shaper tool.

Additionally, thelegs 26 of thebase 12 are each provide-d with integralperipheral flanges 44, 46 and 48 along their respective vertical and horizontal edge portions. The vertically extendingflanges 44 and 46 of eachleg 26 are preferably permanently joined to thebridge flanges 40, as withspot welds 50, and cooperate to provide a confining skirt portion for surface-to-surface engagement with thelegs 18 of the cover 14 during storage and transport.

The horizontally extending flanges are turned inwardly at right angles toward each other from the ends of thelegs 26 and haveopenings 52 for receivingfasteners 53 detachably securing thebase 12 to a supporting surface of a table 54, if desired, to provide a toolholder which is more secure than when thebase 12 is free standing. Opposite ends of theflanges 48 terminate adjacent thevertical flanges 44, 46 of thebase 12 and provide aguide abutment 56adjacent flanges 44 and 46 for slidably receiving thelegs 18 of the cover 14 within the confining skirt portions of thebase 12. Thus, a mountedrouter 15 or other portable power tool such as the saber saw 15a and theirrespective fences 36 and 36a and other accessories may be readily housed in thebase 12 which is releasably locked to the cover 14, ensuring secure assembly, transport and storage of the combination carrying case and toolholder assembly. In addition, theflanges 48 afford bearing support for the bridge 16 of the cover 14 in assembled condition.

The assembly of this invention thus provides both a compact and convenient tool mounting support, which is sufficiently rigid to provide a practical work surface, and a tote case removably mounting and completely enclosing a standard power tool and its accessories. By virtue of the above described construction, the base alone need only be flanged and the cover may be formed simply along two fold lines to ensure economical manufacture and ease of assembly and disassembly.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A two-piece combination carrying case nad toolholder assembly for portable power tools comprising a U-shaped base, and a separable carrying cover of inverted U shape, the separable cover being slidably movable relative to the base during assembly and disassembly, the base and cover including locking means releasably securing the same in complementary mutual right angular relation and providing a closed assembly for housing a power tool, the base and cover each including a pair of legs and a bridge spanning the legs, the legs of the base each having rigid peripheral flange means formed thereon directed toward the other leg and including horizontally extending flange means disposed in underlying lapped relation to the bridge of the cover when the cover is assembled on the base, the horizontally extending flange means providing guide abutment means engageable with the legs of the cover when assembled and upon being slidably moved relative to the base during assembly and disassembly.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the bridge of the base includes a bottom surface serving as a work supporting surface having an opening for admitting a tool, means being provided for mounting a power tool in operative position on the base to project through the opening, the cover being bodily removable from the base upon releasing the locking means such that thebase, upon being inverted, provides a toolholder having a work surface 4 surrounding an exposed projecting portion of the power tool.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the peripheral flange means of the base is in surface-to-surface engagement with peripheral edge portions of the cover when in assembled relation therewith and provides a closed assembly of increased stability.

4. The assembly of claim 1 further including a carrying handle on the bridge of the cover, and the peripheral flange means on the base includes bridge flanges formed coextensively along side edges of the bridge of the base, the bridge flanges bieng secured to adjoining leg flanges of the base and providing an integral skirt thereon confining the legs of the cover when it is assembled on the base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,695,210 11/1954 Evans 206-16X 2,731,167 1/1956 Moore 22M 2,741,390 4/ 1956 Moore 220U-Shape 2,759,507 8/1956 Davis et al. 144285 2,786,500 3/1957 Unterfranz 144-285 3,036,608 5/1962 Weber 143--l321X FOREIGN PATENTS 536,183 1/1957 Canada 143-1324 DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

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