GB2424669A - A hooked device for attaching a paint can to a ladder - Google Patents

Abstract

A hooked device for supporting handled or un-handled tins of paint on the rungs of a ladder. A hook 3 engages with the inside rim of a paint tin or it may be used to support the handle. The device may be hung over an upper rung 1 with the distal end of the longest arm fitting behind a lower rung 2 to support the weight of the tin. The long arm is constructed of two lengths of metal strip with a piece of rubber sandwiched between them. Several holes 5 made in the strip may serve to hold brushes, sandpaper, rags or other accessories. These are held in place by the resilient rubber material lining the holes. The device is hinged at two points allowing it to be folded flat when not in use.

Description

1 2424669 Ladder Hook This invention relates to a device that can hold a

paint tin, with or without a handle, securely on a ladder.

When a painter is painting on a ladder they are usually required to hold a minimum of one tin of paint and a brush. This requires two hands. Ladder manufacturers recommend for the safety of the user that you always maintain a safe grip' with one hand. I have found this impossible to undertake because at all times you need to hold these two things. This puts the painter at risk from falling, decreases the speed of which the job can be completed and also reduces the quality of the finished job.

There are some products on the market which attempt to solve this problem, such as the paint kettle' and double ended hook, but I found these are usually very unstable and still do not solve the problem of maintaining a safe grip' as there is nowhere to put brushes. Also they often result in a waste of paint and excess cleaning at the end of a job.

To overcome this, the present invention proposes a hooking device which clips onto the upper rim of the paint tin, in the case of tins without handles, or can be securely attached to the handle for tins with handles. This is then slotted onto the ladder using two rungs.

There are 3 holes in the straight back of the device which slots under the second rung of the ladder, where paint brushes and additional accessories can be placed.

The whole device, with paintbrushes and paint tins can be carried and secured on to the ladder at any point with one hand, and folds flat for storage.

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows how my device sits on the ladder.

Figure 2 shows a side of view of the device.

Figure 3 shows a side view of how the device looks when it is folded up.

Figure 4 shows a closer view of the device from an angle.

Figure 5 shows a closer view of the holes where paint brushes can be slotted.

Figure 6 shows a side view of the device in its collapsed state.

Figure 7 shows a side view of how the hooking device attaches to the lip of the paint tin.

Figure 8 shows an angle view of figure 7.

Figure 9 shows a side view of how the device can also hold handled tins.

Figure 10 shows an angled view of the hooking device holding a handled tin.

Figure 11 shows a possible variation of the original device which allows the paint tin to sit On the front of the ladder allowing easier dipping of the brush.

Figure 12 shows the variation device on its own.

In figure 1 the device slots over the first rung 1 and under the second rung 2. When the paint tin is attached at 3 the weight of the tin creates and inward force in the direction of the arrow 4 which means the product becomes very stable and sturdy.

The straight back of the device 5 consists of a piece of rubber sandwiched between two pieces of metal. This is shown in more detail in Figure 2. The first piece of metal 1 creates a degree angle with the horizontal piece at the top 2 where it is hinged. The second piece 3 is bent at the top to create the hook which is hooked over the first rung in figure 1. This also acts as a natural holding point for the user when carrying the device, guarding the user's hands from the hinge. The rubber 4 in between is necessary to hold paint brushes and other painting accessories.

Figure 4 and 5 describe the accessory securing system. In Figure 4 the rubber in between has a cross cut into to it where the holes are at 1, 2 and 3. These can hold paint brushes of varying sizes and other painting accessories such as sandpaper and rags. Figure 5 shows how a paint brush would be held in the securing system. To use the system you simply push the accessory through the hole and the rubber 1 will hold it secure. The two pieces of metal may be riveted or bolted together, through the rubber.

The horizontal piece 5 at the top of the product in figure 2 is necessary to create enough clearance from the ladder for the paint tin to hang freely and allow easy dipping access to the paint tin. It contains two hinges 2 which I have already described, and 6 which is a 75 degree angle.

The angles of the product have been designed to comply with safety recommendations provided by ladder manufacturers. They state that the ladder should be angled at a 75 degree angle from the wall If the ladder has been placed too steeply or too shallow then my product will not function correctly This provides additional safety to the user.

The two hinges allow the whole product to fold flat in the directions of the arrows 7 and 8.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the product in its collapsed state. The unhinged ends of the product should all meet up perfectly.

Figure 2 also shows the basic shape of the hooking device 9 which is attached to the painttin.

It consists of two pieces of metal which are welded together at 10. This allows for some movement of the metal between the hook device and the flat piece of metal. Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 shows how this works in relation to the paint tin.

Figures 7 and 8 show how it can clip on to the upper rim of an un-handled paint tin. As it is pushed down on to the rim 1 the hook 2 is forced outwards creating a gap between the two pieces where the rim can fit through. Once the hook moves past the rim it the springs back into place, hooking under the rim. The back piece 3 extends down the back of the tin SO that when it is lifted it is held level. To remove the device is pulled down to a horizontal position across the top of the paint tin, at which point the hook will become free and can be pulled out.

In figure 9 and 10 it shows how the device can hold handled paint tins. The handle of the tin fits through the gap between the hook I and the back piece 2 and the handle can sit level in the horizontal part of the hook 3. The back piece used to support the unhandled paint tins should be of the correct length so as not to extend into the paint of the handled tin as seen in figure 10.

Figure 11 shows a possible variation of the invention. In this diagram the hook 1 for holding the tin has been positioned on the front of the ladder. This means that the paint tin would sit on the front of the ladder and allows for easier dipping. This design would hook on the ladder in the same way as the first product at 2, but this time sits on the second rung 3. This would be easier to attach, and reduces the chance of paint spillage. The device extends out at 4 in order to get clearance from the side of the ladder and to create the correct angle for the tin to hang level. This extended part and could also act as a handle or a place to put brushes using the original concept already described.

One additional feature that may be included in the final design is a chisel like device at one end, which can be used for the removal of paint lids.

Claims (4)

1. Claims 1. A hooking device which can be attached to the handle or the rim

   of a paint tin and then attached to a ladder allowing the paint tin to be held suspended, level and secure.
2. 2. An accessory securing system'consisting of a piece of rubber sandwiched between to pieces of metal with holes in them, allowing paint brushes to be threaded through and held securely
3. 3. Two hinges which allows the whole product to be folded flat.
4. 4. The main body of the product consisting of a hook, which is attached to the first rung and an extended piece of metal which slots under the second rung allowing the paint tin to be held secure.