Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-12
2001-06-05
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C182S129000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241204
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable
BACKGROUND—Field of Invention
This invention relates to securely attaching a paint bucket to a hollow rung extension ladder so that the contents are conveniently available to a user and so that the paint bucket can be easily removed and relocated without adversely impacting the user's activities.
BACKGROUND—Description of Prior Art
As a part-time painter, the inventor recognized the need to safely and securely attach a paint bucket to an extension ladder in a conveniently accessible location such that his hands would be free to grip the ladder and maneuver the paint brush while working on the ladder. He fabricated a crude first model of his invention from plywood and other left over wooden items and found that his concept generally satisfied his need. He developed the improvements to this original model to provide capability for easily moving the apparatus from one side of the ladder to the other while he was standing on the ladder. A prototype, including the improvements, has been built and tested by the inventor to validate the claims of this invention.
The inventor originally made an effort to find a commercially available paint bucket holder to answer his need, with no success. Although there have been an abundance of patents issued pertaining to the paint bucket or can holder art, there appears to have been very little commercial success in the field. The inventor intends to fill this void with the product of his invention. In addition to testing the invention prototype under “field” conditions, all aspects of advertising, manufacturing, and distributing the invention are being analyzed in detail. The internet offers a new and innovative way to bring this product to the attention of potential users and is being considered as part of the marketing strategy.
Nearly 100 patents were researched via the US Patent and Trademark Office Database on the internet from the field of paint container holders. Most of the patents researched were from a non-analogous art. Some involved a paint bucket holder that attached to the user's silhouette, others mounted on a step ladder, others either clamped to the edge of an extension ladder or were hung from a ladder rung. The eight patents listed herein were found to apply to the art of a paint bucket holder using a ladder hollow rung for attachment. All eight of these inventions have disadvantages that the present invention overcomes. There is a basic over-all security issue with all eight inventions, due generally to the approach to attachment of the paint can to the ladder hollow rung. The paint bucket has the capability to essentially swing or rotate about the horizontally disposed axis established by the support arm inserted in the hollow rung. This is generally done to maintain the paint bucket in a level, upright orientation. The disadvantage of this approach is that it creates a perception of insecurity on the part of the user due to movement of the paint bucket while paint is being extracted with a brush, especially as the level of the paint in the bucket decreases. The degree of risk of this movement during usage is invention specific, dependent upon the support arm cross section design.
U.S. Pat. No.
Inventor
Issue Date
5,934,632
Norman W. Weaver
08/10/99
5,845,742
Erin Jessica & Robert Thomas Tade
12/08/98
5,649,682
Julius F. Martin
07/22/97
5,316,251
Raymond V. McGraw
05/31/94
4,824,060
Edward S. Korda
04/25/89
4,702,446
Franklin C. Brown
10/27/87
4,523,733
Charles K. Lunder, Jr.
06/18/85
4,099,693
Ellis L. Blann
07/11/78
U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,632 by Weaver describes a utility can holder for use with hollow rung ladders. The paint can or bucket rests with the bail connecting knobs, or alternately, the bucket lip, contacting the upper surface of an annular support member. This support member is rigidly attached to a rung insert member which extends completely through the ladder hollow rung from one side to the other. Flexible tabs are compressed prior to insertion of this member into the rung and then open on the other side of the ladder to prevent inadvertent extraction from within the rung. The annular support member is rotatable within the rung to allow leveling of the paint bucket. This rotatability may cause instability as the user extracts paint from the bucket, as discussed in the preceding paragraph. It is also evident that the positioning and attachment of the paint bucket on the ladder is a two step procedure. The rung insert member must be secured within the selected ladder hollow rung prior to inserting the paint bucket into the container recess. The insertion of the rung insert member into the hollow rung is a “two hand operation”, involving holding the approximately 30 inch long holder with one hand and depressing the flexible tabs with the other hand. Only after the rung insert member is in place can the user climb off the ladder and transport the paint bucket back up the ladder to insert it into the container recess. Thus, significant complication is involved with moving the paint can holder from position to position on the ladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,742 by Tade describes a paint can or bucket hanging by its bail from a T-shaped support member which is attached to one end of an extension member. The rod-like extension member is inserted into a ladder hollow rung. The paint bucket is supported by its bail which is vertically disposed directly above the lip of the paint bucket. This positioning of the bail interferes with extraction of the paint from the bucket with a paint brush.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,682 by Martin supports a container within an encircling cincture formed from a flattened projecting arm that is inserted into a ladder hollow rung. The support part of the projection arm that is inserted into the ladder hollow rung is relatively short and is not attached securely within the hollow rung. There is, at least, the perception of this device being a security risk due to the real possibility that the arm may be inadvertently extracted from the rung opening during usage.
U.S. Pat No. 5,316,251 by McGraw is directed at leveling a paint can in two dimensions. The paint can rests upon a wrap around frame that is elliptical shaped and may be either closed or open at one end. This frame is rigidly attached to a cylindrical handle that is inserted into a ladder hollow rung to support the frame and the paint can. The disadvantage of this approach is that the paint bucket may be dislodged from its position atop the frame and, at least, spill some or all of its contents, or at worst, be a safety hazard to persons on the ground. As with the invention by Martin, the cylindrical handle is relatively short compared to the length of the ladder rung and is not secured within the ladder rung. In addition, in one embodiment of the invention, the paint can is not enclosed on one side by the wrap-around frame, increasing the risk of dislodgment. Both of these conditions contribute to the perception of insecurity by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,060 by Korda provides a holder for supporting a paint bucket or can that is basically a cradle in which the paint can rests on a plate and is contained within a cylindrical member slightly larger in diameter than the outside of the paint can. A detachable rod is inserted through the ladder rung such that a swing plate latch falls vertically and secures the rod from extraction from the rung. The “cradle”, containing the paint bucket is attached to the other end of the rod. Korda's approach provides a higher degree of security than is available for the inventions previously discussed. However, the procedure for mounting the paint bucket onto the ladder is fairly complicated, not providing for ease of movement to another rung on the ladder by the user. The rod is mounted at the desired position on the ladder before the holder is attached to the end of the rod, followed by insertion of the paint bucket into the holder cradle. This procedure appears to involve at least two, and maybe more, trips up the ladder, and is not compa
Beumer Joseph H.
Ramirez Ramon O.
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