Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-06
2003-05-20
King, Anita (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C248S238000, C182S107000, C182S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06565051
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to painting accessories and, more particularly, to a holder for a paint can removably attachable to the end of a ladder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many consider painting to be a laborious and tedious exercise. Virtually everyone has had the opportunity at some time or another to paint the interior or exterior of a house. While painting at ground level can be an unexciting and boring exercise, painting at higher levels from atop a ladder adds a serious element of danger.
Performing any activity atop a ladder at any significant height brings into play the real danger of falling. At many heights at which painting is required, a fall can produce serious injuries, if not death. Therefore, many individuals who paint from a ladder often do so extremely reluctantly and with legitimate fear of bodily harm.
Painting atop a ladder is particularly dangerous for a number of reasons. First, by the very virtue of painting, one's attention is diverted from maintaining safety to performing the painting exercise. This requires that the individual stretch and lean at various angles from the ladder to paint. This stretching and leaning exercise moves the center of gravity of the person to areas not aligned with the ladder. This increases the danger of the individual falling. Second, the user's free hand often is required to maintain the paint source, typically a paint can. In other words, while the user is painting with one hand, their free hand which is ordinarily and preferably intended to hold onto the ladder, must be utilized to hold a rather heavy paint can. This leaves the user with ability to hold onto the ladder. Obviously, this significantly increases the probability of the user falling from the ladder.
There are many devices in the prior art that have been developed in order to address this problem. Most of these devices relate to paint can holders which are attachable to the ladder and which hold the paint can for the user, thereby allowing the user to hold onto the ladder with their free hand. Unfortunately, the paint can holders existing on the market have been either needlessly complex or clumsy to use, thereby reducing the instances of their use or, worse, contributing to falls.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a paint can holder which promotes the safety of the user, thereby reducing the incidence of falls from a ladder.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple paint can holder which is easy to use and easy to manufacture.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a paint can holder which is usable in a number of applications and suitable for different painting exercise under a wide range of conditions.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a paint can holder which is inexpensive to manufacture and sell.
Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a paint can holder which is relatively inexpensive to purchase, thereby improving the likelihood that it will be purchased and used.
It is a related object of the present invention to provide a paint can holder that can be used on most ladders and in most uses irrespective of the angle of inclination of the ladder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To accomplish these and other related objects of the present invention, the present invention relates to a paint can holder removably attachable to the end of a ladder. In the preferred embodiment, the holder includes a base structure separating two rail caps. Between the rail caps is a partially cylindrically shaped sleeve mounted to the base structure. A pair of supports connect the sleeve to a respective rail cap. In operation, the holder is placed on the end of a ladder by inserting the end of each rail of the ladder into a respective rail cap on the holder. The ladder is then placed against the structure to be painted. The user climbs the ladder and places the paint can within the sleeve on the structure. The paint can is held in level position on the end of the ladder. The user is therefore allowed to hold on to the ladder with his or her free hand while still being able to access the source of paint without interrupting or impeding their ability to perform their painting task.
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Baxter Gwendolyn
King Anita
Shook Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
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