US3429542A - Quick release container holder - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A holder for a fire extinguisher or the like comprising a bracket having clamp means to hold the supported object securely in place. The clamp means is constructed so as to be releasable by catching hold of and exerting a mere forward pull on the supported object.

Background of the invention This invention relates to container holding and releasing brackets, more particularly, a bracket which can be accessibly suspended by suitable fastening means on a wall in ones home, automobile, boat or wherever desired and which is characterized by a pull-responsive quick-releasable coil spring which retains the container, a fire extinguisher, in readiness for unhampered removal and use.

As will be hereinafter more fully appreciated the concept has to do with a container supporting wall-mounted bracket which is simple, practical and economical, which can be readily mounted for convenient use, permits the container to be attached and reliably held and, what is significant and important, grasped and freed for either emergency or casual use, as the case may be.

Prior art It is common in the class of article supports to provide a wall mounted bracket wherein an elongated strap member has container seating means at one end and releasable clamping or clasping means at the other end-as in the instant matter. In fact, brackets for readily attachable and detachable fire extinguishers are shown in (1) a patent to Brock 3,194,529 and (2) a patent to Hain 3,224,720 which can be said to be exemplary of the filed of invention under advisement. Then, too, the use of a coil spring capable of embracing a liquid dispensing bottle or the like is shown in a patent to Legman 2,861,766.

It has been repeatedly said that a problem solved is no longer a problem. The objective in the instant matter, having evaluated and appraised the problem from a significant standpoint, is to provide a bracket which not only supportively seats the container but retentively embraces and holds it in such a manner that by grasping the container with one hand and, without having to unlatch clamping means, the container can be yanked and freed for unhampered instant handling and use.

Summary Briefly, the present invention comprises a wall-type bracket which has a forwardly projecting oblique angled padded foot at the lower end which aptly seats the bottom of the fire extinguisher (can, bottle or corresponding dispensing container) and has means adjacent the upper end for cradling the container of the extinguisher. This means comprises a substantially C-shaped band in which one half-portion of the container is saddled or cradled, and which is unique in that it is equipped with a coil spring which yieldingly but retentively embraces the other half-portion of said container. t

Novelty resides in permanently anchoring one end of the spring and providing the other free end of the spring with an eye which is readily releasably connected with a coacting prong provided on the free end of said 3,429,542 Patented Feb. 25, 1969 g-shaped cradling band and the oriented container seating oot.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a supporting bracket embodying quick release holding means for a readily attachable and detachable dispensing container which may, as suggested, he a fire extinguisher, a spray-type can containing a deicer solution or the like.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the bracket and its component parts with the container omitted for clearness of illustration.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the bracket appearing in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view the purpose of which is to show the readily attachable and detachable connection between the coil spring and prong.

Description of the preferred embodiment By way of introduction to the description of the details it is to be pointed out that the invention was devised and perfected with a view toward making available a simple, practical and economical as well as easily installed quickreleasable support bracket for fire extinguishers, deicer solution containing and dispensing cans and the like for feasible use in ones home, in an automobile, a trailer, a boat or wherever dispensing containers in this category are customarily used. On the other hand, it is to be pointed out that the expression container is intended to comprehend any bottle, can or the like whether it be for spray-type cosmetics, medicinal preparations or the like. It follows that the wall 6 denoted in FIG. 1 is intended to represent any relatively stationary support surface, usually one which is vertical. The dispensing container (fire extinguisher or the like) is denoted at 8.

The invention is directed primarily to the over-all holder characterized by a generally L-shaped bracket 10. The bracket shown is made from sheet material and comprises a member which is channel-shaped in cross section to include a vertical elongated leg 12 with marginal reinforcing flanges 14 and a forwardly outwardly directed foot 16 at the lower end of the leg. The foot is preferably canted at the oblique angle shown to provide a satisfactory seat or rest for the bottom of the container 8. In addition a resilient pad of rubber or suitable compressibly resilient material is provided as at 18 and coacts as a component part of the foot. The upright portion is provided at spaced points with holes 20 to accommodate nails, screws or the like such as one would ordinarily use in mounting the bracket on the wall 6. It will be understood however that headed fasteners need not necessarily be employed inasmuch as there are other available devices for securely mounting brackets on wall surfaces. The means for removably mounting the container 8 is of the utmost in importance and comprises a generally semicircular or C-shaped band 22 the central or bight portion 24 of which is superimposed on the surface of the median part of the leg and is welded or in some equivalent manner secured in place. One curvate outwardly projecting arm of the band is denoted at 26 and terminates in a lateral apertured ear 28, the aperture of which is denoted at 30. The other branch or arm of the band is denoted at the left in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is differentiated by the numeral 32. This portion terminates in a reduced outstanding keeper prong or retainer 34. The coil spring is denoted at 36 and has a hook or eye 38 at one end 3 permanently connected with the apertured ear or lug 28. The other eye, that is the eye at the left as at 40 provides a readily attachable and detachable catch and is releasably engageable with the prong. It follows that with this springequipped container holder 22 the latter serves as a cradling band and embraces one half-portion (more or less) of the median part of the container 8 as shown in FIG. 1. The other half-portion or segmental part of the container is embraced by the conformable suitably tensioned coil spring 36. The spring in effect provides a latch and when the eye 40 is disconnected from the keeper prong 34 the user can readily insert the container and seat the bottom thereof on the cushioned foot 16. With the container thus in place the spring is stretched and the eye 40 becomes attached and is readily and releasably connectible with the keeper prong. The illustration appearing in FIG. 1 shows the dispensing container bracketed on the wall for storage purposes. When it is necessary to use it, assuming that it is a fire extinguisher, all that is necessary is to grasp or catch hold of the container and pull it in a direction away from the plane of the wall surface, whereupon the coil spring 36 yields and permits the catch 40 to release itself almost instantly from the prong 34. The container, for whatever purpose it serves, is accordingly readily applicable and removable.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operations shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A quick release holder for a dispensing container, said holder comprising a bracket embodying an elongated rigid leg capable of being placed fiatwise against and secured to a wall or an equivalent support surface, said leg having a lower end projecting outwardly beyond an outward face of said leg and providing a foot, said foot being short compared to the over-all length of the leg and being inclined upwardly and having a terminal end capable of seating the bottom of and partially supporting said container, a container embracing and cradling member, said member comprising a substantially C-shaped strap, said strap having a surface of a median portion thereof superimposed upon and affixed to an upper outward surface portion of said leg, there being a predetermined space between the outer free ends of the arms of said strap capable of permitting a container to be readily inserted and cradled and subsequently caught hold of and removed from said bracket, said foot being located in a plane below the plane of said strap and situated midway between the respective end portions of said strap, and a container embracing coil spring having one end hingedly but permanently attached to a coacting outer end of said strap, the opposite end of said spring being provided with a readily attachable and detachable spring retaining eye and that end of the strap which is adjacent to said eye having an outwardly projecting prong '4 l constituting a keeper with which said eye is operatively but separably connectible, said prong being cylindrical in cross-section and of a predetermined cross-sectional dimension, said eye being of a diameter appreciably greater than the cross sectional dimension of said prong and being adapted to encircle the prong, and said prong being disposed to project laterally at an obtuse angle with respect to the outer surface of said strap, whereby said eye is removable from said prong by a mere forward pull on the spring.

2. The structure defined in and according to claim 1 and wherein said foot has an upper side providing said seating surface, said surface having a compressibly resilient pad upon which the bottom of the container is perched for ready application and removal.

3. A holder for the container of a fire extinguisher comprising a bracket L-shaped in edge elevation, said bracket being of one-piece construction and embodying an elongated rigid leg, said leg capable of being placed flatwise and secured to the surface of a stationary support, a wall for example, said leg being provided at a lower end thereof with an outwardly projecting foot, said foot being disposed at an upwardly inclined angle oblique to the longitudinal dimension of said leg, said foot having an upper surface, said surface being covered with a compressibly resilient pad, said padded surface providing a seat for a bottom portion of the container of said fire extinguisher, a substantially C-shaped strap constituting a container embracing and cradling member, a median portion of said strap being superimposed upon a cooperating surface of said leg at a position below an upper end of said leg and aligned with said foot, said strap having arcuate end portions capable of snugly but releasably engaging diametrically opposite sides of the container of the fire extinguisher, one end portion having a free terminal end which is apertured and constitutes an ear, the other end portion of said strap having a free terminal end provided with a prong, said prong being circular in cross section and projecting outwardly and laterally and providing a keeper, and a coil spring spanning the space existing between the end portions of said strap, said spring being provided at one end with an eye permanently but hingedly connected with the aperture of said ear, said spring being provided at the opposite end with a latching eye and said latching eye being operatively but separably connected with said prong.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,966,648 7/1934 Ryberg 322183 2,391,264 12/1945 Nickelson 248103 3,033,403 5/1962 Adell 248-31l XR 3,194,529 7/1965 Brock 248-313 JOHN PETO, Primary Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 211-

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