Tool lanyard for holding tools

[0002] This application claims the benefit of provisional application Serial No. 60/277,054 filed Mar. 19, 2001.

[0003] This invention relates to a tool lanyard for holding tools, and more particularly to a tool lanyard carried by a workman for securing and arresting the inadvertent dropping of tools, such as wrenches, drills, or hammers for example.

[0004] Workmen in the construction of buildings or the like utilize various tools, such as wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers, drills, and other various tools. When the tool is manually carried by the workman and in use, the workman may inadvertently drop the tool. When such tools are not in use they are usually mounted on the body of the workman such as in belts about the body of the workman or in various pockets. Usually the tools are not tightly secured and may fall or be dropped by the workman particularly upon movement of the workman such as climbing, bending, or when in a prone position. Such movements may dislodge a tool which may result in a fall of the tool. It may be difficult to retrieve a tool after it is dropped.

[0005] Workmen are often times positioned at great heights particularly when working on multi-story buildings. Scaffolding is often utilized and a workman may have to climb on the exterior of the scaffolding. All of these activities may result in the dropping or fall of a tool by a workman and the tool may fall from a substantial height to present a safety hazard as a tool may strike a person at ground level. Retrieval of the tool is time consuming and may not always be possible.

[0006] It is desired that a tool holder carried by a workman be provided to secure a tool and arrest the inadvertent dropping of the tool by the workman.

[0007] The tool lanyard of the present invention for holding tools is normally secured at one end to a safety harness or other member on the body of a workman. A safety harness which is normally strapped about the shoulders, waist, and legs of a workman is normally connected to a fall arrestor. The tool lanyard may also be mounted on a waist belt or other suitable strap or belt.

[0008] The tool lanyard preferably has a snap hook on one end which is attached to a ring on the safety harness. A looped non-elastic cord tightly gripping the tool is connected to the other end of the lanyard and a stretchable elastic element or cord is connected between the non-elastic cord and the snap hook. The stretchable elastic cord fits within an outer flexible but non-elastic sheath which extends about the elastic cord and protects the cord from wear and tear, such as cuts or abrasions. The flexible sheath is preferably formed of a non-elastic webbing material. The outer non-elastic flexible sheath which receives the elastic cord is normally in a highly relaxed position and is kinked along its length when no load or weight is applied from the looped non-elastic cord extending about the tool. However, when a load is applied from a tool gripped by the looped cord, the elastic cord is stretched until the flexible sheath is extended to a taut relation. The stretching of the elastic cord increases substantially the length of the sheath. For example, the non-elastic flexible sheath may have a length of about 2 feet in a kinked relaxed condition and may be extended to about 3{fraction (1/2 )} feet in length when taut to prevent any further stretching of the elastic cord. Thus, the non-elastic sheath and elastic cord provide a resilient mounting for a tool while arresting the downward movement of the tool. When the tool is not being used, it is normally supported by the harness for easy accessibility to the workman. In the event the tool is dropped or released while the lanyard is connected to the harness, the fall of the tool will be arrested by the resilient support with a minimum jerking or pulling action. Thus, a cushioning effect is provided to minimize any shock.

[0009] It is an object of the invention to provide a tool lanyard carried by a workman at one end and connected to a tool at an opposed end to stop the fall of a tool if inadvertently dropped by the workman.

[0010] An additional object of the invention is to provide such a tool lanyard connected at one end to a safety harness about the workman and resiliently mounting a tool thereon for resiliently arresting or stopping the fall of the tool.

[0011] Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic showing of the tool lanyard of the present invention mounted at one end on the body safety harness of a workman and resiliently supporting a tool at an opposed end;

[0013] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the tool lanyard shown in FIG. 1 removed from the safety harness;

[0014] FIG. 3A is an elevational view of the tool lanyard shown in FIG. 2 and showing the intermediate stretchable portion of the lanyard in a relaxed portion;

[0015] FIG. 3B is an elevational view of the tool lanyard shown in FIG. 3A in a taut position;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a manual release member for the looped cord about the taut to permit the looped cord to be drawn tightly about the tool;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a section taken generally along line 5—5 of FIG. 3A and showing an elastic cord within an outer non-elastic sheath with the sheath being in a relaxed kinked condition; and

[0018] FIG. 6 is a section taken generally along line 6—6 of FIG. 3B and showing the non-elastic sheath in a taut relation.

[0019] Referring to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, a body harness is shown generally at 10 about the body of a workman shown at W. Body harness 10 includes shoulder straps 12, and leg straps 14. The tool lanyard comprising the present invention is shown generally at 18 having on one end a hook or carabiner 20 and a looped cord 22 on an opposite end. Hook 20 is mounted on a non-elastic looped strap 24 having stitched ends to form the loop. Hook 20 is received within looped strap 24 and has a keeper 26 spring urged into a closed position. Keeper 26 may be forced to an open position for snapping of hook 20 on a suitable ring 30 of safety harness 10.

[0020] Lower loop 22 is formed by two parallel cords lengths 28 and 30 having ends stitched to a fabric end connecting strip 32. Loop 22 may be formed of an elastic or non-elastic cord and is adapted to receive a tool T such as a hammer, drill, wrench, or similar member which is manually utilized by a workman. Loose cord lengths 28, 30 are arranged to receive the tool and then cord lengths 28, 30 are tightened about the tool. For tightening cord lengths 28 and 30 about a tool such as a handle of a hammer after the handle is received in loop 22, a manually releasable gripping member is shown generally at 34 and is pushed tightly against the tool within loop 22. Gripping member 34 as shown in FIG. 4 includes an outer housing 36 with an elongate opening 38 therethrough. Cord lengths 28,30 are received within opening 38. A manually depressible plunger is shown at 40 received within housing 36 and having opening 42 also receiving cords lengths 28,30. A spring 43 continuously urges plunger 40 outwardly with the innermost peripheral surface defining opening 42 urged by spring 43 against cord lengths 28,30 to squeeze or grip cord lengths 28,30 tightly between the outermost peripheral surface defining opening 38 and the innermost peripheral surface defining opening 42 as shown in FIG. 3. The gripping force applied against cord lengths 28,30 is determined by the force exerted by spring 43. To slide or slip gripping member 34 along cord lengths 28,30 for gripping the tool T, plunger 40 is manually depressed to remove cord lengths 28,30 from a gripping relation and gripping member 34 is then manually moved along cord lengths 28,30 for tightly gripping of tool T by loop 22. Then, plunger 40 is manually released for retaining loop 22 about tool T by tightly gripping cord lengths 28,30. Tool T is thus firmly secured.

[0021] Mounted between the upper looped strap 24 and lower cord loop 22 is a stretchable connecting structure or section 48. Stretchable structure 48 includes an inner elastic member or cord 50 and an outer non-elastic fabric sheath 52 formed of a non-elastic tubular webbing material. Sheath 52 is secured between looped strap 24 and connecting strip 32 and protects inner cord 50 from wear and tear such as abrasions. Elastic cord 50 also has its ends secured to looped strap 24 and connecting strip 32. In the event a tool is inadvertently dropped, the fall of the tool is resiliently arrested. Dependent on the weight of the tool, sheath 52 may return a limited distance after being fully stretched by fall of the tool.

[0022] In the relaxed condition of inner elastic member 50, outer flexible sheath 52 is kinked as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3A. The weight of a tool mounted in looped cord 22 upon being dropped would normally stretch elastic member 50 until flexible sheath 52 is taut as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B. For example, flexible sheath 52 formed of a fabric webbing material may have a length of about 2 feet in a relaxed kinked condition as shown in FIG. 3A and may be stretched by a dropped tool to about 3½ feet before being taut as shown in FIG. 3A to resist any further stretching of elastic cord 50. Elastic cord 50 is designed to stretch at least about 6 inches. Stretchable section or structure 48 acts to permit a resilient support for a tool to reduce any shock action while limiting the downward movement of the tool.

[0023] While the tool lanyard has been shown as supported from the body harness of a workman, the lanyard could be supported from other members such as a belt or other member mounted on the body of the workman. Also, while a hook has been illustrated as releasably connecting an end of the lanyard to the body of a workman, other members such as a looped cord could be utilized for connecting the lanyard to the body of a workman. In addition, a hook connected to the looped cord could be connected to a tool for supporting the tool. The movement of the tool after dropping and being arrested may be between about 1 to 2 feet with the resistance against movement of the tool progressively increasing. The material of which the elastic cord or member may be of an elastic nylon material or of an elastic cotton fabric material, for example. The outer sheath may be formed, for example, of nylon, polypropylene, or cotton.

[0024] While the gripping member for drawing the cord length tight about the tool has been illustrated as having a manually releasable gripping member which may be pushed, the gripping member may be formed of various types of gripping devices which may utilize depressible or slidable members.

[0025] While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated in detail, it is apparent that modifications and adaptations of the preferred embodiment will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.