Compartmentalized accessory tray assembly for ladders

Claim 2

An accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, means pivotally interconnecting the respective housing side walls and said tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, means interconnected between said housing and said tray member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, said front wall member including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from said housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means, and said tray member in the fully open and fully closed positions of said tray assembly being disposed in coplanar relationship.

Claim 3

An accessory tray member in accordance with claim 1, wherein said front wall member is disposed in abutting engagement with said housing top wall in the normally closed position of said accessory tray assembly.

Claim 4

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 2, wherein said biasing means comprises at least one spring member interconnected between said front wall member and said housing rear wall.

Claim 5

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein said front wall member comprises a tray front wall, and a front plate member secured to said tray front wall.

Claim 6

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein said spring member is interconnected between said front plate member and said housing rear wall.

Claim 7

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said housing top wall, rear wall and side walls are formed integrally with one another.

Claim 8

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 6, wherein said housing side walLs are coextensive with said housing top wall.

Claim 9

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said tray member front wall member includes a tray front wall, and said tray front wall, rear wall and side walls being formed integrally with one another.

Claim 10

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein said tray front wall, rear wall and side walls are formed having a singular unitary height.

Claim 11

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein said tray member includes a plurality of partitions disposed therewithin dividing said tray member into a plurality of compartments.

Claim 12

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein said partitions are positionally secured between said tray front and rear walls.

Claim 13

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 11, wherein said partitions are connected between said tray front and rear walls to form a compartmentalized tray member having a plurality of individually segregated compartments.

Claim 14

An accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said front wall member comprising a tray front wall, and a front plate member secured to said tray front wall, means pivotally interconnecting the respective housing side walls and said tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, at least one biasing spring member interconnected between said housing rear wall and said front wall member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, said front wall member being disposed in abutting engagement with said housing top wall in the normally closed position of said accessory tray assembly and including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from said housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means, said front plate member being of substantially U-shaped configuration whose lower end comprises an inwardly projecting flange and whose upper end comprises a substantially inverted outwardly projecting flange, and said U-shaped outwardly projecting flange comprising said means for moving said tray member outwardly from said housing.

Claim 15

An accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said front wall member comprising a tray front wall, and a front plate member secured to said tray front wall, means pivotally interconnecting the respective housing side walls and said tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, at least one biasing spring member interconnected between said housing rear wall and said front wall member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, said front wall member being disposed in abutting engagement with said housing top wall in the normally closed position of said accessory tray assembly and including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from said housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means, said front plate member being of substantially U-shaped configuration whose lower end comprises an inwardly projecting flange and whose upper end comprises a substantially inverted outwardly projecting flange, and said U-shaped outwardly projecting flange comprising said means for moving said tray member outwardly from said housing.

Claim 16

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 13, wherein said housing rear wall includes an inwardly projecting flange at the bottom thereof, said spring member being interconnected between said housing rear wall flange and said lower end flange of said front plate member, and said last mentioned flanges in said fully open and fully closed positions of said accessory tray assembly being disposed in coplanar relationship.

Claim 17

An accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, means pivotally interconnecting the respective housing side walls and said tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, means interconnected between said housing and said tray member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, said front wall member including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from saId housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means, said housing top wall, rear wall and side walls being formed integrally with one another, said housing side walls being coextensive with said housing top wall, said housing rear wall being coextensive with said housing top wall, and said housing rear wall extending downwardly below said housing side walls.

Claim 18

An accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, means pivotally interconnecting the respective housing side walls and said tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, means interconnected between said housing and said tray member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, said front wall member including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from saId housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means, said housing top wall, rear wall and side walls being formed integrally with one another, said housing side walls being coextensive with said housing top wall, said housing rear wall being coextensive with said housing top wall, and said housing rear wall extending downwardly below said housing side walls.

Claim 19

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 15, wherein said housing rear wall includes adjustment leveling means connected thereto.

Claim 20

An accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, at least one link member interconnected between the respective housing side walls and tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, means interconnected between said housing and said tray member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, and said front wall member including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from said housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means.

Claim 21

An accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, at least one link member interconnected between the respective housing side walls and tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, means interconnected between said housing and said tray member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, and said front wall member including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from said housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means.

Claim 22

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 17, wherein each of said link members has one of the ends thereof pivotally connected with respect to said respective housing side wall and the other end thereof pivotally connected with respect to said respective tray member side wall.

Claim 23

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 18, wherein the pivotal connection of the ends of said link members to said housing and tray member side walls includes means for positionally disposing each of said link members in a singularly oriented plane, and wherein the plane of disposition of said link members are in parallel relationship.

Claim 24

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 19, wherein said plane of orientation of each of said link members is a vertical plane.

Claim 25

The combination of an accessory tray assembly and a step ladder assembly, said accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, means interconnecting the respective housing side walls and said tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, means pivotally interconnected between said housing and said tray member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, said front wall member including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from said housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means, said step ladder assembly comprising a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart side rails, and a plurality of individual steps secured between said side rails and disposed in spaced vertical relationship with respect thereto, and means for securing said accessory tray assembly with respect to one of said steps between said side rails comprising means for positioning the upper surface of said housing top wall in substantially abutting engagement with the underside of said step including openings preselectively formed in said side rails and in said housing side walls.

Claim 26

The combination of an accessory tray assembly and a step ladder assembly, said accessory tray assembly comprising a housing, and a tray member, said housing comprising a top wall, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls depending downwardly from said top wall, said tray member comprising a bottom wall, a front wall member, a rear wall, and a pair of side walls extending upwardly from said bottom wall, means interconnecting the respective housing side walls and said tray member side walls to permit slidable movement of said tray member with respect to said housing, means pivotally interconnected between said housing and said tray member to normally bias said accessory tray assembly in its closed position wherein said tray member is substantially positioned inwardly within said housing, said front wall member including means for slidably moving said tray member substantially outwardly from said housing against the force exerted on said tray member by said biasing means, said step ladder assembly comprising a pair of substantially parallel spaced apart side rails, and a plurality of individual steps secured between said side rails and disposed in spaced vertical relationship with respect thereto, and means for securing said accessory tray assembly with respect to one of said steps between said side rails comprising means for positioning the upper surface of said housing top wall in substantially abutting engagement with the underside of said step including openings preselectively formed in said side rails and in said housing side walls.

Claim 27

An acCessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 21, wherein said securing means includes bolt means extending through said openings in said side rails and housing side walls disposed in coaxial alignment, and nuts adapted to engage said bolt means to positionally secure the same within said coaxially aligned openings.

Claim 28

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 22, wherein said bolt means comprises a single bolt having threaded end portions and extending longitudinally through said tray assembly with the threaded end portions thereof projecting outwardly of said side rails, and nuts threadedly engaging said bolt end portions to positionally secure said bolt within said openings, all of which are disposed in coaxial alignment.

Claim 29

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 23, including means disposed between the outer surface of at least one of said housing side walls and the inner surface of at least one of said side rails to prevent any horizontal movement of said accessory tray assembly with respect to said side rails.

Claim 30

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 23, including adjustment leveling means connected to said housing rear wall, and said adjustment leveling means being adapted to securely engage the underside of said step to prevent any vertical movement of said tray assembly with respect thereto.

Claim 31

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 21, wherein the most outwardly projecting portion of said front wall member is disposed substantially flush with and/or slightly recessed with respect to the leading front edge of said step.

Claim 32

An accessory tray assembly in accordance with claim 21, wherein said side rails have a plurality of preselectively formed openings therein disposed in predetermined relationship with selected ones of said steps, said preselectively formed openings enabling said tray assembly to be selectively secured with respect to the undersides of said selected ones of said steps.