Stand for charging an electric tool and the combination of this stand with such a tool

Claim 2

In a stand for supporting an electric tool having a contact member on the upper part thereof and a contact member on the lower part thereof, said tool including electrical utilization means connected to said contact members, and for supplying electricity to contact members on said tool the improvement which comprises: first and second spaced electrical contact elements located on said stand, said contact elements being spaced apart, said first contact element facing upwardly, said second contact element facing downwardly, so that when said tool is supported on said stand said contact member on the lower part of said tool engages said first electrical contact element and so that said contact member on the upper part of said tool engages said contact element, and cradle means on said stand for regulating the position of said tool on said stand and so positioned with respect to said contact elements that said tool can only be supported on said stand with said contact elements so engaged with said contacT members so that a portion of said tool projects outwardly of said cradle means, away from the side of said first contact element remote from said second contact element, said portion being sufficiently heavy and said contact members being so positioned relative to the center of gravity of said tool so that the contact members of said tool are held in engagement with said contact elements by the force of gravity, and means for connecting said contact elements on said stand to an external source of power.

Claim 3

A stand for used in supporting and electric tool having a pair of spaced contacts for supplying electricity to said tool which comprises: a base means for use in supporting said stand, a support structure on said base means, said support structure being capable of positioning said tool in only one position so that a portion of said tool projects from and is horizontally displaced from said support structure, said support structure being shaped so that said tool may be inserted into and removed from said support structure, said tool extending outwardly from a side of said support structure when it is so inserted, first and second contact elements located on said support structure so as to be displaced horizontally from one another, said support structure and contact elements being so constructed and arranged that, when said tool is inserted into said stand between said contact elements, said contact elements engage diametrically opposed surfaces of said tool and said tool is positioned by said support structure with said contacts engaged with said contact elements and the weight of said portion of said tool projecting from said support structure brings a first contact of said tool into electrical contact with said first contact element and pivots said tool about said first contact element to bring the other tool contact into electrical contact with said contact element. means for connecting said contact elements on said stand to a source of power.

Claim 4

A stand for used in supporting and electric tool having a pair of spaced contacts for supplying electricity to said tool which comprises: a base means for use in supporting said stand, a support structure on said base means, said support structure being capable of positioning said tool in only one position so that a portion of said tool projects from and is horizontally displaced from said support structure, said support structure being shaped so that said tool may be inserted into and removed from said support structure, said tool extending outwardly from a side of said support structure when it is so inserted, first and second contact elements located on said support structure so as to be displaced horizontally from one another, said support structure and contact elements being so constructed and arranged that, when said tool is inserted into said stand between said contact elements, said contact elements engage diametrically opposed surfaces of said tool and said tool is positioned by said support structure with said contacts engaged with said contact elements and the weight of said portion of said tool projecting from said support structure brings a first contact of said tool into electrical contact with said first contact element and pivots said tool about said first contact element to bring the other tool contact into electrical contact with said contact element. means for connecting said contact elements on said stand to a source of power.

Claim 5

A stand as claimed in claim 2 wherein: said support means includes a stop means for limiting the extent to which said tool may be inserted into said stand, said stop means insuring alignment of said contact members on said tool with said contact elements on said stand and preventing said tool from being inserted into said stand to such an extent that said portion of said tool does not project from said support structure.

Claim 6

The combination of an electric tool and a stand holding said tool in which the improvement comprises: cradle means on said stand for regulating the position of said tool on said stand, first and second electrical contact elements located on said strand, adjacent to said cradle means, said contact elements being spaced horizontally from one another, first and second electrical contact members located on said tool so as to be spaced from one another an amount corresponding to the spacing between said first and said second contact element, said first contact member being located so as to be exposed on one surface of said tool and said contact member being located so as to be exposed on another, opposed surface of said tool, said tool being capable of being inserted in said cradle means between said contact elements, said tool when so inserted being located so that said first contact member is above and against said first contact element and so that said second contact member is below and against said second contact element and so that a portion of said tool extends outwardly away from the side of said first contact element remote from said second contact element, said portion being sufficiently heavy and said contact members being so positioned relative to the center of gravity of said tool that said contact members are held in engagement with said contact elements by the force of gravity and means for connecting said contact elements on said stand to an external source of power.

Claim 7

The combination of an electric tool and a stand holding said tool in which the improvement comprises: cradle means on said stand for regulating the position of said tool on said stand, first and second electrical contact elements located on said strand, adjacent to said cradle means, said contact elements being spaced horizontally from one another, first and second electrical contact members located on said tool so as to be spaced from one another an amount corresponding to the spacing between said first and said second contact element, said first contact member being located so as to be exposed on one surface of said tool and said contact member being located so as to be exposed on another, opposed surface of said tool, said tool being capable of being inserted in said cradle means between said contact elements, said tool when so inserted being located so that said first contact member is above and against said first contact element and so that said second contact member is below and against said second contact element and so that a portion of said tool extends outwardly away from the side of said first contact element remote from said second contact element, said portion being sufficiently heavy and said contact members being so positioned relative to the center of gravity of said tool that said contact members are held in engagement with said contact elements by the force of gravity and means for connecting said contact elements on said stand to an external source of power.

Claim 8

The combination claimed in claim 4 including: steP means for limiting the extent to which said tool may be inserted between said contact members, said stop means insuring that when said tool in inserted between said contact elements that said contact members on said tool are positioned so as to engage said contact elements, said stop means also insuring that when said tool is so inserted that said portion of said tool will extend from the side of said first contact element remote from said second contact element.

Claim 9

The combination of an electric tool and a stand, said stand having a support structure for holding said tool, said tool being capable of being partially inserted into and being capable of being removed from said support structure, in which the improvement comprises: said support structure including cradle means capable of holding said tool in only one position so that said tool extends outwardly from said support structure at an angle so that at least a portion of said tool projects from and is horizontally displaced from said support structure, a first upwardly directed and a second downwardly directed electrical contact element located on said stand so as to be horizontally displaced from one another in positions in which they are engaged by said tool when said tool is inserted between said contact elements and said tool when said tool is held by said cradle means, a first downwardly directed and a second upwardly directed electrical contact member located on said tool so as to be in engagement with a respective one of said contact elements on said stand when said tool is inserted between said contact elements and is held by said support structure, said contact elements and members being located on said stand and on said tool, respectively, so that when said tool is held by said support structure the weight of the portion of said tool projecting from said support strucutre holds said first upwardly directed contact element and said first downwardly directed contact member against one another so as to establish electrical contact between said first contact member and said first contact element and the weight of the portion of said tool projecting from said support structure causes a force tending to pivot said tool about said first downwardly directed contact member to bring said second upwardly directed contact member against said second downwardly directed contact element to establish electrical contact between said second contact member and said second contact element, and means for connecting said contact elements on said stand to an external source of power.

Claim 10

The combination of an electric tool and a stand, said stand having a support structure for holding said tool, said tool being capable of being partially inserted into and being capable of being removed from said support structure, in which the improvement comprises: said support structure including cradle means capable of holding said tool in only one position so that said tool extends outwardly from said support structure at an angle so that at least a portion of said tool projects from and is horizontally displaced from said support structure, a first upwardly directed and a second downwardly directed electrical contact element located on said stand so as to be horizontally displaced from one another in positions in which they are engaged by said tool when said tool is inserted between said contact elements and said tool when said tool is held by said cradle means, a first downwardly directed and a second upwardly directed electrical contact member located on said tool so as to be in engagement with a respective one of said contact elements on said stand when said tool is inserted between said contact elements and is held by said support structure, said contact elements and members being located on said stand and on said tool, respectively, so that when said tool is held by said support structure the weight of the portion of said tool projecting from said support strucutre holds said first upwardly directed contact element and said first downwardly directed contact member against one another so as to establish electrical contact between said first contact member and said first contact element and the weight of the portion of said tool projecting from said support structure causes a force tending to pivot said tool about said first downwardly directed contact member to bring said second upwardly directed contact member against said second downwardly directed contact element to establish electrical contact between said second contact member and said second contact element, and means for connecting said contact elements on said stand to an external source of power.

Claim 11

In the combination of an electric soldering iron having a housing, batteries located in said housing for use in operating said soldering iron, a tubular conductor extending from one end of said housing, first and second contact members located on said housing so as to be exposed to the exterior of said housing, said contact members being electrically connected to said batteries, and a soldering tip formed on the extremity of said tubular conductor remote from said housing, said batteries being remote from said tubular conductor, said soldering tip being capable of being heated by a current from said batteries, and a stand, said stand having a support structure for holding said soldering iron, said soldering iron being capable of being partially inserted into and being capable of being removed from said support structure, said support structure being capable of holding said soldering iron so that said soldering iron extends outwardly from said support structure at an angle so that at least a portion of said soldering iron projects from and is horizontally displaced from said support structure, said support structure comprises a cradle adapted to contain the end of said housing from which said tubular conductor extends and a wall serving as a stop means located above and at the end of said cradle, a first upwardly directed and a second downwardly directed contact element located on said stand so as to be horizOntally displaced from one another in positions in which they are engaged by said soldering iron when said soldering iron is inserted between said contact elements and is held by said support structure, said first contact member comprising an electrical conductor located on the bottom of said housing, said second contact member being said tubular conductor, said first contact element on such support structure being located in the bottom of said cradle and on the extremity of said cradle remote from said stop means and being exposed to the interior of said cradle, said second contact element on said support structure being located on the undersurface of said wall serving as said stop means and being exposed to the interior of said cradle so that when said soldering iron is inserted into said stand said tubular conductor extends past said stop means so as to be engaged by said contact element, said contact elements and members being located on said stand and on said soldering iron, respectively, so that when said soldering iron is held by said support structure the weight of the portion of said soldering iron projecting from said support structure holds said first contact element and said first contact member against one another so as to establish electrical contact between said first contact member and said first contact element and the weight of the portion of said soldering iron projecting from said support structure causes a force tending to pivot said soldering iron about said first contact member to bring said second contact member against said second contact element to establish electrical contact between said second contact member and said second element, and means for connecting said contact elements to a source of power.

Claim 12

In the combination of an electric soldering iron having a housing, batteries located in said housing for use in operating said soldering iron, a tubular conductor extending from one end of said housing, first and second contact members located on said housing so as to be exposed to the exterior of said housing, said contact members being electrically connected to said batteries, and a soldering tip formed on the extremity of said tubular conductor remote from said housing, said batteries being remote from said tubular conductor, said soldering tip being capable of being heated by a current from said batteries, and a stand, said stand having a support structure for holding said soldering iron, said soldering iron being capable of being partially inserted into and being capable of being removed from said support structure, said support structure being capable of holding said soldering iron so that said soldering iron extends outwardly from said support structure at an angle so that at least a portion of said soldering iron projects from and is horizontally displaced from said support structure, said support structure comprises a cradle adapted to contain the end of said housing from which said tubular conductor extends and a wall serving as a stop means located above and at the end of said cradle, a first upwardly directed and a second downwardly directed contact element located on said stand so as to be horizOntally displaced from one another in positions in which they are engaged by said soldering iron when said soldering iron is inserted between said contact elements and is held by said support structure, said first contact member comprising an electrical conductor located on the bottom of said housing, said second contact member being said tubular conductor, said first contact element on such support structure being located in the bottom of said cradle and on the extremity of said cradle remote from said stop means and being exposed to the interior of said cradle, said second contact element on said support structure being located on the undersurface of said wall serving as said stop means and being exposed to the interior of said cradle so that when said soldering iron is inserted into said stand said tubular conductor extends past said stop means so as to be engaged by said contact element, said contact elements and members being located on said stand and on said soldering iron, respectively, so that when said soldering iron is held by said support structure the weight of the portion of said soldering iron projecting from said support structure holds said first contact element and said first contact member against one another so as to establish electrical contact between said first contact member and said first contact element and the weight of the portion of said soldering iron projecting from said support structure causes a force tending to pivot said soldering iron about said first contact member to bring said second contact member against said second contact element to establish electrical contact between said second contact member and said second element, and means for connecting said contact elements to a source of power.

Claim 13

The combination claimed in claim 7 wherein: said support structure and said contact elements are formed so as to hold said soldering iron so that said soldering iron extends upwardly and outwardly from said support structure at an angle of from about 30* to about 60*.

Claim 14

The combination claimed in claim 7 wherein: said stand includes a ventilated opening which is located adjacent to said tip when said soldering iron is inserted in said stand.