Magnetic socket holder

Claim 1

An improved magnetic socket holder comprising, in combination: a pair of equal sized, generally rectangular, opposed metallic plates of a magnetizable material forming opposed, spaced pole pieces, each plate including at least one slit in an outside planar surface; a single magnetic bar having a width dimension no greater than the width of the plates, said bar interposed between the plates and comprised of a flexible material impregnated with a magnetic powder material, the magnetic field of the bar extending from one plate toward the other plate, said bar having a thickness generally corresponding to the distance between the opposed, spaced plates, each of said plates also including at least one projection into the bar to retain the bar in position between the plates; and a unitary extruded, non-magnetic body for rigidly retaining the plates and bar, said body including opposed parallel, planar spaced sides joined together by a transverse, planar back to form a U shaped cross section slot for receipt and retention of the plates and bar, each one of the planar sides respectively abutted against a pole piece plate and deformed in part into the slit formed in the pole piece to thereby retain the pole piece plates and bar whereby the plates define separate poles for the socket holder.