Coil nail protector

Abstract

A portable coil nail protector holds a single coil of nails and keeps the coil in the shape necessary to fit in a coil nail gun. The protector includes a base upon which a coil of nails can be placed, a lid attached by a hinge to the base for movement relative to the base between a closed position over and about a coil of nails on the base for holding the coil of nails in the protector and an open position permitting ready access to and removal of the coil of nails from the protector. The base includes at least one elongated opening therein for attaching the protector to a person's belt. Opening the protector by moving the lid relative to the base exposes the coil of nails for easy removal and fast installation into a gun.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A portable container for holding an article, comprising: 
 a base upon which an article to be held by the container can be placed;    a lid attached to the base to permit movement of the lid relative to the base between a closed position over an article on the base to hold the article within the container and an open position to permit removal of an article from the container; and    wherein the base includes at least one elongated opening therein for attaching the container to a person's belt.    
     
     
         2 . The portable container according to  claim 1 , wherein the base and lid in the closed position thereof form a receptacle in the container in the shape of the article to be held for keeping the shape of the article held in the portable container.  
     
     
         3 . The portable container according to  claim 2 , wherein the receptacle is round for holding a single cylindrical coil of nails therein.  
     
     
         4 . The portable container according to  claim 3 , wherein the base includes a central annular projection extending therefrom into the receptacle for supporting the core of a coil of nails therein.  
     
     
         5 . The portable container according to  claim 1 , wherein the portable container is formed of molded plastic which is shape retaining for keeping the shape of an article held therein.  
     
     
         6 . The portable container according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid is attached to the base for movement between the open and closed positions by a hinge.  
     
     
         7 . The portable container according to  claim 1 , wherein each of two opposite sides of the base are formed with an elongated opening therein for attaching the container to a person's belt.  
     
     
         8 . The portable container according to  claim 1 , wherein the direction of elongation of the elongated opening is in the plane of the base so that the base is held in a generally upwardly extending orientation when the container is attached to a person's belt.  
     
     
         9 . The portable container according to  claim 1 , further comprising a releasable catch for releasably holding the lid in the closed position on the base.  
     
     
         10 . A portable coil nail protector for holding a single coil of nails and keeping the coil in the shape necessary to fit in a coil nail gun, the coil nail protector comprising: 
 a base upon which a coil of nails can be placed;    a lid attached to the base to permit movement of the lid relative to the base between a closed position on the base for holding a coil of nails in the protector and an open position permitting removal of a coil of nails from the protector, the lid extending over several sides of a coil of nails on the base when the lid is in the closed position; and    wherein the base includes at least one elongated opening therein for attaching the protector to a person's belt.    
     
     
         11 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 10 , wherein the base and lid in the closed position thereof form a receptacle in the protector in the shape of the coil of nails to be held for keeping the shape of the coil of nails held in the coil nail protector.  
     
     
         12 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle is round for holding a single cylindrical coil of nails therein.  
     
     
         13 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 12 , wherein the base includes a central annular projection extending therefrom into the receptacle for supporting the core of a coil of nails therein.  
     
     
         14 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 10 , wherein the portable coil nail protector is formed of a shape retaining, molded plastic.  
     
     
         15 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 10 , wherein the lid is attached to the base for movement between the open and close positions by a hinge.  
     
     
         16 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 10 , wherein each of two opposite sides of the base are formed with an elongated opening therein for attaching the container to a person's belt.  
     
     
         17 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 10 , wherein the direction of elongation of the elongated opening is in the plane of the base so that the base is held in a generally upwardly extending orientation when the container is attached to a person's belt.  
     
     
         18 . The portable coil nail protector according to  claim 10 , further comprising a releasable catch to releasably hold the lid in the closed position on the base.  
     
     
         19 . A portable coil nail protector for holding a coil of nails and keeping the coil in the shape necessary to fit in a coil nail gun, the coil nail protector comprising: 
 a base upon which a coil of nails can be placed;    a lid attached to the base to permit movement of the lid relative to the base between a closed position over the top and side of a coil of nails on the base for holding the coil of nails in the protector and an open position permitting removal of a coil of nails from the protector; and    wherein the base includes at least one elongated opening therein for attaching the protector to a person's belt, wherein the base and lid in the closed position thereof form a receptacle in the protector in the shape of the coil of nails to be held for keeping the shape of the coil of nails held in the protector, wherein the direction of elongation of the elongated opening is in the plane of the base so that the base is held in a generally upwardly extending orientation when the protector is attached to a person's belt, and wherein a releasable catch is provided to releasably hold the lid in the closed position on the base.    
     
     
         20 . The portable nail coil protector according to  claim 19 , wherein the protector is formed of a shape retaining, molded plastic.