Painter's tool tray

Abstract

A topple resistant receptacle having a paint can securing means formed therein surrounded by a spill retaining wall, and a kit containing the receptacle, a paint can slot shield and a ladder hook for securing the receptacle to a ladder.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A painter's portable tool kit comprising a topple resistant receptacle having a paint can securing means surrounded by a spill retainer wall, and a paint can slot shield.  
     
     
         2 . A kit of  claim 1  wherein said receptacle comprises a shallow pan shaped container having a generally flat bottom surface, said retainer wall extending upwardly from about the perimeter thereof and forming a liquid holding well therewith.  
     
     
         3 . A kit of  claim 2  wherein said retainer wall is a double-walled arrangement comprising spaced inner and outer walls connected about along top margins thereof.  
     
     
         4 . A kit of  claim 3  wherein a bottom edge of said outer wall faces downwardly and extends slightly below the plane of said flat bottom surface of said receptacle.  
     
     
         5 . A kit of  claim 2  wherein said receptacle comprises a generally flat inner surface and said paint can securing means comprises a raised shoulder arranged on said inner surface of said receptacle, said raised shoulder being sized, dimensioned and configured to engage a protruding ridge of a paint container.  
     
     
         6 . A kit of  claim 5  wherein said raised shoulder comprises a rib configured to resist withdrawal of said protruding ridge from engagement with said raised shoulder.  
     
     
         7 . A kit of  claim 5  wherein at least one of said raised shoulder, rib and protruding ridge is resilient.  
     
     
         8 . A kit of  claim 5  wherein said raised shoulder is arranged to engage a protruding ridge along an edge connecting a base and side of a metal paint container.  
     
     
         9 . A kit of  claim 8  wherein a protruding ridge of a metal paint container is generally circular and said raised shoulder of said securing means is generally circular.  
     
     
         10 . A kit of  claim 5  wherein a said raised shoulder is generally rectilinear.  
     
     
         11 . A kit of  claim 2  wherein said receptacle is oblong, having a rectilinear shape at one end and a curved shape at the opposite end.  
     
     
         12 . A kit of  claim 3  wherein said receptacle comprises at least one guide member extending from means connecting said top margins of said spaced inner and outer walls.  
     
     
         13 . A kit of  claim 2  wherein the surface area of the bottom surface of said receptacle is at least twice the surface area of the bottom surface of a cylindrical gallon metal paint can.  
     
     
         14 . A kit of  claim 1  wherein said slot shield comprises a disk having a top side, bottom side, central opening and exterior perimeter.  
     
     
         15 . A kit of  claim 14  wherein said disk comprises a brush bristle wiping means.  
     
     
         16 . A kit of  claim 15  wherein said brush bristle wiping means comprises a generally straight wiping edge.  
     
     
         17 . A kit of  claim 16  wherein comprising a further wiping edge extending angularly from said generally straight wiping edge.  
     
     
         18 . A kit of  claim 15  wherein said central opening of said disk is generally circular and said brush bristle wiping means comprises a wiping bar having a wiping edge arranged between spaced points along the perimeter of the generally circular central opening.  
     
     
         19 . A kit of  claim 14  wherein said central opening of said disk is generally circular and generally concentric with said exterior perimeter of said disk, and said bottom side of said disk comprises spaced, generally concentric, first and second raised shoulders arranged respectively along about the perimeter of said central opening and said exterior perimeter of said disk.  
     
     
         20 . A kit of  claim 19  comprising a gripping tab extending from about said exterior perimeter of said disk.  
     
     
         21 . A kit of  claim 19  wherein an inside surface of said first raised shoulder of said disk comprises a ridge arranged to engage an inside surface of a generally circular opening to a paint can.  
     
     
         22 . A kit of  claim 18  wherein said disk further comprises a wiping shield.  
     
     
         23 . A kit of  claim 22  wherein said wiping shield comprises a raised shoulder arranged on said top side of said disk along about said perimeter of the central opening, adjacent to said wiping bar.  
     
     
         24 . A kit of  claim 14  wherein said disk comprises a brush securing means.  
     
     
         25 . A kit of  claim 24  wherein said brush securing means comprises a resilient gripping means arranged to secure a brush against a backing surface.  
     
     
         26 . A kit of  claim 25  wherein said resilient gripping means comprises an elongate resilient member extending into said central opening of said disk, arranged to forcible engage a painters brush between the resilient member and a backing surface arranged at the perimeter of said central opening.  
     
     
         27 . A kit of  claim 1  comprising an adapter plate.  
     
     
         28 . A kit of  claim 27  wherein said adapter plate comprises a plate having a circular raised shoulder on a first side and a rectilinear raised shoulder on the opposite side, one of said shoulders being configured to engage said paint can securing means, the other being configured to secure a paint can thereto.  
     
     
         29 . A kit of  claim 1  comprising a ladder hook.  
     
     
         30 . A kit of  claim 29  wherein said ladder hook comprises a generally “U” shaped first end configured to removably mount to a rung of a ladder and two or more spaced opposite ends arranged to connect at spaced positions to an end of said receptacle.  
     
     
         31 . A kit of  claim 30  wherein said ladder hook is formed from a single wire rod, folded over at about its center to form two closely spaced generally parallel rods connected at a first end and shaped to form a generally “U” shape suitable to loop over a ladder rung; said rods being thereafter separated to form spaced opposite ends, arranged to securely engage opposite sides of said receptacle.  
     
     
         32 . A topple resistant receptacle comprising: 
 a shallow pan shaped container having a generally flat bottom surface and a generally flat inner surface;    a retainer wall extending upwardly from about the perimeter said bottom surface and forming a liquid holding well therewith;    said retainer wall being a double-walled arrangement comprising spaced inner and outer walls connected along top margins thereof;    wherein said inner surface comprises a raised shoulder thereon, said raised shoulder being sized, dimensioned and configured to engage and forcible mount a protruding ridge of a paint container thereto.    
     
     
         33 . A slot shield comprising: 
 a disk having a top side, bottom side, central opening and exterior perimeter;    a wiping bar having a wiping edge arranged between spaced points along the perimeter of said central opening;    spaced, first and second concentric raised shoulders arranged on said bottom side of said disk, respectively proximate the perimeter of said central opening and said exterior perimeter;    wherein a side surface of said first raised shoulder of said disk comprises a ridge arranged to engage an inside surface of a generally circular opening to a paint can.    
     
     
         34 . A slot shield of  claim 33  comprising a gripping tab extending from about said exterior perimeter of said disk.  
     
     
         35 . A slot shield of  claim 33  comprising a generally straight wiping edge.  
     
     
         36 . A slot shield of  claim 35  comprising a further wiping edge extending angularly from said generally straight wiping edge.  
     
     
         37 . A slot shield of  claim 33  wherein said disk further comprises a wiping shield comprising a raised shoulder arranged on said top side of said disk along about said perimeter of the central opening, adjacent to said wiping bar.  
     
     
         38 . A slot shield of  claim 33  comprising an elongate resilient member extending into said central opening of said disk, said resilient member arranged to forcible secure a painters brush between said resilient member and a backing surface arranged at the perimeter of said central opening.