US 5518139

US Patent 5,518,139 — Summary

Bibliographic Data (verified against Google Patents, EveryPatent, FreePatentsOnline, and USPTO.report)

Abstract (verbatim)

A portable storage assembly includes a bottom tub container, a series of at least two trays which nest one within the other and which collectively nest in the tub container and a cover. The assembly is retained in assembled condition by latches along the sides of the container that cooperate with the cover and the trays. The latches are pivotally supported on the tub container. The top of the cover includes a handle which bridges a recess in the top surface. A workpiece retaining groove is defined in the cover and the handle. The cover further includes storage retaining elements molded on the underside of the cover. The nesting trays include a handle in the lower tray which projects through an opening in the upper tray and nests in an aligned handle associated with the upper tray. The handles of the separate trays nest one within the other so that the trays may be simultaneously transported.

Plain-Language Overview of the Independent Claims

The patent has 12 claims; only claims 1 and 2 are independent. The remainder (3–12) depend from claims 2 or 10.

Claim 1 — Cover/workpiece-retention combination. A portable storage assembly of: (a) a bottom tub container with a top opening; (b) a cover for that opening having a generally planar top surface interrupted by a recess, with an integrally formed handle bridging the recess and connecting the planar surface sections, the handle being generally coplanar with the top surface; (c) a longitudinal groove formed in the top surface that also runs along the handle, defining a workpiece-retention means (e.g., to hold a pipe or bar while working); and (d) means for removably latching the cover to the tub container.

Claim 2 — Nested-tray assembly with combined handle and grooved cover. A portable storage assembly of: (a) a bottom tub container with a top opening; (b) a first tray removably insertable into and supported by the tub container, having a handle projecting upward; (c) a second tray that nests inside the first tray, also having a handle projecting upward, and having an opening through which the first tray's handle passes; the two handles align and nest together into a consolidated, unitary handle so both trays can be carried simultaneously, separate from the container and cover; and (d) a cover removably insertable against the second tray, again having a planar top surface with recess, a coplanar handle over the recess, and a straight-line longitudinal groove in the top surface and handle for workpiece retention.

Dependent claims (brief)

• Claim 3: adds latching means that also retains the trays between cover and tub.
• Claims 4–6: latching-arm details — aligned side recesses for the latch arm (4); a locking tab on a tray projecting through the latch arm with a lock-receiving portion for a padlock (5); a hand-opening in the latch arm for gripping (6).
• Claims 7–8: congruent peripheral shape of tub/cover/trays (7); intersecting vertical planes of symmetry permitting reversible insertion (8).
• Claim 9: textured cover top surface for object adherence.
• Claims 10–12: underside storage means on the cover — a plurality of molded tool holders (11), integrally molded plastic (12).

CAFC 2026 Docket Search — Result

I searched for CAFC 2026 dockets and any post-issuance proceedings (appeals, IPR, reexamination, litigation) tied to patent number 5518139 (also as "5,518,139"). No CAFC docket entries, appeals, IPRs, reexaminations, or litigation records were found. This is consistent with the patent's status: it expired in November 2013 after maintenance fees were paid through the 12th year, and it does not appear in any contested proceedings in the searches performed.

Caveat / uncertainty: I cannot fully rule out the existence of a CAFC 2026 docket, as my searches returned no hits rather than an authoritative negative from the court's docket system. If you need absolute confirmation, I'd recommend checking PACER/CAFC CM/ECF directly by party name (Waterloo Industries, Inc.) or by patent number, since general web searches may not index the full 2026 docket. The bibliographic data above, however, is well corroborated by the authoritative Google Patents record and multiple secondary sources.