StartUp WV Manufacturing Company Obtains Patent For New Tool Tote
Tim Bell, owner of Craft-Totes by Bell, with the patent certificate his company received from the U.S. Patent Office
Tim Bell, owner of Craft-Totes by Bell, stands with the patent certificate that his company received recently from the U.S. Patent Office.
Bell’s company designs and manufactures carry containers for tools and other items used by plumbers, electricians and other construction workers. The Dunbar, W.Va. company has been a participant in TechConnect’s StartUp WV Manufacturing program. That program is funded by the U.S. EDA and provides financial assistance to manufacturers who have ideas for new products.
Craft-Totes worked with the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing to come up with a simplified tote design that could be assembled with a few pop rivets. The institute also helped by allowing him to use a powerful water jet machine to precisely and quickly cut the totes out of sheet metal.
“We are so pleased with Craft-Totes’s continued success and growth,” said Anne Barth, TCWV’s Executive Director. “Getting patent protection for their tote is an important step that will lead to further opportunities.”