THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410200041
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: AROUND THE HOUSE
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
Anyone who has ever had a can of soup roll under the gas pedal while driving home a carload of groceries will applaud a new product called the BoxBoy.
The folding plastic box holds several bags of groceries upright, even while the driver makes sharp turns and quick stops. The box, divided into four compartments, fits neatly into just about any car or trunk, said one of its creators, Steve Adkinson. He and business partner Avi Fattal, inventor of the Auto Shade car windshields, operate BoxBoy Ltd. in Los Angeles.
``Three years ago my mother put the idea in my head when she told me that one of her biggest problems was having to repack groceries that had rolled all over the car while she was driving them home,'' Adkinson explained in a phone interview.
``Avi and I collected old six-pack containers and took them apart to see how they were designed,'' Adkinson said. What they came up with was a rigid but collapsible plastic box that measures 17-by-16-by-6 inches when open. In 1992-93, the partners received patents on their product, which is currently available in stores in 30 states and by mail order.
Although BoxBoy is not yet carried in stores in Virginia, Adkinson hopes it will be soon. In the meantime, the product, priced at two boxes for $15, can be ordered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling (800) 525-2510. Payment can be made by Visa, MasterCard or check. Although the boxes are available in red, blue, white and yellow, colors cannot be specified and are shipped randomly.
The creative consumer will realize that this product isn't just for groceries. Any parent who has driven a team carpool and listened to the thud of sports water bottles hitting the deck with every turn might want to consider a BoxBoy. So might the home gardener, who won't have any spilled dirt to cry over if the BoxBoy is used to bring plants home from the garden shop. NEW TWIST ON FLASHLIGHTS
This fall Black & Decker is introducing SnakeLight, a new type of flashlight that outshines ordinary, old-fashioned models.
Like its name suggests, SnakeLight can be bent, twisted or draped into many positions, allowing the consumer to use two hands to get the job done.
SnakeLight can be coiled into a standing position, wrapped around a pipe or other object, even hung around the worker's neck as it sheds light on the task at hand. (Sounds like so much fun the kids might assume SnakeLight belongs in the playroom rather than the workroom.)
SnakeLight comes in three varieties. The home model, with two C batteries and a spare bulb, retails for $29.95. The shop model, which adds a mounting base for workshop storage, is the same price. These models should be carried by home centers and discount department stores soon, according to Black & Decker.
The auto model should slither onto the market early next year. With a pricetag of $34.95, this flashlight comes with an extra-long, 12-volt adapter cord that can be plugged into a car's cigarette lighter while a tire or the oil is being changed. HANDLE WITH CARE
The screwdriver was created for one purpose only, and that is to drive and loosen screws.
But according to a recent press release on safety from the Hand Tools Intitute, the tool has been used to test for live electrical current, to punch holes in cans, to chisel away wood, to hold up windows. The screwdriver has even been used as a weapon.
Misuse of tools can lead to serious injury, warns the New York-based association of hand-tool manufacturers, which offers these safety tips:
Often a consumer about to tackle a home repair job doesn't have the correct tool. There are at least 10 types of wrenches, more than 100 kinds of pliers, 12 styles of screwdrivers and 15 different hammers, according to the institute. Choosing the tool best suited to the job at hand may require consulting with a hardware dealer.
Safety goggles should be worn on every home-repair job, no matter how simple the job may seem.
Plastic-covered handles on tools are for comfort only, not for protection from electrical current.
A hammer or hatchet should be discarded when its handle becomes loose or damaged or when its face shows excessive wear, mushrooming, chipping or other deformation.
A wrench should always be pulled, never pushed.
A screwdriver tip should fit snugly into the slot of the screw. A poor fit can damage the equipment or cause injury.
An extension bar such as a length of pipe should never be used to increase the leverage on a tool. The tool could break, or injury could result. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
BoxBoy fits in car or trunk.
Photo
Black & Decker's SnakeLight frees up both hands to work.
by CNB