AU2006101061A4 - Adhesive Applicator - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for service: Adhesive Applicator Mark Adrian Collins Brendan Michael O'Connor Mark Adrian Collins Brendan Michael O'Connor WRAY ASSOCIATES Level 4, The Quadrant 1 William Street Perth, WA 6000 Attorney code: WR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- -2-

\O

Adhesive Applicator SField of the Invention This invention relates to an adhesive applicator and in particular an adhesive applicator which can be utilised in the application of a paste-like adhesive to facilitate the application fixing of an element to a surface.

IND Background Art A particular application of the invention relates to the application of an adhesive which is utilised in fixing of plaster board or GYPROCK to a surface to provide a plastered finish to the surface.

According to established practise, the fixing of plasterboard to a surface such as a brick wall comprises application of a quantity of a paste-like adhesive at spaced locations over the surface and then the application of the plaster board to that surface. The application of the adhesive is a time consuming and labour intensive task requiring the applicator to collect a quantity of adhesive on a trowel or mortar board or the like and then sequentially transfer quantities of the adhesive from the trowel or mortar board or the like onto the wall. In cases where the surface is uneven it is necessary for different quantities of the adhesive to be applied to accommodate for such unevenness. In addition, it is necessary for the worker to have direct access to the whole area of the wall or surface which requires a presence of scaffolding, ladders, stools or the like.

The adhesive which is utilised in such situations generally comprises a cementitious based composition which may incorporate other additives and it is a function of the adhesive that once it is exposed to the air and is applied to the surface it commences to harden, and the speed with which it can harden will depend upon the environmental conditions and also the cleanliness of the tools which are utilised by the tradesman in application of the adhesive to the surface.

It is therefore necessary for a worker to operate quickly to ensure that all of the -3-

NO

adhesive is still soft and pliable by the time it is possible to apply the plaster board to the wall.

C)

n It is an object of the invention to at least reduce some of the difficulties which are currently experienced by tradesmen in the application of adhesive to a wall surface.

INC

Disclosure of the Invention

INO

Throughout the specification and claims the term "plasterboard" will be taken as C including conventional plaster board and coated panels of the form which are marketed under the trade mark GYPROCK and like panel materials.

According to one aspect the invention resides in an adhesive applicator intended in use to enable a quantity of a paste-like adhesive to be applied to a surface prior to the application of an element to the surface, the applicator comprising a body defining a reservoir providing a space of variable volume, the reservoir having a delivery nozzle, a drive means provided for varying the volume of the reservoir, wherein in use a reduction in volume of the reservoir by the drive means will result in the expulsion of adhesive from the reservoir and an expansion of the volume of the reservoir by the drive means when the nozzle is submerged in a quantity of adhesive will result in adhesive being drawn into the reservoir from said quantity.

According to another aspect the invention resides in an adhesive applicator intended in use to enable a quantity of a paste-like adhesive to be applied to a surface prior to the application of an element to the surface, the applicator comprising a body defining a reservoir providing a space of variable volume, the reservoir having a delivery nozzle, a drive means provided for varying the volume of the reservoir, wherein at least a portion of the body has the configuration of a tube and the nozzle is provided at one end of the body, the reservoir being defined between the nozzle and a plunger, the plunger being slidably and sealingly received in the tube for movement within the portion to increase or decrease the volume of the reservoir and the drive means comprising a handle -4-

O

Oassociated with the plunger to cause movement of the plunger along the length Nof the tube on the application of a force to the handle resulting in inward or outward displacement of the plunger into the body towards and away from the nozzle respectively, wherein in use inward displacement of the plunger will result in the expulsion of adhesive through the nozzle and an outward displacement of the plunger when the nozzle is submerged in a quantity of adhesive will result in adhesive being drawn into the reservoir from said quantity.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the end face of the tube defining 0 the nozzle is substantially planar and the plane of the one face is angularly offset S 10 from the diametric axis of the tube. According to a preferred feature of the invention the whole of the body has the configuration of a tube which is of substantially constant cross-section throughout its length and said plunger is able to move throughout the length of the body. the internal wall of the body is smooth and is without any protrusions or recesses which can cause the accumulation of adhesive within the reservoir According to a preferred feature of the invention the end of the body remote from the nozzle is closed by an end wall and the handle is connected to the plunger through the end wall.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the plunger is associated with a biasing means between the end wall and the plunger which is adapted to bias the plunger in its movement towards the nozzle.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the drive means is associated with an indexing means which is adapted to case sequential controlled movement of the plunger towards the nozzle on activation of the drive means.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the degree of movement of the plunger on each movement is substantially equal.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the nozzle comprises a continuation of the reservoir and is of a corresponding cross-sectional dimension to the reservoir.

NO

According to a preferred feature of the invention the reservoir is formed as a deformable bladder and the drive means enables the expansion or contraction of Sthe bladder.

The invention will be more fully understood in the light of the following description of several specific embodiments.

NO

Brief Description of the Drawings O The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an applicator according to the first embodiment; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the one end of the applicator of the first embodiment; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the applicator according to the first embodiment; Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate the stages involved in application of a plasterboard panel to a wall; and Figures 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d are illustrative of the method of application of adhesive to a wall using the applicator according to the first embodiment.

Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments The first embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings comprises an applicator which can be utilised to application of cementitious based adhesive which is utilised to fix GYPROCK panels to a wall surface to provide a smooth finish to the wall.

The applicator 11 according to the embodiment comprises; a length of tube 13 which defines a nozzle 15 at one and is closed at the other end by a plug 17.

The plug 17 supports a plunger comprising a seal 19 which is fixed at one end of a rod 21 which is slidably received through the plug 15 and has a handle 23 at its -6outer end. The seal defines a reservoir within the tube between the seal and the O nozzle 15. The seal 19 is dimensioned such that it is slidably and sealing received within the tube 13 such that movement of the plunger along the length of the tube 13 will vary the volume of the reservoir. The outer face of the seal is closed by a circular end plate 25 which is dimensioned have a diameter substantially equal to that of the diameter of the tube.

IND

In addition, a spring 27 is supported on the rod 19 between the closure 15 and Sthe handle 23. The rod 21 is dimensioned such that when the plunger is in its fully inserted position within the tube 13 and the spring 27 has been fully compressed, the end plate 25 of the seal 19 is located closely proximate the nozzle The first embodiment is utilised for the application of the adhesive to a wall surface by initially minimising the volume of the reservoir by fully inserting the plunger into the tube 13 and then inserting the nozzle 15 into a quantity of adhesive as shown at Figure 4. The handle 23 is then used to withdraw the rod from within the tube 13 which serves to draw adhesive into the reservoir defined between the endplate 25 and the nozzle 15. On a sufficient quantity of adhesive having been drawn into the reservoir, the applicator is then used to apply a number of quantities of adhesive 29 to the wall surface at spaced intervals according to the desired requirements for application of the panel to the wall as shown at Figure 5. Subsequent to application of the quantities of adhesive to the wall the panel 31 is then applied to the wall as shown at Figure 6.

In application of the adhesive to the wall and as shown at Figures 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d, the nozzle 15 is located such that the open face is substantially located closely abutting the wall as shown a Figure 7a. With movement of the plunger into the tube 13 a quantity of adhesive is forced from the body onto the wall as shown at Figure 7b. On a sufficient quantity of adhesive having been applied to the wall, the end face of the nozzle is then moved laterally across the quantity of adhesive and in direction of the wall in order to "wipe away" the adhesive from -7-

O

Othe open face. On completion of the application of a quantity of material to the surface the nozzle is then moved to a fresh location.

The end face of the nozzle is substantially planar and is offset angularly from the diametric axis of the tube. The angular orientation of the planar face facilitates the termination of the deposition step as shown at Figure 7c. the use of the Iembodiment enables the tradesman to maintain his hands "clean" such that when handling the GYPROCK panel, no adhesive is applied to the panel from the hands as a result of the application step. This reduces the amount of "cleanup" which needs to be applied to the installed panel. Use of the applicator furthermore enables an workmen to access most of the surface areas of a wall without use of ancillary equipment such as a stool, ladder or the like or to be required to bend over and crouch in order to locate the adhesive on the lower portions of the wall.

As a result of the use of the applicator the adhesive application step is considerably faster than traditional practises and provides significant advantages to a tradesman.

According to another embodiment the reservoir comprises a collapsible bladder having a nozzle of the form described above whereby the bladder is reduced in volume to cause the adhesive to be applied to a surface.

According to another embodiment the movement of the plunger of the first embodiment is controlled by an indexing means which enables a substantially equal quantity of adhesive to be extruded from the nozzle with each activation of the handle by the operator.

The present invention is not to be limited in scope by any of the specific embodiments described herein. These embodiments are intended for the purpose of exemplification only. Functionally equivalent products, elements and methods are clearly within the scope of the invention as described herein.

Claims (10)

1. An adhesive applicator intended in use to enable a quantity of a paste-like Oadhesive to be applied to a surface prior to the application of an element to the surface, the applicator comprising a body defining a reservoir providing a space of variable volume, the reservoir having a delivery nozzle, a drive means provided for varying the volume of the reservoir, wherein in use a reduction in volume of the reservoir by the drive means will result in the Sexpulsion of adhesive from the reservoir and an expansion of the volume of N 10 the reservoir by the drive means when the nozzle is submerged in a quantity of adhesive will result in adhesive being drawn into the reservoir from said quantity.

2. An adhesive applicator intended in use to enable a quantity of a paste-like adhesive to be applied to a surface prior to the application of an element to the surface, the applicator comprising a body defining a reservoir providing a space of variable volume, the reservoir having a delivery nozzle, a drive means provided for varying the volume of the reservoir, wherein at least a portion of the body has the configuration of a tube and the nozzle is provided at one end of the body, the reservoir being defined between the nozzle and a plunger, the plunger being slidably and sealingly received in the tube for movement within the portion to increase or decrease the volume of the reservoir and the drive means comprising a handle associated with the plunger to cause movement of the plunger along the length of the tube on the application of a force to the handle resulting in inward or outward displacement of the plunger into the body towards and away from the nozzle respectively, wherein in use inward displacement of the plunger will result in the expulsion of adhesive through the nozzle and an outward displacement of the plunger when the nozzle is submerged in a quantity of adhesive will result in adhesive being drawn into the reservoir from said quantity. -9-

3. An adhesive as claimed at claim 1 or 2 wherein the end face of the tube defining the nozzle is substantially planar and the plane of the one face is angularly offset from the diametric axis of the tube.

4. An adhesive applicator as claimed at claim 2 or claim 3 as dependant from claim 2 wherein the whole of the body has the configuration of a tube which is of substantially constant cross-section throughout its length and said plunger is able to move throughout the length of the body. An adhesive applicator as claimed at claim 4 wherein the intemrnal wall of the body is smooth and is without any protrusions or recesses which can cause the accumulation of adhesive within the reservoir

6. An adhesive applicator as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 5 wherein the end of the body remote from the nozzle is closed by an end wall and the handle is connected to the plunger through the end wall.

7. An adhesive applicator as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein the plunger is associated with a biasing means between the end wall and the plunger which is adapted to bias the plunger in its movement towards the nozzle.

8. An adhesive applicator as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 7 wherein the drive means is associated with an indexing means which is adapted to case sequential controlled movement of the plunger towards the nozzle on activation of the drive means.

9. An adhesive applicator as claimed at claim 8 wherein the degree of movement of the plunger on each movement is substantially equal. adhesive applicator as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 9 wherein the nozzle comprises a continuation of the reservoir and is of a corresponding cross-sectional dimension to the reservoir.

11.An adhesive applicator as claimed at claim 1 wherein the reservoir is formed as a deformable bladder and the drive means enables the expansion or contraction of the bladder.

12.An adhesive applicator substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings