GB2130283A - A tool for spreading adhesives and its use therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A tool for spreading adhesives over surfaces to be covered with floor coverings comprises a substantially rectangular metal sheet having at least one edge of the sheet formed in the shape of a shallow sinusoidal curve having a plurality of complete waves in which the ratio of wavelength to amplitude has a value of at least 50:1. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A tool for spreading adhesives and its use therefor This invention relates to a tool for spreading adhesives and to its use for that purpose.

It is well known to use small plastic or metal notched tools for spreading evenlyspaced parallel lines of liquid or paste adhesives on surfaces to be covered with floor coverings, subsequent placing of the floor covering under pressure in theory causing the adhesive to spread out to form a continuous thin film between the supporting surface and the floor covering. For larger scale work as practised in the contract flooring trade, a tool is available consisting of a metal sheet of generally rectangularshape, but which may be slightly skewed so as to form more nearly a parallelogram, in which all sides have a large number of sawtooth notches for forming the parallel lines of adhesive.

These tools are satisfactory in use unless the operator allows the adhesive to dry out too much before placing the floor covering.

Under these circumstances a partial hardening of the adhesive takes place and prevents the proper flow of the adhesive under the covering; in time the resulting corrugated shape shows through the floor covering.

The present invention provides a toolwhich is much lesslikely to give a corrugated effect to the covering than is the tool just described, and which also, by spreading the adhesive more evenly in the first place, offers some possibilities of economising in the use of adhesive.

According to the invention there is provided a tool for spreading adhesives comprising a sheet of approximately rectangular shape having at least one edge shaped in a shallow sinusoidal curve having a plurality of complete waves in which the ratio of wavelength to amplitude has a value of at least 50:1, and preferably within the range of 75:1 to 250:1.

Whilst the sheet can be made of any suitable material which will resist deformation under the conditions of use, it is preferred to use a metal for the material of construction, and more especially a hard-wearing steel for this purpose.

The invention will now be illustrated by reference to the attached drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a typical tool of the invention and Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the sheet forming part of the tool.

The sheet 1 which is made from hardened tempered steel of thickness about 1 mm., has dimensions of about 27cm. by 11 cm., and carries a series of holes 2 along its major axis by means of which the sheet can be attached to the handle 3 by means of the bolts 4 and nuts 5. Each longer side is cut in the shape of a sinusoidal curve, there being a total of 7 peaks in all facing alternately inwardly and outwardly. The distance between adjacent outwardly-facing peaks, i.e. the wavelength, is 7.5cm. and the peak-to-peak distance is I mm., thus giving a wavelength to amplitude ratio of 150:1. The shorter edges are cut in a similar way to give a sinusoidal curve of similar dimensions.The base lines of the curves along the side and the end are not at right angles but at 87 or 93 , this slight skewness being useful when working close to a vertical surface.

The tool is used in a manner similar to the conventional notched tool, by forming a pool of adhesive on the surface to be covered, and pushing the adhesive over this surface with the tool, held in contact with the surface and with the plane of the sheet held at an angle of between 45 and 90 to the surface, so that the latter is covered with shallow bands of adhesive lying in parallel strips, the uncoated areas between the bands being relatively small to the areas coated. However, because the thickness of adhesive in the band is less than that in a strip of adhesive applied by a conventional notched tool, the amount of adhesive used overall is usually less than when using a notched tool.

1. A tool for spreading adhesives comprising a sheet of approximately rectangular shape having at least one edge shaped in a shallow sinusoidal curve having a plurality of complete waves in which the ratio of wavelength to amplitude is at least 50:1.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the ratio of wavelength to amplitude is within the range of 75:1 to 250:1.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the sheet is made from a hardwearing steel.

4. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim substantially as described in the accompanying description with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

5. The use of a tool as clamed in any preceding claim for spreading adhesives substantially as described in the accompanying description.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A tool for spreading adhesives and its use therefor This invention relates to a tool for spreading adhesives and to its use for that purpose. It is well known to use small plastic or metal notched tools for spreading evenlyspaced parallel lines of liquid or paste adhesives on surfaces to be covered with floor coverings, subsequent placing of the floor covering under pressure in theory causing the adhesive to spread out to form a continuous thin film between the supporting surface and the floor covering. For larger scale work as practised in the contract flooring trade, a tool is available consisting of a metal sheet of generally rectangularshape, but which may be slightly skewed so as to form more nearly a parallelogram, in which all sides have a large number of sawtooth notches for forming the parallel lines of adhesive. These tools are satisfactory in use unless the operator allows the adhesive to dry out too much before placing the floor covering. Under these circumstances a partial hardening of the adhesive takes place and prevents the proper flow of the adhesive under the covering; in time the resulting corrugated shape shows through the floor covering. The present invention provides a toolwhich is much lesslikely to give a corrugated effect to the covering than is the tool just described, and which also, by spreading the adhesive more evenly in the first place, offers some possibilities of economising in the use of adhesive. According to the invention there is provided a tool for spreading adhesives comprising a sheet of approximately rectangular shape having at least one edge shaped in a shallow sinusoidal curve having a plurality of complete waves in which the ratio of wavelength to amplitude has a value of at least 50:1, and preferably within the range of 75:1 to 250:1. Whilst the sheet can be made of any suitable material which will resist deformation under the conditions of use, it is preferred to use a metal for the material of construction, and more especially a hard-wearing steel for this purpose. The invention will now be illustrated by reference to the attached drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a typical tool of the invention and Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the sheet forming part of the tool. The sheet 1 which is made from hardened tempered steel of thickness about 1 mm., has dimensions of about 27cm. by 11 cm., and carries a series of holes 2 along its major axis by means of which the sheet can be attached to the handle 3 by means of the bolts 4 and nuts 5. Each longer side is cut in the shape of a sinusoidal curve, there being a total of 7 peaks in all facing alternately inwardly and outwardly. The distance between adjacent outwardly-facing peaks, i.e. the wavelength, is 7.5cm. and the peak-to-peak distance is I mm., thus giving a wavelength to amplitude ratio of 150:1. The shorter edges are cut in a similar way to give a sinusoidal curve of similar dimensions.The base lines of the curves along the side and the end are not at right angles but at 87 or 93 , this slight skewness being useful when working close to a vertical surface. The tool is used in a manner similar to the conventional notched tool, by forming a pool of adhesive on the surface to be covered, and pushing the adhesive over this surface with the tool, held in contact with the surface and with the plane of the sheet held at an angle of between 45 and 90 to the surface, so that the latter is covered with shallow bands of adhesive lying in parallel strips, the uncoated areas between the bands being relatively small to the areas coated. However, because the thickness of adhesive in the band is less than that in a strip of adhesive applied by a conventional notched tool, the amount of adhesive used overall is usually less than when using a notched tool. CLAIMS

1. A tool for spreading adhesives comprising a sheet of approximately rectangular shape having at least one edge shaped in a shallow sinusoidal curve having a plurality of complete waves in which the ratio of wavelength to amplitude is at least 50:1.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 in which the ratio of wavelength to amplitude is within the range of 75:1 to 250:1.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the sheet is made from a hardwearing steel.

4. A tool as claimed in any preceding claim substantially as described in the accompanying description with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

5. The use of a tool as clamed in any preceding claim for spreading adhesives substantially as described in the accompanying description.