GB2321490A - Apparatus and method for panel repair - Google Patents

Abstract

A kit for repairing a hole (10) in a first wall (6) of a panel of a cavity structure, such as a wall or door, comprises a backing sheet (12) and a rod (34) which engagably penetrates the sheet (12). The rod (34) may screw through the sheet (12), through a preformed hole. The backing sheet (12) with rod (34) engaged is inserted into the cavity of the structure and manipulated so that the sheet (12) spans the hole (10) in the wall (6). The position of the rod (34) is adjusted against the second wall (4) so as to jack the backing sheet (12) against the internal surface of the first wall (6). The rod (34) may have a frangibly connected head (22) to facilitate insertion of the apparatus, but allow the repair to remain recessed with the respect to the outer surface of the repaired panel once the head (22) has been removed. The repair may then be finished by applying a suitable filling material to the exposed surface of the repair.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DOOR/WALL REPAIR This invention relates to repair kits for repairing a hole in a surface and in particular but not exclusively to a method and apparatus for repairing holes in cavity (hollow-core) walls/doors.

Presently, a widely used crude technique for repairing a hole in a panel of a cavity/hollow core wall/door is simply to stuff the cavity in the region of the hole with material such as crumpled waste-paper or the like and subsequently to plaster over the stuffed cavity until the hole is filled and a flush surface on the damaged panel is created. This method of repair is highly unsatisfactory being unreliable, inefficient and time-consuming since the stuffing frequently becomes dislodged during the repair process and the nature of the method necessitates waiting for the plaster to dry between applications.

A further known and widely used method for repairing a hole in a panel of cavity doors/walls is to cut a piece of plaster board to an appropriate size, screw a conventional screw into that plaster board to protrude therefrom to use as a handle for facilitating the holding of the plaster board, apply wet plaster to the surface of that plaster board generally around the periphery thereof, position the piece of plaster board within the cavity of the wall/door in the region of the hole so that the wet plastered surface of the plaster board is in contact with the internal surface of the damaged panel and the screw protrudes from the plaster board out of the hole. It is then necessary to hold the plaster board in position by grasping the protruding screw until the wet plaster dries to secure the plaster board into position so providing a backing to the hole. Subsequently plaster is applied to fill the hole backed with the plaster board until the hole is patched and a flush external surface of the panel is created.

The above described method is also highly unsatisfactory since it is unreliable, laborious and time-consuming particularly as it requires manual holding of the plaster board in place until the wet plaster between the plaster board and panel dries before the repair process may proceed. Furthermore, the use of plaster between the contact surfaces of the plaster board and internal panel surface as a means of securing the plaster board into position is unreliable and in practice, frequently the plaster board fails to stick at all or subsequently detaches.

U.S. Patent 5353568 describes a wall and door repair kit and method that discloses the use of a disc together with a dowel rod. The disc is specifically designed to plug a hole in a wall/door such that the disc and outer surface of the panel having the hole therein are flush. Plaster is subsequently applied over this flush surface. However this kit and method is also unsatisfactory, in practice, since time consuming, careful and laborious preparation of the hole is required to ensure that the hole is suitably dimensioned to receive the disc such as to form a flush plug in the hole.

Furthermore it is necessary to adhere the disc in position by means of tape and/or glue thus involving further laborious, time consuming steps.

All the above described known methods of repairing holes are laborious and typically require several hours to several days for completion.

The present invention has been provided through a consideration of the problems such as those outlined above in repairing holes in walls/doors and the like. The present invention addresses those problems presented by the known methods of repair and provides a simple to use, time efficient, inexpensive yet reliable repair apparatus and method.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of repairing a hole in a structure, the structure having a first and second panel and being substantially hollow therebetween and having a hole in the first panel, comprising the steps of: a) selecting a backing sheet which is adapted to span the hole to be repaired and to contact at least part of the internal surface of the hole to be repaired; b) selecting a rod and engageably penetrating the backing sheet with the rod; c) positioning the backing sheet by grasping one end of the rod and manouvering the sheet in through the hole into the hollow between the first and second panels such that the backing sheet spans the hole; and d) adjusting the position of the rod through the backing such that it extends through the backing sheet until its other end abuts the internal surface of the second panel and thereby jacks the backing sheet against the internal surface of the first panel.

This has the advantage that the backing sheet is firmly held in place by the rod contacting the second panel, thereby the sheet does not have to be manually held in place whilst the plaster, glue etc dries, nor is it necessary to hold the sheet in place with tape etc. Also, it is not necessary to accurately dimension the hole such that it can accurately receive the sheet, because the sheet sits behind the hole.

Preferably, the repair process is completed by applying a patching material to fill the hole backed by the support sheet. This creates a smooth finish to the surface.

Preferably the sheet is composed of a moisture absorbing material to allow plaster used to complete the repair of a cavity to key more readily to the sheet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a repair kit for use in the repair method is provided, the kit comprising at least one elongate rod which is adaptable to an appropriate length to span the hollow between the first and second panels. This allows the rod to be adjusted to span a variety of depths of hollow between the first and second panels.

Preferably the rod comprises at least one frangible area along the length of the rod to enable the length of the rod to be more easily reduced for particular applications if required.

The rod preferably has a head connected to one end of the rod. The head provides a convenient means for holding and manipulation of the rod alone and/or the rod together with the sheet when in an engaged configuration, in use. Preferably the head is frangibly connected to the rod. This enables the head to be broken away from the rod as required and allows the head to be removed before patching the hole with a patching material thereby creating a smoother finish.

Preferably the rod is screw-threaded at least partially along its length.

Such a rod is engageably screwable through the sheet which facilitates the insertion through the sheet by the rod.

The rod conveniently has a shoulder located towards one end thereof.

Where the rod includes a head, preferably a frangible neck is located between the head and shoulder. The shoulder is intended to abut a surface of the backing sheet to act as a stop on penetration through the backing sheet by the rod in use. In this manner, in use, a rod may be screwed or otherwise passed through the sheet until the shoulder abuts a surface of the backing sheet thus preventing further passage of the rod through the backing sheet. The rod accordingly extends through the backing sheet such that each end thereof is located on opposing sides of the sheet.

It may in certain circumstances be preferable for the rod to comprise a nipple at one end of the rod. Where the rod comprises a head the nipple is located at the opposing end thereof. The nipple serves to facilitate rotation of the rod and avoid slip of the rod when the rod is screwed against a surface, for example.

Where the sheet has pre-formed bores and/or defined areas for perforation therethrough advantageously the rod has a cross-section which corresponds with the dimensions of the bores and/or defined areas such that the rod and sheet are engageable on penetration through the sheet by the rod.

Conveniently the sheet is dimensioned such that in use it is insertable through a hole to be repaired whilst being of sufficient size to at least span the area of the hole. The sheet may be provided in a variety of dimensions from which a sheet of appropriate dimensions may be selected for the required repair.

Alternatively the dimensions of the sheet may be alterable for example by cutting of the support sheet to the appropriate dimensions for the required repair.

It may in certain circumstances be preferable for the sheet to have one or more frangible areas which permit the sheet to be selectively divided into one or more smaller sheets, to facilitate repair of a smaller hole or repair of one or more holes.

If the sheet is rectangular the sheet is preferably adapted such that one or more corners of the sheet can be removed to facilitate insertion of the sheet into the hole.

In order to facilitate insertion of the sheet, in use, through the hole, preferably the support sheet is composed of a flexible material.

The apparatus of the present invention may additionally comprise a suitable cavity patching material, for use in combination with the support sheet and rod. The cavity-patching material preferably comprises any material suitable for this purpose such as plaster, plaster/glue mix etc.

The apparatus of the present invention may additionally comprise one or more templates with the sheet and rod, the template having the advantage that it can be used as a guide for trimming the hole to remove rough or jagged edges which may prevent the smooth application of patching material or may prevent entrance of the sheet into the hollow.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 is a diagrammatical side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention and illustrating the use of the apparatus for repairing a hole in a cavity wall, the cavity wall shown in cross-section; Fig.2 is a perspective view of the arrangement of Fig. 1, the cavity wall shown in partial cross-section; Fig.3 is a diagrammatic representation of the screw-threaded rod of Fig.

1; Fig.4 is a diagrammatic view of the support sheet of Fig. 1; Fig.5 is a diagrammatic representation of a template for use with the repair kit; Fig.6 is a diagrammatic illustration of a second embodiment of support sheet; Fig.7 is a side view of the sheet of Fig. 6; and Fig.8 is a diagrammatic view of a rod for use with the support sheet of Fig. 6.

With reference to Fig. 1 a hollow-core wall 2 consists of a back wall 4 and a plaster board 6 having a space 8 therebetween. The plaster board 6 is damaged having a hole 10 through it.

The repair kit comprises a substantially rectangular backing or support sheet 12 composed of MDF (trade mark) board (as best illustrated in Fig. 4), one or more screw threaded rods 16 made of plastics (as best illustrated in Fig.

3) and a template (as best illustrated in Fig. 5).

The sheet 1 2 has three bores 14 through it for receipt of the rod 12, and a line of perforations 11 running along a central axis of the sheet 1 2 and which constitute an area of weakness along which the sheet 12 can be selectively broken into two halves 12a, 12b. The sheet 12 also comprises four further lines of perforations 13, 15, 17, 19, one provided at each corner region of the sheet 12 and which allow the corners of the sheet to be selectively removed by breaking along the respective line of weakness 13, 15, 17, 19.

In order to repair the hole 10 the appropriate template may be cut out from the sheet illustrated in Fig. 5 and placed over the hole 10 and the hole 10 can be trimmed to an appropriate size using a knife. The support sheet 12 is selectively adapted to the appropriate size for spanning the hole and overlapping with the plaster board surface at the periphery of the hole 10. This can be achieved by breaking the sheet into two halves 12a, 1 2b along the line 11 and/or breaking off one or more corners 13, 15, 17, 19 such that the sheet is appropriately dimensioned for the hole to be repaired. The breaking-off of the corners may facilitate the easier insertion of the sheet into the hole.

A screw threaded rod 1 6 is self tapped into one of the more central bores 1 4 in the sheet 1 2 such that the rod 1 6 extends through the support sheet 1 2 with each end of the rod being located on opposing sides of the support sheet 12. The diameter of the core of the screw threaded rod 16 corresponds to the diameter of the bores 14 in the support sheet 12 such that the rod 16 is engageable with the sheet 12.

The sheet 12, having the rod screwed into a bore 14, is then inserted into the space 8 through the hole 10 in the plaster board 6. The sheet 12 is positioned as shown in Fig.1 such that the sheet spans the hole 10 and overlaps with an internal surface 20 of the plaster board around the periphery of the hole 1 0. Manipulation of the sheet into the required position is facilitated as the rod 16 has a head 22 frangibly connected to one end of the rod 16, which head may be manually gripped whilst manoeuvring the sheet 1 2 into a suitable position behind the hole 10. It will be appreciated that if no head is provided, the end of the rod protruding externally from the cavity may be handled instead.

Once in position, the rod 1 6 is screwed further through the sheet 1 2 so that the rod 1 6 extends across the space 8 in the wall 2 and the foot 23 of the rod abuts against the internal surface 21 of the back wall 4. The screwing action is facilitated by the provision of the head 22 for easy grip of the rod 1 6.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 the foot 23 of the rod 16 is provided with a nipple 24. The nipple serves to facilitate the screwing action of the rod, since it enables easy rotation of the rod when in contact with the surface of the back wall whilst avoiding slipping of the rod on that surface. This is particularly advantageous where the back wall 4 has new plaster board on the internal surface or has slippery insulating materials coating that surface, for example.

The embodiment of the rod 16 shown in Fig.1 is also provided with a shoulder 18 which meets the outer surface 26 of the sheet 12 when the rod is screwed against the internal surface 21 of the back wall 4 to its fullest extent.

Screwing of the rod 16 against the back wall 4jacks the sheet 1 2 against the internal surface 20 of the plaster board 6 where the sheet 1 2 overlaps surface 20. A slight outward flex (not shown) in the sheet 12 is created ensuring firm contact of the sheet 12 and the internal surface of the plaster board 6 where they overlap. In this manner the sheet 12 is firmly and reliably secured into position without risk of the sheet becoming dislodged.

Once in a secure position the head 22 is broken off at the neck 30. As can be seen from Fig.1 after removal of the head the remainder of the rod lies below the level of the outer surface 32 of the plaster board 6.

This repair kit accordingly provides a simple and efficient means of reliably securing a support sheet behind a hole without the need for application of glue/plaster or the like to achieve this and thus avoids the need for holding the sheet whilst waiting for such adhesive/plaster to dry.

The repair of the hole is then easily completed by applying a suitable patching material such as PVA adhesive mixed with plaster into the hole 10 backed by the support sheet 1 2 until the outer surface 2 of the plaster board is flush.

The sheet 1 2 provides an ideal surface for secure and reliable keying of the glue/plaster material as that material seeps into the perforations 1 4 and fills any gaps between the overlapping surfaces of the plaster board 6 and sheet 12.

With reference to Fig. 3 the rod used in the repair kit described with reference to Fig.1 is shown. The rod 16 consists of a main body 34 having a helical screw thread along its length. The length y of the main body of the rod is substantially equal to the width of the space 8 between the back wall 4 and plaster board 6 shown in Fig.1. Conveniently that space is approximately 70mm-75mm. In the rod 16 of Fig. 3, the length y is 75mm and the length of the nipple 24 is 5mm. The nipple 24 is frangibly connected to the body 34 and can be selectively broken or cut off such that the rod is then adapted to span a space of 70mm. The remaining tip of the body is adapted to provide a further nipple for engagement with the back wall 4. Alternatively, the rods may be provided in the kit in a selection of lengths or may be provided in a universal length for trimming to the appropriate length as required.

A shoulder 18 is located at the opposite end of the main body 34 of the screw. In use the shoulder 18 acts as a stop as it meets the outer surface 26 of the support sheet 1 2 when the rod 1 6 is screwed against the internal surface of the back wall 4 to its fullest extent as illustrated in Fig.1.

A head 22 is connected to the shoulder 18 by way of a frangible neck 30. In use, the head 22 acts as a handle when the rod 16 is engaged with the support sheet 12 to facilitate manoeuvring of the sheet 12 and also acts as a manual grip which facilitates the screwing of the rod 16 in use. Once the support sheet 1 2 and rod 16 are secured into the appropriate position as shown in Fig. 1, the head 22 may be broken away from the remainder of the rod at the neck 30. The shoulder 18 and any remaining portion of the neck 30 is dimensioned such that it lies below the level of the outer surface of the plaster board in use as shown in Fig.1. In this manner once the plaster, plaster/glue mix has been applied over the support to fill in the hole 10, the rod is not detectable. Conventionally the width of the plaster board is between 10-1 3mm and accordingly for universal application of the rod 16 it is convenient if the height between the shoulder 18 and neck up to the break-point 40 (as represented by X in Fig.3) is less than 10mm.

More than one rod may be used to support the sheet 12. This may be necessary in certain circumstances, for example, where the hole 10 in the plaster board 6 is of relatively large dimensions and thus the corresponding support sheet 1 2 appropriate for repair is of relatively large dimensions. In such circumstances the sheet 1 2 requires greater support for reliable securing of the sheet 12 into position.

A second embodiment of the repair kit is illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 which is more readily adapted to repair small holes in door panels. This kit comprises a substantially oval plastics support sheet 40 having a central bore 42. One side of the sheet 40 carries a reinforcing panel 44 and a sleeve 46. The other side of the sheets has two integral pips 48. The kit further comprises a rod 50 having a threaded shaft 52 and a head 54, which is frangibly connected at 56 to the shaft 52.

In use a hole to be repaired is suitably prepared and the shaft 52 of rod 50 is inserted into bore 42 of sheet 40, thereby providing a handle by which the sheet 40 can be manipulated. The sheet 40 is then inserted into the space 8 via the hole and is positioned behind the hole before the rod 50 is further inserted into the sheet 40. The rod 50 is supported by the sleeve 46 as it is screwed into the space 8. The end 58 of the rod 50 eventually engages the surface 21 of the back wall 4, to jack the sheet 40 against the internal surface 20 of the front wall 6. The pips 48 prevent unnecessary rotation of the sheet 40 during the inward movement of the rod 50 into the bore 42, by contact with the edges of the hole 10. Once in place the head 54 of the rod 50 can be removed and the hole filled with a suitable filling material, such as wood filler, to provide a smooth surface before finishing with paint, varnish, stain etc.

As in the previous embodiment the tip 58 of the rod 50 may be frangibly connected to the main shaft 52 to provide a rod which can be adapted to span a space of two different sizes.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus and method according to the present invention provides a simple, time efficient yet reliable means for repairing a cavity in a door/wall. The support sheet is easily and quickly installed in position behind the cavity and reliably secured in that position without risk of it becoming dislodged.

It is to be understood that the scope of the invention should not be limited to the above described embodiments as those embodiments are for illustration purposes by way of example only.

For instance, the rod has been described as being made of plastics but may be made of any suitable material such as metal or wood or any combination thereof.

The rod has been described as having a single break point to selectively break the rod into a rod of shorter length. However, the main body 34 of the rod could have a series of break points 40 composed of frangible material along its length to provide a rod of a variety of desired lengths. Alternatively the rod may be of a universal length which can be simply cut to the appropriate length.

The rod is suitable for use in repairing a range of walls/doors having differently dimensioned spaces between the panels comprising the opposing faces of a hollow-core wall/door.

The support sheet has been described as having a bore therein for receipt of the rod, however, the sheet may contain an area which is adapted to be pierced by the rod. Also, in the first embodiment the sheet has been described as being constructed of MDF board and in the second embodiment as being constructed of plastics, but the materials could be interchanged, or the board could be made of metal, wood, paper or a combination thereof. Also, the sheet has been described as a specifically constructed item but could alternatively be any appropriate sheet adapted for use by the user.

Claims (22)

1. A method of repairing a hole in a structure, the structure having a first and second panel and being substantially hollow therebetween and having a hole in the first panel, comprising the steps of: a) selecting a backing sheet which is adapted to span the hole to be repaired and to contact at least part of the internal surface of the hole to be repaired; b) selecting a rod and engageably penetrating the backing sheet with the rod; c) positioning the backing sheet by grasping one end of the rod and manoevering the sheet in through the hole into the hollow between the first and second panels such that the backing sheet spans the hole; and d) adjusting the position of the rod through the backing sheet such that it extends through the backing sheet until its other end abuts the internal surface of the second panel and thereby jacks the backing sheet against the internal surface of the first panel.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the repair process is completed by applying a patching material to fill in the spanned hole backed by the backing sheet.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the backing sheet is selectively adjusted to an appropriate size to span the hole before it is inserted into the hole.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the backing sheet is adjusted by splitting the backing sheet into two or more pieces.

5. A method according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the backing sheet is substantially rectangular and one or more corners of the sheet are removed before the sheet is inserted into the hole to be repaired.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rod is selectively adjusted to an appropriate length to span the hollow between the first and second panels before insertion through the hole into the hollow.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the rod has at least one frangible area and the length of the rod is adjusted by breaking along the frangible area.

8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rod has a head frangible connected thereto which head is grasped in step (c) to manoeuvre the sheet in through the hole1 and is removed from the rod once the backing sheet is jacked against the internal surface of the first panel.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hole in the first panel is cut to an appropriate size to effect a smooth repair by placing a template over the hole and cutting into the panel using the template as a guide.

10. A repair kit for use in the repair method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the kit comprises at least one elongate rod which is adaptable to an appropriate length to span the hollow between the first and second panels.

11. A repair kit according to claim 10, wherein the elongate rod has at least one frangible area along its length.

12. A repair kit according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the elongate rod comprises a frangibly connected head.

13. A repair kit according to claim 12, wherein a shoulder is provided between the head and the remaining rod.

1 4. A repair kit according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the rod is at least partially threaded.

1 5. A repair kit according to any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising a backing sheet comprising an area adapted to engageably receive the elongate rod.

16. A repair kit according to claim 15, wherein the area adapted to receive the rod is one or more complementary bores.

17. A repair kit according to claim 16, wherein the or each bore includes a guide tube which protrudes out of the sheet.

18. A repair kit according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the backing sheet has protruding means for engaging the hole in use and which prevent the sheet from turning when the position of the rod is adjusted.

19. A repair kit according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the backing sheet includes one or more frangible areas which permit the backing sheet to be selectively divided into one or more smaller sheets.

20. A repair kit according to any one of claims 1 5 to 16, wherein the backing sheet is composed of a moisture absorbing material.

21. A method of repairing a hole in a structure substantially as hereinbefore described.

22. A repair kit for repairing a hole in a structure substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.