GB2438597A

GB2438597A - Liquid delivering apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2438597A
Application number: GB0610716A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Watts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-05-31
Filing date: 2006-05-31
Publication date: 2007-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 2026-05-31
Also published as: GB0610716D0; GB2438597B

Abstract

The apparatus delivers liquid to a mechanical tool 24 such as a circular saw and includes a container 1 for the liquid and a flexible conduit 14. The conduit has a first end 16 connected to the container and in fluid communication with its interior. A second end 18 of the conduit is connectable to the tool. The container and flexible conduit may be portable and the container may be suspended above the tool. A low-pressure pump and a valve 5 for controlling liquid flow may also be provided. The container may be a bag, formed of moulded plastics, or be transparent or translucent. The flexible conduit may be coiled around resilient means 26.

Description

1 2438597 Apparatus

Field of the invention

This invention relates to an apparatus for delivering a liquid to a mechanical tool, to components for use as part of such an apparatus, and to a cutting apparatus incorporating such an apparatus.

Background to the invention

Circular saws and bench saws are used widely in the construction industry to cut materials for example wood, plasterboard, masonry and plastics. Cutting such materials can be carried out either with the material resting on a surface for example a bench saw, table or workbench, or can be carried out with the material positioned vertically or substantially vertically, possibly mounted in its desired location.

When some materials, for example plasterboard or blocks, are cut a large volume of dust is liberated. This dust may be a health risk if inhaled and can cause a build up of unwanted debris.

The dust particles are generally very fine and can stay airborne for a substantial period of time. These airborne particles can obscure the vision of people working in the area including the operator of the saw and can therefore be dangerous. It is particularly dangerous during the use of a bench saw because the operator's hands move very close to the blade. Saw operators must therefore wear protective goggles and a mask whilst they are using such saws.

After cutting materials, it is generally necessary for the saw operator to wait for the dust to settle before continuing with their next job.

The dust created during use of such saws makes it almost impossible for a third party for example a plumber or electrician to work in the same area at the same time.

Presently there are two ways in which this dust problem can be reduced.

Firstly the material may be cut using a wet bench-saw. Wet bench-saws pass mains water over the blade of the saw during use. The water absorbs at least some of the dust produced.

This apparatus does however have disadvantages.

The wet bench-saw is a large piece of equipment and therefore requires space. It also must be located near a mains water supply. Bench-saws are both expensive to buy or hire and difficult to transport, requiring a fork lift truck or other heavy plant to move it into position. They are not portable by a single workman. Because of the high cost there may only be one bench-saw on each building site meaning that only one cutting job can be carried out at a time. Also, the material to be cut has to be brought to the bench-saw increasing the time it takes to cut the material.

Another disadvantage with wet bench-saws is that water tends to pooi on the surface of the bench during use and therefore materials cut using the bench saw tend to get wet. This means that the material has to be left to dry, after it has been cut, before it can be used. In addition the saw operator tends to get very wet because the blade of the saw runs towards the operator.

Another disadvantage is that the material has to be measured and cut very accurately since the material is cut at a location away from where it is to be fitted. This means that using this apparatus can increase waste if the materials are not measured and cut properly the first time.

An alternative method for reducing dust production is to attach a mains-fed hose to a circular saw. During use the hose directs water from the mains over a blade of the circular saw, capturing some of the dust produced by the saw. This apparatus is more portable than the wet bench-saw but still requires a nearby mains water source. This apparatus cannot therefore be used in locations where there is no mains water source.

Mains water is a high-pressure water source and therefore use of this apparatus tends to generate a large volume of wastewater on the ground around where the cutting is taking place. This is a particular problem when using a circular saw indoors where flooding can result. This wastewater is both time consuming to clean up and can damage the surrounding structures.

In addition the hose itself increases the weight of the circular saw since the saw operator will effectively have to lift the saw and the hose. The hose may also be a safety hazard since it can present a trip hazard to the saw operator.

Any apparatus that addressed the above mentioned disadvantageous would therefore be advantageous.

Statements of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for delivering a liquid to a mechanical tool, said apparatus comprising a container for liquid and a flexible conduit, the flexible conduit having a first end which is connected or connectable to the container such that it is in fluid communication with an interior of the container and a second end which is connectable to a mechanical tool.

In an embodiment the container may be suspendable above a mechanical tool.

In use, the container may be suspended at a suitable distance above the mechanical tool, such that a liquid, for example water, contained in the container can run under the influence of gravity through the flexible conduit to the mechanical tool.

The apparatus may further comprise a low-pressure pump. In use, the low-pressure pump may be used to pump a liquid from the container through the flexible conduit.

The mechanical tool may be a cutting tool for example a circular saw. The apparatus may be designed such that the flexible conduit directs a liquid over a blade of a circular saw.

In using the apparatus of the invention, many of the inconveniences of the prior art apparatus are avoided or reduced. Using gravity may be advantageous as it results in a steady low-pressure flow of water to the mechanical tool.

Surprisingly the applicant has found that this low-pressure flow of water can be very effective at reducing the amount of dust created during use of a circular saw and can also reduce the amount of waste water which ends up flooding the area around the saw operator.

As used herein the term "low-pressure" means a pressure less than the pressure of mains water.

The apparatus may be suspendable, to the side of a material to be cut, such that the container and the conduit do not hang over the material to be cut. The apparatus may further comprise a support structure for supporting the container.

The support structure may be of variable height. In an embodiment the support structure may be a tripod or the like.

The apparatus may be portable such that a single person without the use of any lifting equipment can carry it. Thus this apparatus may be used in areas where there is no mains supply of water or where the mains supply is too far away for the prior art apparatus to reach. The container may be charged with a liquid, for example water, and then carried to the mechanical tool. Because the apparatus may be lightweight and cheap to produce, many can be provided for use on a building site. This may be advantageous because many cutting jobs may be carried out at the same time.

This apparatus may also allow materials to be cut "in location", i.e a material may be cut in its final desired location, where there is no mains water supply. Therefore wastage due to inaccurate measurements may be reduced.

The apparatus may further comprise a valve which may be positioned between the first end of the flexible conduit and the interior of the container. Such a valve may advantageously allow the flow of liquid to be controlled. In an embodiment the flow of liquid may be controlled by an automatic dispensing valve. A valve advantageously allows more control over the liquid flow during use.

In an embodiment the container may be rigid. In an alternative embodiment the container may be flexible, for example the container may be a bag. In an embodiment the container may be constructed in one piece. Alternatively the container may be constructed in modular form and elements connected together subsequently for example using adhesives and/or sealants, to ensure that it is liquid-tight at the seals.

The container may be formed of a moulded plastics material.

The container may be transparent or translucent. For example the container may be formed from a transparent plastics material such as natural polyethylene (MDPE) or PerspexTM.

This advantageously increases visibility such that during use the volume of liquid held in the container can be seen.

In an embodiment the container has a substantially flat profile, which allows a flat side to rest against a wall if desired.

Furthermore, the container may be a substantially sealed container, to allow liquid to be carried to the desired site without spillage. The container may be sealed to the conduit by means of the valve. The container may further comprise a liquid delivery opening. The liquid delivery opening may a reclosable opening advantageously allowing the container to be charged with a liquid and sealed for transport.

In an embodiment the first and second ends of the flexible conduit are biased toward each other, for example the conduit may be in the form of a coiled spring. This allows a mechanical tool attached to the apparatus in use to be moved freely without the conduit trailing and presenting a tripping hazard. The resilience advantageously means that the conduit will tend towards its shortest coiled length but may stretch if required. Additionally or alternatively the first and second ends of the flexible conduit may be connected by resilient means, for example a spring. In a particular embodiment the flexible conduit may be coiled around resilient means for example a spring.

The apparatus may further comprise a support means. The support means may be removably attached to the container and/or the first end of the flexible conduit. In an embodiment the support means comprises a bracket. The bracket may comprise attachment means via which the apparatus can be attached to a support structure. The bracket may be arranged such that in use it hangs from 1mm to 100mm, or from 10mm to 75mm, or 50mm from the support structure. The support structure may be any suitable structure for example a stand, plinth, wall, ceiling, window or gable end.

In an embodiment the bracket comprises at least one hook onto which the container can be removably placed such that during use the container can hang from the at least one hook of the bracket. In an embodiment the bracket has two hooks. The container may comprise one or more apertures for engaging with the one or more hooks.

In an embodiment the bracket further comprises a conduit support means for removably supporting the first end of the flexible conduit. The conduit support means may comprise a hook, string or tether.

The apparatus may be used by following the following steps.

The order of some steps may be varied. The apparatus may be disassembled if assembled. The bracket may be fixed to a support structure via its attachment means. The first end of the flexible conduit may be attached to the bracket using the conduit support means. A valve if present may be turned to the "off" position to prevent liquid moving down the conduit under the influence of gravity. The container may then be charged with a liquid for example water. The container may then be attached to the bracket via one or more hooks. The container may be attached to the first end of the flexible conduit. The second end of the flexible conduit may be attached to a mechanical tool. The valve may be turned to the "on" position such that liquid moved down the conduit under the influence of gravity. The mechanical tool may be used.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a container for use in an apparatus as described above. Preferred features of this further aspect of the invention may be as described in connection with the preceding aspect.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a flexible conduit for use in an apparatus as described above. Preferred features of this further aspect of the invention may be as described in connection with any of the preceding aspects.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a cutting apparatus comprising a blade and an apparatus as described above. In an embodiment the second end of the flexible conduit may be removably attached to or near the blade.

Preferred features of this further aspect of the invention may be as described in connection with any of the preceding aspects.

Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following examples. Generally speaking the invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims and drawings) . Moreover unless stated otherwise, any feature disclosed herein may be replaced by an alternative feature serving the same or a similar purpose.

The present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, of which: Fig 1 is an exploded view of the apparatus of the invention; Fig 2 is a partially exploded view of the apparatus attached to a circular saw; Fig 3 is a front view of a container of the invention; and Fig 4 is a plan view of the container shown in Figure 3.

All drawings are schematic.

Detailed description

In one embodiment, an apparatus of the invention (Figure 1) comprises an essentially rectangular shaped bag (1) which is water-tight around its base and side walls (2) (4), and which is made of a transparent plastics material. The bag (1) may have a substantially flat profile as shown in the embodiment shown in Figure 4. The bag (1) may be formed from two flat surfaces sealed together around the edges to form the bag (1) Alternatively the bag (1) may be constructed from more components and may have a gusset (7)as shown in Figure 2. The seals around the edges (2) (4) may be from 2mm to 15mm in width. In an embodiment the seals are 8mm wide.

In an embodiment the bag (1) may be resealable. The seal may be a double hook seal for example a mini grip seal. The internal seal corners may be heat sealed, for example by using a hot bar, for example a hot bar of 0.5mm to 5mm in radius.

In an embodiment a 2mm radius hot bar may be used to form internal seal corners.

The apparatus further comprises a valve (5) located on the bottom wall (2) of the bag (1) . The valve (5) in use allows the flow of water to be controlled. The valve (5) is positioned between the first end (16) of the flexible conduit (14) and the interior of the bag (1) . The valve (5) may be an automatic dispensing valve.

The apparatus further comprises a bracket (6) having two hooks (8) from which the bag (1) can be suspended. The bag has two corresponding apertures (10), which allow the bag (1) to be hung on the hooks (8) during use. The bag (1) further comprises a handle aperture (12), which can be used to carry the bag (1) from a water source to where it is needed. The corresponding apertures (10) may be from 0.5mm to 2mm in diameter. The handle aperture (12) may be from 80mm to 200mm in length.

The bag (1) may be constructed from 12 polyester/200 polythene. In an embodiment the bag (1) is designed to hold from 0.5 to 4 litres of water. In an alternative embodiment the bag (1) is designed to hold from 1 to 3 litres of water.

In an alternative embodiment the bag (1) is designed to hold 2.5 litres of water. It has been found by the applicants that when the apparatus is used to provide water to a circular saw (24), 2.5 litres of water is enough to substantially reduce airbourn dust production over a cutting distance of approximately 2000 mm. The bag (1) may therefore be recharged with water after this distance has been cut.

The apparatus also comprises a flexible conduit (14), the flexible conduit (14) has a first end (16) which is in fluid communication with an interior of the bag (1) and a second end (18) which is connectable to a circular saw (24) The bracket (6) is attachable to a suitable support structure, for example a wall. The bracket (6) may be attached using fixing means (not shown) for example 6mm wall plugs or screws.

A conduit support means (22) attaches the first end (16) of the conduit to the bracket (6) . In this way the conduit (14) is suspended from the bracket (6) . In an embodiment the conduit support means (22) is a piece of string.

In an embodiment, during use, the bag (1) may be suspended at a suitable distance above a circular saw (24), 50 that a liquid, for example water, contained in the bag (1) can run under the influence of gravity through the flexible conduit (14) to the saw (24) . The apparatus may be designed such that the flexible conduit (14) directs a liquid over a blade of a circular saw (24) during use.

The bag (1) may be suspended, from 10mm to 500mm to either side of a line to be cut. In an embodiment the bag (1) is suspended 300mm to the right of the cut line.

In an embodiment the apparatus further comprises a waste receptacle (not shown) for collecting water and debris.

In an embodiment the first and second ends (16,18) of the flexible conduit (14) are biased toward each other. The flexible conduit (14) may be coiled around a spring (26) This will allow a circular saw (24) attached to the apparatus to be moved freely without the conduit (14) trailing and presenting a tripping hazard.

Claims

Claims 1. An apparatus for delivering a liquid to a mechanical tool,

said apparatus comprising a container for liquid and a flexible conduit, the flexible conduit having a first end which is connected or connectable to the container such that it is in fluid communication with an interior of the container and a second end which is connectable to a mechanical tool.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the container and flexible conduit are portable.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the container is suspendable above the mechanical tool.

4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a low-pressure pump.

5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a valve for controlling liquid flow.

6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the container is a bag.

7. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the container is formed of a moulded plastics material.

8. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the container is transparent or translucent.

9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the container is a substantially sealed container.

10. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the first and second ends of the flexible conduit are biased toward each other.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the flexible conduit is in the form of a coiled spring.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10 or 11 wherein the flexible conduit is coiled around resilient means.

13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a support means which is removably attached to the container and/or the first end of the flexible conduit.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the support means comprises a bracket.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the bracket comprises at least one hook.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the container further comprises one or more apertures for engagement with the one or more hooks.

17. An apparatus according to any of claims 14 to 16 wherein the bracket comprises a conduit support means for removably supporting the first end of the flexible conduit.

18. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the mechanical tool is a cutting means.

19. A container for use in an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 18.

20. A flexible conduit for use in an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 18.

21. A cutting apparatus comprising a blade and an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

22. An apparatus as described herein with reference to the figures.

23. A container as described herein with reference to the figures.

24. A flexible conduit as described herein with reference to the figures.

25. A cutting apparatus as described herein with reference to the figures.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. An apparatus for delivering a liquid to a mechanical tool, said apparatus comprising a container for liquid and a flexible conduit, the flexible Conduit having a first end which is connected or connectable to the Container such that it is in fluid communication with an interior of the container and a second end which is connectable to a mechanical tool, wherein said first and second ends of the flexible conduit are biased toward each other.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the container and flexible conduit are portable.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the container is suspendable above the mechanical tool.

4. An apparatus according to any Preceding claim further comprising a low-pressure pump.

5. An apparatus according to any Preceding claim further comprising a valve for controlling liquid flow.

6. An apparatus according to any Preceding claim wherein the container is a bag.

7. An apparatus according to any Preceding claim wherein the container IS formed of a moulded plastics material.

8. An apparatus according to any Preceding claim wherein the container is transparent or translucent.

9. An apparatus according to any Preceding claim wherein the container is a substantially sealed container. lb

10. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the flexible conduit is in the form of a coiled spring.

11. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the flexible conduit is coiled around resilient means.

12. An apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a support means which is removably attached to the container and/or the first end of the flexible conduit.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the support means comprises a bracket.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the bracket comprises at least one hook.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the container further comprises one or more apertures for engagement with the one or more hooks.

16. An apparatus according to any of claims 13 to 15 wherein the bracket comprises a conduit support means for removably supporting the first end of the flexible conduit.

17. An apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the mechanical tool is a cutting means.

18. A container for use in an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 17.

19. A flexible conduit for use in an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 17.

20. A cutting apparatus comprising a blade and an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

21. An apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the figures.

22. A container substantially as described herein with reference to the figures.

23. A flexible conduit substantially as described herein with reference to the figures.

24. A cutting apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to the figures.