GB2554741A

GB2554741A - Universal pole adapter for sander

Info

Publication number: GB2554741A
Application number: GB1617102.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Belfield Timothy
Original assignee: Timothy John Belfield
Current assignee: Timothy John Belfield
Priority date: 2016-10-07
Filing date: 2016-10-07
Publication date: 2018-04-11
Also published as: GB201617102D0

Abstract

The yoke 10 has a stem (fig.1,20) at a first end, a second end of the stem bifurcates into parallel support arms (fig.1,30) having a distal end (fig.1,34) with pivot arms 40 terminating in pivot attachments 50 attached to securing means 60 suitable for securing a power sander 100. A system, for attaching a sander to a pole so it may pivot, includes the yoke 10; a resilient connection 120; a pole 110; a flexible electrical power cord; and additional securing means to attach the resilient connection and the power cord to the pole. A kit of parts is also claimed which may include a duct and dust extraction system, such as a vacuum. Preferably, the securing means 60 are hook and loop fastening strips; the pivot arms 40 are machine screws, able to adjust the gap between the attachments 50 which are attached to the arms by ball and socket joints; the stem has a socket 22 for a pole; the support arms are of a similar length and set at an angle to the stem. The resilient connection 120 may comprise the duct and be made from an elastic material which applies a restorative force against the pivoting movement of the power sander 100 in the yoke 10 to retain it in the desired orientation during use.

Description

(71) Applicant(s):

Timothy John Belfield

Amberley Drive, BUXTON, Derbyshire, SK17 9PF, United Kingdom (72) Inventor(s):

Timothy John Belfield (51) INT CL:

B24B 23/00 (2006.01) B24B 7/18 (2006.01) (56) Documents Cited:

GB 2266682 A JP 2010023132 A

US 5690545 A US 20160184954 A1

US 20140259534 A1 (58) Field of Search:

INT CL B24B, B25F, B25G Other: WPI; EPODOC (74) Agent and/or Address for Service:

Patent Outsourcing Limited 1 King Street, BAKEWELL, Derbyshire, DE45 1DZ, United Kingdom (54) Title of the Invention: Universal pole adapter for sander

Abstract Title: A yoke and extension pole for a handheld power sander (57) The yoke 10 has a stem (fig. 1,20) at a first end, a second end of the stem bifurcates into parallel support arms (fig. 1,30) having a distal end (fig. 1,34) with pivot arms 40 terminating in pivot attachments 50 attached to securing means 60 suitable for securing a power sander 100. A system, for attaching a sander to a pole so it may pivot, includes the yoke 10; a resilient connection 120; a pole 110; a flexible electrical power cord; and additional securing means to attach the resilient connection and the power cord to the pole. A kit of parts is also claimed which may include a duct and dust extraction system, such as a vacuum. Preferably, the securing means 60 are hook and loop fastening strips; the pivot arms 40 are machine screws, able to adjust the gap between the attachments 50 which are attached to the arms by ball and socket joints; the stem has a socket 22 for a pole; the support arms are of a similar length and set at an angle to the stem. The resilient connection 120 may comprise the duct and be made from an elastic material which applies a restorative force against the pivoting movement of the power sander 100 in the yoke 10 to retain it in the desired orientation during use.

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TITLE: Universal pole adapter for sander

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for providing a pivotable pole mounting for portable power sanders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many construction tasks require sanding of surfaces. A wide range of manual and power sanding devices exist to facilitate this. Power sanders that rotate or vibrate are widely available to speed up this common task. Frequently there is a requirement to sand difficult-to-reach surfaces, such as high walls and ceilings, requiring the use of access equipment such as ladders or scaffold, making the task more difficult and more dangerous.

Pole sanders that allow sandpaper to be mounted on an extension pole are commonly known, allowing manual sanding to be carried out at a distance. These generally comprise a mounting plate on a pivoting head which can be attached to an extension pole. These are simple, but will be time consuming and tiring if used to manually sand large surface areas.

Methods for extending the reach of power sanders exist, for example in the form of drywall sander systems. These generally provide a mechanical sanding mechanism attached to an extending handle.

United States Patent 5545080 describes a motorized sander mounted on a tubular wand. A flexible drive shaft is operatively coupled to the drive shaft and extends along the length of the tubular wand.

These systems are bulky and specialized, and would not be convenient to 5 transport and store for a tradesperson carrying a conventional toolkit for building and decorating work.

A skilled person might attempt to temporarily mount an existing power sander to an extension pole, in order to access a hard to reach work area, but would find it difficult to do this securely, in a way that allowed the tool to pivot correctly to work at a range of angles, maintaining the correct orientation to the working surface. In particular with random orbital sanders or other vibrating or rotating power sanders, there would be vibrational and gyroscopic forces to contend with, making it difficult to maintain a steady positioning of the sander.

There exists therefore a need for an apparatus to allow existing power sanders to be stably and securely mounted on an extension pole, so that difficult to reach surfaces, in particular ceilings, can be sanded using existing tools with only lightweight and easily transportable additional equipment required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a yoke (10) for a power sander; the yoke comprising an elongate stem (20) for attachment to a pole at a first end (22), a second end (24) of the stem which bifurcates to provide parallel support arms (30), the support arms (30) being attached to the stem (20) at a first proximal end (32) and at a remote distal end (34) having pivot arms (40) sharing a common axis (42) and extending toward each other, the pivot arms (40) being terminated in pivot attachments (50), the pivot attachments (50) being attached to securing means (60) for securing a sanding machine.

In this way, the present invention enables a normally hand held power sander to be attached to a conventional extension pole such as might be carried by a decorator for extending the reach of paint rollers and brushes. The yoke (10) permits the sander (100) to pivot in use to adapt to the contours of the surface to be sanded.

The securing means may be used to retain a sander in position on the pivot attachments during use, and are easily releasable to permit the sander to be used as a hand held sander as required. The securing means may comprise one or more strips, so that the sander can be encircled by the securing means around one or more axes. For example, four strips may securely hold a sander in position on the pivoting means by being tightly fastened around both the handle and body of the sander.

The securing means may comprise elasticated strips, knotted or tied strips, buckled strips or hook and loop, e.g. Velcro®, fastening strips. The securing means is therefore adjustable to the girth of the sander body to be attached, and secures the sander body to the pivot attachments. The strips themselves may comprise cords, fabric strips, leather straps, rubber or polymer based materials. The strips may be adjusted into different configurations to support the sander so that it is balanced in the yoke. In some uses the strips may be adjusted so that the sander is suspended in a vertical orientation, or a horizontal orientation.

Preferably, the securing means comprises hook and loop fastening strips, which provide a secure and adjustable mounting while being easily releasable and permitting stepless adjustment. More preferably the securing means comprise fabric strips with hook fastenings applied to one side of one strip and corresponding loop fastenings applied to a side of an opposing strip, so that the two strips can be joined in a variety of positions to provide a secure attachment of the sander to the pivot attachments.

Furthermore, it is envisaged that the strips have some elasticity and are provided with a non-slip surface on the side that will engage with the sander. For example the strips may be coated with rubber, and thereby provide additional friction when gripping the sander.

Preferably, the pivot arms (40) are machine screws adjustable along the common axis (42) so as to adjust a gap (52) between the pivot attachments (50). This allows for continuous adjustment. The machine screws preferably comprise lock nuts to stop slippage due to vibration of the device in use. The lock nuts are preferably butterfly nuts or similar hand tightenable nuts external to the arms of the yoke. This enables rapid manual adjustment whilst avoiding slippage. The machine screws engage with a corresponding thread in the support arms (30). The thread in the support arms may be provided by threaded holes through the support arms, or by a threaded nut mounted in an opening in the support arms. The pivot arms may be provided with knobs or knurled ends to facilitate turning. The gap may be adjusted by turning the screws to fit different sizes of power sander. The range of gap adjustment may be from no gap, i.e. the pivot attachments are touching, to a gap the width of a power sander.

Alternatively the pivot arms may be adjustable by the provision of clamping means in the ends of the support arms.

Preferably, the pivot attachments may be attached to the pivot arms by means of a ball and socket joint. Preferably the ball and socket joint comprises a ball at the end of the pivot arm, and a socket in the pivot attachments. The joint can be detachable, preferably as a push-fit of the ball into the socket. This allows ready attachment and detachment; such as can be useful to swap tools quickly.

Preferably, the first end of the elongate stem comprises a socket for attaching to a pole. The socket may comprise a threaded portion to attach to any commonly used decorator’s extension pole with a threaded end. Alternatively the socket may comprise a tapered push fit connection.

Preferably the elongate stem (20) and the support arms (30) are of a similar length and are preferably of a unitary construction, such as a single casting or moulding. This provides strength and durability.

The present invention also provides a system for pivotably attaching a power sander to a pole, the system comprising a yoke (10), the yoke comprising an elongate stem (20) for attachment to a pole at a first end (22), a second end (24) of the stem which by bifurcates to provide parallel support arms (30), the support arms (30) being attached to the stem (20) at a first proximal end (32) and at a remote distal end (34) having pivot arms (40) sharing a common axis (42) and extending toward each other the pivot arms (40) being terminated in pivot attachments (50) the pivot attachments (50) being attached to securing means (60) for securing a power sander (100), a pole (110), configured to securely permit attachment to the stem of the yoke, a 5 flexible duct (120), a flexible electrical power cord to provide power to the power sander and a plurality of securing means to attach the duct and the power cord to the pole, wherein the duct can be attached to the power sander to permit a dust extraction device to collect dust that has been created by the operation of the power sander.

Preferably the duct is made from a material which provides a resilient connection between the yoke and the sander. The duct elastically resists a bending force and the duct may be attached to the power sander at an angle from the yoke, creating a bend in the duct such that the duct applies a restoring force against pivotal movement of the power sander on the yoke and thereby retains the sander in the desired orientation while still allowing pivotal movement when in use. The resilient connection thus provided by the duct counters the weight of the sander, resisting any tilting caused by imbalance of the mounting. The resilient connection also absorbs vibration and prevents precession caused by gyroscopic forces from the sander, thereby stabilising the position of the sander in operation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts for sanding surfaces, comprising a yoke as described above, a pole with securing means at one end suitable for securing the yoke, a flexible electrical power cord suitable for releasably connecting and supplying power from a power supply to an power sander mounted in the yoke, a duct, connected to the power sander and to a dust extraction system, and releasable means for securing the duct and the cable to the pole during use.

The dust extraction system may be a vacuum extractor such as a vacuum cleaner. This is preferably connectable in use to an extraction port of a power sander and can act as a resilient biasing means to stabilise the sander from swinging rather than tilting making positioning on a surface to be abraded easier.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may more readily understood, a description is now given, by way of example only, reference being made to various embodiments of the present invention, in which:FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a yoke for a pole sander embodying the 15 present invention;

FIGURE 2 shows the yoke of Figure 1, attached to a sander;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

There is illustrated in Figure 1 a yoke (10) for a power sander, the yoke comprising an elongate stem (20) for attachment to a pole at a first end (22), a second end (24) of the stem which bifurcates to provide parallel support arms (30), the support arms being attached to the stem (20) at a first proximal end (32). The yoke may be constructed of metal or plastic. The metals aluminium and magnesium are preferable and provide necessary strength in a lightweight construction.

At the remote distal end (34) of the support arms are connected pivot arms (40) sharing a common axis (42) and extending toward each other. The common axis of the pivot arms (40) is perpendicular to the parallel support arms and passes through both distal ends (34) of the support arms.

The pivot arms (40) being terminated in pivot attachments (50), the pivot attachments (50) being attached to securing means (60) for securing a sanding machine such as a power sander. The pivot arms (40) are adjustable so that the position of the pivot attachments can be moved closer together or further apart. The pivot attachments (50) pivot on the pivot arms (40), so that when a power sander is secured to them, the power sander can pivot between the arms of the yoke, allowing the sanding surface of the sander to be presented to a work surface at varying angles.

The parallel support arms (30) may comprise a bend or a curve, so that the axis of the pivot arms (40) does not intersect with the line of the stem. This may be advantageous to assist in positioning a sander correctly away from the pole, particularly when the pole is held at extreme angles.

Preferably the pivot attachments are machine screws adjustable along the common axis (42) so as to adjust a gap (52) between the pivot attachments (50). The gap may thereby be adjusted to fit different widths of power sander.

The securing means (60) may be fixed to the pivot attachments (50) by for example rivets, screws, or by being moulded into the pivot attachments. The pivot attachments may also be slotted so that the securing means can be threaded through the slots. The securing means preferably comprise four strips which can be wrapped around the sander and fastened together. In one embodiment, the securing means comprise two strips one of which passes through slots in the first of the pivot attachments and the other of which passes through slots in the second of the pivot attachments thus providing four ends which can be fastened around the sander.

Preferably, the securing means (60) comprise hook and loop fastening strips, which provide a secure and adjustable mounting while being easily releasable. These provide sufficient overlap to enable different girths of sander bodies to be securely attached to the pivot means.

The securing means preferably comprise strips that are between 5mm and 40mm in width, and 160mm to 300mm in length.

Turning now to Figure 2, the yoke (10) of Figure 1 is shown attached to a power sander, in this example a portable sander (100). The securing means (60) have been secured around the body of the sander so that the sander is mounted on the pivoting attachments (50).

The pivoting means are attached to the pivot arms (40), which as shown in the drawing have been adjusted to place the pivot attachments in a suitable position to support the power sander.

The securing means (60) are adjustable so that the power sander can be balanced, such that when in use the power sander can pivot around the axis of the pivot arms, in order to allow the power sander to operate at varying angles. For example, the power sander may be used to sand a ceiling, permitting the operator to hold the pole at different angles in order to reach distal parts of the ceiling while maintaining contact of the working plane of the power sander with the surface of the ceiling.

The securing means (60) may also be adjusted so that the centre of mass of the sander (100) is offset slightly from a balanced position, so that the sander will pivot due to gravity into a position suitable for sanding ceilings. An alternative adjustment of the securing means will allow the sander to have its centre of mass offset so that it will pivot under the influence of gravity into a position suitable for sanding walls.

The end of a pole (110) is shown. The pole is configured to be attachable to the first end of the yoke, in the drawing it has not yet been attached. The pole may be a decorator’s extension pole, such as are commonly used to attach paint brushes or rollers.

The pole and the first end of the yoke (22) are shown as having screw thread to allow the yoke to be attached to the pole, although in other embodiments the attachment may be by other means. One example may be a tapered end on the pole which would fit into a tapered socket in some embodiments of the yoke.

A resilient connection (120) between the yoke and the sander may be provided.

In the example of Figure 2, the resilient connection is provided by a flexible duct (120) as shown, attached to the power sander (100). The resilient connection could also be provided by a spring or elastic member connected between a fixing means on the yoke and the sander. The resilient connection (120), when provided by a duct may also permit a dust extraction device (not shown) to collect dust that has been created by the operation of the power sander via the duct. By this combination of features, the duct may serve a dual purpose of dust extraction and biasing the position of the sander in the yoke.

As can be seen from the figure, the duct can be secured to the pole and the sander at a position and angle so as to form a bend (122) in the duct. The duct is made of a flexible construction that elastically resists a bending force, thereby providing a restoring force that will retain the power sander in the desired working position on the pivot arms (40) when the sander is not in contact with the working surface. The duct may be reinforced with a wire spring selected to provide an appropriate elastic restoring force. The wire spring may be a spiral wound spring integral with the duct.

A flexible electrical power cord (not shown for clarity) may provide power to the power sander.

Preferably, a second resilient connection may be provided between the sander and the yoke. In cases where the sander cannot easily be balanced by adjustment of the securing means, the second resilient connection can provide additional support. An example might be the case of power sanders where the centre of mass is at one end, requiring a balancing force to be provided to retain the sander in the desired orientation.

The second resilient connection may be provided by an elastic strip or a spring, or a plurality of such connections. The yoke may have protruding hooks, eyes or other attachment means to facilitate the attachment of the second resilient connection.

A plurality of additional securing means (not shown) may be provided to attach the duct and the power cord to the pole. In one example a fabric strip comprising one or more hook and loop fastenings may be provided to secure the duct and power cable to the pole.

The pivot attachments may pivot about the axis of the pivot arms, over a range limited only by contact between the body of the power sander and the yoke.

The pivot attachments may comprise pivoting means that provide a mechanism to allow movement of the power sander about a second axis perpendicular to the axis of the pivot arms (40), in order to allow for variations in the plane of the working surface.

In one embodiment the pivoting means comprise ball and socket joints which 5 permit pivotal movement about the axis of the pivot arms, over a range limited only by contact between the body of the power sander and the yoke, and pivotal movement about the second axis that may be limited by the elasticity of the securing means, and the support arms of the yoke.

Claims

1. A yoke (10) for a power sander; the yoke comprising: a stem (20) for attachment to a pole at a first end (22);

a second end (24) of the stem which bifurcates to provide parallel support arms

5 (30);

the support arms being attached to the stem at a first proximal end (32), and at a remote distal end (34) having;

pivot arms (40) sharing a common axis (42) and extending toward each other; the pivot arms being terminated in pivot attachments (50);

10 the pivot attachments being attached to securing means (60) for securing a power sander (100).

2. The yoke (10) of claim 1 wherein the securing means (60) comprise hook and loop fastening strips.

3. The yoke (10) of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the pivot arms are machine

15 screws adjustable along the common axis (42) so as to adjust a gap (52) between the pivot attachments (50).

4. The yoke (10) of any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the first end (22) of the stem comprises a socket for attaching to a pole.

5. The yoke (10) of any preceding claim wherein the principal axis of the

20 stem (20) and the principal axis of the support arms (30) are set at an angle to form a bend or a curve.

6. The yoke (10) of any preceding claim wherein the stem (20) and the support arms (30) are of a similar length and of a unitary construction.

7. The yoke (10) of any preceding claim wherein the pivot attachments (50) are attached to the pivot arms (40) by means of a ball-and-socket joint.

8. A system for pivotably attaching a power sander (100) to a pole (110),

5 the system comprising:

a yoke (10), the yoke comprising:

an elongate stem (20) for attachment to a pole at a first end (22); a second end (24) of the stem which bifurcates to provide parallel support arms (30);

10 the support arms (30) being attached to the stem (20) at a first proximal end (32), and at a remote distal end (34) having;

pivot arms (40) sharing a common axis (42) and extending toward each other;

the pivot arms being terminated in pivot attachments (50);

the pivot attachments being attached to securing means (60) for securing a

15 power sander, a pole (110), configured to be securely attached to the first end of the stem of the yoke;

a resilient connection (120) between the yoke and the pole;

a flexible electrical power cord to provide power to the power sander; and

20 a plurality of additional securing means to attach the resilient connection and the power cord to the pole.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the resilient connection (120) is made from a material which elastically resists a bending force and, the resilient connection is attached to the power sander (100) and the pole (110) at an angle from the pole so that a bend (122) is formed in the resilient connection such

5 that the resilient connection applies a restoring force against pivotal movement of the power sander on the yoke (10) and thereby retains the sander in the desired orientation while still allowing pivotal movement when in use.

10 The system of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the resilient connection (120)

10 comprises a duct which is in fluid communication with an opening in the power sander (100) configured to permit a dust extraction device to collect dust that has been created by the operation of the power sander.

11. A kit of parts for sanding surfaces, comprising:

15 a pole (110) with securing means at one end suitable for securing;

the yoke (10) of claim 1;

a flexible electrical power cord suitable for releasably connecting and supplying power from a power supply to;

a power sander (100) mounted in the yoke;

20 a duct (120), connected to the power sander and to;

a dust extraction system; and releasable means for securing the duct and the cable to the pole during use.

12. The kit of parts of claim 11 wherein the dust extraction system is a vacuum extractor.

13. The kit of parts of claim 11 or claim 12 wherein the means for securing

5 the duct (120) and cable to the pole (110) is a fabric strip with hook and loop fasteners.

14. A system for attaching a power sander (100) to a pole (110) as herein described with reference to the description and all of figures 1 to 2.

Intellectual

Property

Office

Application No: GB 1617102.7 Examiner: MrKeirHowe