US3027591A

US3027591A - Adhesive applicator with squeeze bottle holder

Info

Publication number: US3027591A
Application number: US860797A
Authority: US
Inventors: Petersen William
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-12-21
Filing date: 1959-12-21
Publication date: 1962-04-03
Anticipated expiration: 1979-04-03

Description

April 3, 1962 w. PETERSEN- ADHESIVE APPLICATOR WITH SQUEEZE BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Dec. 21, 1959 INVENTOR. MLL /.4M PETER-SEN BY g 2 a;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,027,591 ADHESIVE APPLICATOR WITH SQUEEZE BOTTLE HOLDER William Petersen, 5451 4th Ave, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Dec. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 860,797 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-541) This invention relates to devices for spreading liquids upon surfaces to be coated, and has as its general object to provide an applicator particularly adapted for spreading upon flat surfaces and rounded surfaces, a viscous liquid, such as an adhesive, ejected from a squeeze bottle container thereof.

The invention is particularly useful for the application of films of adhesive to long narrow faces of boards, etc. for joining them to other members. For example, in the edge-joining of boards in a table top or other article of furniture, or in adhesively joining long narrow strips of trim to other members, it becomes desirable to apply long ribbon-like films of adhesive to the surface of such parts preparatory to joining them. Applying such films of adhesive with a brush dipped in the adhesive is a messy procedure and it is extremely difficult to do this without missing some areas of the surface to be coated while at the same time confining the adhesive to the lateral limits of such surface. In attempting to observe these requirements, with presently available applicators, the task of applying the adhesive becomes a slow and laborious one.

With the foregoing problems in mind, the present invention has as its general object to provide a viscous liquid applicator utilizing a roller for applying to a long narrow flat surface a liquid which is fed onto the surface of the roller from a squeeze bottle to which the roller is attached in a position to directly receive the liquid as it is expelled from the nozzle of the squeeze bottle.

The invention contemplates the application of films of liquid to long narrow surfaces in a horizontal plane, in a vertical plane with the longitudinal axis of the surface extending vertically, or in a vertical plane with the longitudinal axis of the surface extending horizontally. For operation under the first two conditions, the invention contemplates applying the liquid from the nozzle of the squeeze bottle to the cylindrical surface of the applicator roller approximately midway between its ends, the liquid spreading horizontally toward the ends of the roller. However, for applying a liquid to a vertical surface which is relatively narrow vertically and relatively long in a horizontal direction (requiring the roller to be positioned with its axis vertical and to be moved along a horizontal path) the invention provides for delivering the liquid to the roller at its upper end so that the liquid may spread downwardly by gravity toward the other end of the roller. Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide a liquid applicator combining a squeeze bottle and an applicator roller together with holder means adapted for adjustably attaching the roller to the squeeze bottle in a plurality of selected positions in one of which the tip of the squeeze bottle nozzle is positioned adjacent the cylindrical surface of the roller between the ends thereof and in another of which the tip of the nozzle is positioned for delivering liquid to one end of the roller. More specifically, the invention aims to provide a construction wherein one end of the roller has an annular receiving shoulder such as to receive all of the liquid delivered from the nozzle of the squeeze bottle and to direct all of such liquid onto the cylindrical surface of the roller without any of the liquid escaping from the roller or reaching the bearing of the roller at the end where the liquid is delivered to the roller.

A further object is to provide an applicator embodying a roller, a squeeze bottle, a holder which can be easily attached to the bottle in a manner such that both the bottle and the holder can simultaneously be held in the hand of the operator.

A still further object is to provide such a combination of roller, bottle and holder, together with a mounting yoke for the roller and means for adjustably connecting such mounting yoke to the frame in a manner such as to provide for adjustment of the roller toward and from the tip of the squeeze bottle nozzle along the longitudinal axis of the bottle; for adjustment of the roller along its own axis transversely to the longitudinal axis of the bottle; and for swinging adjustment of the roller transversely to its own axis and transversely to the longitudinal axis of the bottle, for adjusting the spacing between the nozzle tube and the applicator surface of the roller.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the ensuing specification and appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an adhesive applicator embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof showing the applicator roller adjusted to a different position of operation;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the applicator in the position of adjustment shown in FIG. 1, viewed as indicated by line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the applicator in the position of adjustment shown in FIG. 2, viewed as indicated by line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

Descripti0n,As an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, I have shown in the drawing an adhesive applicator comprising, in general, a squeeze bottle A constituting a container for the adhesive to be applied; a holder frame B adapted to be secured to the bottle A; an applicator roller unit C; and a connector unit D adjustably attaching unit C to frame B.

The squeeze bottle A includes a cylindrical container body 10 of highly flexible material such as medium soft rubber of (preferably) a plasticized thermoplastic resin which is sufiiciently elastic and stiff to be normally form retaining but may be readily collapsed by squeezing pressure applied to diametrically opposite areas of its side wall, indenting said side wall areas inwardly so as to forcibly eject from the neck 11 of the bottle and through a delivery nozzle 12 which is attached to the neck lul, a controlled quantity of the adhesive or other liquid which issues through a small aperture in the tip 13 of the nozzle 12,.

The holder B is fabricated from red or wire material (eg. twelve guage metal wire plated or enameled with a suitable corrosion resistant finish.) The frame is rectangular, including laterally spaced parallel longitudinal bars 15, a cross bar in bridging between and joining the forward ends of the bars 15, and a pair of fingers 19 projecting toward one another in aligned relationship from the rear ends of the bars 15 and joined by a connecting sleeve 17 soldered or press-fitted thereover.

The container body 1i} is adapted to be cradled between the longitudinal bars 15 and secured thereto by rings of pressure sensitive adhesive tape 18.

The roller unit C comprises a cylindrical roller 21 having an axial bore 22 and a countersunk recess 23 at one end thereof; together with a mounting yoke 24 having a trunnion 25 as one end portion thereof, journalled in the bore 22 and provided at its end with a head 26 received in recess 23, Yoke 24 further includes a shaft 27 disposed in spaced parallel relation to trunnion 25, and an arm 28 integrally joined to trunnion 25 and shaft 27 by right angle bends and holding the

parts

25 and 27 in spaced parallel relationship.

At one end, roller 21 hasa tapered nose 29 defining Q2 peripherally an applicator shoulder 34? which may be of semi-toroidal concave cross section, for delivering liquid material to the roller 21 at one end thereof when being operated with its axis vertical, in the application of adhesive to a long narrow vertical surface the longitudinal axis of which extends horizontally. The opposite end of the roller is squared.

The adjustable connector unit D comprises a plurality of

jaw elements

31, 32 and 33 preferably in the form of discs having in their inner faces, pair of grooves 34 and 35 extending chordally, parallel to one another, symmetricall spaced on opposite sides of a common central axis of the discs. The grooves 34 of

discs

31 and 32 are in opposed registering relation and are at right angles to the grooves 35 of the

discs

32 and 33, which likewise are in opposed registering relation to one another.

The two central discs 33, in effect, constitute a single central disc unit having in one side a pair of grooves 34 and in its other side a pair of groves 35 extending crosswise with respect to grooves 34. While it is preferred to utilize relatively simple stamped sheet metal discs which are corrugated as shown in order to provide the grooves 34, it will be understood that discs of solid plate stock could be used, with the grooves milled in one face thereof, in which case the central disc unit 32 would be a single integral disc with grooves milled in opposite faces thereof. Preferably, in the specific form shown, the two central discs 32 are secured together by spot welding or brazing or soldering so as to maintain the right angular crossed relationship of the grooves 34 to grooves 35. One pair of grooves 35 receives one of the longitudinal bars 15 of frame B. One pair of the grooves 34 receives the transverse shaft 27 of yoke 24. The

discs

31, 32 and 33 are clamped together by a clamp bolt 36 extending through central apertures in the respective discs and adapted to exert clamping pressure against the assembly of discs so as to clamp the

discs

31 and 32 against the yoke shaft 27 and to clamp the

discs

32 and 33 against the frame bar 15.

By loosening the bolt 36, the clamping pressure on the shaft 27 and bar 15 can be relaxed so as to permit any one or several of the following adjustments to be made: (a) the connector unit B can be adjusted longitudinally along its supporting frame bar 15 to adjust the roller 21 toward and away from the nozzle tip 13; (b) the connector unit D can be rotated around the axis of frame bar 13 to tilt the roller 21 into or out of parallel relationship between its axis and the plane of frame B; (c) the shaft 27 can be slid longitudinally in its clamping grooves 34 to shift the roller 21 along its own axis, transversely to the major longitudinal axis of the frame B and the major axis of squeeze bottle A, for adjusting the relative positioning of nozzle tip 13 along the length of roller 21; and (d) the shaft 27 can be rotated within its clamping grooves 34 to swing the yoke 24 and roller 21 arcuately about the axis of shaft 27 to adjust the spacing between the surface of roller 21 and the nozzle tip 13 in a direction generally transverse to the plane of frame B.

perati0n.ln the use of the apparatus, the squeeze bottle A is attached to the frame in the manner hereinbefore described, in a position which is adjusted longitudinally of the frame B, wherein the nozzle 12 will project beyond the end cross bar 16 of frame B. in using the apparatus for applying adhesive to a long narrow flat surface (such as the flat margin of a board or trim strip) disposed in a horizontal plane, or in a vertical plane with the longitudinal axis of the surface extending vertically, the parts may be adjusted to the relative positions shown in FIG. 1, with the nozzle 13 approximately in the center of the projected. cylindrical area of the roller 21 as shown in PEG. 1, and with the roller ad- 'justed to a position just clearing the nozzle tip 13 on the underside thereof as shown in FIG. 3. The roller may then be applied to the strip surface to be coated, indicated at at in FIG. 3 and moved back and forth along said surface as indicated by the arrow 41, While simultaneously squeezing the bottle 16 between the fingers of the operator to cause adhesive to be deposited upon the closely adjacent surface of roller 21. During this operation, the applicator assembly is held with its longitudinal axis (e.g. the major axis of bottle A) at an acute angle to the surface 49 sufficiently so that the parts of adjustable connector D will clear the surface. It should be understood that although the surface 40 appears on the drawing in an inclined position, that normally the surface being treated will be disposed either in a horizontal plane or a vertical plane and the axis of the bottle A will be inclined with reference to both horizontal and vertical.

Accordingly, the surface indicated at 40 in FIG. 3 may be regarded as representing a surface extending in a horizontal plane; a surface disposed in a vertical plane and with its long axis also extending vertically; or a surface disposed with its narrow dimension extending horizontally and its long dimension inclined between the vertical and the horizontal as it appears in FIG. 3. In each of these cases, the axis of the roller 21 will be horizontal and the adhesive as it is ejected from nozzle tip 13 will spread equally in both directions from the center of the roller toward the respective ends thereof, such spreading action being effected mainly as the adhesive is carried by the roller around to a position where it is smeared against the surface 4t} under pressure by the roller. Several passes of the roller back and forth against a particular section of surface 40 will be effective to spread the adhesive evenly from side to side of the surface 40 (which may be understood as being narrower than the length of roller 21 so that the end of the roller extends somewhat beyond the sides of the surface).

Where there is occasion to spread adhesive on a long narrow surface disposed in a vertical plane with its long dimension extending horizontally, it becomes necessary to hold the apparatus in a position in which the axis of roller 21 is disposed vertically. FIG. 4 illustrates the use of the apparatus under these circumstances, and views the apparatus from above, the nose 29 of the roller being directed upwardly. In preparation for such use of the apparatus, the parts are adjusted to the relative positions shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the yoke 24 being adjusted by rotating the connector unit D around the axis of frame bar 15 through approximately from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2, thus reversing the position of roller 21, end for end, with respect to the frame B so that the receiving shoulder 39 of nose 29 faces the nozzle tip 13 (insofar as the relationship between FTGS. l and 2 is concerned, the frame B and bottle A have been reversed with respect to the roller unit C and the connector unit D). The shaft 27 is then slid longitudinally with respect to the connector unit D until the nozzle tip 13 is in a position registering radially with the receiving shoulder 30. The yoke 24 is then rotated about the axis of shaft 27 to bring the nozzle tip 13 and receiving shoulder 3% in close proximity as shown in FIG. 4 so that, when the apparatus is positioned with the nose 2A9) directed upwardly the nozzle tip 13 will be directly over the receiving shoulder 30 and in close proximity thereto for directly delivering the liquid onto the shoulder as the shoulder revolves. Thus the liquid is deposited around the circumference of shoulder 36 and will flow downwardly therefrom by gravity onto the cylindrical surface 21 of the roller toward the lower end of the roller. Before the liquid is allowed to drip from the lower end of the roller however, it is spread upon the receiving surface 49.

I claim: a

1. In a liquid applicator: a liquid container comprising a squeeze bottle having a nozzle terminating in a delivery tip; a frame including a portion attached to the body of the bottle and a part projecting from said portion; an applicator roller; 21 generally U-shaped yoke including a trunnion on which said roller is journalled, a

shaft for attachment thereof to said frame, and an arm integrally joining one end of said shaft to one end of said trunnion with the trunnion and shaft in spaced substantially parallel relation; and adjustable connector means attaching said shaft to said projecting frame part for swinging adjustment about the axis of said shaft to adjust said roller toward and from said nozzle tip, and for axial shifting of said shaft with respect to said connector means to adjust said roller lengthwise and thereby vary the positioning of the nozzle tip between the ends of the roller.

2. An applicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said frame comprises an elongated rectangular loop of rod material including a pair of spaced parallel longitudinal bars attached to a cylindrical lateral wall of the bottle by bands of adhesive tape and projecting beyond said lateral wall in laterally spaced relation to the nozzle to provide said projecting part.

3. In a liquid applicator: a liquid container comprising an elongated squeeze bottle having a nozzle terminating in a delivery tip; a frame comprising a portion attached to the side walls of the bottle and a rod part projecting from said portion, as thus attached, toward the nozzle in a position generally parallel to the bottle axis; an applicator roller; a generally U-shaped yoke including a trunnion on which said roller is journalled, a shaft for attachment thereof to said frame, and an arm integrally joining one end of said shaft to one end of said trunnion with the trunnion and shaft in spaced substantially parallel relation; and adjustable connector means attaching said shaft to said projecting frame part for swinging adjustment about the axis of said shaft toadjust said roiler toward and from said nozzle tip, and for axial shifting of said shaft with respect to said connector means to adjust said roller lengthwise and thereby vary the positioning of the nozzle tip between the ends of the roller.

4. An applicator as defined in claim 3, wherein said adjustable connector means comprises a plurality of jaw elements in the form of discs, including outward and intermediate jaw elements and a clamp bolt extending therethrough for drawing them together, with the jaw elements arranged in two pairs each including an outer jaw element and an intermediate jaw element, one of said pairs of jaw elements having therein opposed registering grooves receiving said projecting rod part of the frame and providing for rotatable adjustment of the connector means around the axis of said frame part and bodily shifting adjustment of the connector means along the length of said frame part, the other pair of jaw elements having a pair of registering internal grooves disposed approximately at right angles to the first mentioned pair of grooves and receiving said yoke shaft so as to provide for swinging adjustment of the yoke around the axis of said shaft to adjust the spacing between the roller and the nozzle tip and for bodily sliding adjustment of said shaft in said connector unit for bodily adjustment of the roller along its longitudinal axis to vary the spacing of the nozzle tip between the ends of the roller.

5. An applicator as defined in claim 1, wherein said roller has at one end a tapered nose defining a liquidreceivin g shoulder flaring outwardly to a junction with the cylindrical surface of the roller at one end, for receiving liquid and conveying it onto said cylindrical surface at said one end thereof when the roller is positioned with its axis vertical.

6. An applicator as defined in claim 3, wherein said roller has at one end a concentric, concave toroidal liquidreceiving shoulder flaring outwardly to a junction with the cylindrical surface of the roller at one end, for receiving liquid and conveying it onto said cylindrical surface at said one end thereof when the roller is positioned with its axis vertical.

7. A liquid applicator comprising: a liquid container comprising an elongated squeeze bottle having a nozzle terminating in a delivery tip; a frame comprising a portion attached to the side walls of the bottle and a rod part projecting from said portion, as thus attached, toward the nozzle in a position generally parallel to the bottle axis; an applicator roller having a cylindrical applicator sur face and, at one end, a tapered nose defining a liquidreceiving shoulder flaring outwardly to a junction with said cylindrical surface at one end thereof, for receiving liquid and conveying it onto said cylindrical surface when the roller is positioned with its axis vertical; a generally U-shaped yoke including a trunnion on which said roller is journalled, a shaft for attachment thereof to said frame, and an arm integrally joining one end of said shaft to one end of said trunnion with the trunnion and shaft in spaced substantially parallel relation; and adjustable connector means attaching said yoke to said projecting rod part for swinging adjustment about the axis of said shaft to adjust said roller toward and from said nozzle tip, for bodily shifting said shaft with respect to said connector means to adjust said roller lengthwise and thereby vary the positioning of the nozzle tip between the ends of the roller, and for swinging adjustment of said connector means and the yoke and roller as carried thereby, around the axis of said rod part.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS