Abstract:
A caulk applicator attachable to a caulk delivery apparatus. The caulk applicator comprises an applicator body having a retainer bracket and a scraper element, wherein the retainer bracket is attachable to the caulk delivery apparatus. An applicator wheel is rotatably mounted to the applicator body and has a fluid application surface, wherein the fluid application surface is engageable with the scraper element.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/762,679, filed Jan. 27, 2006. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of fluid applicators, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a caulk applicator having a rotatable applicator wheel upon which a bead of caulking material may be received from a caulk delivery apparatus. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A number of apparatuses have been employed to apply a thin bead of viscous sealing material to a surface. Particularly, many of these apparatuses are well-suited to apply a bead of joint compound or caulking compound to a joint or crack. 
   Once well-known method for filling a joint or crack with caulking compound employs a caulk delivery apparatus, or caulk gun, having an operating mechanism that controls the flow of caulking compound from the nozzle portion of a replaceable caulking compound container. However, when such an apparatus is used to apply caulking compound to an overhead surface, the caulking compound may fall away from the ceiling before it adheres to the joint or crack. Furthermore, normal methods of finishing caulk joints are time-consuming and cumbersome when the work area is overhead. Thus, such an apparatus is ill-suited for filling a gap or crack in a ceiling surface. 
   For this reason, joints or cracks in ceilings are typically finished or repaired by first applying joint tape to the crack and then blending the joint tape into the ceiling by applying joint compound using a putty knife to transfer the joint compound to the ceiling from a bucket or pan. Such an arrangement typically requires use of a ladder to allow the drywall installer to reach the portion of the ceiling being caulked. Thus, the drywall installer is limited to working on a small segment of the ceiling before the ladder must be moved, creating an undesirable inefficiency. Furthermore, when repairing an acoustic ceiling, sometimes referred to as a “popcorn ceiling,” the acoustic material must first be removed in the area of the joint or crack and subsequently replaced. 
   It would be desirable to have a caulk applicator that is attachable to a caulk delivery apparatus to apply a thin bead of caulking compound to a crack or joint in a ceiling. It would further be desirable to have a caulk applicator that may repair a crack or joint in an acoustic ceiling without removing the acoustic material. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a caulk applicator that is attachable to a caulk delivery apparatus. The caulk applicator comprises an applicator body and an applicator wheel rotatably mounted to the applicator body. The applicator body has a retainer bracket and a scraper element, wherein the retainer bracket is attachable to the caulk delivery apparatus. The applicator wheel has a fluid application surface, wherein the fluid application surface is engageable with the scraper element. Moreover, the scraper element and the fluid application surface of the applicator wheel may have complementary shapes. 
   The applicator body further includes a tubular collar connected to the retainer bracket, wherein at least a portion of the caulk delivery apparatus extends through the tubular collar. Moreover, a first arm portion may be included to connect the tubular collar to the scraper element, wherein the first arm portion spaces the tubular collar from the scraper element. The applicator body may further include an axle, wherein the applicator wheel is rotatably disposed upon the axle, and a second arm portion connecting the scraper element to the axle, wherein the second arm portion spaces the scraper element from the axle. Additionally, the applicator body may include a flange connected to the scraper element, wherein the scraper element is operative to remove a bead of caulking compound from the fluid application surface of the applicator wheel, and the flange is operative to receive the bead of caulking compound thereon. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The various other uses of the present invention will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed descriptions and drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of caulking compound being applied to a joint or crack in a ceiling surface by the caulk applicator of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is an assembly view of a caulk delivery apparatus in combination with the caulk applicator of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the caulk applicator of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded detail view of the two-part carrier and applicator wheel of the caulk applicator of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 5  is a detail view of the scraper element of the caulk applicator of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  shows a caulk applicator  30  of the present invention applying a caulking compound  6  to a crack  4  in a work surface, such as a ceiling surface  2 . The caulk applicator  30  may be used with all manner of ceiling surfaces  2 , including an acoustic ceiling surface, that is, a drywall ceiling surface having a sprayed-on acoustic coating. The caulk applicator  30  is attachable to a caulk delivery apparatus  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the caulk applicator  30  includes a caulk applicator wheel  70  and an applicator body  32 . The caulk applicator wheel  70  has a fluid application surface  72  upon which a thin bead of caulking compound  6  may be supplied by the caulk delivery apparatus  10 . The applicator body  32  includes a scraper portion  40  that is engageable with the fluid application surface  72  of the applicator wheel  70  and a retainer bracket  36  that permits the caulk applicator  30  to be securely attached to the caulk delivery apparatus  10 . 
   The caulk applicator  30  of the present invention is intended to be used with a means for supplying caulk, such as the caulk delivery apparatus  10 . The caulk delivery apparatus  10  is well-known in the art and includes a body portion  11  having a chamber  12  in which a standard caulking compound container  20  is removably disposed, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The caulking compound container  20  includes a nozzle  22  that extends through a slot  16  formed in an end wall  14  of the chamber  12  of the body portion  11  when the caulking compound container  20  is disposed within the chamber  12  of the body  11  of the caulk delivery apparatus  10 . The body portion  11  of the caulk delivery apparatus  10  further includes an operating mechanism  18  which may be any of several well-known structures that serve to engage the caulking compound container  20  to thereby expel a thin bead of caulking compound  6  from the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the applicator body  32  of the caulk applicator  30  includes a plurality of sub-portions that may be formed integrally or may be connected to one another by any conventional means. The applicator body  32  includes a collar portion  34  and associated retainer bracket  36  that are attachable to the caulk delivery apparatus  10 . Specifically, the collar portion  34  is a substantially cylindrical, hollow, tube-like structure through which the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20  may be inserted. When the caulk applicator  30  is attached to the caulk delivery apparatus  10 , the collar portion  34  extends through the slot  16  in the end wall  14  of the chamber  12  of the caulk delivery apparatus  10 . The retainer bracket  36  is a thin, disc-like structure that extends annularly from the outer periphery of one end of the collar portion  34  of the applicator body  32 . The retainer bracket  36  allows attachment of the applicator body  32  to the caulk delivery apparatus  10 , as the retainer bracket  36  may be clamped between the end wall  14  of the caulk delivery apparatus  10  and the caulking compound container  20 . 
   In order to prevent buildup of excess caulking compound  6  upon the applicator wheel  70 , the applicator body  32  includes a scraper portion  40 . The scraper portion  40  is connected to the collar portion  34  by a first arm portion  38 . Caulking compound  6  that is removed from the applicator wheel  70  by the scraper portion  40  may be deposited and retained upon a flange  44 . The flange  44  is located adjacent to the scraper portion  40  and may include a curved or bent surface to promote retention of caulking compound  6  upon the flange  44 . 
   In order to attach the applicator body  32  to the applicator wheel  70 , the applicator body  32  includes an axle receiver  48  in which an axle  50  may be received. The axle receiver  48  is connected to the scraper portion  40  by a second arm portion  46  that extends radially from the axle receiver  50  to the scraper portion  40 . 
   The caulking compound  6  is applied to the ceiling surface  2  by the applicator wheel  70 . The applicator wheel  70  may be formed from a number of materials, including, but not limited to, textiles and plastics, especially open-cell polyurethane foam plastic. The applicator wheel  70  may be shaped as a cylinder having a beveled outer surface or fluid application surface  72 . Furthermore, a hollow, substantially cylindrical bore  84  may extend between the first side surface  80  and the second side surface  82  of the applicator wheel  70 . 
   The fluid application surface  72  of the applicator wheel  70  includes a first beveled surface  76  and a second beveled surface  78 . The first beveled surface  76  extends from a first side surface  80  of the applicator wheel  70  to an outer periphery  74  of the applicator wheel  70 . Likewise, the second beveled surface  78  extends from a second side surface  82  and the outer periphery  74  of the applicator wheel  70 . However, it should be noted that the fluid application surface  72  is not limited to a first beveled surface  76  and a second beveled surface  78 , but rather, the fluid application surface  76  may include any number of discrete surfaces operative to receive caulking compound  6 , either alone or in cooperation with one another. 
   In order to permit smooth rotation of the applicator wheel  70  upon the axle  50 , the applicator wheel  70  is seated upon a carrier such as a two-part carrier having a first carrier half  54  and a second carrier half  56 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The first and second carrier halves  54 ,  56  are substantially identical, each having a radial surface  62  engageable with the bore  84  of the applicator wheel  70 , and a throughbore  64  in which the axle  50  may be received. Each of the first and second carrier halves  54 ,  56  includes an end wall  58  that is engageable with the first and second side surfaces  80 ,  82  of the applicator wheel  70  to thereby retain the applicator wheel  70  between the first and second carrier halves  54 ,  56 . So that the first and second carrier halves  54 ,  56  turn in unison with the applicator wheel  70 , pins  60  extend inwardly from the end walls  58  of each of the first and second carrier halves  54 ,  56 . The pins  60  may puncture the applicator wheel  70  to thereby lock the applicator wheel  70  in synchronized rotation with the first and second carrier halves  54 ,  56 . 
   When the applicator wheel  70  is seated upon the first and second carrier halves  54 ,  56 , and the axle  50  is secured with respect to the axle receiver  48  to thereby connect the applicator wheel  70  to the applicator body  32 , the applicator wheel  70  may rotate freely with respect to the applicator body  32 . The applicator body  32  and the applicator wheel  70  are sized such that the fluid application wheel  72  may engage the scraper portion  40  without substantially impeding free rotation of the applicator wheel  70  about the axle  50 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the scraper portion  40  is complementary to the shape of the applicator wheel  70 , including a first scraping surface  41  configured to engage the first beveled surface  76  of the applicator wheel  70 , and a second scraping surface  42  of the scraper portion  40  configured to engage the second beveled surface  78  of the applicator wheel  70 . 
   In use, the caulk applicator  30  is first attached to a caulk delivery apparatus  10 . This is accomplished by first seating the collared portion  34  over the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20  such that the retainer bracket  36  of the collared portion  34  engages the caulking compound container  20 . Next, the caulking compound container  20  is placed into the chamber  12  of the caulk delivery apparatus  10  such that the retainer bracket  36  of the caulk applicator  30  is held between the end wall  14  of the caulk delivery apparatus and the caulking compound container  20 . So situated, the collar portion  34  of the caulk applicator  30  and the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20  extend through the slot  16  and the end wall  14  of the caulk delivery apparatus  10 . The user of the caulk applicator  30  is now free to employ the operating mechanism  18  of the caulk delivery apparatus  10  to control the flow of caulking compound  6  from the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20 . Since the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20  is now located adjacent to the fluid application surface  72  of the applicator wheel  70 , caulking compound  6  that is dispensed from the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20  is applied to the fluid application surface  72  of the applicator wheel  70 . Thus, the user of the caulk applicator  30  may now position the applicator wheel  70  near a crack  4  on a ceiling surface  2  to thereby apply caulking compound  6  to the crack. 
   Before caulking compound  6  is applied to the crack  4 , the ceiling surface  2  is prepared as necessary. However, it is noted that if the ceiling surface  2  has an acoustic coating, the crack  4  may be filed without removing the acoustic coating. 
   The user begins filling the crack  4  in the ceiling surface by engaging the operating mechanism  18  of the caulk delivery apparatus to supply caulking compound  6  to the applicator wheel  70  while rolling the applicator wheel  70  along the ceiling surface  2 . In this manner, the fluid application surface  72  of the applicator wheel  70  travels past the scraper portion  40  where excess caulking compound  6  is removed from the fluid application surface  72 , before traveling onward to the area of the nozzle  22  of the caulking compound container  20 . A thin bead of caulking compound  6  is then deposited upon the fluid application surface  72  of the applicator wheel  70 . Subsequent rotation of the applicator wheel  70  with respect to the ceiling surface  2  delivers the caulking compound  6  to the crack  4 . Further engagement of the applicator wheel  70  to the ceiling surface  2  presses the bead of caulking compound  6  into the crack  4  and leaves a substantially smooth, finished surface upon the ceiling surface  2 . 
   While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but to the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications or equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is performed under the law.