Abstract:
A trowel designed to apply adhesive to a wall or floor includes a grooved cylinder along one edge. The grooves extend completely around the cylindrical surface and are uniform in size allowing one to apply a uniform amount of adhesive onto a surface regardless of the angle of the trowel relative to the surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Adhesives, including cementitious adhesives such as Thinset, are used to adhere tile, linoleum, and other wall and floor coverings to walls or floors. 
         [0002]    It is very important that a uniform amount of adhesive be applied. If an uneven amount of adhesive is applied, the final coated surface, i.e., the tile or linoleum, may be uneven. There may be dips and valleys. Alternately, there may not be enough adhesive to bond the tile or linoleum to the surface. The covering material can come loose or even break. 
         [0003]    Typically, notched trowels are used to apply the adhesive to a surface. A trowel with a certain notch size is selected so that the appropriate amount of adhesive is applied. For example, certain trowels have a ½-inch notch, whereas others may have a ⅜-inch or even a ⅛-inch notch. The larger the notch the more adhesive is applied. 
         [0004]    Because these are simply notches along the edge of a planar surface, the angle of the trowel will also affect how much adhesive is applied. 
         [0005]    Most of these trowels are designed to apply the adhesive with the trowel at a 45° angle relative to the surface. For a very skilled tile applicator or linoleum applicator, this may not present a problem. But, for the individual who is working in his own home and is not a professional, maintaining the 45° angle can be a problem. As a result, the right amount of adhesive is frequently not applied. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention is premised on the realization that a trowel which has a grooved cylindrical edge can be used to apply a uniform layer of adhesive regardless of the angle of the trowel. This will insure a uniform amount of adhesive with uniform-sized ridges of adhesive is applied over a surface. 
         [0007]    The objects and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed description and drawings, in which: 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an underside plan view of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an enlargement of a portion of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an end view of the present invention in use; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the present invention in use; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken at line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7A  is a cross sectional view broken away of the trowel shown in  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 1  a trowel  10  includes a rectangular planar member  12  which is generally formed of metal or other material such as rigid plastic. The member  12  includes a first planar side  14  and a second planar side  16 . Attached to the second side  16  is a handle  18  which extends parallel to first and second edges  22  and  24 . Second edge  24  includes a cylinder  26  which has a plurality of evenly spaced uniform grooves  28 . Each groove will have a width and a depth. The width and depth of all the grooves  28  should be the same and constant, as can be seen from  FIG. 3 . Generally, the distance between grooves is equal to the width of the grooves. 
         [0017]    The grooves  28  in cylinder  26  should extend from below said first side  14  and, preferably, should extend around and up to or above said second side. As shown, the grooves  28  in cylinder  26  extend 360°, which is optimal. Likewise, a cylinder is shown. As described later, a partially formed cylinder will function. For purposes of the present invention, any grooved curved surface can be used in place of the grooved cylinder  26 . The grooves have a constant depth so that an even amount of mastic or adhesive is applied regardless of the angle of the trowel during application. Further the grooves extend only partially through the cylinder  26 . If they extended through the central access of cylinder  26 , at certain angles excess mastic would be applied. 
         [0018]    The cylinder  26  can be formed from plastic or metal. Generally, it will be a solid cylinder with the grooves  28  formed around the cylinder. As shown in  FIG. 4 , an axial groove  34  is formed in the cylinder  26  and the second edge  24  of trowel  10  is fixed within the axial groove  34 . This can be held in position with adhesive or can be welded for a metal to metal fit. 
         [0019]    The trowel  10  is used to apply adhesive  42  onto a surface  38 . For use in the present invention, any adhesive may be used, particularly those used to apply tile, linoleum and other surface coverings to walls and floors. Generally, the adhesives are relatively viscous materials and will include flooring adhesives, tile adhesives including cementitious type tile adhesives commonly referred to as Thinset. 
         [0020]    To apply the adhesive, one grasps the handle  18  of the trowel  10  and spreads adhesive loosely to the floor using the first edge  22 . This will provide an uneven coating of adhesive on the surface  38 . One then spreads the adhesive out into rows  46 , using the cylinder  26 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , this will result in a uniform coating of parallel rows of adhesive on surface  38 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the same amount of adhesive will be applied regardless of the angle  50   a  or  50   b  of the trowel  10  or member  12  relative to the surface  38 . Once the adhesive is applied to the floor surface  38 , the surface covering material, such as tile, linoleum, or parquet, can be applied to the surface  38 . 
         [0022]    An alternative embodiment of the trowel of present invention is shown in  FIG. 7 . In this embodiment, the cylinder  26  is replaced with an elongated member  50  which provides a curved surface along the edge  24  of trowel  10 . The curved surface includes grooves  52  which are the same as the grooves  28  in  FIG. 1 . The curved grooved member  50  includes a planar surface  54  that seats on the bottom surface  14  of the trowel. This is fastened to the trowel with a fastening strip  56  with countersunk screws  58  extending through the fastening strip  56  through the edge of the trowel into the curved groove member  50 . This provides the same advantages of the trowel shown in  FIGS. 1-5  but facilitates attachment of the curved grooved member  50  to the edge of the trowel. It provides for the grooved surface extending from below the bottom surface  14  of the trowel to above the upper surface  16  of the trowel. It should be noted that the grooves do not have to extend all the way to the bottom surface  14  since it would actually be impossible for one to apply grout or mastic with the portion of the grooved member  50  immediately adjacent to the bottom surface  14 . The grooves need to start about 10 to 20° from the bottom surface  14  and simply extend up to or above the surface  16  to work best in the present invention. 
         [0023]    This allows an inexperienced individual to apply the same amount of adhesive uniformly across a surface  38 . This will, in turn, insure that the appropriate amount of adhesive is applied. This will be determined by selecting a trowel  10  with the appropriate sized grooves  28  in the cylinder  26 . Using trowel  10  insures that the there is adequate adhesive at all locations so that the surface covering material does not separate from the surface  38  or even, in certain circumstance, break due to lack of adhesive under certain localize portions. 
         [0024]    This has been a description of the present invention along with the preferred method of practicing the present invention. However, the invention itself should only be defined by the appended claims, WHEREIN