Abstract:
A system and method of installation for installing a rolled sheet material on a vertical or near-vertical surface are described. Specifically the system and method of installation are useful in the construction industry where heavy rolls of sheet materials must be precisely installed on walls and other vertical surfaces that can be several stories high. The system includes a rolled material spool holder with mounting hardware to allow mounting of the spool holder to a piece of construction equipment along with a spool director, which is also mounted to the piece of movable construction equipment, such as a scissor lift. The method of installation involves positioning the scissor lift along the wall in the desired start location and the desired starting height. The operator affixes the start of the roll to the wall and then drives the scissor lift along the wall, which causes the roll to unwind due to the movement of the scissor lift, while an additional worker affixes the roll to the wall at the desired intervals.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates to a system for installing rolled sheet material on a wall and methods for installing a rolled construction material. More specifically, this invention relates to a system for installing rolled waterproofing webbing to a vertical or near vertical wall and methods for installing rolled waterproofing webbing to a vertical or near vertical wall. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Rolled sheet materials, such as textiles, paper, flexible plastics, roofing materials, waterproofing materials, and the like come in rolls where the thin material is generally rolled around an open core. This rolled configuration allows manufacturers to provide materials that cover a large surface area in a compact form as the rolls can contain hundreds of feet of length of material depending on the thickness and weight of the material. Generally, materials that are relatively flat and flexible are good candidates to be offered in rolled configurations. 
         [0005]    Rolled sheeting materials are used extensively in construction projects, and contractors must take the rolled material and unroll it into a flat sheet for installation. Most rolled sheeting materials used for construction are heavy and difficult for workers to handle when installing, especially on a vertical surface. In these instances, the rolled material must be kept level or near-level as it is unrolled and installed to maintain a proper overlap of the layer of material installed below, and sags and wrinkles may distract from the performance of the material. Further, as the layers are installed vertically, the workers must move further up the wall and away from the ground, which makes the process more difficult and dangerous. The prior art fails to provide systems and methods of installation to allow easier and safer use of rolled materials, especially in vertical or near-vertical applications. 
         [0006]    It is therefore desirable to have a system and method for installation that enables simpler and safer deployment of sheet material from a rolled state into an unrolled and deployed state on a vertical or near vertical-wall. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides for a system and method of installation for installing a rolled sheet material on a vertical or near-vertical surface. Specifically the system and method of installation are useful in the construction industry where heavy rolls of sheet materials must be precisely installed on walls and other vertical surfaces that can be several stories high. 
         [0008]    The system includes a rolled material spool holder with mounting hardware to allow mounting of the spool holder to a piece of construction equipment along with a spool director, which is also mounted to the piece of construction equipment. The material spool holder consists of a vertical circular shaft with a rotatable, preferably round base plate near the bottom of the vertical shaft. In use, the vertical circular shaft extends through the round open core of the rolled sheet material and supports the material vertically. The rolled material rests on the base plate, which supports the weight of the roll and also rotates as the rolled material is unwound during installation. The vertical shaft of the spool holder extends through the base plate and is mounted underneath the base plate to a horizontal support element. 
         [0009]    The horizontal support element of the rolled material spool holder is connected to an additional vertical support beam, which is spaced apart from the vertical circular shaft due to the length of the horizontal support element. The vertical support beam is connected to a vertical mounting plate by a hinge. The hinge is located on the bottom of the vertical support beam and vertical mounting plate, which allows the vertical support beam and vertical circular shaft to be rotated 90 degrees downward to a horizontal plane. This allows for easier installation of the rolled material onto the vertical shaft of the spool holder, which is in fixed relation to the support beam via the horizontal support element. The vertical support beam additionally includes a threaded bolt extending perpendicularly therefrom which is aligned with a receiving hole in the vertical mounting plate. When the vertical support beam is in its vertical position adjacent to the vertical mounting plate, the threaded bolt extends through the receiving hole in the vertical mounting plate, and the support beam is secured in its vertical orientation via a washer and wing nut. 
         [0010]    The vertical mounting plate includes mounting hardware, which allows it to be mounted to a piece of construction equipment. In the preferred embodiment, the spool holder is attached to a piece of construction equipment known as a scissor lift. Because scissor lifts offer forward and backward movement along with vertical movement, attachment to a scissor lift allows the operator to precisely control the height of the roll during installation as well as the unwinding of the roll as the scissor lift moves along beside the wall. 
         [0011]    The system also preferably includes a spool director, which consists of a vertical shaft, a horizontal support member and mounting hardware to allow mounting of the spool director to the construction equipment. The function of the spool director is to help control the unwinding of the spool of material and to allow the material to change direction around the corner of the construction equipment if desired. The vertical shaft of the spool director is preferably a narrow steel rod with pins at each end to support a concentric piece of hollow, larger-diameter pipe. In use, the material being unwound contacts the hollow pipe, which is able to rotate freely around the internal steel rod. The steel rod is longer than the hollow external pipe, which allows the horizontal support member to be attached to the top of the steel rod on one end. The other end of the horizontal support member attaches to the construction equipment with the use of mounting hardware. 
         [0012]    The method of installation that enables simpler and safer deployment of sheet material from a rolled state into an unrolled and deployed state on a vertical or near-vertical wall incorporates the system described above. In the preferred embodiment, the rolled material spool holder is first mounted to a scissor lift. Next, the vertical support beam and spool holding vertical shaft is rotated down to a horizontal position via the hinge to allow for loading the rolled material onto the holder. Once loaded, the support beam and spool-holding vertical shaft are returned to a vertical orientation and locked in place adjacent to the vertical mounting plate through the use of the threaded bolt and wing nut. A rope attached to the end of the vertical support beam can be used to pull the support beam and spool-holding shaft back to vertical after loading. Once the rolled material is loaded, the scissor lift is positioned along the wall in desired start location and positioned vertically to the desired height. The operator affixes the start of the roll to the wall and then drives the scissor lift along the wall, which causes the roll to unwind due to the movement. In the preferred embodiment, one operator drives the scissor lift, while an additional worker affixes the roll to the wall at the desired intervals. This process continues along the length of the wall. The worker then cuts the roll and raises the scissor lift to the desired height for the next row. This process continues until the wall is covered with the rolled material. If the spool holder is mounted on the end of the scissor lift rather than the side, then the spool director with the rotatable outer pipe would be mounted close to and extending from the corner to allow the rolled material to leave the roll and wrap around the corner. Mounting the spool holder on the end rather than the side of the scissor lift allows the scissor lift to be positioned closer to the wall, which enables the workers to be closer for affixing the rolled material to the wall. 
         [0013]    The novel features and construction of the present invention, as well as additional objects thereof, will be understood more fully from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The improved process of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following figures of the drawings wherein: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of the system for installing a rolled material on a vertical surface attached to a prior art scissor lift used in construction projects. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the material spool holder of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bottom half of the material spool holder of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the spool director of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the system for installing a rolled material on a vertical surface lowered into its loading position. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the system for installing a rolled material on a vertical surface being used by workers to install a rolled material onto a vertical surface. 
       
    
    
       [0021]    Like reference numerals are used to describe like parts in all figures of the drawings. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a prior art scissor lift used in construction projects is shown with the system for installing a rolled material onto a vertical surface attached thereto. In the preferred embodiment, the system comprises material spool holder  10  and spool director  32 . Both spool holder  10  and spool director  32  are preferably mounted to a motorized scissor lift, which allows forward and backward movement as well as vertical movement. This provides greater flexibility when using the system to install the rolled material onto a vertical or near vertical surface, especially vertical surfaces that extend several feet above the ground. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the preferred mounting location for material spool holder  10  is on the end of the scissor lift, which allows the scissor lift to be nearer the wall during installation. When spool holder  10  is mounted on the end of the scissor lift, spool director  32  is mounted near the corner of the scissor lift to direct the material around the corner to the side of the scissor lift where it can be installed on the wall as the scissor lift moves along the wall. Alternatively, spool holder  10  can be directly mounted to the side of the scissor lift, which would obviate the need for spool director  32 . In this configuration (not shown), the material would not need to be directed around the corner of the scissor lift before installation on the wall, but the scissor lift would be spaced-apart from the wall at least a distance as wide as spool holder  10 , which would be protruding from the side of the scissor lift next to the wall. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the preferred embodiment of material spool holder  10  of the present invention is shown. Material spool holder  10  comprises vertical shaft  12 , base plate  14 , horizontal support element  16 , vertical support beam  20  and vertical mounting plate  22 . Vertical shaft  12  has a circular cross-section and is sized to fit inside the round open core of a rolled sheet material. The diameter of the round open core of the rolled sheet material must be greater than the diameter of vertical shaft  12  to allow the rolled sheet material to rotate freely around vertical shaft  12 , which is rotationally stationary. Vertical shaft  12  extends downward and thru base plate  14  and terminates at horizontal support element  16 . 
         [0024]    Base plate  14  is preferably circular in shape and rests on smaller plate  15 , which preferably is also circular and has a smaller diameter than base plate  14 . When the rolled sheet material is installed on material spool holder  10 , it rests on base plate  14 . Smaller base plate  15  is supported vertically on vertical shaft  12  through the use of support  18 . In the preferred embodiment, support  18  is comprised of two pieces  52  that are clamped around vertical shaft  12  with threaded bolts  50 . Support  18  is stationary on vertical shaft  12  and provides a supportive base for base plate  15  to rest upon. Support  18  could take several different forms including other bolted on or welded brackets, etc. such that support  18  is rigidly mounted to and stationary on vertical shaft  12 . The embodiment with two pieces  52  clamped on vertical shaft  12  with threaded bolts  50  is preferred because it allows base plates  14  and  15  to be raised and lowered along vertical shaft  12  depending on the width of the rolled sheet material that is being installed. Base plates  15  provides more support for base plate  14  and allows for heavier rolls of sheet material to be supported, but alternatively, base plate  14  could directly rest on support  18 , if support  18  was sized larger to provide more support. Base plates  14  and  15  are free to rotate in relation to vertical shaft  12 , which allows the rolled sheet material to unwind as it is being installed. Base plate  14  preferably has a sufficient diameter to support the full thickness of the roll of rolled sheet material being installed. 
         [0025]    Horizontal support element  16  connects vertical shaft  12  to vertical support beam  20 , which is mounted on the prior art scissor lift through the use of vertical mounting plate  22 . Horizontal support element  16  is sized sufficiently to space vertical shaft  12  apart from vertical support beam  20  to allow for the diameter of base plate  14  to rotate freely without interference from vertical support beam  20 . In the preferred embodiment, horizontal support element  16  is rigidly attached via welding to vertical support beam  20 . Alternatively, horizontal support element  16  could be releasably mounted on vertical support beam  20  through the use of pins with clips, bolts with nuts or the like. Releasable mounting of horizontal support element  16  would allow for removal of horizontal support element  16  and vertical shaft  12  from spool holder  10  when not in use, which would allow vertical support beam  20  and vertical mounting plate  22  to be left mounted on the prior art scissor lift when spool holder  10  is not in use. Releasable mounting of horizontal support element  16  could also allow for adjustable height mounting of horizontal support element  16  (and consequently base plate  14  and vertical shaft  12 ), which would give the operator greater flexibility depending on the width of the rolled sheet material that is being installed. 
         [0026]    Vertical support beam  20  is approximately parallel with vertical shaft  12 , and in the preferred embodiment extends below horizontal support element  16  and above the upper end of vertical shaft  12 . Vertical support beam  20  is connected to vertical mounting plate  22  via hinge  24  located at the bottom of vertical support beam  20  and the bottom of vertical mounting plate  22 . Hinge  24  allows vertical support beam  20  and vertical shaft  12  to rotate 90 degrees downward to a horizontal plane to allow the rolled sheet material to be installed on the spool holder  10  more easily. This will be discussed more fully with regard to  FIG. 5  below. Alternatively, vertical support beam  20  could be directly attached to the prior art scissor lift, wherein vertical mounting plate  22  would be unnecessary. This is a more simple and cost-effective design, but this design does not allow for the hinged lowering of vertical shaft  12  for easier installation of the rolled sheet material onto spool holder  10 . 
         [0027]    In the preferred embodiment, vertical support beam  20  has threaded bolt  26  extending perpendicularly towards and through a hole in vertical mounting plate  22 . Spacers  58  and  60  keep vertical support beam  20  and vertical mounting plate  22  parallel and act as a barrier to prevent over-rotation of vertical support beam towards vertical mounting plate  22 . Spacers  58  and  60  serve to ultimately keep vertical shaft  12  vertical, which allows for more uniform unrolling of the rolled sheet material and better installation on vertical surfaces. Vertical support beam  20  is held in place through the use of winged nut  46 , which is screwed on threaded bolt  26  when threaded bolt  26  is protruding through the hole in vertical mounting plate  22 . Rather than a threaded bolt/wing nut configuration, a steel pin and clip or other similar type configuration could also be used as long as vertical support beam  20  is rigidly held in place against spacers  58  and  60 . This connection must provide sufficient support to prevent vertical shaft  12  and base plate  14  from rotation downward due to the weight of the rolled sheet material. Eye bolts  48  are attached to the tops of vertical support beam  20  and vertical mounting plate  22 . Rope  40  is connected to each eye bolt to prevent vertical support beam  20  from rotating greater than 90 degrees when hinged downward for rolled sheet material loading and by subsequently pulling the rope, the operator can return vertical support beam  20  to its upright position after loading. This will be discussed more fully with regard to  FIG. 5  below. Vertical mounting plate  22  is attached to the prior art scissor lift through the use of mounting hardware  28  and  30 . Mounting hardware  28  and  30  could take any form of brackets, clips, bolts, etc. such that vertical mounting plate  22  is rigidly secured to the prior art scissor lift. In the preferred embodiment, mounting hardware  28  and  30  are L-shaped brackets that fit over the square cross-section rails of the scissor lift. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , spool director  32  is shown. Spool director  32  consists of vertical shaft  42 , directing pipe  34 , horizontal support members  36 ,  37  and mounting hardware  38 ,  44 . Vertical shaft  42  is preferably a narrow steel rod that extends between and through upper horizontal support member  36  and lower horizontal support member  37 . Vertical shaft  42  is held in place with pins located above upper horizontal support member  36  and below lower horizontal support member  37 . Directing pipe  34  is a hollow pipe that has a larger-diameter than vertical shaft  42  and fits between upper horizontal support member  36  and lower horizontal support member  37 . Due to directing pipe  34  being aligned concentrically around vertical shaft  42 , it is free to rotate. As the rolled sheet material is being unwound during installation, it passes against directing pipe  34 . Due to the rotation of directing pipe  34 , the material is allowed to move against and around directing pipe  34  more freely. Spool director  32  is attached to the prior art scissor lift through the use of mounting hardware  38  and  44 . Mounting hardware  38  and  44  could take any form of brackets, clips, bolts, etc. such that spool director  32  is rigidly secured to the prior art scissor lift. In the preferred embodiment, mounting hardware  38  and  44  comprises brackets that are bolted onto the rails of the scissor lift. 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , material spool holder  10  is shown in its loading position in which vertical support beam  20  and vertical shaft  12  have been rotated 90 degrees downward via hinge  24  to a horizontal orientation. Rolled sheet material  54  has been placed on vertical shaft  12 , which is in a horizontal orientation in this loading position. Rope  40  is taut and its length has been chosen such that the rotation of vertical support beam  20  is limited to the desired 90 degrees. Alternatively, a chain or strap could be used instead of rope  40 . After rolled sheet material  54  has been placed on vertical shaft  12  and pushed against base plate  14 , vertical support beam  20  is returned to its vertical position by either the worker pulling rope  40  or by another worker on the ground manually pushing up on rolled sheet material  54 . As vertical support beam  20  returns to its vertical position, threaded bolt  26  enters hole  56 , which extends through spacer  58  and vertical mounting plate  22 , and is secured by wing nut  46  (not shown). 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , the method for using the system for installing a rolled material onto a vertical surface is shown. Material spool holder  10  is attached to the end of the prior art scissor lift, and rolled sheet material  54  has been loaded thereon. As rolled sheet material  54  is unwound, it makes contact with spool director  32 , which is attached near the corner of the scissor lift. The workers are shown attaching rolled sheet material  54  to a vertical surface or wall. The workers have previously positioned the scissor lift along the wall at the desired start location and have positioned the scissor lift vertically so that rolled sheet material  54  is at the appropriate height on the wall. At the start location, rolled sheet material  54  is unwound, positioned around spool director  32 , and then the end is secured to the wall. The scissor lift is driven slowly alongside the wall away from the start position. As the scissor lift moves left along the wall, rolled sheet material  54  unwinds itself through the clockwise rotation of base plate  14  on material spool holder  10 . Spool director  32  redirects rolled sheet material around the corner of the scissor lift, which allows the scissor lift to be very near the wall. This allows the workers to easily continue to secure rolled sheet material  54  to the wall as the scissor lift moves along the wall. Once the first row of rolled sheet material  54  is installed, the workers cut material  54  at the desired termination point and the scissor lift is driven back along the wall to the starting position. The scissor lift is then raised vertically to the desired height of the next row of rolled sheet material  54 . Rolled sheet material  54  is unwound, positioned around spool director  32 , and the end is secured to the wall for the start of the second row. The scissor lift is then driven along the wall at this second row height as the workers secure rolled sheet material  54  to the wall. This process continues up the wall until the desired height has been reached. 
         [0031]    Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the present disclosure, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventors are legally entitled.