Abstract:
A instrument and method of applying house wrap to exterior walls. The instrument or tool or apparatus allows the roll of house wrap to be positioned with an axis of rotation substantially parallel with the wall. The house wrap can then be rolled and applied onto the wall as the apparatus is moved along the length of the wall. The apparatus can roll along an upper surface of the wall so that the apparatus need not be lifted. The apparatus also may have a guide wheel to maintain the house wrap roll at a substantially fixed distance from the wall.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to the residential and commercial construction practice of applying “house wrap” over the sheathing. More particularly this invention is an apparatus and method to apply house wrap.  
         [0002]     Building construction, both residential and commercial, involves the application of house wrap over the sheathing. The sheathing is usually applied on the exterior surface of an exterior wall.  
         [0003]     Presently, this is done by manually rolling the house wrap roll along the wall to which the sheathing is applied. This sometimes involves one person on a chair or scaffolding, and one person walking along the ground, as both manually manipulate the roll of house wrap. In windy conditions the house wrap may unravel, which then takes time to replace on the roll by “reverse rolling.” 
         [0004]     As can be seen, there is a need for a tool to enable a safe and more efficient method of applying house wrap onto walls, which does not require the lifting of the wrap as it is being applied.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     One aspect of the invention is a house wrap applicator apparatus, comprising: an exterior handle ( 20 ) having a first end ( 22 ) and an opposed second end ( 24 ); an upper frame ( 60 ) secured to said first end ( 22 ), said upper frame ( 60 ) extending from first end ( 22 ) to an adjustable end ( 64 ); a lower frame ( 70 ) secured to said second end ( 24 ), said lower frame ( 70 ) extending from said second end ( 24 ); an upper wrap mounting member ( 44 ) rotatably secured to said upper frame ( 60 ); and a lower wrap mounting member ( 48 ) rotatably secured to said lower frame ( 70 ), said upper wrap mounting member ( 44 ) and said lower wrap mounting member ( 48 ) capable of securing a roll of house wrap therebetween.  
         [0006]     Another aspect of the present invention is a house wrap applicator apparatus, comprising: an exterior handle ( 20 ) having a first end ( 22 ) and an opposed second end ( 24 ); an upper frame ( 60 ) secured to said first end ( 22 ), said upper frame ( 60 ) extending from first end ( 22 ) to an adjustable end ( 64 ).  
         [0007]     This aspect also has a lower frame ( 70 ) secured to said second end ( 24 ), said lower frame ( 70 ) extending from said second end ( 24 ); an upper wrap mounting member ( 44 ) rotatably secured to said upper frame ( 60 ); a lower wrap mounting member ( 48 ) rotatably secured to said lower frame ( 70 ), said upper wrap mounting member ( 44 ) and said lower wrap mounting member ( 48 ) capable of securing a roll of house wrap therebetween, said lower wrap mounting member ( 48 ) extending away from said lower frame ( 70 ) to a lower wrap mounting member termination portion ( 49 ); a wrap base ( 50 ) disposed between said lower frame ( 70 ) and said lower wrap mounting member termination point ( 49 ), said wrap base capable of rotatably supporting a roll of house wrap; an upper frame adjustment device ( 100 ) disposed at said adjustable end ( 64 ), said upper frame adjustment device ( 100 ) having a wall guide member ( 30 ) disposed thereto; said wall guide member ( 30 ) having a guide wheel frame ( 150 ), said guide wheel frame ( 150 ) comprising a guide wheel ( 38 ), said guide wheel ( 38 ) capable of coming in contact with an interior surface of a wall, said wall guide member ( 30 ) further having a guide bushing ( 34 ) capable of coming in contact with a top surface of a wall, said upper frame adjustment device ( 100 ), capable of biasing said guide wheel ( 38 ) towards or away from the direction of said exterior handle ( 20 ); and an interior handle ( 120 ) pivotally removably secured to said adjustable end ( 64 ).  
         [0008]     Another aspect of the present invention is a method of applying a roll of house wrap on a wall, comprising the steps: positioning the roll of house wrap between an upper frame and a lower frame, and further positioning the roll of house wrap between and exterior handle and the wall; applying portion of the house wrap onto the wall; moving said roll of house wrap relative to said wall; and applying a further portion of the house wrap onto the wall.  
         [0009]     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial of the apparatus;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the apparatus;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view from line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , but having two guides wheels and struts;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  is a view of the bracket; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial of an embodiment of the present invention using a bracket if the wall already has a roof on it. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to e taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  illustrates a house wrap applicator apparatus and method  10 . The present invention may be used by two people as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The wall  500  may be a wall of a residential or commercial building under construction. A roll of house wrap or construction wrap  700  may be secured between an upper wrap mounting member  44  and a lower wrap mounting member  48 . A person standing on what may be the exterior surface of the wall will move the construction wrap applicator apparatus and method  10  relative to the wall  500 . The house wrap  700  may rotate while it is secured between the upper wrap mounting member  44  and the lower wrap mounting member  48 . The upper wrap mounting member  44  is rotatably secured to an upper frame  60 . The lower wrap mounting member  48  is rotatably secured to a lower frame  70 . An exterior handle  20  has a first end  22  that is secured to the upper frame, and a second end  24  that is secured to the lower frame. The exterior handle  20  is adjacent to the wrap mounting members  44 ,  48 . The house wrap  700  may rest on a wrap base  50  that rotates freely so the house wrap can be applied. The wrap base  50  is rotatably secured to the lower frame  70 . In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the wrap base  50  is concentrically disposed with respect to the lower wrap mounting member  48 . As further illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an upper frame adjustment device  100  is disposed thereon. The exterior handle  20 , and the wrap holder  40  may also be adjustable to accommodate for walls of different heights, and for house wrap rolls  700  of different heights.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the present invention. The upper frame  60  has a guide bushing  34  that rotates about a longitudinal axis (not shown) relative to the upper frame  60 . The guide bushing  34  may be rotatably secured to an upper frame member  240 . The guide bushing  34  may roll on the wall&#39;s  500  upper surface so that the house wrap  700  does not have to be lifted while it is being applied to the wall  500 . The guide wheels  38  are also illustrated. The upper frame adjustment device  100  enables the guide wheel(s) to be positioned and re-positioned at varied distances relative to the upper wrap mounting member  44 . These guide wheels  38  may guide the movement of the apparatus by contacting an inside surface of the wall  500  so that the wrap  700  is fixed at a substantially constant distance from the wall while being applied  500 . This allows the present invention to be used on walls  500  of varied thickness. A spacer wheel  36  may be concentrically disposed between the guide bushing  34  and a spacer  220 . The spacer  220  being disposed between the guide bushing  36  and the upper frame  60 . In one exemplary embodiment, a locking pin  100  with locking frame apertures  102  may be used to securely re-position the guide wheel  38  at varied distances from the wrap holder  40 . An extension bushing  80  may be stored on the upper frame member  240 , whereby it  80  can be removed from this storage location—as shown in  FIG. 2 —to be placed immediately next to the guide bushing  34 , as the guide wheel  48  is repositioned to be further away from the wrap holder  40  via the upper frame adjustment device  100 . The extension bushing  80  may be removed by removal of the bushing locking device  110 . In one exemplary embodiment, the bushing locking device  110  is a locking pin  110  with pin holes (not shown) that are disposed in the upper frame member  240 . With reference to  FIG. 2 , leftwardly of the bushing locking device  110  is the interior handle  120 . In one exemplary embodiment, the interior handle  120  may pivot via a interior handle pivot member  130 . The interior handle  120  may be entirely removed from the upper frame  60  via the interior handle pivot member  130 , or it  120  may be partially removed via the interior handle detachment device  140 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates a cross sectional view of line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 2 . Interior handle telescoping arms  210  allow the interior handle  120  to be positioned and re-positioned via a locking pin (not shown) that can be adjustably placed through the holes  250 . A wrap retainer  180  may be stored on a hook  170  when not in use. When in use, the wrap retainer  180  may be applied to the wrap to secure it in windy conditions. The wrap retainer  180  is secured by a wrap retainer securing device  190 . In one exemplary embodiment the wrap retainer securing device  190  is a chain. The wrap retainer  180  may have an aperture  182  in which a fastener may be driven into the house wrap  700  into the wall  500 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention having two guidewheels  38  and supporting struts  91 . Other than that, the other components may be similar to those described in  FIG. 3 . This dual guidewheel  38  configuration may provide better stability than the exemplary embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . A spacer  220  may be disposed between the second strut  92  and the rotatable guidewheel  38 .  
         [0021]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate the modified bracket  900  and the modified bracket aperture  920 . A fastener  902  is shown in  FIG. 5B .  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment may be used where a roof is already assembled to the wall (not illustrated in  FIG. 6 ), or in other circumstances whereby a user cannot be on the “inside” of the wall to hold the interior handle  120 . Here the assembly may have a modified upper frame  860  secured to a modified first handle end  862  and strut  92 , similar to the other exemplary embodiments as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 . In this case the guide wheel  38  may roll on a plank  600 , which may be secured to a wall via a bracket  810 . This embodiment may also have a modified first handle end  862  that extends downwardly to a horizontal member  830 . This horizontal member  830  may have a modified upper wrap mounting member  844  extending downwardly therefrom. The horizontal member  830  may have a modified exterior handle  820  extending downwardly therefrom. The modified upper wrap mounting member  844  and the modified exterior handle  820  may have a similar construction and operation as the upper wrap mounting member  44  and the exterior handle  20 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 .  FIG. 6  also illustrates the guidewheel  38 , and its capability of being guided along the side of a plank  600 , such as a 2×4.  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  also illustrates an embodiment having an accessory extension handle  800  pivotally connected to the exterior handle  20 , whereby the accessory extension handle  800  pivots at its  800  juncture with the exterior handle  20 , which allows an accessory  801 , such as an air gun or nail gun. In operation, after applying the house wrap, the accessory extension handle may be moved in proximity with the house wrap to fire the nail gun, securing the house wrap to the wall.  
         [0024]     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.