Triple seam roller

A seam roller having a frame and a plurality of wheels for rolling and flattening wallpaper and the like is provided. The frame has two sides and each side has an angle formed therein. Two angled rollers are positioned on a first axle and a front roller positioned in front of the angled wheels is rotatably positioned on a second axle. Preferably, a separating wheel is positioned between the angled rollers on the first axle. A handle is attached to the frame for rolling the roller.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates generally to a wallpaper roller and more 
particularly to a wallpaper roller having three rollers positioned such 
that two of the rollers function to pull pieces of wallpaper together and 
form a seam while the third roller is utilized to flatten the seam. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Wallpaper rollers are well-known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,540,104 to Duffy discloses a wallpaper seam roller having one roller 
with a circular depression. 
It is also known in the prior art to use a plurality of rollers. For 
instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,400 to Sargent and U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,285 
to Lieberg disclose seam rollers having multiple rollers. Additionally, 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,663 to Heaton discloses a wall board taping device 
having a plurality of rollers. 
However, one of the disadvantages associated with the prior art has been 
the inability to provide a seam roller which automatically pulls two 
pieces of wallpaper together, forming a seam and then flattening the seam 
such that a smooth, precise wall-papered surface is thereby obtained. 
Another disadvantage associated with the prior art is that rollers often 
form seams between two pieces of wallpaper which are uneven or visible, 
thereby detracting from the aesthetic value of the wall-papered surface. 
Yet another disadvantage associated with the prior art is that the seams 
between two pieces of wallpaper often separate, causing the wallpaper to 
rip or tear. This in part due to the fact that the adhesive is not applied 
to the pieces of wallpaper at the same time and the adhesive thus dries 
improperly. 
It would therefore be desirable to provide a seam roller which overcomes 
the shortcomings associated with the prior art. 
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a seam roller which 
automatically pulls pieces of wallpaper together, thereby forming a seam. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a seam roller 
which flattens the seam such that the seam remains intact after the 
adhesive on the paper dries. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a seam roller 
which rolls the seams on wallpaper in a manner that is cost-effective and 
simple to use. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a seam 
roller which allows wallpaper to be rolled in a manner that is faster than 
previous techniques of rolling seams together. 
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a seam 
roller which is suitable for use with a variety of different wallpapers 
and the like. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a seam roller which is 
capable of pressing two pieces of paper together at substantially the same 
time such that the glue or adhesive dries near the seam first, thereby 
strengthening the seam between the two pieces of paper. 
These and other objects of the invention are provided in a triple seam 
roller in which two angled rollers act together to pull two pieces of 
wallpaper together, thereby forming a seam while a third roller is used to 
flatten the seam formed thereby. 
Preferably, the frame is formed with a 45.degree. angle therein. This 
facilitates movement of the rollers in an appropriate manner. 
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the 
present invention. These objects should be construed to be merely 
illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of 
the invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying 
the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention 
as will be described. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller 
understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following 
Detailed Description of the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, a plan view of a triple seam roller in accordance 
with the invention is illustrated. The seam roller 10 includes handle 12, 
frame 14, two angled rollers 16a, 16b and front roller 18. While not meant 
to be limiting, handle 12 is preferably formed of wood and is about 4.5" 
long and 0.5-1" in diameter. While handle 12 may be longer or wider, a 
handle of about 4.5".times.1" provides greater control over the movement 
of the roller. 
In a preferred embodiment, end 14a of frame 14 extends perpendicular to 
handle 12 and is about 2.5 inches in length. Sides 14b and 14c of frame 14 
are preferably angled. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, sides 14b and 14c 
(not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) of frame 14 are each preferably formed with 
an angle of about 45.degree. formed therein. As further shown in FIG. 2, 
the angle in sides 14b and 14c allow angled rollers 16a and 16b to contact 
the surface 32 being wall-papered or the like while roller 18 is 
maintained free of contact with surface 32. Similarly, the angles in sides 
14b and 14c allow roller 18 to be used on surface 32 while rollers 16a and 
16b are maintained free of contact with surface 32 as illustrated in FIG. 
3. 
While frame 14 may be formed of any material which is relatively rigid so 
as to withstand the stress applied when the roller is in use, frame 14 is 
preferably formed of metal. While not meant to be limiting, handle 12 is 
attached to frame 14 by cap 26. However, it should be noted that handle 12 
may be attached to frame 14 by any suitable means. Cap 26 may also be 
formed of any material capable of withstanding the stress applied to the 
roller, but is preferably formed of metal. Cap 26 preferably measures 
about 0.5 inches in diameter and about 0.5" in height. 
Referring back to FIG. 1, angled rollers 16a and 16b are positioned on 
angled axle 24. Angled axle 24 has an angle of about 10-25.degree. formed 
therein. Axle 24 is preferably positioned at the angled portion in sides 
14b and 14c of frame 14, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Front roller 18 is 
positioned on front axle 20. Front axle 20 contains no angles. Axles 20 
and 24 are preferably formed of metal or the like. 
Rollers 16a and 16b each have inner surfaces 28a and 28b, and outer 
surfaces 30a and 30b, respectively. While not meant to be limiting, inner 
surfaces 28a and 28b are preferably about 1 inch in diameter while outer 
surfaces 30a and 30b are each approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. 
Separating wheel 22 is positioned on angled axle 24 between rollers 16a and 
16b. Preferably, wheel 22 is positioned equidistant from the sides 14b and 
14c of frame 14. Wheel 22 acts to separate rollers 16a and 16b. In a 
preferred embodiment, wheel 22 is mounted on axle 24 and does not rotate 
about axle 24. 
Roller 18 is positioned in front of rollers 16a and 16b at an angle with 
respect thereto such that when angled rollers 16a and 16b contact paper 32 
as shown in FIG. 2, roller 18 is in front of and above rollers 16a and 
16b. As shown in FIG. 3, however, roller 18 is positioned in front of and 
below rollers 16a and 16b when roller 18 is in contact with paper 32. 
Rollers 16a, 16b, 18 and wheels 22 may be formed of wood, plastic, metal 
or the like. 
The triple seam roller 10 of the present invention operates in the 
following manner. Two segments or pieces of paper 32 are applied 
approximately parallel and in close proximity to one another on a wall or 
surface to be covered. Triple seam roller 10 is then applied to paper 32 
as shown in FIG. 2 such that rollers 16a and 16b each contact an edge of 
the pieces of paper. Pressure is applied to roller 10 such that rollers 
16a and 16b pull the pieces of paper 32 in towards one another until a 
seam between the two pieces of paper is thereby formed. Roller 10 is 
rolled along the entire length of the pieces of paper in a first stroke or 
movement so that the seam extends along the entire length of the papers. 
Handle 12 is preferably held at an angle 34 relative to surface 32, as 
shown in FIG. 2. In a preferred embodiment, angle 34 is about 45.degree.. 
In this manner, inner surfaces 28a and 28b remain in contact with surface 
32. When handle 12 is held at an angle almost parallel to surface 32 such 
that angle 34 is almost 0, inner surfaces 28a and 28b may no longer 
contact surface 32, thereby reducing the effectiveness in which the pieces 
of paper are pulled together. However, it should be noted that when the 
angle 34 is much greater than 45.degree., roller 18 may contact surface 32 
prior to contact by rollers 16a and 16b, thereby flattening the paper 
prior to forming the seam. 
After the first stroke or movement has been completed, roller 10 is then 
inverted as illustrated in FIG. 3. Front roller 18 is thus placed in 
contact with paper 32. Front roller 18 is rolled along the entire length 
of the seam created by rollers 16a and 16b in a second stroke or movement. 
In this manner, the seam is flattened. When the adhesive used to attach 
the paper to the wall or surface dries, the seams remain in tact. While 
the angle between handle 12 and surface 32 during the second stroke or 
movement is not critical, handle 12 should be at an angle such that the 
user's hand does not contact surface 32. Rollers 16a, 16b and 18 also 
function to provide an even distribution of the adhesive used to apply the 
wallpaper to the surface. 
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, axle 24 is formed 
such that the angle in axle 24 is automatically adjustable. In this 
embodiment, the angle 34 is not as important during the first stroke since 
adjustable axle 24 maintains inner surfaces 28a and 28b in contact with 
surface 32 to provide maximum effectiveness in forming a seam between two 
pieces of paper. Axle 24 may be made adjustable in various ways. For 
example and while not meant to be limiting, axle 24 may be formed of a 
resilient material which allows the angle in axle 24 to decrease when 
stress is applied thereto. Alternatively, axle 24 may be attached to sides 
14b and 14c of frame 14 such that the ends of axle 24 protrude or extend 
out from the sides 14b and 14c when the angle formed in axle 24 is 
flattened or decreased. Accordingly, inner surfaces 28a and 28b may remain 
in contact with surface 32 during the first stroke. 
The present invention thus provides a distinct advantage over the prior art 
by rolling seams of paper together in a manner that is both faster and 
simpler than prior art techniques. In particular, the seam roller of the 
present invention insures that the seam formed between two pieces of paper 
is smooth and even. Additionally, the seam roller of the present invention 
insures that the adhesive used to apply the wallpaper to a particular 
surface is uniformly distributed on the surface. The seam roller is 
suitable for use with a variety of different wallpapers, thereby 
decreasing the need for many different rollers. Moreover, the triple seam 
roller of the present invention is self-contained and compact for 
convenient travel. 
Another distinct advantage of the seam roller of the present invention is 
the ability to apply two pieces of wallpaper together such that the 
adhesive is forced towards the seam between the pieces of wallpaper. In 
this manner, the adhesive is allowed to dry faster at the seam than seams 
created by seam rollers in accordance with the prior art. Consequently, 
wallpaper applied using a seam roller according to the present invention 
provides stronger seams which are more resistant to tearing, peeling, 
ripping and the like. 
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the specific 
embodiments disclosed above may be readily utilized as a basis for 
modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes 
of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in 
the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit 
and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.