Tool for the application of paint, glue or any other material requiring smoothing

Abstract: This invention concerns a building trade tool for smoothing flat surfaces coated with varnish, glue or other fluid materials, consisting of a handle fitted with a spatula at the end, rotating to the left or to the right with respect to the axis of the handle.

Description: The invention relates to a tool for smoothing varnish, glues or other materials according to the precharacterising part of claim 1. There are known in the art such tools designed to facilitate the work of those who, above all in the building construction field, need to apply and smooth parquet varnish, tiling glue or any other fluid or semifluid material to flooring. Examples of these tools, are the ones described in the publications US-A-4.982.470 and GB-A-190.386. The devices disclosed in these documents, include each an handle to which a spatula is linked. In the US-A-4.982.470 the spatula is moved by means of a leverage so as to set it at the most appropriate angle with respect to the handle, in accordance with the direction of dragging. In the GB-A-190.386 the spatula is left freetilting and the connection is obtained by means of a ball-spherical seat coupling. This device is rather used for cleaning floors or walls or other hard surfaces. Both the device disclosed in these prior art documents have connection which are complicated and expensive. The publication DE-A-896.547 discloses a motorised circular brush which is used by means of a handle. The handle is hinged to a tube, which remains vertical during operation, and a rod-like extension projecting from the brush upper surface is rotatably inserted into the tube. The rod-like extension freely rotates so that the brush can be driven by the motor. The angle between the brush and the handle is not fixed, and the handle swings so that the operator can move the brush over the floor. In this connection, the pivot axis of the rod-like extension intersects the pivot axis of the handle with respect to the tube. Also in this case, the connection is expensive and making the connection between the handle and the brush in a more cheap and simple way is not relevant with respect to the overall production cost. It is the object of the invention to find an alternative to a the known devices mentioned above, which provides a similar effect but which is more cost-effective. It is another object of the invention to provide a tool which can be used in standing position, i.e. provided with a long handle, which has a connection simple and cheap, and which defines a preferential dragging direction during operation. The above mentioned objects are achieved by means of the device as described in the claims. With the conventional tools, in order to perform the job correctly, the worker holds the spatula, which has a handle fitted at the centre of the upper surface, so that the longitudinal axis in perpendicular to the axis of the worker's forearm; the worker then places the spatula on the material and operates the spatula alternatively to the left and to the right with rotating movements of the wrist. The spatula thus traces semi-circular patterns on the fluid material, which are considered to be ideal for smoothing the fluid material. The above description of the procedure for smoothing down surfaces reveals that this is a very strenuous work which a labourer will perform for many hours during the day. The work is tiring not only because of the uncomfortable position, crouched or stooped, in which the operator works, but also because of the considerable effort of "rubbing" the spatula for many hours a day against the material with a very short lever, namely the forearm of the worker. The inventive idea is to design a tool which allows the worker to perform the job of smoothing down a fluid material in the same way - namely with the same semi-circular movement of the spatula against the surface of the fluid material - but which can at the same time reduce the effort required by the worker. Thanks to the tool according to the invention, the labourer can in fact work in a more comfortable standing position with a longer lever that significantly reduces the effort required to "rub" the fluid material. The tool in question consists essentially of a long handle fitted at the bottom end with a pair of parallel metal brackets having transversally perforated ends; a parallelepiped metal block supporting the spatula is hinged between said two brackets by means of a pin fitted between the perforated ends. This parallelepiped block rotates freely upwards and downwards between said brackets but can also be fixed securely by means of a wing nut into a suitable position. This means that it is possible to change the inclination of the block as required with respect to the handle axis in order to regulate the angle of the same with respect to the above spatula, according to the height of the worker in question. The free end of said block in fact has a through hole whose axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the block; a pin being housed within said hole which rotates idly thanks to a common bearing. The spatula is fixed securely at the bottom end of said idle pin, and consequently underneath the above parallelepiped block. It is evident that the spatula according to the invention can rotate to the left and to the right of the metal block that supports the same, utilising the idle pin as pivoting point. In order to explain the operating principle of the tool according the invention more clearly, it is sufficient to say that when the labourer holds the handle, he simply moves the tool alternatively and continuously to the left and to the right so that the spatula, thanks also to the resistance exercised against the same by the mass of fluid material, rotates with respect to the longitudinal axis of the parallelepiped block which supports it, thus tracing the semi-circular movements required to smooth down the fluid material correctly. For major clarify the description according to the invention continues with reference to the enclosed drawings which are intended for purposes of illustration and not in a limiting sense where figure 1 is an axonometric view of the tool according to the invention. With reference to this drawing, this tool consists of a handle (1) at whose bottom end two adjacent metal brackets (2) featuring an end transversal hole, are fixed. The pair of holes on said brackets (2) house a pin (3) which acts as a pivot for a parallelepiped metal block (4) placed in an intermediate position with respect to the brackets (2); the inclination of the block (4) with respect to the brackets (2) and therefore with respect to the handle (1) being adjustable by releasing and then tightening a regulation and fixing wing nut (3a). The front end of said block (4) features a through hole which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the block in which an idle rotating pin (5) is fitted thanks to the fact that a bearing is fitted between the same. The bottom end of said rotating pin (5) is fixed at the centre of the upper face of a spatula (6) which can therefore rotate towards the left or the right integrally with said pin (5) with respect to the support block (4) and therefore with respect to the axis of the handle (1).

Claims: A tool for smoothing varnish, glue, or other fluid material, this tool including a handle and a spatula, with a projecting pin (5) fixed to the center of said spatula, said tool being characterised in that the connection between said handle (1) and spatula (6) includes : a support block (4), bound to the bottom of the handle (1) by means of two brackets (2) fastened to the bottom end of said handle (1) and pivoted to opposite sides of said support block (4) by means of a pivot pin (3) housed into respective receiving holes of said brackets (2), with said projecting pin (5) rotatably supported by said support block (4); said pivot pin (3) having a wing nut (3a) for locking said support block (4) at a desired angle with respect to the handle (1). A tool as in claim 1, wherein said support block (4) features a through hole in which said projecting pin (5) of said spatula (6) is rotatably inserted.

Inventors: GIACOMELLI EZIO, GIACOMELLI, EZIO
Applicants: GIACOMELLI EZIO, GIACOMELLI, EZIO
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B05C17
IPC codes: B05C17, A47L13, E04F21