Abstract:
Drywall sanding apparatus employing a spring tensioned frame surround about its sanding component to capture substantially all generated dust within a collecting bag secured with said frame, to be thereafter emptied.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   NONE 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program. 
   REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
   NOT APPLICABLE 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to the sanding of drywalls, in general, and to the collection and containment of spackle compound dust generated thereby, in particular. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   As will be appreciated, a major concern in the drywall sanding of walls and ceilings is the generation and collection of airborne created spackle compound dust. Whether the sanding takes place during residential or commercial construction, remodeling or rehabilitation, the problem of drywall spackle dust has been both a cosmetic and health problem for some time. Power sanders with vacuum and hose attachments have been widely advertised, but suffer the disadvantages that they are large, cumbersome to use, and very costly. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved drywall sanding apparatus small in size, simple to use, and far less costly in price. 
   It is object of the invention, also, to provide such sanding apparatus that can be utilized in a manner which is less labor intensive, both as to the time having to be expended, and the effort having to be put in. 
   It is another object of the invention to provide such improved drywall sanding apparatus by which the drywall spackle dust generated can be both easily collected and easily disposed of. 
   It is a further object of the invention to essentially minimize the mess when sanding spackle compound through a capture of substantially all the dust that is generated. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   As will become clear from the following description, the drywall sanding apparatus of the invention employs a spring tensioned frame surround about the sanding component which is employed to encapsulate substantially all the spackle compound dust within a collecting bag which can then be thereafter emptied. 
   In one preferred embodiment of the invention, a standard drywall sanding pole is provided having a first end and a swivel sanding component at a second end. A pair of clamps or other holding devices are secured to an underside of the sanding component, and a collecting bag having an open top and an apertured bottom is included to receive the first end of the drywall sanding pole when passed through the aperture. A frame joined with the open top of the collecting bag and of dimension greater than that of the sanding component is utilized, with a pair of expandable springs, each of which is secured at its opposite ends to the frame and with one of the pair of clamps. By applying pressure on the sanding pole to actuate the sanding component along a flat surface to be sanded, a tension is created by an expansion of the springs to close the open top of the collecting bag about the surfaces. (Depending upon the configuration of the drywall sanding component, a second pair of clamps and a second pair of expandable springs may be employed in securing the sanding component within the frame, as when the sanding component is of a rectangular configuration.) 
   To close off the collecting bag in capturing sanded spackle compound, a gasket is first employed at the apertured bottom of the collecting bag. Secondly, with the frame enclosing the sanding component including a pliable surrounding flange at an upper end, pressing the frame flat against the wall or ceiling to be sanded, effectively seals the bag. In this construction, the collecting bag is preferably of a flexible and collapsible composition so that an inexpensive, lightweight overall manufacture is had. By lifting the frame away from the wall or ceiling after the sanding has been completed, the pole (with its collecting bag and captured dust) can simply be carried away and shaken into a trash container to discharge the dust, or simply shaken off. Experience has shown that such removal off the flat surface should be done smoothly, and preferably not suddenly, to minimize the possibility of the accumulated dust falling free. 
   As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a second version of the invention allows for retrofitting with the standard type of drywall sanding poles already being manufactured and sold. There, the pair(s) of springs are already secured at one end to the frame, with their opposite end(s) being attachable to an underside of the swivel sanding component of the drywall pole. In this manner, all that would be required would be to secure the pair(s) of the clamps at an underside of the sanding component, to receive the free end of the spring(s) to ready the frame and its joined collecting bag for use in capturing the sanded spackle compound dust. 
   With both constructions, the tension design of the spring holds the frame of the sanding bag tight to the drywall walls and ceilings being sanded, with the generated dust then be captured in the bag below. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the drywall sanding apparatus embodying the teachings of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front sectional view of the drywall sanding apparatus, which along with the insets of  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b , is helpful in an understanding of its construction; 
       FIGS. 3–5  illustrate front, side and top views of a flexible, collapsible collecting bag utilized in the drywall sanding apparatus of the invention; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are front and top views, respectively, of a frame illustrating one arrangement of springs which connect with the swivelled sanding component of the drywall sanding apparatus; and 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  are illustrations helpful in an understanding as to how the application of pressure on the sanding pole actuates the sanding component of the drywall sanding apparatus to fit flush against a flat wall or ceiling surface in use, with the frame and collecting bag providing a sealed, encapsulated area for the spackle compound dust generated. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In the drawings, the drywall sanding apparatus  10  includes a drywall sanding pole  12  having a sanding component  14  adjustable left-and-right, forward-and-back about a swivel  16 . With the component  14  having a sanding surface  18  and an underside  20 , the apparatus of the invention includes a pair of clamps (or like holding devices)  22  secured at the underside  20  of the sanding component  14 . Four such clamps are illustrated in the configuration of  FIG. 1  for a rectangular configuration of the sanding component  14 , although the operation of the present invention will operate in the manner to be described with only a single such pair of clamps provided, as at  75  in  FIG. 1 . The drywall sanding apparatus  10  then incorporates a collecting bag  30  having an open top  32  ( FIG. 5 ) and an apertured bottom  34  ( FIGS. 3–5 ), with the open top  32  being joined with a frame  36  whose dimensions are greater than that of the sanding component  14 . Two pairs of expandable springs  40  are permanently secured at both ends to the frame  36 , as in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , to be wrapped around a clip  25  as described below. In the quiescent condition of the drywall sanding apparatus, ready for use, the positioning of the springs, the clamps, and the sanding component within the frame is as shown in  FIG. 2 . (As will be appreciated, only one pair of expandable springs  40  are required where the sanding component  14  is provided with the single pair of clamps  75 .) As shown in  FIG. 2  and at its insets  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b ), a preferred embodiment of the clamp  22  includes a wing nut  23  securing clip  25  against a sandpaper holding bracket  27  at an extension to allow a wrapping of the spring  40  around the clip  25  to be there held in place. 
   As the collecting bag  30  is intended to retain the sanding spackle compound dust, and as the sanding pole  12  passes through the apertured bottom  34  of the bag  30 , a gasket  50  is employed to close off the apertured bottom  34  to contain the dust in place—the gasket  50  being preferably of a foam composition ( FIG. 2 ). To facilitate storage when not in use, the collecting bag  30  may be of a flexible and collapsible composition (e.g. cloth or light plastic), and the sanding pole  12  may be sectionalized, to telescope to different lengths, as indicated at  95  in  FIG. 2 . 
     FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate the operation which follows according to the invention when pushing upwardly, for example, on the sanding pole  12  for sanding the spackle compound on a ceiling when using the frame  36  of the invention, particularly with a surround flange  50  of a pliable composition. As the pole  12  is pushed upwardly, the springs expand and the flange  50  (which then contacts the ceiling) begins to compress ( FIG. 8 ). When pushing upwardly to contact the ceiling with the sanding component surface  18 , the frame  36  with its flange  50  then are positioned to lie flush with the ceiling as the springs  40  expand to allow the sanding to take place. With the frame  36  and the flange  50  flush with the ceiling, any dust generated during the sanding then falls into the collecting bag, as shown at  100  in  FIG. 9 , where it is retained in place, being substantially sealed in position by the gasket  50 . When the sanding apparatus is withdrawn from the ceiling—or from a wall when sanding there—, the sanding component  14  recedes back to the quiescent position of  FIG. 2  by the compression of the springs  40 —and the pole  12 , with the bag  30  in place—, can then be carried to a location for subsequent emptying. 
   And, as will be appreciated, were one to already possess a typical, prior art sanding pole, all that would be necessary would be to obtain the frame  36 , the collecting bag  30 , the springs  40 , and the appropriate clamps or other manner of securement so as to join the springs with the underside of the swivel sanding component of the already possessed sanding pole to carry out the teachings of the invention as described. 
   Experience has shown that with this method of sanding, substantially all of the spackle compound dust is collected. The apparatus is easy to carry, easy to utilize, and quite inexpensive in manufacture. The spring tension design creates the tight seal to the surface being sanded and substantially all the drywall wall or ceiling dust is collected in the bottom of the bag  30 . 
   While there have been described what are considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein. Thus, instead of wrapping the springs  40  about the extensions of clip  25  to be held there in place, the advantages that accrue to the invention will also be seen to follow, for example, where the springs  40  secure with hooks or similar holdings devices extending from designed locations on the frame  36 . For at least such reason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the invention.