Abstract:
A shop horse pad of closed cell foam is cylindrical in shape and having a central radial opening provided therein. An axial slit is provided along the length of the pad that creates two axial edges. A strip of adhesive is arranged along at least one of the axial edges. A covering strip, of preferably cellophane, is provided on the strip of adhesive such that when it is removed, the two axial edges adhere together. In this manner, a user may simply force the pad over the horizontal work tubing of the shop horse and removes the covering strip. Thereafter, the axial edges of the pad are forced together to form a solid pad about the exterior of the horizontal tubing.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/899,938 filed on Feb. 7, 2007 as well as Non-provisional application Ser. No. 11/980,278 filed on Oct. 30, 2007. 
     
    
       [0002]    The subject matter of the present invention did not receive federal government research and development funding. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Generally, the invention relates to a pad for use with a shop horse in automotive repair shops, paint shops, and other types of repair businesses. More particularly, the invention is a foam pad that rests atop a working portion of a tube that forms a shop horse for preventing damage to parts that are rested upon the shop horse. 
         [0004]    A shop horse is portable stand or bench having a horizontal surface, such as tubing, that rests atop a plurality of legs. The horizontal surface serves as an upper working surface upon which parts are rested. The shop horse typically comprises two pieces of u-shaped tubing that are coupled together to form a pair of legs on opposite sides of the pair of upper working surfaces of the shop horse. Each piece of u-shaped tubing includes a vertical leg each leg includes a rubber tip that engages a floor surface. A protective pad or cover is provided on the horizontal portion of the tubing. This horizontal portion of the tubing forms the working portion of the shop horse and the protective pad prevents damage to any articles that are rested on the shop horse. Mechanics, automotive technicians and painters typically use shop horses to rest car parts and the like thereon when performing automotive maintenance and painting services. 
         [0005]    Shop horses are purchased from a retailer with a pad or cover already installed on the horizontal working surface. This cover protects the items placed on the stand during repair work so that no damage occurs to the item during the repair. Items that may be rested atop a shop horse range from light weight items, such as tools and small parts, to heavy weight items such as doors, fenders, hoods, and bumpers. The factory pads on the shop horses are typically one-half inch (½′) thick or less and wear out within a few months or weeks, depending upon the level of work performed on the shop horse. These factory installed pads provide minimal protection and quickly disintegrate during ordinary working conditions. The disintegration of these factory installed foam pads produces dust particles which can become impregnated in wet paint and other coatings that are being applied to the item resting atop the shop horse. This type of pad may include an adhesive that is provided between the pad and the working potion of the tubing. 
         [0006]    The disintegration of the original factory pads also requires the user to repair or replace the original pad. Previously, the shop horse was simply covered with rags, towels, and bubble wrap, collectively referred to as replacement items. These replacement items were intended to provide protection for the items placed on the shop horse after the pad begins to disintegrate. This is an ineffective repair which causes the constant replacement of these rags, towels and bubble wrap. Moreover, if the replacement items are not properly secured to the working portion of the tubing, they may cause damage to objects on which work is being performed by allowing them to slide or drop from the work horse. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is a replacement pad that may be substituted for the original pad which comes on the shop horse/portable work bench and provides maximum protection for any items placed on the shop horse. The purchaser of the shop horse no longer has to create ways to cover the shop horse as the original cover disintegrates. The present invention does not produce dust particles and can be easily removed and replaced when it wears out. 
         [0008]    In a preferred embodiment, the pad is cylindrical in shape and having a central radial opening provided therein. The pad is circular when taken in cross section and having a diameter that is approximately three inches (3″) across. The axial length of the replacement shop horse pad is approximately thirty-one inches (31″). A central radial opening is provided through the shop horse pad. The central radial opening is in a range of approximately one to one and one-quarter inches (1″-1.25″) in diameter. The pad includes an axial slit along the length of the pad that creates two axial edges. At least one strip of adhesive is arranged along one of the axial edges to create a seam of adhesive the seals the axial edges together. In the preferred embodiment, a strip of adhesive is provided along each of the axial edges. Covering strips, preferably of cellophane, are provided on one side of the strip(s) of adhesive opposite to the axial edge of the pad. In the preferred embodiment, a covering strip covers each strip of adhesive such that when the covering strips are removed, the strips of adhesive mate together causing the axial edges of the slit to be adhered together. In this manner the cover includes biasing a portion of the axial slit open by forcing one&#39;s fingers between it while applying pressure to an exterior side of the pad with the thumbs. After a portion of the axial slit near one end is forced open, the open portion is forced onto the horizontal portion of the tubing by pushing downwards with the thumbs. The entirety of the pad is forced onto the horizontal portion by beginning at one end and proceeding toward an opposite end thereof. The installer simply hooks his fingers on each hand around a respective side of the axial slit whilst pushing against an exterior side of the shop horse pad and slides his fingers the length of the central opening whilst pushing the pad down onto the horizontal portion of the tubing. 
         [0009]    In this manner, a user may separate the axial edges and insert the axial slit onto the working portion of the tubing. Otherwise, the user simply forces the pad over the horizontal tubing of the shop horse and removes the covering strips from the adhesive. Thereafter, the axial edges of the pad are forced together to form a seam that comprises adhesive to create a solid pad about the exterior of the horizontal tubing. Preferably, the pad is closed cell foam. The pad may be provided in a variety of colors. 
         [0010]    The method for replacing a shop horse pad includes removing the old shop horse pad. This is preferably achieved by running a sharpened edge, such as a hook-billed knife, along the axial length of the old pad and separating the pad from the underlying tubing that it surrounds. If an adhesive layer is provided between the old pad and the tubing, then it may be necessary to draw the sharpened edge along the axial length several times to shave the remnants of the old pad from the underlying tubing. Thereafter, the old pad is separated from the underlying tubing and a new pad is arranged around the tubing. The user grasps the new pad such that his fingers are inserted into the axial slit and his thumbs are on the exterior, opposite the slit, preferably at one end, and separates a portion of the opposing edges created by the axial slit. A portion of the tubing, preferably one end, is forced into the separated portion of the new pad. The user runs his fingers down the axial opening while his thumbs are maintained on an opposite side of the pad. The thumbs are used to force the pad onto the tubing. The adhesive strip cover is then removed from at least one side of the axial slit in the pad and the edges of the slit are forced together to seal the pad around the working portion of the tubing. When replacing the new pad, the user need only slit the pad in one axial direction and pull the pad from the tubing. 
         [0011]    It is an object of the invention to provide a cylindrical pad for installation on a tubular horizontal member of a shop horse that is used as a work surface. The pad includes a central radial opening that runs the length of the pad. An axial slit running the length of the pad includes two edges that have at least one strip of adhesive deposited thereon to create a seam that includes adhesive such that the cylindrical pad may be secured to the tubular horizontal member. 
         [0012]    It is another object of the invention to provide a method for replacing shop horse pads. The method includes providing a pad as mentioned above and separating the edges of the axial slit and thereafter forcing the tubular member between the edges and bringing the two edges together such that the adhesive securely fastens the pad about the tubular member. 
         [0013]    These and other objects of the invention and advantages of the invention will be set forth, appear in part, or become apparent after considering the specification and accompanying drawings. It is to be realized that the following embodiments of the invention have been represented in their simplest form for ease in understanding the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the shop horse pad.  FIG. 1B  is a plan view of the shop horse pad taken from an end. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the shop horse pad installed on the working tube portion of the shop horse. 
           [0016]      FIGS. 3A-3F  are perspective views showing the method of installing the shop horse pad onto the shop horse. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a prior art shop horse. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The following is the preferred embodiment or best mode for carrying out the invention. It should be noted that this invention is not limited by the discussion of the preferred embodiment and should only be defined by the appended claims. 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a prior art shop horse  100 . The shop horse  100  comprises a first u-shaped tube  101  and a second u-shaped tube  102  coupled together via a pivoting fastener  120  that secures the first and second tubes  101 ,  102  together such that the tubes may be collapsed when the work horse  100  is stored. The work horse is deployed by pulling the working horizontal portions  105  apart to separate the tipped feet  125 . Each u-shaped tube  101 ,  102  include leg portions  104  arranged on opposite sides of the horizontal portions  105 . A hook  110  is arranged in each leg  101 ,  102 , preferably above the pivoting fastener  120 . A chain  115  includes links that create a means for adjusting the distance between working portions  105 . In this manner, the height of the shop horse may be varied according the number of links between each hook  110 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 1A  is, a perspective view of the shop horse pad  1  that surrounds one of the working portions  105  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The shop horse pad  1  includes a cylindrically-shaped sidewall  3  that includes an axial opening  5  that extends from end to end within the sidewall  3 . The sidewall  3  includes an axial slit  7  that extends on an exterior surface of the sidewall  3  to the axial opening  5  and along the entire length of the sidewall  3  to create a seam  10 . As more clearly shown in the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1B , each side of the axial slit  7  includes a strip of adhesive  9 A,  9 B. The strip of adhesive may be double sided tape or the like that can be activated to seal the seam  10  after the shop horse pad  1  has been installed onto the shop horse  100 . Each strip of adhesive  9 A,  9 B includes an overlay of protective material  11 A,  11 B that prevents the strips of adhesive from prematurely contacting one another. The overlays of protective material,  11 A,  11 B are removed to activate the strips of adhesive  9 A,  9 B. As shown in  FIG. 1C , the overlays of protective material are removed and the strips of adhesive  9 A,  9 B, when activated, form a single seam of adhesive  9  that preferably runs the length of the axial opening  7 . This single strip of adhesive  9  secures the respective pad  1  about the appropriate working portion  105 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0021]      FIGS. 3A through 3F  show a method for installing the shop horse pad onto a working portion of the shop horse. The shop horse is deployed into a working position, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The installer grasps the shop horse pad  1  at one end and separates the seam  10  as shown in  FIG. 3A . Preferably, the fingers are forced into the seam  10  near one end of the shop horse pad  1 , as shown in this figure. The finger tips on each hand are arranged inside the axial opening at an elevation lower than the thumbs, as shown. Force is exerted against the exterior of the sidewall via downward thumb pressure whilst the finger tips on each hand are rotated outward and upwards to separate the seam further. The open seam of the pad near the fingers is forced onto the working portion  105  of the shop horse  100 . The installer may either slide his finger tips along the length of the axial opening  5  while continuing to force the remaining length of the shop horse pad  1  onto the working portion  105 , as indicated in  FIGS. 3B and 3C . Otherwise, the installer may force the seam  10  open near the center of the shop horse pad and slid his fingers toward the portion of the pad that is already on the working portion and thereafter repeat as necessary until the entire length of the shop horse pad is installed onto the shop horse  100  such that the working portion  105  is substantially covered by the shop horse pad  1 . 
         [0022]    Next, the shop horse pad  1  is rotated about the working portion  105  such that the seam  10  is arranged substantially above the working portion  105 , as shown in  FIG. 3D . The overlay of protective material  11 A is then removed from an underlying strip of adhesive by beginning at one end of the shop horse pad and pulling the protective material  11 A from within adhesive arranged on opposite sides of the seam  10 . If present, the protective material  11 B is removed in this manner as well. Lastly, the seam  10  is forced together as shown in  FIG. 3F  and the seam is preferably rotated back to its position below the working portion as shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C  to avoid damage to the seam. 
         [0023]    In the preferred embodiment, the shop horse pad  1  comprises a polyethylene closed cell foam. The sidewall of the shop horse pad is preferably one inch (1″) thick from edge of the axial opening to the exterior, and can tolerate up to five hundred (500) pounds being placed upon it without causing damage to the pad. The shop horse pad  1  is substantially thirty-one inches (31″) long and has a total diameter of from the center of the axial opening to the exterior of the sidewall of from three to three and one-quarter inches (3″-3.25″). The size is designed to cover the working portion of the shop horse. The closed cell composition does not produce dust particles. The foam pad is slit down the middle to allow for installation. Edges created by the slitting of the pad includes adhesive covered with cellophane strips which are removed when the pad is installed on the shop horse. These edges are closed to create a seamless cover when installed. The composition of the pad is superior to the lighter weighted three one-eights of an inch (⅜″) or one-half inch (½) factory installed foam pad. The factory installed pads disintegrate within a short period of time and produce dust particles which can damage paint and other coatings. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the pad is preferably thirty-one inches (31″) long with a tolerance of +/−0.25%. The pad includes an overall diameter of three to three and one-quarter inches (3″-3.25″) with a tolerance of +/−0.25%. A axial opening is a centrally located hole having a diameter of one and one-quarter inches (1¼%″) with a tolerance of +/−1.125%. The shop horse pad comprises a sidewall wall thickness of one inch (1″) with a tolerance of +/−0.120% closed cell foam. In the preferred embodiment, the pad includes an opening having a diameter of one and one-quarter an inch (1¼″). An outside diameter of the pad is preferably three and one-quarter inches (3.125″) and the sidewall thickness is one inch (1″). The color is safety orange. The pad is slit down the middle to allow for installation. Cellophane strips, placed on the open edges of the pad, cover the glue along the length of the opening. The cellophane strips are removed when the pad is installed and the glue seals the pad. 
         [0025]    Table 1 shows the preferred physical properties of the shop horse pad. The physical properties are listed in the left column. The preferred value is shown in the middle column and the test method for determining each is listed in the right column. The water absorption* 1  is the determination of water absorption by sealant materials. The water absorption* 2  is the standard specifications for cellular elastomeric preformed gasket and sealing material and is typically a historic standard measurement. In the preferred embodiment, the shop horse pad includes a fire retardant which meets or exceeds requirements of FMVSS302, ESA-M8G53-A, MS-AY 054a AND MS-AY554. The shop horse pad is an extruded round, closed-cell, low density polyethylene foam tube with a skin-lie outer texture. It is highly flexible and compressible for easy installation and available in a variety of colors. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 PROPERTY 
                 VALUE 
                 TEST METHOD 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Density (nominal) 
                 1.9 lbs.cu.ft. 
                 ASTM-D-1622 
               
               
                   
                 Tensile Strength 
                 50 PSI 
                 ASTM-D-1623 
               
               
                   
                 Compression 
                 5 PSI @ 25% 
                 ASTM-D-1621 
               
               
                   
                 Deflection 
               
               
                   
                 Water Absorption*1 
                 0.03 gm/cc 
                 ASTM-C-1016 
               
               
                   
                 Water Absorption*2 
                 0.02% by volume 
                 ASTM-C-509 
               
               
                   
                 Temperature Range 
                 −90 to +180 deg. F. 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0026]    Tables 2 and 3 show UV and melt tests performed on samples of the shop horse pad. UV additives are included in the shop horse pads to prevent deterioration of the pads from sunlight. As indicated by these tables, the test conditions for determining the melting was performed at 190 degs. C on 2.16 kg of the test sample. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 2 
               
             
             
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Tolerance 
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Item 
                 Test Method 
                 Specification 
                 Condition 
                 Precision 
                 Units 
                 Results 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Quantitative 
                 ST411 
                 7.00 
                 +/− 
                 3.00 
                 % 
                 5.18 
               
               
                 UV Additive 
               
               
                 Quantitative 
                 ST411 
                 17.00 
                 +/− 
                 2.00 
                 % 
                 18.18 
               
               
                 UV Additive 
               
               
                 Melt Index 
                 ASTM D1238 
                 16.00 
                 +/− 
                 6.00 
                 g/10 min. 
                 17.87 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Test Conditions: 190 C./2.16 kg 
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 3 
               
             
             
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Tolerance 
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Item 
                 Test Method 
                 Specification 
                 Condition 
                 Precision 
                 Units 
                 Results 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Quantitative 
                 ST411 
                 7.00 
                 +/− 
                 3.00 
                 % 
                 6.69 
               
               
                 UV Additive 
               
               
                 Quantitative 
                 ST411 
                 17.00 
                 +/− 
                 2.00 
                 % 
                 17.85 
               
               
                 UV Additive 
               
               
                 Melt Index 
                 ASTM D1238 
                 16.00 
                 +/− 
                 6.00 
                 g/10 min. 
                 16.24 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Test Conditions: 190 C./2.16 kg 
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0027]    Table 4 shows strength test performed on samples of the shop horse pads. Strength tests were performed on five samples. The tensile strength of the samples ranged between 39 psi and 45 psi. Elongation of the materials was between 55 and 71 percent at the breaking point. The secant moduli ranged between 78 psi and 84 psi. The tangent moduli ranges between 70 psi and 83 psi. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 4 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Tensile 
                 Elongation at 
                 Secant 
                 Tangent 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Strength 
                 Break 
                 Moduli 
                 Moduli 
               
               
                   
                 Specimen No. 
                 (psi) 
                 (%) 
                 (psi) 
                 (psi) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Specimen #1 
                 42 
                 60 
                 80 
                 75 
               
               
                   
                 Specimen #2 
                 44 
                 71 
                 78 
                 82 
               
               
                   
                 Specimen #3 
                 45 
                 63 
                 84 
                 83 
               
               
                   
                 Specimen #4 
                 39 
                 55 
                 79 
                 70 
               
               
                   
                 Specimen #5 
                 42 
                 61 
                 78 
                 75 
               
               
                   
                 Median 
                 42 
                 61 
                 79 
                 75 
               
               
                   
                 Std. Dev. 
                 2.30 
                 5.83 
                 2.49 
                 5.43 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0028]    It is also to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction illustrated and described above. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.