Abstract:
The invention disclosed is an actuator for use with a bag having two openings therein wherein the actuator seals one opening and assists in forcing the flowable substance out of the bag. The actuator is demonstrated with a generally conically shaped bag used with mortar such as masonry cement. The bag provides method for applying a continuous constant pressure to the bag thereby forcing the mortar out in a continuous and constant flow.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a tool and a method for use of the tool to assist in the application of a flowable substance and more specifically, is an actuator for sealing a bag into which the flowable substance is placed to assist in forcing the flowable substance therefrom. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Flowable substances such as mortar are used to fill gaps such as between bricks in a facade. For example in the case of a brick facade that is being built or subsequently pointed, the gap must have mortar, or more particularly masonry cement, forced into the gap to the width of the brick. Generally, the process of filing the gap involves using a trowel to push mortar off a mortarboard into the gap. This process is labor intensive utilizing highly skilled labor and is extremely time consuming. 
     In addition, as the mortar is pushed into the gap, it is inevitable that some mortar will spill over onto the face of the brick, i.e. a finished surface of the brick that is viewed. Removal of the mortar from the face can be difficult sometimes involving an acid and potentially damaging to the brick as well as the mortar. This cleaning process is not only potentially dangerous but also expensive. 
     New brick products developed for architectural applications also have gaps that must be filled with mortar. Facade brick mounted on a sheet are one example. Sheet mounted facade brick comprises some number of brick faces, i.e. thin bricks, mounted on a single sheet with proper spacing. Installation of the product involves mounting the sheet to a surface and filling the gaps between the brick faces with mortar. The finished surface is therefore an actual brick face and mortar, and the finished surface cannot be distinguished from a normal brick facade. The placement of the mortar within the gaps has the associated problems discussed above. 
     Bags have been developed for pushing mortar into gaps. The bags are shaped like a frustum of a cone, i.e. conical with a large opening at one end tapering to small opening at the other end. Mortar is placed in the bag through the large opening and the large opening is folded; e.g., twisted, etc. The folding of the bag simultaneously seals the large opening and puts pressure on the mortar in the bag forcing the mortar to exit the bag through the small opening. As those who have ever used such a bag can attest, forcing the material from the bag requires considerable strength, and it can be difficult to control the outflow of the flowable substance through the small opening. 
     Based on the foregoing, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a tool and a method of use to overcome the problems associated with the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is an actuator that facilitates the use of a bag having two openings into which a flowable substance can be placed. More specifically, the actuator is placed across the bag clamping one of the openings shut after which the actuator is progressively rotated whereby the bag rolls up about the actuator putting pressure on the flowable substance therein such that it is forced out of the bag through the other opening. The actuator includes a base that has a body with a handle that has a shape that permits a torque, i.e. leverage, to be applied to the body. The leverage gives a mechanical advantage during rolling to assist in rotating the actuator thereby giving a more continuous and constant pressure on the flowable substance therein for a uniform flow of the flowable substance through the other opening. An arm is attached to the base by a hinge such that the arm and base can be placed generally parallel one to the other and define a slot. The arm is secured to the base by a clasp. In one embodiment, the arm and body are hinged at one end and the clasp secures the other end of the arm to the other end of the body. In this embodiment, the arm, body, and clasp define the slot. 
     In a mortar applicator, a bag is placed in the slot of the actuator. The bag, which has a large and a small opening and mortar therein, is placed in the actuator such that the actuator clamps shut the large opening of the bag effectively trapping the mortar in the bag between the actuator and the small opening. The bag is designed to hold mortar and the actuator should clamp the bag sufficiently to prevent the mortar from exiting the bag through the large opening. In the preferred embodiment, the bag would only be partially filled such that the actuator could be placed on the bag and rotated through at least one revolution prior to exerting any pressure on the mortar. Therefore, the sealing of the bag to prevent the mortar from exiting the bag through the large opening could be accomplished by the actuator cooperating with the bag folded about it. 
     It is preferred, but not required, that the bag be conical shaped with two openings making the bag a frustum of cone. The size of the cone as well as the openings is application dependent. 
     The slot of the actuator should be sufficient to accommodate the entire bag where the clamp is to be placed on the bag. The actuator is advantageously placed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bag. Further, it is preferred that the slot be at least as long as the bag is wide. For a frustum of cone bag, the width of the bag is the distance across the large opening when the bag is laid flat. This will assure that when the bag is rolled around the actuator all of the contents of the bag will receive uniform pressure. 
     In the method of using the mortar applicator, a bag is obtained having a large and small opening. Mortar is placed in the bag through the large opening and then the large opening is sealed with the actuator. The actuator is then rotated thereby rolling the bag up around the actuator. As the bag is rolled up, pressure is exerted on the mortar therein forcing the mortar to exit the bag through the small opening. 
     While the present invention has been discussed in the context of mortar, any flowable substance such cement, grout, or plaster could be used. It should be remembered, however, that the viscosity of the flowable substance is application dependent and ideally the viscosity of the flowable substance should be such that the substance is generally forced from the bag as opposed to naturally flows out of the bag, if conditions permitted it. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the actuator of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the actuator of FIG. 1 with a bag positioned therein. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the actuator and bag of FIG. 2 with a flowable substance in the bag and the actuator rotated one revolution. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1 the actuator generally referred to by reference number  10  is comprised of a base  12  hingeably connected to an arm  14 . The base  12  includes a body  16  coupled to a handle  18 . The hinge  20  is integrated into the handle  18 . The body  16  and the arm  14  are held together by a clasp  22 , and the body  16 , the arm  14 , and the clasp  22  cooperate to define a slot  24 . The handle  18  is shaped such that a moment arm  26  (depicted with dotted lines) is created about a rotational axis  28  thereby permitting a torque to be applied to the actuator  10 . The clasp  22  is an L-shaped body that is pivotally connected to the body  16  and rotates as indicated by the arrow R 1 . 
     The moment arm  26  permits a mechanical advantage in rotating the actuator  10 . This mechanical advantage reduces the overall force that must be applied thereby allowing for a more consistent and uniform flow of the flowable substance from a bag, discussed blow. 
     In FIG. 2, a bag  30  has been placed in the slot  24  of the actuator  10 . The bag  30  is conically shaped having a large opening  32  and a small opening  34 . In use, a flowable substance (not shown) would be placed in the bag  30  through the large opening  32  and the actuator  10  would secure the flowable substance in the bag  30 , i.e. prevent the flowable substance from exiting the bag  30  through the large opening  32 . The slot  24  is sized to clamp the bag  30  thereby sealing the large opening  32 . The seal is not a hermitic, but is sufficient to prevent the back flow of the flowable substance in the bag  30 . In sealing the bag  30  it must be remembered that the bag  30  rotates about actuator  10  (see FIG. 3) in operation. The folding of the bag  30  resulting from the rotation can assist in sealing the bag  30 , therefore, the seal provided by the actuator  10  could be minimal. 
     The slot  24  of the actuator  10  should be sufficient to accommodate the entire bag  30  where the actuator  10  is to be placed. The actuator  10  is advantageously placed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bag  30 . Further, it is preferred that the slot  24  be at least as long as the bag  30  is wide. For a conical bag  30 , the width of the bag  30  is the distance across the large opening  32  when the bag  30  is laid flat. This will assure that when the bag  30  is rolled around the actuator  10 , all of the contents of the bag  30  receives uniform pressure. 
     Continuing with FIG. 3, a flowable substance  36  is positioned within the bag  30 , and the bag  30  is positioned in the slot  24 . In this figure, the actuator  10  has been rotated one revolution about a rotational axis R 2  such that the actuator  10  is putting pressure on the flowable substance  36  such that the flowable substance  36  is forced out through the smaller opening  34 . It is important that the smaller opening  34  be sized appropriately. The flowable substance  36  will have a viscosity. The smaller opening  34  should be sized considering the viscosity such that the flowable substance  36  is generally retained in the bag  30  even through the smaller opening  34  is positioned at a point below the flowable substance  36 , i.e. the flowable substance  36  should be generally forced out of the bag  30  and not merely flow out. 
     It is preferred that the bag  30  is a frustum of cone. The size of the cone and the openings therein are application dependent. The small opening should be sized based on the viscosity of the flowable substance such that the flowable substance is forced from the bag as opposed to naturally flows from the bag. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3 , the method of the present invention involves obtaining a bag  30  having two opening  32  and  34 , one larger than the other. Obtaining an actuator  10  having a base  12  with a body  16  and a handle  18  wherein the handle  18  has a shape to permit a torque to be applied to the body  16 , and an arm  14  hingeably connected to the base  12  wherein the body  16  and the arm  14  cooperate to define a slot  24 . The body  16  and the arm  14  also have a clasp  22  for securing the arm  14  relative to the body  16 . 
     A flowable substance  36  is placed in the bag  30  through the larger opening  32 . The actuator  10  is attached to the bag  30  at a position adjacent the large opening  32 , thereby trapping the flowable substance  36  within the bag  30 . The actuator  10  should be placed such that the bag  30  will roll up nicely about the actuator  10 , i.e. within the length of the actuator  10 . In the case of a conical shaped bag  30 , the actuator  10  would be advantageously placed along a circular cross-section. 
     The actuator  10  is then rotated thereby rolling the bag  30  up about the actuator  10  in the direction of the smaller opening  34 . The rolling up of the bag  30  puts pressure on the flowable substance  36  therein, thereby forcing the flowable substance  36  out through the smaller opening  34 . As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the order of the steps above is not necessary required. As an example, the actuator  10  could be obtained after the flowable substance  36  is placed in the bag  30 ; therefore, the order of the steps should not be considered limiting unless required. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, while frustum of cone bags have been shown other shaped bags with two openings are considered within the scope of the invention. As an another example, the preferred embodiment of the slot  24  is described within the Detailed Description as being formed between the body  16  and an arm  14 . In alternative embodiments, a slot  24  can be disposed within the body  16 , thereby avoiding the use of an arm  14 . Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred version contained herein.