Abstract:
A tool for supporting and applying wallpaper border material to the surface of a structural member is provided. The tool includes a handgrip, a support post, and a mounting post projecting from a longitudinal member, with the handgrip, support post, and mounting post integrally formed with the longitudinal member and in spaced parallel relationship to one another. The mounting post includes a substantially flat, planar surface for bearing against the surface of the support structure. One or more pins project from the flat surface at a slight angle to provide increased load-bearing capacity. The handgrip includes a substantially smooth surface with a straight portion to use in smoothing the wallpaper after it is applied to the surface of the structural member.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention pertains to a tool for wallpaper borders, and more particularly, to a tool for supporting and applying a roll of wallpaper border material on a structural surface. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Wallpaper borders are relatively narrow, decorative strips of wallpaper material for applying to the surfaces of walls, ceilings, and similar structures. Such borders may be applied over unpainted and painted surfaces, as well as over other wallpaper. An adhesive agent applied on either the surface to be covered or to the wallpaper border material, or a self-adhesive material formed on the wallpaper border material, bonds the wallpaper border material to the structure. 
     When wallpaper border material is supplied to consumers, it is typically formed into a roll. Application of the wallpaper border typically requires two people, one to hold and dispense the wallpaper border material and the other to apply the wallpaper border material to a surface. Although one person can apply the wallpaper border, it is a difficult task, at best, to both hold and dispense the material while applying it. Previous attempts to design a tool to facilitate supporting the roll of wallpaper border material on the wall have resulted in cumbersome; complicated devices that are difficult to use and expensive to manufacture. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,633 entitled “Wallpaper Border Roll Holder,” discloses a tool having a fixed bottom spike and a spring-loaded top spike for attaching the tool to both a wall and a ceiling. A plate attached to the top of the tool with fasteners holds the movable spike in place. The disadvantage here is that the tool must be applied to both the ceiling and the wall, and it requires movable, spring-loaded parts. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,485, entitled “Wall Surface-Attachable Tool for Hands-Free Support of Roll of Wallpaper Border,” discloses a generally L-shaped elongate body having probe elements for attachment to a structural member and an L-shaped rod spaced apart from the elongate body member to receive the roll of wallpaper. Standoff sleeves projecting from the elongate body position the tool a predetermined distance from a wall surface. In essence, the device is designed as a pry bar, and if extreme care is not taken in mounting and removing it from a wall surface, a rather large piece of the surface and supporting substrate can be removed. The close proximity of the probe elements to each other also makes the device unstable when mounted to a wall surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a tool that supports a roll of wallpaper border material on a structure and facilitates application of the wallpaper border material to the structure. In one embodiment, the tool has a handle with a handgrip and integrally formed hand guard; a support post integrally formed with and projecting from the handle; and a mounting member integrally formed with and projecting from the support post, the mounting member configured to releasably mount the tool to the structure and the support post configured to support a roll of wallpaper border material. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the mounting member includes a post and one or more mounting devices associated with the post for removably mounting the tool to the structure. Ideally, the post has a mounting surface that is substantially planar for bearing against the structure, and the mounting device comprises one or more spikes projecting from the mounting surface for manual insertion into the structure. Ideally, the post has a top and bottom, and the spikes are angled down towards the bottom of the post to increase the load-bearing capacity of the tool. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the spikes projecting from the post are located on the post such that holes remaining in the structure when the spikes are removed will be covered by the wallpaper border material. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a tool for supporting a roll of wallpaper border material on a structure is provided. The tool includes a longitudinal member having first and second ends, a first projection extending from the longitudinal member; a second projection extending from the longitudinal member in the same direction as the first projection and including a mounting device to enable removable mounting of the tool to the structure; and a third projection extending from the longitudinal member in the same direction as and located between the first and second projections, the third projection configured to support a roll of wallpaper border material. Ideally, the longitudinal member is integrally formed with the first, second, and third projections, with the first, second, and third projections formed at substantially a right angle to the longitudinal member and in space parallel relationship to one another. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the tool further includes a fourth projection extending from the longitudinal member in the same direction as and located between the first and third projections. Preferably, the first and fourth projections are connected together by a cross-member that is integrally formed with the first and fourth projections. 
     In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the third projection has a planar face that is configured to bear against the structure member and includes one or more mounting devices extending from the planar face. Ideally, the mounting devices comprise spikes, with at least two spikes in one embodiment, that extend from the planar face. 
     In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, the planar face has a top and a bottom, and the spikes project from the planar face to angle toward the bottom of the planar face to increase the load-bearing capacity of the device when attached to the wall. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the first projection has a substantially smooth surface with a substantially straight portion to enable use of the first projection in smoothing the wallpaper border material as it is applied to the surface of the structural member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The following description of the disclosed embodiments of the invention will be more easily understood when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric projection of a tool formed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the tool of FIG. 1 mounted on a structure. 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric projection illustrating use of the tool formed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric projection of a tool formed in accordance with the present invention supporting a wallpaper border roll on a structural member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, shown therein is a tool  10  formed in accordance with the present invention. The tool  10  is designed to be used in conjunction with a roll  12  of wallpaper border material  14  and a structural member  16 . The wallpaper border material  14  is commercially available to consumers, and is typically supplied in a roll  12 , as shown in FIG.  2 . As discussed above, it is applied to a surface  18  of the structural member  16  with either adhesive to the surface  18  or to the wallpaper border material  14 , or the wallpaper border material  14  is supplied with a self-adhesive on one surface. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the tool  10  is formed from a longitudinal member  20  having first and second ends  22 ,  24 , respectively, with a first projection  26  extending from the first end  22  and a second projection  28  extending from the second end  24 . The first projection  26  is sized and shaped to form a handgrip to be grasped by a user, as shown in FIG.  3 . The second projection  28  includes a substantially flat, planar face  30  and a pair of spikes  32  projecting therefrom. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the spikes  32  extend substantially at a right angle from the face  30  of the second projection  28 . 
     A third projection  34  extends from the longitudinal member  20  between the first and second projections  26 ,  28  and is sized and shaped to function as a support post for the roll  12  of wallpaper border material  14 . A fourth projection  36  also extends from the longitudinal member  20  and is connected to the first projection  26  by a cross-member  38 . Thus, the first projection forms a handgrip while the second projection  36  in conjunction with the cross-member  38  forms a hand guard to protect the user&#39;s hand from the adjacent wallpaper and to provide structural support for the tool, maintaining the rigidity of the tool in use. 
     In one embodiment, the tool  10  is formed as a single, integral unit, i.e., the first, second, third, and fourth projections  26 ,  28 ,  34 ,  36  are integrally formed with the longitudinal member  20 , and the cross-member  38  is integrally formed with the first and fourth projections  26 ,  36 . As can be seen in FIG. 1, the first projection  26 , second projection  28 , and fourth projection  36  are substantially wider than the third projection  34  to increase the strength of the tool  10 . Ideally, the ends  22 ,  24  of the longitudinal member a free end  40  of the second projection  28 , a free end  42  of the third projection  34 , and an exposed end  44  of the cross-member  38  are rounded, as are the internal surfaces  46 ,  48 , between the second projection and the third projection, and between the third projection and the fourth projection, respectively, as shown in FIG.  1 . The tool  10  is preferably formed from a single piece of plastic, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, which enhances its simplicity and ease of manufacture. 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the first projection  26  has an exposed surface  50  that is substantially smooth and includes a straight portion  52  between the longitudinal member  20  and the cross-member  38  that can be used to smooth the wallpaper border material  14  after it is applied to the surface  18 . Also, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the planar surface  30  has a top end  54  and a bottom end  56 , and the spikes  32  are angled toward the bottom end  56  of the planar face  30 , as shown more clearly in FIG. 2, to increase the load-bearing capacity of the tool  10 . 
     The roll  12  of wallpaper border material  14  is placed over the third projection  34 , which functions as a support post. The wallpaper border material  14  is then unrolled and the tool  10  is positioned adjacent the structural member  16 . The user grasps the hand grip, first projection  26 , and forcibly inserts the spikes  32  through the surface  18  of the structural member  16  such that the substantially flat, planar surface  30  of the second projection  28  bears against the surface  18  of the structural member  16 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. With the wallpaper border roll  12  supported on the structural member  16 , the wallpaper border material  14  is then applied to the surface  18  of the structural member  16 , as shown in FIG.  4 . Ideally, the spikes  32  extending from the planar surface  30  are located such that when the tool  10  is removed from the structural member  16 , the holes  60  left in the surface  18  by the spikes  32  will be covered by the wallpaper border material  14 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     The tool  10  is also compatible for use with both self-adhesive wallpaper material  14  and wallpaper material  14  that must be wetted prior to application. For example, a pre-pasted wallpaper border material  14  is wetted and rolled in reverse into a circular tube  12  onto itself. With one hand, a user grasps the handgrip  62  and presses it into proper position on the surface  18  of the wall or structural member  16 . The wallpaper border material  14  is pulled from the roll  12  and pressed to its proper position on the surface  18  with the user&#39;s free hand. Tension is supplied by the friction of the wet or dry wallpaper border material  14  on the support post  64 . As the wallpaper border material  14  is being applied, the flat surface  50  of the handle  62  can be used to smooth the wallpaper border material  14  that has already been hung. 
     When the user installing the wallpaper border material  14  runs out of room to safely hang it, he or she simply places the tool  10  with the steel pins  32  toward the wall surface  18  and gently pushes the pins  32  into the surface  18 . The structural member may be formed from sheet rock or plaster. In order to remove the tool  10 , a slight upward pull is required to remove the angled pins  32 . 
     In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the tool  10  is manufactured from a single piece of ¼-inch polycarbonate plastic with two hardened steel support pins  32  bonded into the edge  30  of the tool  10 . When extruded or routed, the handle portion  62  formed by the first projection  26 , second projection  36 , cross-member  38 , and first end  22  of the longitudinal member  20  is shaped to fit most hands for comfort of use. The second projection  28  contains the hardened-tempered steel support pins  32  installed at slight angles to 90° to enable the tool to be mounted on the wall in which the wallpaper border material  14  is being hung. Only the vertical wall surface is required to hold the tool and the roll  12  of wallpaper border material  14 . No attachment of any kind to the ceiling is required. The tempered steel support pins  32  are located in such a manner that once the tool  10  is removed from its attachment with the surface  18  of the wall or structural member  16 , the small pierce marks  60  remaining are easily covered by the wallpaper border material  14  being installed. 
     One of the major advantages of the tool is the ease in cleaning and storing. It lays flat in a tool case or chest and can be hung from a tool belt or placed in an apron with other wallpaper hanging tools without being encumbered by size or bulkiness. Because there are no moving parts, the life of the product is extended indefinitely. With rounded comers on all sides, the tool  10  is not apt to be chipped or damaged from dropping it or placing it in a tool storage compartment. 
     While various embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Hence, the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the claims that follow.