Abstract:
An apparatus including a glue gun, a support structure on which the glue gun is mounted, and a user-controlled operating mechanism. The operating mechanism is coupled to the glue gun and spaced apart from the support structure. The operating mechanism may be a foot-operated pedal that is coupled to the glue gun with a Bowden cable. Depressing the pedal actuates the glue gun thereby dispensing glue from the gun. The foot-operated pedal allows a user to use two hands to manipulate a work piece onto which glue is being dispensed. The Bowden cable may be coupled to an actuator that engages a trigger on the glue gun. The actuator may be slidingly mounted on the support structure or it may be supported by the trigger.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/700,366, entitled “GLUE GUN WITH REMOTE OPERATING MECHANISM”, filed Jul. 18, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to glue guns and, more specifically, to an actuating mechanism for a glue gun that is located remotely from the glue gun.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Glue guns are a common tool that are used in both residential and professional situations. Glue guns typically receive a cylindrical prepackaged cartridge of glue which the gun heats and dispenses. Glue guns are available in a variety of configurations, however, glue guns often have a shape that is generally similar to that of a pistol. Such pistol shaped glue guns typically have a trigger which is depressed to dispense glue. In use, the operator will typically hold the glue gun in one hand and either point the nozzle of the gun at the location where it is desired to apply the glue. If glue is to be applied to a workpiece that must be held in place, the workpiece must either be clamped or held with the free hand of the operator.  
         [0006]     While this mode of operating a glue gun will suffice for most applications, it can prove problematic for other applications. For example, oftentimes a glue gun will be used to secure two or more workpieces together and it may not be easy or possible to hold all the workpieces in a single hand. The use of a clamp to hold the workpieces will not be desirable and may not be feasible where the workpieces would be damaged by the clamp or have a shape that is difficult to secure within a clamp. Additionally, for some applications the placement of the glue on the workpiece requires a precision that is best achieved by moving the workpiece relative to a stationary glue gun. An apparatus which addresses some or all of these concerns is desirable.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention provides an apparatus for holding a glue gun and which includes a remote actuating mechanism that can be activated by the foot of the operator.  
         [0008]     The invention comprises, in one form thereof, an apparatus for actuating a glue gun that includes a user-controlled operating mechanism operably coupled to the glue gun wherein said operating mechanism selectively actuates the glue gun, and a support structure adapted to support the glue gun. The support structure spaced apart from said operating mechanism.  
         [0009]     Operating mechanism may be foot-operable pedal and be coupled to the glue gun with a cable disposed within an outer sleeve. The cable may be coupled to the glue gun by an actuator engaged with the glue gun. The actuator may be slidably mounted on the support structure and engage a trigger on the glue gun. Alternatively the cable may extend through a pistol grip and a trigger on the glue gun with an actuator engaged with the trigger being secured to the distal end of the cable.  
         [0010]     The invention comprises, in another form thereof, a method of operating a glue gun. The method includes mounting the glue gun on a support structure and operably coupling an operating mechanism to the glue gun wherein activation of the operating mechanism dispenses glue from the glue gun. The method further includes activating the operating mechanism with the foot of a user and thereby dispensing glue from the glue gun.  
         [0011]     An advantage of the present invention is that enables a user to selectively dispense glue from a glue gun with a foot thereby freeing both hands of the user to manipulate one or more workpieces to which the glue is being applied.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The above mentioned and other features of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the first embodiment.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a portion of the support structure for the glue gun.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a side view of an actuator.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0018]     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a supporting structure  20  and a remote operating mechanism  22  for use with glue gun  24 . Glue gun  24  is a conventional glue gun which receives a glue cartridge  27  and includes a power cord (not shown) for electrically connecting glue gun with a conventional electrical outlet for heating the glue within cartridge  27 . Glue gun  24  has a barrel  26  in which the glue cartridge is located with a dispensing nozzle  28  at one end. Glue gun  24  also has a pistol grip  30  and a trigger  32 . Depressing trigger  32  towards the pistol grip dispenses glue from nozzle  28 .  
         [0020]     Support structure  20  includes a base  34  which rests upon a horizontal surface such as the top of a work bench. Alternatively, base  34  can be configured with a clamping arrangement for clamping support structure  20  to a work surface. A riser  36  extends upwardly from base  34 . Riser  36  is a cylindrical rod having a lower threaded end that is engaged with a threaded bore in base plate  34  and an upper threaded end engaged with threaded mounting block  37 . Mounting block  37  is affixed to the backside of support plate  38  as best seen in  FIG. 3 . Support plate  38  also has a gun tray  40  extending outwardly therefrom. Mounting block  37  and tray  40  are secured to support plate  38  by welding or other suitable means. Tray  40  has an opening  42  through which pistol grip  30  is inserted when mounting glue gun  24  on support structure  20 . Tray  40  also includes sidewalls  44  along its edges which can limit the horizontal movement of glue gun  24  on support structure  20 . One of the sidewalls  44  includes an upper surface  46  which forms a U-shaped recession to receive the barrel of glue gun  24  and allow the nozzle  28  to project outwardly from tray  40 .  
         [0021]     Support structure  20  also includes a clamping mechanism  48 . Clamping mechanism  48  includes clamping block  50  and bolt  52 . Bolt  52  is inserted through a bore in block  50  and arcuate slot  60  in support plate  38  until bolt head  54  engages block  50 . Block  50  is secured in place to hold glue gun  24  by tightening wing nut  58  on threaded shaft  56  of bolt  52 . Block  50  is positioned to engage the top surface of barrel  26  and thereby firmly secure glue gun  24  in tray  40 . Providing an arcuate groove  60  allows block  50  to be secured in a variety of different positions and thereby accommodate different glue gun shapes and sizes and/or change the angular orientation of glue gun  24  relative to base  34 . It is also possible to secure glue gun  24  within tray  40  using other suitable fastening techniques, such as Velcro straps, etc. while at the same time allowing angular adjustment of glue gun  24 .  
         [0022]     Operating mechanism  22  is used to selectively dispense glue from glue gun  24 . Operating mechanism includes a pedal  62  and base plate  64 . Base plate  64  may be set upon a horizontal surface, e.g., on the floor below the work surface on which support mechanism  20  is positioned. Pedal  62  is pivotally mounted to base plate  64  near the lower end of pedal  62  with pivot pin  66 . A biasing element  68  biases pedal  62  toward its first upright position depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In the illustrated embodiment, biasing element  68  is a torsional spring mounted on pivot pin  66 . Torsional spring  68  has first and second ends  70 ,  72  engaged with pedal  62  and base plate  64  respectively to bias pedal  62  towards its upright position.  
         [0023]     A connecting rod  74  has a pivot pin  76  extending laterally from its upper end and extending through a projection  78  located on the upper backside of pedal  62  to pivotally connect rod  74  to pedal  62 . The lower end of connecting rod  74  has a laterally extending projection  80  which extends through a horizontally extending slot  84  in rib  82  which projects upwardly from base plate  64 . When pedal  62  is depressed by the foot of a user as indicated by arrow  63  it will move to a second depressed position as indicated by dashed lines  62   a  in  FIG. 1 . As pedal  62  moves to this second position  62   a , the upper end of connecting rod  74  will pivot about pin  76  and the lower end of connecting rod  74  will move horizontally causing projection  80  to slide within slot  84  to the position indicated by dashed circle  80   a.    
         [0024]     A Bowden cable  86  is used to couple operating mechanism  22  with glue gun  24  so that when pedal  62  is moved to position  62   a , glue will be dispensed from glue gun  24 . Bowden cable  86  includes an outer sleeve  88  and an inner cable  90  that can slide relative to outer sleeve  88 . A first end of the outer sleeve is clamped to rib  82  with clamp  92 . Cable  90  extends outward from sleeve  88  near clamp  92  and is secured to pin  80 . Thus, as pin  80  is moved to position  80   a  by the depression of pedal  62 , pin  80  pulls cable  90  relative to sleeve  88 .  
         [0025]     The other end of sleeve  88  is clamped to support plate  38  by clamp  94 . Cable  90  has a distal end  96  that extends outwardly from sleeve  88  at clamp  94  and which is secured to actuator  98 . Actuator  98  is best seen in  FIG. 4  and has a generally cylindrical shape. Actuator  98  includes an aperture  100  in which distal end  96  of cable  90  is secured. Actuator  98  includes a projecting end  102  that extends outwardly from support plate  38  to engage trigger  32  and a slot  104  between projecting end  102  and retaining end  106 . Support plate  38  includes a slot  108  in which actuator  98  is slidably mounted. Acuator  98  is mounted in slot  98  by inserting retaining end  106  through enlarged opening  110  in support plate  38  and then mating slot  104  on actuator  98  with slot  108  in plate  38 .  
         [0026]     A biasing element  65  configured as a tension spring biases trigger  32  to the non-depressed state shown in  FIG. 1 . Spring  65  is connected at one end with actuator  98  and coupled at an opposite end with support plate  38 . Spring  65  may be positioned within slot  108  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , or coupled between support plate  38  and an outboard end of actuator  98  adjacent retaining end  106 . Alternatively, spring  65  could be configured as a compression, leaf or other type of spring as long as trigger  32  is biased to a non-depressed state.  
         [0027]     When cable  90  is pulled by pin  80  to position  80   a , the distal end  96  of cable  90  slides actuator  98  towards pistol grip  30  within slot  108  in the direction indicated by arrow  99 , to the position indicated by dashed circle  98   a . When actuator  98  has been moved to the position  98   a  by the depression of pedal  62  and consequent movement of cable  90 , trigger  32  will be moved to the position indicated by dashed outline  32   a  thereby causing glue to be dispensed from nozzle  28 .  
         [0028]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a second embodiment of a support structure  20   a  and glue gun  24   a . The operating mechanism  22  used with this second embodiment has a similar construction and operation as that discussed above and a discussion of the operating mechanism  22  of the second embodiment will not be repeated. Similar to the support structure  20  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , support structure  20   a  includes a base  34   a  and a riser  36   a . A support plate  38  is attached to riser  36   a . Glue gun  24   a  is firmly secured to support structure  20   a  by the clamping mechanism defined by brackets  120 . Each of the brackets  120  have a semicircular central region  124  in which the barrel  26   a  of glue gun  24   a  is seated. Mounting tabs  126  are located on each end of central region  124 . Threaded fasteners  128  extend through mounting tabs  126  to secure brackets  120  to plate  38  and thereby secure glue gun  24   a  on support structure  20   a . To couple glue gun  24   a  with operating mechanism  22 , holes are drilled through pistol grip  30   a  and trigger  132  of glue gun  24   a . The distal end  196  of cable  90  is then threaded through the holes in pistol grip  30   a  and trigger  132 . An actuator  198  is then secured to distal end  196  and bears against trigger  132 . When pedal  62  is depressed, pin  80  will be moved to position  80   a  pulling cable  90  through outer sleeve  88 . One end of sleeve  88  bears against pistol grip  30   a  and thereby pulls distal end  196  of cable  90  towards pistol grip  30   a  when cable  90  is pulled through sleeve  88  by the depression of pedal  62 . As distal end  196  is pulled toward pistol grip  30   a , actuator  198  bears against trigger  132  and thereby pulls trigger  132  toward pistol grip  30   a  resulting in the dispensing of glue from gun  24   a . Dashed lines  198   a  depict the position of actuator  198  and dashed lines  132   a  depict the position of trigger  132  when pedal  62  has been depressed to dispense glue from gun  24   a . By mounting actuator  198  on the distal end  196  of cable  90  that has been threaded through an opening in trigger  132 , actuator  198  is supported by trigger  132 . In the illustrated embodiment, actuator  198  is a nut and washer assembly; however, alternative types of actuators may also be employed. A biasing element  165  configured as a compression spring biases trigger  132  to the non-depressed state shown in  FIG. 5 . Spring  165  is interposed between trigger  132  and pistol grip  30   a.    
         [0029]     While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles.