Patent Publication Number: US-2011053475-A1

Title: Sanding glove for a drywall installer

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a useful sanding glove for a drywall installer in the form of a mitten covered with adhesive and abrasive thereon so that the applicator wearer can make drywall joints and also sand the gaps between the edges of the drywall joints to be smooth and inconspicuous before painting or covering the drywall installation on a wall or ceiling. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Drywall is a construction material known by several names including sheetrock, gypsum board, gypsum wallboard and plasterboard. In this application the construction material is referred to as drywall. Drywall is a modern replacement for prior lath and wet plaster construction of walls and ceilings. Since wet plaster contains a large amount of water in its application form, drywall was developed for more speed and economy of dry construction. With drywall construction builders do not have to wait long periods for the wet plaster to dry before it can be painted or covered Drywall construction is used extensively now instead of wet lath and plaster because not only is it easier and faster to apply, but there is much less fuss and mess. Drywall is generally manufactured in standard rectangular sheets of 8 by 4 feet., with ¼ inch thickness. But other lengths and thicknesses can be supplied or can be cut on-site for the configuration required. The drywall sheets are made with a core of dry gypsum plaster covered on each side with heavy paper. Drywall sheets are also available with various surface coverings such as fabrics and prints. The standard sheet of drywall is made with recessed edges so that when two sheets have been placed flat alongside each other and nailed to the wall stud or ceiling joist, the butting gaps between the edges of the sheets can be filled with a trowel applying a special drywall joint cement therein, which is then reinforced by setting a special flat tape over the joint cement An additional coat of joint cement is feathered over the flat tape, or flat tape bent inwardly along its creased centerline, or flat tape bent outwardly along its creased centerline using a trowel and sponge. There is normally a roughness of the additional joint cement feathered over the reinforcing tape which must be sanded off to obtain a perfectly smooth and inconspicuous joint before painting or covering the drywall installation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Before the present invention, the finish smoothing of the additional joint cement over the reinforcing tape of drywall joints was accomplished by the drywall applicator having to use a separate sanding block covered with a removable sheet of sandpaper to rub over and smooth the dried additional joint cement over the reinforcing tape. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a sanding glove for the drywall applicator to use and thereby eliminate the need and extra steps of: the applicator removing his customary waterproof glove; procuring a sanding block; applying or replacing a sandpaper sheet on the sanding block; and rubbing and smoothing the dried additional joint cement over the reinforcing tape. 
     Drywall installers customarily use waterproof gloves to protect their hands from the deleterious effect of joint cement on their hands. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sanding glove which is not only waterproof but also can be used to rub and smooth the dried additional joint cement covering the reinforcing tape. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a waterproof sanding glove for a drywall applicator with preformed flat and curved surfaces. An adhesive and abrasives are adhered to the preformed surfaces so that the dried additional joint cement over the reinforcing tapes can be more effectively and easily rubbed and smoothed in lieu of using a sanding block with only flat surfaces thereon. 
    
    
     
       These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following drawings and detailed description: 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A sanding glove for a drywall installer is depicted in the following drawings which form a part of this disclosure and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a portion of a typical drywall installation; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the sanding glove for a drywall installer; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of  FIG. 2  along line  3 - 3 ′ of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view of  FIG. 2  along line  4 - 4 ′ of  FIG. 2   
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the above drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in  FIG. 1  a schematic of a typical flat drywall seam or joint, generally shown as  1 . The wall stud or ceiling joist  2  forms the frame structure of a wall or ceiling. Two drywall sheets  3 , 4  are placed together alongside of each other. with their recessed edges  5 , 6  respectively abutting. After the recessed edges  5 , 6  have been nailed with galvanized nails  7 , 8  to the wall stud or ceiling joist  2  the gap or joint  9  between the recessed edges  5 , 6  is filled by trowelling therein a special gypsum drywall joint cement  10  which is then reinforced by setting thereon a special flat tape  11  onto the joint cement  10 . A coat of additional joint cement  12  is feathered over the reinforcing tape  11 . The additional joint cement is dried and smoothed to form an inconspicuous joint of the drywall installation before painting and covering. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2  there is shown a plan view of the sanding glove for a drywall installer of the present invention, generally referred to as  15 . The glove  15  is formed or molded of rubber, plastic, fabric, or other waterproof material providing a waterproof enclosure of the hand (not shown) of the drywall applicator. The glove  15  is generally in the form of a mitten comprising: a fingers section  16  enclosing the fingers of the wearer; a thumb section  17  enclosing the thumb of the wearer; and a joining section  18  between and joining the fingers section and the thumb section  17 . All of the outside surfaces of the sections  16 ,  17 ,  18  are coated with adhesive and sand, emery, or other abrasive thereon to enable the installer wearer to use the glove  15  in any direction to rub and smooth the dried additional joint cement  12  into finished joints  10  of the drywall installation before painting or covering. The bottom opening of the glove  15  has a closely fitting band  20  to tightly seal the wrist of the applicator against the entry of fluid contained within the joint cement  10  and additional joint cement  12 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the glove  15  is preformed with a half cylindrical configuration  21  at the top of the fingers section  16  which covers the tops of the fingers of the applicator so that the outside top surface of the half cylinder  21  can be used to more efficiently and easily rub and smooth the dried additional joint cement  12  feathered above the reinforcing tape  11 . The glove  15  is also preformed with a hemisphere configuration  22  covering the top of the thumb of the applicator at the top of the thumb section  17  so that the outside top surface of the hemisphere  22  can be used to more efficiently sand and smooth curved dried additional cement  12  above the tape  11 . The hemisphere  22  is also useful to sand and smooth other curved surfaces of drywall installations such as spindles and moldings used at the corners of some drywall installations. The glove  15  is further preformed with a half cylinder configuration  21  at the top of the joining section  18  between the finger section  16  and the thumb section  17  so that the outside top surface of the half cylinder  21  can be used to more efficiently rub outside curved surfaces of drywall installations. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2 and 4  the glove  15  is additionally preformed with an outside V shaped configuration  20  along the right side edge of the finger section  16  so that the apex  21  and flat sides  26 . 27  of the V shaped configuration  20  can be used to rub along and smooth the dried additional joint cement  12  within adjoining drywall sheets  3 , 4  forming an inside corner of a drywall installation. 
     When adjoining drywall sheets  3 , 4  form inside or outside corners, as for instance the joinder of a wall with a ceiling to form an inside corner or the the joinder of a wall with another wall to form an outside corner, the reinforcing tape  11  is bent outwardly or is bent inwardly, respectively, along its creased centerline  14  to serve as the appropriate reinforcing tape  11  for the corresponding inside or outside corner of the drywall installation. The above description of the present invention is worn by a right handed applicator. It is a feature of the present invention that the sanding glove  15  need only be reversed to be worn by a left handed applicator. 
     The present invention has been defined by the embodiments set forth above, but it should be understood that this is by way of illustration only and that the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Modifications and variations will be apparent from the disclosure without departing from the present invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. 
     Accordingly, such modifications and variations of the disclosed present invention are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention and the following claims.