Patent Publication Number: US-2007107324-A1

Title: Drywall guide

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The field of the invention relates to portable devices for use in manually loading, transporting and unloading fragile materials. More specifically, this invention relates to devices used to transport and handle drywall.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Drywall is a common building material that is used by contractors when constructing a building or some other structure. Large amounts of drywall are usually required to complete the interior walls of the building. Due to the brittle nature of this material and the difficult task of hauling the material to the desired floor of a building, the drywall is often times damaged during transport. Since drywall can be very expensive, contractors can benefit from utilizing drywall transportation devices that limit the amount of damage to the drywall material.  
      Prior art has attempted to remedy this problem by providing a number of transportation devices that utilize a dolly type system. In a dolly type system, the drywall is secured to the transportation device by employing a strap. A typical dolly will possess multiple wheels that allow the user to pull or push the drywall to the desired location. Although this provides a more viable option than manually transporting the drywall, it does not limit the amount of damage to the drywall that the present invention provides.  
      A dolly type system is inadequate in several aspects. First, an individual transporting drywall could run into a variety of objects around the construction site while transporting said drywall. The user could easily run into a wall or some other article left carelessly unattended. Second, the dolly is difficult to maneuver up and over stairs. For a construction site that has multiple stories, this can be very cumbersome and difficult to use.  
      The present invention improves on these deficiencies by providing a transportation device that secures to the wood framing on a construction site. This allows the drywall to be easily transported up and down a building with minimal force and improved protection. It all but eliminates the potential for human error. Once the desired location is reached, the drywall can be easily transported to the location by placing it through the guide rollers of the transportation device.  
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
      The present invention comprises a weight bearing base with a plurality of vertically disposed guide rollers. Both the guide rollers and the base are composed of a material that has a low coefficient of friction, thereby limiting damage to the construction material. Preferably, the guide rollers are 4 to 12 inches apart depending on the thickness and amount of drywall passing through the rollers at any given time. The device is further comprised of an attachment plate and a plurality of support legs that secure the device to the wood framing on a construction site.  
      It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a device that limits damage to construction materials by reducing incidents due to human error and composing said device of a material with a low coefficient of friction.  
      A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that can be easily and quickly secured to the wood framing of various construction sites.  
      A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that can also be used independently without securing said device to the wood framing.  
      A further object of the present invention is to provide a device that can support large quantities of drywall and prevent damage in the process.  
      A further object of the present invention is to supply a device that is light-weight, inexpensive and easy-to-use.  
      Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the present invention when in use. The drywall is placed on the weight bearing base and maneuvered through the guide rollers.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the present invention when viewed from the side.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , this illustrates a perspective view of the drywall roller  100  when drywall  200  is being transported through the device. The drywall roller  100  is comprised of a substantially horizontal weight bearing base  2  with a plurality of vertically disposed guide rollers  5 ,  6  attached to the upper surface of the base  2 . Each guide roller  5 , 6 —which in a preferred embodiment are oriented in a parallel fashion 1 to 15 inches apart—is secured to the base  2  by a cylindrical shaft  22  and a single nut  23 . Preferably, both the base  2  and the drywall rollers  5 ,  6  are composed of a material that has a low coefficient of friction. Such a low-friction material is UHDPE, or ultra-high density polyethylene. This material allows the drywall  200  to easily slide over the base without being damaged by the heat or splintering caused by friction. {The drywall  200  itself is apart from and not an element of the current invention.} 
      In addition to the friction reducing material, the weight bearing base  2  possesses both a first and second end  12  with both the front end  12  and the rear end  13  being downwardly sloped. This assists the users in loading and unloading the drywall  200  from the base  2 .  
      Fixedly connected to the weight bearing base  2  and perpendicular thereto is an adjustable length vertical leg  27  with an affixed attachment plate  33 . The leg  27  can be moved up and down to the desired height of the user by loosening and tightening the height adjustment knob  20  on the support means, and sliding the leg  27  up or down, within the shell of the lower hollow leg  25 . Once the desired height has been achieved, the user must tighten the height adjustment knob  20  and may secure the device to a location between the studs of a frame work structure by the aforementioned attachment plate  33  and a securing platform  31 . The attachment plate  33  comprises a plurality of apertures  10  that allows the device to be secured between adjacent studs by nails or screws.  
      The securing platform  31  is positioned at the base of the drywall roller outer leg  25 . After securing the device between the studs of a frame work structure, the drywall  200  can be easily transported to the desired location.  
      Alternatively, the drywall roller  100  can also work independently from a frame work structure. In the preferred embodiment, the support means of the present invention is comprised of a plurality of support legs  25 ,  26 . Preferably, there will be at least two legs, with one leg  25  being substantially co-terminus with said adjustable leg  27  and where the pivot pin  21  of the second leg  26  allows free angular movement of said second leg out to a stabilizing position. A stabilizer bar  32  is connected to the end of the second leg to prevent possible sliding and to increase the weight bearing capabilities of the drywall roller  100 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , this illustrates the drywall roller  100  when attached to a frame work structure. The attachment plate  33  comprises a plurality of apertures  10  that allows the device to be secured between adjacent studs by nails or screws. A horizontal stud  51  is indicated as supporting the device, although the stud is part of the frame and not a part of the current invention.  
      In addition, the securing platform  31  is bolted into the base of the wall frame to provide further support. This prevents the device from sliding or moving during the transportation of the drywall  200 . Another horizontal stud  52  is indicated as supporting the device. Again, the stud is part of the frame and not a part of the current invention.  
      Although it is recognized that the present invention can be operated independently of any supporting structure, as a stand-alone device, it is not recommended for operation in this fashion. Due to safety concerns, it is always preferable to secure the device to a framework with nails or screws through the holes provided in the attachment plate and stabilizer foot.  
      The free movement of all the various components of the drywall roller  100  can also be viewed in  FIG. 2 . Each guide roller  5 ,  6  will rotate in a circular fashion, thereby facilitating the movement of the drywall  200  through the device. Depending on the height of each user, the drywall roller  100  can be adjusted to various heights by using the height adjustment knob  20 . As mentioned previously, the second leg can also adjust to meet the needs of the users by pivoting around the pivot point and tightening adjustment screw  21 .  
      While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment or embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.