Patent Publication Number: US-2007119062-A1

Title: Crown molding tool

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention generally relates to a device for assisting installation of interior decoration. More particularly, the present invention resides in a tool for installing crown molding.  
      Devices for installing crown molding are generally known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,520 discloses an apparatus and method for facilitating accurate placement and installation of crown molding. However, while the disclosed apparatus helps to initially align the crown molding for placement, the apparatus does nothing itself to assist in maintaining the position of the crown molding as the crown molding is being installed. It is generally well-known in the art for a person installing crown molding to hold the crown molding in place by hand while connecting the crown molding to a wall. This may be especially difficult to do for a person working by themselves while standing on a ladder. It is also known that the hand of a person working in this manner can slip during the installation process, causing the crown molding to move and result in misalignment of the crown molding. This also creates a hazard where the user can lose their balance and fall from the ladder, resulting in injury to themselves.  
      Accordingly, there is a need for a crown molding tool that assists a user when installing crown molding. There is a further need for a crown molding tool that reduces slippage of the crown molding during installation. There is an additional need for a crown molding tool that allows a user to maintain the position of the crown molding even when the user is standing on a floor and the crown molding is beyond arm&#39;s length of the user. There is an additional need for a tool that reduces the risk of falling that can occur when a user is installing crown molding while standing on a ladder. There is a need for a crown molding tool that is economical and easy to manufacture. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention resides in a crown molding tool that assists a user when installing crown molding and reduces slippage of the crown molding during installation. The present invention maintains the position of the crown molding even when the user is standing on a floor and the crown molding is beyond arm&#39;s length of the user. Allowing a user to hold crown molding in position while the user is standing on a floor virtually eliminates the risk of injury that can occur when a user attempts to hold crown molding in position during the installation while the user is standing on a ladder.  
      The present invention discloses a tool for supporting crown molding during installation that includes a base plate and a pair of crown molding-engaging pads slidably attached to the base plate. A handle-receiving socket is pivotally attached to the base plate.  
      The tool includes a releasable lock for holding at least one of the engaging pads between pad extended and retracted positions relative to the base plate. The lock includes a knob threadedly engaging a shank connected to the engaging pad. The shank extends through a slot of the base plate.  
      Each engaging pad includes a resilient non-marring surface for engaging the crown molding.  
      The base plate of the tool includes a channel along which a portion of the engaging pads slide.  
      The base plate and engaging pads share a common perimeter when the engaging pads are in a retracted position.  
      A handle is received within the handle-receiving socket.  
      Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which, by way of example, illustrate the principles of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a crown molding tool embodying the present invention shown attached to a handle and being used to hold a piece of crown molding in position during installation;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the crown molding tool of  FIG. 1  shown in a retracted configuration;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the crown molding tool of  FIG. 1  shown in a fully extended configuration;  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the crown molding tool of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional, side elevation view of the crown molding tool of  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional, side elevation view of the crown molding tool of  FIG. 3 , illustrating pivotal movement of a handle-receiving socket of the tool; and  
       FIG. 7  is a close-up view of the tool where an end of the handle-receiving socket engages a base plate of the tool. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention discloses a crown molding tool  10 , as seen in  FIGS. 1-7 . The crown molding tool  10  includes a base plate  12  and a pair of crown molding-engaging pads  14  slidably attached to the base plate  12 . A handle-receiving socket  16  is pivotally attached to the base plate  12 .  
      Each of the crown molding-engaging pads  14  includes an extension plate  18  that engages the base plate  12  and a resilient pad  20  having a non-marring surface  22  for engaging decorative surfaces of crown molding  24 .  
      The pair of extension plates  18  are extendable away from each other and retractable towards each other as the plates  18  move relative to the base plate  12  along a common axis  26  between extended and retracted positions. The base plate  12  includes a top side  28  and a bottom side  30 . A channel  32  formed on the bottom side  30  of the base plate  12  extends along the length of the base plate  12 . Top surfaces  34  of the plates  18  engage the base plate  12  and raised portions  36  of the top surfaces  34  slide along the channel  32  of the base plate  12  while moving between the extended and retracted positions of the crown molding-engaging pads  14 . The raised portions  36  are sized and shaped to engage the channel  32 . The base plate  12  and the engaging pads  14  share a common perimeter when the engaging pads  14  are in their retracted positions.  
      Each of the engaging pads  14  includes a releasable locking mechanism  38 . Each locking mechanism  38  holds a respective engaging pad  14  at the pad extended position, the pad retracted position, or anywhere between the pad extended and retracted positions. Each locking mechanism  38  includes a turnable knob  40  threadedly engaging a threaded shank  42  connected to the top surface  34  of the extension plate  18  of the engaging pad  14 . Each shank  42  extends between the top and bottom sides  28 ,  30  through a respective slot  44  extending along a portion of the length of the base plate  12 . A washer  46  is disposed about the shank  42  and a lower portion  48  of the knob  40 , between the top side  28  of the base plate  12  and the knob  40 . When one of the knobs  40  is turned in one direction to lock its respective pad  14  in place along its respective slot  44  of base plate  12 , the threaded engagement of the knob  40  and shank  42  moves the base plate  12  and pad  14  towards each other until the base plate  12  and pad  14  are so tightly held together that the pad  14  is no longer able to freely slide along the channel  32  of the base plate  12 . Turning the knob  40  in the other direction releases the pad  14  to slide along the channel  32 .  
      Each resilient pad  20  is connected to its respective plate  18  by the threaded shank  42 . The resilient pad  20  may also be connected to the plate  18  by an adhesive or a combination of the threaded shank  42  and adhesive. The non-marrying surface  22  may be non-textured or textured such that the surface  22  may come in various forms including, without limitation, smooth, ridged, wavy or the like. When a resilient pad  20  is worn from use, the resilient pad  20  may be replaced by a fresh resilient pad  20 .  
      A handle pole  50  with a threaded end is received within the handle-receiving socket  16 . The handle-receiving socket  16  includes a handle-engaging threaded socket  52  and a hollow sleeve  54  oriented perpendicularly to the socket  52 . The socket  52  and sleeve  54  may be formed integrally as a single piece or an end  70  of the socket  52  includes a hollow bore  56  through which the sleeve  54  may be inserted. The base plate  12  includes two flanges  58  extending upwardly from the top side  28  of the base plate  12  with the slots  44  disposed between the two wedges  58 . Each flange  58  includes a bore  60  that the hollow sleeve  54  is aligned with. An elongated threaded bolt  62  is inserted through the bore  60  of one of the flanges  58 , into the hollow sleeve  54 , and out through the bore  60  of the other flange  58 . A washer  64  and threaded nut  66  are used to secure the bolt  62  in place with the washer  64  being disposed about the shank of the bolt  62 , between the flange  58  and the nut  66 . Another washer  68  is disposed about the shank of the bolt  62  between the head of the bolt  62  and the flange  58  that the head of the bolt  62  is adjacent to. The securement of the handle-receiving socket  16  in the manner allowed the handle-receiving socket  16  to pivot relative to the base plate  12 . The exterior surface of the end  70  of the socket  52  forms a pivotal locking mechanism that includes a plurality of teeth or ridges  72  that engage the top side  28  of the base plate  12  in a manner that allows the handle-receiving socket  16  to be held at a number of pivotal orientations at and/or between zero and one hundred eighty degrees with respect to the base plate  12 .  
      In the alternative, the resilient pad  20  may be connected to the plate  18  by a threaded bolt (not shown) that sits within a recessed bore (not shown) extending through the resilient pad  20  in order to engage the knob  40  associated with that resilient pad  20 .  
      While the crown molding tool  10  has been described in terms of use with crown molding  24 , the tool  10  is can also be used with other objects to be held in position including, without limitation, portrait frames, shelving or the like.  
      The above-described embodiment of the present invention is illustrative only and not limiting. It will thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects.