Patent Publication Number: US-9416931-B1

Title: Method of making a bamboo lamp or other item

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various methods for making items using bamboo are known in the prior art. However, what is needed is a method of making a bamboo lamp or other item including the drilling of an entire longitudinal center portion of each of a bamboo section and injecting the center portion of at least a portion of the bamboo sections with an injectable spray foam. To make a bamboo lamp, the bamboo sections are dried and divided into base sections filled with foam and a single unfilled shaft section for forming a lamp shaft. The right and left ends of each foam-filled base sections are removed and the outer ends remaining are cut at a 30-degree angle, attached to external edges of a lower base, and glued together. An upper base can be attached to the lower base. Each base is drilled to accommodate the necessary light fixture parts for the lamp. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to methods for making bamboo items, and more particularly, to a method of making a bamboo lamp or other item including the drilling of a center portion of each of a bamboo section and injecting the center portion of at least a portion of the bamboo sections with an injectable spray foam which provides a bonding surface. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present method of making a bamboo lamp or other item, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a method of making a bamboo lamp or other item which has many novel features that result in a method of making a bamboo lamp or other item which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To accomplish this, the present method of making a bamboo lamp or other item includes the drilling of a center portion of each of a bamboo section and injecting the center portion of at least a portion of the bamboo sections with an injectable spray foam. To make a bamboo lamp, the bamboo sections are dried and divided into base sections filled with foam and a single unfilled shaft section for forming a lamp shaft. The right and left ends of each foam-filled base sections are removed and the outer ends remaining are cut at a 30-degree angle, attached to external edges of a lower base, and glued together. An upper base can be attached to the lower base. Each base is drilled to accommodate the necessary light fixture parts for the lamp. 
     Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the present method of making a bamboo lamp or other item so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a bamboo lamp constructed according to the present method. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear elevation view. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a block diagram of the present method of making a bamboo lamp or other item. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, an example of the instant method of making a bamboo lamp or other item employing the principles and concepts of the present method of making a bamboo lamp or other item and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5  the present method of making a bamboo lamp or other item  10  is illustrated. The method of making a bamboo lamp or other item  10  generally includes cutting an amount of bamboo  20  into a plurality of bamboo sections  22 . Each bamboo section  22  has a center portion  24  therein directly adjacent the midline longitudinal axis thereof. The method continues with drilling out the entire center portion  24  of each bamboo section  22 . Any debris formed within the center portion  24  by the drilling of the center portion  24  should be removed, such as by blowing the debris out of the center portion  24 . The center portion  24  of each bamboo section  22  is drilled out to have a ⅜ inch diameter. After the center portion  24  is drilled out, the each bamboo section  22  is dried as discussed hereinbelow. After each bamboo section  22  is dried, the entire center portion  24  of at least a portion of the bamboo sections  22  is then filled with an injectable spray foam  26 , which is allowed to dry. Once the center portion  24  of each bamboo section  22  is completely dry, the bamboo sections  22  are secured together to form an item. One such item that can be formed is a bamboo lamp  30 , although the method can also be used to form other items such as a jewelry box or a picture frame. 
     In order to make a bamboo lamp  30 , the method begins with the selection of an amount of bamboo  20  having a straight longitudinal midline axis and then cutting the amount of bamboo  20  into a plurality of bamboo sections  22 , wherein each bamboo section  22  has a center portion  24  directly adjacent the midline axis such that each bamboo section  22  has a length in a range of 4 inches to 48 inches. To make the bamboo lamp  30 , just as with other items that can be formed from bamboo according to the present method, the entire center portion  24  of each bamboo section  24  is drilled out. Any debris in the center portion  24  must be removed from the center portion  24 , preferably by blowing the debris out of the center portion  24 . Once the debris is removed, each bamboo section  22  is dried with an open flame while turning the respective bamboo section  22  until the bamboo section  22  achieves a desired burnished color. Oil and dirt from the respective bamboo section  22  is wiped off while being dried. A torch is recommended as the source of the open flame when drying each bamboo section  22 . Once the bamboo sections  22  have achieved the desired burnished color, the bamboo sections  22  are divided into a plurality of base sections  32  and a single shaft section  34 . The base sections  32  are selected for forming a continuous edging on a lower base  50  of the bamboo lamp  30 . The shaft section  34  is selected for forming a lamp shaft  36  of the bamboo lamp  30 . Next, the entire center portion  24  of only the base sections  32  is completely filled with the injectable spray foam  26  and the injectable spray foam  26  is allowed to dry inside the center portion  24  of each base section  32 . The center portion  24  of the shaft section  34  is maintained in an empty condition. 
     After the injectable spray foam  26  is dry, each of a right end  42  and a left end  44  having the injectable spray foam  26  of each base section  32  is removed The right and left ends  42 ,  44  can be removed by snapping them off. A continuous “V”-shaped longitudinal cutout  46  is then cut from each base section  32 . The cutout  46  is one-quarter of the diameter of the base section  32 . The cutout  46  from each base section  32  must be removed. 
     After the cutout  46  is removed from each base section  32 , each of an outer end  48  remaining on each base section  32  is cut at a 30-degree angle cut  33  from midline longitudinal axis. Taping the outer ends  48  prior to cutting them is recommended to prevent splintering. In addition, the location of the cut  33  at each of the outer ends  48  should not be in a knot in order to form smoother cuts and to facilitate attachment of each outer end  48  to an adjacent outer end  48  during final assembly of the bamboo lamp  30 . In addition, while cutting each of the outer ends  48 , placement of the cutout  46  directly abutting an upper external 90° edge of a jig block is recommended to stabilize the base section  32  during the cutting process. The shaft section  34  must also be cut into a desired length. 
     During the process of making the bamboo lamp  30 , the lower base  50  is cut from a piece of wood having a depth, which is preferably ¾ inches. The cutting of the lower base  50  forms external edges  52  thereof. The lower base  50  can be cut to a variety of shapes, such as hexagonal or parallelepiped. 
     An upper base  54  having a shorter maximum length and a shorter maximum width than a maximum length and a maximum width of the lower base  50  is also cut from a piece of wood having a same depth as the wood from which the lower base  50  is cut. In addition, the upper base  54  preferably has the same shape as the lower base  50 . The bamboo lamp  30  can, however, be formed with or without the upper base  54 . The cutting of the upper base  54  forms outer edges  56  thereof. Each of the lower base  50  external edges  52  and the upper base  54  outer edges  56  is preferably sanded to achieve smoothness. 
     A center hole  60  is drilled in each of the upper base  54  and the lower base  50 . The center hole  60  has a diameter in a range of ¼ inch to ⅜ inch. Once the center hole  60  is drilled, a ¼-inch deep wiring slot  62  is cut into a bottom side  64  of the lower base  50  from the center hole  60  to the external edge  52 . 
     When attaching the lower base  50  and the upper base  54  to each other, the use of a top jig, which can have a same shaped top side as the lower base  50 , is recommended. When the top jig is employed to assemble the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54 , the lower base  50  is placed atop the top jig, which has been previously attached to a bottom jig having a central aperture having a diameter equal to a diameter of the center hole  60  of each of the upper and lower base  50 , a shaft centrally disposed therein, a maximum width in a range of ¼ inch to 2 inches wider than a width of the lower base  50 , and at least a pair of, but not more than 3 of, spaced apart fasteners, which are preferably screws, disposed on each of an outer side of the jig. Each fastener has a head portion and a shaft portion. The lower base  50  is placed atop the top jig with the shaft through the lower base  50  center hole  60 . While allowing the glue to dry when securing the external edges  52  and the base sections  32  together, a bungee strap can be attached from the head of each fastener across the respective base section  32  and the base to the head of the fastener positioned diametrically opposite therefrom to hold each base section  32  to the respective external edge  52  of the lower base  50  and maintaining the bungee straps in place. 
     When preparing to attach the upper base  54  to the lower base  50 , the grain and the corners of each of the lower and upper base  50 ,  54  must be aligned. The upper base  54  is attached to the lower base  50  by gluing the upper base  54  to a center of an upper side  67  of the lower base  50  with the center hole  60  of each of the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54  vertically aligned. After the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54  are glued together, a washer  71  and a nut  73  are added onto the shaft  75  placed through the center holes  60  of the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54  prior to gluing them together. This shaft  75  can be the shaft disposed in the bottom jig. The glue must be allowed to dry for a secure attachment of the upper base  54  to the lower base  50 . 
     Regardless of whether an upper base  54  is attached to the lower base  50 , the base sections  32  must be secured to the external edges  52  of the lower base  50 . The filling of the base sections  32  with the injectable spray foam  26  along with the 30-degree angle cut  33  permits the base sections  32  to be better bonded than bonding with an unfilled center portion  24  and at a right angle cut by providing a larger bonding surface. If a top jig is employed to assist in the assembly of the bamboo lamp  30 , the base sections  32  are aligned with the lower base  50  external edges  52  while placing the base sections  32  atop the top jig. The base sections  32  are secured to the external edges  52  by gluing the base sections  32  to the external edges  52  and then wiping off any excess glue and allowing the glue to completely dry. Once the base sections  32  are secured to the external edges  52  of the lower base  50  and the glue is completely dry, the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54  are removed from the top and bottom jigs, if used, and assembly proceeds with the drilling of an opening  77 , having a diameter of ¼ inch, in one of the base sections  32  on a predetermined back side  79  of the lower base  50  at a position ¼ inch away from the wiring slot  62  in the lower base  50 . Next, a washer slot  81  with a depth of ⅜ inches is drilled in the bottom side  64  of the lower base  50  in alignment with the center hole  60  and a ½ inch second hole  82  is drilled through the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54  in alignment with the washer slot  81 . This drilling is followed by attaching a threaded rod assembly  84  having a rod  85  and a harp bracket  86  to the lamp shaft  36 , the upper base  54 , and the lower base  50  by inserting the rod  85  through the entire lamp shaft  36 , the upper base  54 , and the lower base  50  and attaching and tightening the washer  71  and the nut  73  onto the rod  85  at the bottom side  64  of the lower base  50 . 
     All of an exposed portion of the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54  and the lamp shaft  36  is selectively stained and varnished. The application of a pre-stain conditioner to each base section  32  prior to staining each base section  32  is recommended. 
     Once the upper and lower bases  50  are secured together with the base sections  32  secured to the external edges  52  of the lower base  50  and all drilling has been completed, the shaft  75  is removed and an amount of electrical wiring  88  which, along with the electrical plug  96  and the threaded rod assembly  84 , are the light fixture components  92 , is inserted through the second hole  82  and the wiring slot  62  and then through the lower and upper bases  50 ,  54  and the lamp shaft  36  while leaving a portion of the electrical wiring  88  protruding proximal the bottom side  64  of the lower base  50 . Next, a top cap  89  is secured to the harp bracket  86 . Any of the electrical wiring  88  that is excess is then pulled out of the center hole  60  on the bottom side  64  of the lower base  50  and the electrical wiring  88  is secured within the wiring slot  62  with staples  95 . A felt covering  93  having the substantially the same dimensions as the bottom side  64  of the lower base  50  is glued to the bottom side  64  of the lower base  50 . 
     In addition to the foregoing, the upper base  54  outer edges  56  are selectively routed and sanded prior to the attachment of the upper base  54  to the lower base  50  to provide an additional structural enhancement to the bamboo lamp  30 .