Patent Abstract:
A container that is filled from one end with mortar includes a flexible tube at the other end that is elongated in cross section and open at one end. A shoulder on the container is spaced from the opening about the distance of the height of an opening between facing surfaces of adjacent masonry units that is to be filled with the mortar.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention pertains to application of mortar between the vertical walls of adjacent building block elements, more specifically to a tool for experienced and inexperienced workers to accurately, repeatedly, place the correct amount of mortaring cement between facing sides of adjacent blocks in construction of a wall. With the tool, blocks can be placed in a horizontal line accurately, eliminating the need to set blocks vertically and horizontally at the same time. It can be used to horizontally fill the space where a wall abuts a header, and also against an adjacent wall. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The prior art is replete with patented apparatus for applying mortar to a course of adjacent building block elements. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,222 patented Oct. 9, 1973 by Orthman describes a box having a bottom opening that is about as wide as a brick. A pair of guide rails on the bottom of the box are designed to guide the box for lengthwise movement along the top of a wall. A slide-out plate seals the bottom of the box. The box is filled with mortar and the plate is slid out so that the mortar is deposited on and between adjacent bricks as the box is pulled along the wall. The trailing end of the box has a liftable gate which can be set at a desired height above the bricks to control the thickness of the layer of mortar that is left behind on the top of the bricks as the box is pulled forward. Alignment members extend downward from the sides of the box so that they hug the side of the wall being built to align the box vertically and scrape the mortar overflowing to the side of the wall. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,920 patented Dec. 28, 1976 by Cerillo, Jr., describes a container that is positioned over the space between two adjacent bricks in a course of bricks such as on the top of a wall under construction. In the bottom of the container, positioned over the opening, is a slot that is wider than, and almost as long as, the opening between the bricks. The slot is temporarily sealed by a slide gate. Vertical bars extending downward from opposite sides of the box seal the vertical open ends of the space between the bricks. The gate is open allowing the mortar to enter the space between the bricks until the space is filled, then the gate is closed. The container is then lifted straight up from the filled space between the bricks and slid down over another empty space between bricks of the course, aligned with the space by the vertical bars which each present a convex surface toward the opening. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,258 patented Jan. 19, 1982 by P. Bradshaw describes a cylindrical barrel having at the front end of the barrel, a cap formed into a tubular stalk outlet cut on a bias. A plunger sealingly slides within the tube, operated by a ratchet trigger mechanism to force mortar from within the tube, out of the tube through the stalk. The tube is refilled by removing the cap and drawing the mortar into the tube by pulling the plunger in the tube toward the back end of the tube. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,040 patented May 19, 1992 by Brenish et al. describes a hopper having horizontally elongated, angled downward and inward, side walls which terminate in a longitudinal slot opening at the bottom of the hopper. A pair of parallel guide strips, open downward and at their ends, extend downward from the slot the length of the slot. The hopper is supported a fixed height by skids on spaced adjacent paving stones so that the guide strips extend into the space between the stones. A plunger consisting of a horizontal bar having sides of the lower half of the bar angled downward and inward at the same angle as the side walls, terminating in a flat bottom, and the sides of the upper half angled upward and inward, is held in the hopper parallel to the slot by a vertical handle, and reciprocated up and down in the cement filled hopper so that the cement is mixed and dispensed through the slot. When the bar comes in contact with the side walls of the hopper it seals the opening, and the hopper can be moved further along the space between the paving stones. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,560 patented Dec. 9, 1997 by R. Hession describes a hopper having two parallel exit slots, spaced apart so that each slot lays a ribbon of mortar along one edge of the top of a row of bricks as the hopper rolls along the top of the row of bricks supported by plurality of wheels riding on the bricks between the slots, and guided laterally by outboard vertically axled wheels bearing on the opposite sides of the bricks below the top of the bricks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,856, patented by J. Duncan on Dec. 7, 1999 describes a container that contains a worm gear driven by an electric motor to force mortar in the container from the container into a tube having a clamp and a tube spreader assembly mounted on the end of the tube. The container is mounted on an arm that is mounted on a track follower assembly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the invention to provide a hand tool for applying masonry binder or filler material between adjacent masonry units in a masonry construction. It is another object of the invention that the tool extends into the space between the adjacent masonry units to the surface upon which the masonry units rest. It is another object that the binder material is added to the space as the tool is moved out of the space away from the surface upon which the masonry units rest. Other objects and advantages will become apparent to one reading the ensuing description of the invention. 
     A container includes a flexible tube that is elongated in cross section. The tube is at least as long as a first length of a first facing surface of adjacent, facing, spaced apart surfaces of adjacent masonry units. An opening in the tube is shorter in the elongated direction than a second length of the first facing surface normal to the first length of the first facing surface. 
     Another tool of the invention for inserting mortar between a first surface having a height and a width of a first masonry unit, and a second surface of a second masonry unit adjacent to, facing and spaced from the first surface, includes a container that includes a flexible elongated in cross section tube, a first opening at a first end of the tube being shorter in the elongated direction than the width of the first face unit and spaced from a shoulder on said tool a distance no longer than the height of the first masonry unit, and a second opening in the container configured for receiving mortar for passing mortar through said tube to the first opening. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In order that the invention be more fully comprehended, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of adjacent brick masonry units. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a delivery element of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the delivery element of FIG. 2 taken along  3 — 3 , in the space between the bricks of FIG. 1, resting on a layer of mortar on another brick of a wall. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross section view of the delivery element of FIG. 2 taken along  4 — 4  in the space between the bricks of FIG. 1, resting on a layer of mortar on another brick of a wall as in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hand piston of the invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross section view of the piston of FIG. 5 taken along  6 — 6 . 
     FIG. 7 is a cross section view of the piston of FIG. 5 taken along  7 — 7 . 
     FIG. 8 is another piston of the invention. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross section view of the piston of FIG. 8 taken along  9 — 9 . 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic view of another delivery element of the invention. 
     FIG. 11 is a schematic view of another delivery element of the invention in a space between bricks, resting on a layer of mortar on another brick of a wall. 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic view of another delivery element of the invention in a space A between bricks, being moved away from a layer of mortar on another brick of a wall. 
     FIG. 13 is a schematic view of another delivery element of the invention being filled with a trowel as the delivery element is in contact with a layer of cement on the top of a wall 
     FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another delivery element of the invention receiving a trowel. 
     FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the tube of a delivery element positioned for moving between facing surfaces of adjacent paving stone masonry units. 
     FIG. 16 is a view of the piston of FIG. 8 and a flexible tube. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before explaining the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the detail of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed is for the purpose of description only and not of limitation. 
     The term “mortar” used herein in the specification and in the claims is herein defined to mean masonry binder material or mansonary filler material, which includes but is not limited to mortar and cement. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-7, flexible oval tube  20  of delivery element  28  is attached to radially extending shoulder  30 . Preferably the shoulder is molded as one with the tube. 
     Tube  20  may be made about as long  60  as the length  62  of space  36 . Length  62  is the same as, and parallels the width of brick  40 . Tube  20  may be made as high  64  as space  36 , and element  28  can be inserted to the bottom of the space to the surface upon which bricks  40 ,  42  rest and then gradually drawn up as the mortar is forced out of the tube by gravity or by piston  50 . 
     The tube is inserted, preferably from the top, into vertical slot space  36  between bricks  40 ,  42  at about centerline  46 . Shoulder  30  rests on tops  84 ,  86  of the bricks. 
     A sufficient amount of mortar is loaded into the tube by way of opening  38  preferably to fill to the top  86  at least one of bricks  40 ,  42 . FIGS. 13 and 14 show delivery elements of the invention being filled by a trowel. Other filler tools can be used. 
     The tube is raised or lifted up to allow the mortar to exit the tube by way of opening  52 . 
     The bricks can be left in their just filled position. This fills slot space  36  completely across the facing surfaces  41 ,  43  of the bricks. 
     Less mortar can be loaded into the tube, and the bricks are then pushed together after the tube is raised from the space between the bricks, but can be pushed together while the tube is being raised. They can be pushed together  58  to move the mortar evenly over each of the adjacent brick surfaces. 
     A piston may be used. Hand piston  50  oval end  54  closely fits opening  38 . The piston is pushed down by handle  53  into the tube so that the piston forces the measured amount of mortar into the vertical slot space. Enlarged tip  56  keeps the hand form slipping off the handle when the piston is withdrawn from the tube. 
     In FIGS. 8,  9 , and  16 , hand piston paddle section  68  of piston  66  is used to push mortar into a narrow space such as a horizontal space between a top building block and a ceiling. The paddle is operated by handle  72 . Piston  66  is molded in one piece of a flexible plastic. The flexible tube  76  containing the piston and conforming to the shape of the piston can be inserted into the space next to a ceiling or wall by a hand on handle  72  without the wall interfering with the hand, by flexing the handle portion of the piston away from the wall. 
     In FIG. 10, delivery element  70  is held by ring  74  as flexible tube  78  is inserted onto vertical slot space  36  until shoulder  82  rests on tops  84 ,  86  of bricks  40 ,  42 . Then mortar is delivered into the space by the tube as piston  50  is pushed down through openings  92 ,  96  and tube  78 . 
     The invention can also be used to deliver mortar horizontally into vertical slot space  36  by laying tube  78  sideways in opening  36  and drawing the delivery element out sideways as the mortar is delivered into the space as the piston is pushed through openings  92 ,  96  and tube  78 . 
     In FIG. 11, delivery element  104  is resting on mortar  106  that is on top of row  108  of bricks  110 , and in the space  114  between cap stones  118  and  120 . 
     In FIG. 12, delivery element  124  which has been filled up through enlarged portion  138  with a quantity of mortar  156  is in space  130  between cap stones  126 ,  128 . Element  124  is being removed  134  from layer  144  of mortar  154  that is on top row  148  of wall stones  150 . As delivery element  124  is removed, mortar  156  exits tube  160  at opening  164 . Tube  160  of delivery element  124  is stiff. Stones  150  are either left permanently with space  130  filled with mortar, or they may be moved closer together after tube  160  is moved out of the space. 
     In FIG. 13, delivery element  170  is held by movable and removable handle  174  as mortar is loaded into large upper portion  178  by tool  186 . The mortar moves by gravity into flexible tube  192 . Portion  188  of tube  192  that is between bricks  212 ,  214 , is pinched to a smaller diameter than the upper portion of tube  192  of the tube as the bricks moved closer together after the tube is inserted  196  between the bricks. When the tube is lifted  200  from the space between the bricks, the tube leaves mortar in the space between the bricks. Delivery element  170  can be supplied with tube  192  of a larger length than either the height or width of standard bricks or of cap stones. The tube is cut in the field to suit the height or width of the space to be encountered and the direction at which the tube is to be inserted into and withdrawn from the space. 
     In FIG. 14 element  216  is receiving spade  218 . 
     In FIG. 15 flexible tube  220  of a delivery unit of the invention is positioned for insertion  224  between adjacent facing surfaces  226 ,  228  of paving stone masonry units  232 ,  234 . 
     Although the present invention has been described with respect to details of certain embodiments thereof, it is not intended that such details be limitations upon the scope of the invention. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 
     Drawing Designators (Informal List) 
       20  flexible tube 
       28  delivery element 
       30  shoulder 
       36  vertical slot space 
       38  opening 
       40  brick 
       41  facing surface 
       42  brick 
       43  facing surface 
       46  centerline 
     F  50  piston, hand 
       52  opening 
       53  handle 
       54  oval end 
       56  enlarged tip 
       58  direction arrow, pushed together 
       60  length, arrow 
       62  length of space  36   
       64  height, arrow 
       66  piston 
       68  section of piston  66   
       70  delivery element 
       72  handle 
       74  ring 
       76  flexible tube 
       78  tube 
       82  shoulder 
       84  top of brick 
       86  top of brick 
       92  opening 
       96  opening 
       104  delivery element 
       106  mortar 
       108  top row 
       110  brick 
       114  space 
       118  cap stone 
       120  cap stone 
       124  delivery element 
       126  cap stone 
       128  cap stone 
       130  space 
       134  removed, direction arrow 
       138  enlarged portion 
       144  layer of mortar 
       148  top row 
       150  wall stone 
       154  mortar 
       156  mortar 
       160  tube 
       170  delivery element 
       174  handle 
       178  larger upper portion 
       186  tool 
       188  portion of tube  190   
       192  tube, flexible 
       196  inserted, direction arrow 
       200  lifted, direction arrow 
       212  brick 
       214  brick 
       216  delivery element 
       218  spade 
       220  flexible tube 
       224  insertion, direction arrow 
       226  facing surface 
       228  facing surface 
       232  paving stone 
       234  paving stone

Technology Classification (CPC): 4