DRYWALL MUD APPLICATOR HANDLE

Abstract

A drywall mud applicator handle is provided. The drywall mud applicator handle has a generally cylindrical exterior tube having a generally hollow interior having components. The generally hollow interior of the handle contains a second hollow tube (therein having a reduced weight over existing solid rods) for activating the drywall mud applicator. The second hollow tube lacks any bends and may therein be reversed to dramatically increase the life span of the second hollow tube by altering the wear and tear on the tube evenly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A drywall mud applicator handle is provided. The drywall mud applicator handle has a generally cylindrical exterior tube having a generally hollow interior having components. The generally hollow interior of the handle contains a second hollow tube (therein having a reduced weight over existing solid rods) for activating the drywall mud applicator. The second hollow tube lacks any bends and may therein be reversed to dramatically increase the life span of the second hollow tube by altering the wear and tear on the tube evenly.

Drywall mud applicators having interior components have been invented in the past. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,451 to O'Mara discloses an applicator for applying joint compound or mud to wallboard has six embodiments with a head, a mud outlet and a mud hose. The applicator has a handle and a control valve for controlling the flow of mud. Each embodiment also has a screed on the head above the mud outlet which extends beyond the end of the head. The screed smoothes down the mud applied to the wall and wipes away any excess mud. The first embodiment has a fan-shaped head with baffles to define multiple flow ports. The second and third embodiments have a rectangular head and a pair of retractable corner stops which align the mud outlets flush with the corners of drywall sections. The third embodiment adds a dispersion mechanism for varying the width of the outlet. The fourth embodiment of the applicator has a wedge-shaped head and a V-shaped screed with flow ports in the sidewalls that are designed to apply mud to right-angled corners. The control valve of the final embodiment has a cylindrical core with a slot which selectively aligns with a slot in the mud chamber. The control valve is operated by a spring-biased lever which contacts the wall. The lever has a pair of arms and a wheel on each arm. The arms extend from an outer edge of the control valve past the mud outlet to automatically open flow when the head is pressed against the wall.

Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,287 to Carlson discloses a tool for finishing joints at flat surfaces or corners of wallboard walls after adhesive and tape have been applied are attached to the applicator tool by a rotatable yoke connection near the roller of the applicator so that the finishing tool will follow the applicator tool. The finishing tool includes a roller rotatable about an axle for embedding tape into the adhesive. Frame structure rotatably supported on the roller axle is provided with trowel means having a working surface moving parallel to the wallboard surface and placed close to the roller, at least on the sides, to spread adhesive pressed from under the tape back over the tape. Finishing means attached to the frame structure to follow the trowel collects the excess adhesive and distributes it in a smooth surface generally in the plane of the wallboard, filling in any voids left by trowel action. A cylindrical roller is used for joints in flat wallboard. A finishing tool having a complex roller having a base-to-base dual right frustoconcial form with an axle on the common axes of the cones and conical surfaces meeting at an angle of no more than 90.degree is used in the corner.

However, these drywall mud applicators do not provide a drywall mud applicator having a hollow interior second tube which is easy to use, efficient and inexpensive as is disclosed in the present application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A drywall mud applicator handle is provided. The drywall mud applicator handle has a generally cylindrical exterior tube having a generally hollow interior having components. The generally hollow interior of the handle contains a second hollow tube (therein having a reduced weight over existing solid rods) for activating the drywall mud applicator. The second hollow tube lacks any bends and may therein be reversed to dramatically increase the life span of the second hollow tube by altering the wear and tear on the tube evenly.

An advantage of the present drywall applicator handle is that life span of the interior second hollow tube (the “activator component”) of the handle may be generally doubled over existing drywall applicators.

And another advantage of the present drywall applicator handle is that the present device may be less expensive to produce.

Yet another advantage of the present drywall applicator handle is that the present device is lighter and easier to use.

For a more complete understanding of the above listed features and advantages of the present drywall mud applicator handle device reference should be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. Further, additional features and advantages of the invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the interior of prior art drywall mud applicator handles.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the interior of the present drywall mud applicator handle.

FIG. 3 illustrates top view of the connection point of the second hollow tube to the front (or business end) of the device.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the second end of the handle wherein an adaptable extender is provided.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A drywall mud applicator handle is provided. The drywall mud applicator handle has a generally cylindrical exterior tube having a generally hollow interior having components. The generally hollow interior of the handle contains a second hollow tube (therein having a reduced weight over existing solid rods) for activating the drywall mud applicator. The second hollow tube lacks any bends and may therein be reversed to dramatically increase the life span of the second hollow tube by altering the wear and tear on the tube evenly.

Referring first to FIG. 2, an embodiment, a drywall mud applicator handle 1 is provided. The handle 1 may have a first end 2, a second end 3 (FIG. 4), a generally cylindrical side 4 and a generally hollow interior 5. Within the generally hollow interior 5 of the handle 1 may be an elongated activator tube 10, wherein the elongated activator tube 10 has a first end 11 and a second end (not shown). A pull rod 85 (FIGS. 1 and 2) may be connected to a trigger mechanism for a person to control with his/her hands. Typically, elongated activator tubes 10 of existing prior art drywall mud applicator handles are solid. As a result, the overall weight and cost of production of the device is increased over the present elongated activator tube 10 as a result of the present tube 10 being hollow. Located at the first end 11 of the elongated activator tube 10 may be a “pinched” or flattened portion 90 (FIG. 3) which receives a pin 91 for activating the tip 100 of the device.

In an embodiment, the pinched portion 90 of the elongated activator tube 10 is located off-center from the tip 100 of the device 1 as is illustrated in FIG. 2. In particular, a generally flat connection unit 95 having rounded edges may connect the pinched portion 90 of the first end 11 of the elongated activator tube 10 to the tip 100 of the device by means of two pins 91 (one at each end of the connection unit 95). The pins 91 may allow the connection unit 95 to rotate; therein allowing the first end 11 of the elongated activator tube 10 to move slightly closer to or away from the tip 100. Thus, the two pins 91 act as pivots between the elongated activator tube 10 and the tip 100. In an embodiment, the tip 100 locks a drywall mud applicator box (not shown) and secures the same for use.

In an alternative embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the second end 3 of the drywall mud applicator handle 1 may have a threaded portion 50 which correspondingly is secured into a threaded portion 51 of a second unit 52. The second unit 52 may allow for the length of the overall handle 1 to be extended so as to allow a user to reach higher surfaces on a wall. The second unit 52 may be easily added or removed from the second end 3 of the handle 1, depending on the needed use.

The present elongated activator tube 10 may further be straight, whereas existing prior art activator tubes have a bend near 40 the front end (see FIG. 1). The bend of existing prior art elongated activator tubes allows the tube to extend through an opening 30 which is off-centered on an end cap 35 of the handle 1. As a result, the elongated activator tube of existing prior art devices may not be flipped over as the bended portion will therein not be directed into the off-centered opening 30 in the end cap 35.

The present elongated activator tube 10 may be flipped over as a result of being straight (See FIG. 2). The straight elongated activator tube 10 may extend through a centered opening 30 of the end cap 35 of the present device 1 as is shown in FIG. 2. As a result, the elongated activator tube 10 of the present device may be flipped so that wear and tear on the elongated activator tube 10 may be evenly divided. In particular, in normal use in existing activator rods (#10 of FIG. 1), a washer 75 digs into the rod more heavily on one side than the other side of the elongated rod. More specifically, a washer 75 activated by a pull rod 85 causes the washer 75 to unevenly apply pressure to one side of the elongated activator tube 10. This causes uneven wear and tear. The present device allows for a quick flipping of the elongated activator tube 10 so that the elongated activator tube 10 experiences even wear and tear. In an alternative embodiment, the pull rod 85 may be a stainless steel band, as opposed to a rod, so as to the overall reduce weight of the device. For clarity purposes, as described above, the present elongated activator tube 10 may be flipped so that the #90 on FIG. 3 would then be located next to the #95 in FIG. 3 once flipped.

Although embodiments of the invention are shown and described therein, it should be understood that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.

Claims

1) A handle for a drywall mud applicator comprising: a first end and a second end of a main hollow tube wherein the main hollow tube has an opening at the first end;a second hollow tube having a first end and a second end wherein the second hollow tube is located within the first hollow tube wherein the second hollow tube lacks a bend and wherein the second hollow tube controls an activator tip of the drywall mud applicator; andwherein the second hollow tube extends through the opening of the first end of the main hollow tube.

2) The handle for a drywall mud applicator of claim 1 further comprising: a flattened portion of the first end of the second hollow tube wherein the flattened portion of the first end of the second hollow tube is secured to a pivot pin.

3) The handle for a drywall mud applicator of claim 1 wherein the second hollow tube may be flipped and wherein the first end of the second hollow tube may pass through the opening of the first end of the main hollow tube when the second hollow tube is flipped and wherein the second hollow tube may still activate the activator tip.