Patent Application
20070272127
According to the invention, white cement, marble dust, and dye are mixed together and packaged to provide a premixed marble dust mix or marble mix. The marble mix is pre-mixed and in a container. The container is preferably sealable. A sealable container may include plastic bags or containers, paper bags, or other types of containers functionally equivalent and usable for containing the marble mix.
The marble mix according to the present invention preferably comprises white cement, marble dust, and dye. The premixed marble mix kit container preferably weighs about 73.15 lbs. The preferred ratio of white cement to marble dust is about: white cement 23.15 lbs; and marble dust 50 lbs. According to the present invention, the dye is preferably pre-mixed with the white cement and marble dust to create a specified color including, for example: white, silver, light gray, medium gray, and dark gray.
It is also envisioned in another embodiment of the invention that a specified amount of calcium may be added to the marble mix kit. Thus, the packaged marble mix kit would contain a specified amount of calcium, and may weigh slightly more than 73.15 pounds. In this embodiment, additional calcium could also be added, if needed, at the work site after opening the marble mix kit package.
The marble mix is preferably packaged in a container which is preferably sealable and waterproof. The premixed marble mix kit in a container weighs about 73.15 lbs. One advantage of a marble mix container weighing about 73.15 lbs is that the container is lighter and more easily carried than current bags of material which are mixed on site.
None of the references discussed in the background of the invention disclose the combination of elements, pre-mixed, and packaged as described in the present invention. Thus, none of the references disclose the combination of elements of the present invention in a kit or similarly packaged together. Further, none of the references disclosed herein include the combination of elements for use on the surface layer of an in-ground cement pool. Moreover, none of the references disclosed in the background of the invention disclose a method of providing the combination of elements and the composition the composition of those elements to provide the marble mix in a sealable container according to the present invention. Additionally, the present invention includes using the marble mix kit to process or prepare the marble dust finish for application to the pool surface, thereby facilitating the application of the marble dust finish to the final surface of the pool.
Additionally, a layer of marble dust coating can be applied to the surface of the in-ground cement pool, then tiles may be affixed to the coating. The marble mix coating according to the present invention provides a consistent mix of high integrity. The tiles therefore adhere to the quality marble mix and the color between the tiles is consistently the desired color.
In use, a worker typically must hand carry the containers of marble mix to the pool area. The lighter weight of the marble mix kit than current bags of ingredients greatly facilitates the speed of the worker, and alleviates the strain of lifting heavier bags of ingredients on the worker. Four bags of marble mix are about equal to a typical size mix currently used, which typically includes one bag of white cement and two bags of Georgia marble. The standardized container weight of the marble mix kit according to the present invention is light enough for most workers to carry and move into position.
At the pool area, water is added to the marble mix. Calcium is mixed with the marble mix at the construction site according to the atmospheric conditions and temperature at the time of use. An advantage of the marble mix kit is that it provides a standardized mix of white cement and marble dust. The marble mix ensures that a specified mixture of white cement and marble dust is provided at the work site, thus providing a consistent marble mix for application to the pool. The marble mix kit of the present invention also provides standardized colors by added a pre-measured amount of dye to each marble mix container. The standardization of color and consistency of the marble mix also is an advantage when applying tiles to the coating.
The method of the present invention provides mixing white cement, marble dust, and a specified amount of dye to provide the marble mix. The next step comprises containing the marble mix in, preferably, a sealable container, and having a composition of about 23.15 pounds of white cement and about 50 pounds of marble mix.
Additionally, the marble mix kit according to the present invention will save workers' time at the construction site by eliminating the time required to mix the ingredients on site. Mixing the ingredients on site includes time to measure, and mix, and the process of measuring the ingredients is subject to the skill of the worker. Therefore, an advantage of the marble mix method of the present invention is providing a premixed marble mix resulting in time savings of the worker and thereby monetary saving.
It will occur to those of ordinary skill that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are given by way of illustration and not limitation. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims.
