Method and tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6196440
  • Patent Number
    6,196,440
  • Date Filed
    Friday, May 19, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 6, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A tool (40) for imprinting a pattern in a has a handle (42). A stamp (44), connected to the handle (42), has a pattern (54) formed on a face (52) of the stamp (44). The face (52) of the stamp (44) forms a concave surface.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates generally to the field of tools and more particularly to a tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Panes of stained glass are commonly held together by solder to form a stained glass window. Two panes of stained glass


10


,


12


(See

FIG. 1

) are connected together along a joint line


14


. An edge


16


of the first pane


10


and an edge


18


of the second pane


12


are covered with a copper foil


20


,


22


. The edges


16


,


18


are then abutted and a line of solder


24


is applied to hold the panes


10


,


12


together alone the joint line


14


. By carefully cutting pieces of stained glass so that they abut each other along one edge and then joining the pieces as described above, an artistic stained glass window is formed. Commonly a wood frame is then placed around the outside edges of the panes to finish the window. Since stained glass windows are mainly designed for their aesthetic appearance, artists have tried to pattern the solder on the joint lines. Some artists have formed patterns in the solder by placing little beads of solder on top of the solder forming the joint line. However, this results in a very limited set of patterns that can be formed in the joint lines.




Thus there exists a need for a method and a tool for forming a pattern in a solder.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




A tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder that overcomes these and other problems has a handle. A stamp, connected to the handle, has a pattern formed on a face of the stamp. The face of the stamp forms a concave surface.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a an edge view of a joint line of a stained glass window;





FIG. 2

is a top view of a joint line of a stained glass window, having a pattern imprinted in a solder;





FIG. 3

is a side view of a tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder;





FIG. 4

is an exploded side view of the tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder;





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of another embodiment of a tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder;





FIG. 6

is a side view of another embodiment of a tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder; and





FIG. 7

is a side view of another embodiment of a tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 2

is a top view of a joint line


14


of a stained glass window, having a pattern


30


imprinted in a solder


22


. The pattern


30


is shown as a wavy line on the solder


22


. However, an almost infinite variety of patterns can be formed in the solder


30


.





FIGS. 3 & 4

are side views of a tool


40


for imprinting a pattern in a solder. The tool


40


has a handle


42


that is connected to a stamp


44


. In one embodiment the stamp (detachable stamp)


44


is detachable from the handle


42


. The handle


42


has a male threaded portion


48


that engages a female threaded opening


50


in the stamp. Other methods of attachment will be obvious to those skilled in the art and contemplated by the invention.




The stamp


44


has a face


52


having a pattern


54


. In one embodiment the face


52


forms a concave surface. The face


52


is designed to have shape that is approximately the mirror image of the solder line. Because solder lines can have different widths, different stamps


44


have faces of differing widths.




A user after applying the solder along the joint line uses a soldering iron to re-heat the solder. When the solder is malleable the user presses the stamp onto the malleable solder. The solder is then imprinted with the pattern on the face of the stamp. This process is then repeated for the next section of the solder. In the preferred embodiment, the solder melts at a low temperature (low melting point) and is made of either lead, tin or some combination thereof. In one embodiment the stamp is first placed in a lubricant before the user presses the stamp onto the malleable solder. This keeps the stamp from adhering to the solder. The lubricant can be: oil; wax; paraffin or powdered carbon.




The tool


40


can be made from a variety of materials. In one embodiment, the handle


42


is made from wood. Wood prevents heat from the soldering iron or the solder from being transmitted to the users' hands. In another embodiment the tool


40


is made of iron. The stamp


44


can be chrome plated. The chrome plating reduces the tendency of the solder to stick (adhere) to the stamp. In another embodiment the tool is made of stainless steel. In another embodiment the tool


40


is made of a high temperature plastic, such as PEEK polyetheretherkeytone, polyimide, polyester liquid crystal polymer (LPC), and PPS polyphenylene sulfide. In yet another embodiment the stamp is made of plastic and a metal plated onto the face of the stamp. This provides an extra layer of thermal protection and keeps the shape of the plastic rigid if it becomes malleable. Generally, the metal is electroplated to the face of the stamp. In yet another embodiment the stamp is made of composite.





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of another embodiment of a tool


70


for imprinting a pattern in a solder. The tool


70


has a handle


72


that forks into a pair of tines


74


,


76


at one end. An axle


80


attaches to the pair of tines


74


,


76


. A circular stamp


78


is connected to the axle


80


. The rim


80


of the stamp


78


is concave and has a pattern formed thereon. As the user heats up the solder, the tool can be rolled onto the malleable solder. This reduces the effort required by the user and does not require the user to align the pattern with the previously stamped portion of the solder. The tool


70


can be made of the same materials as described above with respect to the tool


40


of

FIGS. 3 & 4

. The tool


70


can also be used with a lubricant.





FIG. 6

is a side view of another embodiment of a tool


90


for imprinting a pattern in a solder. In this case the tool


90


includes a circular stamp


92


, similar to the stamp of FIG.


5


. The stamp


92


is connected to a body


94


. A heating element


96


is also connected to the body


94


. A power source is provided for the heating element


96


, such as a power cord


98


or batteries. A handle


100


is attached to the body


94


. Generally, the heating element


96


is close to the stamp


92


so that the solder


102


does not harden before the stamp


92


can imprint the solder. The solder


102


is shown on a glass pane (joint line)


104


. The tool


90


allows the user to combine the operations of heating the solder


102


and stamping the solder in one convenient package.





FIG. 7

is a side view of another embodiment of a tool


120


for imprinting a pattern in a solder


122


. The tool


120


is shown on a cross section of a joint line and shows a pane of stained glass


124


. In this embodiment, the tool


120


has a body


126


connected to a pair of wheels


128


. The wheels


128


, in one embodiment, drive a gear mechanism that turns a spool of solder


130


. The solder


130


is forced through some guides


132


onto a heating element


134


. The heating element


134


liquefies the solder


130


and the solder is deposited on the joint line. A stamp


136


is connected to the body


126


. The heating element


134


receives power from a power source, such as a power cord


138


. A handle


140


connected to the body


126


allows the user to control the tool


120


. The tool


120


allows the user to deposit the solder on the joint line and form the decorative pattern on the solder line


122


all in the same process. In another embodiment the guides form an orifice through which the solder is forced. The orifice has a pattern and the solder solidifies in the form of the orifice.




Thus there has been described a method and a tool for imprinting a pattern in a solder, that allows the user to form a wide variety of patterns in the solder. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alterations, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A tool for placing a decorative pattern in a solder used to join a pair of panes of stained glass comprising:a handle; and a stamp connected to the handle having a pattern formed on a face of the stamp, the face forming a concave surface.
  • 2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the stamp is detachable from the handle.
  • 3. The tool of claim 1, wherein the stamp is made from a material selected from the group consisting of: plastics or composites.
  • 4. The tool of claim 1, wherein the stamp is made of iron.
  • 5. The tool of claim 4, wherein the stamp further includes a chrome plating over the iron.
  • 6. The tool of claim 1, further including a heating element attached to the handle and providing heat to the stamp.
  • 7. The tool of claim 1, wherein the stamp is circular and the pattern is formed on a rim.
  • 8. The tool of claim 7, wherein the stamp is coupled to an axle and the axle is coupled to the handle.
  • 9. The tool of claim 1, wherein the stamp forms an orifice through which the solder in a malleable state is forced.
  • 10. The tool of claim 1, wherein the face is plated with a metal.
  • 11. The tool of claim 1, wherein the face is electro-plated with a metal.
  • 12. A tool for placing a decorative pattern in a solder used to join a pair of panes of stained glass comprising:a handle; and a detachable stamp connected to the handle, the detachable stamp having a pattern formed in a face of the detachable stamp, the face of the detachable stamp being capable of operating at temperatures above 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • 13. The tool of claim 12 wherein the detachable stamp is formed of a plastic.
  • 14. The tool of claim 12, wherein the face of the stamp is plated with a metal.
Parent Case Info

This application claim benefit to Provisional application Ser. No. 60/041,737, filed Mar. 28, 1997. This is a division of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/964,355 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,342, filed on Nov. 4, 1997, which application is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

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3676920 Pilditch Jul 1972
3750265 Cushman Aug 1973
4016810 Szikla Apr 1977
4255475 DelGrande Mar 1981
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4619850 Charlton Oct 1986
4690852 Hull Sep 1987
4880485 Lewis et al. Nov 1989
5111572 Haiml et al. May 1992
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5350105 Delalle et al. Sep 1994
5611144 Gusky Mar 1997
5789066 De Mare et al. Aug 1998
Provisional Applications (1)
Number Date Country
60/041737 Mar 1997 US