Patent Application
20190153269
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The invention relates to method for forming a textured and decorative article. Specifically, the article can be any number of articles that exist in the art such as a walking stick or cane, a broom handle, a shovel handle, a rake handle, a kitchen utensil and many other items.
There are various forms of painting and texturing articles in the prior art. However, there is not known in the prior art a method for applying a unique texture and multi-color coating onto an article that mimics the outer surface of a candle that has had hot wax drippings solidify on it's outer surface after a portion of the candle has burned. Additionally, the texture as applied allows for enhanced gripping of the article due to creating a frictional advantage between the article and a user's hands. Further, the texture along with coatings of paint and urethane enhance the strength, rigidity, and abrasion resistance of the article. The present invention provides a method whereby a creator can apply a texture to an article that mimics wax drippings as well as a multi-color attractive coating.
The invention is a method for applying a unique texture and multi-color coating to an outer surface of an article. Additionally, a variety of elongated articles are particularly well suited to this method of texturing and coating. Some examples are walking sticks, walking canes, shovels, rakes, lampposts among many others and more fully described below. At least one anchor point located in an upper surface such as a ceiling, joist, beam, rafter or a dedicated suspension rack is employed in the method. A filament is attached to the anchor point on its upper end and an elongate article is attached or tied to the bottom end of the filament such that the elongate article is suspended above the ground and at a level appropriate for an creator to perform the method. Once the elongate article is suspended above ground, a texture is applied to the article using hot glue sticks and a hot glue gun. Hot glue is applied in a desired quantity onto the outer surface of the article by the creator while they simultaneously rotate the article. This can be done multiple times to ensure the desired thickness and appearance of the candle wax drip effect. Additionally, a creator can apply wood putty in desired locations in addition to the hot glue to obtain a desired effect.
Once the candle wax drip effect is deemed suitable by the creator and has dried and cured, the elongate article is rubbed down to remove any loose glue particles or strands. The creator will then apply a base coat or a first coat of paint to the article on top of the hot glue textured surface and then allow it to dry. The base coat in a preferred embodiment is selected from a group of light shaded solid colors. The base coat can in the case of an elongated article be applied by dipping the article into a vat that contains the desired color paint. A further step can be employed whereby a paint dispensing device such as those commonly used in baking goods decoration is loaded with acrylic paint such that different colors are loaded as generally layers of paint in a cylindrical container. The colors can be loaded strategically in layers to take advantage of the color mixing properties of different pigmented paints to reveal secondary and tertiary colors. If a variety of colors are used in the paint dispenser, mixing of the paint occurs as the paint is applied and drips downward revealing various hues of color and also interacting with the first coat of paint such that where the newly applied paint does not cover the first coat, the first coat is displayed further enhancing the effect. An creator will apply paint until the article is covered. A drying period of three to five days is usually required depending upon whether the creator is satisfied with the effect of color mixing in the paint or whether another coating is applied. Finally, when the paint on the article has dried, the article will be coated with at least one coat of urethane. In a preferred embodiment, at least three coats of urethane is desired to give the article a strong protective coating. This is done either by spraying or applying the urethane by brush, or by pouring the urethane in a vat and dipping the elongate article into the vat on one end first, letting the article dry and reversing the article and dipping the opposite end into the vat. The urethane coating not only protects the paint but it creates a strong exoskeleton on the article such that it gives the article more rigidity and strength taking advantage of the numerous texture folds in the textured surface such that it creates a matrix that enhances the strength of the article.
Specific advantages and features of the present assembly will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of several illustrative embodiments of the present invention.
The invention is generally depicted in
Referring now to
For a number of articles 10 that are generally elongate in shape, at least one anchor point 16 would be employed to suspend the article 10 at a desired height relative to a creator 8 by use of a filament 20 that could be made of a variety of materials such as fibrous cords, synthetic filaments such as fishing line, metal and other similar substances of adequate strength and flexibility. The filament 20 would be attached to the anchor point 16 and then to one end of an article 10. At least one anchor point 16 located in an upper surface such as a ceiling, joist, beam, rafter or a dedicated suspension rack 18 as shown in
The texture 12 is a hot melt adhesive commonly referred to as hot glue, and used interchangeably herein, and is applied via use of a hot glue gun 14 using hot glue sticks. The hot glue texture is applied in a desired quantity onto the outer surface of the article 10 as shown in
Once the candle wax drip effect texture 12 is achieved by the creator and has dried and cured, the article 10 is rubbed down and in some cases the article 10 is sanded to remove any loose glue particles or strands. The creator will then apply a first coat of paint to the article on top of the hot melt adhesive textured surface 12 and then allow it to dry. The first coat of paint is a single light color chosen by the creator based on the end product they envision. A further step can be employed whereby a paint dispenser 24 such as those commonly used in baking goods decoration is loaded with acrylic paint such that different colors of paint are loaded as generally layers of paint in a cylindrical container of the paint dispenser 24. The paint colors are loaded strategically in layers to take advantage of the color mixing properties of different pigmented paints to create secondary and tertiary colors once they mix as applied to the article 10. The paint used in the process should be of a sufficient viscosity that it runs very slowly or spreads downward very slowly due to gravity.
As shown in
When the paint on the article 10 has completely dried, the article 10 will be coated with at least one coat of urethane. In a preferred embodiment, at least three coatings of urethane is optimal, and spar urethane is the preferred type of urethane used to coat the article 10. This can be done either by spraying or applying the urethane onto the article and also, for an article 10 that is elongated in shape, a preferred method of applying the urethane is by dipping the elongated article 10 into a vat 26 as shown in
The principles, embodiments, and modes of operation of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing specification. The embodiments disclosed herein should be interpreted as illustrating the present invention and not as restricting it. The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the range of equivalent structure available to a person of ordinary skill in the art in any way, but rather to expand the range of equivalent structures in ways not previously contemplated. Numerous variations and changes can be made to the foregoing illustrative embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
