Patent Application
20080230669
a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of installing vinyl composition tile and other floor tiles that require heating by torch for cutting odd shapes and require a tile cutter for straight line cutting. More specifically, the present invention device is a propane torch tank caddy that has been developed for attachment to a tile cutter. This present invention device uniquely enables a tile installer to keep two critical tools of the trade together, to move both the cutter and the torch together simultaneously, to avoid knee walking to the torch and to help secure the torch from accidents.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents are representative of torch trays and caddies:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,621 to Kowk describes a support pedestal for a gas cylinder of the type which has a cylindrical-shaped base projecting from the rounded lower end of the main body of the gas cylinder. The pedestal has a body which has a cylindrical-shaped bore proportioned to receive the cylindrical-shaped base of a gas cylinder in free fitting relationship. The body also has an upper face which includes a support section which extends radially outwardly and upwardly from the bore at a height which will permit it to function as a seat for a portion of the rounded lower end of a gas cylinder seated on the pedestal in use. The body also has a wide base upon which it rests. The base is sufficiently wide to project laterally beyond the outer circumference of the gas cylinder which it is designed to support in order to provide a stable support for supporting the gas cylinder in an upright position.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D523,518 S to Brian C. Moldenhauer illustrates a propane bottle holder.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 385,615 to M. Bernard St-Louis shows a propane tank holder.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 340,761 to Michael Long illustrates a stabilization base for a gasoline container.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 331,792 to Ernest J. Wilcox shows a base for a cylindrical tank.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The invention solves the problems and overcomes the drawbacks and deficiencies of prior art torch tank holders by providing for tile cutter attachment means so that the present invention caddy may easily be connected to the tile cutter. This enables the two tools of the trade to be moved around together with one pull, and enhances the safety of the work environment while making it more efficient and cost effective.
The present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy includes: (a.) a base member adapted to rest on a horizontal surface floor, the base member having a top and a bottom and sides; (b.) at least one vertically extending propane torch tank sleeve connected to the top of the base member, the sleeve having at least one vertical wall adapted to support a propane torch tank; and, (c.) a tile cutter attachment means connected to the base member for connection to a side of a tile cutter. The present invention device may be constructed of plastic, metal or composite materials, as well as combinations thereof. Preferred are present invention devices made of metal or relatively thick heavy duty plastic, such as vinyl, ABS, or high impact resistant polyolefins. Also preferred are aluminum and iron-based devices.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the base member has a top view shape selected from the group consisting of square, round, rectangle and polygon. The base may be made separately from the other aforementioned components or they may be cast, molded or otherwise formed unistructurally, i.e. as a single piece. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the base member has a top view shape that is rectangular and the top of the base member is substantially flat. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the base member includes a plurality of slide pods located on its bottom. These need not be rollers, but merely outcrops with friction reduction, e.g., rounded bottoms, to prevent the base from catching or impeding movement of the present invention device when it is connected to a tile cutter.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the tile cutter attachment means includes at least one hook. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the tile cutter attachment means includes a plurality of hooks. These hooks may be rigid or have slightly flexible elements to pinch or clamp to the sidewall of a tile cutter. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the caddy includes at least one tool holder that is selected from the group consisting of vertical tool holders, recessed trays and combinations thereof. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the caddy further includes a plurality of tool holders connected to the base member, the at plurality of tool holders being selected from the group consisting of vertical tool holders, recessed trays and combinations thereof.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the sleeve is one or more walls that has a circular shape selected from the group consisting of a complete circle and a broken circle, from a top view. In other preferred embodiments of the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy, the sleeve is one or more walls that has a square shape selected from the group consisting of a complete square and a broken square, from a top view.
The present invention also includes devices that have been adapted to receive and hold different size (diameter) propane tanks. Hence, in these embodiments, the present invention tile cutter attachable propane torch tank caddy includes: (a.) a base member adapted to rest on a horizontal surface floor, the base member having a top and a bottom and sides; (b.) at least two vertically extending propane torch tank sleeves connected to the top of the base member, each of the sleeves having at least one vertical wall adapted to support a propane torch tank, the at least two vertically extending propane torch tank sleeves including a first sleeve and a second sleeve, the first sleeve being located within the second sleeve and being shorter than the second sleeve, the first sleeve being adapted to receive a tank of a first diameter, and the second sleeve being adapted to receive a tank of a second, larger diameter than the first sleeve; and, (c.) a tile cutter attachment means connected to the base member for connection to a side of a tile cutter. These versions of the present invention may also include any of the other additional features set forth above in this Summary section.
Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the detail description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, various illustrations of the invention are presented.
Optional tool holders 23 and 25 are connected to base member 3 and, in this embodiment, are two vertical cylinders. They may be used to hold pencils or other tools, such as knives, scrappers, torch lighters, screw drivers, etc. Other holder arrangements should now be apparent in view of this disclosure.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
