Corner bead drywall compound applicator

Abstract

A device for applying drywall compound to a length of corner bead. The device comprises a trough for holding a quantity of drywall compound and an opening at the bottom of the trough through which a length of corner bead may be inserted. A removable block is located near an opening in the trough having a plurality of grooves located therein for preventing excess drywall compound from adhering to the bead while allowing sufficient compound to remain with the bead. A flange attached to the top of the trough is adapted to be attached to a bucket, the bucket having a portion of the bottom removed, to provide drywall compound to the trough.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to drywall construction. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for applying drywall mud or joint compound to corner beads or tape-on-trims prior to their attachment to joints or corners between adjacent drywall panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Corner beads are elongate, narrow strips of metal, plastic, or metal with a paper face on one side, or the like, folded or angled along their longitudinal center line, or along a line offset from the center line in some cases, to produce a generally v-shaped cross-section. They are made in various angles and corner shapes, including sharp 90 degree angle corners, sharp corners at other angles, rounded or so-called “bullnose” corners of various angles, and offset or L-shaped corners. Corner beads are also designed for covering both inside (concave) and outside (convex) corners. For application to an inside corner, drywall mud is applied to the outside (convex) faces of an inside corner bead. For application to an outside corner, drywall mud is applied to the inside (concave) faces of an outside corner bead. Joint compound is applied to the appropriate faces of the bead, and the bead is then pressed against the corner, with the joint compound forming an adhesive joint between the bead and corner.

Although drywall mud or joint compound may be applied to corner beads by hand, this is a time consuming and inconvenient process. Hopper devices have been proposed in the past for applying joint compound to the inside faces of an outside corner bead. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,449 of Raught. The apparatus comprises a hopper with a V-shaped trough in its base, and triangular shaped end walls at opposite ends of the trough forming a generally V-shaped gap between the lower edge of each end wall and the trough. Removable end panels are adjustably secured to the end panels to adjust the height of the gap. A corner bead is fed through the base of the hopper from one end wall opening to the opposite end wall opening, and drywall mud in the hopper will be applied to the upwardly facing surfaces of the corner bead. All except a thin layer will be scraped off by the edge of the end panel as the corner bead exits the hopper. Removable liners may be placed into the hopper to define different trough cross-sectional shapes, corresponding to different shapes of corner bead, and associated with end panels with corresponding edge shapes.

Other systems have been designed which allow joint compound to be applied to either the inside or outside faces of the corner for applying the corner bead to inside or outside corners. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,907,908 discloses a hopper apparatus for applying joint compound to corner beads that has a hopper for holding a quantity of joint compound and a feeder apparatus secured across the lower end of the hopper. The feeder apparatus has a channel and a series of elongate feeder inserts for selectively securing in the channel. A first set of outside feeder inserts each have a generally V-shaped indented groove extending along their length for guiding an outside corner bead through the feeder apparatus, while a second set of inside feeder inserts each have a generally V-shaped ridge extending along their length for guiding an inside corner bead through the feeder. The feeder inserts in each set have grooves and ridges of different angles and corner shapes matching those of a plurality of different inside and outside corner beads and are releasably secured in the channel.

One problem with prior art hoppers having corner bead feeders for applying joint compound is that they are used with hoppers that must be filled and then emptied with every use or the drywall compound within the hopper will become too dry to work with. This represents lost time and tedious work to a drywall finishing professional. Moreover, prior art devices for applying drywall compound to a corner bead use panels which scrape the excess drywall compound from the corner bead to obtain the desired surface for coating. However, in the past it has been thought that thin panels were most advantageous, perhaps due to the abrasiveness of drywall compound. However, thin panels allow drywall to escape as the hopper sits, particularly when the hopper is full of compound, and if corner bead is pulled through on an angle, the thin panels will deflect to wipe of excessive amounts of compound.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a device for applying drywall compound to a length of corner bead. The device comprises a trough for holding a quantity of drywall compound and an opening at the bottom of the trough through which a length of corner bead may be inserted. A removable block is located near an opening in the trough having a plurality of grooves located therein for preventing excess drywall compound from adhering to the bead while allowing sufficient compound to remain with the bead. A flange attached to the top of the trough is adapted to be attached to a bucket, the bucket having a portion of the bottom removed, to provide drywall compound to the trough.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is front view of an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention with its legs in a first, extended position;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention with its legs in a second, retracted position;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a side plate of a leg of the apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a right side view of an apparatus with a block removed according to a preferred embodiment of the invention with its legs in a first, extended position;

FIG. 7 is a right side view of an apparatus with a block inserted according to a preferred embodiment of the invention with its legs in a first, extended position;

FIG. 8A is a front view of a block according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8B is a side view of a block according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a front view of a pin according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a view of a container with the apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention applied thereto resting upon a second container;

FIG. 11 is a view of a container with the apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention applied thereto placed within the second container;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a bottom block according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a top view of the device with a bottom block inserted therein according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a front view of a block according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a front view of a block according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a block of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a block of FIG. 16; and

FIG. 18 is a side view of a block and a bottom block according to an embodiment of the present invention adapted for bullnose corner beads.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present invention comprises an apparatus 10 for applying drywall compound to a length of corner molding. The apparatus 10 includes a top plate 12 comprising a circular plate defining a central opening 14. The top plate 12 has a top surface 18 and includes a plurality of bores 16 generally evenly spaced about the circumference of the top plate 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, attached to a bottom surface 20 of the top plate 12 are two pairs of flanges 22 and 24. The pairs of flanges 22 and 24, which may also be provided as a single assembly, are preferably attached by welding an extension 25 of the flange 22 or 24 to the top plate 12. The flanges 22 and 24 each define through-bores (not shown) through which fasteners 26 are inserted. The fasteners 26 also extend through through-bores (not shown) located in a pair of rotatably attached legs 28 and 30.

The legs 28 and 30 each comprise a pair of side plates 32 attached to one another with a pair of bars 34. The side plates 32 have a profile as shown in FIG. 5, which includes a bucket rest cutout 33. Adjacent the bucket rest cutout 33 is a safety hook portion 37 which keeps the side plates 32 in association with the buckets, as described below. The legs 28 and 30 are rotatable about the fasteners 26 between a first, extended position as shown in FIG. 3 where the legs 28 and 30 rest against stops 35 on the flanges 22 and 24 and a second, retracted position as shown in FIG. 4 where the legs 28 and 30 contact one another.

A V-shaped trough 36 is also attached to the bottom side 20 of the top plate 12. The trough 36 covers the central opening 14. Ends of the trough 36 are open as viewed in FIG. 6, but the end openings are partially covered by end plates 38 extending from the top plate that are located inboard of an outer edge of the trough 36. A cutout 39 is located in each end plate 38.

Placed in the ends of the trough 36 are blocks 40 (FIGS. 8A and 8B). Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the blocks 40 fit within the end openings and against the end plates 38. The blocks 40 generally conform to the end openings of the trough 36 also include a recessed portion 39 that forms a gap 42 near a bottom 44 of the trough 36. Referring back to FIGS. 8A and 8B, grooves 46 are formed in the bottom of the blocks 40 (FIG. 8A). The blocks 40 are preferably made from a phenolic material which is rigid and can withstand the abrasiveness of drywall compound. The gap 42 between the block 40 and the trough 36 is preferably about ¼″ or 3/16″ and the grooves 46 are preferably ⅛″ deep. Additionally, the block 40 is preferably about 1½″ thick. It has been discovered that a thicker block 40 prevents drywall compound from being easily forced through the gap 42 when the apparatus 10 is not being used. The blocks 40 preferably removably held in place by pins 48 (FIG. 9) that extend through the trough 36 and through a bore 100 in the block in the block 40. A block 40 not defining grooves 46 may also be used on one side of the trough 36. The block 40 is further located ¼″ or more from the edge of the trough in order to provide a surface of the trough 36 upon which to rest the corner bead or make alignment and insertion of the corner bead easier into the gap 42 easier. Moreover, the block 40 defines a second bore 102 in the block 40 which is located at a different vertical height to provide for a different width gap.

Finally, it is preferred that corner bead support flanges 44 are attached to either side of the trough with the pin 48. The corner bead support blocks 44 help support corner bead as it is fed through the apparatus.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the apparatus 10 of the present invention is used by taking a common five-gallon bucket 104 in which drywall compound is normally delivered and cutting a hole in the bottom of the bucket that at least conforms to the size of the opening 14. The top plate 12 is then attached to the bottom of the bucket 104 of drywall with fasteners, as shown in FIG. 10. In this manner a common five-gallon drywall bucket is used as a hopper for the apparatus 10, containing drywall compound which by the force of gravity falls into the trough 36. The common five gallon bucket 104 further includes a lid which can be replaced on the bucket 104 between uses so that that hopper of the apparatus does not need to be emptied and cleaned between uses.

The apparatus 10 is used by inserting a length of drywall corner bead into one end of the trough 36 and pushing it through the trough 36 until it extends out the other end of the trough 36. The drywall compound within the trough 36 adheres to top surface of the corner bead, and the corner bead is pulled through the trough 36 until its full length has gone through the trough 36. On the exit end of the trough 36, the gap 40 formed by the recess 39 allows an appropriate amount of drywall compound to exit the trough 36 adhered to the corner bead. The grooves 46 further allow raised beads of drywall compound to exit the trough 36 on the corner bead. In this manner drywall compound is applied to the surface of the corner bead.

Referring to FIG. 11, in order to bring the apparatus 10 up to an appropriate working height, the legs 28 and 30 are placed in the position shown in FIG. 3 and placed on top of a second, preferably empty five gallon bucket 106 of the type in which drywall compound is normally delivered. The second bucket 106 further acts as a receptacle to drywall compound that falls off of the corner bead as it is pulled through in order to minimize mess.

Moreover, the second empty bucket 106 is utilized as a storage receptacle for the apparatus 10. By placing the legs 28 and 30 in the position of FIG. 4, the first bucket 104 serving as the hopper and the apparatus can be set into the second bucket 106 as shown in FIG. 12. In this manner, the first bucket 104 can be sealed with its lid and the apparatus placed into the second bucket 106 and the apparatus does not have to be emptied of drywall compound and cleaned for storage between uses because drywall compound portions of the apparatus 10 will be sealed from air and therefore the drywall compound within first bucket 104 and the trough 36 will not dry out.

While present invention is described with the trough having the profile of an inverted triangle as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art that the drywall trough and the block can take on any appropriate form for different type of corner bead and for applying drywall compound to an opposite side of the corner bead for applying, for example, compound to inside corners, bull nose corners, ells and end caps.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention also comprises a bottom block 50 as shown in FIG. 13. The bottom block 50 is placed in the bottom of the trough 36 and, as shown in FIG. 14, causing the bottom of the tough 36 to be convex rather than concave. Extensions 51 cooperate with the trough to hold the bottom block 50 in place.

Referring to FIGS. 15-18, the blocks 40 are replaced with block 52 and block 54. The block 54 defines a plurality of grooves 56 in a concave portion of the block 54. The blocks 52 and 54 may optionally also comprise a tapered portion 58 for guiding the corner bead through the device. By using the bottom block 50 and the blocks 52 and 54, drywall compound may be applied to the other surface of the corner bead so that the corner bead can be applied to inside rather than outside corners.

Referring to FIG. 19, the blocks 40 are replaced with blocks 60, which are modified to have a convex curved bottom surface 62 to handle outside bullnose corner beads. The bottom block 50 is similarly replaced with bottom block 64 which has a concave curved surface 66 that corresponds to the convex surface 62. Similarly, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the block 40 and bottom block 50 can have the appropriate profile to handle corner bead of most any profile used as inside or outside corner beads.

While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A device for applying drywall compound to a length of corner bead comprising:

a trough for holding a quantity of drywall compound;

an opening at the bottom of the trough through which a length of corner bead may be inserted;

a removable block located near an opening in the trough for preventing excess drywall compound from adhering to the bead while allowing sufficient compound to remain with the bead; and

a flange attached to the top of the trough adapted to be attached to a bucket, the bucket having a portion of the bottom removed, to provide drywall compound to the trough.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a pair of legs rotatably attached to the trough, the legs being adapted to move between an extended position in which the legs support the device and a retracted position in which the legs do not extend past an outer periphery of the flange.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the block is maintained in place by a pin that extends through the device and the block.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the block defines a bottom surface having the same general shape as a bottom surface of the trough.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the block defines grooves on a surface thereof for allowing a defined quantity of drywall compound to adhere to the bead.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the flange defines bores therethrough for attaching the flange to the bottom of a bucket.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein the legs may be retracted to store the item within a bucket of the same size as the bucket attached to the flange.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the trough has a concave bottom surface.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a bottom block insertable into the trough, the bottom block creating a convex bottom surface of the trough.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the block has a bottom surface having the same general convex shape as the trough with the bottom block inserted therein.

11. A device for applying drywall compound to a length of corner bead comprising:

a general concave shaped trough for holding a quantity of drywall compound;

an opening at the bottom of the trough through which a length of corner bead may be inserted;

a removable block located near opening in the trough having a plurality of grooves located therein for preventing excess drywall compound from adhering to the bead while allowing sufficient compound to remain with the bead; and

a flange attached to the top of the trough adapted to be attached to a bucket, the bucket having a portion of the bottom removed, to provide drywall compound to the trough.

12. The device of claim 11 further comprising a pair of legs rotatably attached to the trough, the legs being adapted to move between an extended position in which the legs support the device and a retracted position in which the legs do not extend past an outer periphery of the flange.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the block is maintained in place by a pin that extends through the device and the block.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the block defines a bottom surface having the same general shape as a bottom surface of the trough.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the block defines grooves on a surface thereof for allowing a defined quantity of drywall compound to adhere to the bead.

16. The device of claim 11 wherein the flange defines bores therethrough for attaching the flange to the bottom of a bucket.

17. The device of claim 12 wherein the legs may be retracted to store the item within a bucket of the same size as the bucket attached to the flange.

18. The device of claim 11 wherein the trough has a concave bottom surface.

19. The device of claim 11 further comprising a bottom block insertable into the trough, the bottom block creating a convex bottom surface of the trough.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the block has a bottom surface having the same general convex shape as the trough with the bottom block inserted therein.