Hand scoop for placing masonry grout

Abstract

A hand scoop for lifting and passing grout or high density granular material has a pair of handles formed such that a first worker can readily remove grout from a container, and then manually pass the scoop and grout to another worker to simplify and accelerate grouting operations.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is related to an improved hand scoop for transferring grout, or any other high-density material from a container to fill hollow concrete blocks that have been previously laid.

Contractors frequently build a wall by laying several courses of hollow concrete blocks, one above the other. Liquid cement is typically provided in a mortar tub. The mason tender scoops the grout into a shovel or bucket and then passes the shovel to the bricklayer who then deposits the grout into the cores of the blocks.

Grout is conventionally deposited in concrete blocks using shovels or plastic buckets. A shovel limits the amount of grout that can be passed. It is difficult to deposit grout in a clean fashion due to its fluidity. Buckets are dirty and less durable as well.

Hand scoops and buckets are known in the prior art. Usually they are constructed for scooping grain which is then deposited into boxes, sacks or other containers. Examples of such prior art may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,138 issued Mar. 20, 1962 to Homer H. Benjamin et al. for “Hand Scoop”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,774,027 issued Aug. 26, 1930 to Marten Martenson for “Combined Scoop and Shovel; U.S. Pat. No. 1,234,057 issued Jul. 17, 1917 to Gilbert McIntyre for “Combined Scoop and Sack Filler”; U.S. Pat. No. 1,182,412 issued May 9, 1916 for “Combination Scoop and Sack Filler”; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,167,782 issued Jan. 11, 1916 to James W. Richards for “Grain Scoop.”

Grain scoops have a front opening for scooping the grain and a rear, smaller opening for depositing the grain into sacks and other containers. Grout is much heavier than grain so that a grain scoop would not have a satisfactory life if it were used for cement.

The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a scoop made of 1.8 mm steel, or high impact plastic (nylon) preferably having a flat bottom wall, a flat top wall and a pair of sidewalls forming an elongated housing. A rear wall blocks the rear end of the scoop. Preferably the scoop is about 12 to 24 inches overall, four to nine inches wide with a height of four to ten inches. The scoop is not limited to these dimensions, as fabrication ultimately must meet/suit consumer needs.

The scoop's capacity is larger than the amount of grout that it is intended to handle. For example, if a scoop were filled with cement, the scoop would weigh about 100 lbs., which is too heavy for repetitive lifting. Typically the user will scoop about 45 lbs. of grout, or a comfortable lifting load.

In another embodiment of the invention, the bottom wall of the scoop has a channel-like configuration. However, a flat bottom wall is preferred because the square configuration of the front opening makes it easier to reach into the corner of the tub containing the grout.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred scoop;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear end of the scoop of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the preferred scoop showing the location of the user's hands when scooping a load of grout;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the locations of the hands of two workers exchanging the scoop;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating how the scoop is used for depositing grout into the top core of a concrete block; and

FIG. 6 is an end view of an alternative embodiment of the invention using a rounded bottom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred scoop 10 formed of sheet steel or plastic having a thickness of about 1.8 mm. Scoop 10 comprises a top planar wall 12, a bottom planar wall 14 and a pair of side walls 16 and 18 having their edges joined to the outer edges of the top wall and the bottom wall. The top wall and the bottom wall are parallel to one another, as are the side walls. The top wall preferably has a width of about seven inches. The sidewalls have a height of eight inches, the overall length of the scoop is 24 inches.

The front edges of the two side walls and the top and bottom walls define a rectangular opening 20. The bottom wall is longer than the top wall so that the front edges of the two sidewalls, form an acute angle, as illustrated in FIG. 1. This configuration assists the user in scooping cement.

Referring to FIG. 2, a rear wall 22 blocks the rear end of the side walls, top and bottom walls.

A pair of handles 24 and 26 are attached to the side walls. Handle 24 has a pair of legs 28 and 30 attached to the top wall and side walls. Midsection 32 is connected to the upper ends of legs 28 and 30, in a position parallel to top wall 12. The midsection of each handle is supported by the legs a sufficient distance above the top wall to permit a user to grasp the handle. The handle is preferably a one-piece component

Handle 26 also has a pair of legs 34 and 36 joined to the top walls and the sidewalls as by welding or the like. Midsection 38 is joined to the upper ends of legs 34 and 36, parallel to handle 32. Preferably the distance between the handles is about 15 inches.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the manner in which the scoop may be raised by a user scooping cement. In this case, the “X” at 40 and 42 show the user's two hands at opposite ends of the two handles.

FIG. 4 shows how the scoop may be transferred from one worker to another by the passing worker placing his hands at the locations marked “X” at 44 and 46, and the receiving worker placing his hands to grasp the handles at locations 48 and 50.

FIG. 5 illustrates the manner in which the front opening of scoop 10 is raised for depositing grout into opening 52 in a typical hollow concrete masonry unit 54. FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the invention 60 which is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1, except that the bottom wall has a rounded configuration 62.

As a wall is built, it may be necessary to grout several times because of the increasing wall height. Grout usually takes place in five-foot lifts.

The scoop provides an efficient means for placing on-site mixed grout at the user's convenience.

Claims

1. A hand scoop for lifting and passing grout, or any other high density granular material, comprising:

an elongated housing having a planar top wall, a bottom wall, and spaced side walls joined to outer edges of the top wall and the bottom wall to define a front opening for receiving liquid grout, and a rear wall blocking passage of grout from the housing so as to form a bucket for containing grout;

the top wall having a first length from the rear wall to said front opening, the bottom wall having a greater length from the rear wall to the front opening and said side walls having front edges extending from the top wall to the bottom wall;

a front elongated handle comprising a second pair of legs rigidly attached to the side walls in a position perpendicular to the plane of the top wall, and a handle midsection joined to the upper ends of the legs in a position parallel to the plane of the top wall and normal to the length of the housing; and

a rear elongated handle comprising a pair of legs rigidly attached to the side walls in a position perpendicular to the plane of the top wall, and a handle midsection joined to the upper ends of the second pair of legs, in a position parallel to the front handle, the front handle legs being joined to said side walls proximate said opening, normal to the length of the housing and the legs of the rear handle being joined to the side walls proximate said rear wall.

2. A scoop as defined in claim 1, in which the bottom wall is flat.

3. A scoop as defined in claim 1, in which the bottom wall is rounded.

4. A scoop as defined in claim 1, in which the sidewalls are parallel, one to the other.

5. A scoop as defined in claim 1, in which the sidewalls each have a front edge forming an acute angle with respect to the bottom edge thereof.

6. A scoop as defined in claim 1, in which the front and rear handle midsections each have a length permitting the hands of at least two users to grasp the handle midsections, side by side.

7. A scoop as defined in claim 6, in which the handle midsections are each seven inches long.