U.S. patent application number 10/639829 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-17 for hand scoop for placing masonry grout.
Invention is credited to Agazzi, Giovanni, Agazzi, Steven.
Application Number | 20050035611 10/639829 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34135955 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050035611 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Agazzi, Giovanni ; et
al. |
February 17, 2005 |
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.
Inventors: |
Agazzi, Giovanni; (Livonia,
MI) ; Agazzi, Steven; (Livonia, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARLES W CHANDLER
33150 SCHOOLCRAFT
LIVONIA
MI
48150
US
|
Family ID: |
34135955 |
Appl. No.: |
10/639829 |
Filed: |
August 14, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
294/178 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47F 13/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
294/055 |
International
Class: |
A47F 013/08 |
Claims
Having described our invention, we claim:
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.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 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.
[0002] 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.
[0003] 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.
[0004] 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."
[0005] 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.
[0006] 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.
[0007] 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.
[0008] 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.
[0009] 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
[0010] The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which
like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the
several views, and in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred scoop;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear end of the scoop of
FIG. 1;
[0013] 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;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the
locations of the hands of two workers exchanging the scoop;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating how the scoop is used for
depositing grout into the top core of a concrete block; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is an end view of an alternative embodiment of the
invention using a rounded bottom.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] 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.
[0018] 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.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, a rear wall 22 blocks the rear end of
the side walls, top and bottom walls.
[0020] 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
[0021] 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.
[0022] 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.
[0023] 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.
[0024] 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.
[0025] 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.
[0026] The scoop provides an efficient means for placing on-site
mixed grout at the user's convenience.
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