Road structure – process – or apparatus – Apparatus – With means for profile shaping – e.g. – crown
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-25
2004-01-20
Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Apparatus
With means for profile shaping, e.g., crown
Reexamination Certificate
active
06679652
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to manually operated finishing tools and equipment, and more particularly to a concrete finishing tool having a “float” or trowel in combination with a texturing broom or brush. The height and angle of the broom bristles are adjustable relative to the float, to allow the user to adjust the pressure of the bristles according to the state of cure of the freshly poured and finished concrete and desired finish texture. Concrete may be smoothed and textured in one operation, using the present tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
Concrete is commonly used for forming roads, highways, driveways, floor slabs, sidewalks, etc., where a relatively smooth and hard, durable material is required. While concrete is a relatively inexpensive material for such applications, it nevertheless requires a certain amount of work after pouring.
When the concrete is initially poured, it must be smoothed or leveled to the desired degree while still in its wet or uncured state. This is conventionally accomplished using a long handled appliance with a relatively large trowel or “float” on the distal end thereof, whereby a worker can smooth a relatively large expanse of concrete from one edge or side of the freshly poured slab. Such tools generally provide articulation between the handle and the float, allowing a worker to adjust the angle of the float relative to the handle by twisting the handle. This allows the worker to keep the float level with the surface of the concrete, while changing the angle between the extension handle or pole and the float to adjust for different distances between the worker and the float.
However, a perfectly smooth surface may not be desirable in many applications, as such a surface provides relatively low friction for vehicle or pedestrian traction. Accordingly, it is a common procedure to use a broom or brush to produce some texture to the concrete after it has been smoothed with a float or trowel. Heretofore, this has generally been accomplished as a separate operation from the smoothing and leveling operation, using a separate tool. A relatively long pole or handle is provided with a relatively wide broom or brush at its distal end, somewhat like a conventional push broom. However, the lack of adjustability of such a device often creates various problems and difficulties during this brushing or texturing operation.
First of all, it is often necessary to delay the brushing or brooming operation for some time after the concrete surface has been leveled and smoothed, in order for the concrete to set to the required consistency for brooming. Attempting to broom the surface too soon after the concrete has been poured, can often lead to excessively deep and coarse brush marks in the surface, which are unacceptable. Thus, in order to avoid this problem, concrete finishing workers may be idle for some period of time, waiting for the concrete to cure to the desired state before they can continue work with the brooming or texturing operation. Obviously, this is not cost effective.
Secondly, the concrete continues to cure as time passes. While the concrete may have a nearly ideal viscosity when the brooming or brushing operation commences, the concrete continues to cure during the operation. This results in dissimilar textures being applied to different areas of the slab, if some time passes from the beginning to the end of the brooming operation. With conventional concrete brooms or brushes, there is little that can be done to avoid these problems.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a concrete finishing tool which is a combination of a concrete float, used for smoothing and leveling the concrete after pouring, and a broom or brush, used for providing the desired texture to the concrete after the smoothing and leveling operation. The present combination tool provides both float and broom, and moreover, provides adjustability for the rake angle of the bristles and the broom height relative to the float.
The present concrete finishing tool thus allows a concrete worker to smooth and level a freshly poured concrete surface, and immediately proceed with brushing or texturing the surface using the broom attached to the combination tool. The brush or bristles may be adjusted for relatively shallow penetration and rake angle, to allow a worker to texture relatively fresh and wet concrete essentially immediately after it has been leveled and smoothed. As time progresses and the concrete begins to cure, the brush may be adjusted to extend further below the level of the float, and/or the brush angle may be adjusted for a more vertical rake angle, in order to brush the concrete more firmly as it sets up and cures. The present finishing tool thus allows a concrete worker to continue finishing and texturing work without need to wait for the concrete to reach a certain stage or degree of cure before proceeding, thus keeping the workers continuously employed and reducing the time and cost required for the job.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,066 issued on May 21, 1963 to Lawrence H. Ferrell, Jr. et al., titled “Cement Slab Finishing Device,” describes a tool having an elongate handle or pole with an angularly adjustable finishing blade or trowel at the distal end thereof. Two different means of remotely adjusting the trowel angle relative to the handle, are disclosed. However, Ferrell, Jr. et al. do not provide any form of texturing brush or broom.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,881 issued on Dec. 29, 1964 to Walter G. Negwer, titled “Adjustable Bull Float,” describes a long handled float having a remotely adjustable angle between float and handle. While the Ferrell, Jr. et al. adjustable float utilizes the rotation of a central rod which passes through the handle to actuate the adjustment, Negwer utilizes the rotation of the handle itself. Negwer provides a link between handle and float, with the link having a spiral shape. As the handle is twisted, the radius defined between the link attachment at the float and its handle attachment varies, thereby adjusting the angle between float and handle. However, Negwer does not provide a concrete texturing or finishing broom or brush in combination with his adjustable float.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,765 issued on May 1, 1973 to William D. Peterson, titled “Self-Tilting Trowel For Concrete,” describes a trowel or float which attaches to the distal end of the handle by means of a set of angled slots which ride on corresponding pins extending laterally from the handle end. As forward pressure is applied to the trowel or float by the handle, the float shifts rearwardly, with the angled slots resulting in the leading edge of the float lifting and the trailing edge lowering. As the handle is pulled rearwardly, the float shifts in the opposite direction on the pins, with opposite edges being raised and lowered. Thus, the leading or advancing edge of the float is always raised slightly, to avoid digging into the fresh concrete. However, Peterson does not disclose any form of broom or brush in combination with his self-tilting trowel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,527 issued on Jun. 4, 1985 to Richard A. Maggio et al., titled “Concrete Finishing Tool,” describes a tool having an angularly adjustable trowel or float at the distal end of the handle, loosely similar to the earlier tools described above. Maggio et al. recognize the importance of keeping the float level during finishing work, and provide an excellent explanation of the process in the background of the invention of their issued patent. The Maggio et al. device utilizes an eccentric link between the distal end of the handle and the trowel or float, with the handle being otherwise free to rotate relative to the float. Thus, when the handle is twisted, the eccentric link raises or lowers the edge of the float opposite its pivotal attachment point with the handle end. This arrangement is simi
Addie Raymond W
Pezzuto Robert E.
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