WO2005011915A1

WO2005011915A1 - A support assembly for a grinding tool

Info

Publication number: WO2005011915A1
Application number: PCT/AU2004/001034
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alan John Dotta; Peter Kenneth Robson
Original assignee: Super Sander Solutions Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2003-08-05
Filing date: 2004-08-04
Publication date: 2005-02-10
Also published as: AU2003904098A0

Abstract

A support assembly for a grinding tool, the grinding tool having a grinding head and a body, the body having a forward portion adjacent the grinding head and a rear portion, the support assembly comprising a front attachment means which is attachable to a forward portion of the body, a rear attachment means which is attachable to a rear portion of the body, a connecting member which connects the forward attachment portion relative to the rear attachment portion, an attachment means to enable a pole to be attached to the assembly , and guide means engagable with the surface to be ground.

Description

A SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR A GRINDING TOOL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a support assembly which can be attached to a grinding tool to enable the tool to be used more easily on walls, on floors, and on ceilings, and particularly allows an extension pole to be attached to the grinding tool via the support assembly. The invention is directed particularly to a masonry renovating tool but it should be appreciated that no limitation is meant thereby. BACKGROUND ART In the field of concrete constructions and particularly multistory concrete buildings, there is a need to provide a smooth concrete surface. In particular, the internal walls, ceilings or floors need to be ground relatively smooth. In respect of walls and ceilings, this allows plaster/paints to be applied, and in respect of floors, this allows tiles or other floor covering to be applied. The concrete construction is usually formed using formwork. Formwork panels are attached together and the concrete is poured. When the panels are separated, a "dribble line" is often present between adjacent forms. This material needs to be ground away or cut away to provide a smooth finish. Electrical or pneumatic grinding tools are well-known that enable concrete to be ground away to provide a smooth surface. These grinding tools have a particular grinding head and an elongate body. These grinding tools are quite heavy and need to be pressed up against a vertical wall, against a ceiling or against the floor. When grinding a ceiling, scaffolding is required, or other forms of similar devices such as ladders etc. It is also known for the operator to stand on stilts to enable the ceiling to be ground. When used on the floor, the operator needs to bend over continuously or kneel down both of which cause fatigue. Similarly, the upper part of a vertical wall is often difficult to grind. Another hazard with the use of this type of tool is the generation of copious amounts of fine concrete dust. This dust can be quite toxic and needs to be removed as quickly as possible. Therefore, the grinding tools are usually provided with an exhaust system. The exhaust system comprises some form of manifold on the cutting tool head which connects to a flexible exhaust hose. The hose connects to a vacuum cleaner which is typically on the floor. Thus, the hose needs to be several metres long. This flexible hose can cause a tripping hazard and/or snagging hazard. The present invention is directed to an assembly that can be attached to a grinding tool and which can allow the tool to be used much more easily and with less fatigue to the operator. The present invention may also be directed to an assembly which may reduce or eliminate the long flexible exhaust hose that can create a tripping hazard or snagging hazard. It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an assembly which may at least partially overcome some of the above-mentioned disadvantages or provide the public with a useful or commercial choice. In one form, the invention resides in a support assembly for a grinding tool, the grinding tool having a grinding head and a body, the body having a forward portion adjacent the grinding head and a rear portion, the support assembly comprising a front attachment means which is attachable to a forward portion of the body, a rear attachment means which is attachable to a rear portion of the body, a connecting member which connects the forward attachment portion relative to the rear attachment portion, an attachment means to enable a pole to be attached to the assembly , and guide means engagable with the surface to be ground. In a broader form, the invention resides in a support assembly for a tool, the support assembly comprising attachment means to allow a pole to be attached to the support assembly. Suitably, the front attachment portion comprises a bracket. The grinding tool is typically a masonry renovating tool which is known and which comprises a circular grinding head and a quite elongate roundish body which extends substantially at right angles from the grinding head. Figures 1-6 illustrate a typical grinding tool although no limitation is meant thereby. The assembly may have a front attachment means comprising a front bracket and a rear attachment means comprising a rear bracket. The front bracket is typically attached to a front part of the grinding tool, and this can be achieved by various means. Typically, a fastener such as a bolt or screw will be used to attach the front bracket to the grinding tool. Thus, the front bracket may be substantially U- shaped in configuration and therefore may comprise a pair of leg members which extend down on each side of the grinding tool and a connecting member which connects the pair of leg members into the substantially U-shaped configuration.

Alternatively, the front bracket may be substantially L-shaped or have other configurations suitable to allow the assembly to be attached to the grinding tool.

Alternatively, the front bracket may be clamped or otherwise attached to the grinding tool. The rear bracket may be substantially annular in shape and may extend about a rear part of the body of the grinding tool. Alternatively, the rear bracket may be part annular and extend only partially about the body of the grinding tool. Other rear bracket shapes are envisaged comprising simple shapes, L-shaped, U-shapes, flat brackets and the like. The bracket may comprise a band or strap member, or a clamp.

Alternatively, the tool can be otherwise fastened to the attachment such as by screws etc. A connecting member may be provided to interconnect the front bracket and the rear bracket. The interconnecting member may comprise a plate like member, a curved member, one or more rod members, a frame, and the like. The attachment means may comprise an attachment plate to which a pole can be attached. The attachment plate may be substantially rectangular when viewed in plan, oval, or have irregular shapes. It is preferred that the attachment means is positioned in such a manner that the grinding tool is "balanced" when the pole is attached to the attachment means. For this reason, the attachment means will typically be positioned in a forward part of the grinding tool and may be positioned adjacent the front bracket. A guide means is provided. The guide means may comprise wheels, slides, or other type of guide means. The guide means may be provided adjacent a rear portion of the tool and in a preferred embodiment, the guide means is attached relative to the rear bracket. One function of the guide means is to ensure that the grinding head is kept substantially flat against the surface to be ground. A pole may be provided to enable the tool to be used on a ceiling, wall or even the floor without needing to bend, stretch, erect scaffolding and the like. The pole will typically have a length of between 1-4 metres and can be made of metal or other suitable materials. It is preferred that the pole is hollow or substantially hollow to enable the pole to function as part of the exhaust. The grinding tool is known to be provided with an exhaust manifold. Therefore, the pole may be attached relative to the exhaust manifold to enable dust to pass through the interior of the pole. To achieve this, the pole may be provided with an inlet and if necessary a conduit is provided to connect the inlet to the exhaust manifold. The conduit may comprise a flexible hose, a rigid hose or may even form part of the pole. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which:

Figure 1. Illustrates a grinding tool containing the support assembly according to an embodiment of the invention and in side view. Figure 2. Illustrates a plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3. Illustrates the grinding tool and support assembly from the other side. Figure 4. Illustrates a front view of the grinding tool and support assembly.

Figure 5. Illustrates a rear view of the grinding tool and support assembly.

Figure 6. Illustrates a top view of the grinding tool and support assembly and particularly illustrating part of an extension pole attached to the support assembly. Figure 7. Illustrates an exploded view of a grinding tool and support assembly according to a second embodiment. BEST MODE Referring to the drawings there is illustrated an electric grinding tool 10 which is known. The grinding tool has a grinding head 11 and a body 12, the body having a forward portion 13 and a rear portion 40. An on/off switch 15 is provided on body 12. Attached to tool 10 is a support assembly. Support assembly comprises a front bracket 16 which is best illustrated in figure 1 and figure 4, a rear bracket 17, a connecting member 18, an attachment means 19, a pole 20 (the pole being illustrated in figure 6), and guide means 21. The front bracket 16 comprises a steel plate and is substantially U- shaped (see figure 4) to provide a pair of leg members 22 and a connecting top member 23. A strong fastener in the form of a bolt 24 connects front bracket 16 to the body of the grinding tool 10. Behind front bracket 16 is an attachment means in the form of a steel plate 25 which is substantially rectangular and substantially flat. Steel plate 25 is provided with a pair of domed projections 26 to facilitate attachment of pole 20 this being best illustrated in figure 6. Steel plate 25 is welded to the rear of front bracket 16. Connecting member 18 comprises a curved steel sheet which is slightly curved to conform to the curved body 12 of the grinding tool 10. One end of connecting member 18 is welded to steel plate 25. Rear bracket 17 is in the form of an annular collar 27 which extends about rear portion 14 of body 12. The annular collar is welded to or is formed integrally with connecting member 18. Attached to the annular collar is the guide means 21. Specifically, an L-shaped bracket 30 extends from each side of collar 27 (see figure 2). One end of bracket 30 is attached to collar 27 by bolt 31. The bracket is provided with an elongate slot 32 to allow the L-shaped bracket to be adjusted. The other end of bracket 30 supports a roller 33. In use, the support assembly can be attached to a grinding tool. If extension pole 20 is not attached, the support assembly is designed to allow the tool to the handheld without the support assembly getting in the way. This is one reason why connecting member 18 is shaped as this will be where a person will hold the grinding tool if extension pole 20 is not used. Extension pole 20 is provided with an endplate 40 (see figure 6) which mounts onto attachment means 19. Endplate 40 is formed with slots to accommodate domed pins 26. The particular grinding tool illustrated in the embodiment is provided with a manifold 34 which couples to an exhaust outlet 35. Conventionally, a long exhaust hose is attached to exhaust outlet 35 but this can create a tripping or snagging hazard. In the particular embodiment, pole 20 is hollow and contains an inlet 36 (see figure 6) which can coupled to outlet 35 via a short flexible tube (not illustrated), which means that there is no long flexible exhaust hose extending from the grinding tool. The wheels 33 are preferably dust proof such that they do not clog up during the grinding process. This can be achieved by purchasing wheels having normal bearings, removing the bearings from the housing and replacing with concealed bearings. The concealed bearings are glued into place with a strong glue then crimping down the sides so that they do not vibrate loose. This provides dustless swivel wheels. Figure 7 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention. Referring to figure 7, there is illustrated a dust extraction pole 51 that can be either fixed or telescopic and will typically have a length of between 50-200 centimetres and preferably between 80-140 centimetres. Pole 51 is hollow and has an inlet 52 and an outlet 53. An exhaust hose (not illustrated) can be fitted to outlet 53, and can be attached to a vacuum cleaner etc if desired. The upper end of pole 51 contains a swivel head 54 that can rotate typically by 180°. The degree of rotation can be controlled by a brake handle 55 which is at a lower end of pole 51. Thus, operation of the brake handle can cause the pole to be pivoted and then locked at a desired angle. Swivel head 54 comprises a baseplate member 60, a pair of spaced apart upstanding brackets 61 and a pivot pin attached to brackets 61. The pole is attached to the pivot pin to enable the pole to pivot relative to baseplate member 60. The grinding tool 59 can be of conventional type, and will typically be an electrically powered grinding tool. The grinding head 62 is protected by a shroud 58 which comprises a skirt of wires to stop any loose material flying out and also acts as a curtain to enable efficient dust and waste extraction. Shroud 58 attaches to grinding tool 59 such that the grinding head 62 rotates within the periphery of shroud 58. Shroud 58 contains an outlet 63 that connects to a flexible hose 57. Hose 57 is also connected to inlet 52 of the dust extraction pole 51. Thus, any dust will pass through hose 57 and through pole 51. The grinding tool 59 is attached to a support chassis 56. The support chassis comprises a frame arrangement with a forward part of the frame arrangement 64 comprising a mounting surface to enable baseplate member 60 to be attached to mounting surface 64. In the particular embodiment, baseplate member 60 is screwed to mounting surface 64. On the other side of mounting surface 64 is a pair of depending leg members 65 which extend along each side of the head portion of grinding tool 59 to enable the head portion of grinding tool 59 to be attached to the leg members via a small fastener 66. The rear portion of support chassis 56 is provided with another mounting arrangement 67 to mount to a rear portion of grinding tool 59. Guide means in the form of wheels 68 is provided on the rear portion of chassis 56. The support pole is provided with mounting clips 69 to hold the power lead of the electric grinder in place. Throughout the specification and the claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to apply the inclusion of the stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to any embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, the invention need not be limited to the grinding tool illustrated and may extend to other types of rotating or oscillating tools.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A support assembly for a grinding tool, the grinding tool having a grinding head and a body, the body having a forward portion adjacent the grinding head and a rear portion, the support assembly comprising a front attachment means which is attachable to a forward portion of the body, a rear attachment means which is attachable to a rear portion of the body, a connecting member which connects the forward attachment portion relative to the rear attachment portion, an attachment means to enable a pole to be attached to the assembly , and guide means engagable with the surface to be ground.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front attachment means comprises a bracket.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rear attachment means comprises a bracket.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the front attachment means comprises a pair of spaced apart leg members adapted to extend down each side of the grinding tool.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rear attachment means comprises a strap.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting member comprises a plate.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attachment means is attached to the connecting member and comprises a flat surface to enable a pole to be attached relative to the attachment means.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the attachment means is in a forward part of the assembly and adjacent the front attachment means.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide means comprises a pair of wheels.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the guide means is positioned adjacent the rear attachment means.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 together with a support pole.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the support pole is hollow and contains an inlet and an outlet.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 12, in association with a grinding tool, the grinding tool having a grinding disk, a shroud extending about the grinding disk, the shroud being provided with an outlet, a hose being provided to attach the outlet of the shroud to the inlet of the support pole.

14. A combination of a grinding tool, a support assembly attached to the grinding tool, and a dust extraction pole attached to the support assembly, the grinding tool having a grinding head and a body, the body having a forward portion adjacent the grinding head and a rear portion, the support assembly comprising a front attachment means which is attachable to a forward portion of the body and which comprises a pair of spaced apart depending leg members which extend along each side of the forward portion of the grinding head and which are attached thereto by fasteners, a rear attachment means which is attachable to a rear portion of the body and which comprises a strap that extends about the rear portion of the grinding tool, a connecting member which connects the forward attachment portion relative to the rear attachment portion and which comprises a pair of frame members, an attachment means to enable a pole to be attached to the assembly , the attachment means comprising a flat mounting surface on a forward part of the connecting member, guide means engagable with the surface to be ground, and which comprises a pair of spaced apart wheels that are attached to a rear part of the assembly, the dust extraction pole being hollow and having an inlet and an outlet, a shroud being provided about the grinding head to contain any debris upon operation of the grinding head, the shroud having an outlet, a hose being provided which is connected to the outlet of the shroud and the inlet of the dust extraction pole to enable debris to pass from the grinding head, through the hose and through the dust extraction pole.