A tile setting device, comprising:
- a tile gripping apparatus;
- said tile gripping apparatus comprising a lower planar panel, an intermediate planar panel, an upper planar panel, at least one vacuum operated suction cup, a positioning handle, a compressed air source, at least one venturi, a compressed air control valve and at least one adjustable guide;
- said lower planar panel having at least one fitting, said at least one fitting being adapted for attachment of said at least one vacuum operated suction cup or a closing cap and providing a passageway to an upper surface of said lower planar panel;
- said intermediate planar panel being disposed above said lower planar panel and having at least one air-tight chamber, said at least one air-tight chamber being fluidly connected to said at least one fitting and fluidly connected to an orifice in an upper surface of said intermediate planar panel;
- said upper planar panel being disposed above said intermediate planar panel and providing a mounting surface for said at least one venturi and attachment points for said positioning handle;
- said at least one venturi being fluidly connected to said orifice through an opening in a lower surface of said upper planar panel;
- said compressed air source being fluidly connected to said compressed air control valve, said compressed air control valve being fluidly connected to said at least one venturi;
- a tile staging tray, said tile staging tray having a flat bottom, an open top, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall and a back wall, said left side wall, said right side wall, said front wall and said back wall each extending above said flat bottom to a first predetermined height, said first predetermined height sufficient to accommodate at least one layer of tile and at least a bottom edge of said lower planar panel of said tile gripping apparatus, said at least one adjustable guide being adjustably attached adjacent an edge of said upper planar panel and providing a means for positioning said tile gripping apparatus adjacent one of said left side, right side, front wall or back wall of said tile staging tray or for positioning said tile gripping apparatus adjacent a surface mounting feature or a positioned array of tiles;
- and
- whereby, when said at least one layer of tile is disposed within said tile staging tray with said at least one layer of tile positioned against one of said left side wall, right side wall, front wall or back wall, said tile gripping apparatus is configured to be positioned on top of said at least one layer of tile with said at least one adjustable guide configured to be positioned against one of said left side wall, right side wall, front wall or back wall and said compressed air control valve is configured to be activated to provide a vacuum to said at least one vacuum operated suction cup, said tile gripping apparatus is configured to be attached to said at least one layer of tile and said at least one layer of tile is configured to be removed from said tile staging tray and is configured to be positioned upon a mounting surface, said compressed air control valve is configured to be activated and said vacuum is configured to be released from said at least one vacuum operated suction cup and said gripping apparatus is configured to be removed from said at least one layer of tile.