Angular notched trowel

#This invention relates to hand tools. More particularly, this invention relates to notched trowels of the type that are used to apply a bonding material to a substrate.

#Tiles made of ceramic, stone, plastic, or the like have been affixed to floors, walls, tables, countertops, and other surfaces since antiquity. The surface upon which the tile is installed is commonly referred to as the substrate. During installation of tile, the substrate is first covered with a spreadable bonding material such as mortar, cement, epoxy, adhesive, or the like. The tile is then pressed against the bonding material to form the bond.

#The application of the bonding material to the substrate is one of the most important parts of tile installation. For optimal results, each tile must be applied so that 100 percent of its surface contacts the bonding material. Gaps cause the tile to break, crack, and separate from the substrate. To achieve optimal contact, the bonding material must be applied completely, evenly, and to the desired thickness. In practice, it is very difficult to apply the bonding material precisely and, as a result, the tiles rarely make 100 percent contact with the bonding material, especially as the size of the tile increases. For example, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recognizes the difficulty of achieving 100 percent contact and only recommends an average uniform contact area of 80 percent.

#FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of the angular notched trowel of this invention.

#FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof.

#FIG. 3 is a side elevation view thereof.

#This invention is best understood by reference to the drawings. Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of the angular notched trowel 10 of this invention is shown. The angular notched trowel contains a top plate 20, a notched plate 30, a handle 40, and a descending member 50. The components of the notched trowel are discussed in detail below.

#The top plate 20 is a thin, rectangular sheet having dimensions of about eight to sixteen inches by about three to six inches. The dimensions are preferably about twelve by four inches. The sheet is made of a rigid or semi-rigid material such as metal or plastic. The preferred materials are stainless steel and galvanized steel because of their strength and freedom from rust. The top plate generally contains a leading edge that is angled slightly upwards to accommodate extra thick sections of bonding material on the substrate.

#The notched plate 30 is connected along and descends from the trailing edge of the top plate. The notched plate generally makes an interior angle of about 90 to 135 degrees to the top plate. As seen best in FIG. 3, this angle is 90 degrees in the first embodiment. The notched plate generally has a height of about one-half to two inches. The bottom edge of the notched plate contains a plurality of notches that are generally substantially uniform. The size and the pattern of the notches are matters of choice and affect the amount of bonding material left on the substrate. The notches are generally semi-circular, as shown, or square.