Method and apparatus for selectively extruding and applying a layer of mortar upon a selected surface
OwnerDouglas S. Campbellinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for extruding and depositing a slurry or mortar onto a selected work surface uses a mortar gun assembly with a chamber for receiving mortar from a remote supply hopper and an extruder configured to selectively apply a bead or ribbon of mortar of selected thickness onto the work surface. The mortar gun assembly provides mortar from the hopper under pressure and the user selectively applies mortar by controlling a rotating port valve between the hopper and the mortar gun chamber. The rotating port valve provides a “rest state” in which the mortar is not sent to the mortar gun, but is instead re-circulated by the pump back to the hopper so un-dispensed mortar is kept moving and cannot dry or set.
Claims14
A mortar gun assembly comprising:
- a chamber connected at an inlet end to a supply hose to receive fluid material from a remote supply;
- an extruder at an outlet end of the chamber, said extruder configured to apply the fluid material as a bead or ribbon of selected thickness to a substrate;
- a pump connected to the supply hose to deliver fluid material from the remote supply to the chamber under pressure;
- a rotating port valve connected in the supply hose to regulate the flow of said fluid material to the chamber;
- a handle secured to the top of the chamber to allow a user to manipulate the mortar gun;
- and
- a manually operable on/off switch on said handle for controlling said rotatable port valve;
- wherein said rotatable port valve has a first, or active, state in which the fluid material is pumped from the remote supply to the mortar gun chamber to be extruded onto a substrate through said extruder, and a second, or rest, state in which the fluid material is not sent to the mortar gun, but is instead re-circulated to the supply,
- wherein said rotatable port valve comprises
- (a) an annular main body having side and bottom walls and a top cover that is secured to the body by suitable fasteners;
- (b) first, second and third ports spaced around and extending through the annular body and forming an inlet and two outlet ports;
- (c) a cylindrical, rotatable valve body rotatably nested in a central opening of the annular main body, and
- (d) passageways through said rotatable valve body for connecting said inlet passageway selectively to one of said outlet ports in said valve active state to supply said fluid material to said mortar gun and to the other of said outlet ports in said rest state to recirculate said fluid material.
A mortar extrusion and deposition system for extruding and depositing or applying mortar upon a selected surface, comprising:
- a mortar gun having chamber connected at an inlet end to a supply hose to receive a fluid mortar material from a remote supply;
- an extruder at an outlet end of the chamber, said extruder configured to apply the fluid material as a bead or ribbon of selected thickness to a substrate's selected surface;
- a pump connected to the supply hose to continuously deliver pressurized fluid material from the remote supply to the chamber;
- a rotating port valve connected in the supply hose to selectively regulate the flow of said pressurized fluid material to said chamber when a selected portion of said fluid material is being deposited upon said selected surface;
- said rotating port valve also being connected to a recirculation hose which is also connected to the remote supply;
- a handle secured to the top of the chamber to allow a user to manipulate the mortar gun;
- a manually operable control on said handle for controlling said rotatable port valve;
- and
- wherein rotating port valve automatically recirculates any undeposited portion of said pressurized fluid material back to said remote supply via said recirculation hose;
- wherein said rotatable port valve comprises
- an annular main body having side and bottom walls and a top cover that is secured to the body by suitable fasteners;
- first, second and third ports spaced around and extending through the annular body and forming an inlet and two outlet ports;
- a cylindrical, rotatable valve body rotatably nested in a central opening of the annular main body;
- and
- passageways through said rotatable valve body for connecting said inlet passageway selectively to one of said outlet ports in said valve active state to supply said fluid material to said mortar gun and to the other of said outlet ports in said rest state to recirculate said fluid material;
- wherein said passageways through said rotatable valve body comprise a generally Y-shaped through passageway extending approximately diametrically across the valve body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.