The present invention relates to applicator apparatus for dispensing a flowable material, and more particularly to an applicator apparatus for dispensing a flowable sealant material into a groove which applicator apparatus forms a smooth surface into the dispensed sealant in the groove concurrently with the dispensing function so that a finished seal is formed in the groove by a single pass of the applicator apparatus along the length of the groove to be sealed.
It is common practice to fill the groove or joint between adjacent structures to prevent the ingress of moisture into the joint. In a specific application, for example, concrete roadways or airport runways typically are formed in sections (either by pouring the sections separately or cutting grooves therein to form sections) to allow for the expansion and contraction of the concrete. These joints or grooves must be sealed to prevent the passage of moisture through the grooves into the supporting substrate. It is further desirable inorder to prevent damage to the seal that the sealant be recessed below the top surfaces of the adjacent concrete sections so that the wheels of vehicles passing over the sealed grooves will not contact the sealant material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,185 issued on Sep. 22, 1987 to Dow Corning Corporation discloses an example of one type of heretofore known sealant dispensing apparatus which is used to dispense a sealant into a groove and form a concave surface in the sealant so that the sealant is recessed below the top surfaces of the adjacent sections to either side of the groove. The sealant dispensing apparatus is shown as having a spherical dispensing head or applicator with a diametrically extending hole or sealant passage formed therethrough. An elongated hollow arm is rigidly attached to the spherical applicator with the hollow interior of the arm is open to the sealant passage through the applicator for routing sealant to the sealant passage. In use the spherical applicator so that is rests on the corners of the groove and extends downwardly a short distance into the groove. The dispensing apparatus is held in the hands of a workman with the arm, and therefore the sealant passage maintained at a slant to the surfaces to the adjacent sections to either side of the groove to be sealed and the applicator is moved along the groove maintaining the slant of the arm and applicator. It is a difficult task to maintain the proper slant of the applicator (and therefore the sealant passage) as the applicator is moved along the groove, and it is not uncommon for the slant to change thereby resulting a non-uniform dispensing of the sealant into the groove.
Further, it is desirable to clean the groove of debris, such as dust and dirt particles before the sealant material is dispensed into the groove so that the seal is not contaminated with such material which could result in a low quality seal. It is common practice to sweep the grooves with a broom or compressed air prior to and as a separate operation from the operation of dispensing sealant into the groove.
The present invention recognizes the drawbacks of the prior art sealant applicators and provides a practical solution thereto.
Further, the present invention solves the problems of the heretofore known methods of having to clean the grooves as a separate operation or task from the dispensing of the sealant into the grooves.