Background Art Grout is a widely used construction material, and is often applied to a working surface by using a cone or funnel device which is squeezed at the top to dispense a stream of grout through a rigid spout (much like a cake decorating tool). Many known grout dispensing devices are flimsy, prone to leakage, difficult to clean, and do not enable flow adjustment.

U. S. Patent Nos. 5,222,630 and 5,366,116, owned by applicant herein, disclose an improved hand-held grout-dispensing tool having a body portion defining a generally triangular envelope member preferably made of a flexible and expandable elastic material (i. e., capable of recovering its size and shape after deformation), an open but sealable-by-folding top edge, a hand hold or grip portion on one lower edge, and a spout portion enabling adjustable dispensing of grout.

During use, the grout tool of those inventions can apply a bead of grout to a working surface, with the body of the tool defining a generally triangular envelope member made of a flexible and elastic material; a fill opening temporarily sealed by the folding of a reinforced top edge; a hand hold or grip portion on one lower edge; and a tapered, flexible end or spout portion at the bottom for grout dispensing. The elastic envelope member may thus have an expanded (stretched) configuration, at least partially filled with grout material.

The advantages of the reinforced (e. g., double folded) top edge include: 1. The fill opening stays open easily to allow simple filling of the tool with grout; 2. Once closed and folded, grout seepage in the fill opening area is avoided ; 3. The linear top edge applies even pressure to the grout for a more even flow of grout through the spout; and 4. This configuration evenly pushes grout off the inner surfaces of the envelope.

Alternatively, the top edge may not be double-folded or reinforced in any way, but rather simply be defined as the openable end of the envelope member.

The advantages of the hand hold or grip portion configuration include: 1. The grip easily rests in the palm of the user's hands to enable adjustment of grout flow from the spout by the user's thumb and fingers; 2. The grip can alternatively be held between thumb and fingers for non-restrictive flow of grout through the spout; and 3. The grip can also be folded flat against either side of the grout tool to enable extra flow pressure at the grout spout and streamline the grout dispensing end of the grout tool.

Alternatively, the grip portion may simply consist of the natural shape of the envelope proximate the spout, without a specific contiguous extension of the material from the second edge. In this version, the second edge would simply rest in the user's hand.

The advantages of the tapered, flexible spout portion include: 1. The flexibility of the spout portion enables regulation of the grout flow by adjustment with the user's thumb and index finger; and 2. The spout portion is tapered to reduce spillage, allow flow adjustment, and allow a flush placement in any direction it is held against areas to which it will pressure inject fluid material.

Alternatively, the spout portion may simply be untapered (straight), and/or inflexible (rigid).

There is a preferred placement of the user's two hands on the folded reinforced top edge and grip portions of the grout tool, respectively. Manual pressure by one hand on the top edge exerts pressure on the grout mixture inside the envelope, forcing it out through spout. Selective placement of the other hand on the grip or proximate the flexible spout determines flow rate, thickness,, and the like.

The grout tool of those inventions also has an unfolded, empty and flattened configuration. In the preferred embodiment, the envelope is made of neoprene or other suitably elastic, strong, flexible, waterproof material. The envelope material should also preferably be non-adhering to grout mixtures, either during their initial fluid or eventual solidified states. Neoprene and similar materials are especially appropriate due to their inherent"slipperiness"when filled with grout or like substances. The elastic envelope member in its retracted configuration recovers its original size and shape after deformation.

The envelope can be manufactured from a single piece of material, folded along an edge and stitched with nylon thread or sealed in other manner to form a top edge and grip edge. The reinforced top edge can be formed by similar folding and

stitching or other fastening techniques. Fasteners may be installed between the top edge and the grip edge, and between the grip and spout, to further strengthen the construction. While the envelope can of course be made in any size, suitable dimensions are as follows: approximately sixteen inches overall length (along the folded edge), and twelve inches wide (along the reinforced top edge). The grip may be a contiguous extension of material measuring four and three-quarters inches by one and three-eighths inches, and the reinforcement of the top edge may consist of a one inch fold, each stitched and/or fastened by other means as appropriate. The spout may be one inch wide, tapered from the fold edge to the grip edge by approximately one-quarter inch. The junction of the fold edge with the top edge may, but does not necessarily, define a right angle.

Disclosure of Invention The method and apparatus for applying grout of this invention provides improvements to grout tools such as those described in U. S. Patent Nos. 5,222,630 and 5,366,116. The first improvement provides a spout extension member consisting of a hollow, generally elongate tube having a first end bearing an enlargement/coupler portion, and terminating in a second end bearing a nozzle. Features of the spout extension member include: Approximate size may be 18 inches long, and 3/4 inch to 1 1/4 inch inside diameter.

Exterior dimension is preferably so sized (e. g., approximately 1 1/4 inch outside diameter) so as to enable the elongate tube to slide snugly and tightly through the grout tool's spout.

Constructed of a material (rigid or semi flexible, such as PVC) that maintains the desired dimensions and allows the flow-through of fluid materials (e. g., grout, mortar, epoxy, water, etc.).

The spout extension member slips through the grout tool's spout orifice and seats firmly in place between the fold edge and grip edge of the tool due to the increased exterior dimension of the enlargement/coupler portion.

The spout extension member's enlargement/coupler portion interior diameter is configured appropriately to amply allow the firm insert and frictional holding of another extension member's nozzle, so as to permit tandem, conjunctive, in-line extensions to further lengthen the fluid material emitting reach of the grout tool, which negates the need for bending or kneeling, and allows standing use on floors and other far reach areas.

Each spout extension member's nozzle is formed in a particular angulation configuration so as to allow a flush placement in any direction it is held

against areas to which it will pressure inject fluid material.

The second improvement provides an attachable, sliding and adjustable clamp to control the flow (increase, decrease, or close) through the grout tool's spout. The clamp may be constructed of a spring like material of any sort (e. g., plastic, metal), with opposing flat base clamp feet (e. g., approximately 1/8 inch thick by 3/8 inch wide by 1 1/4 inch long) that simultaneously surround and tightly hold together both sides of the spout of the grout tool, and yet allows a pre-desired and (through manual positioning of the base clamp feet) an adjustable fluid material flow to occur when pressure is applied to the tool.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of a grout tool having an envelope with an opening at a top edge, a fold edge, a grip edge and grip, and a spout, into which has been inserted a spout extension member of this invention, including an elongate tube having a first end bearing an enlargement/coupler portion, and terminating in a second end bearing a nozzle (not visible in this view), with a clip positioned on the extension member to prevent its retraction into the tool; Fig. 2 is a plan view of extension member clip; Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of a spout extension member; Fig. 4 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of a reduction nozzle positioned on the nozzle end of a spout extension member; Fig. 5 is a side elevation view of an adjustable clamp for a grout tool in place proximate the spout of the tool, illustrating the overhead surround ring and nose clamp fittings; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the adjustable clamp; and Fig. 7 is a front elevation view of the adjustable clamp.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of a grout tool 10 having an envelope 16 with an opening 18 at a top edge 20 thereof, a fold edge 30, a grip edge 32 and grip 22, and a spout 24, into which has been inserted a spout extension member 40 of this invention, including an elongate tube 42 having a first end 44 bearing an enlargement/coupler portion 46, and terminating in a second end 48 bearing a nozzle 50 (not visible in this view), with a clip 52 positioned on the extension member tube 42 adjacent tool spout 24, to prevent the tube's retraction into the tool 10.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of extension member clip 52, which may include spring tabs 54 for ease in loosening the clip for placement and removal. Clip 52 may be made of metal, plastic, or any other suitable material.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of a spout extension member 40. The extension member preferably terminates in nozzle 50, which may be tapered or straight, depending upon the desired application.

Thus, these extension members are used to extend/lengthen the reach of the spout (ejection end) of the grout tool. The extension members slide narrow end first into the grout tool starting at its large, rear, fill opening and onward through the inside material containment area, and slip snugly to protrude through the inside to the outside of the spout. The extension members have one wider end that stops the member, at the correct point, from going all the way through at the grout tool's spout. This same wider end on the next extension member to be added enables the snug insertion of the narrower nozzle end of the first extender to establish additional frictionally combined, extender lengths. The clip fits over the exterior of the first extension member and abuts the grout tool's spout, to prevent any reverse movement back into the grout tool due to outside pressures from leaning or pushing on the extension members.

Fig. 4 is a partially cutaway side elevation view of a reduction nozzle 60 positioned and releasably secured (e. g., by frictional engagement) on the nozzle end 48 of a spout extension member 40. These reduction nozzles may be designed in a variety of different configurations for material styles and placement. These nozzles may be constructed of PVC or any other suitable material.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation view of an adjustable clamp 70 for a grout tool 10 in place proximate the spout 24 of the tool, illustrating the overhead surround ring 72 and nose clamp fittings 74 of the clamp 70, while Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the adjustable clamp 70, and Fig. 7 is a front elevation view of the clamp 70. The surround ring 72 is an overriding, bent shaft that closely traverses over the top area of the spout 24 of the grout tool, and through its inherent spring tension ability simultaneously holds the integral clamp flat wings 74 firmly in place against both sides of the spout. The clamp can also be positioned to completely close off the spout.

The clamp is used to adjust the size of the opening at the spout (material ejection end) of the grout tool. The clamp's overhead surround ring 72 rests atop and encompasses the upper plane and sides of the grout tool at the spout end and via its inherent material spring tension it holds the clamp's nose clamp flat wings 74 firmly in a semi-closed position. The nose clamp flat wings press firmly against the outside edges of the grout tools spout, and can be used to adjust flow by manually sliding the nose clamp flat wings relative to the spout (e. g., starting from the grip edge 32 and towards the fold edge 30) to reduce the size of the spout orifice to the desired size.

While this invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it is obvious that modifications and changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art to which it pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is to be limited only by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.