Nozzle for injecting a sealant into a crack

Claim 2

A nozzle for injecting a sealant into a crack in a structure, comprising: an elongated tubular member having an inlet end, an outlet end and a sealant passageway extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and a positioning spider at said outlet end, insertable into a hole drilled into said structure at a location intersecting a crack, said positioning spider having a hub and at least three lugs extending radially outwardly from said hub, each said lug having an inner end and an outer end, and a flex hinge for each lug connecting the inner end of the lug to said hub, wherein said positioning spider has a maximum diameter position in which the outer ends of the lugs inscribe a circle of a predetermined diameter, and said lugs being bendable about said flex hinges, to reposition said lugs from said maximum diameter position inwardly towards said tubular member, in response to insertion of the positioning spider into a hole having a diameter smaller than said predetermined circle.

Claim 3

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein when the positioning spider is in its maximum diameter position the lugs and the hub portion are substantially within a common radial plane.

Claim 4

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the hub includes a circular end cavity which is larger in diameter than said sealant passageway and which enlarges the sealant passageway at the outlet end of the tubular member, said hub including an annular boss which radially outwardly bounds the end cavity, said boss including an end surface, wherein sealant flowing through said sealant passageway will flow into and substantially fill said end cavity, and will flow from the end cavity into the crack.

Claim 5

A nozzle according to claim 3, wherein said positioning spider includes a circular region of reduced axial thickness surrounding said boss and defining said hinges, with each lug being substantially thicker than said region of reduced thickness.

Claim 6

A nozzle according to claim 1, comprising between six to eight lugs.

Claim 7

A nozzle according to claim 5, comprising eight lugs.

Claim 8

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said hinges are positioned radially outwardly from the tubular member a sufficient distance to allow the lugs to be bent towards the tubular member to where contact of the lugs with a drilled hole occurs closely adjacent the connection of the inner ends of the lugs to the flex hinges.

Claim 9

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the positioning spider has a minimum diameter position in which the lugs are bent towards the tubular member an amount sufficient to place the outer ends of the lugs substantially into contact with the tubular member.

Claim 10

A nozzle according to claim 8, wherein when the positioning spider is in its maximum diameter position the lugs and the hub are substantially within a common radial plane.

Claim 11

A nozzle according to claim 8, wherein the hub includes a circular end cavity which is larger in diameter than said sealant passageway and which surrounds the sealant passageway at the outlet end of the tubular member, said hub including an annular boss which radially outwardly bounds the end cavity, said boss including a generally radial end surface, wherein sealant flowing through said sealant passageway will flow into and substantially fill said end cavity, and will flow from the end cavity into the crack.

Claim 12

A nozzle according to claim 10, wherein when the positioning spider is in its maximum diameter position the lugs and the hub are substantially within a common radial plane.

Claim 13

A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is constructed from plastic, and said nozzle further includes a plastic closure plug sized to be snugly fittable into the inlet end of the tubular member, said tubular member and said plug being readily cuttable so that the tubular member, with plug installed, can be cut off substantially flush with the surface of the material to be repaired, following injection of the sealant into the crack.

Claim 14

A nozzle according to claim 12, wherein when the positioning spider is in its maximum diameter position the lugs and the hub portion are substantially within a common radial plane.

Claim 15

A nozzle according to claim 12, wherein the hub includes a circular end cavity which is larger in diameter than said sealant passageway and which surrounds the sealant passageway at the outlet end of the tubular member, said hub including an annular boss which radially outwardly bounds the end cavity, said boss including a generally radial end surface, wherein sealant flowing through said sealant passageway will flow into and substantially fill said end cavity, and will flow from the end cavity into the crack.

Claim 16

A nozzle according to claim 13, wherein said positioning spider includes a circular region of reduced axial thickness surrounding said boss and defining said hinges, with each lug being substantially thicker than said region of reduced thickness.

Claim 17

A nozzle for injecting a sealant into a crack in a structure which breaks an outer surface of said structure, comprising: an elongated tubular member having an inlet end, an outlet end and a sealant passageway extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and a positioning spider at said outlet end, said positioning spider having a hub which includes a circular end cavity which is larger in diameter than said passageway and which enlarges the passageway at the outlet end of the tubular member, said hub including an annular boss which radially outwardly bounds the end cavity, said boss including a generally radial end surface which is positionable against a surface of the structure, in a position communicating said end cavity with a crack in the structure, and at least three lugs extending radially outwardly from said hub portion, each said lug having an inner end and an outer end, and a flex hinge for each lug connecting the inner end of the lug to said hub portion, wherein said lugs are movable towards the surface of the structure, when the end surface of the annular boss is against the surface and the end cavity is in communication with a crack, whereby the nozzle can be connected to the structure by use of a putty cone surrounding the positioning spider and adhering to the structure to be repaired.

Claim 18

A nozzle for injecting a sealant into a crack in a structure which breaks an outer surface of said structure, comprising: an elongated tubular member having an inlet end, an outlet end and a sealant passageway extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and a positioning spider at said outlet end, said positioning spider having a hub which includes a circular end cavity which is larger in diameter than said passageway and which enlarges the passageway at the outlet end of the tubular member, said hub including an annular boss which radially outwardly bounds the end cavity, said boss including a generally radial end surface which is positionable against a surface of the structure, in a position communicating said end cavity with a crack in the structure, and at least three lugs extending radially outwardly from said hub portion, each said lug having an inner end and an outer end, and a flex hinge for each lug connecting the inner end of the lug to said hub portion, wherein said lugs are movable towards the surface of the structure, when the end surface of the annular boss is against the surface and the end cavity is in communication with a crack, whereby the nozzle can be connected to the structure by use of a putty cone surrounding the positioning spider and adhering to the structure to be repaired.

Claim 19

A nozzle according to claim 16, wherein said lugs have side surfaces which confront the surface of the structure to be repaired, and said lug side surfaces are normally offset axially from the end surface of the annular boss, towards the inlet end of the tubular member, and said flex hinges permitting movement of the lugs towards the surface of the structure to be repaired, to place the outer end portions of the lugs substantially against such surface when the putty cone is applied.

Claim 20

A nozzle for injecting a sealant into a crack in a corner region of a structure, such corner region being defined by first and second intersecting surfaces, comprising: an elongated tubular member having an inlet end, an outlet end and a sealant passageway extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and a positioning spider at said outlet end, insertable into the corner region of the structure at a location of a crack, said positioning spider having a hub and at least four lugs extending radially outwardly from said hub, each said lug having an inner end and an outer end, and a flex hinge for each lug connecting the inner end of the lug to said hub, wherein said positioning spider can be moved into the corner region, with at least a first pair of lugs in contact with the first surface and at least a second pair of lugs in contact with the second surface, and the lugs will bend at the flex hinges to allow close placement of the outlet end of the tubular member with the crack in the corner region of the structure, whereby a putty cone can be placed about the positioning spider and used for securing the nozzle to the first and second surfaces.

Claim 21

A nozzle for injecting a sealant into a crack in a corner region of a structure, such corner region being defined by first and second intersecting surfaces, comprising: an elongated tubular member having an inlet end, an outlet end and a sealant passageway extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and a positioning spider at said outlet end, insertable into the corner region of the structure at a location of a crack, said positioning spider having a hub and at least four lugs extending radially outwardly from said hub, each said lug having an inner end and an outer end, and a flex hinge for each lug connecting the inner end of the lug to said hub, wherein said positioning spider can be moved into the corner region, with at least a first pair of lugs in contact with the first surface and at least a second pair of lugs in contact with the second surface, and the lugs will bend at the flex hinges to allow close placement of the outlet end of the tubular member with the crack in the corner region of the structure, whereby a putty cone can be placed about the positioning spider and used for securing the nozzle to the first and second surfaces.

Claim 22

A nozzle according to claim 18, wherein the hub portion includes a circular end cavity which is larger in diameter than said passageway and which surrounds the passageway at the outlet end of the tubular member, and said positioning spider includes a circular region of reduced axial thickness surrounding said boss and defining said hinges, with each lug being substantially thicker than said region of reduced thickness.

Claim 23

A nozzle according to claim 19, comprising between six to eight lugs.