AU2020201678B2 - Dedicated puddle flange installation tool and associated method - Google Patents

Abstract

The recessing tool 1 may be used to grind a recess into a surface. It includes a central hub 2 defining an attachment formation 3 configured for coaxial attachment of the recessing tool 1 to a cylindrical member 4. An annular grinding portion 8 is radially disposed about the hub 2. The annular grinding portion 8 extends between an inner radius 9 and an outer radius 10. The inner radius 9 is sized so as to correspond to an outer radius of the cylindrical member 4 such that the outer radius of the cylindrical member 4 is disposed radially adjacent to the inner radius 9 of the annular grinding portion 8 when the recessing tool 1 is coaxially attached to the cylindrical member 4. 1/15 10 19 DETAILl A 8 19 9 20 A Fig. 2 3 19 20 1 Fig. 1 10 2

Description

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DEDICATED PUDDLE FLANGE INSTALLATION TOOL AND ASSOCIATED METHOD TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to tools and more specifically to devices, methods and kits associated with the creation of a recess for the installation of puddle flanges. Embodiments of the present invention find application, though not exclusively, in construction and renovation.

BACKGROUNDART

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia or elsewhere before the priority date of this application.

Various construction and renovation contexts make use of a flange, that is commonly known as a "puddle flange" or a "control flange" (said terms being used interchangeably in this document, including in the claims). One such context arises when it is necessary to provide for water to drain from a surface, such as a timber, compressed fibre or concrete floor, through a grate, and down a pipe. However, there is a risk that water may seep between the grate and the floor and into the floor cavity (rather than flowing down the pipe as intended). This is undesirable because it may lead to rotting and/or termite infestation. To address this potential problem building codes often mandate the use of flanges to form a water tight seal between the floor and the pipe.

Building codes also typically mandate that the flange be recessed into the surface such that the upper surface of the flange is flush with the surface into which it is recessed. A common technique used to form the recess involves placing the flange into a hole that has been formed in the surface into which it is to be recessed. A pencil or other marker is used to trace around the outer edge of the flange so as to mark the proposed outer edge of the recess on the surface. The flange is then removed from the hole and a cup wheel grinder is manually held in place so as to align the outer edge of the cup wheel with the marking. The user then powers up the grinder and continues to hold it in place whilst pushing downwards to cause the cup wheel to grind into the surface. Once the recess is formed as required and any loose particles have been cleaned away, the flange is glued into position.

It has been appreciated by the inventors, however, that in practice people often omit to recess the flange into the surface. This is mainly due to the difficulty in physically holding the grinder in the correct position during the grinding process. Rather, they often simply glue the flange straight onto the unrecessed surface. In such circumstances the flange installation is likely be non-compliant with the relevant building code.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome, or substantially ameliorate, one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.

In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a dedicated puddle flange installation tool for grinding a recess into a surface for installation of a puddle flange defining a hollow cylindrical member and a rim projecting radially from the cylindrical member, the rim defining an inner radius at the junction of the rim and the cylindrical member and an outer radius at the radially outer edge of the rim, the dedicated puddle flange installation tool including: a central hub defining an attachment formation configured for coaxial attachment of the dedicated puddle flange installation tool to a cylindrical member; and an annular grinding portion being radially disposed about the hub, the annular grinding portion extending between an inner radius and an outer radius, the inner radius of the annular grinding portion being sized so as to correspond to an outer radius of the cylindrical member such that the outer radius of the cylindrical member is disposed radially adjacent to the inner radius of the grinding portion when the dedicated puddle flange installation tool is coaxially attached to the cylindrical member; wherein the inner radius of the annular grinding portion and the outer radius of the annular grinding portion are sized so as to respectively substantially correspond to the inner radius of the rim of the puddle flange and the outer radius of the rim of the puddle flange.

In one embodiment the cylindrical member is a hole saw.

Preferably a number of grinding teeth are disposed on the annular grinding portion and the number of grinding teeth is between 8 and 16 inclusive.

Preferably grit is disposed on each of the grinding teeth and the grit is sized between grit and 160 grit inclusive.

Preferably each of the grinding teeth is curved such that the grinding teeth are in a turbo configuration.

Preferably a number of holes are defined within the central hub and the number of holes is between 6 and 14 inclusive.

In an embodiment diamond embedded teeth are disposed on the annular grinding portion.

Preferably the cylindrical member is coaxially attachable to an arbor to which a drill bit is coaxially attachable.

Preferably the inner radius of the annular grinding portion and the outer radius of the annular grinding portion are sized so as to respectively correspond with an inner radius of a flange rim and an outer radius of the flange rim.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a recess in a surface, the method including: providing a dedicated puddle flange installation tool as described above; attaching the dedicated puddle flange installation tool to a cylindrical member; forming a hole in the surface that corresponds to the outer radius of the cylindrical member; and using a power tool to rotate the dedicated puddle flange installation tool whilst the cylindrical member is inserted into the hole and pressing the annular grinding portion into engagement with the surface so as to form the recess.

In one embodiment the cylindrical member is a hole saw having a radially inner drill bit and a radially outer cylindrical member having teeth or grinding material disposed thereon, wherein the hole in the surface is formed by using the power tool to rotate the hole saw and pressing the hole saw into engagement with the surface to firstly cause the inner drill bit to drill a pilot hole and secondly cause the outer cylindrical member having teeth or grinding material disposed thereon to form the hole.

Preferably the cylindrical member is coaxially attached to an arbor and attaching the dedicated puddle flange installation tool to the cylindrical member entails threadedly engaging the dedicated puddle flange installation tool with the arbor and applying a fastener to resist unthreading of the dedicated puddle flange installation tool from the arbor.

In a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit for forming a recess in a surface, the kit including: an arbor; a cylindrical member coaxially attachable to the arbor; a dedicated puddle flange installation tool as described above, the dedicated puddle flange installation tool being coaxially attachable to the arbor; and a fastener engagable with the arbor so as to retain the arbor and the dedicated puddle flange installation tool in attachment.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a flange kit including: a dedicated puddle flange installation tool as described above; a flange defining a hollow cylindrical member and a rim projecting radially from the cylindrical member, the rim defining an inner radius at the junction of the rim and the cylindrical member and an outer radius at the radially outer edge of the rim; and an annular structure defining a first surface and a second surface, each of the first and second surfaces having water-proof adhesive applied thereto, the annular structure extending between an inner radius substantially corresponding to the flange rim inner radius and an outer radius substantially corresponding to the flange rim outer radius.

In one embodiment a first non-stick sheet is releasably attached to the water-proof adhesive on the first surface of the annular structure and a second non-stick sheet is releasably attached to the water-proof adhesive on the second surface of the annular structure. Preferably the first sheet is sized so as to be larger than the first surface of the annular structure and preferably the second sheet is sized so as to substantially correspond to the size of the second surface of the annular structure.

Preferably a hole is disposed centrally within the annular structure, the hole being sized so as to receive the cylindrical member of the flange.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, provided by way of example only, together with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a bottom view of a dedicated puddle flange installation tool in the form of a cup wheel according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a detail view of the region labelled 'A' in figure 1;

Figure 3 is a right-side view of the cup wheel, with the front, rear and left side views being identical;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the cup wheel;

Figure 5 is a sectional side view of the cup wheel, with the section line being taken through the center line;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cup wheel as attached to a cylindrical member;

Figure 7 is a side view of the cup wheel as attached to the cylindrical member;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a kit according to the invention;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the cup wheel and attached cylindrical member being withdrawn from a hole and recess that it has formed;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an annular structure for use in a flange kit according to the present invention;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a flange for use in the flange kit;

Figure 12 is a bottom view of a dedicated puddle flange installation tool in the form of a grinding disk according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 13 is a side view of the grinding disk according to the second embodiment;

Figure 14 is a sectional side view of the grinding disk according to the second embodiment, with the section being taken through line A-A of figure 12;

Figure 15 is a detail side view of the portion marked B on figure 14;

Figure 16 is a plan view of a toothless cylindrical member for use with the second embodiment;

Figure 17 is a left side view of the toothless cylindrical member shown in figure 16, including some hidden detail shown in dotted line format;

Figure 18 is a sectional side view of the toothless cylindrical member shown in figure

16, with the section being taken through line A-A of figure 16;

Figure 19 is a side view of an arbor for use with the first, second or third embodiments;

Figure 20 is a bottom view of the arbor shown in figure 19;

Figure 21 is a plan view of an arbor shown in figure 19;

Figure 22 is a bottom view of a dedicated puddle flange installation tool in the form of a grinding disk according to a third embodiment of the invention;

Figure 23 is a side view of the grinding disk according to the third embodiment;

Figure 24 is a plan view of a toothless cylindrical member for use with the third embodiment;

Figure 25 is a sectional side view of the toothless cylindrical member shown in figure 24, with the section being taken through line A-A of figure 24;

Figure 26 is a left side view of the toothless cylindrical member shown in figure 24.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As shown for example in figures 1 to 9, the first embodiment of the dedicated puddle flange installation tool (which is also referred to herein as a "recessing tool" for shorthand) is in the form of a cup wheel 1, which may be used for grinding a recess into a surface. Typically, the surfaces may be constructed of timber, concrete, compressed fibro, or the like, for example. The surfaces will often be flooring through which at least one puddle flange, as shown for example in figure 11, must be installed.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the cup wheel 1 may be made from any material having suitable strength and wear properties, such as steel for example. The illustrated embodiment of the cup wheel 1 is manufactured by moulding and is therefore formed as an integral unit.

The cup wheel 1 includes a central hub 2 that defines an attachment formation 3 in the form of a screw thread that is configured for coaxial attachment of the cup wheel 1 to a cylindrical member 4, which in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a hole saw 6. This attachment is made via an arbor 5 as best shown for example in figure 8. The arbor 5 is an axially extending bar to which both the cup wheel 1 and the cylindrical member 4 may be attached along its length and to which a drill bit 26 is coaxially attachable at the distal end. The proximal end of the arbor 5 has a hexagonal formation 11 configured to be firmly gripped in the chuck of a power tool.

Assembling the recessing tool entails firstly screwing the arbor 5 into a thread provided on an axial hole in the hole saw 6. Next a collar 13 having a hexagonally shaped central hole 14 is placed onto the middle hexagonal portion 12 of the arbor 5 such that it keys with the arbor 5. This collar 13 includes a pair of lugs 15 that mate with one of two pairs of corresponding holes 16 provided in the planar surface 17 of the hole saw 6. This effectively attaches the cylindrical member 4 to the arbor 5 to form the hole saw 6. Next the cup wheel 1 is attached to the arbor 5 by screwing the arbor 5 into a thread provided on the attachment formation 3. Finally, a fastener 7, such as a circlip for example, is releasably applied to the arbor 5 so as to resist unscrewing of the cup wheel 1 from the arbor 5. These steps assemble the recessing tool into the configuration illustrated in figures 6 and 7.

It will be appreciated that the above-described method of attaching the cup wheel 1 to the cylindrical member 4 is releasable by means of removing the circlip and then unscrewing the cup wheel 1 from the arbor 5. However, in another embodiment the attachment formation of the cup wheel is rigidly attached to the cylindrical member, for example by means of welding or the like. In yet another embodiment the cup wheel and the cylindrical member are formed together as an integral unit.

The cup wheel 1 defines an annular grinding portion 8 that is radially disposed about the hub 2. As shown for example on figure 1, this annular grinding portion 8 extends between an inner radius 9 and an outer radius 10. The inner radius 9 is selected so as to correspond to an outer radius of the cylindrical member 4. Hence, when the cup wheel 1 is coaxially attached to the cylindrical member 4, as described in the preceding paragraphs, the outer edge of the cylindrical member 4 is disposed radially adjacent to the inner edge of the annular grinding portion 8.

As mentioned previously, in one embodiment the cylindrical member 4 is a hole saw 6 that has a plurality of teeth 18 disposed in a circular formation at the distal end of the cylindrical member 4, which is suitable for cutting a hole into surfaces such as timber or the like. In another embodiment the hole saw replaces the teeth with a circular grinding tip for grinding a hole into surfaces such as concrete or compressed fibro, etc. Yet another embodiment dispenses with the teeth and the circular grinding tip altogether and instead the distal end of the cylindrical member simply terminates with an edge that is devoid of any cutting means. This embodiment simply functions as a pilot guide for use in pre-formed holes, such as holes formed by formwork in concrete.

A number of grinding teeth 19 are disposed on the annular grinding portion 8 of the cup wheel 1. The illustrated preferred embodiment has a total of 12 grinding teeth 19; however other embodiments may feature more or less grinding teeth 19. For example, one alternative embodiment has a total of 8 grinding teeth 19 and another alternative embodiment has a total of 16 grinding teeth 19.

Grit of varying degrees of coarseness may be disposed on each of the grinding teeth 19. The illustrated embodiment makes use of 80 grit; however other embodiments use courser 40 grit, which is typically more suitable for the grinding of concrete. Yet another embodiment makes use of 160 grit, which is typically more suitable for polishing.

Each of the grinding teeth 19 is curved so as to form a "turbine" shape. Together the grinding teeth form a turbo configuration, which helps to provide a stable grinding platform.

A number of holes 20 are defined within the central hub 2. This allows air to escape as the hole saw 6 progressively cuts into the surface. The holes 20 also generally promote air flow, which helps with cooling of the cutting surfaces on both the hole saw 6 and the annular grinding portion 8. The illustrated preferred embodiment has a total of 10 holes 20; however other embodiments may feature more or less holes 20. For example, one alternative embodiment has a total of 6 holes 20 and another alternative embodiment has a total of 14 holes 20. It will be appreciated that too low a number of holes 20 will inhibit air flow and too many holes 20 will potentially weaken the overall strength of the cup wheel 1.

The inner radius 9 of the annular grinding portion 8 and the outer radius 10 of the annular grinding portion 8 are sized so as to respectively correspond with an inner radius 23 of the rim 24 of a flange 25 and an outer radius 30 of the rim 24 of the flange 25. This ensures that the recess 28 created by the grinding action of the cup wheel 1 is appropriately sized to receive the rim 24 of the flange 25.

Using the cup wheel 1 to form a recess 28 in a surface 27 requires the cup wheel 1 to be attached to a cylindrical member 4 in the manner outlined above. If the surface 27 is timber, then the hole saw 6 with teeth 18 is used. This involves firstly using a power tool, such as a drill, to rotate the recessing tool and using the drill bit 26 of the hole saw 6 to drill a pilot hole at the proposed central position of the recess 28. Once that drill bit 26 pierces the surface 27 the drill is pushed further toward the surface 27 such that the circularly mounted teeth 18 of the hole saw 6 can cut into the surface and form the hole 29. If the surface 27 is concrete or compressed fibro, a different version of the hole saw is used, which replaces the teeth 18 with a circular grinding tip. Yet another scenario involves a concrete surface in which the hole is pre-formed by formwork that was used when the concrete was set.

In any event, once the hole 29 has been formed in the surface 27, the drill is then pushed toward the surface 27 such that the rotating teeth 19 of the annular grinding portion 8 of the cup wheel 1 are pressed into engagement with the surface 27 and grinding of the recess 28 may take place. During this grinding process, the cylindrical member 4 remains in position by virtue of being inserted into the hole 29 in the surface 27, which correctly positions the annular grinding portion 8 around the circumference of the hole 29. This compares favourably with the prior art technique, which requires the operator to hold the grinder in position whilst withstanding the numerous and unpredictable disruptive forces generated by the grinding process. Once the recess 28 has been formed to the desired depth, which generally substantially matches the thickness of the rim 24 of the flange 25, the rotation of the recessing tool provided by the drill may be stopped and the recessing tool may be withdrawn from the hole 29 in the surface 27, as illustrated in figure 9.

For ease of use and to promote sales, the cup wheel 1 may be marketed in the form of a kit including various parts needed to form a recess in a surface. The particular contents of such kits will vary depending upon the user's needs, however an example of such a kit may include the following parts as illustrated for example in figure 8: an arbor 5; a cylindrical member, such as hole saw 6, that may be coaxially attached to the arbor 5; a cup wheel 1 that may also be coaxially attached to the arbor 5; and a fastener 7, such as a circlip for example, that may be engaged with the arbor 5 so as to retain the arbor 5 and the cup wheel 1 in attachment to form the recessing tool.

The recessing kit mentioned in the preceding paragraph may be sold separately or in conjunction with a flange kit that includes: a flange 25 (as shown in figure 11); and an annular structure 22 (as shown in figure 10). The flange 25 defines a hollow cylindrical member 21 and a rim 24 projecting radially from the cylindrical member 21. The rim 24 defines an inner radius 23 at the junction of the rim 24 and the cylindrical member 21. This substantially corresponds to the inner radius 9 of the annular grinding portion 8 of the cup wheel 1. The rim 24 also defines an outer radius 30 at the radially outer edge of the rim 24, which substantially corresponds to the outer radius 10 of the annular grinding portion 8 of the cup wheel 1. The annular structure 22 is used to quickly and easily apply adhesive to the rim 24 of the flange 25 to glue it into the recess 28. The annular structure 22 defines a first surface 31 (i.e. the lower surface as illustrated in figure 10) and a second surface 32 (i.e. the upper surface as illustrated in figure 10) that is opposite to the first surface 31. Each of the first and second surfaces 31 and 32 have water-proof adhesive pre-applied thereto. Various types of water-proof adhesive may be used; however the illustrated embodiment makes use of a hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive that includes: styrenic block copolymers; tackifiers; plasticizers; and antioxidants. The annular structure 22 is sized to correspond to the size of the recess 28, which is substantially the same as the size of the area under the rim 24 of the flange 25. That is, the annular structure 22 extends between an inner radius 33 substantially corresponding to the flange rim inner radius 23 and an outer radius 34 substantially corresponding to the flange rim outer radius 30.

To keep the adhesive from setting, a first non-stick sheet 35 is releasably attached to the coating of water-proof adhesive on the first surface 31 of the annular structure 22. Similarly, a second non-stick sheet 36 is releasably attached to the coating of water-proof adhesive on the second surface 32 of the annular structure. 22. Both of these sheets 35 and 36 may be peeled off to reveal the adhesive coating in a ready-to-use state. To assist with peeling, the first sheet 35 is sized so as to be larger than the first surface 31 of the annular structure 22. This provides an overlap that can easily be grasped. Additionally, the first sheet is more rigid than the second sheet 36, which also assists with peeling and the general packaging and handling of the annular structure 22. The second sheet 36 is sized so as to substantially correspond to the size of the second surface 32 of the annular structure 22. A hole 37 that is sized so as to receive the cylindrical member 21 of the flange 25 is disposed centrally within the annular structure 22.

Once the user has completed the recessing of the surface 27 and has cleared away any dust and debris, the user peels the first sheet 35 from the annular structure 22 and threads the cylindrical member 21 of the flange through the hole 37 in the annular structure 22 until the adhesive coating on the first surface 31 of the annular structure 22 adheres to the underside of the rim 24 of the flange 25. The user then peels the second sheet 36 from the second surface 32 of the annular structure 22. The next step is to thread the cylindrical member 21 of the flange 25 into the hole 29 that was formed in the surface 27 until the adhesive coating on the second surface 32 of the annular structure adheres to the recess 28. The flange 25 has now been installed.

A typical embodiment of the cup wheel 1 is approximately 3.5 kg in weight and for at least some applications it may be advantageous to provide a lighter recessing tool for improved ease of operation. The second embodiment of the recessing tool 40 as illustrated in figures 12 to 15 has an approximate weight of 1.5kg and is suitable for forming recesses into fibreboard-type surfaces. The second embodiment of the recessing tool 40 is in the form of a 2mm thick grinding disk (as opposed to the cup wheel arrangement utilised in the first embodiment). This helps to minimise the amount of material and thereby reduce weight.

The second embodiment of the recessing tool 40 makes use of a layer of diamond embedded teeth, which defines the annular grinding portion 43 extending between the inner radius 44 and the outer radius 45 . The circular portion 46 within the inner radius 45 is smooth metal (i.e. is devoid of any layer of diamond embedded teeth). For at least some applications the use of diamond embedded teeth may provide a more efficient grinding action as compared to the large curved teeth 19 utilised in the first embodiment of the recessing tool 1. The diamond embedded teeth 42 are deposited by an electroplating process so as to form a uniform layer across the whole surface of the annular grinding portions 43. However, in other embodiments, the layer of diamond embedded teeth 42 is deposited across the annular grinding portion so as to form various shapes, such as triangles, spokes and so forth. These shapes are selected for suitability for the grinding of particular surfaces, such as particular grades of concrete, or the like.

The inner radius 44 of the second embodiment 40 is 75.5 mm and the outer radius is 120 mm. However, it will be appreciated that these dimensions may be varied so as to correspond to the dimensions of the particular flange for which the recess is to be formed.

The second embodiment 40 includes a stop 47 that is in the form of a coaxial circular ring that is axially spaced from the grinding plane as defined by the annular grinding portion 43. As best shown in figure 15, the stop is welded onto a 1 mm thick spacer 48, which is welded onto the non-grinding side of the grinding disk. The axial separation distance between the grinding surface and the lower surface of the stop 47 defines the maximum depth of a recess that can be formed with this recessing tool 40. The lower surface of the stop 47 is smooth metal (i.e. is devoid of any layer of diamond embedded teeth). Hence, in use, the operator grinds into a surface until a sufficient depth has been reached at which the lower surface of the stop 47 abuts the portion of the surface that surrounds the recess. At this point, impacting of the stop against the surface inhibits any further grinding. The maximum depth of the recess formed by the recessing tool 40 is 3 mm. The use of the1 mm spacer 48 allows the grinding disk to have a thickness of 2 mm rather than 3 mm.

Another advantage given by the stop is that if the full circumference of the stop 47 rests evenly against the surface, then the operator can be confident that the recess has been ground to an even depth.

Figures 16 to 18 illustrate an embodiment of a cylindrical member 50 that may be used in conjunction with the second embodiment of the recessing tool 40. It includes six radially positioned holes 51, which help to reduce weight and promote cooling air flow. Additionally, the holes 51 allow detritus to escape from the cylindrical member 50 during use. Four inner holes 52 are radially disposed about a central hole 53.

Figures 19 to 21 illustrate another embodiment of an arbor 54 to which the recessing tool 40 may be coaxially attached. This is achieved by threading the 6mm drill 55 of the arbor 54 through the attachment formation 56 until the attachment formation 56 abuts the collar 57 and then seating the pair of lugs 58, 59 into two of the four holes 52. The drill 55 is then threaded into the centre of the cylindrical member 4, 50 or 66 and the cylindrical member is then threadedly engaged with the thread 60 of the arbor 54.

Optionally, a dust shield may be utilised with the invention to help minimise the operator's dust exposure. The dust shield is shaped so as to cover the recessing tool and it is attached to the arbor 54 between collar 57 and collar 61. Spring 69 keeps the dust shield resiliently biased towards the recessing tool and allows for the dust shield to retract relative to the recessing tool as the recess deepens. The position of wing nut 68 may be threadedly adjusted so as to adjust the strength of the resilient biasing. The dust shield includes a vaccum attachment for evacutation of the dust from within the dust shield.

The third embodiment of the recessing tool 62 as illustrated in figures 22 and 23, which is also in the form of a grinding disk, has an approximate weight of 800g and is suitable for forming recesses into concrete surfaces. The inner radius 63 is 50.5mm and the outer radius 64 is 77.5mm. Once again it will be appreciated that these dimensions may be selected so as to correspond to the dimensions of the particular flange that is to be used.

Aside from the smaller dimensions, and the lack of a stop 47 and associated spacer 48, the third embodiment 62 is basically the same as the second embodiment 40.

Another embodiment of a cylindrical member 66 is illustrated in figures 24 to 26. It is sized for use with the third embodiment of the recessing tool 62. Due to its smaller dimensions as compared to the cylindrical member 50 shown in figures 16 to 18, this cylindrical member 66 dispenses with the six holes 51. Rather, this cylindrical member 66 features four regularly spaced holes 70 formed in the side wall. This hole allows for air flow and removal of detritus. Neither of the cylindrical members 50 and 66 have any teeth disposed on their distal rims 67 because they are intended for use in situations in which hole about which the recess is required is already formed. Hence, these cylindrical members 50 and 66 do not function as hole saws. Rather, they are simply intended to rotate within the hole so as to guide the grinding of the recess.

While a number of preferred embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (22)

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool for grinding a recess into a surface for installation of a puddle flange defining a hollow cylindrical member and a rim projecting radially from the cylindrical member, the rim defining an inner radius at the junction of the rim and the cylindrical member and an outer radius at the radially outer edge of the rim, the dedicated puddle flange installation tool including: a central hub defining an attachment formation configured for coaxial attachment of the dedicated puddle flange installation tool to a cylindrical member; and an annular grinding portion being radially disposed about the hub, the annular grinding portion extending between an inner radius and an outer radius, the inner radius of the annular grinding portion being sized so as to correspond to an outer radius of the cylindrical member such that the outer radius of the cylindrical member is disposed radially adjacent to the inner radius of the grinding portion when the dedicated puddle flange installation tool is coaxially attached to the cylindrical member; wherein the inner radius of the annular grinding portion and the outer radius of the annular grinding portion are sized so as to respectively substantially correspond to the inner radius of the rim of the puddle flange and the outer radius of the rim of the puddle flange.

2. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical member is a hole saw.

3. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a number of grinding teeth are disposed on the annular grinding portion and wherein the number of grinding teeth is between 8 and 16 inclusive and wherein grit is disposed on each of the grinding teeth, the grit being sized between 40 grit and 160 grit inclusive.

4. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each of the grinding teeth is curved such that the grinding teeth are in a turbo configuration.

5. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to claim 1 or 2, wherein diamond embedded teeth are disposed on the annular grinding portion.

6. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cylindrical member is coaxially attachable to an arbor to which a drill bit is coaxially attachable.

7. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to claim 6, wherein the attachment formation on the central hub is threadedly attachable to the arbor and a fastener is releasably engagable with the arbor so as to retain the attachment formation of the dedicated puddle flange installation tool upon the arbor.

8. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the dedicated puddle flange installation tool is a cup wheel or a grinding disk.

9. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a number of holes are defined within the central hub and wherein the number of holes is between 6 and 14 inclusive.

10. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a stop is disposed on the dedicated puddle flange installation tool so as to form an axial separation distance between the annular grinding portion and the stop to thereby define a maximum depth of a recess that can be formed with the dedicated puddle flange installation tool.

11. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the attachment formation is rigidly attached to the cylindrical member.

12. A dedicated puddle flange installation tool according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the attachment formation and the cylindrical member are an integral unit.

13. A method of forming a recess in a surface, the method including: providing a dedicated puddle flange installation tool as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12; attaching the dedicated puddle flange installation tool to a cylindrical member; forming a hole in the surface that corresponds to the outer radius of the cylindrical member; and using a power tool to rotate the dedicated puddle flange installation tool whilst the cylindrical member is inserted into the hole and pressing the annular grinding portion into engagement with the surface so as to form the recess.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the cylindrical member is a hole saw having a radially inner drill bit and a radially outer cylindrical member having teeth or grinding material disposed thereon, wherein the hole in the surface is formed by using the power tool to rotate the hole saw and pressing the hole saw into engagement with the surface to firstly cause the inner drill bit to drill a pilot hole and secondly cause the outer cylindrical member having teeth or grinding material disposed thereon to form the hole.

15. A method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the cylindrical member is coaxially attached to an arbor and wherein attaching the dedicated puddle flange installation tool to the cylindrical member entails threadedly engaging the dedicated puddle flange installation tool with the arbor and applying a fastener to resist unthreading of the dedicated puddle flange installation tool from the arbor.

16. A kit for forming a recess in a surface, the kit including: an arbor; a cylindrical member coaxially attachable to the arbor; a dedicated puddle flange installation tool as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12, the dedicated puddle flange installation tool being coaxially attachable to the arbor; and a fastener engagable with the arbor so as to retain the arbor and the dedicated puddle flange installation tool in attachment.

17. A flange kit including: a dedicated puddle flange installation tool as defined in any one of claims 1 to 12 a flange defining a hollow cylindrical member and a rim projecting radially from the cylindrical member, the rim defining an inner radius at the junction of the rim and the cylindrical member and an outer radius at the radially outer edge of the rim; and an annular structure defining a first surface and a second surface, each of the first and second surfaces having water-proof adhesive applied thereto, the annular structure extending between an inner radius substantially corresponding to the flange rim inner radius and an outer radius substantially corresponding to the flange rim outer radius.

18. A flange kit according to claim 17, wherein a first non-stick sheet is releasably attached to the water-proof adhesive on the first surface of the annular structure and wherein a second non-stick sheet is releasably attached to the water-proof adhesive on the second surface of the annular structure.

19. A flange kit according to claim 18 wherein the first sheet is sized so as to be larger than the first surface of the annular structure and wherein the second sheet is sized so as to substantially correspond to the size of the second surface of the annular structure.

20. A flange kit according to claim 18 or 19 wherein a hole is disposed centrally within the annular structure, the hole being sized so as to receive the cylindrical member of the flange.

21. A flange kit according to any one of claims 17 to 20 wherein the first sheet is more rigid than the second sheet.

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19

Fig. 5

1

19

4

Fig. 6

1 11

26 4 / 15

5

Fig. 7

5 / 15

18 25 14 2020201678

6

1

6 17

26 16 15 14 5 12

7 11 13 15 16

Fig. 8

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1 19 29 28 2020201678

27

4

Fig. 9

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36 35 33 22 2020201678

37

34 32

31

Fig. 10

25

21 23

30 Fig. 11

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56 40 43

42 44

46

47

Fig. 12

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47 47 48 42

40 42 40

Detail B

Fig. 15 Section A-A

Fig. 13 Fig. 14

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50 52

51

53

51

52

Fig. 16

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51

51

Section A-A

Fig. 17 Fig. 18

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54 57 68 58 61 55 2020201678

60 69 59

Fig. 19

68 58 57 61

59

Fig. 20 Fig. 21

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62 62

63

64

Fig.

22 Fig. 23

Fig. 24 14 / 15

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70 2020201678

66

66

67

70 70

67

Section A-A

Fig. 25 Fig. 26