A bifurcated hose junction is provided for a pole mounted abrading device with vacuum assisted particulate removal. The junction is actuated by the movement of the sanding pad assembly. When a. short side of the rectangular sanding pad assembly is moved toward the tubular handle, the bifurcated hose junction is displaced laterally in relation to the linear axis of the handle. When a long side of the sanding pad assembly is moved toward the tubular handle, the bifurcated hose junction rotates in place, thereby allowing the sanding pad a comprehensive range of motion, in relation to the handle. The range of motion enables the operator to close the angle between sanding pad and the handle, and maintain planar contact between the sanding screen and the work surface, when working in constricted areas. The sanding pole of the application also provides an unobstructed passageway to maintain the laminar flow of the air stream, thereby reducing turbulence and conserving the energy available to transport the particulate to the vacuum source. Conserving energy maintains the efficiency of the system, allowing the operator to maintain a high sanding pace without reducing the effective removal of abraded particulate.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/153,759 filed Sep. 13, 1999 and is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/906,971 filed Jul. 16, 2001 abandoned.
A sander comprises a body member molded of polypropylene to which a soft pad member is integrally molded or directly bonded thereto. Preferably, the material comprising the pad member is of a thermoplastic elastomer material, such as Santoprene.RTM.. Significantly, when the pad member is molded directly to the body member, the pad has internal dimensions only slightly larger than the external dimensions of the body member so that, when the body member is located within the confines of the pad member, a secure fit is formed between these two members, without any space between them. Further, the respective dimensions of the body member and pad member give the sander a thick, one-piece appearance in side and end views. The pad member may also include a plurality of openings which help provide a "spongy" effect to the user, smoothing the peaks and reaching the valleys of an uneven surface upon which the sander is utilized.
