Sealant applicator device and sealing method for making holes for gluering rod

Abstract

A sealant applicator device fills a void around a borehole with sealant in a Glued Rod (GIR) structure. A liquid sealant may be applied to the base of the borehole. A sealant applicator device is then inserted through the sealant into the base of the borehole. The sealant applicator device is then withdrawn while rotating. The sealant applicator device includes a wing-shaped section having a profile that forces sealant radially outward toward the wall of the bore into any void around the circumference of the bore and leaves a thin layer of sealant around the circumference of the bore.

Description

[0001] Priority Statement

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 961,018, titled "SEALANT SPREADER DEVICE FOR USE IN PREPARING HOLES FOR GLUED-IN-ROD STRUCTURES", filed on October 6, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] Glued-in-rod (GIR) systems are known where rods are glued into holes drilled in wood. This wood can be solid sawn timber or composed of engineered wood products such as structural composite lumber (SCL) or cross-laminated timber (CLT). In GIR, when glue is injected into the drilled holes to embed the rods, the glue leaks into the voids in the wood around the drilled holes. The leakage of the glue prevents there from being sufficient glue at the junction between the wood and the rods for a strong bond. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004] Figure 1 is a front cross-sectional view of a section of wood (such as cross-laminated timber) including a glued-in-rod according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0005] Figure 2 is an enlarged front cross-sectional view of a section of wood (such as cross-laminated timber) including a glued-in-rod according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0006] Figure 3 is a front view of a sealant spreader assembly according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0007] Figure 4 and Figure 5 is according to Figure 3 different perspective views of a sealant spreader device according to an embodiment.

[0008] Figures 6 - 8 is a view of a sealant spreader inserted into and removed from a hole according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0009] Figure 9 is a perspective view of a sealant spreader assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the present technology.

[0010] Figure 10 and 11 is according to Figure 9 different perspective views of a sealant spreader device according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 12 is according to Figure 9 an exploded perspective view of a sealant spreader device according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a sealant applicator device according to Figure 9 an embodiment.

[0013] Figures 14 - 16 is a view of a sealant applicator according to an embodiment of the present technology Figure 9 inserted into and removed from a sealant applicator insertion hole.

[0014] Figure 17 is a perspective view of a sealant applicator assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the present technology.

[0015] Figure 18 and 19 are different perspective views of a sealant applicator device according to Figure 17 an embodiment.

[0016] Figures 20 - 22 is a view of a sealant applicator according to an embodiment of the present technology Figure 17 inserted into and removed from a sealant applicator insertion hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Broadly described, the present technology relates to a sealant applicator device for filling voids around a drilled hole with sealant in a glued-in rod (GIR) structure. In wood structures, such as natural or engineered wood products, the wood may have voids. In natural wood, voids may exist in the grain of the wood. In engineered wood products, such as cross-laminated timber, voids may exist in the grain of the wood and / or where the wood pieces are fastened to each other. According to the present technology, before gluing a rod into a drilled hole, the sealant applicator device of the present technology can be used to apply sealant to the hole and force the sealant into the voids around the circumference of the hole. The sealant applicator device of the present technology can be attached to or include a rod. The sealant applicator device can be attached to one end of the rod, and the opposite end of the rod can be fitted into a drill bit to rotate the rod and the sealant applicator device.

[0018] In operation, a liquid sealant is applied to the base (bottom) of the drilled hole. The amount of sealant depends on the depth and diameter of the drilled hole. Thereafter, the sealant applicator device on the rod (commonly abbreviated herein as SSD) is inserted through the sealant into the base of the drilled hole. Then the SSD is withdrawn while rotating. The sealant applicator device includes a wing segment having a profile that forces the sealant radially outward against the wall of the hole into any voids around the circumference of the drilled hole and leaves a thin layer of sealant around the circumference of the drilled hole.

[0019] It should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the present invention to those skilled in the art. In fact, the present invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents of these embodiments, which are included within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. In addition, in the following detailed description of the present invention, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details.

[0020] The terms "top" and "bottom", "upper" and "lower", and "vertical" and "horizontal" that may be used herein are for exemplary and illustrative purposes only and do not mean to limit the description of the present invention, as the items cited can be interchanged in position and orientation. In addition, as used herein, the terms "substantially" and / or "about" mean that the specified dimension or parameter can vary within the acceptable manufacturing tolerances for a given application. In one embodiment, the acceptable manufacturing tolerance is ±2.5%.

[0021] For the purposes of this disclosure, a connection can be a direct connection or an indirect connection (e.g., via one or more other parts). In some cases, when a first element is said to be connected, fixed, mounted, or coupled to a second element, the first element and the second element can be directly connected, fixed, mounted, or coupled to each other, or indirectly connected, fixed, mounted, or coupled to each other. When a first element is said to be directly connected, fixed, mounted, or coupled to a second element, there is no intermediate element between the first element and the second element (except for an adhesive or molten metal that may be used to connect, fix, mount, or couple the first element and the second element).

[0022] First referring to Figure 1 , a front cross-sectional view of a GIR structure 100 is shown, and the GIR structure 100 includes wood 102, where rods 104 have been glued into bores 106 using an adhesive 108. In the following embodiments, the wood shown is cross-laminated timber (CLT). However, it should be understood that embodiments of the sealant applicator device for filling voids in a GIR structure can be used with any type of wood or lumber. In the embodiment shown, the wood 102 can be CLT, including plies 102a that are fixed together and extend in a first direction ( Figure 1 from left to right in Figure 1The slat layers 102b extend from the page). There may be multiple layers 102a and 102b that interleave with each other. The number of layers, the directionality of each layer, the thickness of each layer, and the number of slats in each layer are shown by way of example only, and each may vary in further embodiments. The number of rods 104 is also shown by way of example and may vary in further embodiments.

[0023] As described in the background section, before inserting the rod 104 into the borehole 106, the hole is prepared with a sealant to fill any voids in the borehole. Figure 2 An enlarged view of the GIR structure 100 is shown, showing a portion of the layer 102a sandwiched between a portion of a pair of layers 102b. The borehole 106 is shown passing through the layers of the wood 102, and the borehole 106 leads to voids 110 that surround the circumference of the borehole 106. These voids 110 may occur naturally in the layers 102a, 102b and / or may occur where the slats in the layers are not fully and directly fixed to each other. The number, type, and appearance of the voids 110 are shown by way of example and will vary in different embodiments.

[0024] Figures 3 - 8 A first embodiment of a sealant applicator assembly 114 for preparing the borehole 106 using a sealant layer is shown. As Figure 3 shown, the sealant applicator assembly 114 includes a sealant applicator device 116 attached to the first end of a rod 118. A device such as a drill bit (not shown) may be removably attached to the second end of the rod 118 to rotate the SSD 116 and the rod 118. Instead of a drill bit, a key, a crank, or some other instrument may also be fitted to the second end of the rod 118 to allow manual rotation of the SSD 116 and the rod 118.

[0025] As Figures 3 - 5 shown, the SSD 116 may have a cylindrical base 120 and a top 122 that includes a central hole 124 for receiving the rod 118, and a pair of wing segments 126. Each wing segment 126 extends 180° around the central axis of the top 122. The radius of each wing segment 126 starts at a minimum radius at 0° and increases to a maximum radius at 180°, which matches the radius of the base 120. The maximum radius portion of the first wing segment 126 intersects the minimum radius portion of the second wing segment 126 at a face 128. The area adjacent to the face 128 above the base 120 and the minimum radius portion of the wing segments 126 define a reservoir 130 for storing the sealant, as described below.

[0026] The base 120 can be integrally formed with the top 122, for example, during an additive manufacturing process. In additional embodiments, the base 120 can be separated from and attached to the top 122, and the sealant applicator device 116 can be manufactured by other methods. The base 120 and the top 122 can be formed of a rigid material, such as plastic or other polymers. In additional embodiments, the base 120 and / or the top 122 can be formed of a flexible or pliable material, such as rubber.

[0027] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the borehole 106 in the wood 102. The void 110 is shown connected to the circumference of the borehole 106. Also, the void 110 shown is merely exemplary and will vary in further embodiments. To fill the void 110 to prepare it to receive the glued rod 104 ( Figure 1 ), first, the sealant 134 is supplied to the base or bottom 106a of the borehole 106. The sealant 134 can be any of a variety of viscous fluids or pastes, such as the CI-GV adhesive from Simpson-Strong-Tie, headquartered in Pleasanton, California. The sealant 134 can be supplied to the base 106a of the borehole 106, for example, by injection through a tube (not shown) extending from outside the borehole 106 to the base 106a of the borehole 106. The amount of sealant 134 supplied to the base 106a depends on the depth and diameter of the borehole 106. In an embodiment, the amount of sealant 134 used is sufficient to seal any voids leading to the borehole 106 and leave a thin layer of sealant along the entire cylindrical surface of the borehole 106.

[0028] As Figure 6 shown, once the sealant 134 is in the base 106a of the borehole 106, the SSD 116 can be inserted into the borehole 106. The SSD 116 can be customized for the borehole 106. In particular, the diameter of the base 120 and the maximum diameter of the wing segments 126 together are slightly less than the diameter of the borehole 106. In an embodiment, the diameter of the base 120 and the maximum diameter of the wing segments 126 can be 1 / 8 to 1 / 16 inch less than the diameter of the borehole 106, but in additional embodiments, the difference between the borehole 106 diameter and the SSD diameter can be less than or greater than this range.

[0029] As Figure 7As shown, the SSD 116 is pushed downward onto the base 106a of the hole 106. The base 120 of the SSD 116 may include an axial channel 136 that allows the base 120 to be pushed downward through the sealant 134, where the sealant moves through the channel 136 above the base 120 and around the outer diameter of the base 120. Once the SSD 116 is pushed through the sealant 134, the sealant 134 is stored in the reservoir 130 at the top 122 of the SSD 116 and (possibly) in the space above the SSD 116.

[0030] As Figure 8 shown, the SSD 116 can then be rotated as it is pulled upward toward the mouth of the hole 106. As it rotates, the variable-radius wing segments 126 will force the sealant out of the reservoir 130 against the circumference of the hole 106 and into any voids 110, leaving a thin layer of sealant 134 along the entire cylindrical surface of the hole 106. After a single pass of the SSD 116 from the base 106a of the hole 106 to the opposite open end of the hole 106, the voids 110 can be sealed and a thin layer of sealant 134 can be applied along the surface of the hole 106. In an alternative embodiment, after multiple passes of the SSD along the length of the hole 106, the voids 110 can be sealed in a thin layer of sealant 106 applied along the surface of the hole 106.

[0031] The SSD 116 and the sealant 134 can form an airtight seal, preventing air from backfilling the hole 106 below the SSD 116 when the SSD 116 is pulled upward. Thus, a vacuum can be formed below the SSD 116 when the SSD 116 is pulled upward. This vacuum can disadvantageously cause the sealant 134 to be drawn into the vacuum and leak out through the channel 136 and / or around the outer periphery of the base 120 of the SSD 116.

[0032] This problem (and others) is solved by other embodiments of the present technology, and one such embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 9 - 16 Describe one of the embodiments. First, with reference to Figures 9 - 13 , a sealant applicator assembly 140 is shown that includes a sealant applicator device 142 attached to the first end of a rod 144. As described above, a device such as a drill or a manual instrument (not shown) can be removably fixed to the second end of the rod 144 to rotate the SSD 142 and the rod 144.

[0033] The sealant applicator device 142 of this embodiment includes a base 146 and a top 148. The base 146 includes a release slot 150, the purpose of which will be explained below. The top includes a pair of wing-shaped segments 152 oriented 180° from each other. Each wing-shaped segment 152 includes an upwardly biased blade 154 directly adjacent to the base 146, a downwardly biased blade 156 at the top of each wing-shaped segment 152, and a median blade 158. The purpose of these blades will be explained below.

[0034] As shown, for example, in Figure 12 and Figure 13 the exploded perspective view and cross-sectional view respectively, the SSD 142 further includes a pressure relief valve for preventing a vacuum below the SSD 142 when the SSD 142 is pulled upward out of the hole 106. In particular, a valve cap 160 is positioned within the base 146, and the valve cap 160 is connected by a spring 162 to a seat 164 within the body of the SSD 142. The spring 162 preloads a force sufficient to hold the valve cap in the valve seat 166 at the bottom of the base 146 in the absence of other forces on the valve cap 160. Due to the preloading of the spring 162, when the SSD 142 is pushed downward through the sealant 134, the valve cap 160 remains seated in the valve seat 166, as previously explained and further explained below. When the SSD 142 is pushed downward through the sealant 134, this prevents the sealant from entering the SSD 142 around the valve cap 160.

[0035] However, when the SSD 142 is pulled upward as previously explained and further explained below, at a certain point, the vacuum below the SSD 142 becomes large enough such that the pressure gradient above and below the valve cap 160 creates a force on the valve cap that exceeds the spring force holding the valve cap 160 in the valve seat. In this embodiment, the rod 144 and the interior of the SSD 142 can be hollow such that the pressure above the valve cap is ambient pressure.

[0036] The force exerted on the spring 162 by the valve cap 160 is the product of the ambient outside air pressure entering through the hollow tube and through the hollow body of the SD and the inner surface area of the valve cap 160. As an example, the inner diameter of the valve cap can be 0.625 inches, providing a surface area of 0.3068 square inches for the circular valve cap. At. If the ambient air pressure is 14.2 psi, then the force (product of pressure and area) due to the air pressure above the valve cap 160 is 4.4 pounds. Due to the vacuum, the force acting on the bottom side of the valve cap is 0.0 pounds.

[0037] Thus, a spring with a pre-tension less than 4.4 pounds (and having a moderate spring constant such that it does not resist a significantly greater load when stretched) will extend under a 4.4-pound load (created by the pressure differential) and create a gap between the valve cap 160 and the body of the SSD 142. When the SSD 142 is withdrawn, this gap will allow air to enter behind the SSD 142, thereby alleviating the vacuum effect. In an embodiment, the spring can be pre-loaded with a smaller force, such as 0.4 pounds, and a spring constant of 2.8 pounds per inch, to ensure that when the SSD 142 is withdrawn from the hole 106, the valve cap 160 will open easily. It should be understood that in additional embodiments, the pre-load on the spring 162 can vary outside of the above range, and the spring constant can be different.

[0038] In an embodiment, the valve cap 160 can have two tabs (or recessed slots) that engage with slots (or tabs) on the valve seat 166 to prevent the valve cap 160 from rotating. This prevents the winding / unwinding of the spring 162, which could otherwise change the spring pre-load force. In additional embodiments, the tabs / slots can be omitted.

[0039] Now referring Figure 14 , in this embodiment, the sealant 134 is initially supplied to the base 106a of the drilled hole 106 as described above. Once the sealant 134 is in the base 106a of the hole 106, the SSD 142 can be inserted into the base 106a of the hole 106 ( Figure 15 ). As above, the diameter of the SSD 142 can be customized to be only slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 106. The base portion 146 can include channels 136 as described above and / or release slots 150 as described below, which allow the SSD 142 to move into the base 106a, displacing the sealant 136 into a reservoir 168 above the base 146.

[0040] As Figure 16 shown, the SSD 142 can then be rotated as it is pulled upward toward the mouth of the hole 106. As it rotates, the wing segments 152 force the sealant 134 into any voids 110 leading to the hole 106 and leave a thin layer of sealant 134 along the entire cylindrical surface of the hole 106. The top 148 including the wing segments 152 can be approximately 4 inches long. This length can be greater than Figures 3 - 5 the length of the top 122 of the embodiment shown in Figure 10 and 11 . This elongated top 148 has several advantages. First, it allows each of the wing segments 152 to have portions with different orientations. Each wing segment 152 includes an upwardly biased blade 154 directly adjacent to the base 146, a downwardly biased blade 156 at the top of each wing segment 152, and a median blade 158 (numbered in

[0041] The upward-biasing vane 154 is angled in a first direction about the central hub of the top 148. When the sealant applicator assembly 140 is rotated correctly (i.e., clockwise when viewed from the top down), the angled profile of the upward-biasing vane 154 biases the sealant 134 upward toward the median vane 158 at the axial middle of the airfoil segment 152. When the downward-biasing vane 156 surrounds the central hub of the top 148, the downward-biasing vane 156 is angled in a second direction opposite to the direction of the upward-biasing vane. The angled profile of the downward-biasing vane 156 biases the sealant 134 downward toward the median vane 158 at the axial middle of the airfoil segment 152. The sealant 136 is pushed outward by the median vane 158, for example, into the void 110. Due to the upward biasing of the vane 154 and the downward biasing of the vane 156, the sealant is concentrated at the median vane 158, thus increasing the force that forces the sealant into the void 110. Therefore, the shape of these vanes is most effective in forcing the sealant 134 into the void 110.

[0042] In an embodiment, the upward-biasing vane 154 is longer than the downward-biasing vane 156 such that the net axial force (parallel to the central axis of rotation of the SSD 142) of the airfoil segment 152 on the sealant is upward toward the mouth of the hole 106. When the SSD 142 rotates and moves upward, this keeps the sealant moving into the void and upward, thus further ensuring that only a thin layer of sealant remains as the lining of the hole 106.

[0043] A pair of airfoil segments 152 also define a pair of reservoirs 168 in the space above the base 146 between the airfoil segments 152. Another benefit of the longer length of the top 148 is that it provides a reservoir that can hold a large amount of sealant 134 when the SSD 142 rotates and moves upward.

[0044] As Figure 16 shown, at some point during the upward movement of the SSD 142, the pressure difference above and below the valve cap 160 will become large enough to overcome the force of the spring 162 held in its seat in the base 146. At this time, air from outside the sealant applicator assembly 140 will travel in the direction of arrow A, through the rod 144, through the central cavity in the SSD 142 and into the hole 106 below the SSD 142 to equalize the pressure on the SSD 142 and prevent the sealant from being pulled back below the SSD 142.

[0045] As described above, the base 146 includes a release slot 150. In an embodiment, multiple passes of the sealant applicator assembly 140 may be required to properly remove the sealant, leaving only the coating hole 106 and a thin layer sealing the void 110. When the SSD 142 is reinserted into the base 106a of the hole 106 for a second (and further) pass, due to the sealant 134 on the SSD 142 after the previous pass and the sealant 134 on the wall of the hole 106 from the previous pass, the SSD 142 will again create an airtight seal between the base 146 and the surface of the hole. Thus, when reinserted into the hole 106 and the SSD 142 is pressed downward, this sealing effect will compress the air column within the hole 106. This compressed air can push the sealant 134 previously pushed into the void 110 even deeper into those voids, potentially exposing new unsealed voids and thus reducing the effectiveness of sealing the previously passed voids.

[0046] To overcome this problem, the base 146 may include a release slot 150. When the SSD 142 is reinserted, the release slot 150 may remain free of sealant 136, thus preventing pressure buildup below the SSD 142 when the SSD 142 is again pressed downward onto the base 106a of the hole 106.

[0047] In the above-described embodiments, the bases 120, 146 may have a diameter at least as large as the maximum diameter of the wing-shaped segments of the tops 122, 148. In additional embodiments, the SSD 142 may be similar to the SSD described above Figures 9 - 16 except that the base is smaller. This embodiment will now be described with reference to Figures 17 - 22 In the following description, components with the same reference numerals are identical in structure and operation to the components described above with reference to Figures 9 - 16 described.

[0048] Figures 17 - 19 A sealant applicator assembly 170 is shown, which includes a sealant applicator device 172 attached to the first end of a hollow rod 144. The sealant applicator device 172 of this embodiment includes a base 176 and a top 148. The top 148 includes a pair of wing-shaped segments 152 oriented 180° from each other. Each wing-shaped segment 152 includes an upwardly biased blade 154 directly adjacent to the base 146, a downwardly biased blade 156 at the top of each wing-shaped segment 152, and a median blade 158 as described above.

[0049] The base 176 in this embodiment has a reduced diameter so as to be narrower than the wing-shaped segments 152 of the top 148. As described above, the diameter of the wing-shaped segments 152 together is just less than the diameter of the hole 106, but the diameter of the base 176 is smaller, leaving a gap, for example, between the outer diameter of the base 176 and the wall of the hole 106 1 / 4 inches. It should be understood that the space between the base 176 and the wall of the hole 106 can be greater than or less than the space in other embodiments.

[0050] As noted, the sealant applicator device may need to pass through the hole 106 more than once to effectively seal all the voids 110 and leave a thin layer of sealant 134 coating the hole 106. The reduced diameter of the base 176 has the effect that when the SSD 172 is reinserted, no seal is created between the wall of the hole 106 and the SSD 172 at the base 176. When the SSD 172 is pushed downward during reinsertion ( Figure 20 and Figure 21 ), this allows air to escape upward (arrow A) from beneath the SSD 172. Since the outer diameter of the base 176 is no longer the same as the outer diameter of the wing segment 152, when the SSD is withdrawn, the wing segment 152 is entirely responsible for moving excess sealant upward toward the mouth of the hole. Since an airtight seal can be formed at the SSD 172 when the SSD 172 moves upward to displace the sealant, a pressure relief valve 160 and associated components can be provided as Figure 22 shown and as described above to prevent a vacuum from occurring beneath the SSD 172 when the SSD 172 moves upward.

[0051] After preparing the hole 106 by applying sealant 134 to the voids and leaving a thin layer of sealant on the wall of the hole 106, the sealant can cure or otherwise harden. Thereafter, the rod 104 ( Figure 1 ) can be glued into the hole 106 using glue or other adhesive. In alternative embodiments, the glue or other adhesive can be applied before the sealant 134 cures. In such embodiments, the sealant 134 can be more viscous than the glue or other adhesive used to secure the rod 104 in the hole 106. In such embodiments, the sealant 134 and the glue or other adhesive can cure simultaneously.

[0052] The various SSDs 142, 172 have been described above as having a pair of wing segments 152. However, it should be understood that the SSDs 142, 172 can have a single wing segment 152 or more than two wing segments around the circumference of the SSD, including, for example, three or four wing segments 152.

[0053] In summary, the present technology relates to a sealant applicator device for applying sealant to one or more voids surrounding a hole configured to receive a glued rod, the sealant applicator device comprising: a base configured to fit within the hole, and a top formed on the base and configured to fit within the hole, the top including a wing segment configured to force the sealant into the one or more voids when the base and the top are rotated and lifted out of the hole.

[0054] In another example, the present technology relates to a sealant applicator device for applying a sealant into one or more voids surrounding a hole configured to receive a bonding rod, the sealant applicator device comprising: a base configured to fit within the hole, and a top formed on the base and configured to fit within the hole, the top comprising: a reservoir configured to store a quantity of sealant; a wing-shaped segment having one or more profiles configured to force the sealant to move radially outward from the reservoir into the one or more voids when the sealant applicator device is rotated.

[0055] In another embodiment, the present technology relates to a method of sealing one or more voids surrounding a hole configured to receive a bonding rod, the method comprising: (a) supplying a quantity of sealant to the base of the hole; (b) inserting a sealant applicator device into the hole, through the sealant, to the base of the hole, the sealant applicator comprising a wing-shaped segment having a profile configured to move the sealant radially outward toward the wall of the hole upon rotation; (c) rotating the sealant applicator while lifting the sealant applicator out of the hole to force the sealant to move radially outward toward the wall of the hole into the one or more voids; and (d) transporting the sealant upward with the sealant applicator as the sealant applicator is rotated and lifted out of the hole.

[0056] The foregoing detailed description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A sealant applicator device for applying sealant into one or more voids surrounding a hole configured to receive an adhesive rod, the sealant applicator device comprising: a base configured to fit within the hole, and a top formed on the base and configured to fit within the hole, the top including one or more wing segments configured to force the sealant into the one or more voids when the base and the top are rotated and lifted out of the hole.

2. The sealant applicator device according to claim 1, wherein each wing segment includes a first portion having a first profile angled in a first direction, the first profile configured to bias the sealant upward when the base and the top are rotated and lifted upward.

3. The sealant applicator device according to claim 2, wherein each wing segment further includes a second portion having a second profile angled in a second direction opposite the first direction, the second portion configured to bias the sealant downward when the base and the top are rotated and lifted upward.

4. The sealant applicator device according to claim 3, wherein each wing segment further includes a third portion between the first portion and the second portion, the first portion and the second portion concentrating the sealant in the third portion.

5. The sealant applicator device according to claim 4, wherein the third portion forces the sealant into the one or more voids.

6. The sealant applicator device according to claim 1, wherein the wing segments are positioned 180° apart from each other.

7. The sealant applicator device according to claim 6, wherein an outer diameter of the base is less than an outer diameter of the two wing segments together, the smaller diameter base preventing an airtight seal of the sealant applicator device when the sealant applicator device is reinserted for a second pass of the sealant applicator device within the hole.

8. The sealant applicator device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure valve located within the base, the pressure valve opening to vent air into the hole below the sealant applicator device when the sealant applicator device is lifted out of the hole.

9. The sealant applicator device according to claim 8, wherein the pressure valve is biased against the base by a preloaded spring within a lumen of the sealant applicator device.

10. A sealant applicator device for applying sealant into one or more voids surrounding a hole configured to receive an adhesive rod, the sealant applicator device comprising: a base configured to fit within the hole, and a top formed on the base and configured to fit within the hole, the top including: a reservoir configured to store a quantity of the sealant; An airfoil segment having one or more profiles configured to force sealant from the reservoir radially outward into the one or more voids as the sealant applicator device rotates.

11. The sealant applicator device of claim 10, wherein the airfoil segment includes a first portion adjacent the base and having a first profile angled in a first direction, the first angled profile of the first portion being configured to bias the sealant upward when the base and the top are rotated and lifted upward.

12. The sealant applicator device of claim 11, wherein the airfoil segment includes a second portion furthest from the base and having a second profile angled in a second direction opposite the first direction, the second angled profile of the second portion being configured to bias the sealant downward when the base and the top are rotated and lifted upward.

13. The sealant applicator device of claim 12, wherein the airfoil segment further includes a third portion between the first portion and the second portion, the first portion and the second portion concentrating the sealant in the third portion, and the third portion forcing the sealant radially outward into the one or more voids.

14. The sealant applicator device of claim 13, wherein the first portion is longer than the second portion, the longer length of the first portion resulting in an upward bias on the sealant from the first portion being greater than a downward bias on the sealant from the second portion.

15. The sealant applicator device of claim 10, wherein the radius of the base is less than the radius of the airfoil segment, the smaller radius of the base preventing an airtight seal of the sealant applicator device when the sealant applicator device is reinserted into the hole.

16. The sealant applicator device of claim 10, further comprising a pressure valve located within the base, the pressure valve opening to vent air into the hole below the sealant applicator device when the sealant applicator device is lifted out of the hole.

17. The sealant applicator device of claim 16, wherein the pressure valve is biased against the base by a preloaded spring within the lumen of the sealant applicator device.

18. A method of sealing one or more voids surrounding a hole configured to receive a bonding rod, the method comprising: (a) supplying a quantity of sealant to the base of the hole; (b) inserting a sealant applicator device into the hole through the sealant to the base of the hole, the sealant applicator including an airfoil segment having a profile configured to move the sealant radially outward toward the wall of the hole upon rotation; (c) rotating the sealant applicator while lifting the sealant applicator out of the hole to force the sealant radially outward toward the wall of the hole into the one or more voids; and (d) When the sealant applicator rotates and is lifted out of the hole, convey the sealant upward with the sealant applicator.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step (c) of rotating the sealant applicator while lifting the sealant applicator out of the hole further coats the wall of the hole with a thin layer of sealant.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising providing an air passage through the interior of the sealant applicator to equalize the pressure above and below the sealant applicator when the sealant applicator is lifted out of the hole and / or inserted into the hole.

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