U.S. patent number 3,679,319 [Application Number 05/106,049] was granted by the patent office on 1972-07-25 for cleaning attachment for elevated spray device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ashcombe Products Company. Invention is credited to Eugene A. Munchel, Henry M. Thornton.
United States Patent |
3,679,319 |
Munchel , et al. |
July 25, 1972 |
CLEANING ATTACHMENT FOR ELEVATED SPRAY DEVICE
Abstract
A cleaning attachment for an elevated spray device in which a
U-shaped bail supports an aerosol spray container in position to be
discharged at elevated locations such as in the eaves of buildings,
high windows, and the like. The attachment comprises a U-shaped
member having legs adapted to be connected to the legs of the
U-shaped bail by readily connectible means, and a cleaning device
is connected to the bight portion of the U-shaped member, the
cleaning means comprising selectively either a scraping blade,
squeegee blade, brush of suitable type, or a mop.
Inventors: |
Munchel; Eugene A. (York,
PA), Thornton; Henry M. (York, PA) |
Assignee: |
Ashcombe Products Company
(Dover, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
22309202 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/106,049 |
Filed: |
January 13, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
401/138; 15/121;
222/174; 15/245 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/203 (20130101); A47L 1/08 (20130101); B65D
83/285 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
1/08 (20060101); A47L 1/00 (20060101); B65D
83/16 (20060101); B65D 83/14 (20060101); A47l
001/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/162,174
;401/138,139,137 ;15/117,118,121,245,246 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Charles; Lawrence
Claims
We claim:
1. A cleaning attachment for an elevated spray device having a
U-shaped retaining bail extending along the sides of and across the
top of said spray device and the legs thereof extending along the
sides of a spray container, said attachment comprising a U-shaped
member having substantially parallel legs adapted to extend along
the legs of said bail of said spray device, means adapted to
connect the legs of said member to the legs of said bail, and
cleaning means connected to the bight portion of said U-shaped
member at a location above said aerosol spray container when such
container is supported by said device and said member is connected
to said bail.
2. The attachment according to claim 1 in which the legs of said
member are channel-shaped and the open faces thereof extend toward
each other and are adapted to receive the legs of said bail between
the flanges of the channels of said legs of said member.
3. The attachment according to claim 1 in which said cleaning means
comprises a blade member connected to the bight portion of said
U-shaped member, said bight portion of said member being positioned
in use in outwardly spaced position above and beyond the bight
portion of said bail of said spray device and the spray head of an
aerosol container when supported by said spray device and said
blade member being adapted to engage and loosen material desired to
be removed from an area where spraying treatment is desired.
4. The attachment according to claim 3 in which said blade extends
at an angle forwardly from said member and outward toward one side
of a plane extending through the legs of said member.
5. The attachment according to claim 4 in which the outer edge of
said blade extends in a direction substantially transversely to
said legs of said U-shaped member and said outer edge being shaped
for scraping purposes.
6. The attachment according to claim 1 in combination with the bail
of said spray device and in which said means to connect the legs of
said U-shaped member to said bail of said spray device comprises
interfitting means respectively on the legs of said member and
bail.
7. The attachment according to claim 6 in which said U-shaped
member of said attachment is formed from resilient material and the
legs thereof being adapted to urge said interfitting connecting
means into connected engagement with each other.
8. The attachment according to claim 7 in which said interfitting
connecting means comprise a pair of complementary recess and
projection means respectively provided on the co-engageable
portions of the legs of said U-shaped member and bail of said spray
device, said connecting means being operable to prevent relative
longitudinal movement between said member and bail and the flanges
of the channels of the legs of said U-shaped member receiving the
opposite sides of the legs of said bail of said spray device to
prevent relative angular movement between the legs of said member
and bail.
9. The attachment according to claim 6 in which the bight portion
of said U-shaped member is spaced from the bight portion of said
bail of said spray device, whereby the spray nozzle of an aerosol
container may be accommodated within said space between said bight
portions to permit discharge of sprayed material laterally from
said nozzle.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present invention comprises an attachment adapted to be
connected to an elevated spray device comprising the subject matter
of pending application Ser. No. 86,760, filed Nov. 4, 1970 in the
name of Carl J. Munchel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The convenience of utilizing an elevated spray device in locations
such as the eaves of high buildings, including barns and similar
structures, windows disposed at a substantial height and the like,
is set forth in said co-pending application referred to above. Said
application pertains primarily to a device adapted to support at
various elevations an aerosol spray container which is capable of
discharging any of a relatively wide range of different substances,
such as paint, window cleaning solutions, insect repellents, and
the like. Especially, in connection with the discharge of paint, it
is sometimes found that rust or loose paint which has formed upon
or peeled or partially flaked from a surface to be spray-painted
preferably should be removed by brushing or scraping before the
surface is painted. Similarly, in washing windows disposed at high
elevations by means of spraying window-cleaning solutions against
the window, to achieve the best results in cleaning the window, the
sprayed solution should be wiped from the window surface, such as
with a squeegee blade. Also, it may be that certain types of
material which may have accumulated upon the window require
scraping, brushing or mopping in order to assist in loosening and
removing the same incident to spraying it or otherwise applying a
suitable window cleaning solution.
It is recognized that the additional cleaning functions referred to
above might be achieved by suing independent tools also provided
with long handles similar to the handle upon the elevated spray
device comprising the subject matter of said co-pending
application. However, this requires the handling of a number of
different tools and especially the elongated handles thereof.
Further, supplying the additional elongated handles adds to the
cost of the equipment employed in the operation in which the
elevated spray is employed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal purpose of the present invention to provide an
attachment which may preferably be quickly and readily as well as
securely connected to an elevated spray device of the type
comprising the subject of said aforementioned co-pending
application, said attachment comprising auxiliary or additional
cleaning means basically in the form of a scraping blade to which a
brush, such as a wire brush, or a squeegee blade may be connected
for certain auxiliary cleaning operations, especially associated
with the cleaning of windows at relatively high elevations, and
with the removal of rust and loose paint from areas to be
painted.
It is another object of the invention to form the attachment so as
to be U-shaped, the legs thereof closely interfitting with the legs
of a U-shaped bail by which an aerosol spray container is
maintained in operative position within the spray device.
It is a further object of the invention to preferably form the
U-shaped attachment member from strip type channel stock material,
the dimensions of the channel preferably providing along the inner
faces of the legs of the attachment elongated spaces which closely
accommodate the outer portions of the legs of the U-shaped bail of
the elevated spray device to prevent relative angular movement
between the U-shaped member and bail.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide connecting
means in the form of complementary recesses and projections
respectively formed on the legs of the bail and U-shaped member
which, when interengaged with each other, prevent relative
longitudinal movement between the legs of the bail and U-shaped
member.
Still another object of the invention is preferably to form the
U-shaped member from resilient material adapted to maintain the
aforementioned interengageable recess and projection connecting
means in interengaged relationship.
Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as
other objects thereof, are set forth in the following specification
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprising a part
thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an exemplary elevated spray device to
which an attachment embodying the principles of the present
invention is connected in operative relationship.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the upper portion of the
elevated spray device and cleaning attachment shown in FIG. 1, but
illustrated on a larger scale than employed in said figure and
showing additional details of the structure.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the U-shaped bail per se of the
elevated spray device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the elevated spray device
and cleaning attachment shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of the
elevated spray device and cleaning attachment shown in FIG. 4 but
in which a squeegee blade is omitted from the cleaning blade of the
attachment.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a detail of the
structure shown in FIG. 4 as seen on the line 6--6 of said
figure.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of the
structure shown in FIG. 4, partly broken away to reveal details,
and showing the device in exemplary spraying operation against a
surface to illustrate the relationship between the spray device and
squeegee blade.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary end view of the blade and squeegee portion
of the structures shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, illustrated on a larger
scale than employed therein and showing a modified attaching
means.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary exemplary side elevation of a brush which
may be connected to a cleaning blade of the device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Details of the elevated spray device per se which are shown in the
various figures, especially FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, are described fully
in said co-pending application, Ser. No. 86,760, to which attention
is directed. For purposes of illustrating the function and
convenient results provided by the present invention, however, the
following brief description of the elevated spray device is
included herein for ready reference.
The elevated spray device comprises an elongated tubular handle 10,
the upper end of which fits within a socket 12 which extends
downwardly from a cup-like base 14 within which a pressurized,
aerosol-type spray container 16 is seated. In FIG. 2, the container
16 is shown as having a spray nozzle member 18 connected thereto.
The nozzle member 18 is of conventional type and is supported by
the upper end of a discharge tube connected to either a spring or
pressure operated valve of conventional type, not shown, which is
within the upper portion of the container 16. The upper end of the
nozzle member 18 is seated within the lower portion of an adaptor
20, the central portion 22 of which extends through a suitable hole
in the arcuate bight portion 24 of a U-shaped bail 26.
The opposite legs 28, as best shown in FIG. 6, preferably are
channel-shaped for purposes of receiving vertical ribs 30 extending
along opposite sides of the base 14. The legs 28 also are provided
with longitudinally extending slots 32, see FIG. 3, of limited
length which receive clamping bolts 34 which preferably have wing
nuts 36 threaded thereon. This arrangement is for purposes of
providing and maintaining desired longitudinal adjustment of the
bail 26 relative to the base 14 and the nozzle member 18 so that
when a push rod 38, which is fragmentarily shown in the lower
portion of FIG. 2, is moved upwardly by means fully described in
said co-pending application, the container 16 will be elevated a
limited distance relative to base 14, toward adaptor 20, so as to
open the valve and effect a spray from the nozzle member 18.
The attachment comprising the present invention is composed of a
U-shaped supporting member 40, which, as shown in FIG. 6,
preferably is channel-shaped in cross-section and the inner
surfaces of at least the legs 42 thereof are so dimensioned as to
closely receive the exterior surfaces of the legs 28 of the bail
26. By such arrangement, no relative angular movement between the
U-shaped bail 26 and the U-shaped supporting member 40 is possible
with respect to a horizontal axis extending commonly through the
parallel legs of said elements. The supporting member 40 may be
formed from any suitable material but preferably from material
which is resilient such as an appropriate aluminum alloy or other
non-corrodible metal, or metal which has been protected against
corrosion by applying a suitable coating thereto. If desired,
however, the supporting member 40 may be formed from synthetic
resin of appropriate type which is resilient and dimensionally
stable.
Although the legs 42 of member 40 preferably are substantially
parallel when connected to the bail 26, at least when the member is
disconnected from said bail, the legs of member 40 may extend at
their outer ends slightly toward each other from a true parallel
relationship so as to insure a close fit of the channelled
configuration of said legs with respect to the legs 28 of bail 26
when the attachment comprising the present invention is connected
to said elevated spray device.
For purposes of preventing relative longitudinal movement between
the legs of the bail 26 and supporting member 40, relatively simple
interengaging means are provided which are best illustrated in
detail in FIG. 6. It will be seen that said figure is taken on the
line 6--6 of FIG. 4. Preferably, the interengaging means are the
quick detachable type that require no tools to operate. Also, in
FIG. 3, it will be seen that the bail 26 is provided in the
opposite legs 28 thereof with recesses or holes 44 at predetermined
locations with respect to slots 32 therein. The lower portions of
the legs 42 of supporting member 40 are provided with inwardly
extending projections 46 which are complementary to the recesses or
holes 44 and are received therein.
The projections 46 are very inexpensively and effectively formed by
simply stamping the same by a suitable press operation into the
wall surfaces of the legs 42. If desired however, separate
button-like projections, not shown, may be fixed to said legs. Such
interfitting connecting means are highly suitable to prevent
relative longitudinal movement between the bail 26 and U-shaped
supporting member 40. If desired however, threaded thumb bolts or
bolts and wing nuts, and the like, may be used in lieu of the holes
44 and projections 46 to detachably secure member 40 to bail
26.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that very effective,
inexpensive and extremely simple means are utilized to interconnect
the cleaning attachment comprising the present invention with the
U-shaped bail 26 of the elevated spray device comprising the
subject matter of said co-pending application.
The supporting member 40 is provided with a bight portion 46 which,
at its central portion, preferably is relatively flat for purposes
of providing a seat 48 against which a base member 50 of a cleaning
blade 52 is connected by any suitable means such as a pair of
rivets 54. The blade 52, as best seen in FIG. 2, is in the form of
a trapezoid and is substantially wider at its outer scraping edge
56 than at the base 50. Also, particularly as shown in FIG. 5, the
scraping edge 56 may be sharpened, if desired, and it will be seen
from said figure that the extent of the blade and direction at
which it is angularly disposed with respect to base 50 are such
that said scraping edge 56 readily may be used to remove loose
paint, extraneous material which is stuck to a window for example,
or otherwise, either incident to the use of the spray device for
spraying purposes, or otherwise. Preferably, the blade 52 is formed
from relatively thin spring steel capable of limited flexing
without breaking. However, it may be made from other appropriate
material such as resilient, relatively stiff synthetic resin
resembling ice scrapers for automobile windows and windshields.
In addition to the attachment comprising the blade 52 which has a
scraping edge 56, said blade also serves as supporting means for a
squeegee device 58 which, for example, may comprise a flat metal
channel 60 with which a rubber blade 62 is secured by appropriate
means such as a plurality of rivets 64.
The squeegee blade 58 may be secured to the cleaning blade 52 by
one of several means. For example, in FIGS. 2 and 4, the connecting
means comprises interengaging nuts and bolts 66. However, for more
conveniently operated means, attention is directed to FIG. 8 in
which a thumb screw 68 is shown in enlarged manner which has a
threaded stem extending through a mating threaded hole 70 formed in
the squeegee device 58. The thumb screw 68 may be used in lieu of
the threaded nuts and bolts 66. Thus, it will be seen that the
squeegee blade 58 may be quickly removed from the cleaning blade 52
when a squeegee operation is not desired, such as when only the
scraping edge 56 of the cleaning blade 52 is to be used. However,
particularly when the spray device is utilized to clean windows or
other surfaces at high elevations, such as by using window cleaning
solutions which are sprayed against the exemplary surface 72, shown
in FIG. 7, the squeegee blade unit 58 is attached to the cleaning
blade 52.
Referring to FIG. 7, it will be seen that the spray nozzle member
74 is shown connected to the central portion 22 of the adaptor 20.
This is a different arrangement from that shown in FIG. 2 wherein
the spray nozzle member 18 is disposed between the adaptor 20 and
the top of the spray container 16. Under circumstances where it is
found desirable to use the arrangement shown in FIG. 7, it will be
seen that the dimensions of the upper portion of the supporting
member 40 are such that the upper end of the bight portion 46
thereof is spaced a suitable distance from the bight portion 24 of
the bail 26 that the spray nozzle member 74 readily is accommodated
and may form a spray discharge 76 which extends laterally and is
unimpeded in any way. From FIG. 2, however, it also will be seen
that the nozzle member 18 likewise may discharge laterally without
being impeded.
From the preceding descriptions, it will be seen that the present
invention comprises an attachment which permits auxiliary scraping
and similar forms of cleaning, as well as squeegee wiping
operations which may be conducted at high elevations by being
attached by a very simple means to the spray device which also is
adapted for operation at high elevations in accordance with the
principles described and claimed in said co-pending application,
Ser. No. 86,760.
Under circumstances where means other than a scraper may be more
suitable to remove loose or foreign material from a surface for any
of the above-described purposes, alternate means are illustrated in
FIG. 9. In said figure, it will be seen that an exemplary brush 78
is shown secured to cleaning blade 52 by suitable readily operable
means such as screws 80 and wing nuts 82. The brush 78 may be
relatively stiff, such as by having wire bristles, or it may have
softer bristles. Also, the brush 78 may be replaced by a suitable
mop, not shown, for dusting purposes, which may be attached by
means, such as those shown in FIG. 9, to blade 50.
The cleaning attachment comprising the present invention preferably
may quickly be removed from or connected to the bail member of the
elevated spray device without requiring the use of tools of any
kind. Further, an operator selectively may use the scraping blade
of the attachment per so or, when squeegee operations are desired,
the squeegee blade unit which comprises part of the attachment
structure, quickly and effectively may be attached for that
purpose.
While the invention has been described and illustrated in its
several preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the
invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein
illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in
other ways falling within the scope of the invention as illustrated
and described.
* * * * *