U.S. patent number 3,873,364 [Application Number 05/367,729] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-25 for paint roller sleeve washer.
Invention is credited to Joseph L. Smith.
United States Patent |
3,873,364 |
Smith |
March 25, 1975 |
Paint roller sleeve washer
Abstract
A downwardly opening hollow housing is provided including at
least interconnected top and side walls. A spindle is removably
journaled between the opposite end walls and is of a diameter to
snugly receive a tubular paint roller sleeve thereon. The top wall
of the housing includes a longitudinal slot which is slightly
laterally spaced relative to a vertical plane containing the axis
of rotation of the spindle and an outlet nozzle fixture is
removably slidably engaged in the slot and is adapted to have the
outlet end of a flexible water supply hose connected thereto for
discharging a downward jet of water from the lower end of the
nozzle along a chord of a paint roller sleeve supported from the
spindle for washing purposes. The top wall includes a spray
deflecting baffle which projects downwardly therefrom between the
slot and the aforementioned vertical plane and prevents water and
water diluted paint spray from being thrown upwardly through the
slot as a paint roller sleeve saturated with water and water
diluted paint is spun at high speed on the spindle.
Inventors: |
Smith; Joseph L. (Washington,
DC) |
Family
ID: |
23448367 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/367,729 |
Filed: |
June 7, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
134/138; 101/425;
134/149; 248/264; 134/144; 134/900; 492/17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05C
17/0245 (20130101); B44D 3/006 (20130101); Y10S
134/90 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B44D
3/00 (20060101); B05C 17/02 (20060101); B08b
003/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/27,38,248A ;68/213
;34/58 ;29/110.5 ;134/138,139,144,149,153,177 ;211/105.1
;248/264,268 ;401/197,208,218,220 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,253,958 |
|
Jan 1961 |
|
FR |
|
79,449 |
|
Jan 1934 |
|
SW |
|
Primary Examiner: Blum; Daniel
Attorney, Agent or Firm: O'Brien; Clarence A. Jacobson;
Harvey B.
Claims
What is claimed as new is as follows:
1. A paint roller sleeve washer comprising an elongated housing
including at least longitudinal opposite side walls and a
longitudinal top wall extending between and interconnecting the
upper marginal portions of said side walls, support means carried
by said housing for removably supporting a paint roller sleeve
within said housing for free rotation about its center axis and
with the latter extending longitudinally of said housing, one of
said walls having a longitudinal slot formed therein, a nozzle body
removably slidably engaged in said slot for guided movement
therealong and including a liquid passage therethrough with an
inlet end accessible from the exterior of said housing and adapted
to have the discharge end of a liquid pressure supply line coupled
thereto and an outlet end oriented relative to said axis so as to
be adapted to discharge a jet of liquid along a path lying on a
chord of a paint roller sleeve supported on said support means,
said support means including a shaft, an elongated support member
journaled on said shaft and adapted to have a paint roller sleeve
telescoped thereover for support therefrom, the end portions of
said shaft and said housing including first and second coacting
means removably supporting said support member in said housing,
said housing including opposite end walls from which said support
means are supported, said second coacting means being carried by
the inner surfaces of said end walls, said second coacting means
comprising a pair of support blocks supported from said end walls,
one of said blocks having a bore formed therein opening toward the
other block and the other block being constructed of resilient
material and having a keyhole opening formed therein whose lower
portion opens downwardly through the lower marginal portion of said
resilient block, said first coacting means including end portions
on said shaft seatingly receivable in said bore and keyhole
opening.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said one wall includes a
longitudinally extending inwardly projecting baffle extending along
said slot and shielding the latter from liquid spray spun off said
roller sleeve.
3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support member defines a
center axis and including longitudinally extending and generally
radially outwardly projecting ribs spaced thereabout, the opposite
end portions of the outer marginal edge portions of said ribs
including outwardly projecting extensions, said ribs being
constructed of stiff but bendable and at least somewhat resilient
material the outer marginal edge portions of said ribs being
provided with longitudinal slots closely adjacent and inwardly of
said extensions with said extensions being registered with portions
of the corresponding slots intermediate their opposite ends.
4. The combination of claim 1 including a length of flexible hose,
one end of said hose being communicated with the inlet end of said
liquid passage and the other end of said hose including means for
removable connection with an outlet for a supply of water under
pressure.
5. A paint roller sleeve washer comprising an elongated downwardly
opening housing including an elongated top wall extending between
and interconnecting the upper marginal portions of depending
opposite side walls, support means carried by said housing for
removably supporting a paint roller sleeve between said side walls
and below said top wall for free rotation about its center axis and
with the latter extending longitudinally of said housing, one of
said walls having a longitudinal slot formed therein, nozzle body
for traversing said slot and including a liquid passage
therethrough with an inlet end adapted to have the discharge end of
a liquid pressure supply line coupled thereto and an outlet end for
discharging a spray of liquid along a path lying on a chord of a
paint roller sleeve supported on said support means, said support
means including a shaft and means journaled on the shaft adapted to
have a paint roller sleeve supported therefrom with said sleeve
concentrically disposed relative to said shaft, the end portions of
said shaft and said housing including first and second coacting
means removably supporting said shaft in said housing, said second
coacting means comprising a pair of support blocks supported in
spaced relation below the opposite end portions of said top wall,
one of said blocks defining a bore opening toward the other block
and the other block being constructed of resilient material and
having a keyhole opening formed therein whose lower portion opens
downwardly through the lower marginal portion of said resilient
block, said first coacting means including end portions of said
shaft means seatingly receivable in said bore and keyhole opening.
Description
Most paints presently being applied through the use of a roller
sleeve are water soluble or water base paints and may be diluted
and/or dissolved by water when wet. Although water may be utilized
to dilute the paint on paint roller sleeves in many different ways,
the most commonly used method involves the positioning of the
roller sleeve (while mounted on the usual paint roller handle)
under a stream of water such as that which may be discharged from a
kitchen sink or garden hose. However, when a paint roller sleeve is
rotated at high speed by this method, water and water diluted paint
is spun off from the roller sleeve in all directions making the job
of cleaning a roller sleeve in this manner messy.
It is accordingly the main object of this invention to provide a
means for supporting a paint roller sleeve for rapid rotation about
its longitudinal axis and within a confined area while still
enabling a jet of water to be discharged on the periphery of the
roller sleeve in a manner to cause the paint roller sleeve to
rotate at high speed.
Another object of this invention, in accordance with the
immediately preceding object, is to provide an apparatus for
cleaning paint roller sleeves and which will enable the operator of
the apparatus to readily visually ascertain when the paint roller
sleeve has been cleaned of substantially all paint residue.
Another important object of this invention is to provide an
apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects and which may be
adjusted to rotatably support roller sleeves of different diameters
and lengths.
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated
herein is to provide a paint roller sleeve cleaner in accordance
with the preceding objects and which will conform to conventional
forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so
as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long
lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and
operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed,
reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part
hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paint roller cleaner constructed
in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional
view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section
line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the
plane indicated by the section line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and with an
alternate position of the water jet nozzle of the invention
illustrated in phantom lines; and
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially
upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10
generally designates the paint roller sleeve cleaning apparatus of
the instant invention. The apparatus 10 includes a housing referred
to in general by the reference numeral 12 and the housing 12
includes a top wall 14, opposite side walls 16 and 18 and a pair of
opposite end walls 20 and 22 interconnecting corresponding end
marginal edge portions of the top and side walls.
A resilient block 24 is secured to the central portion of the inner
surface of the end wall 20 by means of suitable fasteners 26
secured through the end wall 20 and the block 24. The block 24
includes a downwardly opening keyhole slot 28 and it is to be noted
that the block 24 is constructed of deformable and resilient
material.
The end wall 22 has a second block 30 secured to its inner surface
by means of fasteners 32 secured through the side wall 22 and the
block 30 and the latter includes a horizontal conical bore 34
formed therein opening toward and alined with the keyhole slot
28.
The end walls 20 and 22 each have two pairs of bores 36 formed
therethrough and the corresponding blocks 24 and 30 each have a
single pair of corresponding bores formed therethrough through
which the fasteners 26 and 32 are secured. Accordingly, each of the
blocks 24 and 30 may be laterally shifted between two positions
thereof.
An elongated spindle shaft 38 is provided and one end of the shaft
38 is rotatably and slidably received in the conical bore 34 formed
in the block 30 and the other end of shaft 38 is removably
frictionally retained in the keyhole slot 28 the bore 34 being
conical to allow angular displacement of the shaft 38 during
lateral displacement of the remote end of shaft 38 into and out of
the keyhole slot 28. The midportion of the shaft 38 has a support
member referred to in general by the reference numeral 40 journaled
thereon between thrust washers 42 rotatably and slidably disposed
on the shaft 38 and retained against movement away from each other
by cotter pins 44 secured through the shaft 38 immediately
outwardly of the thrust washers 42. The support member 40 includes
cylindrical opposite end sleeves 46 which are each provided with
radially outwardly opening and longitudinally extending grooves 48
in which radially outwardly projecting and longitudinally extending
fins 50 are secured. There are three fins 50 and they are angularly
displaced 120 degrees apart about the sleeves 46. In addition, the
opposite end portions of the outer marginal edges of the fins 50
include slight outward projections 52 and each of the fins 50 is
provided with longitudinal slots 54 spaced immediately inwardly of
the corresponding extensions 52. The fins 50 are constructed of
stiff but somewhat resilient material and accordingly, the
extensions 52 may be slightly radially inwardly displaced.
The top wall 14 of the housing 12 includes a longitudinal slot 56
spaced slightly toward the front side wall 18 from a vertical plane
containing the shaft 38. Also, the top wall 14 includes a
longitudinally extending forwardly and downwardly inclined
depending baffle 58 disposed between the aforementioned vertical
plane and a second vertical plane extending through the center of
the slot 56.
A nozzle body 60 is provided and comprises an elongated body having
a central depending and longitudinally extending extension 62 which
is slidably received in the slot 56. In addition, the body 60
includes a central upstanding hollow neck 64 and the lower end of
the neck 64 opens downwardly into an upstanding counterbore 66
formed in the body 60 and in turn terminating downwardly in a bore
60 opening downwardly through the center portion of the extension
62.
A section of flexible hose 68 is provided and one end of the hose
68 is secured to the neck 64 by means of a suitable clamp 70. The
other end of the hose 68 includes a suitable fitting 72 for
connection with a garden hose or the outlet end of a sink
faucet.
In operation, the fitting 72 is operatively connected to a garden
hose or sink faucet and the spindle or shaft 38 is removed by
pulling downwardly on the end thereof supported from the block 24
and thereafter withdrawing the opposite end from the bore 34.
Thereafter, the paint roller sleeve to be cleaned is slipped over
the roller support body 40 and centered with respect thereto.
Thereafter, the shaft 38 is replaced so as to be supported from the
blocks 24 and 30 and water under pressure is caused to flow through
the hose 68 after the nozzle body 60 has been engaged with the slot
56. It will be noted from FIG. 2 of the drawings that the downward
jet of water from the nozzle body 60 is directed upon the right
hand periphery of the paint roller sleeve designated by the
reference numeral 76 with the result that the roller sleeve 76 will
be spun at reasonably high speed in the direction indicated by the
arrows 78. As the roller sleeve is rotated on the spindle shaft 38
by means of the downward jet of water acting thereon the body 60 is
slowly moved back and forth along the slot 56 with the result that
the paint residue on the roller is continuously diluted with water
and spun off of the roller sleeve due to its high speed of
rotation. After continuing this operation for a short period the
water being spun off of the roller sleeve will be substantially
clear indicating that there is no paint residue remaining on the
nap of the roller sleeve 76. At this time, the block 60 is slid
toward one end of the slot 56 and the pressure of water discharge
may be increased so that the roller sleeve will be spun at higher
speeds in order to "spin dry" all of the roller sleeve except the
end portion thereof upon which the water jet is acting. Then, the
flow of water to the nozzle 60 may be terminated and the momentum
of the spinning roller and support 40 will continue to rotate the
roller at reasonable speeds for a sufficient period to
substantially "spin dry" the end of the roller sleeve last acted
upon by the water being discharged from the nozzle body 60.
The central portion of the lower marginal edge portion of the front
side wall 18 is provided with a relieved area 80 in order that the
housing 12 may be placed in a kitchen sink or the like over the
drain and the water and diluted paint being spun off of the roller
76 will be allowed to flow down into the drain of the sink. The
relieved area 80 may also be used in order to drain water from the
interior of the housing 12 should it be used in cleaning a paint
roller sleeve and yet not directly positioned over a drain, but
rather on any suitable flat surface.
Due to the direction of rotation of the paint roller sleeve 76
while being acted upon by the jet of water being discharged from
the body 60, the spray of water being spun off of the roller sleeve
76 will be blocked by the partition or flange 58 from passing
outwardly through the housing 12 by means of the slot 56.
Accordingly, the task of cleaning a paint roller sleeve by
utilizing the apparatus of the instant invention is not messy.
Also, as the water being used to clean the roller sleeve flows
clear underneath the relieved area 80 it may be determined that the
roller sleeve has had substantially all of the paint flushed
therefrom.
The apparatus may be constructed of any suitable material and will
be of such a weight and size as to be readily handled.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles
of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes
will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation
shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *