Paint Brush Supports

Abstract

A paint brush support is provided for use with a paint pail having an open top and a pair of diametrically opposed hollow bosses axially apertured to accommodate the hook ends of a substantially semicircular handle. The holder extends across the top of the pail and downwardly along opposite sides thereof, and is provided with hook ends engageable in the hollow bosses. At least the central portion of the holder is preferably a helical spring.

Description

This invention relates to an improvement in paint brush supports, and deals particularly with a support for a paint brush which will hold it suspended over the paint pail when not in use.

Over the years, a great many devices have been produced for suspending the bristle end of a paint brush over the paint pail when the brush is not in use, and for scraping the excess paint from the brush during the painting operation. These devices vary quite considerably in form and shape. In some instances, the devices comprise a paint pail cover which extends only partially over the pail, and which may be used to form a brush support and scraper. In other cases, such devices may comprise a wire extending across the pail and having arcuate ends which are engaged in the groove which normally encircles the top of the can and which is designed to accommodate a downwardly projecting ridge on the paint pail lid.

While these previous devices are undoubtedly of assistance in accomplishing the desired result, I have found that they are deficient in certain respect. For one thing, supports which extend across a paint pail and support the bristle end of the brush accumulate paint, and over a period of time build up a coating which is adpt to chip off and fall down into the paint, causing hard lumps of hardened paint which mix with the paint and must be removed from the surface being painted. Furthermore, for the most part, the previous devices depend upon a frictional engagement of a portion of the device in the grooves surrounding the opening of the paint pail, and which is designed to accommodate the downwardly extending circular flanges of the cover, and which may be easily forced from place during the painting operation. One of the purposes of any such device is to prevent the paint from collecting in this groove, both for the reason that paint collecting in the groove will harden and prevent the cover from securely closing the can, and also for the reason that a build up of paint in this groove eventually causes the paint to overflow and run down the outer walls of the can.

I have found that the previous difficulties may be eliminated to a large extent by using a helical spring as the brush support. When the brush is rested upon such a helical spring, the paint tends to drain down from the brush and unto the coils of the spring. However, when the spring is removed, it may be stretched and allowed to return to its normal position, and any paint which is dried upon the spring tends to flake off due to the distortion of the spring coils. As a matter of fact, even after the paint has dried, the flexing of the spring will usually distort the paint coating on the springs efficiently so that the paint will flake off so that the spring is relatively free of paint when it is reused.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a means of retaining the brush support on the pail when it is in use. If the brush support loosens on the pail, not only is the brush liable to drop into the pail, but also the supporting device itself is likely to fall from place dropping to the floor or other surface over which the pail is suspended.

Most paint pails are provided with bosses designed to accommodate the handles by means of which the pail may be carried. These bosses are hollow, and are provided with apertures spaced outwardly from the walls of the pail in which the ends of the handle are engaged. I have found that by engaging the ends of the brush support in these bosses, the brush support is actually supported by means spaced from the edges of the pail and which are less likely to become disengaged during the painting operation.

Another feature of one form of construction of the device lies in the fact that the helical spring which supports the paint brush is readily adjustable relative to the means connecting the spring to the handle supporting bosses which have been described. The ends of the helical spring may be adjustably connected either to another spring or to a wire clip, either of which may be used to tighten the tension of the spring by merely winding the point of connection helically along the spring toward the center thereof. As a result, the device may be used to fit upon pails of different diameters without difficulty.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims .

In the drawings forming a part of the specification.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top of a paint pail showing a brush support which comprises a helical spring.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the pail shown in FIG. 1 showing the manner in which one end of the helical spring may be supported.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing helical spring means used for connecting the brush supporting spring to the external boss on the can.

FIG. 4 shows a simpler form of device which does not include the advantages of the helical spring, but does include the novel means of attaching the brush supporting means to the pail.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the brush supporting means shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a second modified form of construction in which the brush support comprises merely an elongated helical spring having hook ends, the spring being designed to extend diametrically across the top of the can, and the hook ends of the spring being designed to engage in the handle supporting bosses on opposite sides of the pail.

The brush supporting means A which is indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, is designed to extend diametrically across the top of the paint pail B. The paint pail B as is indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, usually include a cylindrical wall 10 having a bottom closure which is not illustrated in the drawings, and having a ring-shaped member 11 at its upper end which is crimped to the top of the wall 10 as is indicated at 12, and which includes an inwardly extending flange 13 connected to a generally U-shaped rim portion 14 which terminates at its inner edge along a rolled edge 15. The U-shaped portion of the ring forms a groove 16 which is normally designed to accommodate a downwardly projecting U-shaped ring on the can cover. Due to the normal resilience of the material used, this particular arrangement has been found very effective for tightly sealing paint cans. On the other hand, the groove 16 tends to form a natural receptacle for paint, as excess paint is usually wiped from the brush such as the brush C indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawings, and some of the paint usually drains into the groove 16 until this groove becomes filled or becomes overflowed. If the painter is sufficiently expert to recognize the problem, the painter will constantly swing the tip end 17 of the brush level at a minimum. However, with a less experienced painter, the groove 16 tends to fill with the paint, and it the painting operation continues over a sufficient length of time, the paint will become hard in the groove 16 and will prevent the tight sealing of the can lid.

The can D is also provided with a pair of diametrically opposed bosses 20 which project radially from the surface of the can, and which actually comprise hollow sleeve 21 having an axially apertured outer wall 22 which is often inwardly and indented as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The handle of the pail B usually comprises a generally semicircular loop 28 having hook ends which engage through the apertures 23 in the outer walls 22 of the bosses 20.

The brush support A indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings includes a helical coil spring 24 connected at opposite ends to the angularly extending anchoring brackets 25 designed to connect the spring 24 to the pail B. The brackets 25 each include a loop end 26 which is threaded between the convolutions of the spring 24 at one end thereof. Each arm of bracket 25 includes a generally horizontally extending arm portion 27, and a downwardly extending arm portion 29 connected thereto and terminating in a hook end 30. The angle between the arms 27 and 29, or the resiliency of the bracket itself, permits the hook end 30 to be engaged in the boss 20, while attached at its other end to one end of the spring 24.

FIGS. 3 of the drawings shows a slightly modified form of construction in which a helical spring 32 is substituted for the bracket 25. The helical spring 32 is provided with a looped end 33 adjustably engaged with the end of the transverse spring 24. The spring 32 also has at its opposite end a hook shaped portion 34 which is designed to engage in the aperture 23 of a handle boss 20. Obviously, the spring 32 may be substituted for the bracket 25 either at one or both ends of the spring 24.

The structure shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 lacks certain of the advantages of the previously described construction in that the member which acts as a support for the brush C comprises a straight wire member rather than a helical spring as is preferred. As is indicated in FIG. 5 of the drawings, the support D indicated in these figures includes a crossmember 34 which is of proper length to extend across the open upper end of the pail B, and includes arms 36 extending downwardly from opposite ends of the member 35. The downwardly extending arms 36 are provided with hook ends 37 which are designed to extend into the bosses 20 on opposite sides of the pail to secure the paint brush support B in place.

FIG. 6 of the drawings shows another modified form of paint brush support which is indicated in general by the letter E. This device comprises merely an elongated unitary helical spring 40 which is provided with hook ends 41. The spring 40 is of sufficient length to extend over the top of the paint pail, downwardly along portions of opposite sides thereof, and to permit the hook ends 40 to engage in the bosses 20 on opposite sides of the pail. This structure, while simple in nature, permits a single unitary spring to serve as the brush support and also as a means of holding the brush support to the pail.

In accordance with the Patent Statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in paint brush supports, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. A paint brush support for use in combination with a paint pail having a cylindrical body, having a closed bottom, and a pair of diametrically opposed hollow bosses secured to opposite sides of said body near the upper end thereof axially apertured to accommodate the hook ends of a generally semicircular wire handle, the support including a member adapted to extend diametrically across the upper ends of said body and including means extending downwardly along opposite sides of said body, said means including hook ends adapted to engage in said apertured bosses to hold said member in place extending across the top of said pail, said member comprising a helical spring, and said means extending upwardly along the pail sides and inwardly over the upper end of said body, and in which the ends of said member are adjustably connected to said means.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said means include a pair of helical springs.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which said means comprise angular arms.