GB2132557A

GB2132557A - Paint or ink applicators

Info

Publication number: GB2132557A
Application number: GB08329053A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffery Cartwright
Original assignee: TWEEDYTEX Ltd
Current assignee: TWEEDYTEX Ltd
Priority date: 1982-10-29
Filing date: 1983-10-31
Publication date: 1984-07-11
Also published as: GB2132557B; GB8329053D0

Abstract

A hand-held applicator for applying a pattern or a design to a surface comprises a roller (1) having a cylindrical resilient cover (9) provided with permeable surface elements (11) which are supplied with paint or ink from a reservoir carried by the roller itself, by means of a capillary action. The reservoir may consist of a foam material from which the cover (9) is made, the latter having an impermeable outer surface, or may be housed within the roller and communicate with the surface of the cover through wicks or like means. In an alternative form, the applicator may be flat. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Paint or ink applicators The present invention relates to paint or ink applicators for manual use.

Hand-held roller applicators are well known for use in applying paint to surfaces, for example in interior decorating. It is also known to provide paint applicator rollers with specially profiled surfaces for applying a textured finish to a surface.

An object of the present invention is to provide an applicator for hand-held use, which incorporates a self-contained reservoir and which can print a selected pattern on a surface.

A paint or ink applicator according to one aspect of the invention comprises a roller having a cylindrical resilient cover provided with permeable surface elements for printing a pattern or design on a surface in use of the applicator, and at least one paint or ink reservoir carried by the roller and supplying paint or ink to the surface elements by capillary action in use of the applicator.

By incorporating a paint or ink reservoir in the roller and utilising capillary action to supply paint or ink to the printing surface the roller applicator can be embodied in a simple constructional form, without requiring separate external ink supply reservoirs or inking rollers.

The cover may be provided with an impermeable surface, the surface elements comprising permeable material forming the said pattern or design and communicating with the reservoir or reservoirs. For example, the impermeable surface may be printed or etched with a pattern of ink or paint flow apertures through which ink or paint is supplied, by capillary action, to the printing surface of the cover.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention the cover comprises a resilient layer of foam material which constitutes the reservoir or reservoirs, the surface elements comprising permeable surface portions of the resilient layer.

The applicator roller may be equipped with one or more paint or ink reservoirs, for example for printing different colours, communicating with respective surface elements through the resilient cover. The or each reservoir may be sealed, or may be refillable through a sealing cap or plug. The or each reservoir may communicate with the surface elements through pores or apertures in a core member which supports the resilient cover.

Alternatively the or each reservoir may communicate with the surface elements through wick or like means extending between the reservoir or reservoirs and the surface elements.

The surface elements of the applicator roller may be formed by permeable or absorbent material projecting in relief from an impermeable surface of the cover. Thus the surface elements may comprise wick, cotton or like absorbent material stitched through the surface of the cover.

The cover of the roller may take different forms.

For example it may comprise a resilient foam sleeve which constitutes the reservoir or reservoirs, the sleeve having a relief pattern or design with permeable portions constituting the surface elements for printing a surface in use of the applicator. The sleeve may be removable and may be interchangeable with sleeves having different surface patterns or designs.

The invention is not solely applicable to applicator rollers, but can also be embodied in hand-held paint or ink applicator pads.

Thus in another aspect of the invention there is provided a paint or ink applicator comprising a pad of resilient foam material acting as a reservoir and carried by a rigid backing member, the pad having an impermeable surface and being sealed at its edges, and permeable surface elements on the surface of the pad for printing a pattern or design on a surface in use of the applicator, said surface elements communicating with the reservoir by capillary action, and at least one filler aperture in the impermeable surface of the pad for introducing paint or ink into the foam material.

The pad may take the form of a cylindrical cover on a hand-held roller as described previously but in an alternative embodiment the pad and the backing member are flat and the backing member is provided with or attached to a gripping handle.

Such a hand-held pad may be used, for example, to apply paint or ink in corners of a wall or ceiling which cannot be reached by a roller, or may be used to print a decorative strip on a wall surface.

The paint or ink applicator according to the invention may comprise a roller rotatably supported on a handle and having on its cylindrical surface one or more paint- or ink-absorbent pads provided with permeable surfaces for printing a pattern or design on a surface in use of the applicator. In this case the or each paint or inkabsorbent pad of the applicator acts as a reservoir for the paint or ink. The or each pad can if desired be replenished with paint or ink as desired by the controlled pouring of paint or ink onto the pad surface, the paint or ink being absorbed into the pad by capillary action. Where more than one pad is provided different colours may be printed by the respective pads.

In one embodiment the surface of the roller carries a single absorbent pad formed with a number of raised or embossed areas having permeable printing surfaces. The surface of the pad, with the exception of the printing surfaces, may be covered with a sealant rendering said surface impermeable except in the raised or embossed areas.

When embodied as a hand-held pad the applicator may comprise a pad of paint- or inkabsorbent material carried by a rigid backing member, wherein the absorbent material is laminated, comprising two or more layers separated by impermeable membranes, each said layer communicating through respective capillary conduction elements with respective permeable surface elements on the pad. The laminated pad is abie to print simultaneously in paints or inks of different colours, stored in the respective layers of the pad.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a hand-held paint or ink applicator comprising a shaft carried by a handle and supporting a rotatable roller having an absorbent resilient cover, permeable surface elements on the cover for printing a pattern or design on a surface in use of the applicator, and at least one paint or ink reservoir carried by the roller and supplying paint or ink to the surface elements by capillary action in use of the applicator, in which the roller comprises at least one hollow cylindrical cartridge rotatably mounted on the shaft, the cartridge having a cylindrical permeable or perforated wall through which paint or ink flows in use of the applicator from a reservoir or reservoirs in the interior of the cartridge to the cover.

The or each cartridge with its self-contained paint or ink reservoir may be removed and replaced at will, so that different colours may be printed using the applicator. In a preferred embodiment the shaft supports a plurality of roller cartridges which are individually removable from the shaft, releasable clamping means being provided for retaining the cartridges on the shaft.

The user may select any desired combination of cartridges printing different patterns on a surface.

Furthermore, each cartridge may be subdivided internally to provide two or more reservoirs for different coloured inks or paints, each reservoir communicating with different surface portions of the cartridge to enable a muiti-coloured pattern to be printed.

Preferably the cartridges have interengageable spacer elements on their axial end walls for either (a) interlocking adjacent cartridges with their contiguous end walls in abutment with each other or (b) spacing adjacent cartridges apart axially on the shaft.

The or each cartridge may be provided with at least one filler hole for communication with the or each internal reservoir, each filler hole being closable by a plug in one of the axial end walls of the cartridge. The user may replenish the reservoir or reservoirs as described with a supply of paint or ink.

In one embodiment of the invention the hollow interior of the or each cartridge has a filling of absorbent material for impregnation with paint or ink, and capillary flow conduction elements extend from the absorbent filling through perforations in the cylindrical wall of the cartridge to the cover.

Capillary flow conduction elements may extend from the absorbent filling, to the permeable surface elements on the cover, the remainder of the cover being impermeable. The capillary flow conduction elements may, for example, be in the form of wicks of cotton or other material.

The applicator according to the invention can be made by commencing with a resilient foam layer of, for example, plastic or synthetic rubber foam, having an impermeable surface skin on one face, and applying the permeable surface elements, such as wicks, to one haif of the surface skin together with the necessary filler aperture or apertures. The layer is then folded upon itself with the impermeable skin outermost, and the outer edges of the layer then sealed, for example with neoprene adhesive. This forms a double layer pad.

The two folded-over layers may be bonded together, and are in any case held together by the edge sealing of the resultant pad. The pad is then wrapped around a roller, to form the cover of a roller applicator, or attached to a backing member, to form a pad applicator, with the half provided with the permeable surface elements facing outwards. Once assembled in this way the resilient foam layers may be charged with paint or ink through the filler aperture or apertures, which may conveniently be in the form of eyelet inserts in the surface skin. The filling of the reservoir formed by the foam pad may be carried out in the factory or by the user.

The applicator according to the invention may alternatively be made by simply coating a standard resilient foam paint roller with latex or other impermeable flexible material to render the surface, including the edge surfaces, impermeable, injecting ink or paint through the surface, or through a hole in the surface, and inserting wicks or like capillary elements through the surface to conduct ink or paint to surface printing elements on the outer surface of the roller.

The invention will be further described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying purely diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partly cut away applicator roller according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an applicator roller according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of an applicator roller according to a further embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an applicator pad according to the invention; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a paint or ink applicator roller according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic longitudinal cross section of an applicator adapted to be mounted on a roller, according to another embodiment of the invention; ; Figure 7 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of a paint or ink applicator pad according to the invention, for printing simultaneously in three different colours; Figure 8 is a perspective view, partly cut away, of a hand-held paint or ink applicator according to a further embodiment of the invention; Figure 9 is a diagrammatic axial sectional view of one of the component cartridges of the applicator illustrated in Figure 8; and Figure 10 is an elevational view of an applicator, assembled from cartridges in accordance with the invention.

The same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to designate the same or corresponding component parts.

Referring first to Figure 1, the illustrated roller applicator comprises a rigid hollow roller core 1 mounted rotatably upon a shaft 2 which, following the conventional construction of paint roller applicators, has an integral extension at one end which is bent through three right angles to form a handle portion 3 extending perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the core 1, in line with the centre of gravity of the latter. A handgrip 4 is mounted on the handle portion 3. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 the hollow roller core 1 acts as an ink reservoir and is subdivided into three reservoir compartments by means of transverse radial walls 5. The radially inner boundary surface of each reservoir compartment is defined by a central tubular wall 6 housing the shaft 2 and provided with bearings for the shaft.The radially outer boundary surface of each reservoir is defined by an outer tubular wall 7 provided with multiple pores or perforations 8.

A resiliently flexible cylindrical cover 9 is supported on the outer tubular wall 7 of the core 1. The cover 9 is made of synthetic plastics or rubber foam and has an outer impermeable surface layer 10 consisting of, for example, a rubber-bonded fabric or an impermeable fabric sheet.

Ink-permeable surface elements 11 are affixed to or formed in the surface layer 10 and define specific patterns to be printed on a wall surface by the action of the roller. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 the surface elements 11 consist of wick like elements of cotton or like absorbent material stitched through the impermeable surface of the surface layer 10 into the underlying resilient foam of the cover 9.

In use of the applicator illustrated in Figure 1 the reservoir compartments in the roller core 1 are first filled with ink through respective filler tubes 12, each of which is sealed at one end of the core 1 by means of a filler cap 13. The different axially spaced reservoir compartments can be filled either with the same ink or with ink of different colours according to the surface pattern to be printed.

Similarly, the pattern of the surface elements 11 on each axial section of the roller cover 9 may differ for those parts of the cover 9 which are in communication with the different reservoir compartments. The roller is pressed lightly against a wall surface to be printed and rolled over the surface in a conventional manner. As the roller advances over the surface the resiliently flexible material of the cover 9 is subjected to successive compression and expansion, and this, combined with the capillary action of the pores in the resiliently flexible foam of the cover 9, draws ink into the foam through the pores or perforations 8 in the outer wall 7 of the roller core. The ink is conducted to the surface elements 11 through a wick or capillary action, and is directly printed on a wall surface by the surface elements 11 as the roller advances over the surface.

Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which the roller core 1 is of a conventional construction with a rigid tubular core 1. Resilient cover sections 9a, 9b, 9c are fitted onto the core 1, each cover section comprising a resiliently permeable synthetic resin or rubber foam, the respective outer surfaces 1 Oa, 1 orb, 1 Oc, of the cover sections, including the edges, being covered by an impermeable layer of, for example, rubber-impregnated hessian or plastics sheet material.The impermeable surface 1 Oa, 1 or, 1 Oc of each cover layer 9a, 9b, 9c is provided with respective surface elements 11 a, 1 b, 1 1 c which project in relief from the respective impermeable surface and which, as described previously, are formed by wick-like elements of cotton or like absorbent material stitched through the impermeable surface layer. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 the foam layers 9a, 9b, 9c of the cover themselves act as ink reservoirs, each being sealed along their edges by, for example latex adhesive. Each foam layer can be charged with ink individually through respective filler holes 1 3a, 1 3b, 1 3c in the outer surface of the layer which is surrounded by an eyelet.It is not in practice necessary to plug the holes 13, since the ink is retained by capillary action in the underlying foam layers.

In an alternative version of the roller illustrated in Figure 2 the ink-bearing permeable layers 9a, 9b, 9c are charged with ink by injecting the ink into the layer, preferably through one of the permeable surface elements 1 a, 11 b, 1 1 c.

Adjoining cover layers 9a, 9b, 9c may be separated axially from each other, as illustrated in Figure 2, and the boundary edges of the respective cover layers may be shaped according to any desired pattern, as illustrated.

In the embodiment of Figure 2 the ink reservoirs are constituted by the pores of the flexible permeable cover layers 9a, 9b, 9c.

Figure 3 illustrates a further alternative embodiment in which the roller core 2 has cutouts or recesses 1 4 which accommodate respective sealed reservoirs 1 5 for ink or paint, each reservoir 1 5 consisting of a plastics bag which is either filled and sealed at the factory, or is refillabie through a sealable plug. Each reservoir bag 1 5 communicates through wick elements 16 with respective surface elements 11 carried by a resiliently flexible cover sleeve 9 which, in the assembled roller, encloses the core 1 and the reservoir bags 15 accommodated therein.

Although the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 has three axially spaced apart recesses for accommodating reservoir bags 15, it will be appreciated that in practice the recesses for accommodating individual reservoir bags 1 5 may be distributed and located at any desired positions on the roller core 1.

A flat hand-held pad for printing individual surface patterns on a wall surface may be used in conjunction with the roller applicators shown in Figures 1 to 3, particularly when it is desired to print patterns on a wall surface in relatively inaccessible areas, for example in corners, where a roller cannot reach. One such pad according to the invention is illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 4, and consists of a flat backing member 17 covered on one face by a foam layer 19, which in turn has an impermeable outer surface layer 20.

Surface elements 11 of permeable material communicate with the underlying foam layer, as described previously, and ink is supplied to the foam layer 1 9, either from an internal reservoir in the support member, or from an ink supply carried within the foam layer 1 9 itself.

The layer 1 9 is charged with ink through filler holes 13. The edges of the foam layer 1 9 are sealed with plastics or neoprene (not shown) before filling.

Although the illustrated embodiments of the invention employ surface elements 11 which project in relief from the impermeable surface 10 of the applicator, it will be appreciated that other surface elements may be employed. For example by suitably etching an impermeable surface a pattern of permeable areas may be printed or etched on the impermeable surface, by photographic or like means.

A suitable ink, or water-based paint, for use with applicators according to the invention is a very thin ink having good flow properties, preferably with a low viscosity in the range 0.5-2.5 poise at 2O0C. The ink when dry should have a good resistance to wear and should be water-resistant.

Figure 5 shows a hand-held roller applicator generally similar to that of Figure 1, but in this embodiment the hollow roller core 1 has a rigid cylindrical surface on which a number of separate paint- or ink-absorbent pads 21 are mounted.

Each pad 21 , which is made of felt, plastics or synthetic rubber foam, is bonded to the surface of the roller core 1 by means of adhesive and has a shape designed to print a predetermined pattern.

Each pad 21 is sufficiently dense not to be squashed appreciably in use of the roller.

When using the applicator roller illustrated in Figure 5 a suitable free-flowing ink, which may be solvent-based or water-based, or a paint of suitably low viscosity, is applied to the pads 21.

Each pad 21 is impregnated with ink or paint by simply applying the ink or paint to the surface of the pad 21 using, for example, a "dropper" or "squirter", the ink or paint being absorbed into the pad 21 by capillary action. When the roller is passed over a surface to be printed the permeable surfaces of the pad 21 come into contact with the surface to be printed and apply a paint or ink coating, the supply of paint or ink to the permeable surface of each pad being regulated automatically by the capillary action of the felt or foam from which the pad is made.

Since the paint or ink is retained in each pad 21 by capillary action it is not necessary to provide separate reservoirs for the paint or ink, the pads 21 themselves acting as reservoirs. Each pad 21 can be cleaned using suitable solvent and replenished with paint or ink of different colours as desired.

Figure 6 illustrates a variant of the embodiment of Figure 5 in which a resilient sleeve 22 is attached to a rigid tubular core 23 the diameter of which is such that it can be fitted over the surface of a standard paint applicator roller (not shown).

The sleeve 22 is made of felt or of resilient permeable plastics foam and carries on its surface an embossed pattern with raised or embossed areas 24 the outer surfaces of which act as permeable printing surfaces 25. The "depressed" surfaces of the sleeve 22, that is, the "valleys" between the embossed areas 24, are rendered impermeable by a coating of a suitable sealant such as, for example, Neoprene adhesive, indicated diagrammatically by reference numeral 26.

The resilient sleeve 22 in the embodiment of Figure 6 may be impregnated with paint or ink of a given colour, or alternatively different raised or embossed areas being separated from each other by impermeable membranes 27 within the sleeve 22.

Figure 7 illustrates a paint or ink applicator pad according to a variant of the embodiment of Figure 4, designed specifically for printing a pattern or design in more than one colour, in this example, in three colours. In this embodiment a pad 1 9 of paint or ink absorbent material is carried by a rigid flat backing member 1 7 of, for example, wood or plastics, formed with an integral handle 30. The pad 1 9 is in this case of laminated construction, comprising two or more layers, in this example, three layers 1 9A, 1 9B, 1 9C, separated from each other by impermeable membranes 31. Each layer 1 9A, 1 9B, 1 9C is made of felt or of absorbent open cell plastics foam so that it can be impregnated with ink or paint.The surface of the laminated pad 1 9 is provided with a number of permeable surface elements 11 A, 11 B, 11 C which respectively communicate with the layers 1 9A, 1 9B, 1 9C through respective capillary conduction elements in the form of wicks 32A, 32B, 32C. The conduction elements 32 may comprise respective wicks of cotton or the like rendered impermeable on their outer surfaces by a wax coating. Paint or ink impregnated in the respective layers 1 9A, 1 9B, 1 9C of the composite pad 19 is supplied by capillary action to the respective surface elements 11 A, 11 B, 11 C so that different colours are printed by these elements simultaneously in use of the applicator. The individual layers 1 9A, 1 9B, 1 9C may be replenished with paint or ink as required, through the exposed edges of the layers.

The surface elements 11 may comprise felt pads or other permeable surface areas, the underlying outer surface of the composite pad 28 being rendered impermeable by, for example, a surface layer 20 of Latex adhesive.

The flat pad applicator shown in Figure 7 can be embodied as a roller applicator similar to that illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. Thus the rigid backing member 29 may take the form of a rigid tubular core adapted to fit over a standard applicator roller. In this case the composite laminated pad 1 9 would comprise a laminated sleeve wrapped around the tubular core and bonded thereto.

Figure 8 illustrates a paint or ink applicator according to a further embodiment of the invention in which the roller core 1 is made up of a number of hollow cylindrical cartridges 1 A, 1 B, 1 C arranged coaxially and end to end, and clamped together on the shaft 2 by means of a clamping nut 40 engaged on a screw-threaded end portion 41 of the shaft 2. The clamping nut 40 may conveniently be in the form of a butterfly nut (Figure 10) which clamps the assembled cartridges 1 A, 1 B, 1 C between two washers 42, 43 on the shaft 2.

Each hollow cylindrical cartridge is in the form of a hollow cylindrical drum of rigid material, for example aluminium or plastics, assembled from two or more component parts. One form of construction of the cartridge 1 A is illustrated in Figure 9, the other cartridges 1 B, 1 C being similarly constructed. The cartridge 1 A comprises a hollow cylindrical shell 43 closed at one end by an integral axial end wall 44. A tubular bearing sleeve 45 is formed integrally with the end wall 44 and projects therefrom coaxially within the outer shell 43.

An annular end plate 46 closes the open end of the shell 43 and defines within the cartridge 1 A a reservoir 47 of annular cross section. In the illustrated embodiment the end plate 46 is provided with a filler hole 48 which is closed by a removable sealing plug 49. The reservoir 47 can be filled or replenished through the filler hole 48 when the plug 49 is removed.

The reservoir 47 may be filled with ink or low viscosity paint. In practice an absorbent filling 50 may be packed in the reservoir 47 and saturated with ink or paint. The filling 50 may for example be felt.

The cylindrical wall of the outer shell 43 of the cartridge 1 A is provided with multiple perforations 51 through which ink or paint passes to an absorbent resilient cover 9, for example of resilient plastics foam. The cover 9 is sealed on its external cylindrical surface and its two end surfaces by an integral impermeable skin 10 or by an impermeable surface coating of, for example, latex. Wicks 32 of cotton or other textile material, or any suitable capillary flow conduction elements conduct ink or paint from the perforated surface of the outer shell 43 to the impermeable surface of the cover 9, where the wicks communicate with permeable surface elements 11. The surface elements -11 may be in the form of cotton wicks attached to the outer surface of the cover 9, or other permeable surface portions formed, for example, by a selective etching or printing process.

To promote flow of paint or ink to the surface of the cartridge a fabric layer of, for example, cotton is preferably applied to the outer surface of the shell 43 before the cover 9 is fitted. This cotton layer serves to distribute the paint or ink to the wicks 32 passing through the thickness of the resilient cover 9 to the permeable surface elements 11 of the latter.

In use of the assembled roller ink or paint is supplied from the internal reservoir 47 of each cartridge 1 A, 1 B, 1 C to the permeable surface elements 11 of the latter so that the roller prints a predetermined pattern or design on a surface as it is rolled over the surface, the pattern or design being determined by the configuration of the surface elements 11. The cartridges 1 A, 1 B, 1 C may be filled with inks or paints of different colours as desired.

Each individual cartridge 1 A, 1 B, 1 C may be subdivided internally into two or more different reservoirs communicating through respective perforations 51 and wicks 32 with different permeable surface portions of the cartridge, so that the cartridge prints a pattern in more than one colour.

The assembled cartridges 1 A, 1 B, 1 C may be arranged in close juxtaposition on the shaft 2, as shown on the right hand side of Figure 3, so that the patterns printed by the cartridges do not show any appreciable discontinuity. For example, the adjacent cartridges (1 B, 1 C in Figure 3) may fit together in a predetermined relative angular position by the interengagement of interengageable male and female elements 55, 56 on their adjacent end walls so that the respective patterns printed by the two cartridges have a predetermined relationship to each other, or form a continuous pattern or design.

The cartridges of the roller may alternatively be spaced apart axially upon the shaft 2, as shown in Figure 3, where the cartridges 1 A, 1 B are spaced apart by utilising the male elements 55 as spacers.

This spaced apart arrangement of the cartridges may be employed where it is desired to use the roller to print a pattern or design with distinct portions, printed by the individual cartridges, separated by spaces.

The absorbent filling 50 in each cartridge reservoir is an optional feature: for some inks and paints such a filling may be unnecessary. Similarly, the impermeable outer surface skin or layer 10 on the cover 9 of each roller cartridge is an optional feature, provided that the edge surfaces of the cover are sealed. In general a sealed outer surface with specific permeable surface elements 11 such as wicks will be provided where a print of fine detail is required.

The distribution of the perforations 51 in the cylindrical shell of each cartridge 1 A, 1 B, 1 C, and the size of each perforation, will be a determining factor in the control of paint or ink flow to the surface of the roller. In a typical embodiment of the invention there would be sixteen perforations 51 each consisting of a 1/16 inch hole, arranged in four rows of four holes spaced apart equiangularly at 900 around the cylindrical surface of the cartridge. Another factor determining the ink or paint flow is the distribution of the capillary flow conduction elements such as wicks through the cover 9 of each cartridge into the internal reservoir 47.

Claims

1. A paint or ink applicator comprising a roller having a cylindrical resilient cover provided with permeable surface elements for printing a pattern or design on a surface in use of the applicator, and at least one paint or ink reservoir carried by the roller and supplying paint or ink to the surface elements by capillary action in use of the applicator.

2. An applicator according to Claim 1, in which the cover has an impermeable surface, the surface elements comprising permeable material forming the said pattern or design and communicating with the reservoir or reservoirs.

3. An applicator according to Claim 1, in which the cover comprises a resilient layer of foam material which constitutes the reservoir or reservoirs, the surface elements comprising permeable surface portions of the resilient layer.

4. An applicator according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the roller carries one or more paint or ink reservoirs communicating with the surface elements through the resilient cover.

5. An applicator according to Claim 4, in which the or each reservoir has a removable sealing cap or plug.

6. An applicator according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which the or each reservoir communicates with the surface elements through pores or apertures in a core member which supports the resilient cover.

7. An applicator according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, in which the or each reservoir communicates with the surface elements through wick or like means extending between the reservoir or reservoirs and the surface elements.

8. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims, having a number of reservoirs axially spaced along the roller and separated from each other.

9. An applicator according to Claim 2, in which the surface elements comprise permeable or absorbent material projecting in relief from the impermeable surface.

10. An applicator according to Claim 9, in which the surface elements comprise wick, cotton or like absorbent material stitched through the surface of the cover.

11. An applicator according to Claim 1, in which the cover comprises a resilient foam sleeve which constitutes the reservoir or reservoirs, the sleeve having a relief pattern or design with permeable portions constituting the surface elements for printing a surface in use of the applicator.

12. A paint or ink applicator comprising a pad of resilient foam material acting as a reservoir and carried by a rigid backing member, the pad having an impermeable surface and being sealed at its edges, and permeable surface elements on the surface of the pad for printing a pattern or design on a surface in use of the applicator, said surface elements communicating with the reservoir by capillary action, and at least one filler aperture in the impermeable surface of the pad for introducing paint or ink into the foam material.

13. An applicator according to Claim 12, in which the pad and backing member are flat and the backing member is provided with or attached to a gripping handle.

14. An applicator according to Claim 12, in which the backing member is a cylindrical hand held roller and the pad covers the cylindrical surface of the roller.

1 5. A paint or ink applicator according to Claim 1, having on its cylindrical surface one or more paint- or ink-absorbent pads constituting - said reservoir or reservoirs and provided with permeable surfaces for printing a pattern or design on a surface in use of the applicator.

1 6. An applicator according to Claim 15, in which the or each pad is made of felt or resilient plastics or synthetic rubber foam.

1 7. An applicator according to Claim 1 5 or Claim 16, in which the surface of the roller carries a single absorbent pad formed with a number of raised or embossed areas having permeable printing surfaces.

18. An applicator according to Claim 17, in which the surface of the pad, with the exception of the printing surfaces, is covered with a sealant rendering said surface impermeable.

1 9. A paint or ink applicator according to Claim 12, or Claim 13, wherein the pad is laminated, comprising two or more layers separated by impermeable membranes, each said layer communicating through respective capillary conduction elements with respective permeable surface elements on the pad.

20. A paint or ink applicator according to Claim 19, in which the rigid backing member comprises a roller rotatably supported on a handle, or a sleeve adapted to fit over such a roller.

21. A paint or ink applicator according to Claim 1, in which the roller comprises at least one hollow cylindrical cartridge rotatably mounted on a shaft, the cartridge having a cylindrical permeable or perforated wall through which paint or ink flows to the cover in use of the applicator from the reservoir or reservoirs, the or each of which is formed within the interior of the cartridge.

22. An applicator according to Claim 21, in which the shaft supports a plurality of roller cartridges which are individually removable from the shaft, releasable clamping means being provided for retaining the cartridges on the shaft.

23. An applicator according to Claim 22, in which the cartridges have interengageable spacer elements on their axial end walls for either (a) interlocking adjacent cartridges with their contiguous end walls in abutment with each other or (b) spacing adjacent cartridges apart axially on the shaft.

24. An applicator according to any one of the Claims 21-23, in which the or each cartridge has a filler hole closable by a plug in one of its axial end walls.

25. An applicator according to any one of Claims 21-24, in which the hollow interior of the or each cartridge has a filling of absorbent material for impregnation with paint or ink, and capillary flow conduction elements extend from the absorbent filling through perforations in the cylindrical wall of the cartridge to the cover.

26. An applicator according to any one of Claims 21-25 in which capillary flow conduction elements extend from the absorbent filling to the permeable surface elements on the cover, the remainder of the cover surface being impermeable.

27. A paint or ink applicator substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in any of Figures 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8and9or 10 of the accompanying drawings.