GB2270464A

GB2270464A - Cleaning paint brushes and rollers

Info

Publication number: GB2270464A
Application number: GB9317842A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Darby Harris
Original assignee: LG Harris and Co Ltd
Current assignee: LG Harris and Co Ltd
Priority date: 1992-09-12
Filing date: 1993-08-27
Publication date: 1994-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 2013-08-27
Also published as: GB2270464B; GB9317842D0

Abstract

A paint brush and roller cleaning device for removing surplus paint adhered to a brush or roller, prior to the application of cleaning liquid to the brush or roller. The device comprises a handle (1) and a blade (2) which has a toothed portion (7) and an arcuately recessed portion (8), the toothed portion (7) being adapted for drawing through the bristles of a paint brush to remove paint therefrom, and the arcuately recessed portion (8) being adapted to fit over part of the circumference of the paint applying surface of a paint roller and to be drawn along the surface to wipe paint from the surface. The blade may also have a part (14) shaped for use in prizing the lid off a paint tin. <IMAGE>

Description

PAINT BRUSH AND ROLLER CLEANING DEVICE This invention relates to a paint brush and roller cleaning device.

Before washing a used paint brush or roller or applying cleaning liquid to it it is desirable to remove as much of the surplus paint adhered to the brush or roller as possible. Removal of the surplus paint can be a messy process.

The present invention is aimed at facilitating the cleaning process.

According to the present invention a paint brush and roller cleaning device is provided comprising a handle and a blade which has a toothed portion and an arcuately recessed portion, the toothed portion being adapted for drawing through the bristles of a paint brush to remove paint therefrom, and the arcuately recessed portion being adapted to fit over part of the circumference of the paint applying surface of a paint roller and to be drawn along the surface to wipe paint from the surface.

The device can be applied to a paint brush or roller holding the device by the handle and the paint brush or roller by its handle, so that the user's hands can be kept well away from the paint on the brush or roller. Paint which is extracted from the bristles or roller surface as the device is applied may be collected in a suitable receptacle and that which collects on the blade may subsequently be scraped into the receptacle or disposed of.

Preferably the toothed portion and arcuately recessed portion are at opposite edges of the blade.

The blade may be relatively broad and have the toothed and arcuately recessed portions at opposite sides of its width. Conveniently the blade extends from the handle substantially centrally of a central longitudinal axis of the handle and the toothed and arcuately recessed portions are at opposite sides of, and directed away from, that central longitudinal axis.

As an addition the blade may have a part shaped for use in prizing the lid off a paint tin. That part is preferably remote from and in line with the handle for leverage advantage.

Preferably the arcuately recessed portion is shaped to extend over substantially half the circumference of the paint applying surface of a paint roller. The paint applying surface of a paint roller is usually formed by a sleeve of absorbant material, for example a plastics sponge material, on a supporting axle. The- arcuately recessed portion preferably has an arc which corresponds to, or may even be slightly less than, the normal curvature of the external surface of such a sleeve. By having the portion shaped to fit closely over the surface of the sleeve and manipulating the blade so that the sleeve is compressed as the portion is drawn along it, not only is paint already at the surface wiped off but also paint within the sleeve is caused to be exuded at the surface to be wiped away as well.

We prefer to make the blade of steel but it may be made of another metal, a plastics or other suitable material if desired.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevational view of a paint brush and roller cleaning device in accordance with the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the device being applied to a paint brush, and Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the device being applied to a paint roller.

In this embodiment the paint brush and roller cleaning device comprises an elongate handle 1, preferably made of wood, and a blade 2, preferably made of steel, for example a high carbon steel, sheet material, secured to one end of the handle. The blade 2 is substantially rigid.

The blade 2 has a stem portion 3 which is secured, as by rivets 4, in a slot 5 in the one end of the handle 1, and an appreciably wider operative part 6.

The blade is secured so that it lies in a central plane of the handle and a central longitudinal axis X of the handle extends substantially centrally of the operative part 6.

At the operative part 6 the blade 2 is formed with a toothed portion 7 along one edge to one side of the longitudinal axis X, and with an arcuately recessed portion 8 at an opposite edge at the opposite side of the longitudinal axis X. The edges containing the toothed portion 7 and arcuately recessed portion 8 converge to some extent away from the handle towards an end edge 9 of the operative part 6. Teeth 10 of the toothed portion 7 are of similar elongated triangular shapes and are all of the same length. There is a single recess 11 in the arcuately recessed portion 8 which extends through an arc of approximately 1800 and is of a curvature corresponding substantially to the normal curvature of the external surface of a paint applying sleeve of a conventional paint roller. At opposite ends 12 of the recess 11 the edge of the blade is rounded.

A central portion 13 of the end edge 9 is extended and has a straight edge 14 to be used for prizing off the lid of a paint tin. The straight edge 14 is inserted under the rim of the lid for leverage to be applied to the lid from the handle 1 of the device.

In order to clean away paint from a used paint brush the toothed portion 7 of the blade 2 of the device is used. The teeth 10 of the toothed portion are pushed through the bristles of the brush near the handle of the brush and then drawn through the bristles away from the handle, in the manner of a comb, as shown in Figure 2. As the teeth pass along the bristles they wipe paint onto the blade from where it may be allowed to fall away into a receptacle, such as a paint tin, and any paint collected on the blade can be subsequently scraped into the receptacle, or wiped away to be disposed of. The procedure of drawing the teeth through the bristles may be repeated several times, as may be necessary.

For cleaning paint from a used paint roller the arcuately recessed portion 8 of the blade is used.

That portion is applied to the paint applying sleeve of the roller so that the recess 11 fits closely over the surface of the sleeve, as shown in Figure 3. The device is then manipulated to draw the blade along the sleeve and as it does so paint is wiped from the sleeve. Only part of the circumference of the sleeve can be received into the recess at one time, of course, and so the device is applied at two or more positions around the circumference of the sleeve in succession to wipe paint away from all around the sleeve. Again wiped off paint may be collected in a receptacle and that which collects on the blade can be readily removed afterwards.

Removal of the surplus paint from a paint brush or roller by means of the device makes subsequent washing or application of cleaning liquid to the brush or roller to complete the cleaning an easier task to perform.

Although paint has been referred to it will be understood that the device may be used for cleaning other analogous substances from brushes and rollers.

Accordingly the device now provided is not to be considered as being limited only to application to paints.

Claims

1. A paint brush and roller cleaning device comprising a handle and a blade which has a toothed portion and an arcuately recessed portion, the toothed portion being adapted for drawing through the bristles of a paint brush to remove paint therefrom, and the arcuately recessed portion being adapted to fit over part of the circumference of the paint applying surface of a paint roller and be drawn along the surface to wipe paint from the surface.

2. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to Claim 1 in which the toothed portion and the arcuately recessed portion are at opposite edges of the blade.

3. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the blade is relatively broad and has the toothed portion and the arcuately recessed portion at opposite sides of the width of the blade.

4. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any preceding claim in which the blade extends from the handle substantially centrally of a central longitudinal axis of the handle and the toothed and arcuately recessed portions are at opposite sides of, and directed away from, the central longitudinal axis.

5. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any preceding claim further comprising a part shaped for use in prizing the lid off a paint tin.

6. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to Claim 5 in which the part so shaped for use in prizing the lid off a paint tin is remote from and in line with the handle.

7. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any preceding claim in which the arcuately recessed portion is shaped to extend over substantially half the circumference of the paint applying surface of a paint roller.

8. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any preceding claim in which the arcuately recessed portion has an arc which corresponds to the normal curvature of an external surface of a sleeve of absorbent material which forms the paint applying surface of a paint roller.

9. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any of Claims 1 to 7 in which the arcuately recessed portion has an arc which is less than the normal curvature of an external surface of a sleeve of absorbant material which forms the paint applying surface of a paint roller.

10. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any preceding claim in which the blade is made of steel.

11. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any of Claims 1 to 9 in which the blade is made of a plastics material.

12. A paint brush and roller cleaning device according to any preceding claim in which the teeth of the toothed portion are of similar elongated triangular shape and are all of the same length.

13. A paint brush and roller cleaning device substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.