US2497578A

US2497578A - Film spreader

Info

Publication number: US2497578A
Application number: US50519A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr John J Bradley
Original assignee: Boston Varnish Co
Current assignee: Boston Varnish Co
Priority date: 1948-09-22
Filing date: 1948-09-22
Publication date: 1950-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1967-02-14

Description

Feb. 14, 1950 J.. J. BRADLEY, JR

FILM SPREADER Filed Sept. 22, 1948 l INVENTOR.

JOHN 1./ BRAPLEZ JR.

. ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 14, 1950 FILM sPRsAnEn John J. Bradley, Jr., Winchester, Mass., assigner to Boston Varnish Campani', Everett, Mass, a

corporation of Massachusetts Application September 22, 1948, Serial No. 50,519

1 Claim.

My invention relates to fllm spreaders and in particular to a spreader with which ya film may be spread with uniform thickness `over a flat surface.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for spreading films over flat surfaces, such that reliable tests may be made to determine the relative values of said films.` For instance, in the paint and varnish industry it is often desirable to ascertain how weatherproof a coat of paint is in relation to another coat. To determine such a factor with accuracy it is essential that each coat be spread equally and uniformly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention wil-l appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the film spreader as applied to a flat surface,

Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the film spreader,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the film spreader,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, Vand Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the blade is adjusted.

The spreader comprises -a main body consisting of a rectangular bridge block I0 suspended between two rectangular supporting blocks or legs I2, ywhich are secured to the block I0 by means of screws I4 passing through holes through the sides of the legs into threaded holes in the ends of the block I0. Each of the bottom surfaces of the legs lies an equal distance below the bottom surface of the block I0 and the top surfaces of the legs are substantially ush with the top surface of said block. The forward end surfaces of the legs I2 (in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1) are substantially flush with the forward side surface of the member l0, and each of their rearward end surfaces lies substantially an equal distance to the rear of the rearward side surface of the block I In the bridge block Ill are two slots each consisting of a central hole I6, extending through said bloc-k, and lateral slits I'I, one on either side of the entrance of said hole in the rearward side of said block.

The blade I8 of the spreader is also a rectangular block and of such a size that its length is equal to the length of the bridge block I0, its height apr proximately equal to the height of the legs I2, and its width substantially equal to the distance between t'he rearward-end surface of the legs and the rearward-side surface of the block Ill.` Through the blade are two holes 20, the vertical 2 axes of which are longer than the horizontal axes. The width of the holes 20 is equal to the diameter of the holes I6. The holes 20 and I6 are in alignment, ywhen the blade and the main body of the spreader are assembled.

To secure the blade to the main body of the spreader two bolts 22 are passed through the holes 2l) and the holes I6. At right angles to the axis of each bolt near the head thereof is a pin 24 which, as each bolt is inserted into each of the holes 2D, is held in a vertical position to pass through the vertical axis of said hol-e and then turned at right angles to be inserted into the slit I'YI. When the bolts have been fully inserted, and the pins 24 have been placed in the slits I'I, wingnuts 2-5 are screwed onto the threaded ends of the bolts 22 -which extend forwardly of the forward side surface of the block Ill.

Before the wing-nuts are tightened to hold the blade in place, a shim 28 of a predetermined thickness, corresponding to the desired film thickness, is inserted over a plate 30 (upon which the spreader rests temporarily for the purpose of adjusting the blade), under the block I 0 and the blade I8, and between the legs I2. The blade is then lowered until its bottom surface rests flatly and evenly upon the shim. The wing-nuts 26 are then tightened, and the spreader is lifted off the plate and the shim.

In use, the spreader, with its blade adjusted to a height predetermined by the shim 28, is placed upon the surface upon which the film is to be spread, such as the flat surface 3|. A supply of material 32a, to be spread :on said surface as a film, is placed on the surface in front of the blade. The spreader is then drawn firmly along the surface in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, and the lm is applied in a uniform layer 32h equal in thickness to the adjusted height of the blade.

I claim:

A device for spreading films of uniform and predetermined thickness on a at surface, comprising two rectangular supporting blocks, the basal surfaces of which lie in the same plane, a rectangular bridge block terminally suspended between the inner side surfaces of said supporting blocks above said plane, means to secure the ends of said bridge block to the inner surfaces 4of said supporting blocks, a blade block adjustably secured laterally against a side surface of said bridge block and engaging terminally against said inner side surfaces of said supporting blocks, the bottom surface of said blade block being in a plane betweeny and parallel to the plane of said `basal surfaces of said supporting blocks and the 3 bottom surface of said bridge block, and means to adjustably secure said blade block to said side surface of said bridge block comprising holes extending from said side surface through said bridge block, slits on either side of the entrances of said holes in said side surface, vertically elongated openings extending through s-aid sliding block yand valigned laterally with said holes. bolts extending through said holes and openings, pins at one end of said bolts at right angles to the axes thereof and adapted to pass through the long' axes of said openings and lie in said slits, and, removable fastening means on the other ends of said bolts.

JOHN J. BRADLEY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Bradley Feb. 1'7, 1948