US2498980A

US2498980A - Self-feeding applicator

Info

Publication number: US2498980A
Application number: US778664A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert B Bowling; Laurence R Bennett
Original assignee: BOWLING; FRANK COURES
Current assignee: BOWLING; FRANK COURES
Priority date: 1947-10-08
Filing date: 1947-10-08
Publication date: 1950-02-28
Anticipated expiration: 1967-02-28

Description

Feb. 1950 R. B. BOWLING ET AL 2,498,980

SELF-FEEDING APPLICATOR Filed Oct. 8, 1947 INVENTOR. ROBERT 5. BOWL/N6 ZAURENCE R BENNETT BY W W 141 4 Patented Feb. 28, 1950 7 2,498,980 SELF-FEEDING APPLICATOR Robert B. Bowling and Laurence R. Bennett, Hamilton, Oh'io, assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to said Bowling and one-half to Frank Coures, Hamilton, Ohio Application October 8, 1947, Serial No. 778,664

ZClaima' (01. 101327) 1 This invention relates to a self-feeding or fountain applicator for paint and other coating materials and has for one of its objects the provision of means whereby paints and other coating materials may be applied to various surfaces in a and accomplished with a minimum of inconvenience to the user.

Another object is to provide a self-feeding roller type of applicator havingmeans for applying decorative markings to a surface, with ease and at a rapid rate of progress.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the means described herein and illustrated upon the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in cross-section, of

the applicator of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental cross-sectional view of the applicator taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an agitator attachment for the applicator.

Paint applicators of the general character herein disclosed have not heretofore enjoyed a substantial amount of popularity,,. due to certain structural faults which detracted from their utility and convenience of manipulation. The

' most common form of roller applicator available at the present time is one illustrated by U. S. Patent No. 2,411,84 issued December 3, 1946, to R. C. Adams. To use the Adams device, it is customary for the operator to dip the roller into a' can of paint or other coating-substance, and

then squeeze out the excess by hand before the roller can be applied to the wall or other surface to be coated. With repeated dipping and hand squeezing in the course of a painting job, the obvious result is a waste of paint and a tendency to keep the hands soiled throughout the entire painting process. The inconvenience and disagreeable confusion resulting from this has discouraged universal adoption of J the device for painting purposes.

The superiority of the device of the present rations of cylinder 6 are indicated at B.

invention over prior devices of the same class will become evident as the description thereof proceeds. Attention is directed to the fact that the simplicity of construction of the applicator does not sacrifice any of its efiicacy. 1

Referring to Fig. 1, the applicator comprises a hollow roller 4 rotatably mounted upon a handle member 5, the roller comprising a perforated cylinder 6 which is embraced by a plain or decorated cover or tube of pile fabric I, or other resilient material of suitable porosity. The perfo- One end of the cylinder 6 is closed by means of a fixed plug 9, which may be pressed in, sweated on, or otherwise preferably fixed against displacement. The fixed plug 9 is provided with a circumferential flange l0, substantially larger in diameter than the diameter of the cylinder 6, which cooperates with a similar flange H on the removable plug [2 at the opposite or charging port end of the cylinder 6 to confine the tube or cover 1 against displacement from the said cylinder. It will be noted that the tube 1 is substantially the same length as the cylinder 8.

The fixed plug 9 is provided with an axially aligned blind hole l3 into which is journalled the roller shaft I4, said shaft being, by means of the blind hole [3, in leak-proof relation to the fixed plug 9. Suitable means for precluding endwise movement of the roller shaft M is provided, the exemplified form being a retaining pin I5 pressed into an aperture I6, Fig. 2, provided transversely of the fixed plug inner hub l8 and adapted to engage a circumferential groove l9 provided on the roller shaft M.

The handle arm 20 may be provided with a collar 2|, which may be welded to the end thereof, as shown, said collar being in fixed engagement with the roller shaft reduced diameter 22 by means of peening, as indicated at 23, Fig. 1. Other means of fixing the handle collar 2i to the roller shaft 14 may be employed, such as a pin, setscrew, or weld.

The closure member or plug l2 at the charging port 24 may threadedly engage the interiorly threaded cylinder 5, as indicated at 25, to the limit imposed by the circumferential'flange H. The plug [2 may be provided with a transverse slot 25a upon its outer face for the application of ascrew driver, coin or other suitable tool or article to aid in unscrewing the plug for filling or cleaning the cylinder 6. Detachment of the removable plug l2 permits removal of the fabric tube 1 for cleaning or replacement purposes, said tube,

as hereinbefore recited, being confined between the plug flanges l and II during use of the applicator. Means other than screw threads, of course, may be employed to aflford the desired removability of the plug l2.

The handle member 5, as shown in Fig. 1, is preferably offset or formed with the arm portion 2E! bent at right angles'substantially beyond the radius of the pile fabric tube I to form the supporting arm 26 which terminates substantially centrally between the ends of said tube 1, and:

bent again at right angles to form the handle shank 28. The latter may be of any desired length, and may have fixed to its free end a suitable hand grip 29. The axisof the handle memher is preferably substantially co-planar atall.

points with the axis of the applicator roller.

As previously suggested herein, the tube or cover 'i' may have a plain working surface when flat painting or coating is to be performed; however, should the operator desire to apply a decorative design to the surface undergoing treatment, he may substitute for the plain cover or tube one which carries a design such as 3D. The design preferably is in relief as shown upon the working face of the cover, and may be porous like the cover, or possibly impervious depending upon the nature of the decoration desired. When only the design 39 is to carry the paint to the surface to be decorated, it will be desirable to make the design porous and to increase the extent to which it extends-from the surrounding surface of the cover material. These considerations are subject to various modifications, as may be evident.

In some instances, it may be desirable to furnish means Within the roller or cylinder to keep the paint or coating material thoroughly mixed during use of the applicator. This may conveniently be accomplished by furnishing a suitable agitator, one form of which is illustrated by Fig.

3. As there shown, the agitator comprisesa pair of plates 3|, preferably of thin sheet metal, each bent to provide vanes or

partition members

32 and 33 having an intermediate flattened portion 34, the portions 34 being in flatwise'contact and.

secured together in any suitable manner as'by means of screws or rivets 35, or by welding, crimping, or other common practice. The vanes of each plate may be angularly related to one another at approximately 90 degrees divergency. The agitator as shown in Fig. 3 should be so di mensioned as to fit wholly within the cylinder or roller 6, with frictional contact between the-cylinder wall and the vanes sufiicient to enforce rotation of the agitator with the cylinder. sure the desired frictional contact, the longitudinal margins of the vanes'may be turned as indicated at 36-to provide flexible flanges 31 adapted to resiliently bear against the innerface" of the cylinder wall. At intervals, the vanes may be perforated or notched along the flanges 31, as at 38, to permit a flow of paint or coating material from one agitator compartment to another as the cylinder rotates during use of the applicator. It will readily be evident that the agitator'may comprise any number of vanes or partitions, and. means other than the resilient-flanges .3 might be employed tosubstantially fix the agitator within the cylinder. The agitator may be supplied as an attachment, if desired, or it may be part of the applicator as originally assembled.

From the foregoing specifications andaccompanying drawings it is obvious that the device of the present invention offers substantial improvements over former coating applicators, in both construction and use. The perforated cylinder may be fabricated from any suitable metal, plastic, or composition material, and the tube or cover. I is likewise subject to change of materials.

It is to be understood, of course, that various structural changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an applicator for paint, the combination of a hollowcyiindrical roller having a stiff pervious wall and having a closure plug in one end provided with a bearing, a removable filler plug normally closing the other end of said roller, a handle, means for mounting said handle in said bearing whereby said roller may be rotated about its longitudinal axis, and an agitator and spreader inside said cylinder, said agitator and spreader comprising a plurality of flat vanes extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the roller, said vanes being attached together at the center of said roller and having their outer edges bearing on inner walls of the roller, the outer. edges of the vanes being slotted to permit controlled amounts of the coating material to flow through the slots to pass thevanes asthe roller rolls.

- 2. In an applicator for paint, the combination of a hollow cylindrical roller having a stiff pervious wall, said Wall including an inner perforate metal cylinder and an outer covering of pervious fabric material, said roller having a closure plug in one end provided with a bearing, a removable filler plug normally closing the other endof said roller, a handle-means for mounting said handle in said bearing whereby said roller may be rotated about its longitudinal axis, and an agitator and spreader inside said cylinder, said agitator and spreader comprising a plurality of flat-vanes extending radially from the longitudinal axis of the roller, said vanes being attached together atthe center of said roller and having their'outer edges bearing oninner walls of the roller, the outer edges of the vanes being slotted to permit controlled amounts of the coating material to flow through the slots to pass the vanes as the roller rolls, the paint passing through the perforations and penetrating the fabric cover, the metal cylinder holding the outer cover firmly in cylindrical shape.

. ROBERT E. BOWLING.

LAURENCE R. BENNETT.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,018,886 Dodge Feb. 27, 1912 1,468,446 Graham Sept. 18, 1923 1,5273% Brasseur Feb. 2 1, 1925 1,829,579 Beach Oct. 27, 1931 2,160,570 Welt May 30, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 424,505 Great Britain Feb. 22, 1935