US2572694A

US2572694A - Combined handle and brush wiper for paint cans

Info

Publication number: US2572694A
Application number: US54891A
Authority: US
Inventors: James D Brennan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-10-16
Filing date: 1948-10-16
Publication date: 1951-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1968-10-23

Description

Oct. 23, 1951 J. D. BRENNAN 2,572,694

COMBINED HANDLE AND BRUSH WIPER FOR PAINT CANS Filed Oct. 16, 1948 I N VEN TOR. JAMES E BRENNAN BYQ :1

ATTORNEY l a tenteci Oct. 23, 1951 OFFICE COMBINED HANDLE AND BRUSH WIPER FOR PAINT CANS James D. Brennan, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application October 16, 1948, Serial No. 54,891

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in hand tools and has particular relation to a tool comprising a wire can holder, lid lifter and brush wiper.

An object of the invention is to provide a tool of the kind indicated and formed of a single piece of wire and which is simple and inexpensive to make and which is useful for prying off the lids of cans, as a handle or holder for cans, and as a brush wiper for paint cans and the like.

Another object is to provide a tool as indicated and which is easily applied to and removed from a can and which is applicable to cans of slightly different sizes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

--' In the drawing: 1

- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a tool made in accordance with the invention;

a Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof, the view being taken as looking from the right in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view showing the tool as applied to a can to form a holder or handle for the can and a brush wiper; and.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing the mm in such use, the view being taken as looking from the lower side of Fig. 4.

Referring in'detail to the drawing, the improved tool generally designated I0 is shown as formed from a single length of relatively stiff wire bent upon itself intermediate its ends to provide a handle generally designated H and which is substantially U-shaped including a bight portion l2 and a pair of parallel or substantially parallel arms 13 and I4 located substantially in the same plane. At its forward end, arm I3 is curved downwardly and rearwardly providing a bight portion 15 which is generally at right. angles to the plane in which the arms 13 and H are located. I Thereafter, the Wire of the arm l3 iscarried rearwa'rdly as at I6 and is again bent at l! to provide a transversely extending portion [8 arranged below the plane of the arms of the-handle II and at right angles to said. arms and, in fact, extending from a position beginning below the forward portion of the arm I3 to a position laterally outwardly of the arm [4. The free end of the extension l8 isiflattened as at l9 providing a lid lifter. It is noted that the flat I9 is in a plane normal to the plane of the handle I I.

When the tool is used as a lid lifter the flat I9 is forced under the flange of a can lid and at such time the general position of the tool will be such that its longitudinal axis is approximately parallel with the longitudinal axis of the can. Then on a partial rotation of the tool, or an attempt to rotate the tool with the fiat l9 as a fulcrum point, the lid (of the friction type) is pried from a can.

The arm [A of handle .ll projects. forwardly substantially beyond the bight I5 above described to complete the can holder and to providev a brush wiper when the tool is in position on a can. As probably best shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the wire constituting the arm I4 of the handle is bent slightly at 20 and then extends forwardly and laterally and downwardly at 2l. Here it is noted that this portion 2! comprises a brush wiper when the tool is attached to a can. The extreme forward end of the arm I4 is preferably slightly curved providing a curved free end portion 22 which is relatively stiff and yet has a certain resilience. 5

It is planned that the tool ll be of very simple and inexpensive construction whereby it may be sold at a very low price or even given to a.- customer purchasing a can of paint or the like. For the purpose of identification, or where the device is used as an advertising medium, a portion of one arm of the handle may carry some identifying data. Thus, in the drawing, a mid portion of the arm I3 of'handle II isflattened as at 23 and such flattened portion may carry a name or trade-mark or the like. Obviously, such identifyin material may be applied to the tool in other recognized ways.

The present tool is particularly designed for use by a householder when working with a small can of paint. Paint in small quantities, such as pints, quarts and even smaller quantities,'is sold in cans not equipped with handles of any type. Such cans are of a rather standard construction and a portion of one such can is indicated at 24 in Figs. 4 and 5. The can there shown is of pint size and includes a circular wall 25 at its upper end equipped with an internal flange26' immediately about the edges of thewall and which flange is provided with, the usual channel or groove 21 for the reception of a flange portion of a friction type cover or lid (not shown) com V mon in the art.

Above, the use of the lid lifter feature of the present invention was described but here it is again noted that when the flat I9 is forced under the flange of a friction lid or cover, the handle of the tool is then available as a lever for twisting or rotating the tool so as to pry up such lid or cover. The cover beingremoved, the tool s pplied to the can as shown in Figs, 4 and 5.

In applying the tool, assuming the can to be disposed on a horizontal surface or otherwise supported with its open side upwardly, the householder inserts the long arm, comprising portions 2| and 22, of the tool into the containerthe tool being held at a relatively steep angle, Then the bight [5 of the tool is hooked over the inner edge of the flange 26 of the can. This also brings the arm I8 of the tool substantially under such flange and then the user or householder rocks downwardly on the. handle. This brings the curved end portion 22 of the long arm of the tool a ainst th inn s rfac f h o p te p n of the wall 25 ofthe can and at the endof the rockingmovement such curved portion will be under a portion of the flange 26 generally at the opposite side of the can from that under which t e am; H? of th tool s ated.

the brush wiper portion 2| of the tool diverges laterally and downwardly from the inner end of the handle arm !4 the curved portion 22 i l otbe. direo ly opposi e he h n le b l be laterally of set with respect to it. This keeps the brush wiper portion 2| laterally of the center ofthe. can so as not to Joe. in e ay of a brush eing dipped in n removed from t e on en of the-can,v The curve 22, as above explained, is s l et some hat. esilient havi g been. fo ced into th position describedand contacting the inner su fa e of the an wall as at 28c u es the bight l5 to be forced against an inner edge of the flange 25. Portion 22 being resilient as described, it will be seen that it may yield more or l an thu ee ommodate he ol t cans of; slightly diireren i es.

In addition to the engagement at 28 and ensee mentofthe big-ht. l 5 with an inner edge portion of flange 26, the curved portion 22 is tight against the underside of aportion of the flange t Fi and th nner portions of the ham dle arms li and Mare, against the outer edge of the flange 26 across the can from such described point of engagement 2 8; Thus, the tool is rigidly a plied to th can, a may b us d a ah e. r h ld r for arryi h can ab t Ad i ona 4v, when the ousehold r d ps his. b sh nt h co tents 9f. the. can h may W p h cess P t. varnish rthe. li e fr m-the brush. on. e brush. wiper? provided. by th pre ent too n such excess paint thus. w p d. falls bac into the can and will have. no tendency to, by gravity or capillaryaction, move outv of the. can. In factrortion 21; being inclined downwardly, the gravitational tendency. of the paint or the like. wiped on such portion will be. back into the can even though it flows along the portion 2| until it engages the fiang-e26. Thus, with the present tool, the householder has a convenient means for moving or handling or carrying thepaint can from place to place and he also has a means which saves him from wiping the dipped brushagainst the flange 26. This latter practice usually results in channel 21 becoming filled or partly filled with paint, varnish or the like, the latter then spilling over onto the sides of the can.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a tool of the character described, a single length of wire bent upon itself intermediate its ends to provide a U-shaped handle including a pair of spaced horizontally aligned arms and a horizontal bight portion, one of. said. arms at its forward end bent downwardly, then rearwardly providing a hook portion to extend about the rim pt a can, said arm then again bent and extending laterally toward the other arm in a plane below thelatter to engagespaced portions of the underside of a can rim over which said hook has been engaged, and the other of said arms continued forwardly beyond the forward end of the first mentioned arm; to span the can and engage the underside of a rim portion of the can at the side of the can opposite that engaged by said hook, and the free end of said other arm curved to follow the inner contour of said other side of. the can.

2. In a tool of the character described, a single length of wire bent upon itself intermediate its ends to provide a U-shapedhandle including a 2 pair of spaced horizontally aligned arms and 8- horizontal bight portion, one of said arms. at ts forward end bent downwardly, then rear-wardly providing a hook portion to extend about therirn of a can, said arm then again bent.v and extend--- ing laterally toward the other arm i-e Plane below the latterto engage spaced portions .of the underside of a .can rim over which saidjhoohhas been engaged, the other of said arms, centinued forwardly beyond the forward end of the first mentioned arm to. span said. can and. engage the underside of a rim portion of the can. at the side of the can opposite that eng ed by said 1 0 3. and said other arm also bent to extend laterally wherebynot. to. extendecmss the center of the can.

3. In a tool of the charaster described,- a single length of wire. bent. up n i e hi ermedia e its. ends t pr a. u-shanedxhandle incl ding a. pair of spaced horizontally aligned arms. and a horizontal bight. portion, one .of said, arms at its forward end bent downwardly, then, rearwardly providing. a hook portiontdextend about the im ofa can, said arm then a ain bent and extending laterally toward. the. other arm-in plane below the latterto. engage snaeecicportions or the underside of a can rim overwkuch. saidhookehas. n n aged, andutheother of said arms. con: tinued forwardly beyondthefcrwerd end oi the first m ntion d arm-to span the can and en age the underside of a rim portion of; thgeanfiat the side or'the. canropn site that. enga edy said hook.

JAMESD BRENNAN-.

EFER NCES ITE The following references are of record in'thefile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 3. %39 Peters g .-..-c.Nov-..12, 1.997 1 22,245. ei e t a Ap 4191.2 1,039,261 Cornwell septum, 1912,. 1,693 772. Alle v.- De $19 1,700,57 Hoebe s, 29,1923 2,167,217 Milligan ul 25;;19 2,284,452; Simons ,f May 26, 1942 2,320,262 Gampbell- May 25,1943 2,487,990 Soens Nov. 15-, 1 949 2,532,895 Day Dec. 5,1950