US2574643A - Household appliance - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1-3, 1951 R. c. KERSH HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE Filed July 23, 1948 INVI NTOR Ralph C. Kersh Patented Nov. 13, 1951 :1;

HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE Ralph C. Kersh, Mishawaka, Ind., assignor, by mesne assignments, to S. C. Johnson, Inc., Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 23, 1948, Serial No. 40,222

V 1 i This invention relates to improvements in-household appliances, and more particularly to anapplicator or holder which may be used to mount any one of a selected number of work elements adapted to be used for treating the surface of a work piece.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application, Serial Number 5748 filed February 2, 1948 for Household Appliance, which application issued July 25,1950, as Patent 2,516,396.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, sturdy appliance of this character which is readily grasped and to which a Work element may be applied quickly in a manner to be firmly held in desired position.

A further object is to provide a device of this character comprising a sheet metal member bent in generally semi-cylindrical form to provide a hand grip portion and having diverging sides terminating in gripping portions bent in diverging relation with respect to the hand grip or body portion, said gripping portions providing 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-231) bearing surfaces for applying pressure and means adapted for locking engagement with a retainer and having a, snap fit therewith. The gripping portions of the diverging sides are so positioned relative to the body portion that when pressure is exerted downward, the transmission of pressure through said sides is in an outward direction. A further object is to provide a device ofthis character comprising a member havin an integral hand grip terminating in gripping portions bent into diverging relation, a retainer of 'generally U-shape adapted to have a snap fit upon the hand grip portion, and a work piece carried by said retainer and locked or clamped between the margins of said U-shaped member and said handle flanges.

I A further object is to provide a device of this character adapted particularly for the application of fluid material to a working surface, comprising a hand grip portion, a retainer portion having a connection with the handle portion, and

an applicator comprising porous absorbent mav e :Figure 1 is a perspective view. ofthe device 2 showing a representative unattached work element;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device i1- lustrated in Figure 1 showing a representative attached work element.

Figure 3 is a front elevational View of the device illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the device illustrated in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1, the numeral Ill designates a body or hand grip member having a handle I I. The numeral I2 designates a retainer member. Both the body and retainer, I0 and I2, are preferably formed from sheet metal of suflicient thickness to retain their shape and also possessing the property of at least a limited amount of resilience.

The member I0 is bent transversely on a curve of large radius to provide an elongated curved portion assuming the form of an are extended in the direction of its elongation and having tangent sides from which gripping portions I3 extend in outwardly diverging relation having outwardly projecting fiat surfaces. One of the tangent sides is constructed substantially longer than the other and extends away from the arc to form an acute angle with the plane in which the edges of the gripping portions I3 lie.

The retainer I2 preferably comprises a plate I4 of substantially the same length as the member In which is bent transversely in concavo-convex form on an arc of large radius. The width of the plate I4 is greater than the width of the member II! measured by the distance between the gripping portions I3 of the member Ill. The plate I4 is bent at I5, and flanges I6 form the margins of said plate, said flanges being arranged in converging relation with their free inner ends spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the spacing of the tips of the gripping portions I3 on the handle portion Ill.

The arrangement of these parts is such that the retainer I2 may be applied to the body portion III either by longitudinal sliding of the parts or by a snap fit. It will be observed in this connection that the formation of the bod member I0 with its diverging gripping portions I3 provides resilience and permits the gripping portions I3 to be sprung outwardly to permit the leading or free edges of the flanges Hi to snap thereover when the parts are applied together in a direction perpendicular to the face of the retainer I2. The advantages of the snap-on type of application will be referred to hereinafter. It will be apparent also that the curved plate It of the retainer constitutes a spring member and that the curvature of this member may be such that it exerts an inward spring pressure acting against the outward pressure of the body l when the parts are assembled, thereby insuring a snug tight interlock of the parts when assembled. It will further be observed that the parts are so pro-.- portioned that when the outer faces of the gripping portions l3 of the body l0 fit between the flanges H5 and bear against the inner faces there.- of, two points of continuous longitudinal enga ement are provided between the body It! and the retainer l2, such lonigtudinal line of engagement being between the gripping portions 13 and flanges I6. This serves to solidly connect the parts together, to prevent loose play therebe! tween, and to provide for multiple continuous lines of engagement at which the pressure applied to the handle H or body part I0 is transmitted to the retainer part 12. The handle ll projects substantially perpendicularly from the longer side of the body portion IE! and is positioned substantially equidistant from the ends of the elongated body portion. It is also necessary that the handle H rise from a position closer to the point at which the longer side is tangent to the arc than to the edge of the gripping portion l3 of the longer side. In other words, the center of that portion of the handle lying in the same plane as the longer side will be in the upper half of the longer side. In practice, the pressure exacted by the user is transmitted through the handle H and upon body it causing the diverging side of said body Ill to diverge saidgripping portions into a tight fit with the inner faces of the flanges l6.

The embodiment shown in Figure 2 illustrates the mounting upon the device of an applicator for a liquid material. This applicator may comprise a plurality of sheets of disposable fibrous absorbent tissue superimposed in pad form I! and bearing against the outer face of the plate I4 of the retainer in continuous engagement bent to conform to the contour of the retainer plate 14. found suitable, of which a number of types are now available on the market and which are commonly used as cleaning tissues, facial tissues, disposable handkerchiefs and the like. These tissues may be formed of paper stock or cellulose stock and are bonded together in sheet form and are characterized by a low density or porosity which renders them highly absorbent. Such tissues have only a very low tensile strength and readily disintegrate when Wetted so that they are readily disposable. It will be understood that the absorbent pad i? may also be formed of other material, such as felted wool or cotton padding or other absorbent material of low tensile strength. The absorbent pad I! may be of any desired thickness which is preferably uniform throughout its extent, said pad being of a length substantially equal to the length of the retainer l2, although it may be either shorter than said retainer, or, in the form illustrated in Figure 3, it may be slightly longer than said retainer and project beyond the ends thereof. The absorbent pad ii is held in place by a cover sheet l8 which may be of tubular shape, have the same or greater length than the pad ll and of greater width than said pad. The cover sheet I8 is formed of flexible absorbent material of greater tensile strength than the pad material H. The sheet l8 may comprise a woven fabric sheet, such as a sheet of cloth. preferably cotton cloth, or it may be formed The tissues may be formed of any material 1 of synthetic material. One such synthetic ma terial which is now available on the market, and which possesses the requisite porosity and strength, is felted from cellulose or paper fibers and vegetable fibers, such as cotton fibers, in such a manner as to provide the strength desired without substantial sacrifice of porosity. In other words, the cellulose fibers insure porosity and the long vegetable fibers, such as cotton fibers, impart strength to the sheet. These two materials are cited as illustrative, it being understood that any flexible sheet material having substantial tensile strength and porosity permitting it to absorb liquid may be used. The pad material I! is placed upon the tubular cover sheet l8 at the center thereof so that the cover sheet I8 is positioned between the pad I! and retainer plate [4. The pad l1, formed of felted wool or of any other matter of desired absorbent proper e and capable of r taining its shap and form is secured to the tubular cover [8 formed of clo h, paper r any other ui bl x ble sh t. material. The s-s ti nal s e of th u 8 is la e enough to permi it o fi reely ar u d the retainer l2, and to permit the flanges 16 of the retainer to re v d nt l ck wi h th ppin por ion 13 of he b y 10- In perati n h r tainer I2 is slid in ide the hoo it. whereupon the assembly of th parts 8 and I2 serve to draw the tubular cover 18 taut into firm n n-slippin n a emen wi h the in e locked par s l0. l2, it being unde stood that the cr ss-sectional s e of th tubul r cover "I is careful y se ected to insure that the ver It is so draw taut by he parts I0. 12. his pad has he dva ta of easy ss mbly an moun in by vir ue of the tubular c v 18.- Thi pad may be made i nexp nsive material of disposable character.

A device of the chara t r descr bed bove has particul r util y f household use n the app1ication of wax, p li h ng material and other l quid o be applied to a work surface. The pad I? may be wetted y the liquid and will absorb the same. Then as the assembled device is used, the applis, cati n. of pre sure th r to will cause the liquids to be expelled from the pad uniformly for unif rm application of the material to the working surface.

The advantage of this, device is that, when the use of the device as an applicator has been com pleted, the pad may readily be removed and dis? posed of. A pad formed of this material isinexpensive and a number of pads can therefore be supplied with each container of the liquid ma.-

terial to be applied. Removal of the pad .can be effected by separating the parts [0 and I2, as by sliding them longitudinally with respect to each other, so that when the retainer I2 is free from the body Ill, the pad assembly H, IE may be re! moved from the retainer easily and quickly by sliding the tubular sheet material IS with the pad I! attached thereto off of the retainer 12.

It will be apparent from the above that the device provides a multi-purpose household appliance adapted for many different household uses, each characterized. by convenience, Simplicity, and avoidance of contact of the user with the working element. The device may be sold as a part of a set including the parts [0 and I2 and such other supplementary or auxiliary parts to be used therewith as the user may desire.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that changes may be made in the construction within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described consisting of a resilient sheet material bent longitudinally to define an elongated body portion, said body portion constructed to form an are extended in the direction of its elongation with sides tangent with said are and terminating in elongated gripping portions having edges lying in a common plane, one tangent side being substantially longer than the other and extending away from said are to form an acute angle with the plane in which said edges lie, a handle projecting substantially perpendicularly from said longer side and positioned substantially equidistant from the ends of said elongated body portion and closer to the point at which said longer side is tangent to said are than to said edge of the-gripping portion of said longer side, said gripping portions so positioned relative to said are that when pressure is exerted upon said handle, the transmission of pressure through said sides is in an outward direction, and a retainer member formed of resilient sheet material bent longitudinally in concave-convex form to define a central bearing wider than the spacing between the outer edges of said gripping portions and elongated side flanges on said retainer converging at an angle to hold said gripping portions therebetween.

2. A device of the character described consisting of resilient sheet material bent longitudinally to define an elongated body portion, said body portion constructed to form an are extended in 3 the direction of its elongation with sides tangent with said are and terminating in elongated gripping portions having edges lying in a common plane, one tangent side being substantially longer than the other and extending away from said are to form an acute angle with the plane in which said edges lie, a handle projecting substantially perpendicularly from said longer side and positioned substantially equidistant from the ends of said elongated body portion and closer to the point at which said longer side is tangent to said arc than to said edge of the gripping portion of said longer side, said gripping portions so positioned relative to said are that when pressure is exerted upon said handle the transmission of pressure through said sides is in an outward direction, and a retainer member adapted to carry a surface-treating element and formed of resilient sheet material bent longitudinally in concavoconvex form to define a central bearing wider than the spacing between the outer edges of said gripping portions and elongated side flanges on said retainer converging at an angle to hold said gripping portions therebetween.

RALPH C. KERSH.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 248,212 Piper Oct. 11, 1881 785,836 Sill Mar. 28, 1905 1,175,245 Dennis Mar. 14, 1916 2,205,535 Muckenhirn June 25, 1940 2,454,836 Nissenbaum Nov. 23, 1948

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