US2815563A - Flexible core for paint roller and paint roller including same - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 10, 1957 H. M. WEBER 2,815,563

FLEXIBLE CORE FOR PAINT ROLLERAND PAINT ROLLER INCLUDING SAME Filed Nov. 30, 1955 +9 Fig.2

INVENTOR.

HARRY M. WEBER W ATTORNEY nited States Patent FLEXIBLE CORE FOR PAINT ROLLER AND PAINT ROLLER INCLUDING SAME Harry M. Weber, Avon Lake, Ohio, assignor to The Sherwfirggilliams Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation 0 0 Application November 30, 1955, Serial No. 549,979

7 Claims. (Cl. 29-416) This invention relates to cylindrical appliances such as used in painting, inking, stippling, decorating, or other coating processes, and more particularly to devices in which tubular surface contacting members are readily removable from the devices.

Although paint rollers as such are quite old in the art, recent advances in the do it yourself approach have made necessary improvements in the construction of manually operated coating rollers. This invention is particularly applicable to such manually operated coating rollers and will be described with particular reference thereto, although it will be appreciated that the invention is not so limited. For example, the principles hereof may also be applied to mechanically operated coating rollers such as inking rollers in automatic printing machinery.

Interchangeability of the surface contacting element of a coating applying roller is a highly desirable feature from the standpoint of the home craftsman. Where oil base coating compositions are being used, considerable time is involved in removing one color from a paint roller preparatory to its use with another color. Ready re movability of the tubular surface contacting member, usually a napped fabric, enables rapid change from one color to another. Even if the first tube is discarded, the cost of a second tube does not ordinarily equal the cost of the time consumed in cleaning the first roller.

One of the problems with interchangeable surface contacting tubular members is that although fairly consistent internal diameters can be machine produced, there are, nevertheless, variations in the I. D. which may range as high as of an inch. The impracticality of a core of fixed diameter in a situation where such variations do occur is manifest.

It is a principal object of this invention, therefore, to provide a core for a coating applying roller formed of a resilient sheet metal and so constructed and shaped that it may be compressed to a reduced diameter by an applicator tube, and being thus compressed serve to retain the tube firmly. The compressibility thus afforded enables the employment of tubes that exhibit a substan tial variation in internal diameter.

Another object of this invention is to provide a core for a coating applying roller which is simple to construct and easily and quickly assembled.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a core which may be made from a rectangular sheet metal blank into which no irregular cuttings need be made prior to shaping. The cost and necessity for making patterns is thus avoided.

Still other objects of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In accordance with the present invention, there is pro vided a core for a coating applying roller comprising a pair of segments of a hollow cylinder, a member joining said segments at diametrically opposite edges to provide a roller core of substantially S-shaped cross section, said core resiliently resisting compression.

The invention may take physical form in certain arrangements and combinations of parts, a preferred embodiment of which is described in detail herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned view of a complete roller assembly embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing a core in accordance herewith.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the core shown in Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, there is provided a core 1 in accordance with this invention made of some convenient, thin, formable material such as sheet metal, or cast, shaped or extruded from a plastic material. Fitted over either end of the core 1 are end caps 2 and 3 which in turn are journaled on a pin or axle 4. The axle 4 may conveniently be the long arm of a substantially J-shaped bent wire 5 which terminates in a suitable handle 6 (partially shown). The axle 4 is provided at its extremities with suitable cap retaining means such as detents 7 in combination with washer 8 at the closed end, and threaded retaining means 9 at the free end for retaining the end caps in place. Fitted over the core 1 and the end caps 2 and 3 is a tubular surface contacting member 10, partially shown, which may have any desired surfacing material thereover such as napped or piled fabric 11. The tubular member 10 is frequently and conveniently composed of a resin impregnated cardboard or fiber material to which has been glued or otherwise secured a fabric material, e. g., napped or piled fabric composed of Dynel fibers. The positioning of the tubu' lar member 10 over the core 1 effects a contraction of the core which in combination with the resiliency thereof affords means for securing the tubular member firmly to the core and prevents movement of one relative to the other under normal conditions of use. For purposes of ease of assembly, it is desirable that the end caps 2 and 3 eifect no contraction or compression of the core 1.

As indicated above, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the core 1 showing the extremities 12 and 13 thereof to be free of raised embossments 14. The raised embossments 14 which are more clearly shown in the enlarged cross section of Fig. 3 desirably extend so that the ends thereof do not extend the full length of the core 1. This is merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, it being understood that the raised embossments 14 may extend the entire length of the core 1 if desired.

With more particular reference to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the core 1 there shown in cross section is composed of a pair of segments of a hollow cylinder 15 and 16. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the segments 15 and 16 subtend angles of approximately 87 degrees. Diametrically opposite edges 17 and 18 of the segments 15 and 16, respectively, are joined by a member 19, the whole assembly having a substantially S- shaped cross section (depending of course upon the end from which the device is viewed). By the term diametrically opposite edges, is meant the extremity of the segment lying within the hollow cylinder from which the segments may be visualized as having been cut and which edge is located a distance equivalent to the diameter of the hollow cylinder from which said segments may be visualized as having been cut and on a line which would pass through the center of such cylinder. In other words, all of the points lying in the segments 15 and 16 are substantially equidistant from a common center.

The member 19 which joins edges 17 and 18 has an effective length equivalent to the diameter of the hollow cylinder from which the segments 15 and 16 may be considered as having been cut.

Intermediate of the edges 17 and 18 joined by the member 19 there is provided in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 a recess 20, which extends for the entire length Patented Dec. 10, 1957-v of the core 1. Such recess may be of any convenient shape either triangular or semi-circular, the purpose being to allow the free passage of the axle 4 without interference from the core 1.

The raised embossments 14 are a desirable though nonessential feature of the present invention. If present, the embossments 14 are desirably plural in number and spaced apart to provide a plurality of bearing edges to receive the interior surface of the tubular member. The outermost extensions of the embossments 14 or axially aligned ribs 14 lie in a common circle. In other words, the embossments or ribs 14 all have the same height. In the embodiment shown in Fig. l, the ribs 14 have a length which is substantially less than the length of the core, the entire rib lying intermediately of the ends thereby leaving the'extremities of the core free of irregularities and hence readily fitted to the I. D. or circular end caps which are proportioned to fit over the ends of the core 1. Again, the ribs may, if desired, extend the entire length of the core and, because the outermost extents of said ribs lie in a common circle, the core is still readily adapted to receive and fit into a properly proportioned circular end cap.

A core having a conformity substantially in accordance with Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the annexed drawings is conveniently made of a rectangular blank 4 inches by 6 /2 inches by .015 inch. The first operation is embossing the ribs in those portions of the blank which will ultimately become the tube contacting portions and the shaft avoiding depression 20. Thereafter, the entire assembly is bent and formed about a suitable mandrel into the ultimate substantially S-shape herein described.

Pro-formed J-shaped bent wire handle and axle assemblies are placed in a suitable jig, and a washer placed on the shaft over the free end and resting against previously provided detents. An end cap which may be made of metal or plastic, e. g., polyethylene or nylon, is next fitted over the free end of the shaft open end up, and one end of the core of the present invention merely placed in the up ended circular portion of the end cap. The second end cap is then fitted over the remaining free end of the core and the axle allowed to project through the central hole in the end cap. A screw or other retaining means is then placed so as to secure the end cap to the free end of the axle. The assembly is then completed by sliding over the core, which resiliently resists compression, a tubular surface contacting member having, for example, a Dynel napped or piled outer surface. In this manner a manually operated paint roller may be constructed.

In actual use, the paint roller having been used in its ordinary intended fashion may be dis-assembled by sliding off the used tubular surface contacting member and replacing it with an unused tubular surface contacting member. If the diameters of the two tubes vary by as much as of an inch, the resiliency of the core of the device herein disclosed will enable one tubular member to be retained substantially as well as the other for the intended purposes.

Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed, provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention:

l. A core for a coating applying roller comprising a pair of segments of a hollow cylinder and a member joining said segments at diametrically opposite edges said member being provided with a depression throughout its entire length centrally of the ends of said member to provide a roller core of substantially S-shaped cross-section, said core resiliently resisting compression.

2. A roller for applying coating compositions comprising a core of substantially S-shaped cross section as described in claim 1, a pair of caps fitted over the ends of said core, a shaft journaled in said caps, means attached to said shaft for retaining said caps in position over the ends of said core, and a tubular surface contacting member fitted over and effecting a compression of said core.

3. A core for a coating applying roller comprising a pair of segments of a hollow cylinder and a member continuous with and joining said segments at diametrically opposite edges said member being provided with a substantially semi-circular depression centrally of the ends of said member to provide a roller core of substantially S-shaped cross section, said core resiliently resisting compression.

4. A core comprising a pair of segments of a hollow cylinder, each of said segments being provided with at least one longitudinal embossed rib of uniform height, a member joining said segments at diametrically opposite edges said member being provided with a longitudinal depression through out its entire length and intermediate the ends of said member to provide a roller core of substantially S-shaped cross section, said core resiliently resistin g compression.

5. A core for a coating applying roller comprising a pair of segments of a hollow cylinder, each of said segments being provided with a plurality of longitudinal embossed ribs of equal height, a member joining said segments at diametrically opposite edges said member being provided with a substantially semi-circular depression centrally of the ends of said member to provide a roller core of substantially S-shaped cross section, said core resiliently resisting compression.

6. A core for a coating applying roller comprising a pair of segments of a hollow cylinder, each of said segments being provided with a pair of longitudinal raised embossments of equal height, and spaced apart, the ends of said raised embossments being spaced from the extremities of said segments, and a member continuous with and joining said segments at diametrically opposite edges, said member being provided with a substantially semi-circular depression located centrally of said member, to provide a roller core of substantially S-shaped cross section, said core resiliently resisting compression.

7. A roller for applying coating compositions comprising a core of substantially S-shaped cross section as described in claim 6, a pair of caps fitted over the ends of said core, a shaft journaled in said caps, means attached to said shaft for retaining said caps in position over the ends of said core, and a tubular surface contacting member fitted over and effecting a compression of said core.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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