US3320630A

US3320630A - Self-feeding paint roller

Info

Publication number: US3320630A
Application number: US395731A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Furlong
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-09-11
Filing date: 1964-09-11
Publication date: 1967-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1984-05-23

Description

y 1967 J. J. FURLONG 3,320,630

SELF-FEEDING PAINT 11011111 Filed Sept. 11, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. Jaw J FURLOA/G /Maw May 23, 1987 J. J. FURLONG 3,320,630

SEIJF'FEEDING PAINT ROLLER Filed Sept. 11. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet /0 INVENTOR.

BY JOHN J Fu/uaA/a fi kwl EM United States Patent Office 3,32%,639 Patented May 23, 1967 3,320,630 SELF-FEEDING PAINT ROLLER John J. Furlong, 3954 Leigh St., Riverside, earn. 92509 Fiied Sept. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 395,731 Ciaims. (Ci. 15-548) The present invention relates to paint rollers, and its primary object is to provide a new and improved, selffeeding paint roller in which the paint is automatically supplied to the roller while the latter is being rolled over the surface to be painted.

One important object of the invention is to provide a completely self-contained paint roller of the type described, that requires no motor-driven compressor or pump, and therefore is not dependent upon a connection to an electrical outlet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selffeeding paint roller in which the paint is supplied to the roller at a uniform, metered rate, so that the roller is constantly loaded with exactly the right amount of paint, instead of alternating between too-wet and too-dry conditions, which are obtained most of the time when painting with a conventional roller that is periodically dipped in a tray of paint.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selffeeding roller that can be used to apply liquid floor wax to a floor, and which can be quickly and easily locked against rotation to provide an efficient spreader for spreading the liquid wax to a thin, smooth film after the floor has been thoroughly covered.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selffeeding paint roller of the class described, in which the rate at which the paint is supplied to the roller is adjustable to suit the requirements of the surface being painted, or to vary the thickness of the paint film.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a self-feeding paint roller that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, convenient and easy to use, and of durable construction for long, trouble-free service life.

These objects are achieved in the present invention by the provision of a pump on the paint roller, which is actuated by rotation of the roller as the latter is rolled over the surface to be painted. This pump draws the paint from the paint can, through a flexible hose to the handle of the roller, and then discharges the paint into the hollow interior of the roller, where it seeps through small apertures in the inner core of the roller into the usual outer cover of lambs wool or similar fieecy or pilecovered fabric. The pump of the present invention is preferably of the piston and cylinder type, and uses an eccentric drive to produce relative motion between them. One of the important features of the invention is the provision of means for varying the throw of the eccentric, whereby the amount of paint pumped with each turn of the roller can be regulated to suit the existing conditions. Means is also provided for locking the eccentric against turning when it is desired to use the device as an applicator for spreading liquid floor Wax to a thin, smooth film.

The advantages of the above-described arrangement are manifold. Since the invention provides completely automatic self-feeding, there is no need to stop applying paint to a wall surface while the roller is being dipped in the paint and then rolled over the inclined tray surface to eliminate the excess. Dripping of paint from the heavily loaded roller as it is transferred from the tray to the wall surface is eliminated. Paint is delivered to the roller in an accurately metered flow, precisely adjusted to the conditions of the surface and the character of the paint, making it possible to roll a uniform thickness of paint onto the entire surface of the wall being painted. The paint is used directly from the can in which it is purchased, and no trays or pressure tanks are required. This means less paint loss in transferring from one container to the other, and less clean-up time. No outside power is required, and therefore the invention can be used where there are no available electrical outlets.

These and other objects and advantages of the inven tion will became apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partially cut-away side elevational view of a paint roller embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through one end of the roller, showing the pumping mechanism and the interior of the roller;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, taken at 33 in FIG URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, showing the eccentric adjusted for no-throw, thereby making the pumping mechanism inoperative;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken at 5-5 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken at 6-6 in FIGURE 1.

In the drawings, the self-feeding paint roller of the present invention comprises a roller 10 carried at one end of a goose-neck holder 12 of iron pipe or the like, the other end of which is enclosed within a handle 14. At the bottom end of the handle 14, a flexible plastic tube 16 is connected by a fitting 18 to the end of the pipe 12, and the other end of the tube 16 is adapted to be inserted down into a can 20 of paint.

The pumping mechanism, which is the heart of the invention, is designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 22. The mechanism 22 comprises a cylinder 24 having a central bore 26, and slidably disposed within this bore is a piston 28. A shouldered pivot screw 30 is screwed into the bottom end of the cylinder 24 on the side thereof facing the roller 11 and swingably mounted thereon is a connecting rod 32, with an intervening Washer.

The connecting rod 32 extends upwardly from the pivot screw 30, and at its upper end there is a large circular aperture 34 which receives a circular eccentric disk 36. A narrow radial flange 38 projects from the eccentric disk 36 over the marginal edge of the connecting rod surrounding the aperture 34, and this serves to continue the connecting rod to the eccentric.

Formed in the mid-portion of the eccentric disk 36 is an elongated, slightly arcuate slot 40, through which passes one end of a pipe 42 that extends through the center of the roller 10 for its full length. The end of the pipe 42 projects for a short distance beyond the outer face of the eccentric disk 36 and is threaded, so that it can be screwed into a tapped hole in the top end of a piston head 44.

The interior of the pipe 42 opens into a large-diameter bore 46 in the top end of the piston head 44, which is closed by a screw plug 48. The bore 46 opens into a longitudinally extending, smaller diameter bore 50 which extends down to the bottom end of the piston 28. At the junction of the bore 50 with the larger bore 46, is a beveled valve seat 52, upon which is seated a ball 54. The hall 54 is spring-pressed against its seat by a spring 56, the top end of which is preferably seated in a cavity in the center of the screw plug 48, as shown in FIG. 2.

Below the ball 54, the bore 50 is intersected by a lateral cavity 58, which is concentric with the end of the pipe 12, Where the latter screws into the piston head 44. The inner end of the pipe 12 is beveled to form a valve seat 60,

3 upon which is seated a ball 62 The ball 62 is lightly held against its seat by a spring 64, the other end of which is seated in a shallow cavity opposite the cavity 58, as shown in FIG. 2.

The roller 10 comprises a cylindrical inner core 66 of sheet metal or the like, having a plurality of small holes 63 provided therein. The ends of the core 66 are closed by

tapered end plugs

70 and 72, which are jammed into the ends of the core in a force-fit, sothat the end plugs rotate with the inner core. The end plugs 70, 72 rotate freely on the pipe 42, and the roller is retained on the pipe 42 by a plug screw 74, which is threaded into the interior of the pipe. The usual outer sleeve 76 of lambs wool or other fleecy fabric is fitted over the outer surface of the inner core 66, and this outer sleeve is porous, or perforated, to permit the paint passing through the holes 68 to seep through, into the fleece or pile of the outer sleeve. The pipe 42 has holes 78 drilled at intervals along its length, through which paint within the pipe is injected into the interior of the inner core each time the piston 28 and cylinder 24 come together.

The eccentric disk 36 is swingably connected to the outer surface of the plug 7 by means of a screw 80 which passes through a countersunk hole 81 in the eccentric disk 36 near one edge thereof, and is screwed into a tapped hole 82 in the end plug 70. A look nut 83 is screwed onto the projecting inner end of the screw 80 to secure the same. The screw 80 is on one side of the arcuateslot 40 about midway between the ends thereof, and arranged in an arcuate curve about the screw 80 on the other side of the slot 40 are four equidistantly spaced holes 84. A fifth hole 85 is provided in the eccentric disk 36 adjacent one end of the slot 40, and this is tapped to receive a threaded stem, the purpose of which will 'be explained presently.

The holes 84 are adapted to receive a latch pin 86, having an enlarged midportion 88 which is slidably received within a bore 90 in the end plug 70. The latch pin 86 is yieldingly pressed outwardly by a spring 92, one end of which is seated within a cavity 94 of slightly reduced diameter formed in the bottom of the bore 90. The annular shoulder formed at the junction of the enlarged portion 88 with the smaller-diameter end of the latch pin, abuts against the eccentric 36 around the marginal edge of the hole 84, thereby limiting the depth to which the latch pin projects into the hole.

The holes 84 are so arranged that when the latch pin 86 is in the end hole at the right-hand end of the group, as seen in FIG. 3, the eccentric disk is displaced so that its center is offset the maximum distance to one side of the center of the plug 70, thereby providing the maximum throw for the connecting rod 32 each time the roller turns. On the other hand, when the latch pin is seated in the end hole 84, at the left-hand end of the group, as shown in FIG. 4, the eccentric disk is centered with respect to the plug 70, and thus there is no throw to the connecting rod 32 when the roller turns. The two intermediate holes 84 give intermediate throws, thereby providing a fine adjustment of the throw on the eccentric, to vary the volume of paint pumped by each turn of the roller.

To unseat the latch pin 86 from one of the holes 84, a stem 96 is provided, which has an enlarged midportion 98 (FIG. 6) that slides within a transverse bore 100 formed in one side of the piston head 44 near the top end thereof. The end of the stem 96 adjacent the eccentric disk 36 .is slightly smaller in diameter than the holes 84, so that it can be passed freely through the latter. The end of the stem is also threaded at 102, so that it can be screwed into the tapped hole 85 for the purpose of locking the roller against turning, as will be explained hereinafter. At the other end of the stem 96 is a head 104,- and bearing outwardly against this head is a spring 106 which urges the stem in the direction to retract the end from the hole 84.,

To unseat the latch pin 86 from its hole 84, the roller 10 is turned until the hole 84 with the latch pin seated therein is directly in line with the stem 96. At this point, the stem 96 is pressed inwardly, as shown in FIG. 6, thereby pushing the latch pin 86 down into the end plug 70 so that it clears the eccentric disk 36. The eccentric disk is then turned slightly, which allows the latch pin 86 to spring into the next hole 84. If it is desired to move the latch pin to still another hole, the operation is repeated, after first retracting the stem 96 from the hole 84, so as to permit turning the roller to bring the next hole 84- into line with the stem.

When the roller of the invention is used to apply liquid wax to a floor, it has been found that the best finish is obtained by spreading the wax to a thin, smooth film with the roller 10 locked against turning. This may be done after the floor wax has been applied to the floor, using the roller in the normal manner, and While the max is still wet. The eccentric 36 is first centered with respect to the end plug 70, by seating the latch pin 86 in the hole 84 at the left-hand end of the group, as shown in FIG. 4. The roller 16 is then turned to bring the hole in line with the stem 96, and the latter is then pushed inwardly against the pressure of the spring 106, and is screwed into the hole. This looks the roller against turning.

The operation of my invention is believed to be self evident from the foregoing description. As the roller 10 is rolled over the surface to be painted, .the throw of the eccentric 36 causes the cylinder 24 to slide up and down on the piston 28, and this produces a pumping action. During the downward stroke of the cylinder, the ball check valve 54 closes while ball check valve 62 opens, and the suction causes paint to be drawn through the tube 16 and pipe 12 into the cylinder 24. On the upward stroke, ball 62 closes and ball 54 opens, thereby discharging the paint into the pipe 42, and out through the holes 68. The interior of the roller becomes filled with paint, and thereafter, as additional paint is discharged into the roller by the pump 22, the paint is forced to seep outwardly through the sleeve 76 and into the fleece or pile.

The amount of paint pumped with each turn of the roller depends upon the amount of throw of the eccentric, and this is governed by the position of the eccentric disk 36 with respect to the end plug 70. Thus, if the latch pin 86 is seated in the hole 84 that provides the maximum throw, the piston 28 and cylinder 24- will pump the maximum volume of paint with each turn of the roller, whereas at the other extreme, there is no throw to the eccentric, and no paint is pumped. When the latch pin 86 is seated in one of the intermediate holes 84, an intermediate volume of paint is pumped with each turn of the roller 10.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail what I believe to be the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the shape and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the broad scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A self-feeding paint roller, comprising, in combination:

a holder having a handle at one end thereof;

a roller supported for rotation on the other end of said holder;

a pump mechanism mounted externally of said roller,

said mechanism comprising a cylinder member having a piston member slidably disposed therein, one of said members being attached to said holder adjacent one end of said roller, the axis of said one member being disposed perpendicular to the axis of said roller;

a connecting rod attached at one end to the other of said members;

an eccentric attachedto said one end of said roller and engaging the other end of said connecting rod, said eccentric causing said connecting rod to reciprocate said other member with respect to 'said one memher as said roller turns;

said eccentric being pivotally mounted on the end of said roller for turning about an axis ofiset laterally from and parallel to the axis of rotation of the roller;

means for adjusting the angular position of said eccentric about said pivot axis so as to vary the throw of said eccentric, whereby the amount of paint delivered by said pump with each turn of said roller can be adjusted between predetermined maximum and minimum volume;

conduit means connecting the intake side of said pump to a supply of paint; and

means connected to the discharge side of said pump for delivering paint from the pump to said roller.

comprising:

a tubular holder having a handle at one end;

a hollow cylindrical roller rotatably supported at the other end of said holder, said roller having a pair of closure plugs fixed to the ends thereof;

a perforated pipe extending longitudinally through said roller at the center thereof, said plugs rotating on said pipe near the ends thereof;

a pump mounted on one end of said pipe, said pump including a stationary member and a movable member mounted for reciprocative movement with respect thereto;

an eccentric disk mounted on the outside of the one end plug adjacent said pump, said disk being pivoted for swinging movement in a direction to increase or decrease the amount of eccentricity of said disk with respect to said end plug;

means for securing said eccentric disk in angularly adjusted position with respect to its pivot axis;

a connecting rod attached at one end to said movable pump member and having a circular aperture in the other end thereof to receive said eccentric disk, whereby rotation of said eccentric disk with said one end plug causes said movable pump member to reciprocate with respect to said stationary pump member;

said other end of said holder bemg attached to said stationary pump member and communicating with the intake side of said pump;

said perforated pipe being attached to said stationary pump member and communicating with the discharge side of said pump; and

a flexible tube connecting said one end of said tubular holder to a container of paint;

said pump being operable to pump paint from said container into the interior of said roller when the latter is rotated by running it over the surface to be painted, and said roller being porous so as to allow paint to pass through from the interior thereof to its exterior surface.

3. A self-feeding roller for applying paint and the like,

as described in claim 2, wherein said means for securing said eccentric disk in adjusted position comprising:

a spring-pressed latch pin on said one end plug;

said eccentric disk having a plurality of holes provided therein to receive said latch pin, said holes being arranged in a circular are having said pivot screw as its center; and

a springpressed stem on said stationary pump member, said stem being positioned where it can be inserted down into one of said holes in which said latch pin is seated, whereby the latch pin can be depressed to disengage the same from said one hole and thereby free said eccentric disk so that the latter can be turned.

4. A self-feeding roller for aplying paint and the like,

comprising:

a tubular holder having a handle at one end;

a pump mounted on one end of said pipe, said pump including a stationary piston and a movable cylinder mounted for reciprocative movement with respect thereto;

a connecting rod attached at one end to said movable cylinder;

an eccentric disk mounted on the one of said closure plugs adjacent said pump, and rotatable therewith;

said eccentric disk being connected to said one end closure plug by a pivot screw adjacent one edge of the disk;

21 spring-pressed latch pin on said one end plug;

said eccentric having a plurality of holes provided therein to receive said latch pin, said holes being arranged in a circular arc having said pivot screw at its center;

said connecting rod having a circular aperture at its other end to receive said eccentric disk;

said eccentric disk and said connecting rods being operable to reciprocate said cylinder with respect to said piston responsive to rotation of said roller;

said other end of said tubular holder being attached to said stationary piston and communicating with the intake side of said pump;

said perforated pipe being attached to said stationary piston and communicating with the discharge side of said pump;

said pump being operable to pump paint from said container into the interior of said roller when the latter is rotated by running it over the surface to be painted, said roller being porous so as to allow paint to pass from the interior thereof to its external surface; and

means for unseating said latch pin from whichever of said holes it is seated in, so as to permit turning said eccentric about said pivot screw to change the throw of the eccentric.

comprising:

a tubular holder having a handle at one end;

a hollow cylindrical roller rotatably supported at the other end of said holder, said roller being closed at both ends thereof;

a perforated pipe extending longitudinally through said said roller at the center thereof, said pipe projecting through one end of the roller;

a pump mounted externally of said roller at said one end thereof, said pump comprising a stationary member and a movable member, one of said members being a cylinder, and the other a piston slidable therein;

said projecting end of said pipe and said other end of said tubular holder both being connected to said stationary pump member, whereby there is communication between them;

the common axis of said stationary and movable pump members being disposed perpendicular to the axis of said roller;

valve means controlling the flow of paint from said tubular holder into said stationary pump member and out through said perforated pipe into the interior of said roller;

a connecting rod connected at one end to said movable pump member and at the other end to said one end of said roller, said other end of said connecting rod being connected eccentricaily to said one end of said roller whereby said movable pumptrnernbe-r is reciprocated when said roller rotates; and

means for adjusting the eccentricity of said connecting rod to said roller with respect to the axis of rotation thereof, whereby the amount of paint delivered by said pump with each turn of said roller may be varied.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Wantz 230--20 X Takats.

Harnant 101-366 De Marco 15548 Mercereau 15-562 X Fugate 15-548 10 ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

Claims

5. A SELF-FEEDING ROLLER FOR APPLYING PAINT AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING: A TUBULAR HOLDER HAVING A HANDLE AT ONE END; A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL ROLLER ROTATABLY SUPPORTED AT THE OTHER END OF SAID HOLDER, SAID ROLLER BEING CLOSED AT BOTH ENDS THEREOF; A PERFORATED PIPE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID SAID ROLLER AT THE CENTER THEREOF, SAID PIPE PROJECTING THROUGH ONE END OF THE ROLLER; A PUMP MOUNTED EXTERNALLY OF SAID ROLLER AT SAID ONE END THEREOF, SAID PUMP COMPRISING A STATIONARY MEMBER AND A MOVABLE MEMBER, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING A CYLINDER, AND THE OTHER A PISTON SLIDABLE THEREIN; SAID PROJECTING END OF SAID PIPE AND SAID OTHER END OF SAID TUBULAR HOLDER BOTH BEING CONNECTED TO SAID STATIONARY PUMP MEMBER, WHEREBY THERE IS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THEM; THE COMMON AXIS OF SAID STATIONARY AND MOVABLE PUMP MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF SAID ROLLER; A FLEXIBLE TUBE CONNECTING SAID ONE END OF SAID TUBULAR HOLDER TO A CONTAINER OF PAINT; VALVE MEANS CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF PAINT FROM SAID TUBULAR HOLDER INTO SAID STATIONARY PUMP MEMBER AND OUT THROUGH SAID PERFORATED PIPE INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID ROLLER; A CONNECTING ROD CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID MOVABLE PUMP MEMBER AND AT THE OTHER END TO SAID ONE END OF SAID ROLLER, SAID OTHER END OF SAID CONNECTING ROD BEING CONNECTED ECCENTRICALLY TO SAID ONE END OF SAID ROLLER WHEREBY SAID MOVABLE PUMP MEMBER IS RECIPROCATED WHEN SAID ROLLER ROTATES; AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE ECCENTRICITY OF SAID CONNECTING ROD TO SAID ROLLER WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION THEREOF, WHEREBY THE AMOUNT OF PAINT DELIVERED BY SAID PUMP WITH EACH TURN OF SAID ROLLER MAY BE VARIED.