US3527341A - Paint brush and solvent container - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 8, 1970 o. M. PEEBLES PAINT BRUSH AND SOLVENT CONTAINER Filed Jan. 2, 1969 FIGS FIGI

D. MEADE PEEBLES United States Patent 3,527,341 PAINT BRUSH AND SOLVENT CONTAINER David Meade Peebles, 325 Marcy Ave., Oxon Hill, Md. 20021 Filed Jan. 2, 1969, Ser. No. 788,572 Int. Cl. A45d 44/18 US. Cl. 206-152 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container and supporting means for one or more paint brushes and a quantity of liquid solvent within which the brush bristles are immersed. The container is liquid tight and limits evaporation of solvent and is formed in two sections having a seal between them to allow ready separation as where paint brushes having different paint coloring thereon are to be received.

Solvent containers with means to support paint brushes are known in the prior art but such devices tend to be too costly to justify their wide acceptance by the public. Additionally, a prime difficulty with the prior art brush soaking containers resides in the fact that the entire container must be cleaned out and flushed whenever a different color paint is encountered on a brush or brushes. That is to say, where white paint is being used, the painter does not wish to immerse the brush into a bath of solvent contaminated with paint of another color. The present invention has, as a major feature of improvement over the prior art, the ability to convert quickly to a fresh bath of clean solvent by simple removal of the upper section of the container and rescaling the same to another lower section containing the fresh solvent. Other advantages of the invention will appear during the course of the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a central vertical section through a solvent container and brush supporting means embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sup porting means.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section through a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a similar view of a further modified form.

FIG. 5 is a similar view of still another modification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals designate like parts, the numeral in FIG. 1 designates a lower can body, such as a coffee can, from which the lid has been removed. Above the can body 10 is a coacting similar can body 11 having its bottom 12 disposed upwardly and being downwardly open. The opposed open ends of the two can bodies are joined by a resilient liquid-tight seal ring or gasket 13 having sealing grooves 14 receiving the opposed open ends of the two can bodies snugly and releasably. The gasket 13 supports the upper can body 11 and also forms an effective seal or joint so that liquid will not escape from the composite container.

The lower can body 10 receives a quantity of paint solvent 15 within which the bristles of paint brushes are immersed for cleaning and/or preventing hardening of the paint while the brushes are idle.

A supporting means for one or more brushes is pro vided for use within the two part container and this means may comprise a pair of paint stirring paddles 16 or like elements connected in spaced relation near their "ice tops and bottoms by rigid bolt means 17 and 18. The upper bolt means 17 is provided between the two paddles 16 with wire hanger elements 19 for one or two paint brushes 20, one such brush being shown suspended in the solvent 15 in FIG. 1.

Additional spaced openings 21 are formed through the paddle elements 16 to receive hanger pins or bolts 22 or the like at various elevations on the support structure so that an additional brush 23 or plural brushes may be suspended in the solvent 15, as shown in FIG. 1.

The supporting unit composed of the connected paddles 16 may be placed loosely within the container and simply rests on the bottom 24 of the lower container body. If the support structure tilts from the vertical within the container, no harm will be done. In some instances, the support may include only a single paddle element 16 with paint brush supporting pins, hooks or the like anchored at selected elevations in the various openings 21. In either case, brushes of differing size may be suspended at proper elevations so that their bristles are totally immersed in the solvent but without touching the bottom of the container where sediment collects.

When it is desired to utilize a fresh solvent bath, the upper container body 11 and seal 13 may be removed and transferred to another lower can body containing fresh solvent. In this way, there is no necessity for completely cleaning and flushing the entire apparatus and the inexpensive food cans used for the lower can body 10 may be discarded with the dirty solvent.

FIG. 3 shows a modification embodying the same lower can body 10 with liquid solvent 15 and seal or gasket 13. The upper can body 25 has a removable cover 26 preferably having a gasket or seal 27 for snug engagement over the body 25 which is tubular and open-ended. The supporting structure involving the paddles 16 may be omitted and instead several suspension hooks 28 are anchored suitably to the cover 26. The elements 25 and 26 may be formed of metal or plastic. If metal is employed, the suspension hooks 28 may be welded or soldered to the cover 26. If plastic is employed, the hooks may be secured by screw-threaded means. FIG. 3 shows paint brushes 29 suspended from the hooks 28 with their bristles immersed in the solvent 15. The same basic advantages present in the previous embodiment are also present in the modification.

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment employing the lower can body 10, previously described, and an upper cover section 30 formed of plastic or rubber-like material having a sealing flange 31 at its lower end snugly and releasably engaging the upper rim of the can body as shown. The paint brush support unit described in connection with FIG. 1 composed of the paddle elements 16 may be used in the embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows only a slight modification of the FIG. 4 embodiment wherein the upper container section 30, similar to the cover section 30, also has a removable cap 32 having brush suspension books 33 suitably anchored thereto for supporting paint brushes. In all other respects, the constructions in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be identical.

The advantages and features of the invention in its various forms should now appear readily to those skilled in the art without the necessity of further description.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claim.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for maintaining paint brushes in a clean and supple condition comprising upper and lower opposed container sections, a sealing ring detachably and sealingly engaging the opposed open ends of said upper and lower sections, the lower container section adapted to hold a quantity of liquid solvent, and supporting means for at least a paint brush within the apparatus and engaging the brush so that the bristles thereof are immersed in the solvent While the brush is maintained spaced from all walls of the container sections, said supporting means comprising a separately formed brush supporting member loosely disposed within the upper and lower container sections and extending for the major portion of the height of both assembled sections, and plural elevation brush suspension elements on said brush supporting member, said member comprising a pair of laterally spaced generally parallel elongated elements, transverse connecting means for said elements unitizing them, and said brush suspension elements being adjustable on said elongated elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES 4/ 1925 Great Britain. 11/1909 France.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner

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