US3140849A - Support for paint rollers - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1964 i C. G. GARR ET AL SUPPORT FOR PAINT ROLLERS Filed Jan. 5, 1962 5 R6 44 67/47/65 f g rr United States Patent 3,140,849 SUPPORT FOR PAINT ROLLERS Charles G. Garr and Bernard A. Garr, both of 5326 Elmwood, Detroit, Mich. Filed Jan. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 164,513 1 Claim. (Cl. 248-304) This invention relates to a support for removable paint roller members.

A paint roller assembly includes a tubular paint roller member which is removable from the rolling mechanism of the roller assembly. The utility of the removable roller member is not usually expended in a single use; thus, it is desirable to clean and/or otherwise maintain the used roller such that it may be reused. It is common practice that in storing the used rollers either before or after cleaning they are set on one end in an empty container such as a five or one gallon can. A disadvantage in storing rollers in this manner is that the excess paint and/or cleaner from the roller member drains to the bottom of the container and hence immerses the bottom portion of the roller member. When the drained paint and/or cleaner dries, the immersed portion of the roller becomes encrusted with the hardened paint residue. This encrustation can result in the loss of usefulness of those particular rollers. It is an object of this invention therefore to provide a support for holding removable paint rollers whereby drainage and drying of the paint roller member can occur without encrustation of a portion of the roller member.

It is another object of this invention to provide a support which can be attached or clamped to a container or can for holding removable paint rollers, whereby drainage of the paint roller member can occur in the container without encrustation of a portion of the roller member upon subsequent drying.

It is desirable that such a support be capable of being suspended to a hook or a peg independent of the container or can such that after completion of the drainage, the paint roller members can be conveniently stored on hooks or pegs via the support. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a support for a paint roller member whereby the roller member can be held either on a container or can for drainage or on a peg or hook for storage.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claim, taken in coniunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view of one embodiment of a paint roller member support embodying the features of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view depicting the support of FIGURE 1 in relation to a removable paint roller member shown partially broken away and partially in section and one type of container or can, only partially shown, with a portion thereof in section;

FIGURE 3 is a pictorial view of a modified support embodying the features of this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a View showing the support of FIGURE 3 in relation to a removable paint roller member and a dilferent type of container or can, only partially shown, with a portion thereof in section; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view of a part of the support shown in FIGURE 4 taken in the direction of the arrow 5, with the container removed.

For the sake of convenience, in the following discussion the terms upwardly and downwardly will be taken to indicate vertical directions as viewed in the plane of the attached drawing; the term outwardly will be taken to indicate a horizontal direction from right to left as viewed in the plane of the attached drawing, while the term inwardly will be taken to indicate the corresponding horizontal direction taken from left to right.

Looking now to FIGURE 1, a paint roller member support is generally indicated by the numeral 10 and is formed from a single piece of wire stock. The support 10 comprises a substantially straight stem portion 12 being of a length greater than the length of a paint roller member and terminating at its lower extremity in an inwardly extending hook portion 14 which has a width or opening greater than the wall thickness of the radial wall of a tubular paint roller member. The length of [the stem portion 12 is sufiiciently greater than the length of a paint roller member such that the stem portion 12 can be inserted into the internal diameter of the paint roller member and the roller member lifted over and into the hook portion 14 to assume a position as shown in FIG- URE 2. From the upper extremity of the stem portion 12 an intermediate portion 16 extends outwardly and is of a length greater than the distance equal to the outside diameter of the tubular paint roller member less its wall thickness. A more convenient definition is that the intermediate portion 16 is of a length greater than the mean diameter of the tubular paint roller member. Connected to the outward extremity of the intermediate portion 16 is a clamp 18.

Looking now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the stem portion 12 of the support member 10 is of a length to accommodate a paint roller member 20 which is held at one end by the hook portion 14. Note also that the intermediate portion 16 is of a length sufiicient to maintain the paint roller member 20 out of contact with the side wall of an open container or can. 22 onto Which the support member 10 is secured via the clamp 18.

The clamp means 18 is generally U-shaped and comprises a leg portion 24 extending upwardly from the outward extremity of the intermediate portion 16 and another outwardly spaced leg portion 26 extending downwardly and being of a length greater than the leg portion 24. The spacing between the leg portions 24 and 26 and hence the width of the clamp 18 is equal to the width of an annular lip 28 which extends peripherally about the top of the container or can 22. The leg portion 26 extends downwardly a length suflicient to engage an annular bead 30 which extends radially outwardly from the side wall of the container 22. The width of the clamp 18 is slightly less than the distance between the inner surface of the wall of the can 22 and the outer extremity of the protrusion or bead 30 such that the support 10 is securely clamped therebetween by means of the resilient separation of the leg portions 26 and 24 of the U-shaped clamp member 18.

The other leg portion 26 terminates at its downward extremity in an eyelet portion 32 (FIGURE 1) which facilitates the attachment of the support member 10 upon a peg or a hook. Thus it can be seen that in the embodiment just described, a paint roller member can be supported for drainage and/or transportation in a can or container without the paint roller member being in the drainage at the bottom of the container and hence can be maintained such that the bottom portion of the roller will not be encrusted. It can also be seen from the above description that the paint roller member, via the eyelet 32 of the support member 10, can be secured to a hook or a peg and conveniently stored in an area other than the container or can.

In the above embodiment the container or can 22 has been assumed to be a conventional S-gallon can having a considerable depth. While commercial painters are accustomed to utilizing such large sized cans, it would be more practical and convenient for the individual home owner painter, and even in some instances the commercial painter, to utilize a conventional l-gallon can. In a con- 3 ventional l-gallon paint can, with the embodiment as shown in FIGURES l and 2, the support member 10 and hence the paint roller member 20 would abut against the bottom of the can. This difficulty can be overcome by the use of a modification of the support member 10 which is shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5.

Looking now in FIGURE 3, a support for a tubular paint roller member is generally designated by the numeral 40 and comprises an elongated stem portion 42 which terminates at its lower extremity in an outwardly extending hook portion 44, which is of a width sufficient to accept the wall thickness of the radial wall of a paint roller member. The length of the stem portion 42 is greater than the length of a paint roller member such as to facilitate the mounting of that member upon the hook portion 44 (FIGURE 4). The stem portion 42 has its upper extremity connected to an outwardly extending intermediate portion 46, which is of a length greater than the wall thickness of a tubular paint roller member. The outward extremity of the intermediate portion 46 is connected to one end of a downwardly extending connecting portion 48 which has its opposite, lower end connected to a clamp 50.

Looking now to FIGURES 4 and 5, a paint roller support member 40 is shown having a tubular paint roller member 53 secured to the hook portion 44 and with the support member 40 secured to a container or can 51 of the conventional l-gallon type via the clamp means 50. The length of the intermediate extending portion 46 is greater than the wall thickness of the radial wall of the paint roller member 53 in order that that member 53 can be held by the support 40 without its outside surface engaging either the container 51 or any portion of the support 44 The clamp 50 comprises an outwardly extending U-shaped stop portion 52, one leg ,o'f which is connected to the lower extremity of the connecting portion 48 and its other leg of which is con nected to a leg portion 54 which extends upwardly therefrom a distance substantially less than the extension of the connecting portion 48 and is connected at its upper extremity. to an outwardly extending center portion 56 which in turn has its opposite extremity connected to another leg portion 58 which extends downwardly therefrom. The center portion 56 is angled toward the connecting portion 48 such that the other leg portion 58 is disposed midway between the leg portion 54 and the connecting portion 48 (see FIGURE The other leg portion 58 terminates at its lower end in an eyelet portion 60which facilitates mounting of the support member 40 on a peg or hook in a manner similar to that of the support member previously described.

Looking now to FIGURES 4 and 5, the leg portions 54 and 58 and the center portion 56 define a U-shaped structure in which the opening thereof or the length of the center portion 56 is substantially equal to the width of an annular radially inwardly extending lip 62' which extends peripherally about the top of the container or can 51. The leg portion 58 is inclined slightly towards the U-shaped stop portion 52 such that upon assembly of the other U-shaped structure defined by portions 54, 56 and 58 over the lip 62 of the container 51, the support 40 is held to the container 51 by virtue of the resilient separation of the other leg portion 58 and the stop portion 52.

Note that in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the stern portion 42 and the hook portion 44 are raised relative to the clamp 50 by virtue of intermediate connecting means, i.e., portions 46 and 48, and specifically by the extension of the connecting portion 48. In this manner a sufiicient portion of the paint roller member 53 is held above the clamp 50 to insure that the paint roller member 53 will not be immersed in the drainage at the bottom of the container 51. Thus it can be seen from the above description that the paint roller support fulfills the objects of the invention previously stated.

It can be appreciated thatanother advantage of the paint roller support of this invention, as exemplified by the supports 10 and 40, is that when it is desired to suecessively use different colors, the paint rollers not in use can be conveniently stored in a container free from contamination from the different colored paint on other rollers. Thus a single container can be used to store several paint roller members.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciatedthat the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claim.

What is claimed is:

A one piece support of wire stock for supporting a tubular paint roller member. in an open container having a side wall terminating at its upper end in a peripheral lip, said support comprising: a stem portion having a length greater than the length of a paint roller member to be supported, a hook portion disposed at the lower extremity of said stem portion for engaging the wall at one end of the roller to be supported, clamp means comprising a U-shaped structure definedby a pair of spaced upwardly and downwardly extending leg portions and having an opening sufficient to overengage the peripheral lip of the container, a U-shaped stop member connected at one end to one of said leg portions of said U-shaped structure and extending transversely toward the other of said leg portions of said U-shaped structure, said one of said leg portions being normally inclined toward said stop member to provide upon separation a resilient clamp between the inside and outside surfaces of the wall of the container, a connecting portion having one end connected to the other end of. said U-shaped stop member and extending upwardly therefrom, and an intermediate portion having one end secured to the upper end of said stem portion and extending transversely in a direction generally opposite to said U-shaped stop member a distance at least greater than the wall thickness of the tubular paint roller member to be supported and having its opposite end connected to the upper extremity of said connecting portion.

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

471,989 Bush Mar. 29, 1892 1,213,685 Owens Jan. 23, 1917 2,773,274 Beach ...4 Dec. 11, 1956 2,808,960 Wilson Oct. 8, 1957 2,956,765 Robinson Oct. 18, 1960

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