AU692348B2 - A drive-tranmission implement for a paint-roller body - Google Patents

Description

A DRIVE-TRANSMISSION IMPLEMENT FOR A PAINT-ROLLER BODY

The present invention relates to an implement for supporting and transmitting drive to a paint-roller body for rotation, particularly for cleaning.

Paint rollers used for decorating purposes generally comprise an absorbent cylindrical sleeve carried on a support mounted on a shaft having a cranked handle at one end by which the tool is manipulated in use. The sleeve must be capable of rotating on the shaft in use but various ways of supporting the sleeve for rotation are known. Also, various parts of such tools are releasable from each other to facilitate cleaning.

It is known to clean paint-roller sleeves by soaking them in a suitable solvent and rotating them about their longitudinal axes to expel the paint and solvent therefrom centrifugally. Various implements are known for supporting such sleeves for rotation, either on or detached from their rollers, the rotation being effected either manually or by a motor, for example by the motor of an electric drill. Such implements are not, however, widely available and, in particular, there is no convenient support available for rollers in which the paint-application sleeve is attached to a roller body supported for rotation on an inner sleeve, the roller body and inner sleeve being releasably attachable to the shaft carrying the cranked handle. Such tools have various means for attaching the roller body to the handle shaft including, for example, a central constriction which grips the shaft or a bolt or clamp device which fits onto that end of the shaft opposite the handle.

The object of the present invention is to provide a suitable implement for supporting a roller body for cleaning; more particularly the invention seeks to provide an implement which can be adapted to support various types of roller bodies for cleaning.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a drive- transmission implement for supporting and transmitting drive to a paint roller body having an axial through-bore for releasably receiving a shaft, the implement comprising a spindle having a first end portion adapted to receive drive to rotate it about its axis, a second end portion adapted to fit into the axial through-bore in the roller body, clutch means carried by the spindle and means for retaining a roller body fitted on to the spindle in engagement with the clutch means to enable rotational drive to be transmitted from the spindle to the roller body.

In the case of an implement for use in cleaning a paint roller body having an axial inner sleeve with respect to which the roller body is rotatable, the spindle may be adapted or adaptable to be gripped by the inner sleeve in such a manner as, together with the clutch means, to enable the rotational drive to be transmitted from the shaft to the roller body.

In the case of a roller body having an inner sleeve with a constriction, the spindle may readily be formed of a diameter to be gripped by the constriction. Alternatively it may be formed to be gripped by any other gripping means provided in the central part of a sleeve. Moreover the spindle may be adapted to fit a specific inner sleeve during manufacture by being made to the requisite diameter for that sleeve or it may be adaptable to fit different sleeves by the provision of auxiliary, preferably resilient sleeves, which can be fitted onto it to change its diameter. In this case the auxiliary sleeve need cover only a short length of the spindle which preferably cooperates with part of the inner sleeve remote from the handle end in use. The provision of auxiliary sleeves also enables a spindle to be adapted to be a force fit in a roller body having an inner sleeve but without a constriction in order to provide the requisite grip.

The clutch means preferably act on an end face of the roller body and comprise or include parts carried by the spindle intermediate its end portions. In preferred embodiments, the clutch means include an annular clutch plate mounted coaxially for rotation with the spindle but slidable thereon and resilient biasing means for urging the clutch plate into drive-transmitting engagement with an end of the roller body. The resilient biasing means may be of any known form, appropriately shaped and located, such as leaf springs, resilient blocks, etc., but, in preferred embodiments, comprise a compression spring coaxially surrounding the spindle and acting between the clutch plate and a stop member carried by the spindle.

It is preferred to provide the clutch means in the form of a single device mounted intermediate the ends of the spindle. When the implement is to be used with a roller body with an inner sleeve which grips the spindle, there is no need for the spindle to project from that end of the body not engaged by the clutch means : the part of the spindle intended to fit into the roller body need only be of a length sufficient to extend into the longest of the roller bodies with which the implement is to be used sufficiently for it to be gripped thereby.

In a preferred embodiment of such a clutch device, the stop member is captive in an annular housing defined at one end by the clutch plate, the spring being permanently compressed within the housing but further compressible on sliding of the spindle axially so as to move the stop member towards the clutch plate. In use of the implement as just defined, the spindle is fitted through the roller body until the clutch plate contacts one end thereof. With this simple, unforced fitting, the clutch plate may not exert sufficient force on the roller to transmit rotary drive thereto. Further forcing of the spindle through the roller body, however, causes the biasing spring, acted on by the stop member carried by the spindle to be compressed against the clutch plate, in turn exerting pressure on the end of the roller body. Even when the spindle is released and the biasing spring returns the stop member and spindle to the former position, the spring remains compressed and the spindle is still biased to move out of the roller body against the frictional gripping force exerted by the gripping means. The force of the spring is calibrated such that, in these conditions, the reactive force between the clutch plate and the end of the roller body, together with gripping force exerted between the inner sleeve of the roller body and the spindle suffice to connect the roller to the spindle for rotation therewith.

The clutch device may have various configurations. For example the annular housing may have an end closure wall at its end opposite the clutch plate to serve as an abutment to limit the travel of the stop member away from the clutch plate. The housing, and hence the clutch plate, may couple with the spindle for relative sliding movement by means of a splined coupling. Alternatively the stop member may be captive by means of at least one radial projection which extends into, and possibly through, and is slidable in, a longitudinally-extending slot in the housing wall, the slot having a closed end remote from the clutch plate which defines a travel limit position for the projection, and hence for the stop member. The said closed end of the slot may be defined by an end wall of the housing but the end of the housing may be open and the slot be closed by an end portion of the peripheral wall.

The implement of the invention may thus be suitable for use with rollers of different lengths. It may also be adapted for use with rollers with different diameter through-bores or gripping constrictions. For this purpose it suffices to make the spindle of the smallest diameter that it is envisaged will be required and to provide one or more releasable, preferably resilient, sleeves for fitting on to it to increase its diameter. Such sleeves need not extend the full length of that part of the spindle intended to fit into the roller body. Moreover, although the spindle itself, one end of which is intended to be gripped by the chuck of a power tool, is preferably of a hard, relatively rigid material, such as steel, the sleeve may be of a softer, more flexible and/or more resilient material such that, for example, any one sleeve may be gripped by inner sleeves, with or without constrictions, or other gripper means of slightly different sizes.

The implement of the invention may also be adapted for use with a roller body which does not have an inner sleeve which can grip the spindle but which has a through-bore into which the spindle can be fitted. In this case the implement may include means for cooperating with the opposite end of the roller body from that engaged by the clutch means to retain it against the clutch means and enable the drive to be transmitted. Conveniently the cooperating means comprise a retaining member which acts between the spindle and the opposite end of the roller body from the clamp means. Such a retaining member may be carried by, or cooperate with, an end portion of the spindle within the roller through-bore but, more preferably, the spindle of the implement would be made sufficiently long to extend right through the roller body and project therefrom. The retaining member may then engage, or be carried by, the projecting end portion of the spindle and the end of the roller body.

The retaining member is preferably releasably engageable with the free end portion of the spindle which projects from the roller body, being removable to allow the spindle to be inserted into the roller body. Retaining members may, however, be envisaged which are collapsible against or into the spindle to allow the spindle to be inserted through the roller body but which can then be moved into a position of engagement with the roller body. Alternatively the clutch means may be releasably attachable to the spindle, the spindle being insertable into the roller through bore from its first end until it is located on the second end portion, in abutment with a retaining member carried thereby. The clutch means would then be fitted against the opposite end of the roller body.

If it is necessary to adapt the implement just described for use with rollers of different lengths, the retaining member and/or the clutch means may be movable along the spindle into positions of engagement with the roller body or retaining members of different lengths may be provided or suitable spacers may be provided for location between the roller body and the retaining member and/or the clutch means. Adapters may also be provided, as necessary, to modify the diameter of any part of the implement to enable it to engage the roller body.

The clutch means usable with the implement just described may be similar to that provided in an implement for use with a roller having an inner gripping sleeve. This has the advantage that clutch means, or indeed the spindle and clutch means together, may be mass produced for fitting to spindles adapted to fit a range of different roller bodies, thus simplifying the manufacturing process and making it more economic. Several embodiments of the invention will now be more particularly described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is longitudinal section through an implement of the invention ready for attachment to a paint roller body;

Figure 2 is a schematic view, similar to Figure 1 but showing a stage in the process of attachment of the roller body to the implement; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a variant of the implement and of the roller body; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a further variant of the invention.

With reference to Figure 1 of the drawings, a generally cylindrical, tubular paint-roller is shown generally indicated 9 including a body 10 which carries an outer sleeve or cover 11 of any convenient material for use in applying paint to a surface to be decorated. The cover 11 is retained between annular end flanges 14 of the roller body 10.

The roller 9 has a longitudinal inner sleeve 12 about which the body 10 can rotate and which, in use, receives a supporting shaft (not shown since it is entirely conventional) having an elbow portion at one end which projects from the roller body and carries a handgrip. The handle shaft is readily removable from the paint roller inner sleeve 12 when it is wished to clean the roller.

The supporting shaft is a relatively loose fit in the inner sleeve 12 except in a central portion 13 thereof which is of slightly smaller diameter than the major portion of the sleeve 12 and in which the shaft is a relatively tight fit. In use for decorating purposes, the roller body 10 rotates about its longitudinal axis on the supporting sleeve to apply paint to a surface.

For the purpose of cleaning, the roller 9 may be attached to an implement of the invention generally indicated 15. This cleaning implement 15 comprises a steel spindle 16 carrying a coaxial clutch device generally indicated 17 near one end. More specifically, a longer portion 16a of the spindle 16 projects from one end of the clutch device 17 and can be fitted into the roller body inner sleeve 12 while a shorter portion 16b projects from the opposite end of the clutch device 17 for gripping by the chuck

(not shown) of an electric power tool. The shaft 16 is of the same diameter as the supporting shaft provided to support the roller for decorating purposes and its longer portion 16a is of such a length that it extends through the inner sleeve 12 beyond the smaller-diameter portion 13 to be gripped therein. There is no need for the spindle portion 16a to extend the full length of the sleeve 12 so the support 15 can support rollers 9 of different lengths for cleaning.

The clutch device 17 includes a tubular plastics body 17a having a smaller-diameter portion defined by a first cylindrical peripheral wall 18 and a larger-diameter portion defined by a second cylindrical peripheral wall 19 joined to the first wall 18 by an annular, radial wall 20. The free end 18a of the smaller-diameter wall 18 is open while that of the larger diameter wall is substantially closed by an annular end plate 21, the aperture 22 of which accommodates the spindle 16 with a sliding fit. The longer portion 16a of the spindle 16 projects from the end plate 21.

A free end portion 19a of the second peripheral wall 19 projects beyond the end plate 21 and, with the outer face of the latter, defines a seat which can accommodate an end flange 14 of the roller body 10.

Within the clutch device body 17a, the spindle 16 carries fixed thereto a cylindrical plastics stop member 23 which constitutes part of the clutch device and is a sliding fit in the smaller-diameter wall 18. A compression spring 24 is housed within the tubular plastics body 17a, coaxially around the spindle 16, with one end bearing against the end plate 21 and its opposite end bearing against the stop member 23. It will be understood that, the spring 24 being under compression, it acts between the end plate 21 and the stop member 23 to urge the tubular plastics body 17a to slide along the spindle 16 to the right as seen in Figure 1. Movement from the position shown is, however, prevented by the engagement of two projections 25a, which project radially from the stop member 23, in ends 26a of cooperating, longitudinally-extending slots 26 in the smaller-diameter wall 18, the ends 26a being close to the free, open end 18a of the wall 18. Although the slots 26 extend almost the full length of the smaller-diameter wall 18, being closed at 26b only by the junction with the radial wall 20, the pins 25 cannot travel the full lengths of the slots 26 to these latter ends 26b since the spring 24 is fully compressed before this position is reached.

In practice the projections 25a consist of projecting end portions of a retaining rod 25 which extends through cooperating radial apertures in the spindle 16 and m the stop member 23 respectively and thus also retains the stop member 23 in position on the spindle 16.

In use of the implement of the invention, the roller 9, removed from its supporting shaft, is fitted axially onto the spindle end portion 16a until one end flange 14 seats in the seat defined by the outer face of the end plate 21 and the surrounding circumferential flange 19a of the clutch device 17, and as shown in Figure 2. The spindle 16 is then forced further into the roller body 10 by axial pressure on the free end of its portion 16b and carries with it the stop member 23 which compresses the spring 24 against the end plate 21.

Once the pressure on the end 16b is released, the spring 24 returns the stop member 23 to its original position in which the projecting pin portions 25a abut the ends 26a of the slots 26, the apparatus passing through the configuration shown in Figure 2. In this movement, the spindle 16 moves axially out of the roller body 10, in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 2, against the frictional forces acting on it in the opposite direction, indicated by the arrow B, where it is gripped in the narrower, central portion 13 of the roller inner sleeve 12.

When the stop member 23 reaches its travel limit position, the spring 24 is still under compression and continues to exert considerable force on the spindle 16 in the direction A while static friction acts on the spindle in the direction of the arrow B. These forces on the spindle 16 are balanced by reactive forces on the roller body 10, these reactive forces comprising static friction acting on the inner sleeve portion 13 in the direction Bl opposite the direction B and a force acting on its end flange 14 contacted by the end plate 21 in the direction of the arrow Al opposite the direction indicated by the arrow A. These reactive forces have the effect of clamping the roller body 10 against the end plate 21 so that this acts as a clutch plate. Thus, when the end 16b of the spindle 16 is gripped by the chuck of a motor-driven power tool and rotated, rotational drive is transmitted through this end plate 21 to the roller body 10 to spin it and thereby throw any paint and solvent in the cover 11 off centrifugally.

In Figures 1 and 2, the implement 15 is shown in use with a paint roller body 10 having an inner sleeve 12 with a central, smaller-diameter portion 13 which serves as a gripping constriction. The implement 15 may, however, readily be adapted for use with a roller body which does not have such a central constriction: for this purpose its spindle 16 is fitted with a releasable, resilient, auxiliary sleeve (not shown) which is a close fit in the inner sleeve of the roller body. Such a resilient sleeve preferably covers only a relatively short end portion of the spindle 16 and is not such a tight fit in the roller inner sleeve as to make the fitting of the spindle into the sleeve, or its removal therefrom, difficult.

Reference is now made to Figure 3 of the drawings which shows a variant of the implement of the invention in use with a different type of roller body. Features of the apparatus identical or similar to those of Figures 1 and 2 are indicated by the same reference numbers increased by 100 and will not be described in detail. In Figure 3, the cleaning implement 115 is adapted to support a roller 109 having a roller body 110 which does not have the inner sleeve 12 with the smaller diameter bore portion 13. Instead the roller body 110 comprises a relatively thin-walled plastics cylinder 140 with annular end walls 141 which, as shown, are slightly concave inwardly of the cylinder but may be flat or otherwise shaped. The end walls 141 define apertures 141a in which either the handled shaft (not shown) used for painting or the spindle 116 of the cleaning implement 115 is a loose fit. In use for painting, the handled shaft is fitted through the roller body 110 and the roller body is retained thereon between a shoulder adjacent the handled end and a nut screwed on to threading at the free end of the shaft. The roller body can rotate freely on the shaft in this condition.

In order to support the roller body 110 for cleaning, the portion 116a of the spindle 116 is fitted through the body 110 and is long enough for a free end portion 142 to project from the roller body 110. This end portion 142 is threaded and the implement 115 includes an internally threaded nut 143 engageable with the threaded end 142. The nut 143 in fact comprises a hollow cylindrical body 144 open at one end for engagement with the threading 142 but closed at its opposite end by an end wall 145 of larger diameter than the main body 144. The end wall 145 is externally knurled or otherwise formed to facilitate manipulation by the user. The threading of the two parts is preferably such that the user need rotate the nut 143 only about a couple of turns to tighten it against the end wall 141 of the roll body.

The implement 115 may in other respects be identical to that shown in Figures 1 and 2 , the differences shown being merely minor factors relating largely to convenience and economy of manufacture. Thus the implement 115 includes a clutch device 117 similar to the device 17 but its peripheral wall 119 does not project beyond the end plate 121 so that the outer end face 121a is flat. The end face 121a is of such a diameter that it can contact the annular end face of the cylindrical wall 140 of the roller body 110 to transmit drive thereto.

A further difference between the clutch device 117 and that of Figure 1 is that the stop member 123 has a cylindrical stem 142 projecting coaxially therefrom away from the end plate 121. The pin 126a which fixes the stop member 123 to the spindle 116 passes through this stem 142 and not through the main body of the stop member 123, nor through the wall 118 in which it slides. The pin 126a does not therefore limit the sliding of the stop member 123 within the wall 118; this movement is in this case limited by a flange 146 projecting inwardly from the open end of the wall 118. There is no connection between the stop member 123 and the wall 118 to prevent relative rotation .

In use of the apparatus of Figure 3, the roller body 110, freed from its handled shaft, is slipped on to the end 116a of the spindle 116 and the nut 143 is then screwed on to the screw-threaded end 142. Light manual tightening of the nut 143 against the end wall 141 of the body 110 serves to draw the spindle 116 through the body 110, the stop member 123 being drawn with it and compressing the biasing spring 124 against the end plate 121 of the clutch device 117 which in turn presses against the end face of the cylindrical peripheral wall 140 of the roller body 110. The roller body thus becomes clamped between the nut 143 and the clutch device 117 and, when rotational drive is transmitted to the spindle 116, this is transmitted to the roller body 110 to rotate it.

Figure 4 shows an alternative cleaning implement for use with the roller 109 described in relation to Figure 3. In Figure 4 those components which are the same as, or fulfil the same functions as, corresponding components in Figure 3 are identified by the same reference numerals. The cleaning implement 215 differs from that of Figure 3 in that the shaft 116 has a plain end portion 242 rather than the threaded portion 142 and the roller body 110 is retained on it by a retainer 150 which, as can be seen in the insert to Figure 4, comprises a cylindrical body 151 having an axial through-bore and a radial flange 152 at one end. The bore includes a larger diameter portion 154 opening into the flanged end 152 communicating with a smaller-diameter portion 153 opening at the opposite end. The bore portion 153 has a diameter less than that of the spindle 116 while the bore portion 154 has a diameter greater than that of the spindle 116. An axially- extending transverse slot 155 is formed in the body 151 and extends from the said opposite end axially beyond the shoulder joining the smaller bore 153 to the larger bore 154. The slot 155 gives the body 151 a small degree of elasticity so that it can be forced on to the end of the spindle 116 which it then grips to hold the roller 109 in place. Suitable choice of material and dimensions will ensure that the force required to push fit the retainer 150 onto the spindle 116 is within the range of forces which can be exerted by hand whilst the gripping force exerted by the retainer 150 on the spindle, together with the pressure exerted by the clutch device 117, are sufficient to secure the roller 109 to the implement 215 for rotation thereby.

In use of the implement 215, the retainer 150 may be forced against the roller body with sufficient force to move it along the spindle 116 and compress the spring 124 so as to clamp the roller 109 between the clutch means 117 and the retainer 150 but, more preferably, the retainer 150 would be pressed into light contact with the end of the roller body and then the spindle 116 would be grasped by its end 116b and pushed through the roller body to compress the spring 124 as explained in relation to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2.

The implement 215 may be used with a roller 109 of any length provided the spindle 116 is sufficiently long to pass right through the longest roller available since the retainer 150 may be slid along the spindle until it contacts the end of the roller body.

It will be appreciated that the implement 215 of Figure 4, without the retainer 150, is substantially the same as that of Figure 3 apart from the threaded end 142 of the latter and is therefore cheaper to manufacture. It may therefore also be used without any modification, apart possibly from the fitting of an auxiliary sleeve, to support a roller 9 of the type shown in Figure 1: the retainer 150 may be utilised but is unnecessary.

Claims (10)

1. A drive-transmission implement for supporting and transmitting drive to a paint roller body having an axial through-bore for releasably receiving a shaft, the implement comprising a spindle having a first end portion adapted to receive drive to rotate it about its axis, a second end portion adapted to fit into the axial through- bore in the roller body, clutch means carried by the spindle and means for retaining a roller body fitted on to the spindle in engagement with the clutch means to enable rotational drive to be transmitted from the spindle to the roller body.

2. A drive transmission implement as claimed in Claim 1, in which the clutch means are carried by the spindle intermediate the first and second end portions and include an annular clutch plate mounted coaxially for rotation with the spindle but slidable thereon and resilient biasing means for urging the clutch plate into drive-transmitting engagement with an end of a roller body fitted on to the spindle.

3. A drive transmission implement as claimed in Claim 2, in which the resilient biasing means comprise a compression spring coaxially surrounding the spindle and acting between the clutch plate and a stop member carried by the spindle.

4. A drive transmission implement as claimed in Claim 3, in which the stop member is captive in an annular housing defined at one end by the clutch plate, the spring being permanently compressed within the housing but further compressible on sliding of the spindle axially so as to move the stop member towards the clutch plate.

5. A drive transmission implement as claimed in Claim 4 , in which the stop member is captive by means of at least one radial projection which projects into, and is slidable in, a longitudinally-extending slot in the housing wall, the slot having a closed end remote from the clutch plate which defines a travel limit position for the projection.

6. A drive transmission implement as claimed in Claim 4, in which the stop member is a sliding fit in the annular housing and is captive therein by abutment with an annular, radial end wall thereof at the opposite end from the clutch plate.

7. A drive transmission implement as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the clutch means are engageable with one end of the roller body and the means for retaining the roller body in engagement with the clutch means comprise a retaining member releasably engageable with the opposite end of the roller body from the clutch means.

8. A drive transmission implement as claimed in Claim

7, in which the second end portion of the spindle is of such a length as to extend through a roller body in use with a free end portion thereof projecting from one end of the roller body, the retaining member being releasably engageable with the projecting free end portion of the spindle and with the said one end of the roller body to retain the roller body in engagement with the clutch means .

9. A drive transmission implement as claimed in Claim

8 , in which the retaining member is an annular member which is resiliently radially deformable and is a force fit on the spindle and is slidable along the spindle into abutment with a roller body fitted therein, the annular member retaining the roller body against the clutch means by virtue of its resilient grip on the spindle in use.

10. A drive transmission implement as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 for supporting a roller body having an inner sleeve, in which the means for retaining the roller body in engagement with the clutch means comprise a portion of the spindle adapted or adaptable to fit through the inner sleeve of the roller body and to be gripped frictionally thereby.