US 4,672,987 AGranted

Device for cleaning paint rollers

OwnerLloyd W. Brandtinventor

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Abstract

The present invention is a device for cleaning a roller of a paint roller applicator, while the roller is secured to a handle of the roller applicator. The cleaning device includes a vertically oriented tubular housing having an open top through which the roller is inserted into the housing for washing, and having an open bottom through which used washing fluid and material exit the housing. A sprayer assembly is provided for directing a stream of washing fluid against the roller when disposed within the housing to clean and rotate the roller on the handle. A cap for closing the top of the housing, is arranged to support the roller applicator so that the roller extends within the housing for washing. The cap has a laterally opening slot through which the handle extends when the roller is disposed within the housing. The cap is further arranged to adjustably fix the position of the handle of the roller applicator to align the roller with the fluid stream.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A device for cleaning a roller of a paint roller applicator, while the roller is rotatably mounted on a roller frame of the roller applicator, the cleaning device comprising:

a vertically oriented tubular housing having an open top through which the roller is inserted into the housing for washing and having an open bottom through which used washing fluid and material drain from the housing;
a sprayer assembly including a spray tube secured to an inner wall of the housing for directing a stream of washing fluid against the roller when the roller is disposed within the housing, to clean and rotate the roller on the roller frame;
and
a cap for closing the top of the housing, the cap being further arranged to support the roller applicator such that the roller extends into the housing for washing, the cap having a first laterally opening slot through which a portion of the roller frame extends when the roller is disposed within the housing, and further having means for adjustably fixing the position of the roller frame with respect to the cap to orient the roller in a predetermined alignment with the fluid stream, wherein the means for adjustably fixing includes a first pair of spaced flanges extending downward from one side of the cap, the flanges being resiliently connected to the cap so that a gap between them narrows toward a bottom end of the flanges, a narrowest portion of the gap adjacent the bottom end being slightly closer together than a thickness of the roller frame of the roller applicator such that the first part of flanges move apart to receive and are resiliently biased toward one another to tightly grasp a first portion of the roller frame therebetween, wherein the first pair of flanges have serrated inward facing surfaces to enhance gripping of the roller frame by the first pair of flanges, wherein the cap further includes a second pair of substantially parallel flanges extending upward from an upward facing surface of the cap, to support a second portion of the roller frame on the upward facing surface of the cap, the second pair of flanges being disposed on either side of the first slot.

1 more element

A roller washing device for roller applicators of the type having a roller frame with a U-shaped portion defining first and second legs connected by a base leg, and a roller rotatably mounted on the first leg, the roller washing device comprising:

a vertically oriented tubular housing having an open top through which the roller is inserted into the housing for washing and having an open bottom through which used washing fluid and material drain from the housing;
a spray tube plugged at a first end and arranged with a plurality of jet nozzles spaced along its length, the spray tube being disposed within the housing with the jet nozzles arranged to direct a generally planar stream of washing fluid at a roller disposed within the housing to clean and rotate the roller on its handle, a second end of the spray tube being fluidly connected by a fluid line to an external pressurized source of washing fluid;
and
a cap for closing the top of the tubular housing and arranged to support the roller within the housing for washing, the cap having a center, a generally radially aligned laterally opening first slot extending substantially to the center of the cap to facilitate mounting of the roller applicator on the cap, with the U-shaped portion of the roller frame being saddled on the cap with the first leg of the U-shaped portion extending through the slot to support the roller within the housing for washing, wherein the cap further includes means for adjustably fixing the position of the roller frame with respect to the cap to position the roller in a predetermined alignment with the planar stream of the washing fluid, wherein the cap further includes a second laterally opening slot, opopsitely facing and diametrically aligned with the first slot, through which the second leg of the U-shaped portion of the roller frame extends, externally of the housing.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.