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US 5,987,692 AGranted
Paint roller with magnet lock
OwnerJames W. Sizemoreinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerJames W. Sizemoreinventor
Estimating the term…
An apparatus for applying flowable material to a work surface includes a roller frame having a handle portion and an axle portion; a roller cover mounting structure rotatably mounted on the axle portion; a roller cover having an outer cover surface and engagingly fitted over the roller cover mounting structure, for gathering a quantity of the flowable material on the outer cover surface and transferring at least part of the quantity of flowable material to the work surface; and a mounting structure locking mechanism for locking the mounting structure against rotation relative to the roller frame. The locking mechanism preferably locks the mounting structure against rotation releasably, so that the roller cover transfers the flowable material by either rotating or by sliding against the work surface. The locking mechanism is located entirely within the roller to prevent it from being exposed to the flowable material, and operates with a magnet to retain it in either the locked or unlocked mode. The invention also contemplates a method of utilizing the foregoing apparatus by abruptly moving the apparatus to shift the magnet from one operating mode position to another, and vice versa, as well as performing the method remotely using a handle extension.
An improved apparatus for applying flowable material to a work surface including a roller frame having a handle portion and an axle portion, a roller cover mounting structure rotatably mounted on said axle portion, a roller cover having an outer cover surface and engagingly fitted over said roller cover mounting structure, for gathering a quantity of said flowable material on said outer cover surface and transferring at least part of said quantity of flowable material to said work surface, wherein the improvement comprises:
An improved apparatus for applying flowable material to a work surface including a roller frame having a handle portion and an axle portion, a roller cover mounting structure rotatably mounted on said axle portion, a roller cover having an outer cover surface and engagingly fitted over said roller cover mounting structure, for gathering a quantity of said flowable material on said outer cover surface and transferring at least part of said quantity of flowable material to said work surface, wherein the improvement comprises:
A method of releasibly locking and unlocking an improved apparatus for applying flowable material to a work surface including a roller frame having a handle portion and an axle portion, a roller cover mounting structure rotatably mounted on said axle portion, a roller cover having an outer cover surface and engagingly fitted over said roller cover mounting structure, for gathering a quantity of said flowable material on said outer cover surface and transferring at least part of said quantity of flowable material to said work surface, and also having a mounting structure locking mechanism at a first end of the axle portion for releasibly locking said mounting structure against rotation relative to said roller frame, said locking mechanism including a magnetized pin member retainer fixedly mounted to said roller frame, a magnetized pin member slidably retained within said magnetized pin member retainer, and a magnetized pin member receiving recess in said roller cover mounting structure, such that said magnetized pin member slides into said receiving recess to lock said roller cover mounting structure against rotation relative to said roller frame and slides out of said receiving recess to free said roller cover mounting structure to rotate relative to said roller frame, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.