US2917800A - Brush holder device - Google Patents

Description

Dec.. 22, 1959 W, p GEE 2,917,800

BRUSH HOLDER DEVICE Filed oct. e, 195s United States Patent() BRUSH HOLDER DEVICE Wendell Philip Gee, Walled Lake, Mich., assigner to Detroit Centerless Grinding Co., Franklin, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application Getober 6, 1958, Serial No. 765,569

S Claims. (Cl. 24--251) This invention relates to a clamping device for holding articles such as paint brushes and which is adapted to be rotated at high speed from a suitable power source to clean paint and solvent from the brush by centrifugal force. The invention is directed particularly to a device of this type having an improved clamping arrangement which holds the brush securely and centers the brush when the device is rotated at high speed by a portable electric drill unit or other source of rotary power.

A principal object of the invention is` to provide a new and improved brush cleaning accessory.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brush holding device adapted to support the brush for rotation on its axis for cleaning the brush.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brush holding device having a new and improved clamping means engageable with the brush handle and which is adapted to be used with brush handles of various sizes.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, which by way of illustration shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying the principles of my invention. Other embodiments of the invention may be used Without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the improved brush holder showing the same attached to a source of rotary power such as a portable electric drill;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the brush holder;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. l but showing the clamping arms in their open position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the clamping members; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the clamping member shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. l there is disclosed a portion of a portable electric drill 10 having a chuck 12 for coupling the brush holding device i4 thereto to spin the same and thereby enable cleaning of a paint brush i6 clamped by the brush holder 14. The brush holding device includes an externally threaded shank 20 having a stern 22 adapted to be gripped by the chuck 12 of the drill unit or other source of power. A pair of opposed arms 24 and 26 of identical construction are pivotally connected at their inner ends to one end of the shank 20 by means of a pin 28. As shown in Fig. 4, each of the arms 24 and 26 has a generally arcuate cross section and is provided at its inner end with spaced ears 30 and 32 having apertures therein through which the hinge pin 28 extends. The outer end of the shank 20 may be provided with ats 34 at opposite sides thereof against which the ears 32 engage, with the ear 30 on each arm engaging the ear 32 on the other arm.

A sleeve 40 is threaded onto the shank 20 and has outer end with a pair of ears Si) receiving a pin 52. A

clamp member 54 is pivotally mounted on the outer end of each arm by means of the pins 52. As shown in Figs.

5 and 6, the clamping members 54 each comprise a plate portion 60 having its opposite ends inclined toward one side of the plate and oppositely directed lugs 62 having apertures therein receiving the pin 52. Each of the inclined ends of the plate 60 is provided with an outwardly opening slot 64 dening a pair of clamping fingers 66 at one end of the plate and a similar pair of clamping iingers 68 at the other end of the plate.

The clamping elements 54 are identical in construction and the pivot axis thereof is closer to the pair of fingers 68 than to the pair of clamping fingers 66. The clamp` .l ing members 54 are mounted on the arms: 24 and 26 so that the clamping fingers 66 on one clamping element are l outermost while the lingers 68 on the other clamping member are outermost. With this construction the handle 70 of the brush 16 is engaged alternately on opposite sides thereof at spaced points along its length to provide a very secure grip. The pivoted clamping members 54 have a oating action on the ends of the: arms 24 and 26 to accommodate themselves to brush handles of any size and of different cross-sectional shapes. The brush handle is adapted to seat in the ends of the slots 64 with the clamping fingers 66 and 68 straddling the brush handle. When the device is used with brushes having relatively small handles, there will be clamping engagement on the handle at at least four points, and for larger diameter or other cross-sectional shaped handles the clamping lingers will provide engagement with the handle at eight different places, thereby insuring secure gripping of the brush.

The end of the shank 20 is provided with a locating recess 72 adapted to receive the end of the brush handle to center the same. The centering recess 72, together with the clamping arrangement described, will accurately center the brush with the axis of the stem 22 to keep the brush holder and the brush in balance during rotation thereof.

When it is desired to clean a paint brush or other similar article with the use of the present invention, the brush is first dipped into a suitable solvent and is then clamped rmly by the clamping device described, which is then connected to a suitable source of rotary power and rotated at a high speed to clean the paint and solvent from the bristles of the brush by centrifugal force. The brush holding device described herein is relatively simple `in construction and economical to manufacture, light in weight, and easy to operate, thereby providing an eicient device for facilitating the cleaning and reconditioning of paint brushes or the like.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that this is capable of modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A brush holding device for a brush having an elongated handle, comprising an externally threaded shank, a pair of opposed arms pivoted on a common axis to one end of said shank for swinging movement toward and away from each other, a clamp member pivotally mounted on the other end of each arm for pivotal movement on Patented Dec. 22, 1959 3 an`l axis" parallel to the' pivot axis of said arms, and an internally threaded sleeve threaded onto said shank and engageable with said arms to force said arms and the clamp members carried thereby toward each other into Clamping engagement with the handle of a brush upon threading of said sleeve along said shank in one direction,

each` clamp member comprising a plate having its opposite ends inclined from the plane of the plate in the same direction, said inclinedends of said plate having outwardly opening slots therein defining a pair of clamping fingers ateach end of the plate, said clamping iingers being adapted to straddle the brush handle with the latter engaging the ends of said slots.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein each plate has its pivot axis disposed closer to one of said pairs of clamping fingers than to the other of said pairs.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the clamp members are mounted on said arms so that the clamping fingers on the two clamp members alternately engage opposite sides of the brush handle along the length thereof.

4.V A brush holding device for a brush having an elongated handle, comprising a shank, a pair of opposed arms pivotally connected at one end to said shank for swinging movementtoward and away from each other,y a clamp member pivotally mounted on the other end of each arm for pivotal movement on an axis parallel to the pivot axis of said arms, and means cooperable with said shank and engageable with said arms to force said arms and the" clamp members carried thereby toward each other intol clamping engagement with the handle of a brush, 3f,

said clamp members each comprising a plate having at each end thereof a pair of clamping fingers inclined from ,4 the plate toward the opposing arm and adapted to receive the brush handle therebetween, the clamping fingers on one clamp member being offset lengthwise of the arms from the clamping lingers on the other clamp member. 5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said clamp members each have their pivot axis disposed closer to the pair of clamping ngers at one end of the plate than to the other pair, the' pair of clamping fingers closer to the pivot axis on one clamp member being disposed further from the pivot axis of said arms than the other pair of fingers on said one clamp member, and the corresponding pair of fingers on the other clamp member being disposed closer to the pivot axis of said arms than the other pair of fingers on said other clamp member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 322,070 Rutan Iuly 14, 1885 411,153 Lafierty Sept. 17, 1889 661,677 Taylor Nov. 13, 1900 712,239 Barrett Oct. 28, 1902 1,807,360 Wehr May 26, 1931 2,057,980 Ringzelli Oct. 20, 1936 2,483,303 Rysick Sept. 27, 1949 2,493,108 Casey Jan. 3, 1950 2,589,520 Wallenius Mar. 18, 1952 2,853,336 Cruikshank et al. Sept. 23, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 615,961 Germany July 17, 1935

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