US3052909A - Paint striper - Google Patents

Description

A. RUSSELL PAINT STRIPER Sept. 11, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1960 INVEN OR Wfw Sept. 11, 1962 A. RUSSELL 3,052,909

PAINT STRIPER Filed June 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORL W KM 3,052,909 Patented Sept. 11, 1962 fiice 3,052,909 PAINT STRIPER Albert Russeli, Phoenix, Ariz. Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,627 1 Claim. (Q1. 15-503) This invention pertains to paint stripers.

Stripers of the type herein concerned are for use in painting stripes or bands of varying width on surfaces such as tennis courts, street pavement, parking lots, floors of gymnasiums and the like. It is to be understood that the painting of the stripes is done rapidly and accurately and due to the fact that considerable area is covered rapidly, paint must be supplied in considerable quantity.

The device here concerned is intended to roll over the surfaces to be painted which are for the most part horizontal.

In view of the foregoing, one of the objects of my invention is to provide a paint striper having a wheeled carriage which will carry a considerable quantity of paint in a closed container and which will roll over the work to be painted in a rapid and accurate manner and apply paint in the form of a ribbon or strip in a smooth and even manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paint striper which will apply the paint stripe in an even and smooth manner without depositing excess paint or wasting it.

Still another object is to provide a paint striper of the type mentioned wherein the parts supplying the paint are adequate to supply the quantity required and to not clog up or retain paint after use in a manner so as to permit it to harden and render the device inoperative when use is again required.

Still another object is to provide a device wherein the paint will be distributed evenly throughout the working period required and will be available at all times in the quantity require-cl; said paint supplying means supported on said carriage having means for feeding paint by definite air pressure and not being dependent on gravity for its feed flow.

Still another object is to provide a mechanism on the paint carriage which will permit the user to observe the line where the paint is being applied; the parts being arranged to render the painting operation visible at all times during operation.

Still another object is to provide a subframe which is pivotally attached to a frame of the carriage which will cause and permit the brushing mechanism to follow the contour of the surface over which the carriage runs independently of the vertical position of the carriage wheels on such surface. The painting striping means is therefore pivoted independently of the body of the carriage to permit the striping means to accommodate itself to variations such as humps and depressions in the surface to which the paint is applied and in this way produce a continuous stripe without the need of retouching in certain places where the brush does not contact the surface.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by means of the devices, parts, and combinations of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational View of my paint striping mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation thereof as viewed from the rear;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the carriage mechanism drawn on an enlarged scale, and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the carriage mechanism drawn on an enlarged scale and with portions thereof shown in section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

The carriage 2 consists of a rectangular frame 3 supported at the front by wheels 4 and 5 which are journalled on an axle 6. A guide handle 7 extends upwardly and rearwardly from approximately the center of the casing 8 which surrounds axle 6. From the frame 3 there are two upwardly and forwardly angularly extending brackets 10 and 12. These brackets have arcuate support to hold paint tank 16.

As shown, this tank is of the closed pressure feed type and has a screw top which contains a pressure pump 21.

From pressure tank 16 paint is delivered through flexible tubing 23 to a nozzle 24. The nozzle 24 is provided with a feed valve 25 and is somewhat pivotally supported on a flat spring 26 which is attached at 27 to a back cross member 28 of the rectangular frame 29. This frame is supported as aforesaid on wheels 4 and 5 and at the flout on axle 6 running transversely through the frame. It is supported at the rear by smaller wheels 30 and 31 which are journalled on an axle 32 at the rear of the frame.

The frame, being an open rectangular member, has a subframe 35, which is also an open rectangular frame, contained within it. This subframe is pivoted at the rear on wheel axle 6 and is held in place by suitable springs, such as spiral springs 37 on axle 6. There are stops 38 to prevent excessive movement of the subframe 35. It may be understood that the subframe is also the brush carrying frame. In FIGURE 5, note that the front transverse member 40 of the subframe has a brush 41 attached by means of a thumb screw 42. The rear transverse member 43 of the subframe joins the two horizontal members 44.

This structure permits the subframe to pivot on axle 6 which is at its rear and permits its front end a to move up and down within the main frame 29. The main frame is composed of a rear transverse member 28 and a forward transverse member 28a, both of which join the ends of the longitudinal extending side members 29a and 29b.

The flow of paint through valve 25 is controlled by a control Wire, marked 56, which is connected to the rotary valve plug. A spring 19 pormally holds the valve plug in closed position. It is to be observed that the paint flows from the nozzle 24 of the valve 25 and this flow is then spread and rolled by the bristles 52 of brush 50. The body of the machine is positioned forward in the direction indicated by arrow 48 during this process. A guide wire 18 may be used to indicate and align the movement of the machine with the stripe being produced by the brush 50.

In use the tank 16 is filled with properly prepared paint. The valve 25 is opened so that the paint drips onto the surface 47 to be painted. The carriage is then pushed in the direction of arrow 48, FIGURE 5, so that the paint, after it is deposited on the surface 47, is brushed over by the brush bristles 50 which are contained in the brush 41 on subframe 35.

The bristles draw up some of the paint by capillary action and at the same time roll some of it at 52 over the surface 47. This roll extends only so far as the width of the bristles 50 in ordinarily correct operation. Unless paint is dropped by nozzle '24 in great excess, the stripe will extend only so far as the edges 53 of the bristles 50. The bristles tend to gather, mix and apply the paint to the surface 47 and produce the smooth even stripe as desired. Excess paint whenever it is applied is shut off by a partial closing of valve 25, as effected through means of the wire rod 56 which extends up the handle 7 to the grip 58 and may be operated by the lever 59.

I have found that the most practical way to obtain 3 the'best results is to drop the paint directly onto the surface 47, as above described, and in line with the bristles 50. The paint must contact the surface 47 a distance ahead of the bristles. This provides a much better action than where it is attempted to feed the paint to the brush by dropping it onto, through or in between the bristles. Thus, in operation paint is applied to the themselves. surface 47 to be striped directly in line and ahead of the brush 50 which follows up and smooths the paint and adequately applies it by working it into the surface 47 so that all pants of'the paint adequately adhere thereto.

At the termination of any one operation, the lever 59 is operated to shut olf'the flow of paint and the device is moved to a new location and the paint flow again started. It is to be understood that the paint should not flow unless there is forward motion. The combination of the flow of paint onto the surface 47, to be striped, together with the immediate brushing, produce a smooth, even stripe or line which will adhere to any surfaces ordinarily encountered.

I claim:

A paint striper, having a rectangular frame body ineluding side members and front and back cross members, a forward transverse wheel axle at the front of said frame, wheels journalled on the ends of said axle, a rear transverse aXle at the rear of said frame, wheels journalled at the ends of said rear axle, a rectangular sub-frame having a front end and a rear end, pivotally supported within and to one side of the longitudinal center of said frame; one end of said sub-frame being pivoted on said forward tnansverse wheel axle; resilient means for supporting the rear end portion of said sub-frame within said frame, a striping brush having long flexible rearwardly, angularly directed bristles, adapted to flow, spread and direct paint centrally supported on the rear portion of said sub-frame, a paint applying nozzle on the forward end of said frame disposed a substantial distance from and in aligned relation relative to said striping brush directed to apply paint to the surface to be marked, a paint container attached to said frame having a paint supply pipe connected to said nozzle, a paint flow control valve in said paint supply pipe adjacent said nozzle, a push and guide handle attached to said frame and extending upwardly :and rearwardly from said frame, a paint supply control mechanism supported on said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,548,383 Pickersgill Aug. 4, 1925 1,818,916 Wasen Aug. 11, 1931 2,116,407 Nissly May 3, 1938 2,566,624 Myers Sept, 4, 1951

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