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Title: Preservation of paint brush
Description: Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the preservation of paint brushes, and has particular relationship to the preservation of paint brushes for future use after they have been used and the bristles are impregnated with paint. Since good paint brushes are relatively costly, it is desirable that after a brush has been used, it be preserved in condition to be reused months or even years later. For appropriate preservation, it is necessary, not only that the bulk of the paint be removed from the bristles, but that the removal of paint be substantially complete. The cleaning of the last trace of paint from the bristles is a time-consuming, dirty, tedious and somewhat harmful task involving kneading, hand manipulating and scrubbing in solvents which are harmful to the skin and costly in the quantities demanded. Many, if not all, of the solvents used for this purpose evolve vapors of varying degree of toxicity which are impossible to void inhaling while working with these solvents. A thorough cleaning in soapy water is also recommended. However, this cleaning must take place immediately after the painting job, and the average user finds it disagreeable and difficult to expend the necessary energy at that time. A common practice which is followed because its cost is low is to insert the brush in an open can of solvent with its bristles engaging the base of the can. The brush is left in this condition in the can until its next use. In this practice, when, as is usual, the interval between uses of the brush is relatively long, the solvent evaporates and the bristles of the brush become matted together to form a hard cake and are bent and a new brush is required. In accordance with the teachings of the prior art, there are also brush keepers. However, these keepers are costly, and brushes of different sizes require different keepers. The common practice is to sacrifice the brushes rather than to buy keepers. Indeed there appears to be no economical and reliable facility for preserving paint brushes available, suitable for the average householder. Quoting Modern Chemical Specialties, Milton A. Lesser, MacNair Dorland Company, New York, 1950, "There are probably few articles purchased for the average householder in which there has been greater waste than in the case of paint brushes." It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, and to provide apparatus of low cost for preserving paint brushes which shall effectively clean and preserve the brushes, and shall accommodate in a single unit brushes of a wide range of sizes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention arises from the realization that cans usually of tin-plated steel of various sizes which could accommodate brushes of many sizes and of generally standardized dimensions are available in households. Typical are fruit juice cans, coffee cans, oil cans and the like. It is customary that once the product in a can is consumed, the can is discarded. It has been realized that these cans can serve as paint-brush keepers. In accordance with this invention, a tight-fitting lid, typically of plastic, is provided for these cans. This lid has an opening of dimensions capable of accommodating the handles of a wide range of sizes of brushes. The can selected for use with any lid is tall enough and of large enough diameter to enable the bristles of the brushes accommodated to be immersed in the solvent without engaging the base of the can. Means is provided for engaging and holding the handle of the brush firmly suspending the brush in the solvent. This means is advantgeously a spring which lies freely on the lid spanning the opening. Other means are magnets, velcro, a wire secured to a standard or the like. However, the freely disposed spring is to be preferred to this latter means because of its simplicity and low cost. The hole in the lid is sealed by Scotch tape or masking tape or any self-adhesive tape, through which the handle of the brush penetrates. The open region of the hold about the brush can also be stuffed with cotton, plastic foam or the like. It has been found that in an interval of 21/2 months, an open can lost 156 grams of 336 grams of solvent, while a can sealed with tape in accordance with this invention lost only 9 grams of 336 grams of solvent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING For a better understanding of this invention, both as to its organization and as to its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, reference is made to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: FIG. 1 is a plan view partly in section of a lid in accordance with the invention; and FIG. 2 is a view in longitudinal section showing preserving apparatus in accordance with the invention including a lid as shown in FIG. 1. cl DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION The apparatus shown in the drawing includes a lid 11, typically of plastic, having a top 13 and a rim 15. The lid 11 is dimensioned to fit tightly over cans, such as the can 17, which contain consumable commodities and are customarily discarded when the commodity is consumed, with the rim 15 tightly hugging the upper rim of the can 17. Such cans 17 have generally standard dimensions so that a few lids 11 of limited different dimensions need be provided. In the top 13 of the lid 11, there is an opening 19 capable of accomodating the handles of paint brushes of widely different dimensions. A handle 21 of a typical brush 23 extends through the opening 19. There is a region of the opening 19 around the handle 21 which is open. The brush 23 is held by a generally U-shaped spring or spring clip 24, which spans the opening 19 and lies freely on the top 13. The spring 24 has projections 26 in both arms; which are spaced from each other a short distance such that handles 21 of different size brushes 23 are firmly engaged and the brushes 23 firmly held. The spring, for suspending the brushes, should be of sufficient diameter or cross-sectional dimension, elastic strength and limit to provide for suspending the brush by its resiliency, but of low enough elastic limit to be deformable to fit brushes of somewhat smaller or larger dimensions than those for which the spring is initially set. The opening 19 is sealed by an adhesive tape 31 which extends over the opening and the spring 24 and is penetrated by the handle 21. The adhesive 33 of the tape secures the tape 31 to the lid around the opening 19 and around the brush handle 21. The can 17 contains a paint solvent or paint thinner or paint softener 35, such as turpentine or an aromatic hydrocarbon oil. Since the opening 19 in this lid is sealed to suppress escape of vapor, the solvent may also be a volatile and somewhat toxic material, such as benzol or methylene chloride. An emulsifier, such as the reaction products of monyl phenol and ethylene oxide may be added to the solvent. Emulsifiers have been added to paint solvents, but the long time required for the emulsifier to be dissolved or incorporated in the thick paint on the bristles is a drawback to their efficient use. Manipulation of the brush in the emulsifier-solvent solution assists in the incorporation, but is difficult, unpleasant and to some unhealthy because of evolved vapors and skin penetration. The long contact time (without harmful side-effects such as evaporation, bristle bending) permitted by this invention allows sufficient time to get the full benefit of the usefulness of emulsifiers in cleaning paint brushes. The same advantages apply to the use of the most efficient paint brush softeners for recovering hardened, ruined paint brushes as the most efficient solvents, such as methylene chloride, are usually very volatile, somewhat toxic and difficult and unpleasant to work with in the home. A solid emulsifier (for economy in providing small packages to the householder) soluble in paint solvents may be used. An example of such an emulsifier in Nopalcol 4-S of the Diamond Shamrock Chemical Company and its chemical designation is polyethylene glycol 400 mono stearate. The spring 24 holds the brush so that its bristles 37 are above the base 39 of the can 17. By the use of the lid 11 according to this invention and a can available in all households paint brushes can be preserved for long intervals at low cost. For the householder who uses many brushes or the professional painter, there are available, frequently used, suitable, larger cans such as the larger size coffee or fat cans which can be similarly used to hold several brushes at one time. While an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed herein, many modifications thereof are feasible. This invention is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the spirit of the prior art. Other info: Inventors: Buslik, David (Youngstown, OH, US) Application Number: 577611 Filing Date: 1975-05-14 Publication_date: 1976-05-11 Assignee: Primary Class(es): 206/15.3 206/209 Other Classes: US Patent Ref:
Other Refs: Primary Examiner: Lipman, Steven E. Assistant Examiner: Attorney: Diamond; Hymen |
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