Paint roller sealing system

Described briefly, according to a typical embodiment of the invention, a roller has a core comprising plurality of relatively hard and rigid segments fastened together in a stack and rotatably mounted to a shaft. The roller core has internal baffled passageways established by grooves in abutting faces of segments, so that, when paint is supplied to a cavity in the center of the stack, it will depart through these passageways in the roller in a controlled manner. A diaphragm seal assembly is provided to prevent leakage of pressurized paint. A replaceable sock-like cover is received on the roller stack and secured by end retainers. The roller can be easily and completely disassembled for cleaning.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to painting rollers, and more particularly 
to a roller having internal feed features useful with a pressurized 
supply. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Rollers for applying paint and other coating materials have been used for 
many years. Those most commonly used are dipped in paint (usually in a 
roller tray) and then applied to a wall or other surface to be coated. 
Considerable effort has been directed toward rollers which need not be 
dipped. Some systems apply paint to the outside of the roller, otherwise 
than by dipping. Examples are found in U.S. patents as follows: U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,549,267, issued to Wurzer et al. on Dec. 22, 1970, and U.S. Pat. No. 
4,072,429, issued to Terzian et al. on Feb. 7, 1978. An example is also 
shown in FIG. 8 of the Ritter patent mentioned below. It seems that most 
of the patents which have resulted from efforts to avoid dipping, disclose 
internally fed rollers. Examples are found in the following U.S. patents: 
______________________________________ 
Patent No. Inventor Date Issued 
______________________________________ 
2,743,469 Ditch 5/01/56 
2,882,541 Easley 4/21/59 
3,231,151 Clark et al. 
1/25/66 
3,457,017 Bastian 7/22/69 
3,879,140 Ritter 4/22/75 
3,933,415 Woolpert 1/20/76 
______________________________________ 
The Ditch patent discloses a paint roller internally supplied through the 
handle tube. O-rings 16 mounted in the hubs 15 of the roller, seal the 
hubs to the tube. 
The Easley roller is supplied through a roller mounting tube and through 
radially extending apertures in a wood, not-absorbent roller core. The 
paint is supplied to a roller cover made of wool or other material. The 
roller mounting tube is connected to a pressurized paint source. O-ring 23 
in bearing sleeve 19 prevents leakage of paint outward between the 
bearings and tube. 
The Clark et al. patent FIG. 3 discloses the use of a non-absorbent sleeve 
74 mounted to the handle. It serves to occupy space in the roller and 
radially distribute paint from the handle tube or "conduit portion" 72. 
This is an effort to address the problem encountered in some prior art 
rollers where there is so much paint contained in the roller that the 
paint cannot be controlled by the cover and drips after the paint supply 
is shut off. The extra paint is also very heavy and tiresome for the 
operator to use. Such a problem might exist in the roller of FIG. 2 of the 
Ritter patent. 
In the Woolpert patent, there are roller-type paint applicators in FIGS. 7, 
8 and 9, the latter showing an edger in contrast to the cylindical rollers 
of FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIG. 8, there is shown a sponge roller 114 with a 
fitted fabric sleeve cover 130, all of which is mounted over a foraminous 
tube 110. 
Some additional prior art specifically related to internally fed rollers, 
includes the following: 
______________________________________ 
Patent No. Inventor Date Issued 
______________________________________ 
860,078 Binks 7/16/07 
2,606,334 Vaden et al. 
8/12/52 
2,965,911 Hempel et al. 
12/27/60 
3,134,130 Chadwick II 
5/26/64 
3,539,268 Stebbins 11/10/70 
3,554,659 Stokes 1/12/71 
3,776,645 Walker 12/04/73 
3,826,581 Henderson 7/30/74 
3,887,823 Leland 4/15/75 
Re.29,311 Ritter 7/19/77 
______________________________________ 
In the above patents, Binks provides a supply of paint to, and surplus 
removal from, the interior of a roller (FIG. 1), a pad (FIG. 3), and a 
brush (FIG. 5). Vaden discloses a plastic roller body with a sheepskin 
cover and threaded nut securing the cover to the roller. It has a delivery 
control valve push button 16 on the handle. 
Hempel et al. discloses a polyurethane stationary wiper core in a 
self-contained inking roller. Chadwick shows a belt-type roller. 
The Stebbins patent discloses a roller having a paint supply tube with an 
aperture centered longitudinally of the roller. The roller also has 
annular chambers 50 and 52 within a perforated rigid sleeve or cardboard 
tube 28 to which the fibers 32 are affixed. 
Stokes shows one or two internally fed rollers mounted to paint supply 
spindles. 
Walker shows roller-type applicators in FIGS. 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11, and also 
various types of pad applicators including pointed pads. Henderson 
discloses a roller having a plurality of radial ports longitudinally 
spaced and circumferentially spaced on the cover base 21 to supply the 
pile 20 of the roller. 
The Leland patent is one example of a fountain-type paint roller with a 
supply of paint carried in the roller itself. It is an interchangeable 
cartridge for a roller handle unit. 
The Ritter patent is a reissue of the earlier one mentioned above. The 
roller of the present application is different from the foregoing in that 
it employs a stack of core segments and an unusual seal. There is a U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,230,570 issued Jan. 25, 1966 to Flippen. it uses a stack of 
annular foam-plastic members 112 to receive and apply paint to a surface 
such as a parking lot. Another type device using discs is a wet lime 
marker for athletic fields and the like shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,046 
issued Jan. 22, 1957 to A. L. Fisher. 
The present invention is directed to providing a roller which contains a 
minimum quantity of paint and yet evenly distributes it, is reliable in 
operation, and easily disassembled for cleaning. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Described briefly, according to a typical embodiment of the invention, a 
roller core means having a rotational axis has a central cavity therein 
for receiving a paint supply tube. Bearing means rotatably mount the core 
means on the shaft and one end of the core means receives the shaft 
therein. At this location, a combination diaphram and ring seal means 
provide the seal between the core and the shaft.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the 
invention, reference will not be made to the embodiment illustrated in the 
drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will 
nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the 
invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications 
in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles 
of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would 
normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
Referring now to the drawings in detail, in FIG. 1 there is a paint roller 
assembly 11 rotatably mounted on tube 12. Tube 12 has a nut 12N welded on 
the end which is threaded into the fitting 13. The fitting 13 is mounted 
at the end of a further tube 14 connected by coupling 16 to a handle 
extension 17 connected through a further coupling 18 to a swivel connector 
assembly 19 having a coupling 21 connected to the control handle 22. Paint 
is supplied under pressure from the hose 23 through the swivel coupling 
19, tube 17, tube 14, fitting 13 and tube 12 to the interior of the 
roller. Apparatus for doing this is disclosed in a patent application of 
Lawrence B. O'Brien et al., Ser. No. 218,354, filed Dec. 22, 1980, a 
portion of which is not published in U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,011, issued Jan. 
3, 1984. 
According to a typical embodiment of the present invention, and referring 
not to FIGS. 2A-2B, it can be seen that the handle tube 12 has two 
apertures 26 in the wall thereof. While the tube is shown in section, 
these apertures actually are drilled entirely through, resulting in four 
aperture in the wall. These dispense paint supplied from the hose 23. Tube 
12 is a thick-walled tube and is internally threaded at its distal end. A 
retainer 27 is threaded into the distal end of tube 12 and, being threaded 
and having a screwdriver slot 28 therein, is removable for easy servicing 
of the seal elements, if desired. The retainer is drilled at 30 to allow 
flushing of paint from the tube 12 during cleaning. 
A bushing 29 is secured to the tube 12 by threading onto the tube, and is 
sealed by an "O" ring 31. Alternatively it could be secured by a set screw 
received in the flange 32 of the bushing, or secured and sealed by 
cementing to the tube. 
The roller core comprises a stack of segments. Five are shown. More or less 
could be used. Two end segments are 33 and 34. Three intermediate segments 
36A, 36B and 36C are identical to each other. The segments have paint 
delivery passageways 35A, 35B, 35C, 35D, 35E, 35F and 35G therein. 
Starting with segment 33, it is made of a solid polyurethane foam 
material, preferably of approximately a ten pound per cubic foot density. 
It is secured and sealed on a metal core 37, typically of aluminum or 
magnesium and which has a threaded boss 38 at its end which is screwed 
into core 40A of the next segment 36A when the roller is assembled. The 
segment core 37 has internal threads at 39 at its opposite, outer end. The 
core 37 is thereby mounted and secured to the retaining nut/bearing member 
41 having a bearing 42 secured therein. Member 41 may be made of aluminum 
while the bearing 42 is preferably made of a molybdenum impregnated nylon 
"6" material. A product known by the trade name "Nylatron GS" by Polypenco 
Polymer Corp. of Reading, Pa. can be used. This bearing 42 provides radial 
bearing support for one end of the roller assembly. 
At the distal end of the tube 12, segment 34 is secured and sealed on a 
metal core member 43 having an end plug 44 therein with a bearing surface 
46 therein rotatably received on the radial bearing surface of retainer 
27. Although the surface 46 could be received directly on tube 12, the 
removable and replaceable retainer 27, avoids concern about wear on the 
tubing 12. The integral flange 47 on the retainer serves to retain on the 
tube, the seal elements now to be described herein, so they cannot fall 
off the tube when the roller is disassembled. It also serves to provide a 
limit of axial movement of the roller on the tube 12 in the direction of 
arrow 48 toward the proximal end. Since the distal end of the roller 
assembly is closed, there is no seal provision needed other than to be 
sure that the segment 34 and plug 44 are properly sealed by glue or 
otherwise to the core member 43. 
The proximal end of the roller assembly is sealed by means which will now 
be described. A washer 51 is snugly and sealingly received on the bushing 
29 and against one face of flange 32. It engages a thrust washer 50 which 
is snugly and sealingly received in member 41 at a recess in end 52 of 
bearing 42. This washer 50 should have a hard, wear resistant face 50A. It 
provides a running seal against washer 51 at this location. 
Another washer 53 snugly and sealingly fits tube 12 and sealingly rests 
against the other face 54 of flange 32. Both washers 51 and 53 may be made 
of the same low friction, wear resistant material. One example is sold 
under the trade name "Rulon A" by Dixon Industries, Inc. of Clifton 
Heights, Pa. Glass filled "Teflon" can also be used for these washers. The 
flat face 56 of washer 53 provides a running seal against a washer 57 
which should also have a hard, wear resistant face 57A. Tungsten cabide 
has been found to be a suitable material for face 50A of washer 50 and 
face 57A of washer 57. This washer is secured to a ring 58. A diaphram 59 
is sandwiched between and sealed to washer 57 and one face of the flange 
61 of the ring 58. As clearly shown in FIG. 2A, there is a clearance 
between the inside of the ring 58 and the outside of the tube 12, and 
also, as can be seen, the inner periphery of the diaphragm 59 is spaced 
radially outwardly from the tube 12. The diaphragm can be made of any 
material and configuration which is paint resistant and allows free axial 
movement over a suitable range. Typical materials are rubber, Teflon and 
metal bellows allowing 0.125 inch axial movement. The other face 62 on 
flange 61 serves as a spring seat for spring 63. The other end of the 
spring is seated on the spring seat ring 64. The beveled end 66 of the 
spring seat ring engages the conical face 67 of the core member 37. 
Thereby, when segment 33 is screwed onto the member 41, a spring loaded 
seal is established between the carbide washer 57, the seal ring 53 and 
the flange 32 of bushing 29. The outer marginal portion of diaphram 59 is 
formed as thickened rim 68. The rim 68 is clamped between the face 69 of 
member 37 and the end 71 of member 41. Thereby the end of segment core 37 
is sealed when segment 33 is screwed tight onto member 41. It is 
preferable that, when the roller is assembled, the load applied by spring 
63 is five pounds. This is regardless of the area of the seal between 
washer 53 and ring 57. It has been found that a three pound load is not 
sufficient to provide the desired sealing function, whereas a seven pound 
load raises the rotational friction more than desired. Therefore, the 
paint which is pressurized and in the chamber 72 along the outside of tube 
12 and inside the segments of the roller core is prevented from getting 
out along shaft 12 or otherwise out through the end of the roller. If any 
seepage occurs past the seal face 56-57, into the chamber 73, the chamber 
is open to the outside by means of a pressure relief passage 74. In this 
way, pressure cannot build-up in the chamber 73 and force paint out 
between bushing 29 and bearing 42. Instead, it will go out toward and be 
absorbed in the in-folded end 76 of the flexible, sock-like roller cover 
77 which is sandwiched between the end of segment 33 and flange 78 of the 
cover-locking retainer 79. It is possible, through the proper choice of 
materials and shape of diaphram 59, for the diaphram, when deflected, to 
apply the necessary sealing force without a separate helical spring. This 
can be accomplished by molding a spring into a rubber diaphram or 
constructing a diaphram of metal in a corrugated or bellows shape. 
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment using a spring metal bellows 80 on a modified 
support ring 58M. In this embodiment, the coil spring 63 and spring seat 
ring 64 of the previous embodiment are omitted. Also, instead of the hard 
face washers 50 and 57 of the previous embodiment, the faces 101 and 102 
of flange 32M are hard as by carbide facing. Rings 58M and 51M would be 
made of "Rulon" material, for example, rotate with the roller and 
cooperate with faces 101 and 102, providing running seals at these 
locations. A retaining ring 60 on ring 58M aids in the sealing retention 
of the inner margin of the bellows on support and seal ring 58M. The outer 
margin of the bellows is secured and sealed between the end 71 of member 
41 and face 69 of member 37 when members 41 and 37 are screwed together. 
The cover retainer is shown pictorially in FIG. 5. It has two slots 81 
projecting radially outward from the central aperture 82 therein. They 
enable this retainer to be pushed in over the cylindrical pins 83 which 
are secured in the member 41. Then, by rotating the retainer in the 
clockwise direction 84, these pins will become engaged with the serrated 
cam ramps 86. The finger tabs 87 make it easy to turn the retainer 
clockwise sufficiently to obtain the desired tightness of the cover on the 
end of segment 33. This adjustment will be maintained by the pins 83 being 
received in the corresponding notches in the notched ramps. The same 
construction is provided at the opposite end of the roller assembly, where 
the retainer is received on the pin 89 which extends entirely through the 
member 43 and is secured therein. The cover, being sock-like, has a 
smaller inside diameter than the outside diameter of the core segments. 
Therefore it must be slid on like a sock on a leg, with slight stretching 
so that, when secured at the ends, will be snug on all the segments 
throughout their circumference. 
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the opposite faces of each of the intermediate 
segments 36 are different. Abutting faces of segments cooperate to provide 
controlled radial and circumferential flow of the paint from the interior 
of the segments to the outer surfaces thereof where it can then pass along 
the longitudinal slots such as shown in FIG. 6 where it is received 
through the back of a high nap textile roller cover 77. The roller nap 
material may be any typical high pile knitted fabric manufactured for 
paint rollers. It is typically knitted polyester backing 93 with a 
polyester, wool or nylon (or mixed) pile 94 of 1/4 inch to 11/2 inch 
height. Flocked foam covers or covers of other materials may be used in 
some applications. 
The roller core of stacked segments features the use of relatively rigid 
moldable material for segments. This contributes to ease and economy of 
manufacture, (molded one-piece). Passages can be of any complexity 
required to achieve required baffling and good distribution. Passages 
easily open up for cleaning. The use of stacked segments facilitates 
standardization of components in rollers of different lengths by simply 
selecting a cover and tube 12 of desired length, and screwing together 
more or less segments as needed. 
It is possible that, in production models, some efficiencies can be 
achieved in construction. One example would be the possibility of avoiding 
the necessity of separate metal cores for the segments and, instead, 
injection molding them with integral external and internal threads. 
Thereby, instead of having a discrete core such as 40A, for example, with 
internal threads at one end and external threads at the other end, this 
would be replaced by the threads being an integral part of and the same 
material as the grooved portion of the segment. Injection molding could 
employ either closed cell foam materials, or the segments could be made in 
two hollow shells, welded together. If foam materials are used for the 
segments, it is desirable that the type foam and processing be such as to 
avoid absorption of paint or other materials with which this roller 
assembly is to be used. If welded shells of non-foam material are used, it 
is important that the welds be non-leaking, in order to avoid entry of 
paint under pressure to the cavities in the shell assemblies, and the 
resulting increase of weight, unbalance, and other problems which would 
result. Such construction minimizes weight and provides low cost 
manufacture of a high performance roller. 
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the 
drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as 
illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that 
only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all 
changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are 
desired to be protected.