A mop wringer which includes a combination of a pail and lid wherein the lid can be locked to the pail. A first roller is mounted for rotation about a first axis in the lid while the lid includes an opening and a lid panel is hinged to the lid within the opening. The hinged panel rotates about a hinged axis parallel to the first axis and a second roller is mounted to the hinged panel in an area of the hinged panel remote from the second hinged axis and where the second roller is adjacent the first roller and forms a nip therebetween. Spring means extend between the lid and the hinged panel to urge the hinged panel towards a closed position with the first and second rollers adjacent each other, but the hinged panel can be pressed downwardly to provide access through the opening for a mop. When it is required to wring the mop the hinged panel is forced to close the opening while the mop is within the pail such that as the mop is being pulled through the nip formed by the first and second roller the mop strands are wrung.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a mop wringer, and in particular, to a mop 
wringer integrated in the lid of a mop pail. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved mop wringer 
construction which will allow the mop wringer to be utilized with greater 
ease and which will avoid the necessity of applying manual force to the 
wringer when pulling the mop through. 
A construction in accordance with the present invention comprises a mop 
wringer having a pail and a removable lid adapted to be locked onto the 
top of the pail to close off the top opening of the pail, the lid having a 
housing portion, and a first roller is mounted within the housing portion 
wherein the roller is adapted to rotate on its axis. The lid also includes 
a cut-out portion and a hinged panel adapted to pivot about an axis spaced 
apart and parallel to the axis of the first roller. The hinged panel 
corresponds to the cut-out portion and is adapted to hinge about the hinge 
axis downwardly into the pail against the tension of a resilient member 
which is adapted to return the lid to its first position within the plane 
of the lid. The lid member has a forward edge remote from the hinge axis 
and parallel to the axis of the first roller. A second roller is mounted 
in the hinged panel with its axis parallel to the forward edge and the 
axis of the first roller. When the hinged panel is in its first position, 
the first and second rollers are spaced apart slightly to form a nip. 
In a more specific version of the present invention, the first roller is 
slidable within the housing away from its first position along a plane 
parallel to the axis of the first roller in a direction to increase the 
spacing of the rollers at the nip, and the first roller is urged towards 
its first position by means of a compression spring.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a 
typical mop M to be used with a wringer 10. The wringer 10 is made up of a 
pail proper 12 and a lid 14. A handle 16 is connected to the pail as 
shown. At the rear portion of the pail there is a pour spout 18 while at 
the lower front wall of the pail, a foot step 20 is set within a recess 
22. 
The lid 14 includes a flange 24 which overlies a flange 54 of the pail 12. 
A lock lever 26 is provided on the front end of the lid to engage and lock 
onto the flange 54. 
As shown, the lid 14 includes a cut-out portion 15. A hinged panel 28 
pivots about a hinge axis on shaft 42. The lid panel 28 corresponds to the 
cutout portion 15 and includes at least a pair of arms 40 journaled to the 
shaft 42, in one embodiment. At least an arm 36 extends downwardly from 
the lid 14 on one side of cut-out portion 15. A spring 38 extends between 
the arm 40 and the arm 36. A lid extension 44 projects beyond the hinge 
axis, remote from the stepped portion 30 of the lid panel 28. A front edge 
30a is tapered in order to terminate in a relatively sharp edge. This 
front edge 30a serves to engage the strands of the mop when the mop is 
being removed to close the lid 28 as will be described. Furthermore a hook 
shaped projection 31 may be provided on lid 28 to facilitate this 
engagement. 
In a rest position the spring 38 retains the hinged lid panel 28 in a first 
position as shown in FIG. 2. The hinged lid panel 28 mounts a roller 32 
having ribs 34. The roller 32 rotates about an axis on a shaft 33 which is 
parallel to the hinge axis 42. The roller 32 is meant to protrude slightly 
forwardly of the front edge 30a of the stepped portion 30 of the hinged 
lid panel 28. 
The lid 14 includes a housing 46 in which is mounted a roller 48 having 
ribs 49. The roller 48 is journaled on a shaft 56 which is adapted to 
slide in the housing 46 against spring 50. A nip 52 is defined between 
roller 32 and roller 48. 
In operation, the mop M, when it is required to be rinsed, is pressed 
downwardly, as shown in FIG. 2, on the hinged lid panel 28 to cause the 
hinged lid panel 28 to rotate clockwise about the axis 42. The lid panel 
28 can be rotated until the spring 38 is above axis 42, in order that the 
lid panel 28 be retained in the open position, such as shown in FIG. 3. 
The mop M is then soaked in a liquid within the pail 12 as shown in FIG. 
3. 
When it is required to wring the mop M, the mop M is raised upwardly 
through the opening 15 in lid 14 as shown in FIG. 4, and by leaning it 
against the hinged lid panel 28, especially extension 44 so as to get the 
lid panel 28 to rotate counter clockwise until the spring 38 is below the 
axis 42 as that the spring can urge the lid panel 28 upwardly. The sharp 
edge 30a will also engage the strands of mop M, and the mop M will draw 
the hinged panel 28 to rotate counter clockwise towards a position shown 
in FIG. 5. As the mop M is pulled further upwardly through the nip 52, the 
hinged lid panel 28 will be returned to its initial and final position as 
shown in FIG. 6. Thus the mop is forced to pass through the nip 52 between 
the rollers 32 and 48. 
The operator sets one foot on the foot step 20 to stabilize the wringer 
during this operation. Depending on the thickness of the mop M, the roller 
48 will slide away against the compression spring 50 widening the nip 52. 
However, the compression spring 50 urges the roller 48 towards the roller 
32, and the combination of the rollers 32 and 48 forming a nip 52 causes 
the water to be squeezed out of the mop as the mop is pulled between the 
rollers.