Patent Publication Number: US-2003233725-A1

Title: Roller for a washbucket

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The invention relates to a roller for removing a liquid from a sponge board over a wash bucket as used, for example, by tile setters.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002] A roller of this kind, known from DE-C-35 02 307, is arranged across the top of a wash bucket, spanning the width of the bucket, turning on an axle or axle stubs held in bearings that are supported at or on the rim of the bucket. The known roller is configured as a hollow body and has a profiled circumference with a multitude of passage openings. The profile is in the shape of straight or wave-shaped ridges extending lengthwise on the roller, with the passage openings arranged in the recesses between the ridges. This arrangement suffers from the drawback that fine-grained materials can accumulate between the ridges and clog the passage openings. In this case, the squeezed-out dirty water will not flow through the roller directly into the bucket by way of the passage openings but will at least in part follow the channels between the ridges towards the outer ends of the roller. This has the undesirable result that the dirty water removed from the roller will run off and drip over the rim of the bucket and onto the floor.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0003] One object of the present application is to provide improvements to a hollow roller with a profiled circumference as described above which, except for the clogging of the passage openings, has proven to be effective for removing liquid from sponge cleaners. The purpose of the inventive improvements is to avoid the clogging of the passage openings.  
       [0004] The roller according to one exemplary embodiment is arranged across the top of a wash bucket, spanning the width of the bucket, turning on an axle or axle stubs held in bearings that are supported at or on the rim of the bucket. The roller is configured as a hollow body and has a profiled circumference with a multitude of passage openings. In the present roller, the passage openings are arranged in at least partially staggered positions relative to each other, and the passage openings are surrounded at least partially by raised ridges.  
       [0005] The passage openings can have an angular geometric shape such as a polygon, star, or the like. They can be rectangular, at least partially round or oval, or in the shape of elongated slots.  
       [0006] Preferably, the passage openings are surrounded substantially all around by the ridges. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the passage openings are arranged in a plurality of rows that are staggered in relation to each other.  
       [0007] Advantageously, the roller is assembled from two half shells of a polymer material with press- or snap-fit connections. The axle can be a metal axle, or axle stubs can be integrally formed on the roller. Preferably, the diameter of the roller widens with a slight conical taper from the middle towards both ends, so that water squeezed out of the sponge board will have a tendency to flow towards the center of the roller.  
       [0008] It is advantageous if the passage openings make up at least 5% of the outside circumference area of the roller, and for best results at least 10%. The width of each passage opening should not be less than about 3 to 4 millimeters.  
       [0009] It is advantageous if the roller has a raised barrier around the outer ends such as a step, a conical slant, or a ring-shaped bulge as an additional means of preventing water from being carried off the ends of the roller. The axle can take the form of axle stubs or a full-length metal axle. It has proven advantageous to imbed a metal axle between axle stubs of polymer material in the pressure-molding process. An advantageous embodiment of the invention has two metallic axle stubs, with the roller consisting of two half shells with stub-like extensions integrally formed at both ends in the pressure-molding process. The stub-like extensions have recesses to receive the metallic axle stubs. The recesses are closed off from the interior space of the roller by molded webs. In this latter embodiment, the metallic axle stubs can be inserted into the ends of the roller without being encased in the polymer material. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
     [0010] The detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows below is based on the attached drawings which are intended as examples and are not to be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the invention.  
     [0011]FIG. 1 is a side view of a wash bucket with a roller according to one exemplary embodiment set in place;  
     [0012]FIG. 2 is a sectional view in the plane indicated by the line A-A of FIG. 1; and  
     [0013]FIG. 3 illustrates a half-shell of the roller of FIG. 1, looking at the inside of the half-shell.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0014]FIG. 1 illustrates a wash bucket  1  of a kind used in tile-setting. The carrying handle or the castor wheels that are normally provided on these buckets are omitted from the drawing. Bearing supports  2  are arranged on the rims of the longer side walls of the bucket which, in the example of FIG. 1, has the shape of a rectangular tub. In the illustrated arrangement, the bearing supports  2  are pushed onto the rim with seating grooves. However, there are also other possible ways of attaching the bearing supports, even including an integrally molded arrangement of the bearing supports on a bucket made of a polymer material. The bearing supports  2  have cutouts, grooves or eyelets to receive the axle stubs  3  of a roller according to one exemplary embodiment. FIG. 1 further shows a sponge board  5  with a handle and a sponge bottom piece. In the tile-installation process, the sponge bottom piece serves to wipe away excess grouting compound which is then washed out of the sponge in the wash bucket. Subsequently, the sponge board is squeezed out by pushing it over the roller  4 .  
     [0015] To ensure the effectiveness of the roller in squeezing water out of the sponge bottom, the roller has a surface profile on its circumference and passage openings  6  through which the squeezed-out liquid is moved away, as shown in the enlarged detail Z of FIG. 2. The profile elements are configured as ridges  7  surrounding each of the passage openings. The passage openings should not be narrower than 3 to 4 mm. They can be designed, e.g., as elongated slots of about 12×4 mm. The ridges  7  surrounding the openings have a height and width of, e.g., about 1 mm.  
     [0016] The roller  4  is assembled preferably of half shells  4   a  of a polymer material, as may be seen in FIG. 3. The illustration shows how the passage openings  6  are arranged in alternatingly staggered rows. This arrangement of the openings assures that when pushing the sponge board over the roller, substantially the entire width of the sponge bottom meets with the passage openings, as they follow each other when the roller rotates about its axle stubs  3 . The wall  4   b  of the polymer half-shell—and of the roller as a whole—widens in a conical taper from the center towards the ends of the roller to prevent that excess dirt water will run over the ends of the roller. The polymer half-shell is closed at the ends, so that water cannot leave the roller through the end portions. In addition, the roller has a raised barrier  4   c  running around each of the outer ends to prevent water from running off the ends of the roller. The polymer half-shell has a number of small holes  8  into which the dowel pegs of a corresponding second polymer half-shell are press-fitted. The press-fit provides a sufficiently solid connection. An alternative possibility is to use a snap-fit connection. Although the passage openings  6  take up a sizable portion of the roller surface, the roller has a good degree of stability due to the profile ridges. Of course, it is also conceivable to use two or more of the inventive rollers in combination, or to combine the rollers of the present invention with conventional rollers.