Abstract:
A versatile and mobile, tool, paint, accessory and supply caddy for use by painters. The caddy provides multiple storage areas for paint cans, buckets, roller covers of different sizes as well as other painting materials and supplies. Buckets are removable when in use so as to make the job of painting more efficient with everything needed readily available and handy for use.

Description:
This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 to Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/013,845 filed on Jun. 18, 2014 the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the field of painting accessories. More particularly, this invention relates to a multipurpose mobile caddy for holding paint, painting supplies and equipment. 
     Many individuals chose to do their own painting rather than hire a professional painter. Most individuals, however, are not well organized or equipped to carry out the task of painting a room or rooms or the exterior of a house. To be efficient, a painter, amateur or professional, should have the paint brushes, rollers and masking tape as well as the paint itself well organized and within easy reach and readily available for use. There are known a number of tool caddies or tool holding devices as well as holders for carrying paint and painting supplies. An example of such a mobile caddy is shown in Carrillo U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,325. However, there is an ongoing need for improvements in carriers, especially mobile caddies, which will enable a painter to more efficiently perform the multiple tasks required in painting large areas. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome deficiencies of mobile carts by providing a mobile cart having multiple storage areas for paint, removable paint buckets and all needed equipment and paint supplies, such as paint brushes, rollers, roller covers and pans, all of which are placed in close operable relation to one another on a single cart so as to be easily transportable to a work site. An advantage of such a cart or caddy is that the painter may simultaneously have available all of the requisite supplies from one cart, thereby providing an efficient apparatus for completing a paint job. 
     Preferably and according to this invention, the caddy has a base mounted on casters, the base being formed into a single unit. The base has multiple compartments that provide storage areas for paint cans, buckets, roller covers of different sizes as well as other painting materials and supplies. Buckets are removable when in use and have handles for ease of carting. The buckets are adapted for use with paint rollers as well as brushes. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the caddy of the invention as viewed generally from the front and from above; 
         FIG. 2  shows a top or plan view of the caddy of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the caddy viewed generally from the rear and from above; 
         FIG. 4  shows a front elevation view of the caddy; 
         FIG. 5  shows a side elevation view of the caddy; 
         FIG. 6  shows a rear elevation view of the caddy; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded, perspective view of the caddy of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the caddy taken on the line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the screen used in the caddy. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention provides an extremely versatile, easy to use mobile carrier for tools, paint and accessories and supplies that can easily be moved around while painting. The paint caddy of the invention is designed to hold paint, buckets for paint that can be applied by rollers or brushes, as well as the tools, and other necessary materials. The caddy has a rectangular base  10  with a front end  12 , a rear end  14  and two sides  16  and  18 . The base is preferably formed into a single unit from plastic or any other suitable material and has four casters  11  attached to the base  10  so that the caddy can be easily moved from place to place. If desired, a tow handle (not shown) could be attached to the front end  12  to facilitate moving the caddy. 
     Formed in the base  10  near the front end  12  is a compartment  20  (see  FIG. 7 ) having a rear upwardly extending wall  22 . Received in the compartment  20  is a removable paint bucket  24  sized to hold a large amount of paint. The bucket  24  has a slanted front wall  26  that extends upwardly and outwardly for a purpose described hereinafter. One side of the bucket  24  has an elongated slot  28  that provides a handle for lifting the bucket  24  and removing it from the caddy. On the side opposite the elongated slot  28  is formed a pour spout  30 . Formed along the top edge of the slanted front wall  26  of the bucket  24  is a pair of spaced apart notches that receive hooks  32  that hold in place along the slanted front wall  26  a roller screen  34  ( FIG. 9 ). The bottom of the screen  34  will extend into paint contained in the bucket  24  so that a standard paint roller (not shown) of varying size can be dipped into the paint and rolled along the screen to remove excess paint from the roller. When the caddy of the invention if being used, the amount of paint in the bucket  24  does not have to be too deep as long as the depth is sufficient to allow the paint to adhere to the paint roller when it is dipped into the paint and before the paint is spread on the roller by rolling it on the screen  34 . 
     As shown in the drawings, the rear end  14  of the base  10  is approximately the same height as the rear wall  22  thereby providing for multiple compartments  36 ,  38  and  40 . Compartment  36  preferably is sized to receive and securely hold a gallon sized can of paint. A hook (not shown) may be received in the openings  41  formed on one wall of compartment  36  (see  FIG. 7 ). The hook is used to store a standard paint can opener (not shown) or the opener can be placed in the compartment without a hook. Compartment  38  is adapted to receive and hold a removable basket  42  sized to store a plurality of standard, small paint roller covers (not shown) or other small items that can be carried closer to the work site. The remaining space of compartment  38  is open so that miscellaneous paint supplies, such as rags, paper towels, etc. can be stored. 
     One side of compartment  40  is formed to provide a space adapted to receive and hold a removable small paint bucket  44  that has a handle  45  so that the bucket can be removed from the caddy and carried around by the painter. Before filling, bucket  44  can be used to store small trim brushes for trimming around the edges of walls, etc. In the larger portion of compartment  40  there is formed in its bottom surface a raised round projection  46  to receive a roll of masking tape, for example. The remaining open area above the projection  46  can be used to store rollers, etc. In addition, the rear wall  22  provides in the front corners of the compartment  40  round hollow spaces  48  in which can be stored extensions for roller handles. 
     As best illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the area in the base  10  beneath the compartments  36  and  38  is hollow and open on side  16  to provide a compartment  50  for the storage of large roller covers, for example. Additionally, if desired, a cover (not shown) can be used to cover and protect the entire caddy when not in use. 
     It will be appreciated that although the present invention has been described in detail with regard to the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various adaptations and modifications of the present invention may be accomplished without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. For example, the various compartments and storage areas can be rearranged from those shown in the drawings. Also, the number, size, shape and placement of the compartments holders, etc. can be varied from those shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention. The structural features can also take a wide variety of shapes, and could include supports or webs added for additional strength. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the detailed description and the accompanying drawings are for purposes of showing the preferred and best embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the breadth of the present invention, but rather all modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.