Patent ID: 8763271

Claim:
A paint applicator cleaning device comprising: a drive shaft; a hub in communication with the drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft protrudes from one end of the hub, the hub having: an external screw thread on a spigot extending oppositely from the drive shaft and coaxial therewith, a coaxial socket opening into the spigot from its end remote from the drive shaft and an external abutment against longitudinal movement positioned between the drive shaft and the spigot; a paint-brush-handle tip locator (“the tip locator”) having: a socket at one end adapted to receive a paint-brush-handle tip and a stem at its other end sized to be received coaxially in the socket of the hub; a spring housed; in the socket in the hub for urging the tip locator outwards of the socket; a paint-brush shank holder (“the shank holder”) having: a tubular portion with an internal thread complementary to the external screw thread of the hub, a plain bore for centering the socket of the tip locator, a pair of tangs extending generally in the direction of the central axis of the internal thread from one end of the tubular portion and spaced on opposite sides of the central axis and a pair of jaws at the distal ends of the tangs for gripping the paint brush shank; and a sleeve sized to surround the tubular portion and extend between the abutment and the jaws, the jaws and the tubular portion being complementarily formed such that threading of the shank holder towards the hub urges the jaws towards each other.