Patent ID: 8439586

Claim:
A hand held, internal feed coating apparatus comprising: an on-board coating reservoir having an outlet; a coating applicator connected to the outlet of the coating reservoir; an internal piston including a rack gear operable to move the internal piston to deliver coating material to the outlet of the reservoir; and a drive mechanism including: an electric motor; and an engagement mechanism having a pinion gear member rotatably driven by the electric motor and selectively engageable with the rack gear; and a gear shifter operable to move the pinion gear member, relative to the rack gear, into and out of engagement with the rack gear wherein the motor is operable to move the piston to deliver coating material when the motor is energized and the gear shifter holds the pinion gear member in engagement with the rack gear and the piston is free to move independently of the pinion gear member when the gear shifter holds the pinion gear member out of engagement with the rack gear.