Paint roller and tray and cleaner therefor

Claim 2

In combination, an elongated portable painter''s tray of a type which is expressly designed and adapted to accommodate a handle-supported roller brush, said tray having bottom wall means provided with upstanding longitudinal side walls joined by transverse end walls and embodying a relatively deep paint accumulating sump at one end and a complemental relatively shallow trough-like roller guide at the other end, the bottom wall portion of said sump being flat and adapted to rest firmly on a stationary support surface, the bottom wall portion of said trough-like roller guide being elevated to a plane above the plane of said first named bottom wall portion and inclining toward and merging with said first named bottom wall portion and having a depending roller guide elevating and stabilizing prop, readily applicable and removable cover means for said sump and roller guide, said cover means, when in use, serving to enclose said roller brush in a manner that it can be washed and cleaned by a stream of water under pressure, said sump being provided with a normally open top side which is disposed on a level above the level of the normally open top side of said trough-like roller guide.

Claim 3

The tray defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said prop comprises a single elongated U-shaped bracket having depending vertical legs joined by a horizontal bight portion, said bight portion being in a plane common with the plane of the bottom wall portion of said sump whereby the overall tray is self-standing when assuming a horizontal in use position.

Claim 4

The tray defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said cover means comprises a first lid which is slidingly mounted atop the top side of said sump, and a second lid which is independent of said first lid and is slidingly mounted atop the top side of said roller guide.

Claim 5

The tray defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein upper portions of the side walls of said sump are interiorly provided with coplanar spaced parallel lid-keying tracks, said first lid being slidingly and removably keyed in said first named keying tracks and said second lid being slidingly and removably keyed in said second named keying tracks.

Claim 6

The tray defined in and according to claim 4, each lid comprising a flat-faced plate, the ends of said plates adjacent each other being spaced apart in a manner to permit a stream of water to be aimed at and projected by way of the available space into the receptacle portion of said sump for controlled brush and sump cleaning needs.

Claim 7

The tray defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein the transverse end wall of said sump is provided with an outstanding nipple-like discharge neck which, in turn, is provided with a closing cap which, when removed, permits an elbow to be applied to the neck, said elbow being adapted to facilitate emptying the contents of the overall tray into a sink or tub drain pipe.

Claim 8

The tray defined in and according to claim 6, and wherein said transverse end wall is also provided with a second outstanding nipple-like discharge neck which is optionally usable and is likewise provided with a closing cap which when removed permits a detachable pouring elbow to be operatively connected thereto for convenient drainage use.

Claim 9

In combination, an elongated portable painter''s tray expressly designed and adapted to accommodate a conventional type of handle-supported roller brush, said tray hAving bottom wall means provided with complemental upstanding longitudinal side walls joined by transverse end walls, defining a rim and providing a relatively deep paint accumulating sump at one end and a complemental elongated shallow trough-like roller guide at the other end in line with said sump, the bottom wall portion of said sump being flat and adapted to rest firmly on a stationary support surface, the bottom wall portion of the troughlike roller guide being elevated to a plane above the plane of the first named bottom wall portion and inclining toward and merging with said first named bottom wall portion, a depending elevating and stabilizing prop, said prop being U-shaped and embodying vertical depending legs joined at lower ends by a bight portion, said bight portion being straight across and disposed in a plane common with the bottom wall portion of said sump, an upper open end of said sump being disposed in a plane above the plane of the upper open end of the guide and being provided on the side walls with guide tracks, a lid slidable in said guide tracks and, when closed, covering the upper portion of said sump, upper edge portion of the side walls of the trough-like guide being provided with similar guide tracks, and a second lid slidable in said last named guide tracks and disposed in a plane below the plane of the first lid, the adjacent ends of the respective lids being spaced apart to permit a stream of water to pass through the space, an end wall of said sump being provided with at least one discharge neck, said neck provided with a cap and also with an alternatively usable attachable and detachable elbow.

Claim 10

In combination, an elongated portable painter''s tray expressly designed and adapted to accommodate a conventional type of handle-supported roller brush, said tray hAving bottom wall means provided with complemental upstanding longitudinal side walls joined by transverse end walls, defining a rim and providing a relatively deep paint accumulating sump at one end and a complemental elongated shallow trough-like roller guide at the other end in line with said sump, the bottom wall portion of said sump being flat and adapted to rest firmly on a stationary support surface, the bottom wall portion of the troughlike roller guide being elevated to a plane above the plane of the first named bottom wall portion and inclining toward and merging with said first named bottom wall portion, a depending elevating and stabilizing prop, said prop being U-shaped and embodying vertical depending legs joined at lower ends by a bight portion, said bight portion being straight across and disposed in a plane common with the bottom wall portion of said sump, an upper open end of said sump being disposed in a plane above the plane of the upper open end of the guide and being provided on the side walls with guide tracks, a lid slidable in said guide tracks and, when closed, covering the upper portion of said sump, upper edge portion of the side walls of the trough-like guide being provided with similar guide tracks, and a second lid slidable in said last named guide tracks and disposed in a plane below the plane of the first lid, the adjacent ends of the respective lids being spaced apart to permit a stream of water to pass through the space, an end wall of said sump being provided with at least one discharge neck, said neck provided with a cap and also with an alternatively usable attachable and detachable elbow.

Claim 11

The tray defined in and according to claim 8, and wherein one marginal edge portion of the second lid is provided with a plurality of upstanding and depending longitudinally spaced tongues, said tongues constituting keepers and serving to position and hold a handle portion of the roller brush in a given position for washing and cleaning purposes.