Fluid sprinkling – spraying – and diffusing – With mobile tank-type supply means – With spray deflecting or compressing means
Patent
1999-02-25
2000-08-15
Brinson, Patrick
Fluid sprinkling, spraying, and diffusing
With mobile tank-type supply means
With spray deflecting or compressing means
B05B 128
Patent
active
061023051
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to applicators for line marking on surfaces such as roads, car parks, factory floors and playing areas including gymnasium floors, basket ball courts, artificially-turfed and naturally-turfed playing fields and the like. Our European Patent Specification No. 0 678 624 A2 discloses a line marking applicator comprising a frame having an axle on which is journalled a pair of surface contacting wheels and a mounting for a marker fluid aerosol dispenser positioned on the frame so that, when fitted with an aerosol dispenser and in use, marker fluid can be sprayed between the wheels onto a surface, the width of the sprayed line being defined by the spacing between the wheels, each of the wheels having an integral inner surface extending contiguously from the axle to a rim having a smaller diameter than that of the wheel rim and which is axially inwardly offset from the wheel rim to provide a circumferential groove, preferably each wheel is provided with a tire, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the inner surface rim and which is axially offset from the inner surface rim to form the peripheral groove.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Patient Specifications GB 2,288,619 A (Rocol Limited); GB 2,164,983 A (Sharpliner Limited (United Kingdom)); GB 2,111,568 A (Texalon International Limited); GB 1,456,411 (Rocol Limited) and GB 1,448,634 (T J Smrt) all disclose line marking applicators of this type to be hand tools clearly constructed to be re-used many times, that is one applicator would be used time and time again with a large number of different aerosols, hereinafter referred to as "high volume use". The applicator is largely formed from metal and, for example, in any line marking applicator the width defining means, such as the above referred integral inner wheel surfaces, must act to prevent "over-sprayed" line marking fluid from running onto the surface and blurring the edge of the sprayed line. Usually, the width defining wheels are of a large enough diameter that over-sprayed line marking fluid dries sufficiently in a revolution so as not to run or drip. After operation of a high volume use line marking applicator, the dried over-sprayed marking fluid either has to be removed from the width defining means or the applicator has to be so designed that dried marking fluid does not accumulate in areas affecting width defining performance.
In addition, a significant proportion of line marking applicator users only need to mark a relatively short length of line, hereinafter referred to as "low volume users", such that the "line length" of a typical aerosol dispenser of line marking fluid, spraying approximately 75-110 meters of 55 mm wide line, would suffice. The cost of extant high volume use line marking applicator is too high for such low volume users.
It is an object of the present invention to provide disposable line marking applicator for low volume use. With such applicator the problem of build up of dried marking fluid either does not arise or is not significant. Additionally, the applicator does not need to be constructed as nearly as robustly as extant line marking applicator, enabling the applicator to be readily produced from inexpensive materials.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a line marking applicator head comprises a holder to hold an aerosol dispenser, the aerosol dispenser containing marking fluid and having a spray nozzle with a normally closed valve, a supporter to support the head in use to contact and readily move over a ground or surface upon which a line is to be sprayed, an actuator to operate the spray nozzle and means to define the width of sprayed line, wherein the line marking holder is specifically designed to non-releasably engage the aerosol dispenser, so that the line marking head and the aerosol dispenser constitute a disposable line marking applicator. By "disposable" is meant the construction of the line marker head components and the materials from which they are made are designed and chosen to b
REFERENCES:
patent: D402669 (1998-12-01), Chapman
patent: 2812211 (1957-11-01), Gardner
patent: 3229858 (1966-01-01), Lesh
patent: 3716195 (1973-02-01), Silva
patent: 3794217 (1974-02-01), Munchel
patent: 3871557 (1975-03-01), Smrt
patent: 4099482 (1978-07-01), Smrt
patent: 4895304 (1990-01-01), Smrt
patent: 5749522 (1998-05-01), Smrt
patent: 5836519 (1998-11-01), Brown
Chapman Steven
Edwards Richard
Hares Barrington
Peach Roger John
Ripley Catherine J.
Bocanegra Jorge
Brinson Patrick
Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Russell Dean W.
LandOfFree
Line marking applicators does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Line marking applicators, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Line marking applicators will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1998260