Abstract: A paint brush handle has an outer layer of a comfortable, relatively soft elastomeric material that surrounds a rigid core of foamed polyolefin. The handle is made using a co-injection process in which a mold cavity is first coated by an initial partial shot of the elastomeric material and then filled by injecting more elastomeric material and polyolefin material containing a foaming agent simultaneously. The simultaneous shot of these materials is achieved by injecting the materials through a single inlet passage into the mold cavity in which the flows are concentric, with the elastomeric material surrounding the polyolefin material. The ferrule is attached to the handle using nails or other suitable fasteners which penetrate into the rigid inner core.

Abstract: A paint roller frame includes a handle having a radial bore and a wire shank having an outer end for rotatably supporting a paint roller cover and an inner end rotatably received in the bore. The outer end of the wire shank extends at an angle relative to the inner end whereby turning movement of the inner end within the bore will cause a change in the orientation of the outer end and thus the paint roller cover supported thereby relative to the handle. Between the inner and outer ends of the wire shank is an intermediate portion including a radial leg extending at a right angle relative to the inner end which is spring biased into engagement with any one of a plurality of notches in an end wall of the handle surrounding the bore for retaining the outer end of the wire shank in any one of a plurality of different orientations relative to the handle.

Abstract: A handle for a paint roller frame includes an inner core made of a substantially rigid plastic material and an outer grip made of a softer rubber-like material surrounding the inner core and extending part way around both ends thereof. At the outer end of the inner core is an internally threaded opening surrounded by a planar end wall. The outer grip includes an outer end portion overlying the planar end wall which acts like a locking washer, resisting unscrewing of an extension pole from the threaded opening when the extension pole is screwed down tight and a flange at a base of the extension pole threads comes into contact with the outer end portion of the outer grip overlying the planar end wall.

Abstract: A plastic paint roller frame includes a cross member having legs depending from opposite ends of the cross member, and pins on the legs in coaxial alignment with each other for rotatably mounting opposite ends of a roller cover between the legs. The legs have a pair of flexible ears on the inner ends thereof which are movable toward each other to permit the legs to be slid in and out of transverse openings in opposite ends of the cross member for ease of assembly and removal of the roller cover from the frame. External shoulders on the ears resist removal of the legs from the transverse openings when the legs are pushed into the transverse openings a sufficient distance such that the external shoulders clear the openings and the ears move the external shoulders radially outwardly into overlying relation with the upper ends of the transverse openings.

Abstract: A paint brush handle has an outer layer of a comfortable, relatively soft elastomeric material that surrounds a rigid core of foamed polyolefin. The handle is made using a co-injection process in which a mold cavity is first coated by an initial partial shot of the elastomeric material and then filled by injecting more elastomeric material and polyolefin material containing a foaming agent simultaneously. The simultaneous shot of these materials is achieved by injecting the materials through a single inlet passage into the mold cavity in which the flows are concentric, with the elastomeric material surrounding the polyolefin material. The ferrule is attached to the handle using nails or other suitable fasteners which penetrate into the rigid inner core.

Abstract: A paint roller cover with thermoplastic core and method and apparatus for making same by spirally wrapping a strip of hot extruded thermoplastic film onto an exterior surface of hollow thermoplastic tubing and spirally wrapping a strip of fabric having a thermoplastic backing onto the spiral wound strip of thermoplastic film while the thermoplastic film is still sufficiently hot to cause the thermoplastic film to flow into interstices in the thermoplastic backing of the fabric and permanently bond the fabric to the exterior surface of the tubing. The fabric covered tubing is then cooled and separated into a plurality of individual lengths of fabric covered tubes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a paint roller cover by spirally wrapping a strip of hot extruded thermoplastic film onto an exterior surface of hollow thermoplastic tubing and spirally wrapping a strip of fabric having a thermoplastic backing onto the spiral wound strip of thermoplastic film while the thermoplastic film is still sufficiently hot to cause the thermoplastic film to flow into interstices in the thermoplastic backing of the fabric and permanently bond the fabric to the exterior surface of the tubing. The fabric covered tubing is then cooled and separated into a plurality of individual lengths of fabric covered tubes.

Abstract: A paint roller frame and cage assembly mounted for rotation on a shaft portion of the roller frame. The cage assembly includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced, axially extending support bars joined together by a plurality of ribs providing an annular support for uniformly supporting a roller cover thereon. At the inboard end of the support bars is an annular flange having an outer diameter less than the outer diameter of the annular support. Mounted on the annular flange is a retaining spring including a Belleville type spring washer having circumferentially spaced apart spring fingers extending radially and axially outwardly from the outer periphery of the washer for frictionally retaining the roller cover on the cage assembly. The Belleville type spring washer is retained on the annular flange by an end cap having a first annular sleeve telescopingly received over the annular flange.