The present invention relates to tools for scraping wood and other surfaces for the removal of paint or other coatings.
Preparing a painted wood surface for refinishing or repainting remains a labor intensive task. Typically, a scraper is used to manually remove the old paint or other finish, then the surface is sanded and repainted. While various scrapers are available for this purpose, there remains room for improvement. There is a need for a scraper that covers more surface area, without increased effort. There is a need for a scraper that is balanced and provides even contact with the surface to prevent marring and gouging of the surface. There is a need for a scraper that operates in both the forward and reverse stroke, to maximize efficiency. There is a need for a scraper that can be operated with only one hand. Finally, there is a need for such a scraper that can be easily and quickly sharpened on a sheet of emery paper on a flat surface or on a belt sander. These and other advantages are provided by the present invention.
The present invention comprises a scraper for scraping a planar work surface. The scraper comprises a handle with a first end, a second end and an elongate gripping portion extending therebetween. A first head is provided on the first end of the handle, and a second head is provided on the second end of the handle. First and second blades are supported on the first head, and first and second blades are supported on the second head. The first blades on the first and second heads are angled in a first direction relative to the work surface for scraping the work surface when the scraper is operated in a first direction, and the second blades on the first and second heads are angled in a second direction relative to the work surface for scraping the work surface when the scraper is operated in a second direction opposite the first direction.
The present invention further comprises a paint scraper with a handle having a first end and an elongate gripping portion extending therefrom. A first head is supported on the first end of the handle, and first and second blades are supported on the first head. The first blade on the first head is angled in a first direction relative to the work surface for scraping the work surface when the scraper is operated in a first direction, and the second blade on the first head is angled in a second direction relative to the work surface for scraping the work surface when the scraper is operated in a second direction opposite the first direction. The handle and the first head are relatively positioned so that when the tool is in use the length of the elongate gripping portion is generally parallel to the plane of the work surface.
With reference now to the
As shown in
A first head 22 is supported on the first end 14, and a second head 24 is supported on the second end 16. The heads 22 and 24 may be integrally formed with the handle 12. For example, the heads 22 and 24 and handle 12 may be injection molded from a suitable plastic composition.
First and second blades 30 and 32 are attached to the first head 22. In the preferred practice, the blades are part of a blade plate 34 comprising two pairs of opposing blades including the blades 30 and 32. The two pairs are oppositely oriented so that one pair of blades 36 and 38 extend upwardly on the side of the head 22, as best seen in the perspective view of
In the preferred design, the second head 24 is similarly equipped with a blade plate 50 comprising a first pair of blades, including first and second blades 52 and 54, and a second pair of blades 56 and 58. The blades 52 and 54 are directed downwardly and the blades 56 and 58 directed upwardly. A screw 60 extends through the opening 62 in the plate 50 and engages the internally threaded bore 64 in the second head 24.
The blades 30 and 32 on the first head 22 and the blades 52 and 54 on the second head 24 are supported by the handle so that their scraping edges are all aligned. That is, all the downwardly extending blades are positioned to contact the work surface simultaneously.
In this preferred embodiment, the blades are angled relative to the work surface to facilitate the scraping action. More preferably, opposing blades are oppositely oriented. That is, as seen best in
Thus, the blades 30 and 52 both scrapingly engage the work surface as the scraper is pushed forwardly. Similarly, the blades 32 and 54 both scrapingly engage the work surface as the scraper is pushed in the reverse direction. Because the two similarly angled blades 30 and 52, or 32 and 54, are spaced a distance apart, the surface area covered by a single stroke of the scraper is approximately doubled. Twice as much surface is covered with each stroke.
It will be appreciated that in most instances the blades will be provided with a beveled edge to enhance the scraping function. In addition, as best seen in
It will be noted that in this preferred design, the blades are removable, as shown in
Now it will be apparent that present invention provides a scraper with two oppositely oriented blades on a single head, and in its most preferred embodiment provides two scraper heads, each with a pair of oppositely oriented blades. With the gripping portion of the handle extending lengthwise between the two heads, the scraper provides two spaced-apart blades which operate together in each direction. All the blades are rigid, and straight, providing even, unyielding contact with the work surface for improved scraping action and stable handling. This scraper can be operated with only one hand, and will accomplish twice the work. Moreover, because the edges of all the blades are aligned, all the blades can be sharpened on a sheet of emery paper on a flat surface or on a belt sander.
Changes can be made in the combination and arrangement of the various parts and elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
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