Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02272195 1999-OS-20
SPECIFICATION
This invention relates to a manually operable tool for masking surfaces from
paint.
The masking stick comprises a tube which houses a solid masking material and
through
which the solid masking material is advanced, which masking material
temporarily masks a
surface from paint, varnish or other coatings by applying a temporary masking
coating by
rubbing an exposed portion of a solid paint masking material directly onto the
surface to
be masked, and thereafter removing said masking coating onto which paint
varnish or
other coating has adhered. The invention also involves a novel process wherein
a surface
is masked by the application of a temporarily coating by means of rubbing and
shearing off
the exposed portion of a paint mask solid onto the surface, thereby depositing
a film which
may thereafter be painted and subsequently removed by wiping it away with a
cloth. The
present invention meets the need in the art by providing a solid material that
renders a
CA 02272195 1999-OS-20
convenient and accurately applied paint mask fir windows and other surfaces
requiring
masking protection from paint or other coatings.
The present invention's ease, non-drip accuracy in application and absence of
required drying period overcomes the disadvantages present in spraying,
squeezing, rolling
and brushing liquid paint and coating masks. lBecause the mask material and
paint are
simply wiped away with a cloth, the use of razorblades which might damage the
underlying surface is avoided.
A preferred embodiment of this masking tool and process involves the painting
of
windows. Painting window frames is a tedious and time-consuming task as the
painter
desires to fully cover the window frame while avoiding getting the paint on
the window
pane itself. Often windowpane glass is separated by narrow dividers known as
mullions.
The mullion is a slender member placed between adjacent panes of glass
supported by a
flange and held in place by putty, caulk or a narrow strip of wood that covers
the outside
edge of the glass adjacent the mullion. When window frames or mullions are
painted, the
paint which otherwise gets on the windowpane nnust be thoroughly removed.
Past efforts at keeping paint from gc;tting onto the windowpanes had been
accomplished by masking the glass with tape along the perimeter of the pane
where glass
meets frame or mullion. When masking, an adhesive coating or tape is placed on
the
windowpane so that the trim or frame material c;an be painted quickly and
without regard
to the juncture between glass and trim since any excess paint will be applied
to the
protective coating. However, taping is laborious and time consuming and
removing the
tape from the glass often presents problems, particularly where the tape
hardens or
becomes tacky. Where tape has not been employed, paint must be scraped off the
glass
typically with a razor blade. Another method of masking involves a triangular
mask with
an adhesive strip around the perimeter. The triangular mask is applied to the
glass surface
and overlapped to cover the entire surface with a portion of the mask.
Portions that
overlay the mullions would need to be cut off so as not to interfere with the
painting of the
frames. Another device provides a flexible narrow blade with a straight edge
that contacts
the mullion. The ends of the blade are cut at an oblique angle. Two adjacent
blades join at
a corner of the window. A rubber vacuum cup attaches to each of the blades for
securing
3
CA 02272195 1999-OS-20
the blade to the glass. Another device has a spring clip that engages opposed
mullions
frictionally. The clip presses a cardboard paint shield firmly against the
adjacent
windowpane. Another device involves a fitting that permits the application of
caulk along
the perimeter of the pane which caulk may be peeled off subsequent to
painting. Yet
another window mask product consists of a razor blade mounted on a squeeze
bottle
containing a liquid paint mask composed of petroleum distillates, which mask
is applied to
the window's perimeter through a sponge applicator pad and left to dry. After
the
mullions and frame are painted the paint and :mask drippings are scraped off
with the
attached razor blade.
Each of the foregoing paint mask efforts is plagued with drawbacks. The
triangular shield designed to fit over the glass must be cut to size and the
overlaps of
triangular sections leave gaps that allow paint to seep onto the glass. The
blade-style
shield alluded to are labor intensive and require .accurate positioning of
adjacent shields to
protect the glass surface. The cardboard shield becomes damp with paint and
losses its
effectiveness to seal the glass from painting. A spring clamp must be inserted
to hold the
cardboard sheet to the window. The caulk applicator requires the costly
purchase of
caulk, the manipulation of a relatively cumbersome caulk applicator, caulk
build-up within
the applicator, and time-consuming cleanup i:ollowing caulk application. The
razor
blade/squeeze bottle method suffers the disadvantage of dripping, it requires
time to dry
onto the protected surface prior to painting, its petroleum distillate
composition is an
irritant to skin and eyes, and the use of a razor blade to remove paint
scratches treated and
energy efficient glass.
Commercial efforts at paint masking include the use of masking tape, caulk,
masking paper and liquid paint masks. The liduid paint masks are applied by
spraying,
sponging, brushing or rolling. Hand-held portalble paint mask applicators
include a hand-
held masking machine which applies masking paper to a desired location, and a
fitted
nozzle for a caulk gun that permits a bead of caulk to be applied along a
window pane's
edge and later peeled away. Accordingly, there: is a need in the art for an
improved mask
for glass to prevent painting the glass while painting mullions.
4
CA 02272195 1999-OS-20
In the case of masking window panes, tile mask is dispensed as a film along
the
perimeter of a windowpane and thereafter wiped off along with any errant
paint. The paint
mask comprises a solid stick, not unlike those found in crayons, lip balms and
glue sticks.
The stick may contain glycerin, glycol or other substances that retard paint
adhesion, and
be of such rigidity that it shears off and leaves a film upon the glass by
means of dragging
the stick's end along the glass' surface. Following painting, the film
disadheres and from
the glass by wiping it with a cloth. The solid paint mask may be applied as a
crayon, or
housed and advanced thorough an applicator resembling a lip balm or glue stick
dispenser
and which may be manufactured from plastic or some similarly rigid material.
The mouth
of the applicator should have at least one corner whose angle measures 90
degrees or less
to fit easily into right-angled window frames. Th.e container's cap forms an
angle at its tip.
Hence, the cap seals and protects the solid mashing material housed within the
container
and doubles as a scraper which may be used to remove difficult paint drips.
The method
of the present invention will be useful to painting contractors, homeowners,
hobbyists, or
anyone who paints non-glass materials that are adjacent to glass-like surfaces
rapidly and
inexpensively.
My invention employs a novel coating process whereby a solid mask material
would, in the course of rubbing it onto glass, shear away and thereby deposit
a protective
paint masking coating onto the glass. Candle waxes and bars of soap offer this
shear-off
film-depositing characteristic when dragged over glass. The introduction of
paint masking
ingredients such as glycols or glycerin into a frictionally coating-dispensing
solid that
shears away when rubbed onto glass, dispenses a coating that exhibits paint
masking
qualities characteristic to glycerin and glycols. l;~erivatives of polyhydric
alcohols, such as
sorbitol and glycerin and polyglycol esters of fatty acids and glycols such as
(a) ethylene
glycol (b) diethylene glycol (c) triethylene glycol (d) propylene glycol (e)
dipropylene
glycol and (f) tripropylene glycol, display the hygroscopic property of
moisture retention,
making them minimally adhesive to materials like glass. These masking
materials are
currently used in liquid paint masks that are sprayed onto surfaces to be
protected. A
solid masking crayon or similar tool containing a hygroscopic glycol, may be
dragged
upon a surface and thereby provide a precise and uniform masking layer.
CA 02272195 1999-OS-20
Appropriate coating-dispensing mediums into which paint masking agents may be
introduced are manufactured in a variety of ways. Conventional alkali salt
soaps that are
manufactured by traditional saponification processes may be used. Modified
soaps
referred to in the industry as "syndets" may be used as well. Syndets differ
from
conventional soaps in that they are not formed totally from fat and alkali as
conventional
soaps are. Neutrogena® Soap (Neutrogena Corp.) is an example of a
transparent,
nondetergent modified bar soap consisting of trif;thanolamine,stearic acid,
tallow, glycerin,
coconut oil, castor oil, sodium hydroxide, oleic acid and cocamide DEA.
Another is
Basis.TM. Glycerin Soap (Beiersdorf), which is .a transparent modified bar
soap consisting
of tallow, coconut oil and glycerin. Syndets provide an appropriate film
dispensing
medium that shears when rubbed onto glass. The fact that syndets mix well with
glycerin
and glycols makes them particularly suitable for paint masking purposes.
Ullmann's
Industrial Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry provides a following listing
of ingredients
generally used by the cosmetic industry manufacturing syndets:
Component Content
Fatty alkyl sulfates 30 - 60
Builders/Plasticizers:
Mono-,di-, and triglycerides
Para~ns, microwaxes, fatty alcohols30 - SO
Fillers: starch, talcum, zinc
Oxide, titanium oxide 0 - 15
Refatting/superfatting agents:
Lecithins, lanolin, oils,
Alkanolamides 1 - 7
Active ingredients: D-panthenol
Vitamin E, amino acids,
Disinfectants 1 - 3
Water and moisturizers:
Lactates, amino acids,
Sorbitol, glycerol 1 - 5
Coloring agents 0 - trace
Perfumes 0 - 1
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CA 02272195 1999-OS-20
To create an effective paint-masking solid as described in the present
invention the syndet
is combined with the following materials in the proportions as shown:
syndet 10 grams
distilled water 10 grams
glycerin 20 grams
Liquify the syndet by heating. Stir in 10 grams of distilled water and 20
grams of glycerin.
Let liquid cool to a solid while stirring intermittently.
Syndets currently manufactured often possess a high propylene glycol content,
thereby
bestowing desirable paint masking qualities to the medium. Syndets
manufactured by
Surrey, Inc. of Austin, Texas in the United States list ingredients in
descending order:
propylene glycol, water, sodium stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, glycerine,
sorbitol,
sodium tallowate, sodium cocoate, triethanolamine. To this syndet medium are
added
distilled water and glycerin in proportions described herein to render a
masking solid that
exhibits appropriate dispensing and paint masking characteristics.
It is anticipated that the paint mask solid will be housed in and advanced
through, a
hand-held tubular container, to wit; a block-shaped lip balm-type dispenser
with a
moisture-locking cap and movable base. The b<~se advances the paint mask solid
through
the dispenser and a cap seals the dispenser's contents. The container's
aperture shall be
angular and conform to the shape of the tool end of the stick so the paint
mask may
provide coverage in window corners as well as along the window's perimeter.
The
particular embodiment was chosen in that it provides the means to spot mask
selected
areas with the convenience of a hand-held tool. The paint mask solid as
described herein
has been found to provide a most convenient protective coating when used prior
to brush-
painting window mullions and frames. Changes may be made to modify the
constituents
of the masking solid and various additives may be incorporated into the paint
mask
composition to impart desirable attributes without altering the essential
advantages offered
by employing a paint mask in dispensable solid iPorm and its unique method of
direct mask
application.
CA 02272195 1999-OS-20
The present invention has proven effective in coating and protecting materials
other than glass, where the protected surface: offers frictional resistance to
the solid
coating material dragged upon its surface sufficient to shear off a layer of
the coating
material. Such materials include metal, wood, painted surfaces, plastic and
similar
surfaces that permit the shear-off and dispensing of a paint masking film.
Though the present invention has been described above with reference to a
preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes and
modifications may be made in this preferred embodiment of both the unique
solid masking
tool and novel process without departing from the scope of the present
invention. Rather
any and all changes and modifications, which a.re obvious to those skilled in
the art, are
intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
8
CA 02272195 1999-05-20
In drawings which illustrate the embodiments of the invention, Figure I is an
elevation
partly in section of one embodiment. Figure 2 is a top view of this
embodiment.
The hand-held tool illustrated comprises a solid paint masking stick material
C housed
in a tubular container B wherein the solid masking material is advanced
through the
open-end of the tube as shown in a top view in Figure 2 by a plunger E so that
the
masking material may be robbed directly onto the surface to be protected. The
container's cap A serves to seal the masking contents housed within the
container, while
its angled tip forms a scraper which may be used to remove paint drips on the
surface
which are more difficult to remove.
