Universal paint applicator

1. A universal paint applicator configured for use in combination with a roller cover including a cylindrical roller-cover core with an inside surface and an outside surface carrying an absorbent material for alternatively absorbing and depositing paint on a surface, the applicator comprising:

a handle assembly that extends longitudinally along a handle axis;

first and second pivot arm assemblies carried by, and extending forwardly of, the handle assembly such that the pivot arms are disposed symmetrically about the handle axis, each pivot arm assembly including a pivot arm having a proximate end by which it depends from the handle assembly for rotation about a pivot arm axis and a distal end opposite the proximate end and disposed forwardly of the handle assembly;

a bi-directional pivot arm actuator carried by the handle and cooperatively linked to each pivot arm assembly such that movement of the actuator in a first direction causes the pivot arms to rotate toward one another and movement of the actuator in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the pivot arm assemblies to rotate away from one another; and

a hub assembly pivotably coupled to the distal end of each of the first and second pivot arms for angular movement about a hub-pivot axis, each hub assembly including a hub axle and a hub mounted for rotation on the hub axle about a hub-rotation axis defined by the hub axle, each hub including an outer surface configured to frictionally engage the inside surface of the roller-cover core such that the hubs of the first and second pivot arms cooperate to retain the roller cover between the pivot arms; wherein

the hub-rotation axes, hub-pivot axes and pivot arm axes are movable into disparate mutual orientations such that, when the pivot arms are spread to various degrees, the hub-rotation axes can be aligned to define a common roller-cover rotation axis so that the roller cover cooperatively retained by the hubs can be of any length between a predetermined minimum length and a pre-determined maximum length.

2. A universal paint applicator configured for use in combination with a roller cover including a cylindrical roller-cover core with an inside surface and an outside surface carrying an absorbent material for alternatively absorbing and depositing paint on a surface, the applicator comprising:

a handle assembly that extends longitudinally along a handle axis;

first and second pivot arm assemblies carried by, and extending forwardly of, the handle assembly such that the pivot arms are disposed symmetrically about the handle axis, each pivot arm assembly including a pivot arm having a proximate end by which it depends from the handle assembly for rotation about a pivot arm axis and a distal end opposite the proximate end and disposed forwardly of the handle assembly;

a bi-directional pivot arm actuator carried by the handle and cooperatively linked to each pivot arm assembly such that movement of the actuator in a first direction causes the pivot arms to rotate toward one another and movement of the actuator in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the pivot arm assemblies to rotate away from one another; and

a hub assembly pivotably coupled to the distal end of each of the first and second pivot arms for angular movement about a hub-pivot axis, each hub assembly including a hub axle and a hub mounted for rotation on the hub axle about a hub-rotation axis defined by the hub axle, each hub including an outer surface configured to frictionally engage the inside surface of the roller-cover core such that the hubs of the first and second pivot arms cooperate to retain the roller cover between the pivot arms; wherein

(i) the hub-rotation axes, hub-pivot axes and pivot arm axes are movable into disparate mutual orientations such that, when the pivot arms are spread to various degrees, the hub-rotation axes can be aligned to define a common roller-cover rotation axis so that the roller cover cooperatively retained by the hubs can be of any length between a predetermined minimum length and a pre-determined maximum length;

(ii) each pivot arm assembly further includes at the proximate end of each pivot arm a pivot arm gear having pivot-gear teeth; and

(iii) the pivot arm actuator comprises a worm-drive shaft carrying a worm gear with teeth that intermesh with the pivot-gear teeth of each pivot arm such that rotation of the worm-drive shaft in a first direction causes the pivot arms to rotate about their pivot arm axes inwardly toward one another and rotation of the worm-drive shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction causes the pivot arms to mutually spread in an outwardly direction thereby facilitating, respectively, engagement and disengagement of the outer surfaces of the hubs with the inside surface of the roller-cover core.

3. A universal paint applicator configured for use in combination with a roller cover including a cylindrical roller-cover core with an inside surface and an outside surface carrying an absorbent material for alternatively absorbing and depositing paint on a surface, the applicator comprising:

a handle assembly that extends longitudinally along a handle axis;

first and second pivot arm assemblies carried by, and extending forwardly of, the handle assembly such that the pivot arms are disposed symmetrically about the handle axis, each pivot arm assembly including a pivot arm having a proximate end by which it depends from the handle assembly for rotation about a pivot arm axis and a distal end opposite the proximate end and disposed forwardly of the handle assembly;

a bi-directional pivot arm actuator carried by the handle and cooperatively linked to each pivot arm assembly such that movement of the actuator in a first direction causes the pivot arms to rotate toward one another and movement of the actuator in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the pivot arm assemblies to rotate away from one another; and

a hub assembly pivotably coupled to the distal end of each of the first and second pivot arms for angular movement about a hub-pivot axis, each hub assembly including a hub axle and a hub mounted for rotation on the hub axle about a hub-rotation axis defined by the hub axle, each hub including an outer surface configured to frictionally engage the inside surface of the roller-cover core such that the hubs of the first and second pivot arms cooperate to retain the roller cover between the pivot arms; wherein

(i) the hub-rotation axes, hub-pivot axes and pivot arm axes are movable into disparate mutual orientations such that, when the pivot arms are spread to various degrees, the hub-rotation axes can be aligned to define a common roller-cover rotation axis so that the roller cover cooperatively retained by the hubs can be of any length between a predetermined minimum length and a pre-determined maximum length;

(ii) each of the first and second pivot arm assemblies further includes at the proximate end of its respective pivot arm a pivot arm gear having pivot-gear teeth; and

(iii) the pivot-gear teeth of the first pivot arm assembly are directly intermeshed with the pivot-gear teeth of the second pivot arm assembly such that the rotation of one of the pivot arms in one of an inwardly and outwardly direction causes the rotation of the other pivot arm in, respectively, an inwardly and outwardly direction with respect to the handle axis, each pivot arm thereby serving as the bi-directional pivot arm actuator for the other pivot arm.