3M Innovative Properties Company

Thomas W Schwartz

Richard L Englund

Mark C Skinner

A material supply assembly for use with a spraying device, which material supply assembly includes a housing of stiff material comprising a side wall having a top end defining an opening into a recess defined by the housing; and a pre-filled container comprising a stiff annular lip adapted to be positioned along the top end of the side wall, and a flexible portion fixed to the annular lip and adapted to extend into the cavity in the housing when the annular lip is positioned along the top end of the side wall. The flexible portion has an inner surface defining a cavity, and a quantity of material is within the cavity in the flexible portion. A polymeric membrane extends across and is sealed to the annular lip to retain the material in the cavity. The material supply assembly also includes an adapter assembly having a through opening, at one end of which is a transverse portion including a peripheral part adapted for engagement with the annular lip positioned on the top end of the container, and at the other end of which is a portion adapted to engage the inlet port of a liquid spraying device. Means are provided for securing the peripheral part to the housing with the annular lip therebetween. A piercing structure projects from the central portion and has a distal end portion adapted to pierce the membrane as the peripheral part is engaged with the annular lip positioned on the top end of the housing.

Pre-packaged material supply assembly

Several embodiments of small volume containers for use to feed liquid to a gravity feed liquid spraying device. Each container comprises a body portion having axially spaced first and second ends, means for closing the second end of the body portion, and a first adapter attached to the first end of the body portion. The body portion, means for closing, and first adapter have inner surfaces defining a cavity in the container having a small volume. The adapter comprises an engagement portion having a through opening communicating with the cavity in the body portion, which engagement portion is adapted for liquid and air tight engagement an inlet port of the spraying device. The container includes vacuum restricting means for restricting vacuum within its cavity as liquid moves out of its cavity into a spraying device through the opening in the first adapter with the second end of the container uppermost.

Small liquid supply assembly

A paint finishing pad adapted to be used on a drive assembly including a back up pad and a drive motor for rotating the back up pad. The paint finishing pad includes a layer of open cell polymeric foam having a front surface defined by a plurality of spaced projecting portions of the layer of foam, and loops projecting from a rear surface of the layer of foam for releasably attaching the paint finishing pad to a support surface on the back up pad.

Compounding, glazing or polishing pad

A welding blanket comprising a layer of flexible protective material comprising unexpanded vermiculite and inorganic heat resistant fibrous material, which layer undergoes localized expansion in a direction normal to its major surfaces when contacted by spatter of molten metal during a welding process; and two relatively thin flexible cover sheets, one attached along each of the major surfaces of the layer of flexible material to maintain its structural integrity.

Welding blanket

A dispensing container of the type comprising a tube, a transverse end wall in which is fixed an outwardly projecting nozzle, and a plunger slidably mounted within the tube to dispense a first material within the tube through the nozzle. At least one hose is fixed to the tube, a second material to be dispensed is contained within the hose, and means are provided for dispensing the second material from the hose in proportion to the first material dispensed from the nozzle upon movement of the plunger.

Dispensing container

A coated abrasive back up pad comprising a layer of resiliently compressible foam, a generally rigid backing plate fixed to one surface of the layer of foam and including, structure adapted for coupling the back up pad to a drive motor, and a flexible magnetized layer fixed to a surface of the foam layer opposite the backing plate and having a generally planar outer support surface. The foam layer includes a lip extending around the peripheral edge of the magnetized layer to protect that edge during use of the pad to drive a sheet of coated abrasive.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Thomas W Schwartz