Powered paint removal tool

Abstract

A powered paint removal tool having a rotating abrasive disk for removing paint, with the disk resiliently mounted for deflection out of perpendicular to a driving shaft axis, and which operates in a range of about 780 to about 4200 surface feet per minute. The tool has a folding handle that may be positioned to a storage position adjacent the body of the tool, and which may, selectively be positioned to an operating position generally perpendicular to the body of the tool, with a locking feature to hold the handle in either of the operating and storage positions. A cam surface urges the handle from an intermediate position toward the storage position.

1 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the powered drive assembly provides rotational torque about a rotational axis and the rotating disk has a centrally located non-circular cross-section engagement portion; and wherein the coating removal apparatus includes 
 a coupling assembly attached to the rotating drive assembly for rotation therewith and having    i. a corresponding non-circular cross-section drive surface positively coupled to the engagement portion of the disk in a circumferential direction about the rotational axis and loosely coupled to the engagement portion of the disk in an angular direction with respect to the rotational axis for positively rotating the disk about the rotational axis while simultaneously allowing angular deflection of the disk with respect to the rotational axis; and    ii. a resilient member located adjacent the disk and biasing the planar abrasive surface of the disk to be generally perpendicular to the rotational axis in the absence of external forces on the disk and allowing the disk to deflect out of perpendicular with the axis when an external force offset from the axis is applied to the disk while still rotating the disk.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the abrasive surface of the disk comprises a plurality of abrasive coated filaments.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the resilient member comprises an O-ring.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the disk is allowed to deflect up to an angle of about 1.5 degrees out of perpendicular with the rotational axis.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the coupling assembly includes a drive nut having a non-circular drive surface.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein the coupling assembly further includes a retaining nut, with the drive nut and the retaining nut located on opposite sides of the disk.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  wherein the retaining nut and the drive nut have opposed mating surfaces radially inward of the disk and each of the retaining nut and drive nut have a radially projecting flange with the flanges spaced apart by a predetermined distance when the opposed mating surfaces are in contact with each other.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the predetermined distance is greater than a thickness of the engagement portion of the disk.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the resilient member is an O-ring and one of the retaining nut and drive nut has an annular space for receiving and locating the O-ring adjacent the disk.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the rotating disk moves in a range of about 780 to about 4200 surface feet per minute with respect to a surface on which a coating is to be removed.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein the abrasive surface of the rotating disk moves in a range of about 1047 to about 2356 surface feet per minute with respect to the previously coated surface when in contact with the surface on which the coating is to be removed.  
   
   
       12 . A coating removal apparatus for at least partially removing a coating from a previously coated surface, the apparatus comprising: 
 a. a powered drive assembly having a housing;    b. a rotating disk driven by the powered driving assembly and having a generally planar abrasive surface;    c. a handle positionable to: 
 i. a storage position adjacent the housing, and  
 ii. an operating position generally perpendicular to the housing; and  
   d. a lock and release mechanism operable to retain the handle in the operating position and to selectively permit release of the handle from the operating position to enable movement of the handle toward the storage position wherein the lock and release mechanism includes at least one pushbutton on the handle.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising: 
 d. means for urging the handle towards the storage position.    
   
   
       14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the lock and release mechanism is further operable to retain the handle in the storage position and to selectively permit release of the handle from the storage position to enable movement of the handle toward the operating position.  
   
   
       16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the pushbutton has a projection that moves with the handle and engages a first locking surface on the housing to lock the handle in the operating position.  
   
   
       18  The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the housing has a second locking surface positioned to engage the projection on the pushbutton to lock the handle in the storage position.  
   
   
       19  The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the handle further includes resilient biasing means for urging the pushbutton to a lock position in which the projection overlaps the second surface when the handle is moved to the operating position.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the pushbutton is manually movable from the lock position to a release position wherein the projection does not overlap with the second surface wherein the handle is released to move from the operating position toward the storage position.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the lock and release mechanism further includes a cam surface in the housing in contact with the projection of the pushbutton and operable to urge the handle towards the storage position when the handle is intermediate the operating and storage positions.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 12  where in the powered driving assembly rotates the rotating disk about a rotational axis and the operating position of the handle is generally perpendicular to the rotational axis.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22  wherein the storage position of the handle is generally parallel to the rotational axis.