The Paint Roller Is A Piece Of Toronto's History

26 Aug.,2024

 

The Paint Roller Is A Piece Of Toronto's History

When it comes to claims to fame, Toronto has many different kinds of things to consider for being world-renowned. The CN Tower may no longer be the tallest building in the world, but it&#;s still a defining part of the city&#;s skyline. Musical acts have travelled the world after getting their start in Ontario&#;s capital. But few people who use a simple yet ingenious invention ever know that it was created in Toronto. One of the most ubiquitous painting supplies, the paint roller, and it&#;s probably become Toronto&#;s most secret and widely-used claim to fame.

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The Paint Roller Was Invented in Toronto

The paint roller was invented by Norman Breakey, a Torontonian who wanted to apply paint quicker without sacrificing a smooth finish. Up until his invention, which he developed in the s, the only painting was done with paint brushes. Sure, they came in a variety of sizes and shapes, but painting was still painstaking work that took a long time.

The invention made perfect sense at the time as well. Canada and the rest of the world were moving to the city and, with their migration, they were moving sensibilities. Bare walls not only made sense in the country, they were part of a certain aesthetic for the time. But as people moved to urban areas, they started thinking about walls differently. Interior design was becoming more and more popular and, with it, a demand for paint that was unprecedented. And with more paint going on the walls, people were looking for easier, and less expensive, ways of getting it there.

Breakey Neglected to Patent His Invention

Enter Norman Breakey&#;s invention, which took the world by storm. It didn&#;t, however, completely change Breakey&#;s life, as his tale is one of how a trip to the patent office could mean the difference between millions and millions of imitators. Breakey went to a colleague of his with the idea, wanting some input on the fabric for the paint roller. His idea, while game-changing, also needed money, something he personally had in short supply, and he had an impossible time finding willing investors. The result, that Breakey was unable to make a significant number of rollers, meant that when his own supply ran out, people flocked to the imitators who realized that Breakey never went for a patent.

Faded Into Obscurity

After that, Breakey more or less faded into obscurity. Minor improvements on his original design soon made it to the patent office, much like he should have done in the first place, and it wasn&#;t long before his invention was out of date and underperforming. South of the border, a Mr. Richard Croxton Adams invented a similar device while working for paint giant Sherwin Williams. His was patented in the States and Breakey was out of options. He apparently died penniless in Toronto, never able to make money off of an invention that revolutionized painting.

History of Paint Roller

Paint Roller

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Changing the paint color of a room or house is a job that can take multiple people numerous hours to complete. It is not an easy job, and requires backbreaking repetitive motions to ensure the paint covers the full surface. For an entire house, this job can take multiple days for a team of people with even the most advanced equipment, to complete.

The invention of the paint roller occurred in . Norman Breakey, a Canadian citizen, developed and built the first paint roller to assist in the hard work of painting. This design consisted of a cylindrical core with a fabric cover that could soak up and distribute paint when rolled over a blank surface.

Unfortunately, however, Norman was unable to manufacture sizeable numbers of paint rollers and therefore never made a large profit off of his invention. Other paint roller designers took the design, made small changes, and marketed their own paint roller inventions. These designs performed much better financially than Norman's attempts. The most well known of the paint roller design offshoots was created by Richard Croxton Adams, who patented his paint roller version in .

Today paint rollers are a necessity for any professional or amateur looking to paint a wall or a house. Developments in the original design have allowed for the creation of numerous options that can be considered when choosing a paint roller. These include the choice of fabric or foam rollers that can be sold with or without a handle. Further, paint rollers now come in numerous sizes in order to facilitate the painting of multiple surfaces.

Found and used throughout the world, paint rollers are a tool that has become a necessity for painters everywhere. Although simple in design, the paint roller will likely continue to be used for many years to come.

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