Universal handle for brushes

Abstract

A brush has a handle with multiple releasable brush tips. The handle is elongated and has a larger engagement portion and a smaller engagement portion of smaller cross-sectional dimension than the larger engagement portion. The brush tips have ferrules with a hollow end and a set of bristles secured to them. The hollow end of the larger brush tip frictionally engages the larger engagement portion. The lower end of the ferrule of the smaller brush tip frictionally engages the smaller engagement portion of the handle.

1 . A brush, comprising: 
 an elongated handle having a larger engagement portion and a smaller engagement portion of smaller cross-sectional dimension than the larger engagement portion;    a larger brush tip and a smaller brush tip, each tip having a ferrule with a hollow end and a set of bristles secured to and extending from an opposite end of the ferrule;    the hollow end of the ferrule larger brush tip being releasably retained on the larger engagement portion of the handle; and    the hollow end of the ferrule of the smaller brush tip being releasably retained on the smaller engagement portion of the handle.    
   
   
       2 . The brush according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an intermediate engagement portion on the handle having a cross-sectional dimension that is smaller than the larger engagement portion and larger than the smaller engagement portion; and    an intermediate brush tip having a ferrule with a hollow end and a set of bristles secured to and extending from an opposite end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip, the hollow end of the ferrule intermediate brush tip being releasably retained on the intermediate engagement portion of the handle.    
   
   
       3 . The brush according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an intermediate engagement portion on the handle located between the larger engagement portion and the smaller engagement portion; and    an intermediate brush tip having a ferrule with a hollow end and a set of bristles secured to and extending from an opposite end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip, the hollow end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip passing over the smaller engagement portion and releasably retained on the intermediate engagement portion of the handle.    
   
   
       4 . The brush according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an intermediate engagement portion on the handle located between the larger engagement portion and the smaller engagement portion, the intermediate engagement portion having a cross-sectional dimension larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the smaller engagement portion;    a conical transition section extending between the smaller engagement portion and the intermediate engagement portion; and    an intermediate brush tip, having a ferrule with a hollow end and a set of bristles secured to and extending from an opposite end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip, the hollow end of the intermediate brush tip passing over the smaller engagement portion and transition section and being releasably retained on the intermediate engagement portion of the handle.    
   
   
       5 . The brush according to  claim 1 , wherein the larger and smaller engagement portions are circular in cross-section, and the hollow ends of the ferrules of the larger and smaller brush tips are releasably retained on the larger and smaller engagement portions, respectively, by wedging, frictional fits.  
   
   
       6 . The brush according to  claim 1 , wherein the larger engagement portion is conical, and the hollow end of the ferrule of the larger brush tip wedges on the larger engagement portion.  
   
   
       7 . The brush according to  claim 1 , wherein the smaller engagement portion is tapered, and the hollow end of the ferrule of the smaller brush tip wedges on the smaller engagement portion.  
   
   
       8 . The brush according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the larger and the smaller engagement portions comprise smooth tapered surfaces, the larger engagement portion having a larger taper angle than the smaller engagement portion.    
   
   
       9 . The brush according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the larger engagement portion is conical, with an increasing diameter in a direction toward the smaller engagement portion; and    the hollow end of the ferrule of the larger brush tip is conical, with an increasing diameter in a direction toward the bristles.    
   
   
       10 . The brush according to  claim 1 , wherein the hollow end of the ferrule of the larger brush tip is circular, and the opposite end of the ferrule of the larger brush tip is elliptical.  
   
   
       11 . A brush, comprising: 
 an elongated handle having a larger engagement portion on one end of the handle, a smaller engagement portion on an opposite end of the handle, and an intermediate engagement portion between the larger and smaller engagement portions, each of the portions having smooth exterior surfaces and being circular in cross-section, the larger engagement portion having a diameter greater than the intermediate engagement portion, the intermediate engagement portion having a diameter greater than the smaller engagement portion;    a larger brush tip, an intermediate brush tip, and a smaller brush tip, each of the brush tips having a ferrule with a hollow end and a set of bristles secured to and extending from an opposite end of the ferrule, the set of bristles of the larger brush tip being larger than the set of bristles of the intermediate brush tip, the set of bristles of the intermediate brush tip being smaller than the set of bristles of the intermediate brush tip;    the hollow end of the ferrule of the larger brush tip being frictionally and releasably retained on the larger engagement portion of the handle;    the hollow end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip passing over the smaller engagement portion and frictionally and releasably retained on the intermediate engagement portion of the handle; and    the hollow end of the ferrule of the smaller brush tip frictionally and releasably retained on the smaller engagement portion of the handle.    
   
   
       12 . The brush according to  claim 11 , further comprising a conical transition section extending between the smaller engagement portion and the intermediate engagement portion.  
   
   
       13 . The brush according to  claim 11 , wherein the intermediate engagement portion is tapered, and the handle has a central section extending from the intermediate engagement portion to the larger engagement portion at a same taper angle as the intermediate engagement portion.  
   
   
       14 . The brush according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a tapered central section on the handle between the intermediate engagement portion and the larger engagement portion;    wherein the larger engagement portion is tapered with a maximum diameter at a junction with the central section; and    wherein the central section is tapered with a with a decreasing diameter toward the intermediate engagement portion.    
   
   
       15 . The brush according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
 the larger engagement portion is conical, with an increasing diameter in a direction toward the smaller engagement portion; and    the hollow end of the ferrule of the larger brush tip is conical, with an increasing diameter in a direction toward the bristles.    
   
   
       16 . The brush according to  claim 1 , wherein the smaller engagement portion is substantially cylindrical; and wherein 
 the handle has a conical transition section extending between the smaller engagement portion and the intermediate engagement portion.    
   
   
       17 . A method of using a brush, comprising: 
 (a) providing an elongated handle having a larger engagement portion and a smaller engagement portion of smaller cross-sectional dimension than the larger engagement portion;    (b) providing the brush with a larger brush tip and a smaller brush tip, each brush tip having a ferrule with a hollow end and a set of bristles;    (c) for coarser application inserting the hollow end of the larger brush tip over the larger engagement portion and retaining the larger brush tip on the larger engagement portion while applying a substance to a surface with the larger brush tip; and    (d) for finer applications, removing the larger brush tip from the larger engagement portion and inserting the hollow end of the smaller brush tip over the smaller engagement portion and retaining the smaller brush tip on the smaller engagement portion while applying a substance to a surface with the smaller brush tip.    
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein: 
 step (a) further comprises providing the handle with an intermediate engagement portion of larger cross-sectional dimension than the smaller engagement portion and smaller cross-sectional dimension than the larger engagement portion;    step (b) further comprises providing an intermediate brush tip that has a ferrule with a set of bristles smaller than the larger brush tip and larger than the smaller brush tip; and    for intermediate applications, with both the smaller and the larger brush tips removed from the handle, inserting a hollow end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip over the intermediate engagement portion and retaining the intermediate brush tip on the intermediate engagement portion while applying a substance to a surface with the intermediate brush tip.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein step (a) comprises forming the larger engagement portion on one end of the handle and the smaller engagement portion on an opposite end of the handle.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the step of inserting the hollow end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip over the intermediate engagement portion comprises passing the hollow end of the ferrule of the intermediate brush tip over the smaller engagement portion without engaging the smaller engagement portion.