US2748472A

US2748472A - Vacuum operated hair removing attachment for hair clippers

Info

Publication number: US2748472A
Application number: US488204A
Authority: US
Inventors: Orin W Sheley; Orin J Sheley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-02-15
Filing date: 1955-02-15
Publication date: 1956-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1973-06-05

Description

VACUUM OPERATED HAIR REMOVING ATTACHMENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS Filed Feb 15, 1955 INVENTORS 0PM W Shekycf 0/ /77 Ghe/eg ited States Patent VACUUM OPERATED HAIR REMOVING ATTACH- lVIENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS Orin W. Sheley and Orin .l. Sheley, Sterling, Ill.

Application February 15, 1955, Serial No. 488,204

2 Claims. (Cl. 30-133) This invention relates to hair clipper attachments, and more particularly, has reference to an attachment for a conventional electric hair clippers of the type used by barbers, the attachment being so designed as to remove by vacuum action hair as it is cut by the clippers.

While devices of the type referred to are not new per se, heretofore, to our knowledge, said devices have in general included only a duct in which a suction is created, through which duct the hair is drawn after it is cut. The present invention incorporates, in addition to the duct, in the clipper attachment a means for cooling the motor of a hair clipper. As a result, an important object of the present invention is to provide an attachment as described which will permit the clipper to be used for a longer period of time without stopping the operation thereof, as distinguished from clippers and hair removing attachments as presently designed, wherein the heat produced by the clipper unit creates,.in time discomfort, requiring that the clipper be stopped for a period of time.

Another object of importance is to provide a device of the type stated which, by reason of the clipper-cooling function thereof, will keep the clipper cool so as to result in a lengthening of the life of the clipper.

Still another object is to provide a device as stated which will be capable of attachment to a conventional clipper with a minimum of difficulty, by removal of the upper part of the clipper casing and substitution of the hair removal device therefor, with the device then being secured to the clipper by replacement of the screws normally used to hold the upper and lower parts of the clipper together.

Yet another object of importance is to provide a device which will be capable of disassembly so far as the component parts thereof are concerned, with a minimum of difliculty and with maximum facility, thus to facilitate the cleaning of the device.

Yet another object is to provide a'device as described which can be manufactured at a minimum of cost, from easily molded plastic or other relatively inexpensive material.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several veiws, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hair clipper attachment formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view in which the scale has been reduced below that used in Figure 1, showing the device applied to a conventional electric hair clippers; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on line 33 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, at 10, 12 there have been generally designated an outer or top section and an inner or bottom section, respectively, of the attachment constituting the present invention.

The outer section includes a single piece of molded 2,748,472 Patented June 5, 1956 plastic or similar material (metal such as aluminum could, of course, be used) having an outer end portion 14 bowed upwardly in directions both transversely and longitudinally of said outer end portion 14 of the upper section. The longitudinally curved or upwardly bowed part of the upper section 10 merges, at the inner end portion of the upper section, into a relatively elongated extension of semicircular cross section, the extension 16 being reduced progressively in width, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and merging into a relatively narrow part of constant width, in which is receivable a vacuum hose 18. The vacuum hose 18, as will be understood, is connected to any means for producing a vacuum, such as a conventional vacuum cleaner, suction fan, or the like.

Formed upon the opposite longitudinal edges of the outer end portion are depending, relatively narrow side flanges 20, said side flanges at their inner ends merging into the opposite sides of the extension 16.

The bottom or inner section 12 includes an outer end portion 22 integral with an inner portion 24. The outer end portion 22 is coextensive in width with the outer end portion 14 of the section 10, and is also coextensive in length therewith. Portion 22 is, further, transversely and longitudinally bowed correspondingly to the portion 14 of section 10 (see Figure 3).

The inner end portion 24 is coextensive in width and length with the inner end portion 16 of section 10, and is formed with an upwardly facing groove 26 of a semicircular cross section confronting the downwardly facing, correspondingly shaped groove of the extension 16 of the section 10. As a result, there are defined between the inner portions 16, 24 a cylindrical passage, providing an outlet for air drawn through the space between the sections it), 12. The hose 18 is fitted over the

portions

16, 24 so as to hold the same together.

Integrally formed upon the opposite sides of the outer end portion 22 are depending, elongated side walls 28, having straight bottom edges adapted to engage against the top surface of hair clipper 30 after removal of screws 44 to detach the upper part of the clipper casing. The outer end portion 22, at its front end, further, is formed with a depending lip in which is formed, medially between the opposite sides of the section 12, a notch 32 adapted to receive a projection 34 formed upon the clippers 30. This properly positions the device upon the clippers, and it is merely necessary that one then reinsert the screws that were previously used in holding together the parts of the clipper case, for the purpose of holding together the clippers and the

sections

10, 12, so that in use, hte clippers may be held in a natural manner. Special attaching devices whereby the attachment is secured to the clippers are thus eliminated. It will be understood, in this regard, that the hose 18 fits over the sections together at their inner ends, while the outer ends of the sections are held together during the connecting operation due to the interfitting configuration of the same. Still further, the

interengaged sections

10, 12, are held against movement laterally of the clippers by the interengaging notch and

projection

32, 34, prior to the connecting of the

sections

10, 12 to the clippers by the screws.

Formed in the portion 22, medially between the opposite ends thereof, is an opening 36, the front and back edges of which are inclined or beveled, as shown in Figure 3. An opening 38 is formed in the underside of the clippers 30, as is usual, the opening 38 being disposed forwardly of the opening 36 a short distance, as shown in Figure 3.

The flanges 20, seating against the section 12, space the section 10 thereabove, to define between the sections a relatively flat, wide, air passage 40 opening at one end upon the leading end of the device immediately above the teeth 41 of the clippers. The passage 40 at its other end is in communication with the hose 18, and thus, when a suction is created withinthe hose 18 by a suitable suction-producing mechanism, air will be drawn into the passage 40 in the direction of the arrow of Figure 3, through the open frontor inlet end of the passage. Hair cut'by the teeth 41, as will be understood, will be immediately taken up in the current created by the suction, and 'will be drawn into the passage40 so as who removed to a convenient receptacle.

In this way, hair does not tend to fall upon the person holding the device, nor does the hair fall upon the person Whose hair is being cut. Still further, the hair does not drop to the floor, where it would present an unsightly appearance in barber shops, requiring periodic sweeping of the floor;

For the purpose of receiving the'screws 44, the

sections

10, 12 are provided with rectangularly spaced, registering

openings

46, 48 in said sections, the openings of the section 12 being smooth-walled. Screws 44 are extended through the registering openings into registering openings formed in the clipper casing, for the purpose of detachably connecting the sections to one another.

It will be noted that the upward curvature of the outer end portion 22 defines between said portion 22 and the upper surface of the clippers 30 a chamber 42, said chamber being closed at its sides and ends. As a result, when a suction is created within the passage 40, said suction will in turn be transmitted to the chamber 42, and air will be drawn inwardly through the clipper motor to cool the same, the air moving into'the housing of the clipper through the air inlet opening 38, and passing transversely of the clipper into the chamber 42, the air being then drawn into the air passage 40 through the aperture 36.

By reason of this arrangement, a positive cooling of the mechanism of the clippers is effected, by the suction created within the device. The clippers can thus be operated for longer periods of time than has heretofore been true of these devices, since the suction created is such as to represent a rather substantial air current through the mechanism of the clippers, greater than that ordinarily provided in clipper devices equipped with cooling fans on the motor.

The result will be, as will be understood, that the clippers can be used for any desired period of time, without requirement of stopping the operation thereof while the clippers cools otf. Throughout the use of the clippers, no discomfort is caused to the person holding the same, or to the person to Whom the clipper is applied.

Further, it will be understood that whenever it is desired to use the clippers without the hair removing attachment, the attachment is readily removed by extracting screws after which it is simply lifted off the clippers, to permit the upper part of the clippers casing to be reattached to the lower part.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not nec- Cir essarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof de- 50 scribed above, since it may be utilized for any purposes to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination, with the lower part of the casing of a hair clip of the type having its casing formed in two parts, of a hair removing device of the suction type formed to constitute the upper part of said casing in substitution of the part initially provided on the casing, said device comprising: a tubular assembly forming an air passage and having an inlet at one end for hair cut by said clippers and an outlet at its other end adapted for connection to a source of suction, said assembly including in'terfitting top and bottom sections forming the upper and lower portions, respectively, of said passage, the bottom section including depending side walls outside the passage extending in longitudinal contact with said lower part of the clipper casing; and fastening elements extending through both sections and engaging in said lower casing part to hold the sections assembled with one another and with the lower casing part. 2. The combination, with the lower part of the casing of a hair clip of the type having its casing formed in two parts, of a hair removing device of the suction type formed'to constitute the upper part of said casing in substitution-of thepart initially provided on the casing, saiddevice comprising: a tubular assembly forming an air passage and having aninlet at one end for hair cut by'said clippers and an outlet at its other end adapted for connection to a source of'suction, said assembly including interfitting top and'bottom sections forming the upper and lower portions, respectively, of said passage, the bottom section including depending side Walls outside the passageextending in longitudinal contact with said lower part of the clipper casing; and fastening elements extending through both sections and engaging in said lower casing part to hold the sections assembled with one another and with the lower casing part, said lower section having intermediate its ends an opening providing communication between the interior of the clipper casing and said passage, whereby, on creation of a suction within the passage, air will flow into the passage both through said inlet and through said opening, respectively, for simultaneously removing hair cut by the clipper and cooling the clipper interior.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS