US3041726A

US3041726A - Adjustable guard for electric clippers

Info

Publication number: US3041726A
Application number: US85037A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pierson H Hitson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-01-26
Filing date: 1961-01-26
Publication date: 1962-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1979-07-03

Description

y 1962 P. H. HITSON 3,041,726

ADJUSTABLE GUARD FOR ELECTRIC CLIPPERS Filed Jan. 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pierson hf Hi/son IN VEN TOR.

BY (M Em July 3, 1962 P. H. HITSON 3,041,726

ADJUSTABLE GUARD FOR ELECTRIC CLIPPERS Filed Jan. 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pierson hf Hi/san AW WZ 70 INVENTOR. 1

Ila W BY WM...

/ I WW HM United States Patent 3,041,726 ADJUSTABLE GUARD FOR ELECTRIC CLIPPERS Pierson H. Hitson, 3652 Whiting Ave., Montgomery, Ala. Filed Jan. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 85,037 Claims. (Cl. 30-201) This invention relates to, generally speaking, barbers hair clipper and, more particularly, to novel and reliable guard means through the medium of which the user can clip ones hair long or short, as the case may be.

Present prevailing hair cutting practices necessitate the use of several or more clippers and shifting from one to the other or; alternatively, providing a plurality of selectively applicable and removable toothed guards which have to be put on and taken off one after the other. Manifestly, both of the above stated methods or procedures are time-consuming and are not acceptable at least by most barbers. It is submitted that single clipper, if properly equipped should do the complete job.

The instant invention seeks to change and correct this situation and looking toward this end a simple, practical and economical attachment-type guard has been devised and, after considerable experimentation is being effectually used. This guard is capable of being attached to virtually all makes of hair clippers. Only the one guard is required. This is to say, by properly construcing an all purpose guard, it is simply applied and left in place and its position relative to the cutter head is manually shifted to cause the cutter head to cut the hair long or short according to the requested needs of a given customer.

Briefly, the invention, construed as an applicable and removable attachment, comprises a suitably shaped plat generally rectangular in plan and bowed longitudinally to substantially conform with the curvate bottom side of the clipper body. A comb-like member, the guard proper, is provided across the forward or leading end of the plate. The teeth in this comb-like member are disposed inspaced apart parallelism and are preferably triangulate in side elevation. The vertical rearward edges or ends of these teeth are provided with rows of notches constituting selectively usable keeper seats for the leading edge of the stationary guard of the usual cutter head and by adjustably seating said leading edge in the desired row of notches the movable attachment guard is adjusted to the relative level or position desired. The trailing or rearward end of the plate is equipped with resilient hook-like or equivalent retaining mechanical means which positions and holds the plate in the position desired yet allows suitable adjustments to be made without taking the guard off to do so.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerials refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one embodiment of the invention showing it unapplied.

FIG. 2 is a view in section and elevation showing the invention applied and ready for use and also showing, in dotted lines, the adjustable feature.

FIG. 3 is a view in section and elevation showing the rear slotted shoulder portion of the clipper body or head 3,041,726 Patented July 3, 1962 "ice and how the retaining means or hooks are employed in conjunction therewith to retain the rear end of the plate in position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a view in section and elevation showing modified retaining hooks or means with the clipper appearing in phantom lines.

FIG. 6 is a view in section showing the manner in which the side clips or brackets are constructed and utilized.

In FIGS. l-3, inclusive, the readily attachable and detachable guard is denoted as a unit by the numeral 8. It comprises a longitudinally bowed plate 10 of requisite size which is generally rectangular in plan, the upper concave side at 12, and the lower convex side at 14. The rearward or trailing edge is denoted at 16. The forward or leading edge 18 is provided with the aforementioned gage means denoted as an entity (FIG. 2) by the numeral 20. This means is of comb-like form or construction and is made up of spaced parallel fingers terminating at outer ends thereof in a row of identical triangulate lugs or teeth 22. The rearwardly inclined front edges of these teeth are denoted at 24 and the slightly oblique angled edges of the teeth are denoted at 26 (FIG. 2). These edges are provided with rows of correspondingly constructed V-shaped notches providing keeper seats for selective reception of the leading edge or tip 30 (FIG. 2) of the cutter head 28. The tip is adapted to be selectively seated in the keeper notches or seats in a manner to adjust the plate 10 up or down or conversely, the cutter head 28 up or down. The upper notches are denoted at 32, the lower notches at 34 and the intermediate notches at 36. The extreme upper ends or apical portions of the teeth are designated The means for retaining the rear end portion 16 removably in place on the clipper head is designated as an entity by the numeral 4-0 (FIG. 1). It comprises a substantially U-shaped spring embodying a bight portion 42 and lateral rearwardly directed arms or shank portions 44. These portions extend beyond the rearward edge 16 where they are bent laterally up at 46 and then forwardly at 48 and terminate in pointed ends 50. The shanks 44 and the

component portions

46 and 48 provide yieldable retaining hooks. In practice these hooks are adapted to engage in an existing slot (FIG. 3) provided in the shoulder portion 52, the slot being denoted at 54. The bight portion 42 has a coil intermediate its ends as at 56 and this is held in place by a fastening such as a screw or the like 53. In FIG. 2 the clipper head is denoted by the numeral 60, the bottom at 62 and the top portion at 64. By applying the guard in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the plate 10 may be moved toward and from the bottom surface 62. 01 stated otherwise, the cutter head may be adjusted up or down in relation to the guard or gage means 20 merely by placing the terminal tip 30 in the selected

keeper seats

32, 34 or 36, as the case may be. There is sufficient spring tension in the retaining member 40 to allow the guard 8 to be handled and quickly adjusted without removing it from the clipper head 60'.

In the modification seen in FIG. 4 the construction is basically the same as already covered. Here the attachment is denoted generally by the numeral 66 and comprises a curved rectangular plate 68 with an upper concave side 70 and lower convex side 72. The triangular spaced parallel fingers and terminal teeth 74- define the comb-like guard 76 and the forward edges of the teeth are denoted at 78, the upper tip ends at 80, the forward surfaces at 82 and the rearward edge portions at 84. These edge portions 84 are likewise provided with keeper notches 85. The rearward edge 86 of the plate is shouldered at 88 to provide a flange 90. This flange carries the attaching and retaining means 92 embodying a generally U-shaped clip having a bight portion 94 with a coil 96 attached at 98 and terminating in additional cofls 190 carrying the attaching hooks and each hook includes a shank portion 102, a laterally bent rearward end 104 and a return bend or bent portion 1% terminating in a point 108. It may be stated in this connection that if the clipper head does not have the slot 54 shown in FIG. 3, the pointed ends 1% will engage the shoulder portion 52 and will sufficiently retain the rear portion 86 of the plate in position. To avoid side sway L-shaped brackets 114 may be used. These are applied and held in position as shown in FIG. 6. Each bracket comprises a horizontal arm 112 with a slot 114 held in place by an attaching and retaining screw 116. The upstanding arm or limb 118 is provided with a V-shaped end 1 .2% which yieldingly and frictionally engages the side surface of the clipper head in the manner shown in FIG. 6.

The construction shown in FIG. is similar to the other embodiments and is provided with the already described brackets 110. This embodiment is designated at 124 and embodies a plate 126 having an upper concave side 128 and a lower convex surface or side 1341*. The comb-like gage or guard 132 is made up of spaced parallel fingers terminating at their forward or leading ends in triangulate teeth 134 with upwardly slanting forward surfaces 136 and with a rearward edge 138 having selectively usable keeper notches 140. The arrangement of keeper notches is the same as already described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 4. The principal difference here is in the retaining and attaching means. Plunger-like spring-loaded hooks are employed. Each hook embodies a shank portion 142 with a hook 144 having a bill 146 terminating in a point 148, the shank having a head 150 slidable in a recess 152 provided with a coil spring 154.

In using the guards start at the bottom adjustment or, alternatively, at the top adjustment but either way it should be moved one step or adjustment at a time and it will blend in with the other cuttings. The guard has to be removed to finish around the bottom of the hair cut.

As is self-evident the herein disclosed guard has two diiferent cutting lengths on each adjustment and will, by properly handling and tilting the clippers so that the guard teeth ars horizontal, permit easy and safe contouring and will eliminate possible ridges of hair left between each adjustment of the guard.

While this guard was designed for home use by amateurs it will tend to keep professional barbers from changing and buying other types of guards.

These two forms or embodiment (FIGS. 4 and 5) of the invention are applied and used much the same as the embodiment depicted as FIGS. 1-3 inclusive.

Some consideration is being given to the idea of abandoning the safety brackets 110 and incorporating two permanent magnets (not shown) in lieu of the brackets but this idea is still under advisement.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de- 4; scribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a conventional type barbers hair clipper embodying a clipper body having a bottom, a cutter head extending across the leading front of the clipper body at the leading end of said bottom, stationary shoulder means provided on the clipper body at the trailing end of the bottom, a guard comprising a plate opposed to and paralleling said bottom, means on the leading end of the plate and adjustably cooperable with said cutter head to establish and maintain the length of the hair being cut, and means at the rearward end of the plate for detachably connecting the plate with said shoulder means.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, and wherein the first named means is comb-like in construction and embodies a plurality of spaced parallel triangulate teeth, said teeth being lateral to the upper surface of the plate and having upstanding rearwardly facing edges, said edges provided with a plurality of alined notches and said notches defining keeper seats for selective reception and retention of the forwardmost portion of the stationary component of the cutter head, whereby to locate the plate closer to or further from the plane of said bottom and likewise to vary the distance of the upper end of the teeth relative to the upper surface portions of the components of said cutter head.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, and wherein the second named means embodies plate attaching and retaining members which are releasably and yieldingly engageable With said shoulder means.

4. The structure defined in claim 3, and wherein said shoulder means embodies an elongated slot, said members embodying hooks the terminal bill portions of which are projected into the slot and yieldingly held against displacement and which stay in place while the forward end of the plate is manually adjusted.

5. In combination, a conventional type barbers hair clipper embodying a clipper body having a bottom, a cutter head extending across the leading front of the clipper body at the leading end of said bottom, stationary shoulder means provided on the clipper body at the trailing end of the bottom, a guard comprising a plate opposed to and paralleling said bottom, means on the leading end of the plate and adjustably cooperable with said cutter head to establish and maintain the length of the hair being cut, and means at the rearward end of the plate for detachably connecting the plate with said shoulder means, and stabilizing brackets adjustably' mounted on the side edge portions of said plate and frictionally and grippingly applied to adjacent side surfaces of the clipper head.

6. A hair length regulating attachment for the cutting head of electric-type barbers hair clippers comprising a plate having a leading end provided with upstanding spaced parallel teeth, said teeth providing a comb-like hair-length gage, said teeth having upstanding rearward edges provided with selectively usable keeper seats, and means carried by the rearward end of the plate for releasably connecting said end and plate to an intended part of the clipper head.

7. The structure defined in claim 6, and in combination, brackets adjustably mounted on said plate and having grips which are adapted to clampingly embrace intended side surface portions of said clipper head.

8. The structure defined in claim 6, and in combination, brackets adjustably mounted on said plate and having grips which are adapted to clampingly embrace intended side surface portions of said clipper head, each bracket being approximately L-shaped and the grip thereon being V-shaped.

9. A hair length regulating attachment for the cutting head of electric-type barbers hair clippers comprising a plate having a leading end provided with upstanding spaced parallel teeth, said teeth providing a comb-like hair-length gage, said teeth having upstanding rearward edges provided with selectively usable keeper seats, and a generally U-shaped spring having a bight portion yield ingly mounted atop the rear central portion of the plate, the rearwardly extending limbs of the spring terminating in hooks.

10 A hair length regulating attachment for the cutting head of barbers hair clippers comprising a plate having a leading end provided with upstanding spaced parallel teeth, said teeth providing a comb-like hair-length gage,

said teeth having upstanding rearward edges provided with References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Sept. 6, 1892 Monyhan Apr. 15, 1952 Mazzoni June 2 1, 1960