US1772002A - Electrical hair-treating implement - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 5, 1930. s. HARPER ELECTRICAL HAIR TREATING IMPLEMENT original med oct. 25, 1924 2 sheets-s'neez 2 INVENTOR Solomon, Harper FN 8x i sig,

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Patenlzecl Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED sTA TEs PATENT oFF-lca SOLOMON HARPER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK ELECTRICAL HAIR-TREA'I'ING IMPLMENT VOriginal application flled October 25, 1924, Serial No. 745,830. Divided and this application flled December' 23, 1927. Serial No. 242,044.

T his invention relates to devices foruse in -treating hair, and more particularly to an automatically controlled, electrically heaterl comb for dressing, drying, and straightening the hair.J This application is a division of my copending application Serial Number 745,-

830, filed October 25, 1924, for electrical hair treatingimple'ments (now Patent 1,663,078, granted March 20, 1928). The invention is designed to provide an improved device characterized by. mechanical Simplicity, efliciency and case of operation, and in which the danger of burning or overheating-of the hair or skin of the user is eliminated. i I V A` further object of the invention is to provide a device wherein the electric' current to the heater is automatically cut off to prevent overheating of the device, this object being attaine'd by thelprovision of an adjustable a'uxiliary cut-off device. which limits the maximum temperature of the heater. 4 f i Afurther object is to provide for adjustable mounting of the comb on the main back- -ing element, whereby the angle of inclination of the comb teeth with respect to the V'backing element may be varied.V

Further objects and advantages will be apparent as the description proceeds.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are to be construed as illustrating, rather than limiting, the invention. g Fig. 1 of the drawings is a side view of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same,- show- 'j ing theteeth of a comb in their extended.

position. V 4 Fig. 3 is a view similar to-Fig 2, but showing the teeth ext-ending in a different direction with respect to the backing element.-

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of thedevice for 'adjusting the temperature at which4 the thermost-atic current control4 operates.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial 'longitudinal 'sectional view of the device. f Fig. 6 is a transverse'sectional view taken on 'the line 6-6 'of Fig. 5.

` end of the comb.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a detailed face view of thesafety fuse element.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showingthe mounting of the switch members.

showing a slightly modified Construction.

Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view taken on'the line 11-11 of Fig. 10. f

Referring now to the drawings, my improved device comprises a main metalmember 10 that has the combined functions of a backing for the comb, and a casing for the electric heating unit; and which might, generally speaking, be termed thecomb shell, This casing member is in the form of an elongated cylinder, which however resents a' tran'sver'sely flat and longitudinal y rectilinear surface 10' that forms an abutment against which the adjustable comb'bears.

Fig. 10 is a. similar view to Fig. 5, but

Too

This casing 10 is formed at one end with a a diminished, exteriorily screw threaded tip 11 over which is engaged the flange 12' of al cap 12 that closes the said end of the cylinder. This cap 12 is formed on one side with a Vlaterally projecting lug or ear 13 in which is fixed a-pintle or stud 14 that serves to support the comb at one end of the latter. At its other end the casing is formed with an integral projecting lug or ear 15 that acts complementarily to the lug 13 in supporting the comb, this 1u`gl15 being formed with a screw' threaded aperturc throughwvhich is passed a screw 16 engaging in a socketin the end of the comb, the pintle 14 above mentioned projecting into a like-socket in the first named The comb is shown generally at 20 and its rear edge is shaped to present a flat surface 2`O'Acomplementary to the surface 10' and bearing vagainst the latter, in flat contact therewitli, when the comb is in one of its selected positions. The comb 20 is slightly shorter in length than the surface between the lugs 13 and 15 Iso as to leave a space between the end of the comb and the lug V15 whose purpose is to permit of ready adjustment rvorV i removal of the comb. -This space between the comb end and the lug 15 is slightly loc lface 10' greater than the distance the p'intle 14 projects into the end of the comb, so that by moving the comb longitudinally toward the lug 15 after the screw 16 has been drawn backward, the comb may be disengaged from the said pintle. A washer 22, having its edge beveled obliquely as at 22' to preserve a. smooth outline in the exterior parts of the device, is preferably inserted between the end of the comb and the lug 15. In the operation of the Vcomb in adjusting it to various positions, the space between the comb and the lug 15, is (as previously stated) slightly greater than the distance the pintle 14 projects into the end of the co'mb. Moving the conib away from the pintle 14 therefore after the screw 16 has been drawn backwards permits the comb to move out of contact wit-h the pintle 14, and allows it to be dropped down so as to permit the comb in turning to clear the surface 10'. After turning to the desired position, the comb may again be placed in engagement with the pintle 14 and screw 16 It is obvious that this operation will permit adjustment of the comb and comb teeth 20a to' various angular positions. The washer 22 may or may not be removed during adjustment of the comb, according to the closeness of the fit between it and the abutting surfaces of the parts 15 and 20.

The teeth of the comb are indicated specifically by the reference character 20a and are longitudinally curved as shown, the curvature on the concaved advancing side of the comb being. greater than on the 'followin side, as clearly shown. In addition to the flat surface 20' that abuts against the surface 10' when the comb is in the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the longitudinal rib of the comb presents a second surface' 20 that is substantially perpendicular with respect to the surface 20' and spaced equi-dis- Vtant with the latter from the median line of the members 14 and 16, so that the comb may be positioned at difi'erent angular relations With respect to the casing 10, with either of the side surfaces abutting against the suron the casing.

Within the casing I position the electrical heating unit' which comprises a hel'icall wound coil 25 of slightly less length than the casing; and a thermostatic switch for controlling the current to the coil, this coil being of high electrical resistance. Closely surrounding thisceil-25 is a cylindrical shell26 of electrically insulating material, while this shell is in turn Surrounded closely by another shell that is in the form of two semicylindrical halves, the plane of division between these two halves being in parallelism with the surface 10'. The shell section 27 that is adjacent the said surface 10' is of a heat insulating material such as asbestos, and

- forms a shield preventing overheating of the radially inturned comb, while the other shell section 28 is of ordinary electrical insulation such as fibre, or other like material. The purpose of the arrangement just described is to insulate the comb in some degree from the heater, the vulk of whose heat is designed to be projectedv upon the portion of the casing remote from the comb. At one end the coil 25 is in close adjacence to the cap 12 closing the end of the casing 10, while an insulatingdisca 30 is positioned between the coil and the said cap. The current carrying Wire 25' from this end of the coil passes longitudinally through the casing 10, between the shellsl 26 and 28 one of which is suitably longitudinally curved to accommodate this wire, the wiringl passing along the casing on the side remote from the comb and being of the same high resistance material and dimension as the coil itself, so as to assist in heating the back of the casing where the greatest heat is to be developed.

`The manner in which this wire 25, and the g turns of the coil 25 and the rod 35. This filler material performs the functions of efiiecting a uniform temperature from the beating coil, increasing the weight of the comb, and em- 'bedding the coil against shocks that miglit otherwise break it. Screwed into the opposite end of the casing 10 to that closed by the cap 12 is a nipple' 36 which may approximately one-quarter the length of the casing slightly overlapping the handle end of the comb and whose inner end is adjacent the heating coil 25 in the said casing. The

threads of this nip le are raduall flat-' l tened toward the p g y end of the nipple as shown to accommodate expansion under heat, changy ing the contour ofl the nipple from the usual cylindrical one to a frusto-conical one. This nipple is provided on its inner end with a flange 37 that encloses a central aperture into which is screwed an apertured plug 38,. the rod 35 before mentioncd passing' freely through the aperture in the said plug. The nipple 36 is formed on the end of -a cylindrical forms, in effect, an extension of the casing' 10 and is of equal exterior diameter with the latter. This member 39 has the end thereof op osite the nifpple 36 exteriorly/i'lscrew threa ed as at 39' or Securing it to handle 39a of hard wood or the like, theliandle havpresently set forth. A suitbeofV member 39 that i ICC ing a socket in its end into 'which said mem'- ber is screwed.

At the point where the rod emerges from the` plug 38V into the chamber in the nipple 36 it is bifurcated a's 'shown to |form two -prongs or legs 40 and 41 that diverge from one another at a compara-` tively small oblique angle. At their ends these prongs extend beyond the confines of the nipple into a wide-ned chamber 42 in the 'member 39, the end portions of the' pron-gs preferably extending parallel, or substantially-parallel, to one another, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.` These prongs or legs 40 and 41 are designed to act in Cooperation with other elements of a material having |a less coeflicient of expansion under heat, whereby lateral movement of the prongs with relationone to the other may be effected under variation 'of heat applied thereto or reaching said prongs from the heating coil by transmission along the-rod 35, said prongs opening away from one another in proportion to the heat developed in therod 35, the casing 10, and the parts adjacent to and surrounding the prongs. These other elements with which the prongs cooperate' V are in the form of straps 43 and 44 that are whereby the thermostatic control device may be adjusted to cut ofi' the-current to the heating coil at certain predetermined temperatures, that may be selectively varied at the will of the user of the device. For the accomplishing of this function a stud 50 of suitable heat-refractory material is screwed into the end of the prong 41, transversely of the latter, and is formed with a flat head 51 against whichbears an abutment tip52 on a screw 53 that is threaded into a suitable tapered..

aperture in the wall of the chamber 42 in the member 39. The outer end face of this screw is formed to present a pointed indicator which may be constituted by an indentation 54 sunk in the saidface, the periphery of the member being formed to present an annular flat face 55 surrounding this-screw on which are a series of marks bearing different numerical 1n'- dications representing different temperatures at which the thermostatic control 'may be set to operate when the screw is'adjusted to bring theindicator into registry with selected ones of the said nu'meral indications. Thel screw 5,3 is preferably formed with threads of comparatively large pitch' so that by a single turn i 'of the same 'the desired variation of the tem- 'peratrlresacthnuipf the thermostatic control' may be varied. The different parts relating to the thermostatic control are 'preferably con- I structed and relatively proportioned so that the said control may beset to operate when the surface of the casing'zelement 10 'stands at temperatures ranging anywhere from one hundred to. two hundred and sixty de rees Fahrenheit, according to the desire o the user.

The switch contacts ofV the thermostatic control device comprises the pins 60 and 61 fixed to the contiguous faces of the prongs 40 and 41 adjacent the end of the same, these pins beingaligned with one another and projecting into the space between the prongs. The pins are suitably insulated from the prongs by means of the insulating bushings 62 in which said pins are set. These pins have fixed -on their radjacent ends the enlarged 'block-'like carbon 'heads 63 and 64 respectively, that normally overlap one another and have their contiguous faces beveled as shown to present obliquely inclined contact faces. The pins 60 and 61 are preferably so 'constructed as topermit of ready replacin'g of the' heads 63 and64 and 'to insure that the head 64' alone will break if suchitendency develo'ps. It will be understood of course that the interior diameter of the nipple 36 is sufficient to allow the prongs 40 and 41 to move' away from one another the distance neces- V sary to 4disengage the beveledjcontact faces of the heads 63 and 64 from each other. i

The thermostatic control device that has just been described acts under normal con-- ditions to prevent overheating of the implement. In addition to thethermostatic controlLV device, I preferably provide also a supplementary or auxiliary safety cut-out element that will function automatically to cut ofi' the electric current from the heating coil 25, so as to provide an absolute safeguard against the heat rising to apoint where danger to the hair or scalp of the user might be anticipated. This supplementary or auxiliary cut-out element comprises a thrust rod 70 of a metal having a high heat conductivity, this rod extending freely through a longitudinal boring in -the' annular wall of the nipple 36 and having one -end adjacent to the end of the heating coil'and'its other end in free engagement with one of the legs 71 projected from a short plug 72 screwed into the wall of the member 39 in diametric juxtap'osition to the screw 53. Extending between the said/legs 71 vprojected from the plug 72 is a wire73 that forms a thermal fuse, and rthat also constitutes part of the circuit to the beating coil, which wire. fuses or lmeltsjwhen the't'emperature exceeds the permitted maximum, It will be understood that the parts V53 and 7 2 are sunk within'th'e periphery of-the member 39 to obviate possibility 'of the hair-of the user 'becoming entan led therein. I In arranging coi 1 nects adjacent what might be termed the near end of the coil 25, with a low resistance wire that may be carried longitudinally through the same aperture or boring as the rod 70, or through a different boring, the

other end of this wire 75 being electrically connected to one of the legs 71 of the plug 72. The said near end of the coil 25 has connected thereto another suitably insulated low resistance wire 76 that connects as indicated with the pin 60. From the other leg of the plug 72, and from the pin 61, respectively, other wires 77 and 78 lead through apertures in a disc 79 of insulating material forming a transverse partition near the end of the member 37 and are connected to binding screws 80 threaded into said disc. These screws 80 have also connectedthereto the two leads 81 from a duplex cord 82 of usual construction comprising two insulated wires in a flexible sheathing which' may have a suitable plug on its other end to engage with an electric lamp socket, or any other socket it m'ay be desired to connect the device to.

The form of the device shown in Figs. 10 and 11 diifers only from that above described 'in substituting for the straps 43, 44, to perform the same function, a pin 83 that is fixed at its end in the wall of the npple 37 and projects between the legs of the rod 35 to act to cam or wedge the latter away from one another when the rod expands under heat.

What is claimed is: j

1. In an implement of the class described, an electrically operated heating unit, a comb, means providing an electric circuit leading through the said heating unit, a switch in said circuit, an automatically operating thermostatic control device for said Switch, and means accessible from the exterior of said implement for adjusting said thermostatic control device to cause the same to operate at different temperatures.

2. In an implement of the class described, an electrically operated heating unit, a comb, means providing an electric circuit leading through the said heating unit, a switch in said circuit, an automatically operating thermostatic control device for said switch, means for adjusting said thermostatic control device to cause the same to operate at difi'erent temperatures, and a dial cooperating with said device to indicate the temperature at which the same is set to operate.

3. An implement of the class described, comprising a casing, an electric heating unit therein, a comb mounted on said casing, means for adjustably positioning said comb on said casing to vary thel angle at which the teeth of the comb project from the casing, and mechanism for retaining said comb in a plurality of adjusted positions.

4. An implement of the class described comprising a casing, an electric heating unit therein, a comb mounted on said casing, and

means for adjustably positioning said comb on said casing to vary the angle at which the teeth of the comb roject from the casing, said casing and comb presenting flat rectilinear abutment surfaces engaged with one another to maintain the comb in' adjusted positions on the said casing.

5. An implement of the class described comprising an elongated cylindrical casing, a comb mounted on one side of said casing, a helical heating coil in said casing, and a sheath interposed in the casing between the saidcoil and the side wall of the casing, the portion of said sheath on the side of said coil toward 'said combflbeing of heat insulating material and the portion thereof on the side opposite to said comb being of non-heat insulating material.

6. An implement of the class described comprising an elongated cylindrical casing, a comb mounted on one side of said casing, a helical heating coil in saidcasing, a heat insulating shield interposed in the casing between the said coil and the side wall of the casing adjacent the said comb, and a tubular electrical insulator surrounding the said coil between the latter and the said shield.

7. An implementof the class described comprising an elongated cvlindrical casing, a comb mounted on one side of saidcasing, a helical heating coil in said casing, and a thermostatic device for controlling said heating coil, said thermostatic device being operated by means including a rod extending axially through the said heating coil.

8. An implement of the class described comprising an elongated cylindrical casing, a comb mounted on one side of said casing, a helical heating coil in said casing, a thermostatic device for controlling said heating coil, including a rod extending axially through the said heating coil, and an insulating filler in the space between the said rod and the turns of the coil. 1

9. An implement of the class described comprising an elongated cylindricalcasing, a comb mounted on one side of said casing, a helical heating coil in said casing, a thermostatic device for controlling said heating coil, including a rod extending axially through 'the said heating coil, and means for adjusting the :iii

said thermostatic device to operate at ditl'er- V ent selected temperatures.V

10. In an implement of the class described,

a heating coil, a thermostatic device comprising a rod extending adjacent said heating coil, said rod having one end projected beyond the said coil and bifurcated, switch ele'- ments carried by the respective legs of the said bifurcated end of the rod, andmeans' whereby expansivemovement ofI the said rod under increase of temperature causes the said legs to move away from one another to'open the said switch elements.

11. In an implement of the class described,

- said bifurcated yond the said coil 0 ments carried by beyondthe said coilV an -ilmaooe j a heating coil, a thermostatic device comprising a rod extending adjacent said heating coil, said rod having one end projected beyond the said Vcoil and bifureated, switch elements carried by respective legs of the said bifurcated end of the rod, and means whereby expansive movement of the said rod under increase of temperature causes the legs to move away from one'another to open the said switch elements, said' means consisting of straps extended along said legs and fastened at one end to the adjacent ends of the legs,

said straps being of material having a differi expansion under heat than I ent coeflicient of the said rod.

12. In an impleme'ut of the class described, a heating coil, a thermostatic device comprising a rod extending adjacent said beating coil, said rod having one end projected beyond the said coil and bifurcated, switch elements carried by the respective legs of the said bifurcated end of the rod, and means whereby expansive movement of the said rod under increase of temperature causes the said legs to move away from one another to open the said switch elements, saidV switch elements being in the form of pins projected toward one another and having obliquely inclined overlapping heads. i

13. In an implementt of the class described, a heating coil, a thermostatic device comprising a rodV extending adjacent' said beating coil, said rod having one end projected beand-bifurcated, switch elethe respective legs of the said bifurcated end of the rod, means whereby expansive movement of the said rod under increase of temperature causes the said legs to move away from one another to open the said switch elements, and anadjustable abutment bearing on one of said legs to set the same indifferent positions to switch elements 'to move out of contact at varying temperatures developed in the device.

14. an implement of the class described,-

a heating coil, a thermostatic device comprisin a rod extending adjacent said heating coil, said rod havin bifurcated, switch elements carried by the respective legs of the end of the rod, means whereby expansive movement of the said rod under increaseof tem erature causes the said legs to move. awa

i ment bearing on `one of said.- legsto set the same in different positions to cause the said switch elements to move out of contact at threaded into the casing.

cause the saidone end projected rom one another to open the said switch e ements, andan adjustable abut- V ing a rod' extending adjacent said beating coil, said rod having one end projectedLbeyond the lsaid coil and bifurcated, switch elements carried by the respective Vlegs of the said bifureatedend of the rod, means whereby expensive movement of the said rod under increase of temperature causes the said legs to move awa from onejanother to open the said switche ements, an adjustable abutment bearing on one of said legs to set the same in` to cause the said switch.

diflerent positions elements to move out temperatures adjustable abutment being in the form of a screw of a relatively lar e pitch threaded inof contact at varying to the said casin'g,,and al and pointer indicating means for saidV screw.

16. In an im lement of the type described, a casing, a helicallyoperated'heating unit in said casing, a comb,'means providin an electrio circuit through the said beating unit, and separate thermo-controlled devices for cutting of the current to the said heating unit, one of the said devices being in the form of a thermal fuse.

17. In an implement of the class described, a heating coil, a thermostatic device comprising a rod extending adjacent said beating coil, said rod having one end'projected beyond the said coil and bifurcated, switch elements carried by the respective legs of theV said -bifurcated end of the rod, and means whereby expensive movement of the said rod under increase of temperature causes the said legs to move away from one another to open the said switch elements, said means comprising a wedge element -pos'itioned between the said legs of the rod. i

In testimony whereof I have' afiixed my signature.

' 15. InV an implement of the classV described,

'a beating coil, a thermostatic device comprisi developed in the device, sai

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