US2063896A - Portable drying machine - Google Patents

Description

DechLS, 1936. w. 1.. MARTIN PORTABLE DRYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 15, 1936. w. MARTIN PORTABLE DRYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 (O 5 E .M an. W:

Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PORTABLE DRYING MACHINE Wendell L. Martin, Cleveland, Ohio, assig'nor to The Martin Brothers Electric Company, Cleveland, Ohio Application September 19, 1934, Serial No.-744,644

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in portable drying machines and more particularly to hair or hand drying machines of the type designed for use in beauty parlors etc., where following washing and treating of the hair and hands, it is necessary to rapidly dry the hair and hands without deleterious effect. These machines utilize a recirculating current of heated air as drying medium. The air current is supplied by mechanism carried by and movable with the machine and is heated to the desired temperature by subjecting same to the influence of one or more electric heating elements. However heating of the recirculating air current by electricity is costly and does not permit of desirable temperature adjustments within close ranges, except by the use of numerous heating elements and complicated and expensive wiring.

Having in mind these defects of prior art portable drying machines, it is an object of my invention to provide a portable drying machine that embodies electric heating means and gas or vapor heating means for combined and/or individual heating effect upon a circulating air current.

Another object of my invention is to provide a portable drying machine of the type referred to with a gas or vapor heater adapted to preheat air and feed same into the drier head for recirculation therein, where it is subject to the influence 30 of a single electric heating element dimensioned to keep air at the desired temperature.

These objects and further novel features that l consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will bestbe understood from the following description of a specific embodiment, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a portable drying machine embodying the features of my invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the drying machine shown in Figure 1;

view on line 33 of Figure 2, showing the ext-ensi- Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the drier head; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view on line B6 of Figure 5, showing the inlet connection between the connection pipe and the drier head.

In theembodiment of my invention illustrated, I show in Figures 1 and .2 a portable drying machine embodying a hollow pedestal base 2, which in the present instance is mounted upon casters 3, so as to be readily mobile. The pedestal base embodies a substantially rectangular, elongated housing 4, in the nature of a standard, having mounted therein a gas or vapor burner unit 5 adapted to directits flames toward and around a seriesof Venturidike tubes 6, which tubes extend crosswise or laterally through the housing 4 and communlcate'at one end with the open atmosphere. The tubes 6 also communicate with a cylindricalchamber 1, arranged opposite to said tubes at onetside of the housing 4. This chamber 20 in turn communicates with the drier head 8 of the machine by means of an extensible pipe connection 9, to permit of air entering through tubes 6 into. thechamber l, being drawn into the drier head 8; by suction means such as a fan 43, as will be later described. The extensible pipe connection 9 consists of two telescoped pipe sections l0 and l [,whichzaremreferably of rectangular cross sectionandcommunicate with the chamber 1 and the drier head8 respectively. The pipe 10 which communicates with the chamber 1 by means of an elongated slot t2-inithe cylindrical wall I4 of said chamber, is pivotally coupled with the front wall I 5.- of said chamber by means of an integral, downwardly extending arm 16, in turn secured to the central'portion of said front wall by means of a bolt IT. This arrangement permits of a swinging movementofthe pipe in properly spaced relation with respect-,tolthe cylindrical wall M of the chamber 1, whereby the drier head can be convenientlyelevated or lowered to the desired position. Thepipe i0 is also provided with two oppositely arrangedblade-like yielding curved extensions l3,- which slidably engage the cylindrical wall M at oppositesides-of the pipe l0 and narrow the gslotl2 in-said wall in any adjusted position vof said pipe" to the width thereof. The pipe H which telescopes at its one end l8 into the pipe i0 is at its outer endat l9 hingedly connected to an elbow 20, and the latter is rigidly secured to- 50 the. drier head-8 forcommunication with the interior -thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described. 'Thehinged connection l9 permits of theelbow 20--and drier head 8 being freely tilted with respecttothe pipe I [,uwhereas thetpipe con- 55 nection 9 permits of free adjustment of the drier head in a vertical plane.

The drier head 8 comprises a substantially cylindrical hood 2|, to be directed toward the head and hair of the person, whose hair is to be treated and dried and to partially embrace the head of such person. This hood 2! is carried by a vertical tubular support 22, secured to the hood 2| by means of a bracket 40, as will be later described, through the medium of interposed linkage mechanism 23, which mechanism is the subject of applicants co-pending application for Letters Patent Ser. No. 603,024 and therefore neednot here be described in detail. Tubular support 22 is guided in a bracket member 24 arranged within the casing 4 and is adjustably supported by means of a collar 25 at the top of said casing, through which collar the support 22 extends. A thumb screw 26 on collar 25 tightly clamps the tubular support in any adjusted position.

The hood 2| comprises an outer cylindrical shell 27 and an inner cylindrical shell 28, which shells are connected together and spaced from each other by curved fins or guide members 29, secured at their opposite sides to the outer and inner shells, in any suitable manner, as by welding. The outer shell 2'! supports at its front end a ring-shaped member 36 attached thereto in any suitable manner, and this member intercepts with its inwardly inclined wall 3|, the air stream issuing from the drier and deflects this air stream radially inwardly against the head and hair. The inner end of the shell 21 is secured to a substantially bell-shaped casing 32, having its annular flange 33 pressed upon and tightly interlocked with the shell 21. This casing is provided with an annular shoulder portion 34 supporting an electric motor 35, in turn provided with a forwardly extending shaft 35' to which a centrifugal fan, indicated in its entirety at 43, is fixed by means of a set screw 43. This fan, as will be hereinafter explained draws air inwardly in a centrally disposed stream through the inner shell 28 and expels this air outwardly in a substantially ring-shaped stream surrounding the infiowing air stream, through the space between the inner shell 28 and the outer shell 21, which space is subdivided by the fins or guide members 29, adapted to intercept the swirling air and direct the same in a forward direction. The electric motor is suitably mounted on the shoulder portion 34, by means of angular brackets 36 which carry shock absorbing soft rubber thimbles 3'! in their perforated ends. These rubber thimbles yieldingly receive screw members 38, 38' attached to the motor 35 and the bell-shaped casing 32 respectively, so that the motor is yieldingly supported within the bell-shaped casing 32.

The screw members 38' are of substantial length and extend through the wall of the casing 32 into bosses 39 of the bracket 40 thus securing said casing to said bracket, the later in turn being attached to the vertical tubular support 22 previously referred to. The bracket 40 preferably a casing of elastic form, which partly encloses the casing 32, as will readily be seen from an inspection of Figures 1 and 2, embodies at its upper rear portion a slotted area 4 1. Air is thus permitted to enter into the casing 32 through the slots 42 in said area and also through a central opening 32 in the rear wall 44 of the casing 32. The lower portion of the bracket 48 mounts a switch 45 and a condenser 46, both of which are electrically connected with the motor 35 and a heating coil 41 arranged within the ring-shaped space between shells 21 and 28, for convenient opening and closing of the motor circuit, and starting and stopping of the motor and proper heating of the air current flowing through the ring shaped space in a forward direction, according to common practice.

The casing 32 is partly subdivided by a cupshaped centrally perforated partition wall 49, to provide a substantially ring-shaped rear chamber portion 50 and afront chamber portion 5|. These chamber portions communicate with each other through the central opening 53 in the partition wall 49. The rear chamber portion 50 also communicates with the chamber 7 by means of the pipe connection 9 and elbow 20, which latter is extended through the outer wall of this chamber portion and has its flange 48 welded to the inner face of said wall. The front chamber portion 5| has rotatably confined therein the fan 43, which comprises a disk 54 having a forwardly curved outer periphery 55 and a plurality of fan blades 56, extending at right angles to the inner plane of the disk 54. These fan blades 56 are provided with flanges 57, which are secured to the disk 54. Each of these fan blades has its inner and outer lip portions 58, 59 respectively curved in the same direction, and the fan blades are offset with respect to the axis of the disk 54 so that the air displaced by the fan flows inwardly toward the fan in a centrally disposed stream and when intercepted by the blades is forced radially outward toward the curved periphery 55 of the disk 54, which periphery then deflects the air forwardly in a substantially cylindrical stream surrounding the inwardly flowing air stream. A plurality of fan blades 60, secured to the outer face of the disk 54, draw air from the rear chamber portion 50 through the opening 53 and thus insure a fresh supply of heated air from the cylindrical chamber 1. At the same time air is drawn through the slots 42 and opening 32 around the motor 35. The air drawn through the slots 42 is preheated by and during its flow around the motor 35 and also effects the desired cooling of the motor.

The inwardly directed cylindrical air stream flows through the inner shell 28. This shell is closed at its rear end by a metal wire-mesh screen 6| so as to prevent any possibility of hair being drawn into the drier by the inwardly flowing air stream. The screen 6| is rigidly secured to the shell 28 by a cone shaped flanged ring 62 pressed upon the end of shell 28, which ring carries the circumferentially arranged heating element or coil 41, insulated from the ring 53 by spacing members or posts 63 of insulating material.

When it is desired to operate the drier, the burner unit 5, fed with gas through rubber tubing 61, or in any other suitable manner, is ignited and the drier head 8 is adjusted to its proper heights by adjusting the tubular support 22 with respect to collar 25. The switch 45 is turned to start the motor and if desired to feed current to the heating coil 41. Under ordinary conditions the supply of gas heated air from chamber 1 to the drier is more than sufilcient to circulate a properly heated air stream. However, it might be desirable in some cases to heat the recirculating stream directly by the electrical heating element. This can easily be effected by turning the switch 45 to the position in which both the motor circuit and the heating coil circuit are under current. A damper 64 rigidly supported upon a shaft 65 mounted in opposite walls of the pipe l0 permits of regulation of the amount of heated air admitted into the rear chamber portion. This damper is provided with an actuating knob 66 extending laterally of the pipe ID in a position readily accessible to the operator.

Although I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A drier comprising a support, a casing, mounted on said support, a fan in said casing for causing a current of air to flow through said casing, means within said casing for heating said air current and means mounted on said support and in communication with said casing for heating fresh air to be fed into said air current.

2. A drier comprising a shiftable support, a casing hingedly and vertically adjustably mounted on said support, means for causing a current of air to flow through said casing including an electric motor Operated fan, means associated with said fan for drawing heated fresh air into the circulating air stream, operated heating means mounted on said support including an air chamber, said heating means being adapted to heat air passing therethrough and feed same into said air chamber, and extensible piping means pivotally connected with said air chamber and hingedly connected with said casing for connecting said air chamber with said casing and permitting of heated air being drawn into the easing by the means associated with said fan in any adjusted position of said casing with respect to said heating means.

3. A drier as described in claim 2, wherein an electrical heater is arranged Within said casing and cooperating with said first mentioned heating means for individually and jointly heating the said air current.

4. A drier comprising a hollow standard, a heating unit within said standard, means exposed to said heating unit for heating fresh air, means for gathering the heated air, a casing supported by said standard, means within said casing including an electrical motor operated fan for causing a current of air to flow through said casing,

means associated with said fan for drawing air into said fan and feeding same into the air current, and pipe means connecting said gathering means for the fresh, heated air with said casing to permit of the heated air being drawn into the casing for mingling with and heating said air stream.

5. A drier as described in claim 4 wherein said casing is subdivided by a partition wall, having a central opening, into two compartments, said compartments being in communication with each other through said opening, wherein one of said compartments has rotatably confined therein the fan and the means associated therewith, and wherein the other compartment communicates through said pipe means with said gathering means for the heated air to promote the feeding of the heated air into said air current and the intermingling of said heated air with said air current.

6. A drier comprising a vertically disposed hollow support, a casing mounted on said support, means for causing a current of air to flow through said casing including an electrical motor operated fan, electrical heating means in said casing, a second heating means within said support for heating air, means for conducting fresh air to a point directly above said second heating means, and piping means offset laterally from and connecting said second air heating means with said casing to permit of air heated by said second heating means being drawn by said fan into said casing for mingling with and heating said air current.

7. A drier comprising a hollow support, a casing pivotally mounted on said support, means for causing a current of air to flow within said casing including an electrical motor operated fan, an air chamber connected to and offset with respect to said support, air tubes extending transversely of said hollow support adapted to conduct fresh air to said offset air chamber, a heater in said support beneath said air tubes adapted to heat air passing therethrough and feed same into said air chamber, and piping means connecting said air chamber with said casing to permit of heated air being drawn by said fan into said casing for mingling with and heating said air current.

WENDELL L. MARTIN.

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