US2168432A - Hairpin opener - Google Patents

Description

Aug.s,1939. s, ORDAL y 2,153,432

HAIRPIN OPENER Filed June 13, 1938 @y Wp/2m, m/mu# 5 Patented Aug. 8, 1939 HAIRPIN OPENER Sigval E. Ordal, Chicago, 11i. Application June 13, 1938, Serial No. 213,354V

12 Claims. (Cl. 132-1) The present invention relates to openers or spreaders for hairpins, and more particularly to a device for opening or spreading hairpins that are known commercially as bob pins, now commonly used for holding the curls of womens hair inI position after the setting operation. These hairpins are formed of spring metal and comprise two leg portions integrally connected at one end by a loop and abutting against each other for the greater portion of their length, the free end ofl one leg portion being turned outwardly away from the other leg portion to provide an opening between the two legs to facilitate spreading or opening of the pin. In the use of such hairpins it is necessary to open or spread the two legs apart so that when the pin is inserted in the hair to hold a curl in place the hair of the curl and the hair adjacent the curl will be gripped tightly between such leg portions of the pin. Beauty shop operators use many of such pins in hairdressing operations, and it is necessary for the operator to open or spread each pin before it can be used, One manner of opening the pins is to hold the pin in one hand and spread the legs apart by inserting a finger nail of a finger of the other hand into the space between the two free ends of the legs and then twisting the finger. This method of opening the pins is disadvantageous not only because of the liability of breaking the finger nail, but also because of the danger of cutting or scratching the l ringer or cutting the scalp of the person whose hair is being dressed, as the pin is spread or opened with the finger nail of one of the fingers on the hand that is used to hold the curl in place until the pin is opened and inserted in the hair. It has also become common practiceto opensuch pins by using the teeth, which, of course, is not only unsanitary but is dangerous in view of the possibility of 'cutting the gums and getting .an infection. Devices have also been employed that are secured to a table or shelf, but they have been found inconvenient in view of the fact that the operator not only has to reach over a considerable distance to perform the opening operation, butalso has to look very closely in order to place the hairpin in the proper position relative to the opener .to accomplish the opening operation.

With the above in view it is the principal ob-` ject of the present invention to provide a device for opening or spreading hairpins ofthe above mentioned type whereby the disadvantages above set forth areobviated, and wherein the spreading member is enclosed in a casing, thus minimizing the danger of the operator scratching or cutting herself, or scratching or cutting the customer wilxilcgse hair is being dressed, when opening the D It is another object of the invention to provide such a device with means for securing it to the wrist of the operator whereby it will be held in a readily accessible position' at all times, lyet will not interfere with the operator using both hands in the hair dressing operation.

It is a further object of the invention to `provide an opener or spreader for hairpins comprising av casing enclosing the spreader member, with guide means for guiding the hairpins toward the spreader in the casing, thus obviating close scrutiny on the part of the operator during the opening operation.

It is a still further object of the invention to provideY a hairpin opener or spreader comprising a casing having magnetic properties whereby a supply of hairpins can be carried by the casing and held thereon by the inherent magnetism in the casing, Y

Oth'er objects and advantageous features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention taken` in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 Tis a top plan view of the hairpin opener and the means for attaching it to the wrist of the operator; v i

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the casing, showing in elevation the spreader and the spring for holding the latter in normal operating position and for returning it to such position after each spreading operation is completed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2,

'illustrating the position of the spreader during the opening or spreading operation; and

Figure 4 is a front view of the casing showing the hairpin receiving opening and the spreader mounted in the casing in rear of such opening.

Referring to the drawing,the hairpin opener includes a casing indicated as an entirety by the reference numeral 6 and comprising a bottom wall 1, top wall 8, rear wall 9, and side walls I and l I, all of which are formed integral with each other as shown. The bottom wall 1 also comprises integral fiange portions I2 and I3 that extend outwardly, respectively, from the sidewalls I0 and I I of the casing, said flanges I2 and i3 being provided with slots I4 and l5, respectively, to provide for the securing to the casing of strap members I6 and I1 of leather or other suitable material by which the casing can be secured to the Wrist of the user in a manner similar to that in which a wrist watch is strapped tothe wrist, as

will be readily appreciated. While I have shown and described the casing 6 as of integral construction, as that is the preferred form in which I embody my invention, it is to be understood that the casing may be made in as many parts suitably secured together as may be desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, while I have shown and described one manner of securing the straps |6 and I1 to the casing, it is to be understood that such straps may be secured to the casing in any other suitable or desired manner As indicated at 2| in Figure 4, the front of the casing is open to provide for the insertion of hairpins thereinto in the manner illustrated in Figure 3, and this opening is disposed some distance back from the front edge of thebottom wall 1 of the casing as shown in Figures 1 to 3. The side wall I0 of the casing, however is extended forwardly from the opening 2| to the front edge of the bottom wall 1, and such extended portion of the side wall I0 is enlarged or thickened as indicated at 22 to provide a recess 23 in rear of the opening 2| (Figures 2 and 3) to receive one leg of the hairpin during theA opening or spreading operation. The inner surface of the thickened portion 22 of .the side wall l0 and the extended portion 24 of the bottom wall forwardly of the opening 2| provide a guideway for guiding the hairpins, one of which is shown in Figure 3 and indicated by the reference numeral 25, toward a spreader 26 that is mounted in the casing as will now be described.

The spreader 26 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 26a extending between the bottom and top walls 1 and 8 of the.casing, in rear of the opening 2|, said spreader being substantially triangular in configuration as shown and of a thickness sufciently less'thanthe distance between v the top and bottom walls of the casing so that it may swing freely about the pivot pin 26a in the spreading operation. One side wall 21 of the spreader 26 adjacent its forward end abuts against the enlarged portion 22 o'f the side wall I0 adjacent the recess 23, and the side wall 26 of the spreader diverges from the wall 21 as shown, the meeting edge of these two walls being formed to provide an upturned lip portion 29 that extends outwardly a short distance beyond the front opening 2| in'the casing as shown. This upturned lip portion 29 provides a space oi' suiiicient width between the inner surface of the wall portion 22 and the spreader member to receive one legof a hairpin, but it is not of suflicient width to receive the two legs of the hairpin. One leg of the hairpin is usually bent outwardly from the other leg`thereof as.. shown at 30 in Figure 3, and this bent out end prevents `this legof the pin from following in between the spreader 26 and the guide wall 22, while the straightleg of the pin is usually slightly longer than the bent leg asindicated at 3| in Figure 3. A U-shaped spring 32 positioned in rear of the p spreader member 26 acts against the back wall 9 of the casing and reacts against the rear side 33 of the spreader member 26 to hold said member in its normal hairpin receiving position as shown in Figure 2. The spring 32, however, permits the spreader member 26 to move out of its normal position during the spreading operation when a hairpin is inserted into the casingv into operative relation with the spreader, as shown in Figure 3, and said spring` acts to return vthe spreader member 26 to its normal hairpin receiving position when the hairpin is withdrawn from the casing after the spreading operation, so that the spreader will be in proper position to receive the next hairpin. The spring 32 is held in position by a pin 34 extending between the bottom and top walls 1 and 8 of the casing adjacent the base portion of the spring as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

While in the preferred form of construction illustrated a U-shaped spring has been employed, other types. of spring means capable of performing the necessary function, or in fact any means that will function to return the spreader to normal position, may be employed without departingr from the spirit and scope of the invention.

While 'in Figure 3 I have illustrated the'hairpin 25 in the spreading operation inserted into the casing with its straight leg extending into the recess 23 and its other leg having the outturned end 30 in engagement with the surface 28 of the spreader, it is' to be understood that the device will operate in the same manner` regardless of which leg of the pin 25 is inserted between' the lip portion 29 of the spreader 26 and the guideway 22, so that it is not necessary for the operator lto look closely in operating the spreader. By providing the guideway formed by the inner surface of the portion 22 of the side wall I6, it is only necessary for the operator to place one leg of the hairpin on such surface and to then push the pin inwardly toward the spreader 26, and in this operation the extended portion 24 of the bottom wall will prevent the pin from being pushed off of the guideway 22.

Within the scope of my present invention I also contemplate a construction in which I form the casing 6, or a portion thereof, of magnetic material, as for instance the top wall 9 as shown in Figure 1, whereby said casing will be adapted to pick up and retain thereon a supply of the hairpins 25, as shownso that they will be readily accessible to the operator at a point immediately adjacent the spreader but will notjnterfere with the operation of the spreader. With such a construction wherein a supply of hairpins is carried by the casing of the spreader device, considerable time and labor on the part of the operator is saved.

I claim:

1. A hairpin opener comprising a Vspreader adapted to engage between the legs of a hairpin to spread said legs apart, a guide disposed ad- Ijacent said spreader and cooperable with the hairpin in a manner to guide the legs of the hairpin over opposite sides of said spreader, means pivotally mounting said spreader, and

engages between the legs of the hairpin yieldingly against said guide.

2. A hairpin opener comprising a support, means for securing said support to the wrist of the user, a spreader pivoted to said support and having a portion adapted to engage between the legs of a hairpin to spread said legs apart, a guide disposed adjacent the spreader and cooperable with the hairpin to guide one legonly of the hairpin between the guide and the spreader, and means urging the spreader yieldingly against said guide.

3. A hairpin opener comprising a casing havlng an opening in one wall thereof, a spreader in said casing, and guide means formed integral with said casing for guiding a hairpin into engagement with said spreader and through said opening.

4, A hairpin opener comprising a casing having an opening in one wall thereof, a spreader in said casing, and a guideway formed integral with said casing comprising extensions of two of the walls of said casing for guiding a hairpin into engagement with said spreader.

5. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to `the wrist of the user, an opening in one wall of the casing, and a spreader mounted in the casing adjacent said opening and acting to spread apart the ends of a hairpin when pushed into engagement with said spreader and through the opening in said casing.

6. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to the wrist of the user, an opening in onewall of the casing, a spreader pivotally mounted inthe casing adjacent said opening and acting to spread apart the legs oi a hairpin'when pushed into engagement with said spreader, means for retaining said spreader in position in said casing to receive said hairpin and for returning said spreader to such position after the spreading operation.

'7. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to the wrist of the user,

an opening in one wall 'of the casing, a spreader l mounted in the casingadjacent said' opening and acting to spread apart the legs of a hairpin when pushed into engagement with said spreader, and a spring in said casing acting against a wall of the casing and reacting against said spreader for holding the spreader in normal pin receiving position and for returning' said spreader to such position after the hairpin operated on by the spreader vis removed from the casing.

8. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to the wrist of the user,

` an opening in one wall of the casing, a spreader mounted in the casing adjacent said opening and acting to spread apart the legs of a hairpin when pushed into engagement with said spreader, and a guideway formed integral with said casing adjacent the opening therein for guiding the hairpin toward the spreader.

9. A hairpin retaining device and opener comprising a casing formed of magnetic material adapted to hold a plurality of hairpins, an opening in one wall of the casing, and a spreader from the spreader.

mounted in the casing adjacent said opening and acting to spread apart thelegs of a'hairpin when it is pushed into engagement with said spreader.

10. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to the wrist of the user, an opening in one wall of the casing, and a spreader \comprising two diverging surfaces 'having their meeting edge adjacent one side of said opening, said meeting edge being spaced upwardly from the adjacent wall of the casing when in normal hairpin receiving position whereby to permit one leg of a hairpin to pass under said edge, the diverging walls of the spreader acting to spread the two legs of the hairpin when said hairpin is moved into opertaive relation with said spreader.

11. A hairpin opener comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to the wrist of the user, an opening in one lwall of the casing, a

. spreader comprising two diverging surfaces having their meeting edge adjacentone side of said opening, said meeting edge being spaced up- Wardly from the adjacent wail ofthe casing when in normal hairpin receiving position whereby to permit one leg of a hairpin to pass under said edge, the diverging Walls of the spreader acting to spread the two legs of the hairpin when said hairpin is moved into operative relation with said spreader, the wail of the casing adjacent said meeting edge of the diverging walls of the spreader extending outwardly of said edge and outwardly of the opening in the casing to provide a guide for guiding the hairpin toward said spreader.

12. A hairpin opener comprising a casing having an opening in one wail thereof, a spreader pivotally mounted in said casing, a guideway formed integral with said casing for guiding a hairpin into engagement with said spreader and A through said opening, and means for holding said spreader in proper position relative to said guide- Way to receive the separated ends of said hairpin, said holding means acting to return said spreader to normal position after the hairpin is removed sIGvAL E. oRDAL.

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