US2557759A

US2557759A - Fingernail polish guard

Info

Publication number: US2557759A
Application number: US751911A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pfister Lois
Original assignee: HOWARD C ELLIS
Current assignee: HOWARD C ELLIS
Priority date: 1947-06-02
Filing date: 1947-06-02
Publication date: 1951-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1968-06-19

Description

June 19, 1951 PF|$TER 2,557,759

FINGERNAIL POLISH GUARD Filed June 2, 1947 [NI/EN TUR LZiJi FIE TER AT TURN Y Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES EQATENT OFFiCE FINGERNAIL POLISH GUARD Application June 2, 1947, Serial No. 751,911

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fingernail guards and more particularly to a fingernail polish protector for use in connection with the decoration of the fingernails.

The principal object of the invention is the employment of means in the guard for preventing the smearing of the nail polish, and thereby saving the time of the manicurist and the person whose nails are being ornamented.

An additional object of the invention is the utilization in the device of a hinged cover that when raised permits access to the nails for the polishing operation, and when lowered to a locked position protects the nails from smearing, and thus eliminates the necessity of repeated applications of the polish.

- A further object of the invention is the employment of a slidable ring portion or band that is readily adjustable over the body of the guard, whereby the nail is retained in a fixed raised position for the polishing operation in a most efiicient and expeditious manner, and whereby varying lengths of fingernails may be readily treated.

' An additional object of the invention is the provision of a notch means for detachably retaining the end of the cover in the guard or casing.

A further object of the invention is the production of a guard of the character described that Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the guard constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the device, disclosing the use of an adapter to support the finger, the cover of the device being illustrated both in its raised and lowered positions,

Fig; 3 is a top plan view of the guard,

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the guard, the view being taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an end view 'of the device,

Fig. 6 is a modified form of the invention, likewise disclosing a modified form of locking means for the cover, and

Fig. '7 is a top plan view of the modified device, the cover in this instance being removed.

The practice of decorating or ornamenting fingernails is well known. After the fingernail polish has been used by the manicurist on the nails of the patrons, there is ever present the danger of a smearing of the polish on the nails unless the fingers are retained in a fixed position. Furthermore, the patron if she uses her fingers for any extraneous purpose while the polish is drying, often soils her clothes or smears the polish. In the latter instance, it is necessary to repolish or retouch the nails, which actions occasion a loss of time to both the manicurist and the patron, or other user.

Therefore, to provide a means to overcome these annoyances and inconveniences, and to produce a means whereby the patron has free use of the fingers while the nails are drying I, have equipped by distinctive guard with a nail protective covering, the unique features of the guard and covering being illustrated to advantage in the accompanying drawing.

Referring to such drawing the numeral 8 designates a tubular-casing or body preferably made of celluloid or plastic of a distinctive color to enhance the attractiveness or appearance of the same. The said casing has a plurality of spaced holes 9 therein adjacent its open end If! through which a finger A of the user is inserted, the openings 9 serving to facilitate movement of air to thus more quickly dry the polish applied by the cosmetician to a fingernail B.

It will be noted, as disclosed to advantage in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the preferred form of the invention, that the opposite end of the casing is closed by securing a cap H to the casing 8. The said cap is equipped with an annular inwardly extending flange l2 and is centrally depressed to form a reinforcing wall I 3 that has, an opening l4 provided therein. The depression thus defines a shoulder l5, beneath which the free end of a resilient curved closure or cover it is frictionally retained and thence positioned in the opening [4 of said wall l3. Accordingly, it will be obvious that the cap, so constructed, performs many distinctive functions. It not only reinforces the casing to prevent the collapse of the same, should undue pressure be placed thereon, but its inwardly extended perforated wall [3 serves to receive the end of the cover to retain it in a closed or locked position, as disclosed to advantage in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Additionally, the flange prevents displacement of a split ring l5 that is adjustably positioned over" the outer periphery of the casing 8, the purpose of said ring being hereinafter explained.

To permit a lowering of said cover to protect the polished nail B from contact with another polished finger, clothing or the like, I propose to hingedly secure the cover 16, as at H, to the casing adjacent its open end. This hinged arrangement is provided by employing a strip of adhesive material I1 that is secured at one end to the inner periphery of the casing 8 and at its opposite end to the cover 16. Alternately, the cover is raised to the dotted line position of Fig. 2, when the nail is to be ornamented by the application of the polish, through a substantially oval-shaped opening [8. that is provided in the upper face of the casing 8. It will be noted that the edges of the casing at the opening are downwardly curled as at [8' not only to reinforce the same, but also to avoid any cutting or raw edges when the device engages the skin at the sides of the users nails.

The upper enlarged surface I9 of the ring of the invention, is adapted to receive thereon the tip. of the fingernail B of the patron and said enlarged surface is recessed to readily conform to the contour of the end of the finger. To. prevent accidental displacement of the ring from a pre-determined adjusted position over the casing, I have provided spaced annular ridges throughout the greater portion of the length of the casing. These ridges receive therebetween the restricted portion of the ring I5. Due to the inherent resiliency of the casing, the said ring is readily slidable thereover for the predetermined adjustment. Thus, if a nail is exceedingly long or short, or on the other hand if the finger of the patron is of similar dimensions an adjustment of the ring by the operator will compensate for the recited variations.

In Fig. 2, I have disclosed the use of an adapter element 2| that consists of a substantially semi-circular resilient strip of celluloid or plastic material. The base of the finger rests on the, upper portion of the adapter, while the lower portion of the adapter is in contact with a table. or like support. This adapter serves to elevate the finger and its nail for the correct operative position for the cosmetician to apply the, polish, and it also functions to afford additional resiliency to the guard when pressure is applied on the nail or finger by the operator.

In the modified form of the invention disclosed in Figs. 6 and '7, I have showna casing 2| made of the same material and of the general configuration of the casing 8. In this instance I have, illustrated a different arrangement for hingedly securing the cover to the open end of the casing 2|. This is realized by employing an adhesive strip 22, in turn connected to the cover 23 and said casing. It will also be observed that the, closed end 24 of the casing is provided with a pin 25 that is received in an L-shaped slot 26 formed in the free end of the cover. The said slot is slightly off-center relative to the pin, and when the casing is lowered to the dotted line position of Fig. 6, a locking of the cover relative to the end 24 of the casing can be readily accomplished.

Varying sizes of guards are employed for the different sized fingers of the patrons.

From the foregoing, description considered with the accompanying drawing, it will be obvious that I have devised a most unique fingernail polish guard and associated parts that will readily fulfill a long needed want in the trade.

It will be understood that the term casing in the claims includes tubular casings as well as split casings, some of which may not entirely surround the finger.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that Various changes relative to the material, size. shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a tubular casing adapted for mounting over the end of a finger of a user and having a stencil opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said finger whereby to expose the nail to be ornamented that is retained within said casing, and a ring member adjustably positioned over said casing, said ring member having means for retaining the end of the fingernail in a fixed position relative to said stencil opening and for masking a portion of the forward end of the stencil opening adjacent said fingernail end.

2. A device of the character described comprising, a thin shell-like body formed and curved to cover the end portion of a finger and provided with an opening dimensioned to expose and generally conformed to the shape of a fingernail, said body having tubular gripping means for gripping the finger rearwardly of the nail thereof, and a cover member hingedly secured to said body at one side of said opening and dimensioned to overlie and cover said opening and being detachably secured at its free end to said body at an opposite side of said opening.

3. A device of the character described comprising, a thin walled resilient shell-like body formed and curved to cover the end portion of a finger including the nail thereon and provided with an elongated stencil opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said finger and having a transverse dimension permitting the insertion of the forward end of the nail through said opening and into overlying position on a forward portion of said body, means connected to said body for resiliently clasping a finger rearwardly of the nail thereon to position said body on said finger as above described, and a cover member hingedly secured at one end to said body rearwardly of said opening and covering said opening and being detachably secured at its free end to said body forwardly of said opening when said cover member is in one of its positions and exposing said opening when said cover is in another of its positions.

4. A device of the character described comprising, a thin walled resilient body member of elongated form curved in transverse section for covering the end portion of a finger including the nail thereon, said body member being formed with an elongated stencil opening generally conforming to the shape of the fingernail, the forward edge of said opening being formed for insertion under the forward extremity of the fingernail and between such extremity and the finger thereby positioning the forward extremity of the fingernail in overlying position, to the portion of said body member forwardly of said opening, finger gripping means provided on said body for positioning said body on a finger, and a cover member having opposite ends, means for hingedly securing said cover member to said body member at one of the ends of said cover member and means for detachably securing the opposite end of said cover member with said cover member overlying said opening, whereby said opposite end of said cover member may be detached from said body member and said cover member may be moved to a position so as to disclose said opening.

5. A device of the character described comprising a body formed and curved for embracing the end portion of a finger of the user, said body being provided with a stencil opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said finger and adapted to expose the finger nail through said opening when said body is in position on the finger, a closure member and means for attaching said closure member to said body in position for covering and uncovering said opening.

6. A device of the character described comprising a body formed and curved for embracing the end portion of a finger of the user, said body being provided with a stencil opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said and adapted to expose the fingernail through said opening when said body is in position on the finger, a closure member and means for attaching said closure member to said body in position for covering and uncovering said opening, said opening having a plurality of sides, said means for attaching said closure member including means mounted adjacent said opening for pivotally mounting said closure member.

7. A device of the character described comprising a resilient casing adapted for mounting over the end of a finger and having a stencil opening in the upper surface thereof conforming to the shape of the fingernail and for exposing said nail, a ring-shaped member having a restricted body portion surrounding said casing and adjustable longitudinally thereof, means on said ring-shaped member for retaining the end of the nail in a fixed position relative to the stencil opening of said casing, said casing having spaced ridges formed on the outer periphery of said member for receiving and retaining therebetween the restricted body portion of said ring-shaped member.

8. A device of the character described comprising a casing adapted for mounting over the end of a finger and having a stencil opening in the upper portion thereof, said opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said finger, a ring member surrounding said casing and adjustably positioned longitudinally thereof and means on said ring member for retaining said finger in a fixed position relative to the stencil opening of casing.

9. A device of the character described comprising a. casing adapted for mounting over the end of a finger and having a stencil opening in the upper portion thereof, said opening conforming to the shape of the nail of said finger, a ring member surrounding said casing and adjustably positioned longitudinally thereof and means on said ring member for retaining said finger in a fixed position relative to the stencil opening of said casing, said last named means having a support for said nail.

LOIS PFISTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,180,519 Hamilton l Nov. 21, 1939 2,251,551 OReilly Aug. 5, 1941 2,262,977 Vasil Nov. 18, 1941 2,287,062 Powers June 23, 1942 2,428,152 Goettel Sept. 30, 1947