US2664883A - Hair curl holding clip - Google Patents

Description

In x

HAIR CURL HOLDING CLIP Filed Feb. 14, 1951 M Fig.5-

. INVENTOR Roy ANDREW M Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR CURL HOLDING CLIP Roy Andrew Smith, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Feathercombs, Inc., a.

corporation of New York My invention relates to improvements in hair curl holding devices and more particularly relates to an improved clip for holding a curl in flattened relation to the head. In forming curls and in setting the hair in the form of waves, it is customary to form a portion of the hair into a relatively tight circular curl or flat pin curl, which then is set by holding the curl in position and shape overnight or by application of permanent waving solutions. Conventional devices for holding the curl in flat position are subject to a number of well-known difficulties and disadvantages which have prompted many proposals to remedy them. Nevertheless, the ordinary bobby pin is still the most widely used holding device. The bobby pin, however, requires extreme manual dexterity or dangerous use of the teeth in self-application since the formation of the curl requires the use of one hand. Care must be exercised in inserting the bobby pin because the flat narrow prongs may dig into the scalp. In addition, its snap spring tension which largely concentrates the pressure at a localized point combined with the narrow overlapping form of its holding prongs tends to kink the curl and mar the appearance of the resulting wave when the curl is brushed out. Indeed the kinking action may actually break individual hairs which is harmful in itself but further aggravated if a wave-setting solution is employed.

The overlapping holding members of a bobby pin must be in tight spring tensioned engagement in order to secure the smaller thinner curls and are therefore too tight for bulkier curls. No controllable adjustment of the spring tension is practical. Once the pin is opened or relieved of tension to accommodate a bulkier curl, it cannot be retightened to hold thinner curls. Thus, a basic difiiculty with the bobby pin is that its entire holding capacity depends upon pre-set spring tension produced by pinching the two holding members together over a wire form so that they are left in coincident and touching relationship joined at one end by a spring arch. Once the pin is opened too wide by excessive force in the effort to open it or to engage too large a curl, the pin is sprung and all spring tension is lost. The bobby pin then has become useless as a practical article since the average user has neither the patience nor the skill and appropriate equipment to restore the spring tension. Thus despite low manufacturing cost, the actual cost in terms of useful life is relatively high and the use of bobby pins is accompanied with the annoyance of frequently having to discard sprung pins.

I have devised a curl holding clip which is easy to slip on with one hand, which holds the curl lightly but firmly and which retains the hair in tightly curled position by providing contact at all points of the center, and which is adapted to easy adjustment of the spring tension. The new curl holding clip essentially comprises three elongated holding members which are spring arch connected at one end. The three holders are constructed of a light strong resilient material such as plastic, sprin steel wire or fiat stock. Two of the holding members are positioned in a common plane in spring tensioned relationship above the third member. The third member functions as a guide and lever member and is of greater length than the two upper members. It is located below and between the upper members so that the disposition of the two upper members in relation to the third guide member is such that the structure is characterized by sufiiciently offset relationship that the spring tension providing the clip with holding capacity is freely adjustable by movement of the end portion of the guide member between the space between the two upper members. Thus if the clip is sprung by opening it too wide, spring tension may be readily restored by bending the guide portion far enough upward to compensate for the over extension. Thus one of the major defects or hobby pins and other conventional overlapping clips is eliminated in a simple and economical manner of construction while a clip of improved holding capacities and easier application is provided. Moreover, the sprin tension can be modified or adjusted in the course of application to suit the size of particular curls.

The various figures of the accompanying drawing illustrate a number of forms of the new curl holder clip.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a curl holder clip according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the clip illustrated in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are plan views of three diiferent curl holding clips of my invention illustrating various modifications thereof.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a sheet metal stamping illustrating the preliminary formation of a simple clip according to my invention.

Figure 7 is a plan view and Figure 8 is a side elevation of the finished clip formed from the stamping illustrated in Figure 6.

Figures 9 and 10 are plan views of two difierent curl holding clips according to my invention illustrating various modifications thereof which are advantageously manufactured from a sheet metal stamping similar to that illustrated in Figure 6.

Figures 1 and 2 represent my invention in perhaps its simplest form. The clip illustrated is formed of relatively thin spring steel wire, e. g. about 0.03 to 0.05 inch thickness. The strand of wire is bent once to form elongated guide member l0 providing smoothly rounded tip I I. Guide member 10 is thus formed of a contiguous double wire thickness along its entire length. A pair of spring arches 2 at the closed end of the clip is formed around an appropriate rod or fixture and the pair of upper holding members l3 and I4 is formed by extending the wire forwardly in ap proximately parallel but offset relationship to guide member In and in spring tensioned relationship to it.

Figure 3 represents a modification of the clip oi Figure 1 in which upper members [3 and H have been shaped in a broad loop to form wing members l and H5 in the same plane as upper members l3 and [4, thus increasing the distribution of holding points over the upper surface of the curl. Figure 4 represents a variation on the type modification illustrated in Figure 3. In the clip illustrated upper holding members [3 and M are bent back internally of themselves to provide additional holding pieces I! and 18, in a manner which has special value in providing control of the loose ends which are inherently concentrated at the center of the pin curl without covering the curl with any unnecessary bulk of material to prevent saturation or drying. Figure 5 illustrates a variation in the form of the upper holding pieces 19 and which as shown have been twisted into wave form to increase the distribution of holding points.

Figure 6 illustrates manufacture of the new clip from light weight metal flat stock and shows the basic form as stamped out of the metal sheet. In manufacture, upper members 3| and 32 are bent over and astride lower guide member in spring tensioned relationship to it by creating a spring arch at the junction of the three members. The finished article is illustrated in Figures 7 and. 8 which show the clip in plan view and side elevation view respectively. Broader members modified by slitting or perforating may be provided if desired. It will be noted that the lower guide member 30 advantageously is curved slightly to follow the contour of the head and is provided with a downwardly curving tip 33 which provides an opened mouth or receptive space in conjunction with the upturned tips 34 of upper members 3| and 32 for easy application to the curl. Figures 9 and 10 also illustrate variations in the form of the upper holding members which are representative of the number of variations and design possibilities.

If a clip or" particularly firm but evenly distributed holding capacities is desired, the special holding device described in my co-pending application Serial No. 210,973, filed February 14, 1951, now U. 5. Patent 2,601,861, may be employed. In this clip, each of the three holding members is characterized by loop form construction with the three members in offset relationship to each other for maximum distribution of holding points and with the lower guide member elongated and shaped to provide helpful leverage in applying the device to the curl with one hand while holding the curl in position with the other.

Thus my invention provides in a hair curl holding clip construction and disposition of holding members that permit easy application to the curl combined with widely adjustable spring tension. The clips of my invention are characterized by the use of three holding members in which the third member acts as the lower guide member and in which the two upper members are sufliciently offset so that the third member is freely movable in a vertical plane between the two upper members. In this way the user of the clip can adjust the spring tension without fear of springing the clip or can tighten the spring tension at will or to compensate for loss of spring tension in opening. The disposition of the three holding members in onset relationship also provides for a plurality of distributed holding points contributing to lightness but firmness of clasp upon the curl. The clip is not easily disengaged from the curl by accident and yet the clip is comfortable to apply and wear overnight because of the absence of hinges, springs, locking devices and the like. Also the clip when constructed of metal is readily susceptible to protection by coating with alkali and acidresistant paints and varnishes by dipping or spraying since there are no touching or moving parts and no internally located parts. This is an important practical advantage where lightness, durability and resiliency of construction require the use of spring metal in the manufacture of hair holding devices. The necessary spring metal cannot be used with wave setting solutions without corrosion, unsightly stains or disturbing discoloration of the hair in use. Conventional clips which depend for holding action upon spring engaged touching elements or rotating or twisting hinge elements cannot be coated for practical purposes with a paint or varnish and therefore are unsuitable for use with wave-setting solutions. Consequently, my curl holding clip is perfectly adapted to use by professional wavesetters or for use with home permanent waving kits.

I claim:

A curl holding clip of strong, light resilient construction which comprises a single strand of wire made of a light strong resilient material bent double to form an elongated guide member having a smoothly rounded tip and contiguous double wire thickness along the entire length of the guide member, the ends of the wire extending from the guide member being bent to form a pair of spring arches and being extended back along the guide member to form a pair of holding members shorter than the guide member in approximately parallel, spring tensioned but 01?- set relationship to the guide member, each end of the wire being further shaped in a broad loop to form a wing member in the same plane as the holding members and thereby increase the distribution of holding points of the holding members, the clip being further characterized by sufiiciently off-set disposition of the two holding members in relation to the guide member that the spring tension is freely adjustable by movement of the end portion of the guide member through the space between the two holding members.

ROY ANDREW SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,360,614 Berry et al Mari 30, 1920 2,031,483 Interraute Feb. 18, 1936 2,091,922 Hamalaiuen Aug. 31, 1937 2,209,318 Caldwell July 30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,420 Great Britain Nov. 23, 1893

Images