US2668315A - Hair vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9, 1954 w. D. CROSBY 2,668,315

HAIR VACUUM CLEANER Filed May 1 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Wilbur 0. Crosby INVENTOR.

Feb. 9, 1954 w. D. CROSBY HAIR VACUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1 1950 Fig. 4

Wilbur D. Crosby INVEN TOR.

MW/10y fl/mg Patented Feb. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR VACUUM CLEANER Wilbur D. Crosby, Orinda, CaliL, assignor o! twcnty-five per cent to William L. Hillman, Orinda, and twenty-five per cent to John W. Crosby, M desto, C lif.

Application May 1, 1950, SerialNo. 159,315

(01. I-JM) 2 Claims. 1

This invention comprises novel and useful immovements in a hair vacuum cleaner and more specifically pertains to a device for applying a suction or vacuum to hair to assist in removing dandruff, scale or the like therefrom; to apply vacuum or suction to assist in massaging; and to provide a device for producing and delivering a stream of cleansed air, heated or unheated, as desired.

Th principal object of this invention is to p ovide an improved air blowing means which is specifically adapted for use by barbers and the like for applying a suction to the hair, scalp or other places for cleansing the same; to operate as a portable vacuum cleaner for removing out times of hair, dust and the like from the clothing and person whose hair has been treated.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a device in conformity with the preceding obj cts which is also capable of use as a means for supplying cleansed and unheated or heated air.

A still further important object of the inven tion is to provide a mechanism in conformity with the above mentioned objects in which the various parts thereof are of simple construction, may be easily removed or installed, and are capable of ready sterilization and cleansing as desired.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description procee-cls, attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a preferred embodiment of the device with a suction cone nozzle applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a vertical central'longitudinal seational View or the device shown in Figure 1, il1ustrating portions of the interior construction of the same;

Figure 3 i a fragmentary top plan view or the device shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the underside of the device or opposite side of the device shown in Figures b3;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially u the p a e indicated b the section line 5 5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section. line G6 of Figure 2; and

Figure '7 is a plan view of the filtering element forming a part of the invention.

Referring now more specifically to the accom partying drawings, wherein like numerals desig nate like parts throughout the various views, it will be seen that the invention includes an electric motor of any desired type and having a casing, if), this casing constituting a handle by means of which the apparatus may be manipulated, the casing having a suitable opening for the reception of an electric conductor i2 by means of which the electric motor is supplied with power, under the control of a pair of switches indicated generally at M and i6, one of the switches controlling the operation of the motor and the other switch controlling the op! oration of an electric heating element as set forth hereinafter.

Preferably. the motor casing i6 is provided with an annuiarband or shoulder portion I8 for a purpose which will be later apparent.

The motor is provided with the customary armature (notshown), the same including an axially extending shaft 20, upon which is detachably secured a fan assembly 22 of any desired character. This fan is preferably of the centriiugal type, and the same may conveniently consist of a circular disk or plate 24 having a hub portion 26 which is removably secured upon the shaft 20 as by a set screw or the like 28, the th disk 24 being provided with a plurality of radially offwenter vanes or blades 30.

The apparatus further includes a cylindrical casing 32 which is adapted to be siidably received upon the outer end of the motor casing it, to have its inner end abutted against the annular collar I8 formed upon the casing H), the sleeve 32 being detachably secured upon the casing It as by a set screw or the like 34. The apparatus is provided with a suction nozzle which may be of plastic, metal or any other suitable material, the nozzle being in icated by the numeral '36 and having a suction or inlet end 38 communieating with a tapering passage 40 within the nozzle which extends from the inlet end to the rear end of the nozzle.

The rear end of the nozzle consists of a cylindrical portion 42 which is disposed in any suitable angle with respect to the nozzle 36, and which slidably embraces the open outer end of he sleeve 32, this inner-end being provided with a bayonetslot 44 ofxconventional design for detachable'engagement by aiiastening screw 46 which is screw-threadedly engaged in the end of the sleeve 32. By means of the bayonet slot and the screw, it is obvious that the nozzle may now be readily attached to or removed from the sleeve 32, which latter in turn is releasably secured to the casing H! of the motor, The outer end of the sleeve 32 constitutes a centrifugal pump casing in which is received the centrifugal fan 22, and into which communicates the passage 4%. Received within the outer end of the sleeve 32, and disposed within the outlet of the cylindrical portion 42 of the nozzle 36, is a disk 58 constituting a partition or baffle, and which is provided with a central aperture or opening 58. This opening 58 loosely receives the shaft extension 8, and constitutes the inlet to the centrifugal fan 22, this disk or partition being held in place by a ring-like member 52 retained by a set screw or the like 54.

Removably seated in a slot in the ring 52 and in a registering slot in the cylindrical portion 42 of the nozzle 38, is a removable tray 58 which is open at its top and its bottom, and is provided with a conical filtering screen 58 secured thereto in any desired manner.

The arrangement is such that when the tray is in place, the screen will be disposed across the outlet of the passage Q8 of the nozzle, so that air passing through the nozzle will be filtered or screened before the same passes through the opening 58 into the pumping chamber of the centrifugal fan 22. This will prevent the passage of dirt or the like, bobby pins, or other I foreign matter through the fan or pump when the device is operated to clean hair.

From the pumping chamber, the air through the nozzle and fan is passed through a discharge passage 68 in the material'of the nozzle 36, to an outlet opening or vent S2. A suitable electric resistance heater 64 of any desired character is disposed in the passage 88, for heating the air passed therethrough, this electric heater being connected to the switch 18 in any desired manner, not shown.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a device which may be selec tively employed to provide a source of suction for drawing air through hair or the like for cleansing the same; for operating as a vacuum cleaner or the like as desired, this air drawn through the device being discharged through the vent 62. Alternatively, the device may be employed to deliver heated and cleansed air, as for drying hair or the like, by energizing the heating element 6 through the switch 56, and actuating the motor through the switch it, whereby air drawn through the nozzle 48 will be cleansed by the screen 58, and discharged across the heating element 64 from the vent 82.

It will further be seen that a novel hair cleaning element has been provided in the form of the tray 58 which may thus be readily withdrawn from its slot in the nozzle 3%, when it is desired to cleanse, sterilize or screen 58.

As shown in Figure 1, a suitable closure 88 may be provided for that portion of the nozzle which houses the heating element '88,"so that by the removal of fastening screws 68, access may be had to the heating element for inspection, repair or cleansing of the same.

The extremity 38 or inlet of the nozzle 38, is preferably provided with a suction cup attachment, the same consisting of a rubber or similar bushing 18 having one endprovided with resilreplace the ient fingers or the like 12, and its other end having a socket 14 adapted to embrace the extremity of the nozzle 35. It will now be seen that when the device is assembled in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, the device may be manipulated to cause the flexible fingers '12 to scrub or massage the scalp or hair and dislodge dandruff or scale therefrom while drawing a current of air through the same to remove the dislodged particles and thereby properly cleansing the hair. During this operation the screen 58 will serve to prevent the ingress of this foreign material into the air stream flowing through the centrifugal or compressor.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device together with as many advantages will be readily apparent and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A vacuum cleaner of the hand type for cleaning hair and scale comprising an electric motor having a drive shaft, said motor including a casing as a part thereof, a nozzle body and means for mounting said nozzle body upon said motor casing whereby the latter constitutes a hand grip means for supporting the cleaner, a centrifugal fan mounted upon the drive shaft of said motor, said nozzle body having air inlet and discharge ports, passages in said nozzle body coninvention, what is necting said ports with the suction and discharge sides of said centrifugal fan, said nozzle body having a flexible nozzle on one end thereof communicating with said air inlet port, said nozzle having flexible fingers for massaging the scalp, said ports being disposed in laterally ofiset position on opposite sides of said nozzle body and having their axes in alignment and at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the motor.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said nozzle body has an opening into said air inlet port passage, a tray removably mounted in said opening, a screen carried by said tray extending across said air inlet passage.

WILBUR D. CROSBY,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 971,044 Hutchinson Sept. 27, 1910 1,465,292 Wessig M Aug. 21, 1923 1,584,985 Finkhousen May 18, 1926 1,676,858 Ferber et a1 July 10, 1928 2,054,975 Goldberg Sept. 22, 1936 2,068,496 Linghammar Jan. 19, 1937 2,231,003 Fois Feb. 11, 19 11 2,387,893 Ellis Oct. 30. 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 833,302 France July 18. 1933 860,395 France Sept. 30, 1940

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