US2785687A

US2785687A - Bobby-pin receptacle and opener

Info

Publication number: US2785687A
Application number: US425808A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hazel A Richardson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-04-27
Filing date: 1954-04-27
Publication date: 1957-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1974-03-19

Description

March 19, 1957 H. A. RICHARDSON 2,785,687 I BOBBY-PIN RECEPTACLE AND OPENER Filed April 27, 1954 25 26 Z9 32 Fig. 3 Mg. 4

W 7 x f) w jfi-n 36 37 Fig 5 4 36 Hazel A. Richardson IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y United tates atent BOBBY-PIN RECEPTACLE AND OPENER Hazel A. Richardson, Denton, Tex.

Application April 27, 1954, Serial No. 425,308

1 Claim. (Cl. 132-1) This invention relates to a receptacle and more particularly to a receptacle having a pin opener.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved receptacle having a new and improved means for opening or spreading bobby pins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for opening or spreading pins which is of simple and economical construction.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved means for opening or spreading pins which permits easy single handed manipulation and opening of the pins leaving the other hand free to perform other operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle, having a pin opener, which is of a single piece construction and having no nooks or crevices wherein pins may become lodged.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the reading of the follo ing description of device constructed in accordance with the invention and reference to the accompanying drawings thereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle or tray having a pin opener in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the receptacle shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of the receptacle;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of another modified form of the receptacle; and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of still another modified form of the receptacle.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the pin receptacle or tray includes a bottom 11 which may be provided with countersink screw holes 12 through which fiat head screws may be inserted to secure the tray rigidly to the bottom of a dresser drawer, a dressing table or the like. Two

side walls

13 and 14 and a rear wall 15 rise vertically from the bottom and are integral therewith. The side walls and the rear wall are thin and serve no other purpose than to define three sides of the pin receiving recess 16 of the tray.

An opener wall 17 defines the fourth side of the recess 16 and also rises upwardly from the bottom 11 of the tray. The opener wall is relatively thick or wide and has an inner surface 18 which extends upwardly and inwardly from the bottom to a common edge 19 with a downwardly and inwardly inclined upper surface 26. It will be apparent that the upper and

inner surfaces

18 and 20 extend frontwardly at an acute angle from each other to form a wedge which is used to open bobby pins. Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner surface be inclined at an angle of degrees or more from the bottom and that the upper surface 20 be inclined at an angle of less than 30 degrees from the horizontal, to provide the acute angle at the edge 19. The walls are preferably integral with the bottom in order that no crevices or nooks may occur between the walls and the bottom in which pins could become lodged.

In use, the bobby pin tray is secured to the bottom of a drawer of a dressing table or the like by means of the flat head screws 21. The tray should be fixed within comfortable reach of the user about five or six inches from the front of the drawer and near the side of the drawer which is closer to the user. For a right handed user the drawer should preferably be to the right of the user. In this position the front of the open drawer does not interfere with the forearm and wrist movements of the right arm of the user and pins disposed in the tray may be pulled up without lifting the elbow sideward from the body or bending the hand and the wrist to reach the pins, such movements being awkward and tiring.

The bobby pins 22 are placed in the recess 16 of the tray with the free ends 23 and 24 thereof facing the opener wall 17. When it is desired to use a hobby pin, it is picked up from the tray between the thumb and the first three fingers of the right hand with the shorter or hooked end or prong 23 of the pin facing up. The forefinger is then slid toward the ends 23 and 24 of the pin to guide the placement of the pin. The forearm is then rested against the front of the drawer.

The lower longer prong 24 of the pin is slipped into engagement with theinner surface 18 of the opener wall of the tray while the upper shorter prong 23 contacts the upper surface 21'! of the opener wall. The hand is then pivoted upwardly at the wrist to cause the prongs of the pin to slide over the

surfaces

18 and 20 or the opener wall and separate from each other. The fleshy end of the forefinger then slips between the open prongs to hold the prongs in open position as the pin is lifte from engagement with these surfaces to be slipped over a tress of hair held by the left hand. It will be noted that the degree to which the prongs 23 and 24 of the pin are opened is governed by the degree of pushing of the prongs against the

surfaces

18 and 20 of the opener wall, the maximum opening occurring when the lower longer prong touches the bottom 11 of the tray.

It will be apparent now that a receptacle or tray 10 for hair or hobby pins has been provided which includes a bottom 11 and

Walls

13, 14, 15 and 17 integral therewith, the opener wall 17 having an upwardly and inwardly inclined surface 18 and a downwardly and inwardly inclined upper surface 20 which converge at an acute angle to a common edge 19 to form a wedge for opening the pins. It will also be apparent that the provision of the opener wall 17 with an upper surface which is inclined downwardly toward the edge 19 provides a greater angle between the surfaces 18 and 2t) and this permits the pin prongs to be separated to the maximum degree upon a relatively small movement of the prongs 23 and 24 of the pin over the wedge formed by the surfaces of the opener wall, and also causes both the prongs to spread or open simultaneously as the pin is pushed onto the wedge surfaces.

In Figure 3 is illustrated a modified form of a tray 25 having a bottom 26 which is not provided with holes, such as the holes 12 of the tray 10 of Figures 1 and 2 and whose opener wall 27 is of lesser thickness than the opener wall 17 of the tray 19. The tray 25 may be secured to a dresser drawer or to a glass dresser top by a suitable adhesive on the under side of the bottom 25 of the tray.

Figure 4 illustrates another modified form of the tray 28 having a bottom 29, an end wall 30, side walls 31 (only one of which is shown in Figure 4) and an opener wall 32. The upper surface 33 of the opener wall is inclined downwardly and outwardly to the common edge 3 34 with the p ardly and cnt a d y inclined cute su face 35 of the opener wall. It is apparent that the surfaces 33 and 35' form a wedge for opening the prongs b bo by pi s i a man er s m lar tolth escr be above in n t on with th t ay 9 of Fi u s 1 ans-1.2-

Figure 5 illustrates still another form of the tray which has a bottom 37 provided With apertures through which screws may extend to fasten the tray a fixed structure. Vertical side walls 39, only one which is shown in Figure 5, and rear and

front end walls

40 and 41 extend upwardly from the bottom. The tray is divided into two pin receiving compartments .42 and 43 by a partition 44 which extends transversely between the side walls 59.

The partition has two upper snraces 45 and 4:6. The pp r surface 4 e tend do nwa dly an r arw rd) to a common wedge edge 47 with the rearwardly and upwardly inclined side surface 48 of the partition. Similarly, the upper surface 46 extends downwardly and forwardly to a common Wedge edge 49 with the frontwardly and forwardly inclined side surface 54 of the partition.

It will be apparent that the surfaces 45 and 48 and the surfaces 46 and 5t; form wedges for opening the prongs of bobby pins in a manner similar to that described in connection with the traylt of Figures 1 and 2.

It will now be seen that the various forms of the tray may be made of plastic, glass or other substance and that they are preferably made in a single integral piece in order to'avoid any crevices or nooks between the walls and bottoms of the trays in which pins may lodge. It will also be apparent that the upper surfaces of the wedges provide an area on which ornamental or adcr isin ma er may be painted, inscribed or otherwis secured. V

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory only, and changes in the details of the construction illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letter Patent is: I

A device of the type described including: a tray having a bottom, three vertical walls extending upwardly from the bottom, and a fourth wall having an upwardly and inwardly inclined inner side surface and an upwardly and outwardly inclined upper surface, said surfaces of said fourth wall having a common edge and forming a wedge extending laterally inwardly over and spaced,

above the bottom of said tray, said inner side surface extending at an acute angle to the upper surface from said common edge and at an acute angle and spaced above the bottom of said tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS