US2855939A

US2855939A - Steam helmet

Info

Publication number: US2855939A
Application number: US618088A
Authority: US
Inventors: Braskamp Willem Hendrik
Original assignee: Industriele Onderneming WH Braskamp NV
Current assignee: Industriele Onderneming WH Braskamp NV
Priority date: 1956-08-06
Filing date: 1956-10-24
Publication date: 1958-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1975-10-14

Description

Oct. M, 1958 w. H. BRASKAMP 2,855,939

STEAM HELMET Filed Oct. 24, 1956 ,STEAM HELMET Willem Brask amp, Vorhurg,l letherlands, asslgnor to N. V. Industrile Onderneming W. H. Braskamp, Voorburg, Netherlands;la corporation "of' the Netherlands I I I j Application October 24, 1956, Serial No. 618,088

Claims priority, application Netherlands August 6, 1956 Claims. (Cl. 132-9) The invention relates to a steam helmet for the treatment of the hair in hair-dressing establishments, said helmet serving to soften the hair during a treatment such as perming and dyeing, and consisting of a bell-shaped body which near the lower rim comprises a bent and perforated pipe for steam supply. Steam helmets of this kind are generally known, but the results attained with them are not very satisfactory, and it-has been found that this is due to the fact that the vapour of extremely fine droplets rising in the helmet does not penetrate into the hair of the person to be treated, but passes close along the wall of the helmet where it condenses. This results in that the vapour practically fails to penetrate into the hair all over the heads surface.

Attempts have been made to eliminate this drawback by means of partitions in the helmet, but the result was that the vapour condensed against the partitions, whilebeyond the partitions it diverged from the hair again and condensed against the helmet.

An object of the invention is the provision of a steam helmet in which this drawback has been obviated in a simple manner. According to the invention this end is attained by the provision in the helmet of one or more air supply openings, which are connected with a fan. This fan need have only a small capacity, since the air supplied to the helmet serves exclusively to cause a whirling motion of the vapour rising in it, so that this vapour is detached from the wall of the helmet and owing to the whirling motion penetrates into the hair all over the heads surface and softens the hair, which is necessary for the treatment to be applied.

Further such a steam helmet is preferably also characterized in that when the air enters the steam helmet, the air supply meets with a deflecting member, which deflects this air in a direction approximately parallel to the inner wall of the helmet. Thus the air is prevented from exercising an adverse secondary action on the hair, while this air will consequently have the greatest possible elfect in causing the whirling motion of the vapour.

This deflecting member is adapted to cause the air to flow oil in the helmet only in some of the possible directions if in a part of the helmet, on account of the general direction of flow of the vapour, no whirling air is needed.

The deflecting member preferably forms part of a movable valve, which may be flexible and along part of its circumference may be firmly secured to the helmet so as to prevent the passage of the air, while one or more other parts of the valve may be adjustable in position with a view to increasing or decreasing the local passage of the air. Thus the air supply can be controlled completely, while it is also possible to admit more air in one direction than in another. The construction is preferably such that more than one part of the valve can be independently adjusted.

According to the invention the air supply opening is further preferably provided in the upper part of the. helmet, the deflecting member or the valve directing the air exclusively along part of the rear wall along part of the two side walls ofthe helmet. This small air; supply is suflicient-to bring about the; desired whirlingv motion without obstructing the normal rising motion of: the vapour, which vapour normally rises from the rear and the sides, andcan escape near the front rim.

The invention will W 'b6 elucidated more in detail withreference to thedrawing,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical, crossesection through the,

steam helmet according to'the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the valve with air openings.

The helmet 1 shown in Fig. 1 has a lower rim 2 constructed to serve as a collecting channel for condensed water, which contains a pipe 3 with perforations 4, said pipe passing inside the rim along approximately half the circumference of the helmets rim and being connected with a steam supply pipe 5. Through the perforations the vapour rises, e. g. as indicated by the arrow 6. In the upper part of the helmet, an air supply 7 has been provided, through which cold air is fed into the helmet by means of the fan 8, preferably in a direction parallel to the inner wall 15 of the helmet. In the mouth of the air supply conduit is fitted a valve 9, which can be adjusted by means of two screwthreaded rods 10 and accessory handwheels 11 each supported on air supply 7 by a supporting member 16. This valve permanently shuts off the air supply in front at section 12 and, as appears from Fig. 2, at the rear section 17 and on the two side sections 18 and 19 has openings 13, of which only the rearmost one is visible in Fig. 1. These openings are formed by recessed parts 20 in the valve body, which consists, for example, of a metal disc functioning as a deflecting member or adjustable plate. By the operation of the handwheels 11, the size of the openings 13, which admit air to the sides, is controlled, as desired: in the same or in opposite directions, and quite independently of each other. In this way it is possible, even during the treatment, to alter the flow of air in accordance with the shape of the hair (type of the hair or hairdress) and the stage of the treatment. When the side openings are adjusted, the rear opening 13 will be adjusted at the same time.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical illustration of the air openings of the valve 9, through which therefore in three directions a current of air flows down along the inner wall of the helmet and imparts a whirling motion to the rising vapour. The location of the controlling rods 10 is clearly shown.

When the invention is applied with the air supply opening provided inside the top of the helmet, it is possible to fit the pipe 3 all round in the rim of the helmet. This presents the great advantage that the hair is treated more uniformly all over the heads surface.

As to the particular construction of the helmet itself, it is seen that rim 2 can be engaged by bolts 21 on a flange 22, a gasket 23 being employed to provide a steamtight fitting. Perforated pipe 3 is supported on flange 22 by a bracket 24.

There will now be obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications and variations of the structure set forth. These modifications and variations will not, however, depart from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A steam helmet for the treatment of hair comprising a bell-shaped body defining an opening for accommodating the head of the person to be treated, a rim portion on said body defining a channel at said opening, a perforated pipe operatively associated with said body adjacent said channel for the supply of steam, said body including a top portion defining an air supply opening, and a deflecting member operatively associated with said body Patented Oct. 14, 1958 awman-1 4. secured to*said -body and'a'plurality of portionsadiustable in position for defining variable air passages.

5. A helmet as claimed ih claim 4 comprising means for independently adjusting the portions which are adjustable. 1