US2917055A

US2917055A - Hair cutting guide

Info

Publication number: US2917055A
Application number: US658771A
Authority: US
Inventors: George H Fouche
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-05-13
Filing date: 1957-05-13
Publication date: 1959-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1976-12-15

Description

Dec. 15, 1959 G. H. FOUCHE 2,917,055

HAIR CUTTING GUIDE Filed y 13, 1957 IN VEN TOR. GEORGE H. mus/45 1 BY I United States Patent HAIR CUTTING GUIDE George H. Fouche, Falls Church, Va.

Application May 13, 1957, Serial No. 658,771

6 Claims. (Cl. 132-45) This invention relates to a hair cutting guide and, more particularly, to a hair cutting guide adapted to be used in cutting flat top haircuts. This device is useful for the professional barber and, because of its simplicity and the ease with which the flat top effect may be obtained, maybe readily used successfully by the novice and finds wide use in do-it-yourself haircutting.

,Flat top haircuts are quite popular today particularly among the teenagers. The success of the fiat top haircut depends upon obtaining a perfectly fiat top effect across the top of the head. In light of the fact that the fiat top haircut is generally a short hair cut, the failure to obtain a fiat top effect results in an unflattering effect. It is therefore important that a good deal of care be exercised in obtaining the fiat top effect.

Flat top haircuts are now, for the most part, given by professional barbers in view of the skill required in obtaining the flat top. The skill needed for cutting the flat top without some kind of guide means has made it impossible for the novice to give such a haircut. Even among professional barbers, the results of free hand cutting of flat tops are not satisfactory and are very time consuming. a

Several attempts have been made to provide a means to eliminate the human error in cutting hair to obtain the ,flat top effect. Thus the prior art discloses several devices wherein the clippers are fixed in a predetermined plane. These are exemplified by the Guenther Patent 2,765,796 and DeLano Patent 2,718,231. These devices are very complicated and expensive and as a result have not gained any wide use among professional barbers.

2,917,055 Patented Dec. 15, 1959 It is another object of the present invention to provide a flat top hair cutting guide which is simple, inexpensive and adapted for use by the professional barber as well as the ordinary householder.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flat top hair cutting guide which reduces to a minimum the human error in obtaining the flat top effect.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a fiat top hair cutting guide which is supported at the front and rear thereof to insure that the guide is maintained in a horizontal plane.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fiat top hair cutting guide which is adapted to be set at substantially any position to accommodate the particular head that it is being used upon and to provide sufficient space beneath the guide so that a comb may be passed thereunder to lift the hair into position to be out.

Other and more detailed objects will be apparent from the following description and claims takenin connection with drawings, wherein: V j' 'Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a flat top hair cutting guide encompassed by the present invention showing the device in position on the head; t

Figure 2 is top plan view of a flat top hair cutting guide encompassed by this invention. I

Figure 3 is sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, exploded view of the back section of the device shown in Figure 2 showing the details of the band and grate and the relationship of the rear grate support to the band.

Figure 5 is a partial sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2 showing the details of the front securing means and front grate supporting means.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts in the various views of the drawing, the flat top hair cutting guide of the present invention includes a band 2 which may be made of any suitable flexible material such as thin metal or plastic. Band 2 is provided at each end thereof with a Moreoveigthe expense involved has precluded their use a a in the ordinary household.

The prior art also discloses certain combs which may be used in connection with cutting crewi'and fiat top hair cuts. These are exemplified in the Richmond Patent 2,778,366. In this device, a comb is provided with several legs that may be snapped into position so that they rest on the head while the comb is used as a guide for cutting. This device has several disadvantages in cutting the flat top. In the first place only a limited number of legs can be provided thus seriously limiting the number of positions at which the comb may be used. Secondly, the comb is only supported at one end thereof and therefore does not insure a horizontal plane. A proper result through the use of this device is still to a very large degree dependent upon the skill of the operator.

The prior art also discloses several hair cutting guides, none of which is adapted for obtaining the fiat top effect which is possible through the present invention. :Moreover, they do not provide the necessary access beneath the hair cutting guide to allow the operator to use his comb. Devices of these types are illustrated in the US. Patents 2,542,450 and 2,347,587.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hair cutting guide particularly adapted for acting as a guide tages of prior art devices described above.

in cutting fiat top haircuts which avoids the disadva channel 4 which extends from the terminal ends of said band to a point just short of flanges 6 of band 2. The surfaces of band 2 adjacent channels 4 may be roughened or otherwise provided with a surface which will prevent the securing means, hereinafter. described, from slipping. Channels 4 may be of any desired length to accommodate the various head sizes that may be encountered. Flanges 6, of band 2 are provided with holes 8, through which bolt 10 may be passed. Bolt 10 is held in place by wing nut 12. Band 2 is also providedwith a front hole through which the securing means for front grate support 14, hereinafter described, may pass. Itwill be seen that band 2 may be placed on the head and adjusted to the appropriate size by manipulation of the wing nut 12. The manipulation of wing nut 12 moves together or separates flanges 6 thus varying the circuin ference of band 2. The ends of band 2 are maintained in overlapping relationship so that they may readily slide over each other as wing nut 12 is manipulated. i

The guide arrangement is designated generally at 15 and comprises a grate 16 having front and rear supports 14 and 18 respectively. Said supports 14 and 18 are fixed securely to said'grate 16, and preferably are integral therewith. In a preferred form of this invention said guide arrangement is-made of a single casting of metal or plastic and maybe made of the same material as band 2.

Grate 16 comprises a frame 20, and series of rods 22 which extend across frame 20 from front to back. Rods '22 are sufficientlyrigidso that. they do notben d under the" weight of the clippers or' the operatorsh au d. Rods 22 are spaced apart sufiiciently to allow the hair to be combed upward between the rods during the cutting operation.

Front and rear grate supports 14 and 18 are each provided with grooves 24'which extend from the lower edge thereof toa point short of their 'junctionwith frame 20. The surfaces of supports 18 and1'4 maybe roughened or otherwise provided with means to prevent the slipping of supports or their securing means. i

Guide arrangement 15 is adjustably secured to hand 2 'at the rear thereof by means of bolt 26 which passes from the inside outward through groove 24 and channels 4 and is secured on the outside surface of band 2 by nut 28. Guide arrangement -15 is' adjustably secured at the front of band -2 by means of bolt 30' which passes from inside out through a hole at the front of band 2 and through the groove 24 of the front support 14 and is secured at the front of the band by nut 32. As an alternative the guide arrangement 15 may be assembled so that rear grate support 18 is placed outside of band 2 and thus lies immediately adjacent to nut 23. Washers 34 may also be used in conjunction with

bolt

26 and 30 as illustrated in the drawings The front and back grate supports 14 and 18 are sufiiciently long so that when the present device is in place and adjusted a comb may be passed along underneath the grate'and through the hair to lift the hair upwardly through the spaces in the grate so that the clippers may cut a flat top) In the use of the present invention band 2 is .placed on the head withlthe guide arrangement in place. 'The band is then adjusted to the proper head size to maintain it in position by wing nut 12. The grate'arrangement 15 is then adjusted by means of the nuts 32 and 28 so thatthe surface of the grate is at the desired height, which is dependent upon the shortness of the haircut desired. The grate assembly is also adjusted so that it is securely in position and its upper surface is perfectly fiat. The grate is also adjusted so .that there is sufiicient clearance of the'grate surface above the head to allow for a 'comb to be passed along underneath the grate to lift the hair upwardly through the grate. As the comb is passedalong underneath the grate the cutting instrument cuts the hair that extends abovethe upper grate surface.

Guide arrangement 15 is also adapted to be rotated around the long axis of band 2 and may be fixed in any of the rotated positions. In this manner the upper surface of grate 16 may be fixed at various angles and at various heights with respect to the upper edge of band 2. This construction makes it feasible to use the present hair cutting guide for other hair styles which require a plane surface. Thus, for example, it may be used to cut a "slant top wherein the top surface of the hair is a fiat surface which slopes from one side of the head to the other. Similarly the present device may be used .to cut a -slant top-located on one side of the-head to simulate a part in the hair.

It will be understood that modifications within. the scope of the appended claims may be made in the design and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit .of this invention.

' --What.is claimed is:

.1. A hair cutting guide, adapted to beused for cutting hair in a plane comprising, an adjustable band me ns having an adjustable circumference and adapted to be adjusted to various head sizes, and grate means adjustably secured to said band means said grate means being dimensioned to substantially completely cover .thettop :of thehe'ad of the subject when said hair cutting guide is in operative position, said grate means being further secured to said band means by adjustable securing means at at least 2 points on the circumference of said band means on opposite sides of the head, said adjustable securing means serving to space said .gratemeans. from said :ban'd SPEeP LWEQ E P ahs lsa dht st i guide in ea- 4 tive position on the head clearance is provided for pass ing a comb through the hair and underneath saidgrate means to pick the hair up through spaces in the grate means so that it may be cut by a hair cutting means whereby said adjustable securing means serves to maintain said grate means in the desired plane. 7

2. A hair cutting guide adapted to be used for cutting flat top haircuts comprising, a band means having an adjustabe circumference adapted to be adjusted to various head sizes, a grate means having front and rear supports which operatively engage said band means and which serve to space the upper surface of said grate means from said band means, said grate means being dimensioned to substantially completely cover the top of the head of the subject when said hair cutting guide is in operative position, said grate means being further adjustably secured to said band means through said front and rear supports whereby the upper surface of said grate means may be moved upwardly and downwardly with respect :to said band means and whereby said grate means may be maintained in the desired plane, said front and rear supports being of such size as ,to provide adequate clearance-below said grate surface for passing a comb thereunder to lift the'hair upwardly through the openings in said grate when said hair cutting guide'is in operativposition.

'A'hair cutting guide'adapted tobe used for'cutting flat top haircuts comprising, a band means having adjustable circumference adapted to be adjusted to various head sizes; agratemeans comprising a frame, a series of' spaced members extending from front torear'of said frame and secured thereto, and front and reargrate supporting'means said grate means being dimensioned to substantially completely cover the top of the head of the subject'when said hair cutting guide is in operative position, said grate frame being spaced from and adjustably secured to said band means through said front and rear supporting means, whereby said frame may be moved upwardly and downwardly with respect to said band meansand whereby said grate means may be maintainedin the desired plane, said front and rear supportingmeans be; ing of such size as to provide adequate clearancebelow said'fra me, when'said hair cutting guide is in operative position, so that acomb maybe passed through the hair underneath said frame to lift the hair upwardly through the spaces in'said grate means.

4. A h'aircutting' guide adapted to be used'in cutting hair in a plane, comprising an adjustable band means adapted to be adjusted to various head sizes and a grate means adjustably secured to said band means, said grate means being further spaced from said ban'd'means' and secured thereto at least at two points by adjustahlesecuring' means, said adjustable securing means serving to support said grate means at at least two points onopposite sides fofithe head inthe desired plane, said adjustable ,securing'm'ean's alsoserving to providefclearance under said gratem'eans for'passing a comhthrough the hair when said ,cu'tting guide is in position on the head, whereby the hair'may'hedifted through the openings in said grate means and into a cutting position.

' '5. A hair cutting guide adapted to be used for cutting .flat top hair cuts comprising a V band means having an .adjustableicircurnferenceladapted to be adjusted to various head sizes, a grate means comprising a frame'meansflaiid a series of spaced members extending from front to rear of said frameaud integral'therewi'th, front and rear grate supporting'meaiis integralwith'said frame and adjustably securedto said'band means at thefrontand'rearl,ther'of, whereby :sa'idfframe. may be (moved upwardly and downwardly with respect as said band means, and whereby said grate means may be securely fixed in the desired plane, said grate means being dimensioned tosubstantially completely coverthe top of .the-head'fof the subject when's'aid hair cutting guide is inoperative position, said front and tfiarfgrate .s upportingrneans being. of such a size as to hair cutting guide is in operative position, so that a comb may -be passed through the hair underneath said frame to lift the hair upwardly through the spaces in said grate means.

6. A hair cutting guide adapted to be used for cutting flat top haircuts comprising a band means having a circumference adjustable to various head sizes and having overlapping end portions, said overlapping end portions each being provided with horizontally disposed slots which register With each other; a horizontally disposed grate dimensioned to substantially completely cover the top of the head of the subject when in operative position having front and rear grate supporting means depending therefrom, said grate supporting means being provided with vertically extending slots; adjustable front and rear securing means adapted to secure said grate to said band means one of said adjustable securing means being disposed in said vertical slots of said grate supporting means and said horizontal slots of said end portions of said band means, said adjustable securing means serving to secure said grate supporting means to said band means and to provide for the adjustment of the vertical height of said grate, said grate supporting means being dimensioned to allow for sufficient clearance under said grate whereby a comb may be passed thereunder to lift the hair upwardly through the openings in said grate when said hair cutting guide is in operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 533,466 Howard et a1 Feb. 5, 1895 1,390,465 Shafer Sept. 13, 1921 2,347,587 Wiles Apr. 25, 1944 2,765,797 Potente Oct. 9, 1956