US2980118A - Curl clip - Google Patents

Description

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G. N. BOLINGER 2,980,118

CURL CLIP April 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1957 INVENTOR GEORGE NOEL BOL INGE R BY X416 ATTORNEY April 1961 G. N. BOLINGER 2,980,118

CURL CLIP Filed July 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GEORGE NOEL BOL INGER ATTORNEY U ed. S ates. Paten i CURL CLIP George Noel Bolinger, Shelbyville, Ill., assignor to Sta- Rfittlauginnie Lou, Inc., Shelbyville, 11]., a corporation Filed July 15, 1957, Ser. N0. 671,840

4 Claims. (Cl. 132-48) This invention relates to an improved hair clip especially adaptable for use in the formation of pin-curls, for example.

In the creation of the coifiure, a plurality of pin-curls are generally formed and retained until set. Pin-curl clips generally used for this purpose should be light, readily manipulated, well constructed, capable of applying a uniform pressure until manually released, safe in use, and economically manufactured.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an integral pin-curl clip including means providing all of the desirable features heretofore set forth. p

- A further object of this inventionis to provide-a curl clip of a one-piece construction including a pair of spring biased clamp fingers generally disposed in parallel relationship and including means for retaining relative stability of the fingers and affording ready manipulation of the clip during application toa curl orremoval from the same.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course 'of the following description. g

In the drawing there is shown, substantially enlarged, one preferred embodiment of the'invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the curl ing the clipin its normal condition; I a I Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 ofFigure 1; g i

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the curl clip;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the curl clip;

Figure 5 is an end elevation looking. from;right to left in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a plan view or a blanki'utilized in the formation of the curl clip; v

- Figure .7 is a perspective view ofathe curl clip, similar to Figure 1, but showing thecurl clip in an open condition prior to application on a pin-curl or the like;

Figure 8 15a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 8-8 of Figure 1; and,

clip showinFigure 3.

Referring to the drawings, indicated generally at 10 is a curl clip comprising a unitary or one-piece body 12 including overlying upper and lower clamp arms 14 and The lower clamp arm 16 lies substantiallyin a single plane and is bifurcated to form parallel fingers 18 and I 20 rounded at their forward ends as indicated'at 22 and 18 and 20 define therebetween a longitudinally extending slot 26, the function of which will subsequently be described in detail. 7

The upper arm 14, in its normal position, will be die a, 2,980,118 Patented Apr. 18, 1961 posed substantially parallel to the arm 16, see Figure 2, and includes at its forward terminal end a downwardly angulated portion 28 terminating short of the end of the arm 16 and incorporating an arcuate forward edge 30 which will be disposed transversely of an intermediate portion of the slot 26 and extend partially therein, see Figure 2. These cooperating portions accordingly prevent lateral relative displacement or'movement between the arms 14 and 16. The arm 14 incorporates an'elongated slot 32 overlying the slot 26 of the arm 16.

Extending rearwardly and angularly in diverging relationship from the general plane of the arm 16, integral with the arm 14, is a lever portion 34, and the entire width of the lever portion 34 and the underlying portion of arm 16 will serve as finger engageable portions for disposing the curl clip in the condition shown in Figure 7.

The lever portion 34 includes at its rear end a transverse arcuate rolled edge portion 36, and the arm 16 includes at its rear end a similar transverse arcuate rolled edge 38, said edge portions serving to eliminate sharp edges and prevent accidental injury to a user of the curl clip. Extending longitudinally'and integrally from intermediate overlying portions of the rolled edges 36 and 38 are opposed legs of a reverse-bend loop or leaf spring 40 which biases the arms toward the condition shown in Figures land 2. The loop or leaf spring 40 extends forwardly and terminates in alignment with the slots 26 and 32, the upper portion of the spring 40 extending through the slot 32, and the lower portion'of the spring extending partially into the slot 26, see Figure 2. The width of the spring 40 isless than the width of the slots as clearly seen in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 9, to provide sufficient room wherein strands of hair will-not become impacted between the adjacent edges of the spring and the slots. However, inasmuch as the spring is disposed within said slots, this arrangement will prevent excessive lateral displacement of the arms 14 and 16 relative to each other.

Briefly considering Figure 6, indicated generally at 42 is a blank ,constructed of any suitable spring material, said blank including an elongated body portion 44mmprising an arm 14 in alignment with an arm 16, said arms being connected by means of longitudinal reduced .width strip portion 40. The arms 14' and 16' have formed therein slots 32 and 26, respectively. By utilizing the blanks disclosed in Figure 6, in suitable forming apt I Operation 7 a .The clip is used in the usual manner by winding a curl,

. holding the curl in woundcondition, pressing the rolled Figure 9 is an end elevation lookingffrom leftitojright edges 36 and 38 together to open the clip, then slipping .the clip over the curlwith the convolutions of the latter lying between the upper and lower arms 14 and 16.. It will be. notedthat the upper and lower arms are normally 'in'spaced parallel relation, and the spacing preferably-is such as to receive a curl ofthe usual size and to exert sufficient pressure thereon to maintain the curl in coiled condition. 7

The angular end 28 of the upper arm acts as a keepertoprevent the clip from slipping from position, as will be apparent. It will be noted that the curved end of the angular portion 28 will extend partly within the slot 26, thus tending to laterally stabilize the arms of the 7 device.

Attention also is invited to the fact that the looped spring has portions lying within at least one of the slots 26 or '32, and the spring accordingly acts as a brace to limit lateral deflection of the upper and lower arms relative to each other. At the same time, the spring 40 is narrower than the slots in the arms to a sufiicient extent to prevent-the-wedging of stray strands of hair between the edges of the springs and the slots.

An importapt feature of the present construction lies in the fact that the spring 40 is wholly within the longitudinal limits of the lever portion 34 and, accordingly, the length of the lever portion 34 takes care of both the leverage necessary for opening the clip and the space to be occupiedby the spring. Moreover, this arrangement permits the use of a relatively long spring from end to end thereof, thus providing a high degree of resiliency. It will be noted that if acurl of hair of substantially greater thickness than the space between the arms 14 and 16 is placed therebetween, a relatively short stiff spring would force the arms of the device to accommodate the curl of greater thickness by widely diverging the arms of the device toward the free ends thereof. The sides of the convolutions toward the free ends of the arms, therefore, would not be properly gripped and the coil of hair would not be held properly in position. With the present device, thelength of the spring and the relatively softer resiliency provided thereby will permit the left-hand end of the upper arm, as viewed in Figures 1-4, inclusive, to be deflected upwardly to accommodate the greater thickness of the curl, thus preventing a wide divergency of the arms toward the free ends thereof and maintaining a proper clamping engagement of the arms with the curl. It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of the parts may be made as do notdepart from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. A curl clip of resilient sheet material comprising upper and lower arms, one end of said upper arm being offset adjacent its extremity away from the other arms to provide a lever portion, and a leaf spring connected at one end to said extremity of said lever portion and at its other end ,to the extremity of the corresponding portion of said lower arm and constituting the sole positive connection between said arms, said leaf spring extending inwardly from said extremities between said arms and being bent intermediate its ends, said arms and said leaf spring being integral, said lower arm being provided with a longitudinal slot opening through the end of said lower arm opposite said spring, the end of said upper arm opposite said spring converging downwardly toward the corresponding end of said lower arm and having a curved end engaging said lower arm within said slot to act as a closure for the space between said arms and to tend to prevent relative lateral movement of the ends of said arms opposite said spring.

2, A curl clip of resilient sheet'material comprising upper and lower arms, one end of said upper armdiverging toward its extremity away from the other arm to provide a lever portion, and a leaf spring connected at one end to said extremity of said lever portion and at its other end to the extremity of the corresponding portion of said lower arm, said leaf spring extending inwardly from said '4 extremities'betweensaid arms and being -bent'intermediate its ends, said arms and said leaf spring being integral, said lower arm having a longitudinal slot opening through the end of said lower arm opposite said spring and extending through said lower arm to a point beyond the bend in said spring, said spring having a: portion lying within said slot to tend to prevent relative lateral offsetting of said arms.

, 3. A curl clip of resilient sheet material comprising upper and lower-arms, one endrof said upper arm diverging toward its extremity away from the other arm to provide a lever portion, and, a leaf spring connected at one end to said extremity of said lever portion and at its other end to the extremity of the corresponding portion of said lower arm, said leaf spring extending inwardly from said extremities between said arms and being bent intermediate its ends, saidarms and said leaf spring being integral, said lower arm having a longitudinal slot opening through the end'of said lower arm opposite said spring and extending through said lower arm to a point beyond the bend in said spring, said spring having a portion lying within said slot to tend to prevent relative lateral offsetting of said arms, the end of said upper arm opposite said spring converging toward the extremity of the corresponding cnd of said lower arm and terminating in a rounded end engageable with said lower arm in said slot to tend to prevent lateral movement of the adjacent ends of said arms relative to each other and to act as a closure for the space between said arms.

4. A curl clip comprising an integral sheet metal body of spring material including upper and lower arms and a spring connected, between said arms atone end thereof, the extremities of the clip at said ends of said arms and throughout the widths thereof being curved back upon themselves and into the space therebetween to form curved finger engaging portions, said end of said upper arm being offset away from said lower arm adjacent said extremity of said upper arm to form a lever portion, said spring having a loop intermediate its ends and having end portions projecting toward and forming continuations of said curved extremities of the respective upper and lower arms, said spring being of, a width substantially less than the width of said arms and lying centrally of the width of said arms, said upper arm having a longitudinal slot adjacent and slightly wider than said spring and receiving a portion thereof therewithin to resist lateral displacement of the other ends of said arms relative to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent 551,622 Germany June 3, 1932

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