US3085328A

US3085328A - Hair-clipping instrument

Info

Publication number: US3085328A
Application number: US90304A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis N Strike
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-02-20
Filing date: 1961-02-20
Publication date: 1963-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-16

Description

April 16, 1963 L. N. STRIKE 3,

HAIR-CLIPPING INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 20, 1961 g f 50 W it A I M 3!; ZQ ]9 24 J3 v I INVENTOR. [00/5 /V. TR/KE BY g This invention relates to a power-operated instrument for trimming or clipping hairs in cavities and other hardto-reach places, especially in the outer ear cavities and nasal fossae.

An object of the present invention is to provide an instrument of the character referred to that is especially adapted for use by barbers and other professionals as well as by laymen to safely and expeditiously clip unwanted hair in cavities and fossae. present construction is of special importance to avoid accidental laceration as well as abrasions of the skin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hairclipping instrument that is quiet in operation and transmits minimum vibration. This feature is particularly advantageous when the instrument is applied to the ears where, of course, unduly loud and noisy operation would be undesired.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with the housing thereof broken away, of a power-operated hair-clipping instrument according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the operating portion of the instrument with the housing thereof removed.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is abroken quarter-sectional view of a modification.

The present power-operated hair-clipping instrument comprises, generally, a housing 5, an electric motor 6 disposed within the housing and having an output shaft 7, a bracket 8 within the housing and forming a forward extension of the motor, a stationary but removable hollow clipper element 9 carried by the bracket and extending forwardly from the housing 5, a rotational clipper element 10 operable within the hollow of element 9 and cooperating therewith to cut hairs, and a resilient connection 11 between the motor shaft 7 and the clipper element 10 and constituting a sound-and vibrating-damping means as well as providing safety of operation of said element 10.

The housing may be variously formed as a shell, preferably of two parts, to enclose all but the operating end of the clipper element 9. The same is shown as formed to have a pistol grip portion 15 and a barrel portion 16, the element 9 protruding from the end of the latter portion. An electric connection 17 may be provided for the motor 6, the same being here shown as extending from the end of the pistol grip portion 15. A switch for cutting the motor in and out of circuit may be provided, the same being suggested by the operating button 18 at the front part of the grip portion 15.

The safety feature of the.

ice

The motor 6 may be generally conventional. The same is suggested by its field magnets 19 and armature 20. The output shaft 7 is shown as comprising a rotational extension of said armature and as disposed on and directed along the axis of the barrel portion 16 of the housing 5.

The bracket 8 is shown as a triangular frame having a part 21 that resides in the housing barrel part 16. A bridge-like end 22. on the part 21 is provided with a tapped hole 23 on the axis of the motor shaft 7 and spaced forward of the forward end of said shaft.

The clipper element 9 is of tubular form and is advantageously made of a hardened, non-corrosive metal sleeve 24. The same has a bore 25 that in one form of the invention (FIGS. 1 to 3) is a through bore, and in the other form (FIG. 4) is closed at the end by a wall 26. A threaded shank 27' of said sleeve 24 has removable engagement with the tapped hole 23, a shoulder 28 on the sleeve limiting the position of said sleeve on the end 22 of the bracket part 21. The outer surface of said sleeve 24 is preferably tapered forwardly, substantially as shown, and the end annular corner 29, whether the sleeve has an open end or has the end Wall 26, is preferably rounded-over to present a smooth, nondrritating end for engagement in operating areas. A set of longitudinal cuts 30 is provided in the forward end of said sleeve and partly extending radially toward the center of wall 26, if the latter is used, said cuts 30- forming longitudinal cutting edges 31 at the bore 25 of the sleeve.

The clipper element 10 is of rod form and of a similar hardened material as sleeve 24. The same has an outer cylindrical size to rotationally fit in the sleeve bore 25 and, wherever desired, relief or clearance may be provided between said sleeve 24 and element 10 to minimize friction. At one end, a slightly reduced portion 32 is directed toward the motor shaft and in axial coincidence thereof, and, at the opposite forward end, said element is formed with an end cavity 33. A set of longitudinal cuts 34 is provided in the latter end of the element 10, the same forming longitudinal cutting edges 35 at the outer face of said element. It will be clear that said edges 35- cooperate with the edges 31 of element 9 to cut through hairs that project into the cavity 33, as the element 10 is rapidly mated by the motor 6.

The form of the

cuts

30 and 34 and their longitudinal disposition may be varied. Thus, the

edges

31 and 35 may be differently angled relatively to obtain eflicient clipping or shearing to minimize pulling on the hairs being cut.

The connection 11 is shown as a flexible tube 36 that fits tightly over shaft 7 and portion 32 of the rotational clipper element 10 and spans longitudinally between said shaft and portion, and a thrust washer 37' between the end of tube 36 and the shoulder on element 10 that is formed by said portion 32.

Tube 36 is preferably made of rubber or of a synthetic resin of comparable flexibility. It will be clear that said tube provides a flexible drive that by torsional force transmits the rotation of shaft 7 to the element 10 and that said drive is a resilient one as well as a drive that absorbs motor vibration and dampens motor sound which would otherwise be transmitted along the shaft to the clipper element 10. As a consequence, the operation is a noiseless and pleasant one as well as safe in use, and it will be evident that the described device fully realizes the objects of the invention.

It will be noted, particularly from FIG. 2, that the forward end of the element 10 terminates short of the open end of element 10. Thus, the latter end protects against accidental lacerations between the ends of the elements. Of course, the wall 26 serves the same purpose in the modification.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall Within (the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1'. A hair clipping instrument comprising a motor assembly including a fixed part and a rotary part, a rotary output member fixed to the rotary part of said motor, a bracket attached to the fixed part of said motor assembly, said bracket having an outwardly projecting supporting terminal defining an opening axially aligned with said output member and spaced from the motor assembly, an outer tubular clipper element removably mounted in said opening and projecting outwardly therefrom, said outer tubular clipper element being axially aligned with the axis of said rotary output member, an inner clipper element rotatably disposed in said outer clipper element and axially aligned therewith, said inner clipper element terminating inwardly of the outer extremity of said outer clipper element and including an inner power connecting terminal positioned inwardly of the outer clipper element, and a resilient non-metallic vibration damping connection between the rotary output member and the inner clipper power connecting terminal for transmitting power from the motor to the inner clipper element.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the rotary output member fixed to the rotary part of the motor assembly and the inner power connecting terminal of the posed in said opening and extending away from said motor, an, inner clipper element rotationally disposed in said outer element having a drive shaft coaxially spaced from said output shaft, and a resilient non-metallic sleeve connecting said output shaft and said drive shaft whereby vibrations and noise from said motor present in said output shaft are absorbed in said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,312,933 Seiders Mar. 2, 1943 2,387,756 Henningsen Oct. 30, 1945 2,590,619 Hofland Mar. 25, 1952 2,801,465 Cason Aug. 6, 1957 2,946,121 Marach July 26, 1960 2,987,818 Rosenstein June 13, 1961

Claims

1. A HAIR CLIPPING INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A MOTOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A FIXED PART AND A ROTARY PART, A ROTARY OUTPUT MEMBER FIXED TO THE ROTARY PART OF SAID MOTOR, A BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE FIXED PART OF SAID MOTOR ASSEMBLY, SAID BRACKET HAVING AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING SUPPORTING TERMINAL DEFINING AN OPENING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID OUTPUT MEMBER AND SPACED FROM THE MOTOR ASSEMBLY, AN OUTER TUBULAR CLIPPER ELEMENT REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID OPENING AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID OUTER TUBULAR CLIPPER ELEMENT BEING AXIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE AXIS OF SAID ROTARY OUTPUT MEMBER, AN INNER CLIPPER ELEMENT ROTATABLY DISPOSED IN SAID OUTER CLIPPER ELEMENT AND AXIALLY ALIGNED THEREWITH, SAID INNER CLIPPER ELEMENT TERMINATING INWARDLY OF THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF SAID OUTER CLIPPER ELEMENT AND INCLUDING AN INNER POWER CONNECTING TERMINAL POSITIONED INWARDLY OF THE OUTER CLIPPER ELEMENT, AND A RESILIENT NON-METALLIC VIBRATION DAMPING CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ROTARY OUTPUT MEMBER AND THE INNER CLIPPER POWER CONNECTING TERMINAL FOR TRANSMITTING POWER FROM THE MOTOR TO THE INNER CLIPPER ELEMENT.