US3129451A

US3129451A - Brush cleaning device

Info

Publication number: US3129451A
Application number: US242265A
Authority: US
Inventors: Colaianni Thomas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-12-04
Filing date: 1962-12-04
Publication date: 1964-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 1981-04-21

Description

April 21, 1964 T. C OLAIANNI 3,129,451

BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE Filed Dec. 4, 1962 1 I8 I8 34 I6 A 1 2/ o 1 23 22 I7 I IIHIII lli l I2 ma INVENTOR THOMAS COLAIANNI BY Wgh K ATTbRNEY.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,129,451 Patented Apr. 21, 1964 3,129,451 BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE Thomas Coiaianni, 8832 29th Ave., Brooklyn 14, N.Y. Filed Dec. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 242,265 Claims. (Cl. 15-303) The present invention relates to a brush cleaning device, in general, and to such device, which permits not only cleaning, but also sterilization of a plurality of brushes independently or simultaneously, in particular.

It is well known that comb cleaning devices have been known for an appreciable time, yet hair brushes were usually cleaned and disinfected or sterilized in beauty parlors as a rule manually, in spite of the fact that such cleaning is a time-consuming procedure.

It is, therefore, one object of the present 1nvent1on to rovide a brush cleaning device, which comprises means for supporting a plurality of hair brushes and wherein a rotary brush is coordinated to each of the hair brushes to be cleaned. Furthermore means are provided to subject the rotary brushes to a preferably substantially vertical reciprocating movement along the hair brushes, which cleans each of the coordinated brushes during such striking reciprocating movement.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a brush cleaning device, in which a plurality of hair brushes is disposed for mechanical cleaning by means of rotary brushes and wherein the hair brushes are simultaneous-ly subjected to a spray of steam, in order to bring about sterilization of the hair brushes during their mechanical cleaning.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understod in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the brush cleaning device;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the device; and

FIG. 3 is a section along the lines 33 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, it will readily be ascertained, that the brush cleaning device comprises a base 1, in which an electric heating body 2 is inserted and supported, the electric heating body being equipped with feeding cables 2'.

A boiler 3 filled with Water is disposed on top to the heating body 2, the water in the boiler 3 being brought to a boiling point by means of the electric heating body 2.

The boiler 3 is preferably an elongated body having a bottom wall, side walls and a top wall 4, and a plurality of nozzles 5 project upwardly from the latter and through which nozzles 5 steam produced in the boiler 3 escapes in upward direction. A casing 6 is mounted on top of the boiler 3, which casing 6 has an open bottom and an open top, yet is equipped with lateral slots 7, preferably in two oppositely disposed side walls 8 of the casing 6.

A platform 9 is disposed at the bottom of the casing 6, which platform 9 has a plurality of bores 10 disposed in the same pattern as and complementary to the nozzles 5 arranged in the top wall 4 of the boiler 3, in order to insert each of the nozzles 5 into a corresponding bore 1%} of the platform 9.

A plurality of vertically disposed boards 11 are secured to the platform 9 spaced apart from each other at a predetermined distance coordination with the bores 10 provided in the platform 9, which boards 11 are disposed substantially parallel to each other and are equipped with clamping means 12 adapted to suspend the brushes 13, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings by the clamping means 12.

Two posts 14 are disposed laterally in substantially vertical direction, which posts 14 are adapted to operate as tracks for a supporting member 15. The supporting member 15' comprises two oppositely disposed carriers 16 which are equipped with horizontally outwardly projecting pins 17, on which upper rollers 18 and lower rollers 19 are rotatably mounted. The upper rollers 18 are arranged towards the rear portion of the oppositely disposed carriers 16, while the lower rollers 19 are arranged at the most forward portion of the oppositely disposed carriers 16. By this arrangement, it is possible to have the rollers 18 run on the rear face of the posts 14, while the bottom rollers 19 run on the front face of the posts 14.

The oppositely disposed carriers 16 are rigidly connected by means of a connecting bar 20. An arm 21 projects forwardly from each of the carriers 16 and a plurality of shafts 22 are rotatably mounted across to and between the oppositely disposed arms 21. The shafts 22 are arranged parallel relative to each other and spaced apart at a distance substantially equal with the distance of the boards 11. Each of the shafts 22 has keyed thereto a plurality of rotary brushes 23, the latter being axially spaced apart from each other for a distance substantially equal with the spaces provided between each pair of adjacent clamping means 12 on the boards 11, so that a rotary brush 23 is coordinated to each hair brush 13 to be cleaned, as will be set forth below.

The shafts 22 project through the arms 21 and carry at their outer ends outside of the arms 21 a sprocket wheel or belt pulley 24, whereby a single belt or chain 25 engages each of the sprocket wheels or belt pulleys 24 disposed adjacent each of the arms 21.

One of the arms 21 has secured thereto a horizontally disposed board 26, which carries an electric motor 27 including a motor shaft 28 which has at its end a pulley or sprocket wheel 29, which drives the belt or chain 25 and thereby rotates simultaneously all shafts 22 and, hence all rotary brushes 23.

The motor shaft 28 has an additional pulley or sprocket wheel 30 keyed thereto which drives by means of a belt or chain 31 a pulley or sprocket wheel 32. The latter is keyed to a shaft 33 rotatably mounted between the two opposite carriers 16. Preferably two cam discs 34 are keyed to the shaft 33, which cam discs 34 are adapted to engage continuously corresponding follower rollers 35 rotatably mounted on an axle 36 which is rigidly secured between the posts 14. The longitudinal axis of the shaft 33 is disposed in a vertical plane extending through the longitudinal axis of the axle 36.

Due to the continuous engagement of the cam discs 34 with the follower rollers 35, the entire supporting member 15 will be lifted'for a stroke which is identical with the difference between the smallest radius and the largest radius of the cam discs 34. Since the follower rollers 35 are rotatably, but otherwise immovably mounted on the axle 36, the entire supporting member 15 performs a vertical reciprocating movement, upon starting the electric motor 27, jointly with all of the shafts 22 and thus with the rotary brushes 23, the latter being subjected simultaneously to rotation. Since each of the rotary brushes 23, being a part of the supporting member 15, performs a vertical reciprocating movement, thereby passing over each of the hair brushes 13 coordinated thereto, the rotary brushes 23 bring about a mechanical cleaning of the hair brushes 13 during such reciprocating substantially vertical movement. In order to permit such reciprocating substantially vertical movement, the shafts 22 are assembled or secured to the arms 21 after extending through the slots 7 of the casing 6 or by any other suitable means well known to the men skilled in the art, so that the shafts 22 can move in the slots during their reciprocating movement. Since simultaneously a sterilization of the hair brushes 13 is desired, though such sterilization can be obtained independently from the mechanical cleaning, steam will extend from the nozzles 5 into the casing 6 and move upwardly along the hair brushes 13 to escape finally through the slots 7 of the casing 6.

During the reciprocating movement of the supporting member 15, the carriers 16 will move upwardly and downwardly, respectively, along the posts 14, whereby the upper rollers 18 will engage the rear face of the posts 14 and the lower rollers 19 will engage the front face of the posts 14. The cam discs 34 will, during rotation thereof, bring about a lifting of the supporting member 15, while the downward or return movement is achieved by the weight of the supporting member or unit 15, so that continuous engagement is brought about between the outer face of the cam discs 34 and the follower rollers 35.

It is also possible to remove the boards 11 together with the platform 9' as one unit and insert the hair brushes 13, while being removed from the device, and upon insertion of the platform 9 with its boards 11 into the casing 6, all hair brushes 13 clamped to the boards 11 can be subjected to the cleaning and sterilization process as set forth above.

In order to obtain simultaneously the mechanical cleaning of the hair brushes 13 by the rotary brushes 23, as well as the sterilization by escape of the steam, it is possible to operate the electric motor 27 by a thermostat (not shown) in such manner, that the electric motor starts operation only upon obtaining a predetermined steam temperature, so that the mechanical cleaning takes place only after steam has been formed in the boiler 3. Additionally, a time switch (not shown) can be provided for the electric motor 27, in order to shut off the operation automatically after a cleaning operation for any predetermined time period, as for instance, 5 to minutes.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lowermost position of the carrier 16 is shown in full lines in FIG. 2, while the uppermost position is indicated in dotted lines.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning device for hair brushes or the like, comprising a platform,

at least two substantially vertical posts disposed laterally at said platform,

at least one substantially vertical board mounted on said platform,

means adapted to releasably retain a plurality of hair brushes on said board along an imaginary horizontal line spaced apart at a predetermined distance from each other,

a supporting member including two oppositely disposed carriers connected by a connecting bar,

said carriers including rollers running along corresponding opposite faces of said posts and the latter forming tracks for said carriers,

an arm projecting forwardly from each of said carriers,

an electric motor supported by one of said arms,

at least one first shaft disposed crosswise between said arms,

a plurality of rotary brushes keyed to said shaft and axially spaced apart from each other for a distance equal with the distance between said retaining means for said hair brushes,

a second shaft rotatably mounted between said carriers,

at least one cam disc keyed to said second shaft,

an axle rigidly secured between said posts,

the longitudinal axis of said axle being disposed in a substantially vertical plane including the longitudinal axis of said second shaft,

a follower roller turnably mounted on said axle and engaging continuously the peripheral face of said cam disc,

means for rotating said first shaft and said second shaft by said electric motor,

so that upon start of said motor said cam disc and said rotary brushes are subjected to rotation and said entire supporting member performs a lifting stroke along said posts by operation of said cam disc and a downward stroke by the weight of said supporting member.

2. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a plurality of first shafts rotatably mounted in said arms,

and disposed parallel relatively to each other.

3. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said posts are of rectangular cross-section and having a front face and a rear face,

one of said rollers of said carriers being mounted at its rear portion and another of said rollers being mounted at its front portion and the horizontal distance between said one of said rollers and said other of said rollers being substantially equal with the distance between said front face and said rear face of said posts.

4. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a base,

a heating body mounted on said base,

a boiler adapted to receive water disposed on top of said heating body,

said boiler having a top plate and a plurality of nozzles projecting from said top plate,

a casing mounted on top of said boiler and receiving said vertical board, so that steam escaping from said boiler through said nozzles passes said hair brushes releasably retained on said board.

5. The cleaning device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said platform carrying said board is removably inserted in said casing, and

said platform having a plurality of bores arranged complementary to the pattern of said nozzles in the top plate of said boiler to guide the escaping steam along said board toward said hair brushes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. A CLEANING DEVICE FOR HAIR BRUSHES OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING A PLATFORM, AT LEAST TWO SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSTS DISPOSED LATERALLY AT SAID PLATFORM, AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL BOARD MOUNTED ON SAID PLATFORM, MEANS ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY RETAIN A PLURALITY OF HAIR BRUSHES ON SAID BOARD ALONG AN IMAGINARY HORIZONTAL LINE SPACED APART AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER, A SUPPORTING MEMBER INCLUDING TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED CARRIERS CONNECTED BY A CONNECTING BAR, SAID CARRIERS INCLUDING ROLLERS RUNNING ALONG CORRESPONDING OPPOSITE FACES OF SAID POSTS AND THE LATTER FORMING TRACKS FOR SAID CARRIERS, AN ARM PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM EACH OF SAID CARRIERS, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR SUPPORTED BY ONE OF SAID ARMS, AT LEAST ONE FIRST SHAFT DISPOSED CROSSWISE BETWEEN SAID ARMS, A PLURALITY OF ROTARY BRUSHES KEYED TO SAID SHAFT AND AXIALLY SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER FOR A DISTANCE EQUAL WITH THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID RETAINING MEANS FOR SAID HAIR BRUSHES, A SECOND SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID CARRIERS, AT LEAST ONE CAM DISC KEYED TO SAID SECOND SHAFT, AN AXLE RIGIDLY SECURED BETWEEN SAID POSTS, THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID AXLE BEING DISPOSED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE INCLUDING THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID SECOND SHAFT, A FOLLOWER ROLLER TURNABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE AND ENGAGING CONTINUOUSLY THE PERIPHERAL FACE OF SAID CAM DISC, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID FIRST SHAFT AND SAID SECOND SHAFT BY SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR, SO THAT UPON START OF SAID MOTOR SAID CAM DISC AND SAID ROTARY BRUSHES ARE SUBJECTED TO ROTATION AND SAID ENTIRE SUPPORTING MEMBER PERFORMS A LIFTING STROKE ALONG SAID POSTS BY OPERATION OF SAID CAM DISC AND A DOWNWARD STROKE BY THE WEIGHT OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER.