US3149418A

US3149418A - Attachment for hair clippers

Info

Publication number: US3149418A
Application number: US218203A
Authority: US
Inventors: Benjamin K Milbourne
Original assignee: KCK HOLDING CO
Current assignee: KCK HOLDING CO
Priority date: 1962-08-13
Filing date: 1962-08-13
Publication date: 1964-09-22
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-22

Description

Sept. 22, 1964 Filed Aug. 13, 1962 B. K. MILBOURNE 3,149,418

ATTACHMENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. BENJAMIN K. M//. BOUENE 2 l E I 2% A r TOR/V5 rs Sept. 22, 1964 B. K. MILBOURNE 3,149,418

ATTACHMENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS Filed Aug. 13, 1962 T 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 44 I F/G /0 INVEN'mR. BENJAM/N KM/LBOURNE United States Patent 3,149,418 ATTACHMENT FOR HAIR CLIPPERS Benjamin K. Milhourne, San Jose, Calif assignor t0 K.C.K. Holding Company, a partnership Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 218,203 1 Claim. (Cl. 30201) This application is an continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 176,287 filed February 28, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates in general to an attachment for hair clippers.

It is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable comb and gauge attachment for hair clippers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a comb and gauge attachment of the type mentioned above which can be readily attached and detached.

It is another object of this invention to provide a comb and gauge attachment of the type mentioned above which is adjustable to a multitude of positions whereby to provide for a variety of spacings between the cutting blades of the clipper and the attachment.

A further object of this invention is to provide a gauge attachment having a sweep comb which serves to straighten the hair so that it can be more readily cut and which serves to strengthen the structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a gauge having platform steps which engage the clipper in such a manner that it will not be dislodged by vibration.

A still further object is to provide a gauge attachment having side members for protection around the ears.

Other objects and advantages, if not specifically set forth, will become apparent during the course of the description which follows.

Generally, this invention relates to an adjustable comb and gauge attachment for a hair clipper of the type having a plurality of spaced fixed blades and a plurality of cooperating movable blades, said attachment having a plate or planar member of at least the width of the entire plurality of the blades of the clipper, said plate fitting beneath the blades of the clipper and having a resilient clip on a first end thereof for attachment to the butt or rearmost ends of said fixed blades, the clip preferably being an arcuate spring structure which may or may not have an integral handle which may be depressed so as to release the clip. The plate also has a plurality of fixed teeth secured in parallel fashion to a second end thereof, said teeth being so oriented as to parallel said fixed blades of said hair clipper when the attachment is secured to the clipper, each of the teeth having a vertical portion integral therewith, the vertical portions being provided with means, either a series of notches or a resilient material, adapted to engage the front ends of the fixed blades of the clipper at points spaced along said vertical members whereby the plate and said teeth. may be spaced varying distances from said plate and the clipper may be used to cut hair to various lengths. In a preferred form, the device has a top bar member which serves both to strengthen the teeth and as a sweep comb to guide the hair into the teeth of the clipper. This is particularly important with wavy or wirey hair.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation showing the structure of FIGURE 1 in engagement with a hair clipper.

FIGURE 3 is similar to FIGURE 2 showing a different position of the attachment on the clipper.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the structure of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 5 shows a slightly modified structure similar "ice to FIGURE 3 wherein the faces against which the fixed blades of the clipper rest are curved to provide more secure engagement with the blades.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation showing a further modification of the invention shown wherein a plurality of notches are provided for engagement with the fixed blades of the clipper.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation similar to FIGURE 6 showing another modification wherein the notched structure of FIGURE 6 is used but with the arcuate face arrangement of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 9 is a top plan view of the device shown in FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a side view of the clip which is used in the device shown in FIGURES 8 and 9.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like characters refer to like parts throughout, there is shown in FIG- URES 1-4 various views of one embodiment of this invention having a fiat plate or planar portion 10 which is at least as wide as the entire group of fixed blades 12 and movable blades I3 of the hair clipper 14. Secured at the rearmost butt end of the plate is a spring steel clip 16 which is conveniently constructed as shown. The clip-supporting skirt I8 is held in place in the channel in the end of plate 16 and the clip is arcuate in the area designated 29 and folded back upon itself so as to provide a lever arm 22 which may be manually depressed so as to release the comb and gauge attachment from the clipper. At the opposite end of the plate are found integral teeth 24 which are oriented so as to parallel the fixed blades 12 and the movable blades 13 of the clipper when the comb and gauge attachment is secured to the clipper. Each of the teeth has an integral vertical portion 26 which tapers to a point 28. Each vertical portion may have a flat vertical face 30 or a curved face 32 (see FIGURE 5). In this embodiment, a strip of resillent plastic or elastomer material 34 is secured to each vertical face 30 into which the forward-most point of fixed blade 12 is forced. When the clipper is removed, the elastomer material will return to its original flat configuration so that an infinite number of settings for the clipper comb and gauge is provided. The points 28 may be used for purposes of smoothing or combing the hair if desired.

In FIGURES 6 and 7, a somewhat different structure is shown wherein individual discrete notches 36 in the vertical faces of the upright members 26 are provided in stead of the strips of elastomer material 34. The teeth may be arranged in straight rows analogous to the embodiment in FIGURES 14 (FIGURE 6), or in an arcuate fashion analogous to the embodiment of FIGURE 5 (FIGURE 7). For the arcuate embodiment, see FIG- URE 7 wherein there is also provided a brace 38 at either side of the attachment which permits the portion designated 4d of the attachment to be made substantially narrower than might otherwise be possible.

In FIGURES 810, a preferred embodiment of the device is shown. Here, the device has a base member 42 having an inside flat surface 44 and an outside curved surface 46. A metal clip generally designated 48 is secured to the inner surface 44 by means of a self-tapping screw 50 which extends upwardly through the base. Preferably, the clip 48 has a plurality of attachment holes 52 so that it can be adjusted in position. The end of the clip which attaches to the clipper is necked down as at 54 and is provided with a down-turned projection 56 so that it will fit substantially any make of clipper.

The integral teeth 58 extend outwardly from the base 42 as shown and the end teeth 60 form side members 62, preventing contact .of ,the'clippers with the cars. A sweep bar 64 extends across the top of the teeth, greatly strengthening them. The bar 64 also serves to direct the hair into the clippers, and is particularly important with wirey or wavy hair.

All of the inner teeth 58 (i.e. all teeth except the two outer teeth 60) have back portions 66 which terminate generally in line with the sweep bar 64 but which slant downwardly and to the rear. A series of platform steps 68 are cut into the rear portion to receive the front of a hair clipper. By slanting the surfaces 66 to the rear, the notches of any one tooth are all substantially the same distance from the tip 56 of clip 48. Further, the shape of the steps 68 is such that the tip of the clipper is always held firmly. In addition, the spring 48 with its tip 56 is shaped in such a manner that it pushes the clipper forwardand down. Thus, the device is locked in place and remains stable even under the vibration produced in an electric clipper.

The steps 68 are of preselected distances from the bottom portion 44 of the gauge so that various popular styles of cut can be easily achieved by selecting the proper notches. v

The curved base of the clipper attachment is a desirable feature since this permits a faster sweep of the hair into the cutting blades and the relatively great height of each of the individual vertical portions assures that proper hair separation is maintained and more or less equal amounts of hair are guided into each of the cutting blades.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention hereinabove set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claim.

I claim:

An adjustable comb and gauge attachment for a hair clipper of the type having a plurality of parallel, spaced, fixed blades and a plurality of movable blades cooperating with said fixed blades;

(a) said attachment having a planar member of at least the width of the entire plurality of blades of the said clipper;

(b) said planar member having a clip on a first end thereof for engagement with the rearmost ends of said fixed blades;

(0) said planar member having a plurality of fixed teeth secured in parallel fashion to a second end of said planar member, said teeth being so oriented as to parallel said fixed blades of said hair clipper when said attachment is secured to said hair clipper;

(d) each of said teeth having an integral vertical portion secured thereto;

(e) each of said integral vertical portions having a resilient material secured thereto along a vertical edge thereof facing the said blades when said attachment is secured to the said clipper whereby the front ends of said fixed blades may engage said resilient material at points spaced along said vertical portions to permit said planar member and said teeth to be spaced varying distances from said blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 347,207 Smith et a1. Aug. 10, 1886 2,229,688 Waldron Jan. 28, 1941 2,544,052 Scott Mar. 6, 1951 2,780,868 Brown Feb. 12, 1957 3,041,726 Hitson July 3, 1962