US3316921A - Bobby pin with finger gripping means - Google Patents

Description

y 2, 1957 F. 1.. WESTBURG ET AL 3,316,921

BOBBY PIN WITH FINGER GRIPPING MEANS Filed Nov. 4, 1964 INVENTORS Florence L.Wes1tburg a Ruth Rosefsky BY iti'fi m M, W a E mg ATTOR EYS United States Patent 3,316,921 BOBBY PIN WITH FINGER GRIPPING MEANS Florence L. Westburg, 514 Mulberry St., Hollidaysburg, Pa. 16648, and Ruth Rosefsky, 1116 Liberty St., Morris, Ill. 60450 Filed Nov. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 408,925 2 Claims. (Cl. 132-50) The present invention relates to bobby pin, and has for an object an addition to the conventional bobby pin at the loop portion thereof providing a finger piece which makes it much easier to extract the pin from the hair, involving a faster operation for the beauty operator with no broken fingernails.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a standard bobby pin an attachment of either metallic or plastic, or a combination of both, whereby two fingers or a finger and a thumb may be engaged with opposite sides of the pin at the head thereof and which will afford good purchase for withdrawing the pin from the hair without requiring the fingers or finger and thumb combination to close upon the thin side edges of the pin loop, a circumstance which causes beauty shop operators to incur cuts and bruises and lacerated fingers and thumbs.

Preferably the device of the invention comprises a metallic cross bar fitted crosswise of the loop and attached thereto by any suitable means, for instance, by encasement at least as to its intermediate part in a body or deposit of a plastic material of a thermoplastic nature 'having externally smooth characteristics.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conventional form of bobby pin equipped with an attachment of the invention showing one form thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is an edge elevation of the same.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4--4 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a similar view taken on the line 55 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through the loop portion of the pin in which the attachment of the invention is in sole form of a plastic deposit.

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on the line 7-7 in FIGURE 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIG URES l, 2 and 3 a hobby pin of a conventional form is illustrated having complemental clamp members 10 and 11, the latter of which is ordinarily corrugated as shown and provided at its free end with a short diagonal terminal 12 which forms with the terminal of the companion clamp member a wide mouth adaptable for convenience in receiving therein a lock of hair.

The loop 13 which joins the two clamp members 10 and 11 is, according to the invention, in that form shown in FIGURES 1 to 5 thereof provided with a cross bar 14 which may be aflixed to the loop -13 as by welding, brazing or the like, with opposite end portions of the cross bar extending substantially beyond the side edges of the loop 13 to a distance adequate to provide finger holds at opposite sides of the loop from an edgewise aspect.

3,316,921 Patented May 2, 1967 Preferably, although not necessarily, this cross bar 14 including the loop 13 is encased in a body or deposit 15 of a suitable plastic or resin which will add to the thickness of the bar and present a smoother surface to the fingers and thumb of the operator. This plastic body 15 may completely encase the cross bar 14 or it may only partially do so.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the. encased cross bar produces finger holds 16 and 17 which project out from the edgewise portion of the loop to give good finger and thumb contact. The body 15 also preferably extends in knobs 18 and 19, which knobs follow the curvature of the loop, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, building up the cross-section of the loop into substantial finger pieces. These knobs 18 and 19 extend at substantially right angles to the direction of projection of the finger holds 16 and 17.

According to the form of invention shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7, any metallic bar such as 14 is dispensed with and a body of plastic 15 is made to serve the purpose of the projections and knobs, the projections being indicated at 16 and 17 in FIGURE 7, and the knobs at 18 and 19 in FIGURE 6.

In the use of the device the pin is applied in the usual manner by spreading the clamp members and pushing the same onto a lock of hair. Later, after the hair has dried, the pin may be simply and quickly removed by engaging the fingers or thumb and a finger with the headpiece which is formed by the plastic body or deposit 15, the projections 16 and 17 and the knobs 18 and 19. For instance, the index and second finger may be placed at opposite sides of the projections and the bobby pin readily withdrawn. In addition the thumb might engage the saddle of the plastic body, which saddle is at the highest point of the loop 13 and extends appreciably to both sides thereof.

According to the modification shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the plastic body is made to serve both purposes, dispensing with the metallic cross bar 14, in which event the plastic body is molded about the loop and extends for a distance down into the clamp members where the lower portions of the plastic body may be made bulbous, as indicated in FIGURE 3, to provide for the engagement of the fingers therebeneath and to offer also smooth contact by the fingers in all parts of the plastic body.

The plastic body presents an extremely smooth external surface to the fingers of the operator and the addition to the hobby pin according to the invention acts to thicken the pin in the region of the loop presenting oppositely extending projections 16 and 17 and oppositely projecting knobs 18 and 19 in intersecting planes which add to the attractiveness of the pin as well as have the utilitarian purposes described.

Although we have disclosed herein the best forms of the invention known to us at this time, we reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bobby pin comprising (a) complemental clamp members,

(b) a loop connecting the members at one end, and

(c) a rigid cross bar aflixed only to the inner face of the loop and having parts extending a substantial distance to both sides thereof to provide finger pieces.

2. A bobby pin as claimed in claim 1 in which a plastic deposit encompasses the cross bar and extends laterally beyond the loop at substantially right angles to the axis of the cross bar to provide knobs which cooperate with he finger pieces to form handholds to aid in the re- 2,737,188 3/1956 Jackson 132-50.2 noval of the hobby pin from the hair of the head of 3,038,479 6/1962 COlli 13250 the FOREIGN PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner 5 8,169 1 4 Great Britain UNITED STATES PATENTS 122,647 10/1927 Switzerland.

1,494,280 5/1924 Odom 132-52 1,855,811 4/1932 Weissenbom 132 5O'2 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Przmary Exammer.

2,650,596 9/1953 Portaro 132-50 R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A BOBBY PIN COMPRISING (A) COMPLEMENTAL CLAMP MEMBERS, (B) A LOOP CONNECTING THE MEMBERS AT ONE END, AND (C) A RIGID CROSS BAR AFFIXED ONLY TO THE INNER FACE OF THE LOOP AND HAVING PARTS EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE TO BOTH SIDES THEREOF TO PROVIDE FINGER PIECES.

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