US3327337A - Comb cleaner - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1967 R. A. NELSON COMB CLEANER Filed Dec.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i :I'JJ 2 I 70' 1041a) J INVENTOR. EAXMGA/p 4. A/scscw R. A. NELSON June 27, 1967 COMB CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1965 United States Patent 3,327,337 COMB CLEANER Raymond A. Nelson, 316 N. Miller, Litchfield', Minn. 55355 Filed Dec. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 514,257 Claims. (Cl. 15-39) The present invention relates generally to device having utility in barber and beauty shops and more specifically to an apparatus for cleaning and sterilizing combs.

In barber and beauty shops, implements of the trade are used continually and collect hair and foreign matter thereon during such use.

It therefore is desirable to clean and sterilize each implement after its use to assure that adequate cleanliness is maintained.

, Combs present a particular problem in that they are used perhaps as much or more than other implements and thus require considerable care and cleaning. Due to the various comb sizes and teeth spacing it has heretofore been a problem to find a common cleaning method that will expedite the cleaning and sterilizing of the same.

1 Thus in view of the above, it is one object of the instant invention to provide a comb treating apparatus that will clean a comb, sterilize the same, and return the comb to a convenient location ready for use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a comb treating apparatus that will accept combs of various sizes without regard to their order of inserting and will clean the same, immerse the combs in a sterilizing bath for a predetermined interval and return the combs to a convenient location ready for use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a substantially automatic comb treating apparatus that will accept and propel a comb to be cleaned through a cleaning chamber, deposit the cleaned comb in a sterilizing bath and return the sterilized comb to a convenient location ready for use.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view in partial section of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the apparatus of figures but with the rear cover plates broken away to illustrate certain features of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view in partial section of the device of FIG. 1 as taken generally along, and in the direction of line 33 of that figure.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along, and in the direction of line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

The preferred embodiment of the invention can be seen in FIG. 1 and is indicated in its entirety by the numeral '10. The comb treating apparatus includes a comb cleaning chamber or housing 12 and a cleaning or sterilizing bath 14. A tray 54 is moved, through suitable linkage, to and from the sterilizing bath 14 to sterilize the comb.

The comb cleaning chamber 12 includes a top wall 16, side walls 18 and 20, front walls 22 and 22a, and rear walls 24 and 24a. The housing 12 is secured together as by screws 12c and also includes a suitable bottom 26. The housing is also divided into an upper and a lower compartment 12a and 12b by a substantially horizontal divider plate 28. The divider plate 28 is likewise secured to the interior of the housing 12 as by screws 120.

The uppermost compartment 12a includes a pair of vertical partitions 15 and 17 spaced apart from each other and from the front and rear walls 22 and 24a respectively. The partitions 15 and 17 cooperate with the 3,327,337 Patented June 27, 1967 front wall 22 to support shafts 30a and 32a of a pair of helical brushes 30 and 32. The helical brushes 30 and 32 are positioned on opposite sides of a predetermined path indicated by the numeral 34 (FIG. 4) and are rotated inwardly toward the path 34 as indicated by arrows 30c and 30d. Rotation of the brushes 30 and 32 is accomplished by pulleys 36 and 38 suitably attached to the shafts 30a and 30b respectively. The pulleys 36 and 38 are rotated by a suitable drive means as hereinafter described.

When cleaning a comb such as the comb 40 of FIG. 3 it is inserted teeth up in an opening 22b in the front wall 22 and is moved through compartment 14a by the helical brushes 30 and 32. The comb is supported in a channelshaped track 28a which is aflixed to the front wall 22 and partition 15 in alignment with openings 22a and 15a respectively. The openings 22b, 15a, 17a and 24b, together with track 28a, cooperatively define the guideway for the comb 40.

The comb passes through openings 15a and 17a in partitions 15 and 17 and exits through opening 24b in the rear wall 24a. It will he noted that the bristles of brushes 30 and 32 do not extend along the entire length of their respective shaft. For example the rear portion of brush 30 begins adjacent the partition 15 and extends along a portion of its shaft 30a to a location approximately half the distance between plate 22 and the partition 15. Brush 32 however begins adjacent the wall 22 and ends just short of brush 30.

The bristles of brushes 30 and 32 extend spirally outward from their respective shafts and are of such a length as to overlie a portion of path 34 when they are rotated.

The rotary movement .of the helical bristles passing between the teeth of the comb 40 propels the comb forwardly simultaneously with cleaning the teeth. The comb 40 in passing through opening 17a in partition 17 is met by a pair of vertical brushes 42 and 44 which are located on opposite sides of the path 34. The brushes 42 and 44 are supported on their respective shafts 46 and 48 the, ends of which are suitably journalled for rotation in the top plate 16 and the divider plate 28. The brushes 42 and 44 are rotated inwardly by pinions 50 and 52 on their respective shafts. The bristles of brushes 42 and 44 extend helically around their respective shaft and in addition to imparting movement to exit the comb 40 serve to clean and remove any foreign matter remaining thereon.

The comb 40 is discharged through opening 24b in the rear wall 24a into the perforated immersible tray 54 associated with the cleaning or sterilizing bath 14.

The cleaning bath 14 includes a receptacle 56 to which a sufficient amount of sterilizing fluid 58 had been added to allow for the submersion of the previously mentioned tray 54 and its contents. The fluid 58 can be any of a number of commercially available products which meet the required health standards of a particular locale.

The immersible tray 54 (as seen in FIG. 1) is secured to a connecting arm 60 secured at its opposite end to pivot 61 located on stationary platform 62. A solenoid 64, through a connecting rod 6412 which is pivoted at 64a to arm 60, provides movement to the tray 54 to move it between the dotted and solid line positions illustrated in FIG. 1. In order to prevent lateral or sidewise displacement of the tray 54 the rod 64b is slidably positioned in opening 62a of platform 62.

Actuation of the solenoid 64 is accomplished by an instant pick-up delayed release mechanism 63 having an integral on-off switch 63a. The mechanism 63 is suitably connected by a cable 63b to an electrical source or outlet and by a cable 630 to the solenoid 64. When the comb 40 is deposited in the tray 54 the switch 63a is manually actuated causing the solenoid 64 to retract the connecting rod 64b and through arm 60 lower the tray 54 into the bath 14. The delayed release mechanism 63 is preset or predetermined by virtue of its design and allows the solenoid to be energized once the switch 63a is released. The operator continues on his way and when the predetermined interval expires the delayed release occurs allowing the solenoid 64 to be de-energized and tray 54 returns to the dotted position. The time interval of course determines the sterilizing time that the tray 54 and comb 40 remains in the bath 14.

The comb treating apparatus is driven by a variable speed motor 11 that includes a foot control 13. The foot control 13 is suitably connected by a cable 13a to the motor 11. and by a cable 13b to an electrical outlet 66. The foot control is also connected by a cable 13b to a vacuum cleaner 68. The hose 68a of the vacuum cleaner is connected by its conventional end coupling 68b to an opening 70 in the sidewall 18, and when operated serves to extract hair and other foreign matter from the comb cleaning chamber or housing 12. Sidewalls 18 and 20 have air inlet holes 1811 and 20a supplying air to sweep the housing interior in cooperation with the vacuum cleaner ,68.

The motor 11 through its drive shaft 11a and pulley 11b actuates a pulley 72 on a driven shaft 74 journalled inside plate or wall 20 and a semi-partition 21. Mounted on the drive shaft 74 and rotatable with the same are a beveled gear 76 and a pinion 78.

The bevel gear 76 engages another bevel gear 80 carried on a shaft 82 suitably journalled in a pair of spaced transverse plates 84 and 86 (FIG. 3) the shaft 82 has on its end opposite the gear 80 a pair of pulleys 88 and 90 which through resilient belts 92 and 94 rotate the previously described pulleys 36 and 38. The pulleys in turn cause rotating of the brushes 30 and 32-.

Another drive shaft 96 is also journalled for rotation in the sidewalls 18 and-20 and carries thereon a gear 98 which is in mesh with and driven by the pinion 78 on shaft 74. Also provided on the shaft 96 is a bevel gear 100 which through a bevel gear 102 on shaft 48 of the vertical brush 44 causes movement of the brushes 42 and 44 through pinions 50 and 52. Thus in the above manner, movement is imparted to the brushes of the comb treating apparatus.

In some instances it is desirable to provide additional cleaning brushes for other implements used in the trade. As noted particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, additional brushes are provided and are indicated by the numerals 104 and 106 which are supported on shafts 104a and 106a. Access is provided to the brushes 104 and 106 through a hinged door plate 108 releasably retained by a pivotal button or latch 110. When the door 108 is opened access is provided for the insertion of a hair clipper 116 (or other device) that is to be cleaned by the action of the brushes. Movement is provided to the brushes 104 and 106 (FIG. 2) by a pair of pulleys 112 and 114 on shaft 74. The pulleys 112 and 114 cooperate with resilient belts 112k and 114b and pulleys 104b, 106b on shafts 104 and 106 respectively.

In the above specification I have presented a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiment of my invention and although certain modifications will undoubtedly occur to those skilled in the art it is my intention to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangements and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. Comb treating apparatus,

comprising a guideway receiving and guiding a comb endwise along a predetermined path,

with the teeth projecting upwardly,

means propelling the comb along and through said. guide means and brushing the comb to effect clean.

ing thereof and including a pair of elongate rotary brushes with radial bristles, said brushes lying on opposite sides of said predetermined path and substan-- tially parallel thereto, and said brushes being disposed above said track and having the radial bristlesextending across the path above and below the centers of the rotary brushes and between the teeth of the comb to produce downward sweeping of the bristles between the teeth and across the back of the comb as the comb is moved endwise along the track.

3. Comb treating apparatus,

comprising means receiving and guiding a comb endwise along a predetermined path, means propelling the comb along and through said guide means and brushing the comb to effect cleaning thereof and including a pair of elongate rotary brushes with radial bristles, said brushes lying on opposite sides of said predetermined path and substantially parallel there to to produce sweeping of the bristles between the teeth of the comb as the comb is moved along the guiding means, said rotary bristles of said brushes extending into the path of the comb at positions longitudinally spaced from each other in the direction of the path of the comb whereby to sequentially engage the comb as the comb passes along the guide means and prevent interference between said brushes in the comb cleaning operation.

4. Comb treating apparatus,

comprising means receiving and guiding a comb endwise along a predetermined path,

means propelling the comb along and through said guide means and brushing the comb to effect cleaning thereof and including a pair of elongate rotary brushes with radial bristles, said brushes lying on opposite sides of said predetermined path and substantially parallel thereto to produce sweeping of the bristles between the teeth of the comb as the comb is moved along the guiding means, said rotary brushes having the bristles thereof oriented in helicoids to engage the teeth of the comb and propel the comb along said guide means.

5. The comb treating apparatus according to claim 4 and also including a second pair of rotary brushes in comb-engaging relation at opposite sides of said path and said second pair of rotary brushes lying transversely of the path so as to sweep the outer surfaces of the comb and propel the comb along the guideway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,988,997 1/1935 Charron et al. 1539 2,659,096 1l/1953 Mencfeldowski et al.

15257.06 2,696,624 12/1954 Normandeau et al. 15-39 2,704,374 3/1955 Barklow 1539 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. COMB TREATING APPARATUS, COMPRISING A GUIDEWAY RECEIVING AND GUIDING A COMB ENDWISE ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH, A CLEANING BATH RECEIVING THE COMB FROM SAID GUIDEWAY TO COMPLETE CLEANING OF THE COMB, AND MEANS ENGAGING AND PROPELLING THE COMB ENDWISE ALONG AND THROUGH SAID GUIDE MEANS AND BRUSHING THE COMB TO EFFECT CLEANING THEREOF, SAID MEANS PROPELLING THE COMB FROM SAID GUIDEWAY AND RELEASING THE COMB TO FALL FREELY INTO THE CLEANING BATH FOR COMPLETE IMMERSION AND THOROUGH RINSING THEREIN.

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