US3894548A - Hair comb and cutting guide - Google Patents

Abstract

A device to facilitate hair cutting includes a pair of arms having a resilient pivotal connection at one end and a laterally extending comb member and cooperating grip plate member at the opposite ends. The comb and grip plate are brought together to clamp and lift the hair therebetween to provide a guide for cutting the hair to a desired length with a minimum of manipulation. The comb and plate members are preferably angled to extend inwardly toward one another with the plate arm being shorter to engage the upper side of the comb member.

Description

United States Patent Suvino July 15, 1975 HAIR COMB AND CUTTING GUIDE Primarv Examiner-G. E. McNeil] [76] Inventor. ga 2: 3 glg gg i g ggg Attorney, Agent, or FirmEdward Goldberg [22] Filed: Mar. 4, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 447,492

A devlce to facilitate ha1r cuttmg includes a pan of arms having a resilient pivotal connection at one end. US. Cl. R and a laterally extending comb member and cooperatl5 II'lt. CI.2 plate member at the pposite ends The comb Field Search 132/9, 45 R, and grip plate are brought together to clamp and lift 128/348 the hair therebetween to provide a guide for cutting the hair to a desired length with a minimum of manip- [56] References Cited ulation. The comb and plate members are preferably UNlTED STATES PATENTS angled to extend inwardly toward one another with 1,182,242 5/1916 Bennett 132/145 the Plate am being Shorter to engage the upper Side 1,812,443 6/1931 Mason... 0f the comb r- 2,786,477 3/1957 Cohcn.... 3,272,209 9/l966 Kraus 132 45 R 8 Clams 6 Drawmg Figures PETFE FEQJUL 15 m5 IH III IIIH HIHHIHIIHIHHIII HAIR COMB AND CUTTING GUIDE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to hair combing and cutting implements and particularly to a novel comb and guide device which permits cutting the hair evenly in a simple efficient manner.

2. Description of the Prior Art Generally, in the process of cutting long hair, a hair dresser or barber first uses a comb in one hand to comb and lift the hair. He then grips the hair with the fingers of the other hand at the desired length, while exchanging the comb for a scissors in the first hand. He then cuts the hair with the scissors in the first hand while the fingers of the other hand hold the hair and serve as a rough guide. This process is continued in successive re petitive steps and requires some degree of skill and training to achieve a hair length having a smooth evenly cut appearance.

Prior devices to facilitate and simplify this process include a large pivotally connected comb and band of like curvature such as shown in US. Pat. .No. 1,182,242, issued May 9, I916. In this case, the entire back and sides of the hair of a desired length are mechanically clamped in place between the band and close fitting comb. The lower edge of the clamp then merely provides a guide to cut the hair along a straight line. Another known device, shown in US. Pat. No. l,853,828, issued Apr. 12, I932, uses a pair of pivotal scissor-like handles with meshing combs extending laterally from the opposite ends. The graded teeth of one comb engage the other to hold the hair and provide a guide across the extending surfaces for cutting with a scissors. This device, however, is difficult to manipulate and requires precise alignment in order for the opposing teeth to mesh properly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a novel hair comb and cutting guide tool which will comb, lift and clamp the hair at a desired length in a simple operation with one hand while providing a guide for cutting the hair with a pair of scissors in the other hand.

This is accomplished with a device having a pair of arms extending from a common resilient pivotal connection at one end. A toothed comb member and an engaging grip plate member extend laterally toward one another from the opposite ends. The arms are moved together by the operator and raised in a continuous motion so that the hair is combed, lifted and gripped between the plate and comb at a desired length with one hand, while serving as a guide for cutting with scissors in the other hand. The comb and plate are preferably angled, with the plate member extending from the shorter arm to engage the upper side of the comb member. The invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 shows a side view of the device in a normally open position;

FIG. 2 shows a side view in a closed position;

FIG. 3 shows a front view of one arm having the grip plate member;

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the other arm having the comb member;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view of the comb; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of the grip plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of resilient thin elongated metal arms 10, 12 are connected together by a bent portion havinga U or V-shaped configuration which provides a common pivotal center of rotation at one end l4. Extending from the opposite open ends of the respective arms are a centrally disposed comb member 16 and a cooperating grip plate 18. The comb member 16 extends laterally from the lower end of arm 10 at slightly more than a right angle toward the spaced opposite arm and the grip plate 18 extends laterally at a somewhat larger obtuse angle from the lower end of arm 12 toward the comb end. Arm 10 is preferably longer than arm 12 so that the outer straight edge 20 of the grip plate will engage the flat upper surface 22 of the comb in the closed position, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2. The length of arm I0 from the end I4 to the base of the comb may, for example, be about 6 inches while arm I2 excluding the grip plate may be about 5 /2 inches long. In addition, the width of the I arms may be about three-fourths of an inch while the thickness is about one-sixteenth inch.

The comb member 16, as shown in FIG. 4 in a front view of arm 10 and in a separate top view in FIG. 5, is also preferably of metal and may be stamped out of a thin sheet of metal common to the entire device. or secured to the end of arm 10 by any suitable method, such as spot welding, riveting or brazing. The teeth 24 of the comb, however, may also be tapered in thickness from a larger dimension at the base 26 of the comb to a narrower dimension at the outer end. The thickness of the comb and teeth may similarly be tapered in the side view, as shown in FIG. 1. The comb may typically be about 3 to 4 inches long and 1 inch wide and have about 30-45 teeth of a thickness and spacing between one thirty-second to one-sixteenth inch. The base 26 of the comb may be about one-fourth to one-half inch in width and the teeth may extend an additional one-half inch. The upper surface of the comb also includes a further thin base plate member 28 which is secured along .the length of the base of the comb and has corresponding dimensions. The outer edge of member 28 provides a stop member to engage the edge 20 of grip plate 18 of the opposite arm in the closed position or to grip a lock of hair therebetween.

Thecooperating grip plate member 18, as shown in a front view of arm 12 in FIG. 3 and in further detail in a top view in FIG. 6, is likewise of a thin metal preferably stamped out of a common sheet, or alternatively, may be secured in a suitable manner along the mid-section of the upper edge 30 to the lower end of arm 12. The lower edge 20 of the grip plate forms a straight line to engage the corresponding edge of comb base plate 28 along upper comb surface 22 as shown in FIG. '2, or to grip hair therebetween. The straight edge of the grip plate thus provides a guide for cutting the hair along a parallel line. The grip plate is preferably about the same length, width and thickness as the comb to engage the full length of the base plate along the upper side of the comb when the arms are closed.

In use, the fingers of the operator movethe ends of the open arms together so that the teeth of the combv I raised, knurled or roughened surfaceareas'32 to permit the fingers of the operator to handle and hold the device firmly. In another variation, the connected ends of the arms may be coupled together by a pivot member and a resilient spring member may hold the arms ,in a normally open position. I v

The present invention thus provides an improved simplified haircomb and guide which permits cutting hair in a more efficient manner. While several embodiments have been illustrated or described, it is apparent that many other variations may be made in the particular design and configuration without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A hair comb and guide device comprising a pair of longitudinally extending arms having a common pivotal connection at one end, the opposite ends of said arms being free, a comb member extending laterally from the free end of one arm and having teeth facing inwardly toward the free end of the other arm, and

, plate members.

a grip member extending laterally.from the free end of the other arm and having an outer edge engageable with the uppersurfade of said comb member to clamp hair therebetween. I r

2. The device .of claim 1 wherein said arms are resiliently connected at said one end and said comb and grip plate are normally. spaced apart at the opposite ends, said other arm and grip plate member being shorter than said one arm and comb so that said outer edge of said. grip plate engages said upper surface of said co'mb when brought together in a closed position. '3. The-device of claim 2 wherein said arms are of resilient thin metal connected by a bent portion at said one end. s

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said grip plate extends inward at an angle from said other arm toward said comb member and said outer edge has a straight line providing a guide for cutting hair.

i 5. The device of-claim4 wherein said comb member includes a base, a plurality of teeth extending from said base, and a raised stop member on the upper surface of said base adapted to engage said outer edge of said grip plate.

6QThe device of claim 5 wherein said teeth are tapered from a larger thicknessat said base to a smaller thickness at the outer ends.

7. The device of claim 6 including handling means disposed on areas along the outer surfaces of said arms.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said opposite ends of said arms are connected respectively to the midsections along the inner edges of said comb and grip

Claims (8)

1. A hair comb and guide device comprising a pair of longitudinally extending arms having a common pivotal connection at one end, the opposite ends of said arms being free, a comb member extending laterally from the free end of one arm and having teeth facing inwardly toward the free end of the other arm, and a grip member extending laterally from the free end of the other arm and having an outer edge engageable with the upper surface of said comb member to clamp hair therebetween.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said arms are resiliently connected at said one end and said comb and grip plate are normally spaced apart at the opposite ends, said other arm and grip plate member being shorter than said one arm and comb so that said outer edge of said grip plate engages said upper surface of said comb when brought together in a closed position.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said arms are of resilient thin metal connected by a bent portion at said one end.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said grip plate extends inward at an angle from said other arm toward said comb member and said outer edge has a straight line providing a guide for cutting hair.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said comb member includes a base, a plurality of teeth extending from said base, and a raised stop member on the upper surface of said base adapted to engage said outer edge of said grip plate.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said teeth are tapered from a larger thickness at said base to a smaller thickness at the outer ends.

7. The device of claim 6 including handling means disposed on areas along the outer surfaces of said arms.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said opposite ends of said arms are connected respectively to the mid-sections along the inner edges of said comb and grip plate members.

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