SECHOIR/COIFFEUR

COMBINED HAIR CURLER AND DRYER

Abrégé anglais

ABSTRACT
COMBINED HAIR CURLER AND DRYER
A hair curler and dryer of the mandrel and pivotably attached blade
clip type where the mandrel is rotatably mounted to a housing within
which a motor means is pivotably mounted. The housing has a pistol-grip
like protruding attachment containing a finger actuated trigger switch.
The mandrel is driven by a belt and pulley means connected to the shaft
of the electric motor. The trigger switch actuates current to heater
elements in the mandrel and also provides current to the motor and to a fan
in the housing. The trigger also actuates a pin means that rides in a track
in the bottom of a mounting plate pivotably mounted within the housing. The
motor is mounted to the plate so that movement of the pin in the track
pushes the plate and motor into alignment with the pulley attached to
the mandrel thus tightening the belt between the pulleys and transmitting
rotational force to the mandrel.

Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR
PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A hairdressing tool for curling hair comprising in combination:
a housing having a pistol-grip shaped protrusion thereon;
a hollow tubular mandrel rotatably attached to said housing;
electric motor means mounted to a plate member which is pivot-
ably attached to and within said housing, said motor having a
shaft rotatably moveable in parallel with said mandrel;
a first pulley fixed to said mandrel;
a second pulley attached to said shaft;
belt means connecting said pulley and said shaft;
finger actuable switch trigger means on said pistol-grip
protrusion having a path of travel which firstly initiates current
to said heating elements in said mandrel and and to said motor
and which secondly mechanically tensions said belt to cause
rotation of said mandrel by said shaft thereby allowing instant
but sequential control of the motor and shaft and the mandrel by
the finger of one hand of the tool operator ;
a source of electric current;
and a hair holding clip blade pivotably mating with said mandrel.
2. A hairdressing tool as claimed in claim 1 having a pin means
actuated by said trigger switch and movable thereby in a slot
track in said plate to cause tensioning of said belt in the pulley
by forcing the plate member to pivot about the housing after
current has been switched on ; and having a fan means operated by
said motor to cause a flow of air to pass through said tubular
mandrel.

Description

~0~3~381
Combuled ~lai~ Curler and Dryer
The present invention relates to a manually operated device for use by
hairdressers and the like for heating, curling and drying the hair on a human
person's head. In particular the invention herein is an improved electro-
mechanical device controlled by a hand releaseable means for turning a
mandrel about a curved blade member to impart curl to ;a sheaf of human
hair held therebetween .
Prior Art
It is known to provide a hair curler mandrel with an electrically driven ~ `
shaft and a manually operated stop-start switch but most hairdressers are
reluctant to use the known devices for reasons of safety because they are
difficult to control. The possibility of pulling the customers' hair, causing
them discomfort or pain is too great for the hairdresser to risk with the
result that an improved type of simple motor driven curler is needed.
Object of the Invention
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a hair curler
of the blade and mandrel type wherein the mandrel as rotated by an electric
motor mounted in the head of a pistol-grip member. The mandrel has heating
elements within it and is hollow to permit the passage of air blown by a fan in
the housing to issue from a nozzle located at an outward end of the mandrel.
A belt driven reduction gear means is positioned between the mandrel `
and the motor to rotate the mandrel with a variable speed. The motor and
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mandrel are actuatecl by a switch means iln the pistol grip caused by the
pressure of an operator's finger on the switch when holding the plstol grip
in his hancl. The drive motor and belt means are mounted within the pistol
grip by a hinged mounting plate. A curved slot is formed in the mounting
plate to apply tension to the drive belt as the trigger switch is depressed
thereby provi;ding direct variable speed to the belt and to the mandrel shaft.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fan in association with
the motor to direct a flow of air through the hollow mandrel upon actuation
of a switch which also releases a drive belt from the reduction gear shaft.
The objects-~ the invention are provided by the disclosed device shown
in the accompanying drawings where like reference numerals refer to like
parts.
In the ~rawings
Figure 1 is a section view through the curling device showing the positioning
and attachment of the component parts within it.
Figure 2 is an end sectional view of the mandrel showing the means of connecting
the heating elements within the mandrel and showing the clip or blade covering
one part of the curvature of the mandrel.
Figure 3 shows the hinged mounting plate with the curved actuation slot means
formed therein.
The Preferred embodiment of the invention
In Figure 1, numeral 10 designates the curler of the applicant comprised
of a casting 12 in the form of a pistol grip portion 13 and a motor enclosing
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housing 14. Rotatable through an opening in the housing is
located a curler mandrel 15. A cur:Ler clip or blade 16 is pivoted
about a pin 17 by a finger actuating lever 18. The blade is curved
in the usual manner to mate with part of th~ surface of the
cylindrical mandrel lS.
The mandrel 15 is hollow with heating elements within it as at
19,20. The heating elements are insulated from the walls of the
mandrel 15 by insulation material 21.
One end 22 of the mandrel 15 is fitted to a hub 24 which is
rotatable in the opening of housing 14. The hub 24 is grooved as
at 25 to receive a belt drive member 26.
An electric motor 27 is fitted to the housing 14 and has a shaft ::
28 with a pulley 29 rotatable thereby.
A reduction gear box 30 is fitted in the housing with a shaft
and pulley 31 connected to the drive pulley 29 of the motor 27
by a belt member 32.
An electric cord 33 with plug 34 for connection to a household ::
supply of current is attached to the pistol grip base 35 from where
it is connected to the elements and to a variable speed switch 36
actuated by pressure from an operator's hand on the trigger 37. A
resistor 60 protects motor 27. Contacts 38,39 carry current to the
heating elements by the usual ring type contact method to insure .
steady current to the elements when the mandrel 15 is revolving.
A fan 40 is associated with motor 27 to araw air through a suit-
able opening in the housing 14 and blow it through the heated hollow :
mandrel and out a nozzle opening 42 in the end of the mandrel 15.
~ he motor 27, fan 40 and drive belt 32 with reduction box 30 are
fitted to a mounting plate 44, hingeable mounted to the casing 12
by hinge member~ 45.
The trigger 37 contacts the mounting plate 45 by a safety pin 47.
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The variable speed switch comprises a trigger 37 which when
pulled applies tension to the drive belt 26 by means of the curved
slot 48 in the mounting plate 44 which moves the motor 27, shaft and
pulley 29 and the reduction gear shaft and pulley 51 into either
close or loose engagement with belt 26 to drive the hub 24 with
variable speed.
A spring means 55 applies tension to the drive belt 32 to keep the
motor in drive engagement with the reduction box 30. When the fan 40
is to be used, a switch is actuated to push the fan 40 and motor in
a direction toward the fixed point of spring 55 thereby releasing the
tension on belt 32 to cause only the heater elements and fan to
operate for a drying operation of the device. The mandrel will not
revolve when the device is used as a dryer.
OPERATION OF THE CURLER
With plug 34 attached to current supply and a shank of customer's
hair held by blade 16 in contact with the surface of mandrel 15 the
hairdresser depresses the trigger 37 to first supply current to the
heating elements and the motor. Trigger 37 is also a mechanical
switch to cause the plate 44 to move by force of pin 47 in slot 48.
The initial movement of pin 47 in slot 48 is minimal and will not
cause the pin to force the plate to pivot. With further depression
of the trigger 37, the plate 44 is pivoted with accelerating force to
cause motor and its shaft 28 to move by action of the plate on the
pivot thereby to apply tension on be~t 32. The tension on the belt
will cause the rotational force of the motor shaft to be transmitted
from the shaft to pulley 31 and thereby to rotate the gear means and
then the mandrel 15.
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By the merest pressure on the trigger 37 the hairdresser can
control the rotational movement of the mandrel and ~o stop it instantly
while she holds the curler in her hand and without necessarily cutting
the current to the elements for heating the mandrel or stopplng the motor.
It is understood that a person could use the curler combination
herein disclosed for use on the hair oE their own head as it is designed
for operation by one hand and can be colltrolled by the operator by the
simple pressure of their trigger finger as the curler is held in the
hand. Any danger of the mandrel continuing to rotate is avoided by the
invention herein by having the interposition of the safety pin means 47
between the motor and the mandrel and being controlled mechanically by
the operators own finger.