GB2343400A

GB2343400A - Comb assembly for a shearing handpiece

Info

Publication number: GB2343400A
Application number: GB9908167A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Harward
Original assignee: Sunbeam Corp Ltd; Sunbeam Corp
Current assignee: Sunbeam Corp Ltd; Sunbeam Corp
Priority date: 1998-11-05
Filing date: 1999-04-09
Publication date: 2000-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-09
Also published as: NZ335006A; GB2343400B; GB9908167D0; AU1856199A; AU763763B2

Abstract

A comb assembly (18 fig 2) for a shearing handpiece (10 fig 1) includes a clamp portion 19 which, via a threaded fastener 22, secures a comb 12 to the forward portion 25 of a body 11 of the handpiece. The clamp portion has an elongated projection 23 which is engaged within a recess 21 in the rear of the comb 12. A head 28 of fastener 22 is received within a recess (29 fig 7) formed in the clamp portion 19 such that it does not protrude from the lower surface of the device. The clamp portion has a flange 30 at its rear which engages with a step 31 formed in the body 11 to maintain the clamp correctly oriented relative to the body. The clamp may have a longitudinally extending projection (33 fig 10) received in a slot (34 fig 10) of the body to maintain correct orientation.

Description

A Shearing Handpiece Technical Field The present invention relates to shearing handpieces and more particularly, to the comb employed in shearing handpieces.

Background of the Invention Shearing handpieces include a body (handle) upon which there is mounted a comb. A cutter is pivotably oscillated across the comb to cut the fleece. The comb is attached to an under surface of the body by means of a pair of threaded fasteners, the heads of which project below the comb.

Noticeable force is required to move the comb and associated oscillating cutter through fleece during a shearing operation. Accordingly, the shearer needs to apply sufficient force to the handpiece in order to overcome this resistance to movement.

This continual application of force to the handpiece becomes tiring from the viewpoint of the shearer.

The above is just one problem resulting from the above discussed threaded fasteners.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a comb assembly to be mounted on a body of a handpiece to cut hair, said assembly having: a comb; a clamp portion to secure the comb to the body; a threaded member having a shaft which passes through the clamp portion to threadingly engage with the body so that upon tensioning of the threaded member, said comb is clamped to said body by said clamp portion; and wherein said threaded member has a head engaged within a recess of said clamp portion so that said head does not substantially protrude below said clamp portion.

Preferably, said head does not protrude below said clamp portion.

Preferably, said comb and clamp portion are separately formed, with said comb having a recess engaged with a projection of the clamp portion so that the comb is maintained in a correct orientation relative to the body when secured thereto.

Preferably, the clamp portion has a flange which engages with the body to maintain orientation of the clamp portion and therefore the comb relative to the body.

In a further preferred form, the above described comb assembly has a clearance between the above mentioned recess and projection to allow for"lead"and "throw"adjustment of the comb relative to a cutter associated therewith.

In a still further preferred form, the clamp plate has a projection which engages within a corresponding slot in the body to aid in maintaining orientation of the clamp portion and therefore the comb relative to the body.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a shearing handpiece; Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a comb and clamp plate associated therewith; Figure 3 is a schematic side elevation of the comb and clamp plate of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic side elevation of the clamp plate of Figures 2 and 3 ; Figure 5 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the clamp plate as illustrated in Figure 4; Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the comb of Figure 2; Figure 7 is a schematic perspective bottom view of the clamp plate of Figures 2 to 4; Figure 8 is a schematic top perspective view of the clamp plate of Figures 2 to 4; Figure 9 is a schematic bottom plan view of a comb fixed to a lower leading portion of a shearing handpiece body; Figure 10 is a schematic side elevation of the comb and body of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a schematic bottom plan view of the leading portion of Figure 9; Figure 12 is a schematic section side elevation of the leading portion of Figure 11; Figure 13 is a schematic perspective view of the comb of Figure 9; Figure 14 is a schematic top plan view of a clamp portion employed to secure the comb of Figure 13 to the leading body portion; and Figure 15 is a schematic section side elevation of the clamp portion of Figure 14.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a shearing handpiece 10. The shearing handpiece 10 has a handle 11 to which there is fixed a comb 12. Angularly oscillated over the comb 12 is a cutter 13, with the cutter 13 being driven by a crank mechanism which in turn is driven by a rotatably driven shaft 14.

The cutter 13 needs to be pressed against the comb 12 in order to cut the fleece. A force is applied to the cutter 13 by means of a tension pin acting on a fork. The pin passes upwardly through the stem 15. Threadingly engaged with the stem 15 is a tension nut 16. By rotating the tension nut 16 about the longitudinal axis 17, the force applied to the cutter 13 is varied.

The comb 12 is part of a comb assembly 18 which includes a clamp portion 19 and threaded member 22. In this embodiment, the clamp portion 19 is separately formed and more particularly, is a clamp plate. The clamp portion 19 has an elongated projection 23 with an arcuate end 24 which is received within a semicircular recess 21 formed in the rear of the comb 12. The projection 23 and recess 21 cooperate to maintain the comb 12 in the correct orientation relative to the body 11 of the handpiece.

The body 11 has a forward portion 25 to which the comb assembly 18 is attached by means of the threaded member 22. More particularly, the comb 12 is clamped to a lower surface of the forward portion 25. The threaded member 22 has a shaft 26 which passes through an aperture 27 in the clamp portion 19 so as to threadingly engage within the forward portion 25. Tensioning of the threaded member 22 draws the clamp portion 19 toward the forward portion 25 to clamp the comb 12 in position abutting the forward portion 25.

The threaded member 22 has a head 28 that is received within a recess 29 formed in the clamp portion 19. Essentially, the head 28 is substantially contained within the recess 29 so as to not project below the lower surface of the clamp portion 19.

The clamp portion 19 has a flange 30 which engages with a step 31 formed in the body 11 to maintain the clamp portion 19 correctly oriented relative to the body 11.

This also ensures that the comb 12 is also correctly oriented.

The clamp portion 19 has a leading (forward) portion 32 which is tapered forwardly away from the rear flange 30.

By having the head 22 substantially enclosed by the recess 29, there is less resistance encountered by the fleece passing the comb assembly 18. This resistance is further diminished by the tapered forward portion 32.

In this embodiment, the threaded member 22 also passes through the recess 21 in the comb 12.

The above embodiment is described with reference to a shearing handpiece to cut fleece. In that regard it should be appreciated that the present invention is also applicable to clippers to cut hair, including animal hair.

In Figures 9 to 15 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted the forward (leading) portion 25 previously discussed. In this embodiment the comb assembly 18 has a modified clamp portion 19. In this embodiment the clamp portion 19 has a longitudinally extending projection 33 that is received within a slot 34 of the leading portion 35 to aid in maintaining the orientation of the clamp portion 19.

The arcuate recess 21 has a radius greater than arcuate end 24 to provide for "lead"and"throw"adjustment of the comb relative to the cutter.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A comb assembly to be mounted on a body of a handpiece to cut hair, said assembly having: a comb; a clamp portion to secure the comb to the body; a threaded member having a shaft which passes through the clamp portion to threadingly engage with the body so that upon tensioning of the threaded member, said comb is clamped to said body by said clamp portion; and wherein said threaded member has a head engaged within a recess of said clamp portion so that said head does not substantially protrude below said clamp portion.

2. The comb assembly of claim 1 wherein said head does not protrude below said clamp portion.

3. The comb assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein said comb and clamp portion are separately formed, with said comb having a recess engaged with a projection of the clamp portion so that the comb is maintained in a correct orientation relative to the body when secured thereto.

4. The comb assembly of claim 1,2 or 3 wherein the clamp portion has a flange which engages with the body to maintain orientation of the clamp portion and therefor the comb relative to the body.

5. The comb assembly of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the clamp portion has a projection to engage within a slot of the body to maintain orientation of the clamp portion.

6. The comb assembly of any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the comb and clamp portion cooperate to provide for relative movement therebetween to adjust the "lead"and"throw"of the comb relative to a cutter.

7. A comb assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 or 9 to 15.

8. A shearing handpiece incorporating the comb assembly of any one of claims 1 to 7.