US2617431A - Hair-treating implement - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 11, 1952 J. GASPARI v HAIR-TREATING IMPLEMENT Filed Jan. 29, 1951 n mm M G M E w, J

Gttomeg Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR-TREATING IMPLEMENT Joseph Gaspari, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application January 29, 1951, Serial No. 208,338

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an implement particularly adapted for the application of dye or other liquid to the hair of the scalp, and is especiallydirected to a combination implement including a yieldable container for the liquid, an applicator adapted to receive the liquid ejected therefrom for transfer to the hair for dyeing or otherwise. subjecting it to treatment, a comb for arranging the hair to receive the treatment and frictionjmeans which aid in controlling the speed of travel of the applicator along the hair strands as well asthe arrangement of the hair during the treatment.

The present trend in fashion is toward increasing popularity of home methods of hair treatment and'availability of materials suitable therefor but .it-ihas been found extremely difficult for a woman to apply dyeing solutions and the like to her own? hair with the rapidity and substantial uniformity essential to attainment of the most attractive appearance of the hair after the operation has been completed, since for best results the strands of hair should be substantially parallel when the liquid is applied and the latter should be brushed into the hair as soon as possible thereafter. When separate implements are employed the first for combing the hair to bring the strands parallel, a second for applying the liquid and finally a -third for brushing the liquid into the hair the inconvenience incident to changing from one implement to another as well as the time required for such changes militates against most satisfactory results.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a combined implement which can readily be held in the hand and utilized initially for combing a portion of the hair to bring the strands parallel to each other and then immediately operated to apply a suitable quantity of the treating'liquid to the strands and simultaneously to brushthe liquid along them thereby materially enhancing its uniform application thereto.

A further object is to provide an implement of this character in which the portion used for combing out strands of hair prior to application of the liquid to them may also be utilized for retaining the strands in proper parallel relation during application and While the liquid is being brushed out along the strands themselves and also as an aid in controlling the relative movement of the implement with respect to the hair and in maintaining the latter under the requisite tension.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will be understood or will more clearly appear from the following description of a pre- 2 ferred embodiment of it illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the implement,

1 Fig. 2 is a top view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a staggered vertical section on the line 33 in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the illustrated implement comprises a substantially cylindrical container l of a size adapted to be conveniently held in the hand and desirably made of yielding material relatively inert to dyes and other hair treating liquids, molded polyethylene or the like being preferred. The container l at its upper end opposite its generally circular base has a coaxial threaded neck 2 adapted for reception of a complementarily threaded cap section 3 of the implement head 4,

the cap section 3 of which may be integral with the main portion and all made from a molded synthetic plastic composition such as Lucite or other suitable material formed to provide along one edge a series of comb teeth 5 projecting radially with respect to the cap section, the head also supporting in substantially diametrically opposed relation to the comb 5 an applicator brush generally designated 6 and comprising a back I from which project bristles 8 formed in tufts in the usual way. The back 1 may be cemented or otherwise secured to the head 4 and is provided with a plurality of fluid ports 9 extending through the back at about the center of the group of bristle tufts, these ports being adapted to conduct fluid to the bristles from the adjacent end of a duct ll formed in the interior of the head. In the opposite end of this duct and extending therefrom through the cap section of the head there is cemented one end of a semi-rigid plastic tube [2 which projects beyond the cap section into container I when the implement is assembled, being curved substantially in a plane par allel to those in which bristles 8 project from the back 1 and in the same direction to bring its free end into fairly close proximity to the container wall adjacent neck 2 so that when the implement is in upright position the container affords capacity for a substantial quantity of hair treating liquid below the free end of the tube.

Preparatory to applying a liquid dye or the like to the hair with the aid of this implement container l is filled to about half its capacity with the liquid and head 4 then secured in place thereon an annular gasket l3 preferably first being inserted in the cap section. With the container used as a handle, comb 5 then is manipulated to lay the hair strands in parallelism while the curvature of tube I2 away from the comb maintains its end above the liquid surface and prevents the escape of liquid from the container through the tube. After the hair has been sufiiciently combed, the implement is turned over and brush 6 is now in position for applying the liquid to the hair, the strands of which may be concurrently held between the finger and one side of the head 4 to guide them into the spaces between adjacent teeth of the comb for a final pass through the latter before reaching the brush, or the strands may be pressed lightly against the opposite side of the head 4 and thus guided directly into contact with the brush. Liquid from the container is ejected during this operation by pressure of the fingers against the container wall thereby forcing liquid from the container through tube l2, duct II and brush backports 9 to the roots of bristles 8 whence it travels by capillary action along the bristles to the hair, subjecting each strand to a substantially uniform application controlled as to quantity by the manually exerted pressure. Usually sufiicient liquid is applied by a single pass of the brush along the hair strands and any additional brushing in that may be required may follow immediately, relaxation of the pressure on the container wall deterring further flow of liquid to the brush.

The sides of the head l are preferably contoured as shown in Fig. 2 to enable the operators finger tobe conveniently and comfortably applied thereto for steadying and accurately controlling the implement as well as for guiding the hairstrands to retain them in parallelism during passage of the brush thereover. If desired the hair, after preliminary combing, may be looped about the head 4 so as to pass through the comb and thence between the operators finger and the plane surface parallel to the brush bristles presented by either side of head 4 and thence to-the brush, use of the implement in this mannerv affording additional assurance of parallelism of'the strands as they pass to the brush for treatment. In either case the pressure of the brush against the hair and the tension of the latter asthe brush passes along it are easily regulated consistently with the manual control of the quantity of liquid applied.

It has been found that with the aid of this implement operations incident to dyeing hair customarily requiring about 30 minutes may be carried out in approximately 8 minutes, with greatly enhanced uniformity and convenience in theapplication of the liquid to the hair and without changing implements, the time elapsing between combing and the application of the treating liquid being substantially negligible and the application and brushing out of the liquid being carried out substantially simultaneously or at least in immediate sequence with the same implement, thereby rendering provision and use of a plurality of implements for home hair treatment unnecessary.

Since it will be apparent that the implement as herein specifically described may be modified in various ways it will be understood I do not desire or intend to limit or confine; myself specifically thereto as numerous changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement and relationship of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be utilized if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

A hair treating implement comprising acontainer having a yieldable cylindrical liquid-confining wall, a removable head communicating with the interior thereof and providing a duct, a brush carried by the head including a back and projecting bristles the back having a plurality of ports communicating with said duct for transmission of liquid from the duct to the bristles, a tube extending fromthe duct into the container terminating adjacent the cylindrical wall thereof for conduction of liquid from the interior of the container through the duct,-the head providing friction means for guiding hair strands in relation to the brush during'passage of the latter thereover and including a surface extending in a plane substantially parallel'to the brush bristles but remote therefrom and a plurality of substantially parallel comb teeth still more remote therefrom whereby strands of hair arranged in parallelism by passage of the comb teeth therethrough may be frictionally engaged between the operators fingerand said surface and held in tension thereby during passage of the brush bristles thereover to apply liquid supplied to the brush through said ports.

JOSEPH GASPARI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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