U.S. patent number 3,608,565 [Application Number 04/782,397] was granted by the patent office on 1971-09-28 for hair gripping device.
Invention is credited to Beverly C. Ensign.
United States Patent |
3,608,565 |
Ensign |
September 28, 1971 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
HAIR GRIPPING DEVICE
Abstract
A hair gripping device for holding the hair of the head while
backcombing the hair. A form fitting hand covering is provided
which includes a body portion sized and shaped to cover primarily
only the hand knuckles of the thumb and forefingers, and a thumb
sheath and a forefinger sheath are connected to the body portion.
The remaining portion of the hand is left uncovered, and the thumb
and forefinger are used to grasp and grip the hair of the head
during the backcombing procedure while the remaining hand area is
uncovered and unencumbered so that it retains its sense of
feel.
Inventors: |
Ensign; Beverly C. (Atlanta,
GA) |
Family
ID: |
25125921 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/782,397 |
Filed: |
December 9, 1968 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
132/212 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D
8/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45D
8/00 (20060101); A45d 002/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;132/9,48,37,33.7
;128/321,354,322 ;81/43 ;32/63 ;15/160 ;24/259HC,255HC |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mancene; Louis G.
Assistant Examiner: McNeill; Gregory E.
Claims
While this invention has been described in detail with particular
reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood
that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit
and scope of the invention as described hereinbefore and as defined
in the appended claims.
1. Apparatus for temporarily gripping and holding human hair or the
like while backcombing or otherwise treating the hair comprising an
elongated generally U-shaped leaf spring, a support bar connected
to said leaf spring at each end of said leaf spring to form a
generally V-shaped clamp member when said leaf spring is in its
unflexed condition, an elongated hair gripping surface formed on
the facing surfaces of each of said support bars, said hair
gripping surfaces being shaped and positioned so as to be movable
into engagement with each other along at least a major portion of
their respective lengths
2. Apparatus for temporarily gripping and holding human hair or the
like while backcombing or otherwise treating the hair comprising an
elongated generally V-shaped clamp including a resilient generally
U-shaped curved bend and outwardly diverging support bias, said
support bias including facing elongated hair gripping surfaces
movable upon the flexing of said curved bend into abutting
relationship with each other along at least a major portion of
their respective lengths, said support bias each including a finger
receiving tab positioned intermediate the ends of said support bias
and extending in a lateral direction to one side of said V-shaped
clamp for urging said elongated hair gripping surfaces of said
clamp toward each other.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 and wherein the facing elongated hair
gripping surfaces of said support bias comprise substantially flat
rubberized pads.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When teasing or backcombing the hair of a lady's head, a lock of
hair is grasped by the ends of the hairs and extended away from the
head by one hand, and a comb is repeatedly passed through the lock
of hair in a direction toward the scalp to backcomb some of the
hairs. This teasing or backcombing procedure functions to gather
and tangle or mat some of the hair adjacent the scalp, while some
of the hair is left untangled and is combed over the surface of the
tangled hair. The tangled hair tends to support the untangled hair
a distance spaced away from the scalp to create a bouffant effect,
so that the hair of the head appears as a massive volume of
hair.
When teasing or backcombing the hair, it is desirable to mat the
hair fairly tightly adjacent to the scalp so that the matted hair
forms a firm base for the outer hair. In order to tightly mat or
tangle the backcombed hair, the locks of hair must be grasped very
tightly with one hand while the comb is firmly forced through the
lock of hair. When the lock of hair is held very tightly, the
backcombing stroke carries fewer individual hairs toward the scalp
on each stroke, and the matting or tangling of the hair is
accomplished more effectively. Of course, when a lady is grooming
her own hair, the hand grasping the locks of hair must reach to all
surfaces of the head during the grooming procedure, and it is
usually difficult to grasp the hair with the proper gripping force
necessary at all positions about the head. Furthermore, when a
professional beautician is required to tease or backcomb hair
several times during a single day, the hand used to grasp the hair
becomes fatigued. In both instances, when the fingers of the hand
are clasped together with the force necessary to properly grasp the
hair, there is a tendency to pull the hair away from the scalp,
which is uncomfortable to the person whose hair is being groomed.
If the hair could be grasped with a lighter force, there would be
less tendency to pull the hair away from the scalp.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention comprises a hair gripping
device which enables a person to firmly grasp and hold a lock of
hair with a minimum of effort and attention without tending to pull
the hair from the grip. The hand which grasps the hair is provided
with a pair of resilient surfaces which clamp together to grip the
hair. The resilient surfaces comprise a rubberized glove which
covers primarily only the thumb and forefinger of the gripping
hand, or comprise a pair of support bars with rubberized pads
thereon with the bars being connected together by means of a spring
which normally urges the bars apart.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a hair gripping
device which enables a person to grasp and hold a lock of hair with
a minimum of effort and attention.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hand cover for use
in grasping hair, which covers primarily only the thumb and
forefinger of the hand, and which can be put on or taken off the
hand with a minimum of effort and with maximum convenience.
Another object of this invention is to provide an instrument which
is convenient to use, inexpensive to manufacture, and which enables
a person to grasp locks of hair with a minimum of effort and
attention.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a back view of the hair teasing glove.
FIG. 2 is a palm view of the hair teasing glove.
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the
invention.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the invention shown in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now in more detail to the drawing, in which like numerals
indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a
human hand 10 with its fingers spread apart. A hand covering or
glove 11 is shown placed on the hand. Glove 11 comprises body
portion 12, thumb sheath 14, and forefinger sheath 15. Thumb and
forefinger sheaths 14 and 15 are connected at their open lower ends
to body portion 12 to form a unitary structure, and the arrangement
is generally in conformance with the natural shape of the hand and
is form fitting. The material from which glove 11 should be
fabricated is rubber, or a similar tough resilient material which
is suitable for grasping and holding hair.
The periphery 16 of body portion 12 includes enlarged seam 18 which
functions to reinforce the edge of the glove, and prevents the
glove from splitting or tearing as it is being put on the hand or
taken off the hand. Seam 18 extends up through the area between the
junction of the forefinger and the middle finger of the hand,
extends across the edge of the palm of the hand (FIG. 2), and back
around the base of the thumb of the hand. Body portion 12 generally
covers the hand knuckles of the thumb and forefinger, which
inhibits any tendency of the glove to slide or slip on the hand as
the hand is worked, yet the coverage of body portion 12 of the hand
is gauged so that substantially the entire palm and back surface of
the hand and the three remaining fingers of the hand are left
uncovered and are free to work without any covering, and are able
to feel the sense of touch.
When glove 11 is utilized to grasp a locks of hair, the forefinger
15 is usually slightly bent or curled, and thumb 14 is pressed
against the curved portion of the forefinger, with the hair being
grasped between the fingers in this area. The resilient or
rubberized surface of the glove is such that the hairs of a lock of
hair would be firmly grasped with a minimum of gripping force from
the hand. The remaining uncovered fingers of the hand are left free
and uncovered and sensitive to the sense of feel. The uncovered
fingers can be manipulated to assist in the grooming function, as
when the hand covered by glove 11 is used to pick up or grip an
object or instrument or to help hold the hair between the covered
fingers. The uncovered fingers can be used to feel the amount of
hair remaining in a lock of hair when a person is backcombing her
hair at a position behind her head and cannot easily view this
area. Thus, the uncovered portion of the hand allows the person to
retain a substantial amount of the sense of feel in the hand, yet
also the person is able to more easily grip the hair.
As is shown is FIGS. 3 and 4, an alternate form of the invention is
disclosed which comprises a hair gripping device 20 and includes a
pair of support bars 21 and 22 connected together at their ends by
means of leaf spring 24. Leaf spring 24 is generally U-shaped and
its ends are connected to the ends of support bars 21. Rubberized
pads 25 and 26 are connected to support bars 21 and 22 at positions
so that when support bars 21 and 22 are pressed together, pads 25
and 26 will come into contact with each other.
As is shown in FIG. 4, finger tabs 28 and 29 are connected to
support bars 21 and 22, respectively. Finger tabs 28 and 29 project
out to one side of hair gripping device 20, and can be conveniently
utilized to press support bars 21 and 22 together. The thumb and
forefinger of a hand can be placed adjacent to finger tabs 28 and
29 to urge support bars 21 and 22 toward each other, against the
bias of leaf spring 24.
When in normal use, a lock of hair 30 will be suspended away from
the head, and support bars 21 and 22 will be positioned on opposite
sides of the lock of hair and pressed together with the thumb and
forefinger of a hand. When pads 25 and 26 engage the lock of hair,
the hair will be firmly gripped and the hair can be backcombed or
teased by the use of a comb manipulated in the other hand. Spring
24 is of sufficient resilience so that when it is desired to
release the lock of hair, the hand can be relaxed and support bars
21 and 22 will part a distance sufficient to release the hair but
the resilience of leaf spring 24 is such that the fingers of the
hand will be able to grasp finger tabs 28 and 29 with enough force
to hold onto hair gripping device 20.
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