US2755807A - Hair oil dispensing comb - Google Patents

Description

July 24, 1956 J, JQRGENSEN HAIR OIL. DISPENSING COMB Filed April 27, 1953 f /zz IN V EN TOR.

HAIR @IL DISPENSING COMB .lesse Jorgensen, Omaha, Nebr.

Application apra 27, 1953, serial No. 351,275

2 Claims. (Cl. 132-416) This invention relates to hair combs and more particularly to the types of combs having a tube or reservoir for storing hair oil and means by which the hair oil may be fed to the teeth while the comb is being used for the dressing of the hair.

Heretofore many attempts have been made to design hair oil dispensing combs. These have failed to reach the market in any considerable quantity and have failed to enjoy acceptance, in my opinion principally because they leak. I have found that threads permit leakage, particularly after a short period of use.

During use wear on threaded surfaces is abnormally large in a comb principally because combs are either made of hard rubber, plastic or other relatively soft materials. This wear causes a progressively looser t permiting leakage and it is my conviction that nothing will so quickly make a reservoir comb unpopular than grease spots on the clothing with their attendant cleaning bills costing in total many times more than the comb itself.

A further disadvantage of threads lies in the fact that even before wear has occurred the movement of the plug bearing the threads back and forth, toward and away from the reservoir causes hair oil to be carried by this motion outwardly onto the hands and onto the clothing.

Most attempts at designing reservoir combs have included in and out motions of the plug either with or without threads. Some have used cylindrical plugs which readily leak because of the wear and the back and forth carrying of oil.

I have found that a tapered plug makes the only safe reservoir comb. The combining of a tapered plug with threads produces leakage. For this reason .it is my invention to provide a comb eliminating threads and eliminating the cylindrical plug shape and having a simple and efiicient construction using only the tapered plug feature.

Yet a further advantage of the tapered plug described is in the fact that as it wears it settles itself further and further into the tapered opening, thus constantly and safely insuring against the leakage damage through long periods of use.

A further object lies in the provision of a tapered plug, the head end of which is integral with the remainder so as to prevent oily leakage which would otherwise occur out between the head of the plug and the remainder thereof.

A further object is to provide a reservoir comb having a plug which has a hollow opening in communication with the reservoir for maximum oil storage and which has in conjunction therewith a slot between the hollow portion of the plug and the exterior thereof for the passage of oil to openings between the teeth.

A further object is to provide a hair oil dispensing comb the reservoir working of which has a tapered wall and a complementally shaped plug for insuring a tight fit and for preventing leakage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hair oil dispensing comb the plug of which is provided at its Pce outer end with an exterior which is smooth and threadless for economy of construction and assembly and particularly for making possible the easy removal and .insertion of the plug.

A further object is to provide a modification in which the plug is provided with a cylindrical portion cooperative with a cylindrical portion on the outer end of the wall of the oil reservoir opening whereby the plug can be moved inwardly and outwardly somewhat without danger of leakage and without the necessity of holding the open end of the oil reservoir upward.

A further object is to provide a comb as described, the plug portion of which is provided with a long groove exJ tending longitudinally for the passage of oil from the inner end of the oil reservoir, through said groove, and out of the comb to oil passages adjacent the teeth.

A still further object is to provide a hair oil dispensing comb as described having a plug, the head of which is knurled or provided with grooves or is otherwise made rough whereby the head can be easily gripped by the operator for rotating the plug when the plug is fitting particularly tight.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the hair oil dispensing comb embodying this invention, with parts broken away for clarity and to facilitate description,

Figure 2 is a view in section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the plug portion of this invention,

Figure 4 is a left hand view of the plug portion shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of a modification of the .invention similar to the upper right hand corner of the comb as shown in Figure 1, the modification being ot' a tapered plug having a cylindrical portion,

Referring to Figure l in the drawings, the hair oil dispensing comb of this case is provided with a plurality of spaced apart teeth arranged in a row, designated by the numeral 10.

Attached to one Side of the teeth, is an elongated reservoir housing portion, generally shown at 12. The res? ervoir housing portion 12 has an oil reservoir opening 14, extending inwardly from one end thereof.

The wall of the reservoir opening 12 has an approximately cylindrical shape, with a gradual taper from a wider open end 16 to a narrower closed end 18. The open end 16 of the oil reservoir opening 14 is provi-ded with a plug member 20 having a head portion 22 at the outer end thereof. The outside of the head portion 22 of the plug member 20 is knurled or provided with grooves as best seen in Figure 3,

The plug member 20 also has an inner shank portion 26 having an approximately cylindrical tapered shape, having a wider outer end and a narrower inner end, being complemental to the shape of the wall of oil reservoir opening 14. The shank portion 26 of the plug member 20 is provided with a groove 28 longitudinally disposed and extending to a point adjacent to but spaced apart from the head portion 22, which provides a plug 2i) with a section of its shank portion adjacent to the head portion 22 that has a closed exterior for plugging the oil reservoir opening 14.

A plurality of spaced apart passages 30 are provided and being disposed near the plug end of the reservoir housing 14. The passages 30 extend downwardly from the oil reservoir opening 14 to points between different adjacent ones of the teeth 10 as best illustrated in Figure l.

From the above description, it will be seen that it is possible to fill the oil reservoir 14 with hair oil using an eye dropper or any other suitable means, by removing the plug member 20.

When the plug member 20 is replaced and turned so that the longitudinally disposed groove 28 is in a position turned away from the oil passages 30, the wedged fit of the plug member 20 will insure tight fit and will prevent leakage.

When it is desired to place hair oil on the hair, the plug member 20 of the device is again turned so that the groove 28 is aligned directly over the passages 30, whereby a small amount of oil is deposited in the hair with each sweep of the comb, the oil feeding through the passages 30 to the teeth 10. When the process of dressing the hair is finished, the plug is then turned to a position whereby the groove is not in register above the passages.

ln Figure 5 a modification of the .invention is shown in which the reservoir housing portion is designated as 12 and other parts are given numerals similar to those used in the modification of Figure 1 but with the numerals primed. In the modification of Figure 5 the oil reservoir opening 14' has an outer end portion a. Inwardly from the cylindrical portion a the opening 14 has a wall of tapered shape as indicated at 40 which is tapered similarly to the Wall of the modification in Figure l with a smaller inner end and a larger outer end.

The groove 26 of the plug 20' terminates at its outer end at a point 44 spaced at a considerable distance from the head 22 of the plug and the end 46 of the comb.

The purpose of the spacing of the outer end of the groove 26 inwardly is to make it possible for an operator to pull the plug outwardly to release the inner end thereof from wedging in the opening 14 whereby the plug can be rotated more easily. It will be seen that if the distance between the point 44 and the head 22 is large enough then the plug can be moved a substantial distance outwardly without causing leakage as the plug 20 has a cylindrical portion 48 disposed between the point 44 and the head 22', the cylindrical portion 48 of the plug snugly and slidably fitting the cylindrical portion 5i) of the comb which extends the distance marked a. in the use of the modification of Figure 5 an operator need not take care to have the comb disposed with its opening upward when adjusting the plug.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a hair oil dispensing comb constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and .it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise, arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

l. A hair oil dispensing comb having a plurality of spaced apart teeth arranged in a row; and an elongated reservoir housing portion attached to said teeth at one side of said row of teeth, said reservoir housing portion being disposed in approximate parallelism with said row, said reservoir housing having an elongated oil reservoir opening extending into said housing from one end thereof, said reservoir housing opening having a Wall of a circular shape in cross-section and at least an outer end portion of said wall being of a shape tapering from an outer end of larger diameter to an inner end of smaller diameter, a plug member having an outer head portion adapted to be gripped by the fingers of an operator for the rotation of said plug member and for the removal of said plug member, said plug member having a threadless shank portion attached to and extending inwardly from said head portion, said shank portion having an outer section having an outer surface of approximately circular shape in cross-section and tapering from an outer end of larger diameter to an inner end of smaller diameter and of a size complemental to said outer end section of said reservoir housing opening, whereby said outer section of said shank portion fits snugly in said outer end section of said reservoir housing opening for preventing leakage therethrough, said shank also having an inner section of the shape in cross-section of only a segment of a circle and said inner section of said'shank being adapted when in a sealing position to fit tightly against and being shaped complemental to the inner portion of the wall of said opening, said shank portion being rotatable in said opening, and said rervoir housing having passages therethrough opposite said plug and extending to the exterior of said comb on the teeth side of said comb and of sizes an-d in positions for the covering and the sealing off of said passage from said reservoir by said inner portion of said shank of said plug at times when said plug is in a closing position to prevent leakage.

2. A hair oil dispensnig comb as described in claim 1 in which said inner section of said shank portion is generally circular in cross-section and is provided with a groove extending longitudinally thereof and opening upon the innermost end of said shank portion, the outer end of said groove terminating at a point spaced inwardly from said head for providing a shank portion adjacent to said head having a closed exterior for plugging said opening to prevent leakage.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 792,124 Evans Iune 13, 1905 924,048 Ensor June 8, 1909 1,546,638 Evans July 21, 1925 2,184,478 Slaney Dec. 26, 1939 2,278,811 Wallenius Apr. 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 306,798 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1928 650,194 Great Britain Feb. 14,1951

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