US3693634A

US3693634A - Hair collecting collar for barbershop use

Info

Publication number: US3693634A
Application number: US163769A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jerry E Gilbert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-07-19
Filing date: 1971-07-19
Publication date: 1972-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1989-09-26

Abstract

A readily attachable elastic collar (rubber or plastic material) adapted to be fitted snugly but yieldingly around the neck of a customer whose hair is being cut and which embodies facilities to collect, trap and dispose of the hair clippings. The upper edge is fashioned into a hollow bead whose hollow portion provides a hair conveying duct. An inward convex surface of the bead is provided with a row of hair inlet slots which feed the loose hairs into the duct. One rearward end terminates in a corrugated neck which is connectible with a suction hose. The other end is provided with an extending tongue which provides a hose-end connecting flap and which is adjustably but retentively held in a given position. The lower edge portion of the collar has a channel for reception and support of the upper hem-equipped end of the usual apron.

Description

[ 1 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] HAIR COLLECTING COLLAR FOR BARBERSHOP USE [72] Inventor: ,Ierry E. Gilbert, St. Louis, Mo.

[73] Assignee: James Craig Foster, Jr., Fenton, Mo. ;a part interest [22] Filed: July 19, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 163,769

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 364,279 l/ 1932 Great Britain ..2/50

Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [57] I 1 ABSTRACT A readily attachable elastic collar (rubber or plastic material) adapted to be fitted snugly but yieldingly around the neck of a customer whose hair is being cut and which embodies facilities to collect, trap and dispose of the hair clippings. The upper edge is fashioned into a hollow bead whose hollow portion provides a hair conveying duct. An inward convex surface of the bead is provided with a row of hair inlet slots which feed the loose hairs into the duct. One rearward end terminates in a corrugated neck which is connectible with a suction hose. The other end is provided with an extending tongue which provides a hoseend connecting flap and which is adjustably but retentively held in a given position. The lower edge portion of the collar has a channel for reception and support of the upper hem-equipped end of the usual apron.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED W2 5 Fig.

Jerry E. Gilber/ HAIR COLLECTING COLLAR FOR BARBERSHOP USE This invention relates to an elastic hair collecting collar which is uniquely designed and adapted to be fitted with requisite nicety and comfort around a customer's neck and which is capable of collecting the hair clippings and conveying the same to a suction hose for disposition.

More specifically the concept pertains to devices which are expressly designed and adapted for use in barbershops and the like and wherein means, of one type or another, is utilized to trap and convey hair cuttings and clippings from a receiving trough or the like to a disposal hose or an equivalent conduit. Persons conversant with this field of endeavor are aware that vacuum-type lobse hair collectors are not new. For example, and for background purposes, the reader can refer to the pneumatic hair collector disclosed in the James W. Deckert patent, U.S. Pat. No. 825, 961, and which has to do with a collector characterized by a channel, conduit or passageway through or in which the hair is drawn by suction. Another adaptation in the same category of inventions is the Lewis A. Garnbon vacuum collector, U.S. Pat. No. 1,560,347, which likewise is characterized by an upwardly opening relatively broad trough.

An object of the present invention is to structurally, functionally and in other ways improve upon prior art hair clippings collectors and, in so doing, to provide an innovation which features facilities which, conjointly construed, better serve the purposes for which the invention under advisement is intended for use.

Briefly, the adaptation herein revealed and offered for use lends itself to use in a barbershop. It is characterized by an elastic (suitable rubber or moldable plastic material) collar which is circumferentially adjustable and is such in construction that it is acceptably adapted to snugly but yieldingly surround and embrace the neck of the customer whose hair is being cut. This collar has an upper longitudinal edge portion, a lower longitudinal edge portion and an intervening web-like body portion which is commensurate in length with and serves to integrally unite the upper and lower edge portions. This collar has free but separably connectible ends, that is, rearward end portions. The upper edge portion of the collar has a hollow duct embodied therein which is provided with communicating hair inlet and trapping means, that is a row of circumferentially extending spaced slots. The duct is closed at one rearward end and is unobstructedly open at the other rearward end. This last-named end has a projecting neck with a terminal end which is adapted to com municatively but releasably connect with a suction hose by way of which the entrapped hair is conveyed to a place of deposit. The other closed rearward end is provided with a flat-faced flexible tongue which constitutes and serves as a connecting flap. This flap overlaps an end portion of the neck-equipped end and is detachably and adjustably cooperable therewith and is held in a set adjusted position by way of an appropriately designed readily attachable and detachable inverted U-shaped or equivalent clip.

These together with other objects and advantages :which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the hair collecting collar constructed in accordance with the invention, showing it applied and surrounding the neck of a customer, and also showing the suction hose at the right, and the upper gathered end portion of an apron which is temporarily attached and anchored in position on the lower portion of the collar.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the collar by itself and with the aforementioned clip detached.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail section taken approximately on the plane of the section line 3-3 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how the flap-equipped end and neck-equipped end of the collar overlap and are separably connected by the attached clip.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail section taken approximately on the plane of the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the elastic collar and particularly to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the collar, construed as an entity, is denoted by the numeral 8. This collar is of variable length, cross-sectional dimension and made of appropriate materials such as rubber or plastic having suitable structural properties as well as strength and resiliency. Broadly this collar has an upper edge portion, a lower edge portion and an intervening web or body portion.

More specifically the upper longitudinal edge portion is fashioned into and provides a substantially enlarged hollow approximately cylindrical bead 10 having an upper exterior convex rounded or peripheral surface 12 and a similarly rounded inward convex surface 14. This bead, being hollow, provides an appropriate duct 16 which entraps the loose or cut hair and conveys it to the desired point of disposal. The neck encompassing contacting convex surface 14 is provided with a row of circumferentially arranged, that is longitudinally spaced elongated slots 18. These slots communicate with the duct 16 in the manner brought out in FIG. 3. When the collar is in place the surface 14 is such that it does not crowd the contacted surfaces of the wearer's neck but rather diverges upwardly and outwardly and provides a sort of neck-encompassing pocket which facilitates collecting the hair cuttings and feeding the same by way of the slots 18 into the disposal duct 16. The lower marginal edge portion of the collar is provided with an encircling trough 20 (FIG. 5) which has its respective ends closed as evident in FIG. 2. This trough embodies spaced depending wall or

flange portions

22 and 24 whose lower marginal edges are convexly rounded as at 26 (FIG. 3). It will be noted that the outer wall 24 is slightly shorter than the wall 22 with the result that this openable and closable channel serves to accommodate a hem 28 on the upper gathered portion 30 of the conventional apron 32 (FIGS. 1 and 3). Thus, the collar serves not only to encompass the neck and collect the hair clippings but provides anchoring and supporting means for the upper edge portion of the apron. The thicker but resilient web portion 34 serves to connect the head 12 and channeled lower edge of the complete ready-to-use collar 8.

One closed end portion 36 (FIG. 2) is provided with an extending flexible flat-faced tongue 38 which constitutes a flap and which in practice is adapted to abut a surface portion 40 of the open-end portion 42 at the other end of the collar. This open-end portion is provided with an extended corrugated flexible neck 44 whose open end 46 is adapted to be fitted telescopingly into the nipple or ferrule 48 of the suction hose 50.

The component parts so far set forth and embodied in the over-all collar 8, are shown with requisite particularity in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in particular. It will be evident from FIG. 2 when compared with FIGS. 1 and 4, that the tongue-like flap 38 can be overlapped with the end portion 40 of the collar to in this manner adjoin, that is adjustably, the respective rearward end portions of the collar. In order to maintain the overlapping relationship and to achieve the adjustment desired, fastening means is provided. This means preferably comprises a readily attachable and detachable clip, that is, a substantially inverted U-shaped clip 52 as shown best in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. One straight leg 54 of the clip is firm and is adapted to reside in firm contact with the tongue-like flap 38 as brought out in FIG. 5. The bent or curvate portion 56 is arched over the beard and flap and the free flared end portion 58 fits into the recessed or curvate exterior surface portion of the web or body portion 34 as best shown in FIG. 5. This recessed portion plus the enlarged bead 12 facilitates maintaining the clip once it is properly applied and used in the manner illustrated for example in FIG. 4.

A studied consideration of the views of the drawing, singly and collectively, will reveal the nature, broadly and specifically of the split snug-fitting elastic collar. FIG. 1 shows the collar attached and also with the neck 44 communicatively joined with the suction and disposal hose 50 by way of the nipple or ferrule 48. The construction and use of the clip 52 is evident from FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The manner of supporting the hem 28 of the apron 32 is evident in FIG. 3. It is submitted, therefore, that the construction and manner of use of this innovation will be clear from the over-all disclosure. Accordingly, a more extended explanation is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in a barbershop, a collecting and disposal device for hair clippings comprising: an elastic collar which is adapted to snugly but yieldingly embrace the neck of a customer whose hair is being cut, said collar having an upper longitudinal edge portion, a lower longitudinal edge portion and an intervening web-like body portion commensurate in length with and uniting said upper and lower edge portions, said collar having free but separably connectible rearward end portions, said upper edge portion having a hollow duct which is provided with communicating hair inlet and trapping means, said duct being closed at one rearward end and unobstructedly open at the other rearward end, said last-named end having a projecting neck with a ter minal end which is adapted to be communicatively but releasably connected with a suction hose by way of which the entrapped hair is conveyed by suction to a place of deposit.

2. The collar defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said upper edge portion is fashioned into and provides'an enlarged tubular bead, the upper surface of said bead being convexly rounded and said trapping means comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots opening into and communicating with said duct.

3. The collar defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein said convexly rounded surface is characterized by an inward peripheral convex surface and an outward peripheral convex surface, said slots being confined to and formed in row alignment in said inward convexsurface free of contact with and blockage by the customers neck in a manner to facilitate collecting of the hair clippings and delivery of the same into said duct by way of said slots.

4. The collar defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein said lower edge is formed with a downwardly opening elongated channel for reception and retention of the usual hem at the upper end encompassing portion of a conventional-type apron.

5. The elastic collar defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said neck is bendably resilient and its peripheral surface is corrugated in a manner to provide encircling ring-like ribs whereby to facilitate telescopic connection with a ferrule on a free connectible end of said suction hose.

6. The elastic collar defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said one rearward closed end is formed with an elongated flat-faced flexible hose-end connecting flap which when in use is capable of abutting a prescribed side surface of said other rearward end adjacent said neck in a manner to be temporarily and adjustably held in place.

7. The elastic collar defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said one rearward closed end is formed with a flat-faced hose end connecting flap, and a readily attachable and detachable clasp having a straight leg which is adapted to contact a given inward face of said flap, and a resilient clip which has a flared free end and which is thus adapted to conformingly snap over a selected portion of said upper longitudinal edge portion.

8. For use in a barbershop, a collecting and disposal device for hair clippings comprising: an elastic collar which is adapted to snugly but yieldingly surround the neck for a customer whose hair is being cut by the barber, said collar being of one piece construction and having an upper longitudinal edge portion which is fashioned into an enlarged hollow substantially cylindrical bead, the hollow portion of said bead providing a loose hair receiving and conveying duct, the exterior peripheral surface of said bead being convexly rounded and the inward convex surface having a row of aligned longitudinally spaced hair inlet slots which are normally spaced from and are free of blocking contact with the wearers neck and are in communication with said duct, said collar having a lower longitudinal edge portion embodying a downwardly opening elongated channel for reception and retention of the usual hem provided at the upper end of a conventional-type apron, said collar also havinga web-like body portion commensurate in length with and bendably uniting said lower edge portion with said bead, 'said bead and duct being closed at one end and provided with a flat-faced tongue which constitutes a collar end connecting flap, and said collar being open at its other end and being provided with a projecting neck which is adapted to be communicatively but releasably connected with a suction hose by way of which the entrapped hair is conveyed to a suitable place of deposit.

9. The elastic collar defined in and according to claim 8, and wherein said neck is bendably resilient and its peripheral surface is corrugated in a manner to provide encircling ring-like ribs whereby to facilitate telescopic connection with a ferrule on a free connectible end of said suction hose.

10. The elastic collar defined in and according to claim 9, and, in combination, a readily attachable and detachable collar end connecting clasp, said clasp having a firm straight leg which is adapted to assume a given retaining position against a coacting inward face of said flap, and a complemental resilient leg which is bent upon itself and has a flared free end which is adapted to conformingly snap over a selected end portion of the collar at the inward junctional end of said neck.

* IF F l

Claims

1. For use in a barbershop, a collecting and disposal device for hair clippings comprising: an elastic collar which is adapted to snugly but yieldingly embrace the neck of a customer whose hair is being cut, said collar having an upper longitudinal edge portion, a lower longitudinal edge portion and an intervening web-like body portion commensurate in length with and uniting said upper and lower edge portions, said collar having free but separably connectible rearward end portions, said upper edge portion having a hollow duct which is provided with communicating hair inlet and trapping means, said duct being closed at one rearward end and unobstructedly open at the other rearward end, said last-named end having a projecting neck with a terminal end which is adapted to be communicatively but releasably connected with a suction hose by way of which the entrapped hair is conveyed by suction to a place of deposit.

2. The collar defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said upper edge portion is fashioned into and provides an enlarged tubular bead, the upper surface of said bead being convexly rounded and said trapping means comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots opening into and communicating with said duct.

3. The collar defined in and according to claim 2, and wherein said convexly rounded surface is characterized by an inward peripheral convex surface and an outward peripheral convex surface, said slots being confined to and formed in row alignment in said inward convex surface free of contact with and blockage by the customer''s neck in a manner to facilitate collecting of the hair clippings and delivery of the same into said duct by way of said slots.

8. For use in a barbershop, a collecting and disposal device for hair clippings comprising: an elastic collar which is adapted to snugly but yieldingly surround the neck for a customer whose hair is being cut by the barber, said collar being of one piece construction and having an upper longitudinal edge portion which is fashioned into an enlarged hollow substantially cylindrical bead, the hollow portion of said bead providing a loose hair receiving and conveying duct, the exterior peripheral surface of said bead being convexly rounded and the inward convex surface having a row of aligned longitudinally spaced hair inlet slots which are normally spaced from and are free of blocking contact with the wearer''s neck and are in communication with said duct, said collar having a lower longitudinal edge portion embodying a downwardly opening elongated channel for reception and retention of the usual hem provided at the upper end of a conventional-type apron, said collar also having a web-like body portion commensurate in length with and bendably uniting said lower edge portion with said bead, said bead and duct being closed at one end and provided with a flat-faced tongue which constitutes a collar end connecting flap, and said collar being open at its other end and being provided with a projecting neck which is adapted to be communicatively but releasably connected with a suction hose by way of which the entrapped hair is conveyed to a suitable place of deposit.