US2188924A - Method and apparatus for drying hair - Google Patents

Description

E. L. ROCKWOOD 3 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING HAIR Filed Sept. 50, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l E ar/ L. fioc/rwooa (Quwvm Elm/M434- Feb. 6, 1940. E. RocKwooD METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING HAIR Filed Sept. 30, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gm wm V Patented Feb. 6, 1940 v 2,188,924

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,188,924 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING HAIR Earl L. Rockwood', Toledo, Ohimassignor to The De Vilbiss Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 193,300 6 Claims. (Cl. 132-9) This invention relates to hair drying and wavline 'l-l of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of ing, and is more particularly directed to a method another form of holding device; Fig. 9 is a perand machine in which heated air is used to perspective view of the holding device shown in Fig. form the drying operation. 8, with the parts in open position to receive a The primary object of the invention is the mass of hair to be formed; Fig. 10 is a top plan provision of a hair drying apparatus which view of the same device, with a part broken away,

' operates on divided masses of hair and completely and the holding means in closed position over a dries the hair in a very short period of time by mass of hair; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of anpassing air through such-masses. other form of hair holding device; Fig. 12 is an 19 Another object of the invention is the provision enlarged section on line l2--l2 of Fig. 11, and 19 of hair drying apparatus in which attachments Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12, with the parts for holding hair in configuration of .curls and in open position. waves are utilized and constructed to bring the Referring to the drawings, the machine condrying air in close association with the hair. sists of a base or standard l mounted on a plura 15 Another object of the invention is the provision ity of W e 2 so that it y be readily moved 15 of a novel method for drying divided masses of about. A conventional electric blower and motor hair by forcing a drying medium through the assembly 3is mounted on the base I. The blower, masses. r designated by 3*, is provided with an inlet con- Another object of the invention is the provision duit 4 and an exhaust conduit 5 extending verof novel means to utilize heated air in the operatically re r r Th n t ondui 4 rmi- 20 tion of drying hair in such a manner as to eliminates in an inlet port 6 controlled by a rotatable nate the objectionable noise and vibration usually valve 1 which is adapted to be manually moved accompanying the use of a hair dryer. to close off or open the port.

Another object of the invention is the provision h inlet p 5 is in turn disposed Within a of a hair drying apparatus in which the subject housing formed by pp a lower p a e 8 25 on which the device is used is free to move about v g a grill m Work Spanning the Space to a limited extent during the drying operation. betwee the p s s that the sides f the hous- Another object of the invention is the provision ing are open to the atmosphereof hair drying apparatus which utilizes air The upp r nd f t x u t ndu t 5 xt nd warmed only slightly but which is still effective above the plates 8 and is provided with a rotatable 30 in rapidly drying hair. and adjustable end piece H! which is fixed in any Another object of the invention is the provision desired. position by a clamping screw H. The of hair drying apparatus which will dry hair portion ll] of the exhaust conduit is of inverted U rapidly without disturbing the arrangement of form and terminates in a heating and distributthe hair. ing head generally designated by l2. 3

Other objects and advantages of the invention As shown in Fig. 2, the heating and distributing will become apparent as the description proceeds, head is formed of a shell l3 forming an air heatreference being had to the accompanying drawing chamber M in which is disposed an electric ings, in Wh ch heating element l5 of any suitable type. Elec- Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevatrical connection is made to the heating element tional view of a device constructed in accordance [5 by a lead H which extends back through the with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmenexhaust conduit to a point' near its lower end tary vertical sectional view of the heating and where it emerges to enter a switch box l8 on top distributing head taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3; of the housing of the motor 3. Thus, current is :r. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the heating and supplied to the heating element [5 at will, and if distributing head taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; desired may be thermostatically controlled by Fig. 4 is a detail assembly view of the end of a any conventional apparatus so as to maintain a conduit for distributing heated air showing an selected temperature of the exhaust air. attachment which may be used to impart a pre- The bottom of the air heating chamber M is so determined configuration to a subdivided mass formed by a dished plate 20 having a plurality of of hair; Fig. 5 is a somewhat diagrammatic pernipples 22 fixed in its lower surface and arranged, spective view of one form of hair forming device, as shown in Fig. 3, in two substantially concentric with the parts in open position; Fig. 6 is a similar particircular rows. Each nipple 22 is adapted to view, with parts broken away, and the holding receive a flexible air distributing tube or conduit 5 means in closed position; Fig. 7 is a section on 24 through which heated air is passed to perform 56 axial movements of the tube by small ears 38 struck out from the inner extremity of the elbow 26. The other arm of the elbow 26 is formed intermediate its ends with a bead 32 extending therearound so that a split resilient tubular part 34 of a forming unit 36 may be snapped over the downwardly extending arm of the elbow 26. In 4 this manner, the forming unit 36 is free to rotate about the elbow 26 by reason of its cooperation with the bead 32. l

The forming unit 36 may be considered as illustrative and will be used to designate generally any of the hair forming devices hereinafter described. It should be understood that those units described later in the specification and shown in Figs. to 11, inclusive, are all interchangeable with the forming device 36, depending on the type of wave or curl to be imparted to the subject's hair.

When the device is not in use, the forming units 36 may be slipped from engagement with the end of the elbow 26, which latter may then be made to engage a series of hollow projecting pins 40 mounted on a suitable ring around the housing l3. In this manner, the tubes 24 are all neatly gathered in a definite position and are kept from dangling beneath the head l2. The hollow projecting pins 40 are made hollow so that air may pass freely therethrough during a warming up operation of the machine. It will be seen that if the pins 40 were solid, air pressure in the tubes 24 would cause them to be lifted from the pins and propelled away from the head.

As shown in Figs. 5 to 13, inclusive, various types of hair forming devices may be used with the present invention. Each shows the common characteristic that it is adapted to clamp or grip firmly a divided mass of hair and hold it in a desired configuration while air from one of the individual conduits 24 is forced into intimatecontact with the divided mass of hair to be dried.

The type shown in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, is a curling device including a body 50 formed of a plurality of parallel bars fixed to the periphery of cylindrical end pieces 52 and 53. The end piece 53 is hollow and is adapted to be snapped over the elbow end connection 26 of one of any individual air conduits 24. A holding bar 54 is pivoted to the end piece 53 and in use is placed Over the end of the hair to be curled which is then Wrapped over it. A snap latch 55 is also pivoted to the end piece 53 and has an engaging roller 56 adapted to engage the end piece 52. A tension is placed on the roller when it is in latching position by side rods 51 so that the latch will stay in place over the body of hair.

The species of holding device shown in Figs. 8, 9 and is that adapted to form fiat curls and includes hingedly connected opposed upper and lower body plates 68 and 6|. The plates are connected by means of ears 62 and 63 struck from the respective upper and lower plates and journaled on a pin 64. A coil spring 65 is wound about the pin 64 and has one of its ends bearing against the upper and lower plates, respectively, so as to force them into closed position, as shown in Fig. 8. The upper plate 60 is formed with a plurality of channels 66 in its upper surface for the reception of a hair pin 61 with which the mass of hair designated 68 is held in the desired configuration during the drying operation. The upper plate v6i! has a resilient end section 66* separated therefrom. Intumed jaws 69 are formed on the outer ends. of each of the upper and lower plates 60' and 6|, so as to firmly position the holding device with respect to the head of the subject by gripping the remaining mass of hair close to the head. An air receiving conduit 10 is formed in the upper plate 68 and is split longitudinally as at l l so as to enable the device to be snapped about the elbow 26 of any of the individual air conduits. Obviously, any suitable fastening means may be used to connect the air conduit to the forming device.

The type of forming device shown in Figs. 11, 12,

and 13 is adapted to be used to form waves in the hair of the subject and includes opposed clamping jaws 80 and 6| each having a channel 82 adjacent their upper ends formed as a part of a cylinder and terminating in upstanding. ears or finger pieces 83. The channel parts 82 are adapted to be held in intimate bearing relation to a hollow perforated distributor tube 84 by a spring clip 85 which bears against the outside of the jaws 80 and 84 and urges them together to the position shown in Fig. 12. The spring clip 85 is preferably made integral with an upstanding tubular nipple 86 slotted longitudinally of its length as at 8! to receive the elbow 26 of one,of the air conduits. The distributor tube 84 has a centrally disposed upstanding receiving conduit 88 which is inserted in the nipple 86 so that air from the elbow 26 passes through the nipple 86, the receiving conduit 88 and into the distributor tube 84. Since the perforated distributor tube runs throughout the length of the forming device, the distribution of air over the entire mass of hair held between the jaws 80 and 8i is substantially uniform. Small teeth 89 are struck from the jaws 80 and 8| and serve to anchor the device firmly with respect to a mass of hair designated by 90.

The attachments are usually applied to curls or peaks of waves as the hair at these points is gathered in concentrated masses that are inclined to dry very slowly. The rest of the hair generally is in light strands that dry more rapidly. Occasionally, however, in the dressing of the hair a heavy section of hair may be left straight. This mass of hair will ordinarily retain its moisture for quite a period of rtime. .My invention may be used to facilitate the drying of such hair. 7 The attachment illustrated in Fig. 8, while primarily designed for curls, will also grasp a solid body of straight hair without disturbing the hair arrangement. The attachment shown in Fig. 11 may be adapted to straight hair by bending the side lip portions so they lie in substantially the same plane as the hair gripping prongs 89. The latter may then reach the hair that is lying fiat and will grasp it without pulling it into a wave. To dry hair before it is dressed or otherwise arranged, these same attachments may be placed in engagement with the hair at various locations about the head irrespective of any contemplated coiffure.

In operation the forming units are placed on the subjects head to form the desired curls or waves in the hair and to hold the hair in the proper position for drying. The several elbows 26 are then engaged with the stems of the forming units, which latter are hollow throughout their entire length. The heating unit is then turned on and allowed to come up to temperature after which the motor 3 and blower 3 are started. Air is then sucked in through the inlet port 6 and inlet conduit 4 and forced out through exhaust hot as it is used in ordinary hair driers.

conduit! and its extension i into the heating chamber ll. The air is heated within the chamber 14 and is distributed through the various tubes 24 into the forming units where it dries the subdivided mass of hair held by the particular unit. It will be seen that by the rotatable connections of the forming unit with the elbow 26 and of the elbow 26 with the distributing tubes 24 that the subject is free to turn her head into almost any" desired position without disturbing the drying operation. This'obviates the disadvantage of close contact with a single conduit carrying heated air in which the subject must maintain her head in a particular position in order that the drying operation may be carried out. With the use of this invention ther is no need to place hair nets over the hair while it is being dried. These are utilized in all instances at the present time to keep the hair from being disarranged by the force of the air discharged by the ordinary drier, and represent an item of considerable expense and trouble.

A further advantage of the present invention is that by drying small masses of hair with each conduit the drying operation is carried on much more rapidly than is the case where a single heated air stream is blown against the subject's head with no attempt to direct the air against that part of the hair lying close to the scalp. By the present apparatus, air under pressure is forced into intimate contact with each small mass of hair. Because of the effectiveness from a drying standpoint of this apparatus through the directing of the air in such intimate contact with the hair, it is not necessary to have the air as The heat of the air in such hair driers makes them very uncomfortable, particularly since the hot air is not only driven against the surface. of the head, but also along the neck and face. \As the air from the present apparatus is discharged only I within the hair and diffuses away from the head.

even its slight warmth is not brought in contact with the face and neck. The lower drying temperature of the air is much better for the hair as heat is inclined to dry out the oil of the hair, an element necessary to preserve its health and beauty.

The noise with this unit is less objectionable because the blower is further away from the head of the customer, it does not have the full opening found in models now marketed which seems to amplify the noise, the air escapes only through the restricted ports of the hair curling attachments, and the noise of the escaping air is muiiled by the strands of hair held by the attachments.

Because of the speed with which it acts in drying the hair, a customer may have her hair combedout. (this is done to remove the dried particles of wave-fixing solution) and otherwise finished up before she'leaves the beauty shop. This saves her the embarrassment of leaving the shop with her hat in hand and her hair still plastered with moisture, which is the usual practice as few women seem to care to sit under the present driers for the time sufficient to completely dry the hair. Instead, they prefer to let their hair dry of its own accord and either to comb it out and put on the finishing touches at home or to return to the shop the next day to have the work completed.

If desired, a suitable hygroscopic material such as activated alumina or dehydrated calcium sulphate may be placed within the housing formed by the plates 8 and mesh work 9 and air drawn into the housing by the suction action of the blower 3 is dehumidified before being used. In

this manner, the drying operation may be expedited since the capacity of the air to absorb moisture is distinctly increased. The air may also befiltered and cleaned by the introduction of the filter unit adjacent the intake conduit.

While the invention has been shown in connection with a particular form and disposition of the parts, it will be readily appreciated that other connector pieces to hold a mass of hair to be dried and force air from the conduits therethrough. I

2. In a hair drying apparatus, a chamber, an electric heating element in said chamber, a plurality of relatively small flexible conduits leading from said chamber, means to force air through said chamber into said conduits, connector'pieces rotatably held in the freeends of said conduits, and hollow hair forming devices rotatably attached to said connector pieces and adapted to hold a mass of hair to be dried and force air therethrough from said conduits.

3. In combination, a hollow hair holding device adapted to hold a mass of hair to be dried in such a configuration that the dried vhair will be formed, means for heating air, and means to 3 force air heated by said last means under pressure into said holding device so that the air must pass through hair held thereby.

4. In a hair drying apparatus, a hair clamp having openings therein, means for heating air,

and means for forcing air heated by said last means under pressure into the clamp and through said openings through hair held thereby.

5. A hair forming device including .a pair of opposed forming members having outwardly flaring lower ends and having arcuate upper sections, a distributor tube received between the arcuate sections of said members and being perforated at intervals throughout its length, a

connector member flged to saiddistributor tube and projecting upwardly therefrom and adapted to receive a conduit carrying air under pressure which passes through said distributor tube to hair held between said forming members, and a resilient clip surrounding said connector member and engaging each of said forming members to urge them together.

6. The method of drying hair which includes arranging and holding the hair in desired configurations, heating air, liberating a plurality of streams of the heated air under pressure in close contact with the hair, and holding the hair in the path of the released air whereby the liberated air is forced to pass through the hair.

EARL ROCKWOOD.

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