Device for combing or picking hair
[ 1 Apr. 22, 1975 ABSTRACT A device for combing or picking hair which is compact. small.  
 hich  
 supports slidable fingers or picks which are manually of said housing for use in combing or picking hair, same having releasable Primary E.\&#39;uminer-G. E. McNeill Attorney, Agent. or Firm-Max R. Kraus and readily carried on the person or in a pocketbook or purse, and comprises a housing w retractable to a position entirely within said housing or to a position exteriorly means for locking the fingers or picks in either retracted or fully extended position and also wherein S m .md .Hb S 06 M e .m s 8 e m m.m u T.&#34; g s N F .m 3 H mm a d a 6 0 mm D nr 6 Pi 3 eh h be C v. u a 5 I .m B .we 0. n .m w p ans sau 2 l HI! H DEVICE FOR COMBING 0R PICKING HAIR Inventor: George Ransaw. 8059 S. Merrill Ave. Chicago. Ill. 60617 Filed: Oct. 4, 1973 Appl. No.: 403,523  
 Int. A45d 1/00 Field of Search......... l32/9. H. 762. I49. I92. l32/l6l. 76.2: 206/37 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS United States Patent Ransaw Cournoyer...........  
  1 DEVICE FOR COMBING ()R PICKING HAIR BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a device which is compact. small. and which may be carried on the person or in a pocketbook. and includes a housing which supports slidable picks or fingers which when in non-use position are held retracted entirely within the housing and which may be manually moved to fully extended position to extend exteriorly of the housing for use in combing or picking the hair on the head. and particularly suitable for the Afro hair style. and may also be used in connection with teasing and styling of other hair styles. said device having means for locking said picking teeth in either retracted or fully extended position and also the teeth may be positioned in intermediate positions and retained in such intermediate positions while being used.  
  Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character which may be economically manufactured.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:  
  FIG. I is a plan view of the device with a portion broken away. showing the fingers or picks locked in fully extended position.  
  FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. I and showing the parts when in a locked position against sliding movement.  
  FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the actuators pressed inwardly to permit the fingers or picks to he slid relative to the housing.  
 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the actuator. the resilient means for operating the actuator and the inner ends of the fingers or picks.  
  FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1. showing in full lines the fingers or picks partially extended and in dotted lines the holder and fingers fully retracted; and  
  FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but of a modification.  
  The device comprises a housing generally indicated at 10 which is formed of two identically constructed sections 12, molded preferably of a plastic material and economically produced. Since each of said sections are of identical construction only one section will be described in detail.  
  Each section I2 forming the housing has a wall 14. the exterior surface of which is ornamented and provided with transversely extending ribs which serves as both an ornamental surface and for easy gripping. The interior surface of the wall 14 is provided at one end with a transversely extending raised portion 16 and at the other end with a transversely extending raised portion [8 which has spaced recesses or grooves 20 which form the guide grooves for guiding the picks or fingers when the two sections 12 are joined together to form the housing 10. The inside wall [4 is provided adjacent each of the opposite sides with a longitudinally extending rib 22 which terminates short of and is spaced from the transversely extending members 16 and I8 respectively. and the ribs provide shoulders 24 and 26 at each of the opposite ends of said ribs which form stops for the slidable member to be described. Extending inwardly and centrally positioned are two spaced longitudinally extending ribs 28 which extend the full length (Ill of said wall and extend between the transverse members l6 and 18.  
  The slidable member of the device is generally indicated at 30 and comprises a slidable holder 32 which is likewise formed of two identical sections 34. formed preferably of plastic. which are adapted to be secured together. with the fingers or picks generally indicated at 36 therebetween to form the holder for said fingers. The holder 32 is of generally rectangular shape and is provided with spaced recesses or grooves 38 on the opposite sides which are adapted to be alined with and ride on the central ribs 28 of the housing. A cutout or recess 40 is formed adjacent each of the ends of the holder 32 and positioned in each said cutout or recess is a strip of sponge rubber 42 which serves as the resilient or spring means for moving the manually operated actuator members generally indicated at 44 outwardly when manually released. The inside surface of each of the sections 34 forming the holder 32 is recessed to form a plurality of U-shaped recesses 46 for accommodating the U-shaped ends 37 of the fingers or picks 36. It will be seen that the fingers or picks 36 are formed so that a pair of spaced fingers. for example 3611 and 36b. are integrally connected at their inner ends to form the U-shaped ends 37 which are secured in the U- shaped recesses 46 of the holder 32.  
  The manually operated actuators 44 are adapted to cooperate with the sponge rubber inserts 42 and are adapted to be manually pressed inwardly by the fingers of the hand for operating the slidable member 30. Each of the manually operated actuators 44 has an outer end 47 which is of generally H-shaped configuration in transverse section providing oppositely facing vertical channels 48. with the outer surface being ribbed or cor rugated as at 49 to facilitate manual gripping or engagement with the fingers of a hand. Extending inwardly from the inner wall of the H-shaped configuration is a lateral extension 50 which terminates in a forwardly extending flange or lip 52. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2. 3 and 4. the manually operated actuators 44 are inserted in the cutout portion 40 of the holder 32 with one side abutting against the end of the cutout and the other against the sponge rubber insert 42. The inserts 42 normally tend to urge the manually operated actuating members 44 to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which the actuating members 44 are in their outermost laterally extending position with respect to the holder 32. In this position the ribbed portion 49 of the actuator extends outwardly of the end edges of the housing 10 so that they can be manually engaged.  
  In the extended position the channels 48 of the actuators 44 are not in registry with the ribs 22 and the holder 32 would not be slidable with respect to the housing It) for either retracting or extending the picks or fingers 36. In the extended position of the actuators 44 the holder 32 would have to be positioned in either its fully forward position. as shown in FIG. I where the holder 32 would be positioned between the transversely raised portion 18 of the shoulders or stops 24. in which position it is locked to maintain the picks or fingers in fully extended position. or the holder 32 would be positioned in a fully rearward position. as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5 where the holder 32 is positioned between the transversely extending raised portion 16 and the shoulders or stops 26 of the ribs 22 which locks the fingers or picks 36 in fully retracted position entirely inside the housing 10.  
  The picks or fingers 36 are made preferably of metal. with the inner ends of each pair of fingers having the U-shaped configuration to connect same. The front end of said picks or fingers is rounded to eliminate any sharp edges. The picks or fingers are inserted between the two sections 34 of the holder 32 and then the two sections are permanently secured together so as to retain said fingers 36 projecting outwardly thereof. It will be noted that the U-shaped recess 46 in the holder 32 is adjacent the front end of said holder. as best seen in FIG. 4, so as not to interfere with the cutout or recess 40 which retains the sponge rubber insert 42. With the holder 32 and picks or fingers 36 secured to each other as a unit. the holder is inserted between the two sections 12 of the housing 10 before the two housing sections are secured together. With the two sections I2 secured together the spaced central grooves 38 of the holder will be in registry with the longitudinal ribs 28 of each of the walls of the housing so that the holder is guided in its sliding movement in relation to the housing by means of said ribs. In fully retracted position. as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 5. the holder 32 is positioned against the raised portion l6 of the wall I4. With the manually operated actuators 44 manually released the parts would be positioned as shown in FIG. 2 and the channels 48 of the actuators would not be in registry with the ribs 22 but the actuators would be engaged by the shoulders or stops 26 to hold the holder 32 and fingers 36 retracted in the housing. To move the fingers to the extended position shown in FIG. I. the actuators 44 are pressed inwardly to the position shown in FIG. 3 where the ribbed portion 49 is alined substantially with the ends of the housing 10 and which lines up the grooves 48 with the ribs 22 so that the holder 32 can be manually slid forwardly to the position of FIG. I where the holder 32 abuts against the transversely extending raised portion I8. By releasing the actuators 44. the actuators move outwardly. as in FIG. 2. against the shoulders or stops 24 of the ribs 22 to lock the holder 32 in its forward position and the fingers 36 in their fully extended position. the channels 48 of the actuators being out of registry with the ribs 22. To retract the fingers 36 the actuators 44 are pressed inwardly to the FIG. 3 position to permit retraction of the holder 32 and withdrawal of the fingers 36.  
  If it is desired that the fingers 36 be positioned in any intermediate position. as shown in full lines in FIG. 5, then the actuators 44 are operated to permit the holder 32 to be slid and the fingers 36 projected to the extent desired and by holding the housing at the side walls and applying a slight manual pressure the holder may be retained in said intermediate position although not positively locked in such intermediate position.  
  FIG. 6 shows a modification in which in lieu of the sponge rubber inserts 42 spring means 56 are used for normally urging the manual actuators 44 outwardly. In such instance the holder 32 is provided with means for receiving either coil springs. as shown. or leaf springs which engage the inward lip or flange of the actuator to serve the same purpose as does the sponge rubber.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A device for combing or picking hair comprising. a housing. positive stop means within said housing. a holder slidably supported in said housing. a plurality of picks or fingers secured to said holder and slidable with said holder. a manually operated actuator supported by said holder and extending laterally of the side of said housing for manual actuation from said side. said manually operated actuator when manually released at the fully forward and fully rearward positions engaging said stop means in said housing. for locking said holder in either its fully rearward position or fully forward position to retain said picks or fingers respectively in either fully retracted position or fully extended position with respect to said housing.  
  2. A device as set forth in claim I in which there is a pair of manually operated actuators. one on each of the opposite sides ends of the holder and in which resilient means normally urge said actuators laterally outwardly of said sides ends to positively and fixedly lock said holder against sliding movement in either of its fully rearward or forward positions.  
  3. A device as set forth in claim I in which resilient means normally urges the actuator laterally outwardly of the side of the housing to positively lock the holder against sliding movement in either its fully rearward or fully forward position.  
  4. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the housing has ribs cooperating with grooves in the holder whereby when said grooves are alined with said ribs said holder is slidable with respect to said housing and when disalined said holder will engage either of the opposite ends of said ribs which serve as the stop means to prevent the holder from sliding movement and positively lock the holder in either its fully rearward or fully forward position.  
  5. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which the fingers are formed in pairs and in which each pair of fingers is connected at its inner end by a U-shaped connection which is secured in a correspondingly shaped recess in the holder.