HAIR ORNAMENT

Abstract: An ornamental device (10) for twisting and holding strands of hair (12) and generally that of humans in said twisted position. The device (10) includes an elongated central shaft (16) having ornamental heads (18, 36) connected at opposite ends thereof. The heads (18, 36) are preferably of a similar configuration and include a generally planar body portion (20). One of the heads (18) is fixedly secured to the shaft (16) so that it may be grasped and twisted by the human hand so as to manipulate the shaft (16) while the other head (36) is releasably clamped and preferably able to freely rotate with respect to such shaft (16). Also, locking means (38) either incorporated in the body portion (20) of the ornamental head (18, 36) or separately attached thereto, and for engaging strands of hairs (12) as by intermeshing therewith in addition to such function or the elongated shaft (16), is provided.

Description: HAIR ORNAMENT Background and Summ y of the Invention This invention relates to hair ornaments adapted for the ornamentation of human hair while simultaneously useful for holding the hair in preselected positions, i.e. useful in forming a hair styling or "hair-do". Combs and various other ornamental devices have been used to accomplish such objective and it is to an improved device of this general nature to which the present invention is directed- It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a device of the aforementioned type which can be simultaneously used as an ornament and as a holding device for the maintenance of said hair in a particular shape. A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the aforementioned type including a generally elongated shaft adapted to entangle and be twisted in relationship with strands o.f hair so as to hold such in place and which additionally includes locking means for effecting such purpose. A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an ornamental hair device of the afore¬ mentioned type which may be easily grasped and manipulated and which includes one readily separable portion to effect such purpose. These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by an ornamental device for twisting and holding strands of human hair in said twisted condition com¬ prising a generally thin elongated shaft to which a first ornamental head having a generally planar body is fixedly connected thereto at one end thereof. This first ornamental head is adapted to be firmly grasped by the human hand for twisting the hair strands around the sha -. A second ornamental head is provided and is releasablv connected to the other terminal end of the shaft for holding the shaft in the aforementioned twisted position. In addition, locking means is provided on at least one of the heads and includes a segment thereof which is inwardly directed towards the other of the heads and generally aligned with the elongated shaft. In the broadest form of the invention the locking means is formed from a part.of the ornamental configuration of the head itself but may take the form of independent wire-like segments extending from the body portion of either or both of the ornamental heads. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing. Description of the Drawing In the drawing which illustrates the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing the rear of a human female head whose hair has been shaped into a rela¬ tively simple "hair-do",, i.e. a "french twist", and is main¬ tained in such position with the aid of the device of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view, of one ornamental configurati which the device of the present invention may assume; FIG. 3 is a partial bottom plan view of a portion of FIG. 2 illustrating the manner in which OES end of the shaft is fixedly attached thereto; FIG. 4 is a partial bottom plan view of a portion of FIG. 2 with sections broken away to illustrate the manner in which one of the ornamental heads of the device in FIG. 2 may be releasably secured to the shaft portion thereof; FIG. 5 is a partial bottom plan view of a modified form of the invention and illustrating another manner in which an ornamental head portion may be releasably secured to the elongated shaft portion of a device of the present in¬ vention; FIG. 6 is a top plan view illustrating another overall form or configuration which the device of the present invention may take; and FIG. 7 is a still additional modified form or configuration which the device of the present invention may take. Description of the Invention Turning now to the drawing and in particular FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, one embodiment or configuration of the ornamental hair device 10 of the present invention as shown in an intermeshed or interlocked position with regard to strands of hair within an overall hair shape, style or "hair-do" 12 provided on the head 14 of a human female. Obviously, however - the device of the present invention is not limited to female coiffures and not even necessarily those involving human hair style configurations so long as an essential twisting or interlocking of fibrous strands in the intended fashion is accomplished. The device 10 includes a centrally disposed elongated shaft 16 preferably of rod-like con iguration, that is, having a circular cross-section for a purpose which will hereinafter be more fully explained. One of the terminal ends of the elongated rod 16 is provided with a first ornamental head 18 having a generally planar body portion 20. That end 22 of the shaft 16 is permanently affixed to the undersurface of the body 20 as shown in FIG. by welding, brazing, and the like and accordingly provides adequate area for the device to be firmly grasped as between the thumb and forefinger of the user thereof. In this way then the device may be manipulated with ease such that stran of hair may be enveloped around the body of the shaft 16 and thereafter twisted to the position shown in FIG. 1. In orde to maintain the desired hair style configuration shown in FIG. 1, the other end 24 of the shaft preferably terminates in a slightly reduced diameter point 26 and is adapted for receipt within the central bore 28 of a sleeve 30 in turn disposed within a tube or shell 32. The tube or shell 32 is permanently affixed to the underside of the body 34 of a second ornamental head 36 as by welding, brazing and the like. The sleeve 30 is preferably of a compressible material such as rubber and the like such that the end 24 of the shaft 16 may be firmly yet rotatably inserted therein. Thus, after the device 10 with the second ornamental head 36 removed therefrom has been disposed in the proper position with regard to the "hair-do", the second ornamental head 36 is secured thereto simply by forcing the tube 32 thereof into engagement with the other shaft end 24. It should be further noted that at least one and preferably both of the ornamental heads 18 and 36 are pro¬ vided with a locking mechanism- Such locking means includes at least one segment 38 of the body portions 20 and 34 thereof which extends inwardly towards the other of the heads and in general alignment with the shaft 16, that is, tending to be disposed parallel thereto. Such segment 38 in addition to the shaft 16 tends to become immeshed with the strands of hair and accordingly simultaneously along with the shaft 16 serves to maintain the "hair-do" 12 in the desired configura¬ tion. Another form of the device of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 wherein such device 10a includes a shaft 16a to which ornamental heads having body portions 20a and 34a respectively are attached in a manner similar to that as described with reference to FIGS. 1-4. In such regard it should also be brought out that in the configuration of the device depicted in 10a, segments 38a of each head body por¬ tion are directed inwardly towards each other and accordingly form a pair of the aforementioned locking means. In some instances however, and as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawing, the configuration of the ornamental heads is such as not to include an inwardly directed portion. In such cases, the locking means may be provided in the form of inwardly directed, relatively thin rods or wires 40 attached to the body portion of the ornamental heads, preferably at the lower surfaces thereof. Such wires 40 may also however be . used in combination with ornamental heads such as those depicted in FIGS. 2 and 6 of the drawing, in which case the wires 40 form secondary locking means in addition to the locking means 38 and 38a described in connection with the devices 10 and 10a. Thus in addition to the wires 40, the device 10b, shown in FIG. 7 includes a pair of ornamental heads 18b and 36b including body portions 20b and 34b respectively. Note that those heads 18b, 36b do not in¬ clude segments which form locking means as in the previous embodiments. Also the device 10b may include an elongated shaft 16b which is provided with a bend 42 such as the central change of direction depicted. Such bend provides for an additional amount of possible entanglement with the various strands of hair in a particular "hair-do" so as to assist in preventing the device 10b from sliding longitu¬ dinally with respect to the hair. Such bends or other shape irregularities including bumps, twists, protuberances and the like may also be utilized with shaft 16b, or for that matter with shaft 16 and 16a. Turning now to FIG. 5 of the drawing, a modified form of the connection means shown in FIG. 4 is depicted. Therein a tubular shell 44 formed from a relatively stiff material is directly and fixedly connected in any known manner to the undersurface of one of the body portions of a head. This head is in turn adapted for releasable connection with the reduced end portion 24 of the shaft 16, i.e. the body portion 34a as illustrated in FIG. 5. The tubular number 44 is preferably formed of metal and accordingly directly connected to undersurfaces of the body portion 34a as by welding, brazing and the like. The shell 44 is of open mesh or reticulated construction so as to be somewhat outwardly expandable and is provided with an internal centrally disposed bore 46 which is in turn outwardly flared at opposite ends thereof so as to receive the other end 24 of the shaft 16 for guided direction to the central least diameter portions of the bore 46. The internal diameter of the bore 46 at its smallest dimension is such as to snugly receive the shaft 16 therein. Also, as aforementioned, the shell 44 is able to slightly expand to accommodate a slightly large shaft 16 due to the open mesh network thereof. In some embodiments of the invention it is also desirable to form the ornaments in a slightly curved, i.e. concave configuration such that they better conform to the natural convex configurations of the human head and thus most of the various hair styles developed thereon. In such cases and wherein segments such as segment 38 form a part of the ornamental head there is even a greater tendency for the segments to "dig into" or become iimneshed with the hair and thus additionally contribute to their intended "locking" function. Also the shaft may be flexible so as to better assume a concave or other configuration as required for particular hair styles and so as to better mesh or become entangled in the hair strands. The ornamental heads gener¬ ally are formed from metal, but other materials such as plastic, horn, shell, etc. are contemplated as well. Also, while the cross-sectional shape of the shaft has been re¬ ferred to as being circular such that the second ornamental head is rotatable therewith so as to assume a variety of relative positions in regard thereto, other means to accom¬ plish a variety of positional relations may be used, i.e. the shaft may be square so as to provide four alternate possible positions of the releasable head with respect thereto. Ci.-tFi ' While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifica¬ tions and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying in¬ ventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An ornamental device for twisting and holding strands of hair in said twisted condition comprising, a generally thin elongated shaft, a first ornamental head having a generally planar body fixedly connected to said shaft at one terminal end thereof, said first head adapted • to be firmly grasped by the human hand for twisting said hair strands around said shaft, a second head having means for releasably connecting said second head to the other terminal end of said shaft, at least one of said heads in¬ cluding locking means having at least one segment thereof inwardly extending from said one head body portion and directed towards the other of said heads and generally aligned with said elongated shaft, said locking means adapted to assist in holding said hair strands in addition to said shaft. 2. The device of claim 1, said locking means in¬ wardly extending portion being part of the overall configur¬ ation of said first ornamental head body. 3. The device of claims 1 or 2, said first and second ornamental heads of an essentially similar configur¬ ation. 4. The device of claims 1 or 3, said inwardly directed portion including at least one separate wirelike element attached to one of said heads and disposed gener¬ ally parallel to said shaft. 5. The device of claim 1,, said first and second ornamental heads of an essentially similar configuration, said means for releasably connecting said second head to the other terminal end of said shaft including a longitu¬ dinally oriented tube attached to the under surface of said second ornamental head, said tube having a compressible inner core for releasably clamping said other shaft terminal end therein. 6. The device of claim 5, said compressible core being a separate sleeve of compressible material dis¬ posed in said tube. 7. The device of claim 1, said shaft having at least one centrally disposed surface irregularity so as to increase the functional contact between shaft and said hair strands. 8. The device of claim 1, said shaft being somewhat flexible so as to conform to the arcuate shape of the human head. -gOTEA G-<:?ι

Inventors: TILERIAN DENNIS
Applicants: TILERIAN DENNIS
Application year: 1980
Main classification: A45D8
IPC codes: A45D8