Improvements in Hair Brushes and Combs by the Combination of Air Jets therewith.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 6th Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hair Brushes and Combs by the Combination of
Air Jets therewith.
ALFRED RENÉ UPWARD of 150 Holland Road Kensington W. Electrical
Engineer and ALBERT MYERS of 3 South Square Gray's Inn Solicitor do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In this invention, hair brushes or combs are combined with a blast or jet of
moderate strength of air, or other gas, mixture of gases, or vapour; the methods
and details of construction, which we prefer to employ, being hereafter described.
Preferably we provide between and amongst the bristles of the brush a series of
small tubes, having a fine orifice at the end from which the blast above referred to
issues, and being connected at the other end with the source providing the blast:
these tubes being considerably shorter than the bristles of the brush, they in no way
interfere with the usual action and play of the bristles. In place of these fine
tubes, the bristles may themselves constitute fine tubes, by having a fine air passage
within them, similarly connected with the source of air, or other gas, mixture of
gases, or vapour.
When this invention is applied to combs, the teeth of the comb may be
tubular, that is to say, containing an air passage within them, which passage
may in order to prevent obstruction by foreign matter, terminate in an orifice,
slightly above the extremity of the tooth. These tubular teeth may be set or
cemented air tight into the back or frame of the comb, which in this case would
also itself be a tube of larger dimensions, capable of supplying all the teeth with
the necessary blast. In rotary or revolving brushes, such as are ordinarily used by
hairdressers, the air blast may be economised by so arranging a sliding connection,
that only that particular segment or part of the brush, which at the moment is
directed towards the head, is connected with the source of supply, so that as the
brush moves forward each operative section successively becomes connected with
the blast. This blast or jet of air, or other gas, or mixture of gases, or vapour,
may before reaching these appliances be cooled or heated within pleasant limits
and also may be impregnated with antiseptics, disinfectants, or scents. When
desired for cheapness of construction or convenience, the air jets may be combined
with the combs by fine tubes or nozzles inserted between the teeth but being of less
length than the teeth themselves, as above described in the case of brushes.
Blasts of moderate volume for the smaller forms of appliances above described
may be obtained by the alternate compression and release, of an india rubber ball,
or other equivalent hand operated device. For blasts of greater volume such as
are required for rotary brushes above referred to, the same source of power which
drives the brush may be made to generate them.
Dated thie Ath dow of October 1800
A. RÉNÉ UPWARD.
ALBERT
MYERS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hair Brushes and Combs by the Combination of
Air Jets therewith.
We ALFRED RENÉ UPWARD of 150 Holland Road Kensington London W.
Consulting Engineer, and ALBERT MYERS of 3 South Square Gray's Iun
London W.C. Solicitor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
Price 8d.]

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
In this invention hair brushes or combs are combined with jets of air or other
gas, mixture of gases or vapour, of moderate strength or pressure.
We provide, preferably between and amongst the ordinary bristles of the brush
or teeth of the comb, a series of small tubes, tubular bristles or teeth, flexible or
otherwise, having a fine orifice at their end whence the blast or current of air above
referred to issues, the other ends of these tubes being in connection with the source
of the current of air. It is obvious that the bristles of the brush or teeth of the
comb may themselves be tubes, carrying the blast or current of air. We now
proceed to describe convenient types of these appliances, made in accordance with
this invention, together with details of construction of same.
Probably the most general application of this invention will be to the well known
rotary or revolving brushes used by hair dressers. Between the avenues or rows
of bristles of the cylindrical brush, Fig. 1 may be placed a number of brass tubes A
(of about one quarter of an inch outside diameter and rather more than one eighth
of an inch bore) reaching the entire breadth or axial length of the brush. Fig. 5
Sheet 2 shows these tubes removed from the brush. Each of these tubes is drilled
with say three holes at equal distances apart, and into these holes are soldered
nipples, B, Figs. 1 & 5 or rather smaller tubes, open at their ends and projecting
radially, say, about three sixteenths of an inch from the axial tubes A above
referred to, these nipples B receive and hold the hollow or tubular bristles or
flexible tubes C Fig. 1. which carry the current of air. These tubes C which form
air carrying bristles may be of indian rubber, and of the same length as, or shorter
than, the ordinary bristles of the brush. One end of the quarter-inch-axial tubes A
above referred to is closed, the other end of each, passing thro' a disc D, the open
ends presenting a circle of separate holes, E Fig. 2 Sheet 2 flush or level with the
opposite surface or side of this disc D, from that through which they entered;
another disc F Figs. 3 & 4 (of equal diameter) with its surface accurately ground
and fitting airtight over the accurately ground face of the first disc D, closes the
circle of holes E in the first disc, but a cavity G is provided in this second disc F,
which cavity, is in the path of the circle of holes E, this semi-circular cavity G
extending over say about one third of the circle of holes E; into this cavity or
chamber is fitted airtight a flexible tube H connected with the source of compressed
air, so that as the brush revolves one third of the axial tubes A, and through them
the air bristles C, perpetually in succession get connected with the source of
compressed air; this portion of the face of the revolving brush being presented
towards the head.
The disc F, Figs. 1, 3 & 4 containing the "air-feed" cavity G being attached
to the usual handle on the axis of the brush, remains stationary, the other disc D,
Figs. 1 & 2 (which when the brush is in use forms part of it) sliding airtight over
the face of this stationary disc F.: light springs K, Fig. 5 keep the two disc
faces D & F in contact. Thus as above pointed out, only that part of the cylindrical
surface of the revolving brush which at the moment is directed towards the head,
receives the airblast.
A cheaper, but less efficient form of air jet or blower-brush, may be constructed
by dispensing with the tubular, or air carrying bristles and providing that air jets
issue from apertures or nozzles, stationary or revolving and directing their blast or
jet of air, in such a manner, that the roots of the hair exposed by the motion of the
brush receive the said current or jets of air.
In the case of combs Fig. 6 Sheet 1 made in accordance with this invention, the
back of the comb A, may be tubular, and hollow or tubular teeth B fitted airtight
into this back A, into and through which the current of air or gaseous blast passes
and thence thro' the various teeth B, issueing as a jet or current from the small
orifice at the other extremity of the teeth. In practice it will be found sufficient
that alternate teeth carry the jet or blast, those between them C, being ordinary or

page_text: solid teeth. To prevent the issueing orifice from becoming stopped or choked with
foreign matter, the orifices may be placed slightly above the point or extremity of
the tooth.
Metal, subsequently burnished or electro plated, is a very suitable material for
these combs, which may be constructed as follows: a light brass tube of suitable
diameter and length and closed at one end, is drilled with a number of small holes
in a line, of the required diameter and distance apart to receive the tubular teeth,
these teeth may be readily made by cutting small tube into the required lengths.
These tubular teeth are now fixed by means of solder or cement into the holes in
the hollow tube which forms the back of the comb above referred to, care being
taken, that the air way is left clear. The combs may be supplied with the current
of air or blast by attaching and indian rubber tube to the open end of the tubular back,
which indian rubber tube, is connected to the source of compressed air: the indian
rubber tube must of course be of sufficient length to allow of easy motion and
manipulation of the comb.
Ordinary hand hair brushes, may be constructed and provided with air jets similarly
to the method already described for rotary brushes, the hand brush of course not
requiring the sliding disc attachment. It may be convenient to make the wooden
mounting back of the hand brush a hollow airtight chamber, the blast or air current
issueing from jets or air carrying bristles supplied from this chamber, which in turn
may be fed by a small pipe, passing through the handle and connected with the
Bource of compressed air, by a flexible tube as already described in the case of
combs, made in accordance with this invention. These air brushes and combs made
of suitable design are also applicable to the grooming or cleaning of horses, or
other animals.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:
1. The combination with hair brushes or combs of air jets, so arranged that the
currents of air play on the roots of the hair, and surface of the skin, exposed by
the motion of the brush or comb, substantially as described.
2. Hair brushes or combs constructed (entirely or partially) with tubular bristles
or teeth, through which the currents of air pass, substantially as described.
3. The details of construction and combination of parts substantially as described,
for rotary brushes, hand brushes and combs combined with jets of air.
Dated this 8th day of August 1893.
A. RENÉ UPWARD.
ALBERT
MYERS.