IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY TO ROTATORY HAIR BRUSHES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathaniel John Holmes of No. 8 Great Winchester
Street Old Broad Street London. E.C. Gentleman for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY TO ROTATORY
HAIR BRUSHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathaniel John Holmes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1882.
NATHANIEL JOHN HOLMES, of No. 8. Great Winchester Street, Old Broad Street
London, EC. Gentleman, IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING ELECTRICITY
TO ROTATORY HAIR BRUSHES
My improvements consist in an improved form of apparatus by which I am
able to apply an electric current generated from any of the known sources of
Electricity to the rotatory hair brush in such a manner, hereafter to be described,
that the continuity of the electric current from the generating source shall only be
completed by the pressure of the brush on contact with the head in the act of
brushing the hair, by which means the system of the person operated upon forms
a portion of the circuit and distinct shocks or currents of electricity are caused to
pass into the body at the point of contact of the brush with the head or body of
the person operated upon. In these improvements the electrical arrangements of
the metallic circuits of the brush will now be described. I construct my revolving
electric bair brush so as to constitute in itself a broken or disrupted circuit in the
following manner. Two or more series of metallic bars upon which are mounted
metallic bristles, according to the number of shocks, or currents desired to pass in
any single revolution of the brush are inserted into the circumference of the
rotatory brush, each series of two metallic bars being necessary to form a circuit,
and a number of these series of metallic bars and bristles are so disposed amongst
the ordinary hair bristles of the brush as to each form a broken circuit until
continuity is formed in the act of brushing and the circuit is completed by means
of the body of the person operated upon and the metallic arrangements of the
chair upon which he sits hereafter to be described. The two metallic bars with
the metallic bristles are placed parallel and near to each other, but are insulated

page_text: from one another. The end of one of those bars is in metallic connection with one
pole of the generating source of electricity through the iron spindle upon which
the brush revolves. The end of the other metallic bar is in metallic connection
with one arm of the chair upon which the person sits, the other arm of the chair
is in metallic conuection with the other pole of the generating source of electricity.
The handles of the iron spindle upon which the brush revolves held in the hands
of the operator by pressure produce a rubbing contact so that upon the revolving
brush touching the head any two of these metallic bars and bristles in a series
form a continuous portion of the circuit through the head of the person operated
upon, provided his hands are arranged to complete the circuit by being pressed
upon the metallic arrangements of the two arms of the chair. In the construction
of the inetallic arrangements of the chair upon which he sits the circuit is broken
until the continuity is completed through the body of the person operated upon by
the act of touching with his hands at the same time the metal ends of the two
arms of the chair. The intensity of the current passing at the makes and breaks
of the metallic bars and bristles in the act of brushing the hair can be regulated at
will by the extent and firmness of the grasp by the hands of the metallic connections
of the arms of the chair by the person sitting in the chair.
By my improved apparatus therefore the body becomes with the brush and the
chair a necessary portion of the continuity of the circuit, and a distinct shock or
passing of the electric current takes place at each successive make and break of the
circuit as the brush revolves in contact with the head. In this improved
arrangement of parts of the metallic bars and bristles of the brush the body of the
person, and the chair form only continuous portions of the continuity of the circuit
under certain conditions as above described. Should the continuity of the circuit
be broken at the chair, the rotating brush becomes at once an ordinary rotating
hair brush and may be employed as such, as no current can pass through the body.
It is not necessary to describe in detail-any-particular mode of connecting up the
metallic connections of the brush or chair to form a continuous portion of the
circuit from the generating source as such may be varied without interfering with
the novelty of my invention. When I apply this principle to the ordinary form of
hand hair brush I make use of the Eaine arrangement of parts to complete the
circuit through the brush and body, but of necessity I vary the details in
connection with the completion of the circuit with the generating source of the
electric current. In these improvements that which constitutes the novelty of my
invention, is the disruptive arrangement of the metallic bars and bristles of the
rotatory hairbrush so that the body of the person operated upon is necessary as a
part of the circuit for completing the continuity of the electric current in the act
of brushing the hair, in connection with the pressure of the hands upon other
metallic arrangements in connection with the generating source of electricity. It
is also a novelty in my improved arrangement of parts that the degree of pressure
of the hands is capable of regulating the strength of the current passing into the
system, or cut it off altogether at the will of the person operated upon independent
of the action of the revolving brush when pressed against the head.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Nathaniel John Holmes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th April 1883.
NATHANIEL JOHN HOLMES of 8 Great Winchester Street, Old Broad Street,
London EC, Gentleman
" IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING
ELECTRICITY TO ROTATORY HAIR BRUSHES
"
My improvements consist in an improved form of apparatus by which I am
able to apply an electric current generated from any of the known sources of
electricity to the rotatory hair brush in such a manner, hereafter to be described,
that the continuity of the electric current from the generating source shall only be
completed by the pressure of the brush on contact with the head in the act of
brushing the hair by which means the system of the person operated upon forms a
portion of the circuit and distinct shocks or currents of electricity are caused to
pass into the body at the point of contact of the brush with the head or body of
the person operated upon. In these improvements the electrical arrangements of
the metallic circuits of the brush will now be described.
1 construct my revolving electric hair brush so as to constitute in itself a broken
or disrupted circuit in the following manner. For this purpose two or more series
of metallic bars (according to the number of shocks or currents desired to pass in
any single revolution of the brush) are inserted longitudinally into the circum-
ference of the rotatory brush each series of two metallic bars being necessary to
form a circuit; upon each bar are mounted metallic wires serving as bristles, a
number of these series of two metallic bars and bristles are so disposed amongst
the ordinary hair bristles of the brush as that cach series shall form a broken
circuit until continuity is formed in the act of brushing and the circuit is completed
by means of the body of the person operated upon, and the metallic arrangements
of the chair upon which he sits hereafter to be described. The metallic bars with
the metallic bristles are placed parallel each pair being near to but insulated from
one another. The end of one of the bars is in metallic connection with one pole
of the generating source of electricity through the iron spindle upon which the
brush revolves.
The end of the other metallic bar is in metallic connection with one arm of the
chair upon which the person sits, the other arm of the chair is in metallic
connection with the other pole of the generating source of electricity. The handles
of the iron spindle upon which the brush revolves held in the hands of the operator
by pressure produce a rubbing contact so that upon the revolving brush touching
the head any two of the said metallic bars and bristles in a series form a continuous
portion of the circuit through the head of the person operated upon provided his
hands are arranged to complete the circuit by being pressed upon the metallic
arrangements of the two arms of the chair. In the construction of the metallic
arrangements of the chair upon which the person sits the circuit is broken until
the continuity is completed through the body of the person operated upon by the
act of touching with his hands at the same time the metal ends of the two arms
of the chair. The intensity of the current passing at the makes and breaks of the
metallic bars and bristles in the act of brushing the hair can be regulated at will
by the extent and firmness of the grasp by the hands of the metallic connections
of the arms of the chair by the person sitting in the chair. By my improved
apparatus therefore the body becomes with the brush and the chair a necessary
portion of the continuity of the circuit, and a distinct shock or passing of the
electric current takes place at each successive make and break of the circuit as the

page_text: brush revolves in contact with the head. In this improved arrangement of parts
of the metallic bars and bristles of the brush the body of the person and the chair
form only continuous portions of the continuity of the circuit under certain
conditions as above described. Should the continuity of the circuit be broken at
the chair the rotating brush becomes at once an ordinary rotating hair brush and
may be employed as such, as no current can pass through the body. It is not
necessary to describe in detail any particular mode of connecting up the metallic
connections of the brush or chair to form a continuous portion of the circuit from
the generating source, as such may be varied without interfering with the novelty
of my invention and will be understood by any electrician.
When I apply my principle to the ordinary form of hand hair brush I make use
of the same arrangement of parts as hereinbefore described to complete the circuit
through the brush and body, but of necessity I vary the details in connection
with the completion of the circuit with the generating source of the electric
current.
In these improvements that which constitutes the novelty of my invention is
the disruptive arrangements of the metallic bars and bristles of the brush so that
the body of the person operated upon is necessary as a part of the circuit for
completing the continuity of the electric current in the act of brushing the hair, in
connection with the pressure of the hands upon other metallic arrangements in
connection-with-the-generating source of electricity. It is also a novelty in my
improved arrangement of parts that the degree of pressure of the hands is capable
of regulating the strength of the current passing into the system or cut it off
altogether at the will of the person operated upon independent of the action of the
brush when pressed against the head.
-
In Witness whereof I the said Nathaniel John Holmes have hereto set my
hand-and-seal-this twenty fourth day of April in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty three