An Apparatus for Curling Hair.
Year: 1897

page_text: An Apparatus for Curling Hair..
WILLIAM HANCOCK, of 35, Meadow Row, London, S.E., Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists of a bar to which is attached a flexible ribbon ; also a
separate part to be used as a holder for the bar. The apparatus is, or maybe, made
in various forms and sizes. The diagrams herewith are drawn to the full size,
according to scale, that I have found most suitable for the apparatus but it may be
made either larger or smaller to suit particular requirements.
The bar is made of any hard drawn wire, such as brass or iron, of about 19 guage
(B, W, G,) shaped (in the pattern now described) to the form shown in
diagrams A and B of which a a are the prongs, b b the handle, and c the cross-bar.
The prongs have a covering to form the blade (shown in diagram C and in dotted
lines in diagrams A and B) made of paper, thin metal, celuloid or other suitable
material, and which may be either attached to the prongs or made so as to slide on
or off them. This covering is made somewhat shorter than the prongs so as, when
used, to form a fork at a a. The blade may also be cut to the fork-like shape as in
diagram K.
The ribbon d d d (shewn in diagrams F, G, H, I) is the flexible ribbon as
usually manufactured, having a core of lead and covered with cotton, silk or the
like; the core may be of copper or other flexible material that will retain its form
when bent.
The ribbon is attached to the cross-bar (c) either so as to be fixed to, or to hinge on,
it as at F and G; or it may be attached to the handle (b) by a paper metal or
other clip, as at H and I, or to the blade as at J. The ribbon, when attached, extends
about one-half the length of the bar beyond it, as at d d¹ and may also be extended
by a piece shown at d¹ d" in diagrams G and I.
The holder is made with jaws that will engage with the handle and, when so
engaged, so that it will hold the bar at an angle from the line of the holder as shown
in diagrams D and E. The jaws may also be made to engage from the outside of
the handle or in the form of a pliers.
Diagrams J, K, L, M, N show some alternative forms of the bar and methods of
attaching the ribbon. When the ribbon is attached to the blade, as in diagram J,
the handle and prongs serve as a holder and can be withdrawn from the blade.
By winding the hair round the blade, beginning at the tip of the lock an ordinary
curl is made; by winding the hair, beginning near the roots, round the blade (work-
ing from the handle end), a wavy curl is produced and a crimped appearance is
obtained by removing the blade from the bar and winding the hair alternately over
each prong, beginning near the roots (working from the handle end). The ribbon,
in each case, is bent over the hair and round the fork to prevent the curl from
unwinding. In the last two processes the holder may be used. After a convenient
time the curling apparatus is removed and the curl dealt with as desired.
Dated this 27th day of March 1907

page_text: WILLIAM HANCOCK, of 35, Meadow Row, London, S.E., Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention is intended to be used for the purpose of giving hair a curly
appearance and consists of a bar to which is attached a flexible metallic ribbon : also
a separate part to be used as a holder for the bar. The diagrams and letters thereon
referred to herein are those filed with my provisional specification which diagrams
are drawn to about the full size that I have found most suitable for the apparatus
but it may be made larger or smaller to suit particular requirements.
The apparatus consists of the following parts viz. :-A frame in the form shown
in diagrams A & B and made of wire of which the parts a, a are called the
The
prongs, b, the handle, c, the cross-bar and space between a, a the fork.
prongs have a covering to form a blade as shown in diagram C and in dotted lines in
diagrams A & B. The wire and blade, or the wire if used without the blade, I call
the bar. To the bar is attached a flexible metallic ribbon as shown in diagrams F
and G. The holder is a desirable accessory attachable to the handle for use when
required to hold the bar comfortably while the hair is being wound. The use of the
holder while desirable is however not essential.
The prongs and handle are formed of any hard drawn wire such as brass, iron or
steel, of about No. 19 wire guage (B, W, G) bent to the form shown on diagrams A
& B, which show two views of the same article.
The blade may be made of paper, celluloid, thin metal such as tin or aluminium
or other suitable material bent over the prongs and pressed thereon by suitable
appliances so as to fit to the wire. I prefer to use for the blade a piece of tin about
No. 38 wire guage thick and in width about twice the width across the two prongs
and of such length as to be about th inch shorter than the prongs when the blade
is on the prongs as far as it will go. I bend this piece of tin by suitable
appliances so that it will pass over the prongs and then press the sides of the
blade tightly together and to the prongs. This blade may also be pressed so as
to allow it to slide along or off the prongs. The two foregoing parts may, if
desired, be stamped in one piece out of suitable sheet metal, celluloid or other
suitable material, and the handle formed by turning the part up as indicated in
diagram B.
The flexible ribbon (d, d¹, d¹¹ in diagrams F & G) is the well known article as
usually manufactured having a core of lead (or the core may be made of copper
or other suitable material that will bend freely and retain its form when bent.),
preferably about ths of an inch wide and about th of an inch thick and covered
with silk, cotton or the like. This ribbon is to be of such suitable length that when
folded into two equal parts and attached to the cross-bar it shall extend about
one half the length of the bar beyond it as at d, d¹ (diagrams F, G). The length
of the inner piece may be shortened if desired as at di, d. The ribbon is attached
to the cross-bar by a metal or wire clip bent round the two parts as near the
cross-bar as possible at or near the point d' as in diagrams F, G, and so that
the ribbon may hinge on the cross-bar. A slip of brass of No. 1 metal guage half an
inch long and th inch wide serves to make the metal clip.
The holder is made of any suitable hard drawn wire of about No. 14 wire guage
(B, W, G.) bent in the form, and about the size, shown in strong black lines in
diagrams D & E; the dotted lines in which represent the parts already described.
The open jaws are turned up as shown in the diagram so as (when engaged) to retain

page_text: the blade at an angle from the holder approximately as shown in the diagram, and
have a slight spring outwards when engaged in the handle. The jaws may also be
made so as to engage the handle from outside in which case they should tend
to spring towards each other when engaged in the handle.
Diagrams H, I, J, K, L, M, N, show some alternative forms of the bar and
ribbon and methods of attaching the same.
This invention may be used in two ways, namely:-(a) after attaching the
holder (if used) to the bar the apparatus is placed near the roots of the lock of hair
which is then wound round the blade beginning near the handle; when complete
bend the ribbon over the fork and backward towards the handle to secure the
curl from unwinding: (b) place the tip of the lock of hair on the blade and press the
ribbon on the hair then turn the whole towards the roots of the lock as far as
convenient after which to prevent the curl from unwinding, the ends of the ribbon
are bent over the fork and back towards the handle; in this process the holder is
dispensed with. These two methods produce a curl of different appearance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The arrangement and use of a bar or frame for winding hair thereon for the
purpose of making it curl substantially as described and set forth.
2. The combination and use of a bar or frame with a flexible ribbon for securing
the hair when wound on the frame or bar substantially as described and set forth.
3. The use of a separate handle called herein a holder for the purpose and in
the manner substantially as set forth and described.
Dated this 29th day of December 1897.