Improvements relating to Devices for Cleaning Hair Combs.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 31st Aug, 1889-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1890'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Devices for Cleaning Hair Combs.
We BERNHARD RIETSCHE, of Biberach, Baden, and AUGUST KAISER, of Offenburg,
Baden, both in the Empire of Germany, Hair-dressers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to devices for cleaning combs. The improyed devices con-
structe: according to the said invention is designed to enable combs to be thoroughly
and rapidly cleaned without special auxiliary means. Such a device is especially
suitable for dust-combs or combs having their teeth close to each other, because" the
cleaning of these combs by hand becomes the more troublesome the finer the
teeth are.
The arrangement hereinafter described is especially adapted for dust-combs having
a row of teeth on both sides.
Between every two of the several teeth of the comb is arranged a wire or other
small rod or strip preferably made of metal but any other suitable material can be
used for the purpose. The said rods or strips in case they consist of metal; are
permanently connected by soldering, cementing or in any other suitable manner with
two metal strips extending over the entire length of the comb, so that the rods or
strips remain free only a distance equal to the width of the teeth.
A cleaning-frame made as above described is arranged upon each side of the double
comb, and the two frames are connected with each other by two other frames, one on
each surface of the comb.
Accordingly, the two cleaning-frames can be caused to slide simultaneously. upon
the teeth of the comb, and the connection is such that the wires of one cleaning-frame
will be just at the bottom of the teeth on one side of the comb when the wires of the
other cleaning-frame are at the top or point of the teeth on the other side of
the comb, and vice versa. In the displacement of the clearing-frames upon the sides
of the comb the dust between the teeth will therefore be removed by the aforesaid
wires or strips.
Now in order to remove not only the dirt which is between the teeth but also the
dirt on their two outer surfaces upon the latter are arranged special cleaners suitably
made of sheet metal, which extend over the entire breadth of the teeth and always
bear with their front edge like a spring against the said surfaces.
+
As the cleaners or cleaning-plates are to act simultaneously with the wires, they
must be in connection therewith, and this is suitably effected by bending or turning.
over the ends of the frames for holding the wires and also the corresponding ends of.
the said cleaning-plates so that the bent ends of the frames and plates engage with
each other. In this manner the two parts are connected without inaterially affecting-
the spring action of the front part of the plates at the points where the latter bear
upon the surfaces of the teeth.
The above-mentioned cleaning-plates also serve to connect the two cleaning-frames
on either surface of the comb through the medium of a connecting piece which is
provided in its centre with a hole for the purpose of enabling the thumb and fore-
finger upon each surface of the comb to be placed in these holes in order to enable
the cleaning-frames to be conveniently shifted.
The bending of the ends of frames and cleaning-plates has also for its object to
enable the cleaning-plates to be removed from the said frames so that the latter can
be occasionally cleaned. For this purpose the said bent ends of the two parts are not
firmly connected with the other, but in such a manner that the ends of one part can
be displaced relatively to those of the other part with some friction. This arrange
ment enables either of the above-mentioned second pair of frames each of which

page_text: consists of two cleaning plates and the said connecting piece to be removed by lateral
displacement, if this is done with both these frames the cleaning frames can be easily
taken from the comb.
Dated this 1st day of December 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Devices for Cleaning Hair Combs.
We, BERNHARD RIETSCHE, of Biberach, Baden, and AUGUST KAISER, of Offenburg,
Baden, both in the Empire of Germany, Hair-dressers, do hereby declare the nature i
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:-
This invention relates to devices for cleaning combs.
The improved device constructed according to the said invention is designed to
enable combs to be thoroughly and rapidly cleaned without special auxiliary means.
Such a device is especially suitable for dust combs or combs having their teeth close to
each other, because the cleaning of these combs by hand becomes the more trouble-
some the finer the teeth.
The arrangement hereinafter described is especially adapted for dust-combs having
a row of teeth on both sides.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is an elevation.
Figure 2 a cross-section.
2
Figure 3 represents the cleaner alone in elevation.
Figure 4 in cross-section and
2
Figures 5 to 10 show details.
Figure 11 is an elevation of a comb with a modified form of cleaner applied
thereto.
Figure 12 is a section of the comb alone.
Figure 13 is a section of figure 11.
3
Figures 14, 15, 16 represents the cleaner in side elevation, edge view, and cross
section respectively.
Figure 17 shows another form of comb with the cleaner applied thereto.
Figure 18 is a section of the comb itself and
3
Figures 20 and 21 show the cleaner detached:
Figure 19 is a section of Figure 17.
Between every two of the several teeth f of the comb is arranged a wire or other
small rod or strip preferably made of metal but any other suitable material can be
used for the purpose. The said rods or strips in case they consist of metal are.
permanently connected by soldering, cementing or in any other suitable manner with 4
two metal strips 6 extending over the entire length of the comb, Figure 8, so that
the rods or strips remain free only a distance equal to the width of the teeth.
A cleaning-frame b, a, b, made as above described is arranged upon each side of
the double comb, and the two frames are connected with each other by two other
frames A B, one on each surface of the comb.
Accordingly, the two cleaning-frames can be caused to slide simultaneously upon
the teeth of the comb, and the connection is such that the wires of one cleaning-
frame will be just at the bottom of the teeth on one side of the comb when the wires
of the other cleaning-frame are at top or point of the teeth on the other side of the
comb, and vice versa. In the displacement of the cleaning-frames upon the sides of
the comb the dust between the teeth will therefore be removed by the aforesaid wires
or strips.
Now in order to remove not only the dirt which is between the teeth but also the
dirt on their two outer surfaces, upon the latter are arranged special cleaners e suitably
4

page_text: made of sheet metal, which extend over the entire breadth of the teeth and always
bear with their front edge like a spring against the said surfaces.
As the cleaners or cleaning-plates care to act simultaneously with the wires, they
must be in connection therewith, and this is suitably effected by bending or turning
over the ends of the frames for holding the wires and also the corresponding ends of
the said cleaning-plates c so that the bent ends of the frames and plates engage with
each other, Figures 5 and 6. In this manner the two parts are connected without
materially affecting the spring action of the front part of the plates at the points
where the latter bear upon the surfaces of the teeth.
The above-mentioned plates c also serve to connect the two cleaning-frames on
either surface of the comb through the medium of a connecting piece C which holds
every two cleaning plates together. This connecting piece C, (Figures 1 and 3) has
in the middle a hole g for the purpose of enabling the thumb and forefinger upon each
surface of the comb to be placed in these holes so that the cleaning frames can be
conveniently shifted.
The bending of the ends of the frames and cleaning-plates has also for its object to
enable the cleaning-plates c to be removed from the said frames b so that the latter
can be occasionally cleaned. For this purpose the said bent ends of the two parts b
and c are not firmly connected with the other, but in such a manner that the ends of
one part can be displaced relatively to those of the other part with a certain amount
of friction.
This arrangement enables either of the above-mentioned second pair of frames each
of which consists of two cleaning plates c and the said connecting-piece to be removed
by lateral displacement; if this is done with both these frames A, B, the cleaning-
frames b, a, b can be easily taken from the comb.
The arrangement represented in figures 11 to 21 differs from that above described by
an improvement which prevents dirt from getting fixed in the spaces between the teeth
in the backward movement of the cleaning device. In the first arrangement this is
possible, because the dirt can partly get below the cleaning device, and is carried
away by the latter in the backward movement, and pressed against the bottom of the
spaces between the teeth. As shown in Figures 12, 13, 18 and 19 the spaces between
the teeth of the combs are not cut at a right angle at the bottom as usual, but are
cut oblique, moreover in the comb represented in Figures 18 and 19 the middle part c
recedes somewhat relatively to the two other parts which comprise the teeth. The
cleaning device in this case is of a somewhat different form. It is, as it were, formed
by a second comb whose teeth engage with the teeth of the former.
The frame A is provided at each of the two longitudinal sides a narrow sheet metal
strip a and extends therewith around the cleaning device b. It is made of the same
material as the comb, and cut upon the same machine. It has also exactly the same
number of teeth as this comb and, if put in place together with the frame as shown
in Figures 13 and 19, it fits accurately into the intermediate spaces. At the front side
the teeth of the cleaning device are bevelled, at the rear side they are straight.
The action of this cleaning device corresponds in the forward movement to the
action of device represented in Figures 1 to 10. It carries away the dirt which
has been deposited in the spaces, and conveys it to the front, its teeth scraping clean
off all the parts which adhere more firmly to the teeth of the comb. In the back-
ward movement however the improvement proper of this device comes into action.
Whereas in the arrangement represented in Figures 1 to 10 the teeth or rather the
wires of the cleaning device always press against the bottom the dirt which has
remained in the spaces after the forward movement or has subsequently got into
the same, the cleaning device in this case presses from the rear end of the teeth
of the comb. The teeth as shown in figures 13 and 19 slide along the oblique
bottom of the spaces between the teeth upwards, and finally pass simultaneously with
the dirt from the spaces. If the comb is formed according to Figure 11 the dirt
passes upon the smooth surface thereof and if it is formed according to Figure 17 it
drops upon the receding part c.

page_text: In the second arrangement the. comb. is. in this manner cleaned again in every
movement of the cleaning device, ; and therefore is still more than the first arrange-
ment free from all dirt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature, of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. In combination with a comb a device for cleaning the same, consisting of wires,
flat strips a or the like placed in, or taking into, the spaces between the teeth, and
which are held together by common bars b.
Second. In comb-cleaners the employment of special scraping plates c which scrape
the outer surface of the teeth of the comb.
Third. The employment of combs whose spaces between the teeth, are inclined
at the bottom, Figure 11, to 13 and in which the middle part of the comb recedes
somewhat (Figures 17 to 19) for the purpose of effecting the complete cleaning of
the comb when the cleaner is drawn back.
Fourth. In the above described combs the employment of a cleaner which consists
of a frame A and the cleaner b proper, which is held by the frame through the
medium of the metal strips a.
Dated this 31st day of August 1980
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.