A NEW OR IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR CURLING, WAVING, AND FRIZZING HAIR
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Careless, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Chemist and Dentist, for an Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED
INSTRUMENT FOR CURLING, WAVING, AND FRIZZING HAIR."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Careless at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th May 1881.
JOHN CARELESS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Chemist and
Dentist. "A NEW OR IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR CURLING, WAVING, AND
FRIZZING HAIR."
In constructing the said instrument I take three light bars or strips of metal,
two of the said strips being of the same length, and the third somewhat longer than
the other two. The shorter bars or strips may be made of about two inches in
length, but I do not limit myself to any particular size.
The three light bars or strips are connected together at one end by a short pin
or axis on which they are capable of turning.
The two shorter bars or strips are
in contact at the joint pin, but the longer strip is separated a short distance from
the others by a washer on the joint pin or axis. The free end of the longer strip is
so bent that when the three strips are brought together or parallel to one another,
the bent end of the longer strip engages with the end of the outer short strip.
The extreme end of the bent end of the outer strip is formed into a short pin, and
the ends of the shorter strips have holes into which the said pin may enter and fix
the ends of the shorter strips.
The instrument is used in the following manner :-The three strips are opened
out upon the joint pin, and the hair to be curled is introduced between the two
shorter strips which are then brought parallel, and the hair coiled upon them.
The longer strip is next brought parallel to the other two, and the pin forming its
extreme end engaged in the holes in the ends of the shorter strips. The instru-
ment is thereby securely fixed to the hair. After the hair has been operated upon
a sufficient length of time, the instrument can be removed by disengaging the pin

page_text: of the longer strip from the holes in the other strips, when the several strips can
be turned upon the joint pin, and by a sliding motion the instrument can be
removed from the curl which has been formed.
For waving the hair it is passed in a forward and backward direction around
the two shorter strips opened at a small angle, and by different methods of twisting
or coiling the hair about the two shorter strips of the instrument almost any
required configuration can be given to the hair.
My Invention may be used for operating upon natural or so called artificial hair,
that is, upon hair growing upon the human head, or on an animal, or upon hair
made into a wig or front, or other artificial article.
In using my Invention it is rapidly applied and removed, and in use does not
produce the painful strain upon the hair usually produced by curl papers. As it
may be used an indefinite number of times, it is in the end more economical than
curl paper.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Careless in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd November
1881.
JOHN CARELESS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Chemist and
Dentist. "A NEW OR IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR CURLING, WAVING, AND
FRIZZING HAIR."
In constructing the said instrument I take three light bars or strips of metal,
two of the said strips being of the same length, and the third somewhat longer
than the other two. The shorter bars or strips may be made of about two inches
in length, but I do not limit myself to any particular size.
The three light bars or strips are connected together at one end by a short pin
or axis on which they are capable of turning. Tho two shorter bars or strips are
in contact at the joint pin, but the longer strip is separated a short distance from
the others by a washer on the joint pin or axis. The free end of the longer strip
is so bent that when the three strips are brought together or parallel to one
another the bent end of the longer strip engages with the ends of the other short
strips. The extreme end of the bent end of the outer strip is formed into a short
pin, and the ends of the shorter strips have holes into which the said pin may enter
and fix the ends of the shorter strips.
The instrument is used in the following manner-The three strips are opened
out upon the joint pin, and the hair to be curled is introduced between the two
shorter strips, which are then brought parallel and the hair coiled or wound upon
them. The longer strip is next brought parallel to the other two, and the pin
forming its extreme end engaged in the hole in the ends of the shorter strips. The
instrument is thereby securely fixed to the hair. After the hair has been operated
upon a sufficient length of time, the instrument can be removed by disengaging the
pin of the longer strip from the holes in the other strips, when the several strips
can be turned upon the joint pin, and by a sliding motion the instrument can be
removed from the curl which has been formed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in plan and Figure 2 in side
elevation the new or improved instrument for curling, waving, and frizzing hair
constructed according to my Invention, the parts being represented in their open
positions ready for receiving the hair to be curled. The other Figures illustrate
the manner in which the curling is effected by the use of the instrument, as herein
after explained.
The several Figures represent the instrument about double the size I prefer to
make it for ordinary use, but I do not limit myself to any particular size.
The said instrument consists of three light bars or strips of metal jointed together
at one end. The said bars or strips are marked respectively a, b, and c, and the
joint or axis upon which they turn is marked d. The bars b and c are of the same
length, but the bar a is somewhat longer than the bars b, c. The free or unjointed
end of the longer bar a is bent inwards so as to form a hook e with a pointed
pin e. The two shorter bars b, c, are in contact, but the longer bar a is separated
a short distance from the others by the washer f on the joint pin or axis d. The
opposed or inner faces of the two shorter bars b, c, are flat, but their outer faces
are convex or rounded, so that when brought together face to face, they form a bar
having a nearly elliptical figure in cross section; but I do not limit myself to any
particular sectional figure of the bars b, c. The outer or free ends of the shorter
bars b, c, are provided with holes b, c, so that when the three bars a, b, c, are
brought parallel to one another, the free ends of the shorter bars b, c, engage under
the bent end e of the longer bar a, and the pin e² of the said bent end e may enter
the holes b, c, in the said shorter bars and fix the three bars a, b, c, together.

page_text: In using the instrument the three bars a, b, c, are opened from one another, as
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and the end of the lock of hair to be curled is placed
between the open shorter bars b, c, as illustrated in Figure 3. The two bars b, c,
are then closed or brought together so as to grip the end of the lock of hair
between them, as illustrated in Figure 4. The hair is then coiled or wound upon
the compound curling bar, as seen in Figure 5. The longer hooked bar a is
next brought parallel to the compound curling bar b, c, and the hooked pin e³
engaged in the holes b, c, in the ends of the bars, as illustrated in plan of upper-
side in Figure 6, and side elevation in Figure 7, the compressing of the coiled hair
on the compound bar b, c, by the bar a forcing the free end of the said compound
bar b, c, under the bent end e of the bar a, thereby keeping it engaged with the
pin e and securing the parts a, b, c, together. The instrument is thereby securely
fixed to the lock of hair as will be understood by an examination of Figures 6
and 7.
The hair having been left upon the curling apparatus a sufficient length of time,
the free end of the curling bar b, c, is depressed so as to disengage it from the
hooked pin e2 of the bar a, when the latter may be turned aside into the position
represented in Figure 5, and the instrument thus opened. The curling bar b, c,
can now be removed by a sliding motion from the curl which has been formed.
For waving the hair it is passed in a forward and backward direction around the
two shorter strips or bars b, c, opened at a small angle, and by different methods of
twisting, or coiling, or winding the hair about the two shorter strips or bars of the
instrument almost any required configuration can be given to the hair.
My Invention may be used for operating upon natural or so called artificial hair,
that is, upon hair growing upon the human head, or on an animal, or upon hair
made into a wig or front, or other artificial article.
In using my Invention it is rapidly applied and removed, and in use does not
produce the painful strain upon the hair usually produced by curl papers. As it
may be used an indefinite number of times, it is in the end more economical than
curl papers.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention,-
The new or improved instrument for curling, waving, and frizzing hair, herein
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say,
an instrument for the purposes described consisting essentially of three light
bars or strips of metal jointed together at one end, so as to be capable of opening
out from one another or of being brought parallel to one another, and so con-
structed that they may be fixed together when required, substantially as described
and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Careless, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
37, Temple Street,.
Birmingham.
JOHN CARELESS. (L.S.)