Improvements in Curling Irons.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
Improvements in Curling Irons.
I, ASA MERRITT COMSTOCK, 54 North Clinton Street, Chicago, Illinois,
United States of America, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my 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 relates to curling irons, and consists in the various features and
combinations hereinafter described and claimed.
These irons generally comprise a clamp and mandrel, pivoted or otherwise
connected together and normally held in contact by means of a spring. The irons
are further generally provided with handles, some irons having one, some two, and
the metal portion of the iron being secured within these handles. Various means
have heretofore been devised for preventing the falling out of the springs which
are used in curling irons-among others, the ends of these springs have been driven
into the handles and held therein entirely by the connection with the handles.
This method is objectionable, in that if the handles become detached the spring is
liable to fall out and be lost. The principal object of my invention, therefore, is
to avoid this defect, and to provide means whereby the spring shall be securely
attached to and carried by the iron independent of the handles, and in such manner
that it cannot be lost unless the iron is broken and destroyed. My invention also
relates to other details of construction, which will be made apparent and fully set
forth in the following description.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this Specification,
Figure 1 represents a plan view, partly in section, of a double handled curling
iron provided with my improvement;
Fig. 2 a similar view of a single-handled iron; and
Fig. 3 a plan view of my improvement with handles adapted to be folded back
into pocket position.
The iron is made in two parts, A and B, pivoted together as shown at C, and
provided with handles D-the part A being termed the clamp and the part B the
mandrel. In making the mandrel portion, I prefer to make it out of a sheet of
steel wound around a core B', which forms a very strong mandrel portion and one
that is very economical to make. The core portion, B¹, can be made out of
common wire rod, and the mandrel proper, B, made out of a piece of sheet metal
or tube wrapped around the core so as to meet in a longitudinal seam, which may
or may not be brazed together at such seam as desired. The clamp may also be
made out of a piece of tubing or sheet steel in substantially a semi-cylindrical
shape, so as to form a concave portion adapted to fit the mandrel portion. A portion
of the mandrel is cut away, as at 6*, to make this part semi-cylindrical or trough-
shaped, the same as the clamp. By reason of this construction the two parts
contain as little metal as practicable at the point where they enter the handles,
whereby the amount of heat carried to such handles is greatly lessened, thus
diminishing the danger of shrinking of the handles as well as their liability to
fall off.
To keep the clamp and mandrel normally closed, I provide a spring F, com-
orising a coil f, and two legs f¹. The pivot, C, passes through the coil of this
spring, and the legs of the spring rest in the concavities of the clamp and mandrel,
but preferably do not extend as far as or into the handles. By this construction

page_text: the spring is firmly held independent of the handles, and cannot fall out or be
removed unless the iron be taken apart.
In Fig. 2, I have shown the spring, F, as applied to a single handled iron. The
clamp, A. and mandrel, B, with the core B', are made in substantially the form
which they assume in Fig. 1, except that the latter is preferably cylindrical
throughout its entire length, instead of being cut away at the point where it enters
the handle. The spring is made and supported in substantially the manner shown,
a suitable slot or opening, b1, being made in the mandrel to allow of the passage
one of the legs of the spring therethrough.
of
In Fig. 3I have shown my improved curling iron with the clamp A, mandrel B
and spring F as above described. It is often desirable to have the iron fold into as
compact a position as possible; and, in order to accomplish this, I provide concave
pieces, G, which form extensions of the handle portions proper and are pivoted to
such portions at 9. These concave or semi-cylindrical pieces, G, are so pivoted to
the handle portions proper that their inner edges, as at g', when turned into
operative position-as shown in solid lines in Fig. 3-contact the extreme edges of
the handle portions proper, as at 92, so as to bear against the same and operate the
mandrel and clamp. In order to fold the iron into compact position, the handles
are turned back and folded into the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3.
The advantage of this structure is that the curling iron may be folded inte a
compact parcel, adapted to be easily carried in a grip or proper receptacle.
The advantages of my curling iron are that I provide for (1) economy of con-
struction (2) safety in holding the spring in place; and (3) diminishing the
danger of burning of the hands or shrinkage of the handles.
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. In a curling iron, the combination of a clamp and mandrel pivotally secured
together and provided with substantially hollow portions having handles, such
hollow portions extending forward or beyond the pivotal point, and an actuating
spring provided with a coiled portion passed around the pivotal point of the clamp
and mandrel and provided with legs extending in the direction of the handles, to
normally keep such clamp and mandrel in operative engagement, substantially as
described.
2. Iu a curling iron, the combination of a mandrel portion formed of a central
core and a piece of sheet metal wrapped around the same, a clamp portion pivoted
to the mandrel portion, and a spring to normally keep such clamp and mandrel in
operative engagement, substantially as described.
3. In a curling iron, the combination of a clamp and mandrel pivotally secured
together and provided with substantially semi-cylindrical portions adapted to
receive handles, such semi-cylindrical portions extending beyond the pivotal point,
and an actuating spring provided with a coiled portion passed around the pivot
and leg portions extending there through and resting in the cavity of the clamp and
mandrel to normally keep such clamp and mandrel in operative engagement,
substantially as described.
4. In a curling iron, the combination of a clamp and mandrel pivotally secured
together, a spring for holding such clamp and mandrel normally in contact with
each other, semi-cylindrical concave portions forming extensions of the handle
proper and pivoted to the handle portions proper so as to contact their free ends
when in the open position to operate the clamp and mandrel, and adapted to be
folded back into a compact position when not in use, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of May 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.