United States Patent (19) (11) Patent Number: (45) Date of Patent: Hunts (54) HAIR CLIPPER 76 Inventor: Rick E. Hunts, 885 Barsby, Vista, Calif. 92083 21) Appl. No.: 882,825 22 Filed: Jul. 7, 1986 51) Int. Cl. .............................................. B26B 19/44 52) U.S. Cl. ......................................... 30/133; 30/220 58) Field of Search ................... 30/133, 200, 216-220 (56) References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 1,331,218 2/1920 Severson ............................... 30/133 2,630,628 3/1953 Hall ................................... 30/220 X 3,100,342 8/1963 Konig .................................... 30/200 Primary Examiner-Douglas D. Watts Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charmasson & Holz 57 4,679,322 Jul. 14, 1987 ABSTRACT A precision hair clipper for cutting the hair of a subject to a uniform length which comprises a housing defining a flow chamber attachable to a vacuum hose. At the inlet of the housing a pair of reciprocating blades are configured to maintain a constant and equal flow of air through the chamber. Each of the blades is symmetrical to the other and features a row of parallel, sharp-edged slots. The row of slots of each blade is slanted in oppo site direction to the row of the other blade so that their lateral oscillation results in a plurality of criss-crossing shearing edge action. The blades are driven by a pair of oppositely phased eccentric cams engaging openings in the blades. Selectable spacing of the clipper in relation to the subject's scalp is provided by a series of snap-on adjustable spacers. 12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures U. 5. Patent 14,1987 4,679,322 1 4,679,322 HAIR CLIPPER BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to haircutting tools and more particularly to motor-driven clippers which are con 5 nected to suction devices such as vacuum cleaners; wherein the airflow is used to pull the air to a conve nient cutting position and to efficiently evacuate the clippings. Various devices of this type have been proposed in the past. In a first group best exemplified by U.S. Pat. 10 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the clipper; FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the clipper with a cutaway in the housing to expose the drive mechanism; FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the clipper; FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the blades; FIG. 5 is a enlarged detail view of one edge of the blades; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first style of spacer; and Nos. 1,238,461 Bourdellat, 2,980,994 Stachon and 3,138,870 Stachon, a rotating blade is mounted across the vaccum flow channel. A second group of such clip pers as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,730,889 Hoberecht, 2 Spacers of various lengths and configurations are pro vided for attachment to the mouth of the clippers. 15 FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second style of spacer with detachable extension. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 3,979,825 Baumann, 4,077,122 Rollor, Jr. et al., and 4,188,720 Korf uses oscillating blades, the latter with Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a mo the added improvement of a translating movement of 20 torized hair clipper 10 housed in an enclosure 11 which the oscillating blades across the airflow channel. The extends rearwardly into a tubular handle 12 for attach avowed object of such an improvement was to cause a ment to a source of vacuum such as a vacuum cleaner or lel slots which are slanted in relation to the oscillating also be removed, and the tip of the shaft connected to straight alignment of the air under the vacuum pull and the like. The enclosure 11 forms a flow chamber 13 with an even cutting of the hair to a constant length. The air being drawn through the mouth 14 in the base of the Korf approach requires a complex mechanism and suf 25 housing 11. The mouth 14 defines a rectangular inlet fers from the fact that large quantities of hair drawn into which is spanned by a pair of oscillating plates 15, 16 the vacuum channel, when attacked by the advancing acting as cutting blades. The plates which are more specifically illustrated in blade may bunch up and and bend away from the blade. FIG. 4 are slidingly mounted against each other. They This may result in a very uneven clipping of some of the supported along their peripheries by a frame bearing hair. The translating movement of the blade carriage 30 are 17 retained in a recess formed at the enclosure 11 and in takes time and consumes a great deal of energy. bottom cover 18. Each plate 15, 16 comprises a In some of the earlier devices the rotary blades inter the rectangular portion 19 with a plurality of cutting fered with the regular flow of air through the housing, slots 20, andblade a rear projection 21 with a central aperture causing pulsations and turbulences which interfered 35 22 forming a strap around an eccentric cam 23, 24. The with the proper alignment of the hair. frame bearing 17, the outline which is delineated in In his quest for a solution to the problem presented by broken lines in FIG. 4, is in twoofsections 25, 26. The first the prior types of clippers, the applicant began experi section 25 holds the blade portions 19, and the second menting with some concept akin to some of the older section holds the strap 21. The frame bearing 17 con and simple designs such as disclosed in Hoberecht. He 40 fines the plates 15, 16 to oscillations along the longitudi eventually devised a new blade configuration which nal axis of the blade portion 19. In FIG.4, the plates are palliates all the defects of the prior art. shown at their maximum execursion within the frame bearing 17. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The cans 23, 24 are installed on a shaft 27 which is The present invention is characterized by the use of 45 mounted orthogonally to the planes of the plates 15, 16 an improved set of oscillating blades which span the and is supported by bearing 28 in the bottom cover 18 entire cross-section of the flow channel with a series of by bearing 29 in the body of the enclosure 11. The criss-crossing shearing edges without interfering with and cams 23, 24 are mounted in opposite phase so that the the regular flow of air. Principal and secondary objects top plate 15 reaches its maximum excursion toward one of the invention are: 50 side when the bottom plate 16 reaches its maximum to create a multitude of fast-acting cutting elements; excursion toward the opposite side. The balanced con to prevent the air from gathering in bunches and from figuration and movement of the plates assures a vibra bending away from the blade; tion-free operation of the clipper. The shaft 27 is driven to simplify the driving mechanism, minimize the in by an electrical motor 29 housed in a tubular structure strument maintenance needs and extend its useful life; 55 30 which extend through the flow chamber 13. The air to eliminate vibrations, noise and reduce the weight flow through the inlet mouth 14 across the slots 20 of of the device; and the plates, through the flow chamber 13, past the motor to allow adjustable spacing between the line of cut structure 30 and into the vacuum outlet 12 is indicated and the scalp of the subject for a more stylish clipping of by split arrow 31 in FIG. 2. The shaft 27 extends up the hair. 60 wardly through the motor 29 to a knob 32 on top of the These and other objects are achieved by means of a enclosure 11. This knob 32 can be used to operate the pair of reciprocating blades each having a row of paral plates manually for cleaning purposes. The knob could movement of the blades and in opposite direction from one blade to another. This creates a criss-crossing movement of the slot and of their cutting edges. The blades are oscillated by two eccentric cams engaging apertures in the blades and driven by an electric motor. 65 another rotating drive, in lieu of the motor 29. A switch 33 in the top of the enclosure 11 control the energizing of the motor 29. The blade portion 19 of each plate is characterized by a row of parallel slots 20 which are oriented obliquely from the direction of oscillation of 3 4,679,322 that the slots 20 of one plate are slanted in the opposite direction in relation to the slots of the other plate. During the oscillating movement of the plates the edges 34 of two superimposed slots criss-cross each other to define a series of shearing elements. The slots are spaced and proportioned so that the total aperture of the combined slots during the entire oscillation of the plates remain essentially constant. This prevents pulsa tions and disturbances of the air flow through the de said plates being slidingly mounted against each other across the inlet; means for oscillating said plates in opposite phases within their own planes; wherein the edges of the openings of one plate coop erate with the edges of the opening in the other plate to shear hair drawn into the housing by said 10 Vacuum source; and wherein said openings are shaped and positioned in relation to one another to maintain a generally vice which could affect the proper alignment of the hair. Any hair which is drawn into one of the slots is neatly clipped by the scissor-like action of the edges 34. The cutting action can be improved by serrating the 15 edges 34 of the slots with hair-line indentation 35 as illustrated in FIG. 5. The wall of the slots need not be slanted in relation to the plane of the plates to obtain a positive shearing action. The plates are preferably made from tempered steel. 20 A thickness of at least 1 millimeter is recommended in order to maintain a certain inertia and store sufficient kinetic energy to provide a smooth cutting action. A variety of spacers 36, 37 may be used to keep the mouth 14 of the clipper 10 at a constant but adjustable 25 distance from the scalp of the subject in order to clip his hair to a predetermined length. The first spacer 36, is made from four plates of plexiglass 38, 39, 40, 41 which define a channel 42 whose upper rim 43 can be snapped into the mouth 14 of the clipper 10. Two of the plates 30 38, 39 forming opposite walls of the channel 42 extend downwardly further than the two other plates 40, 41 to form a convenient sliding pair of feet 44, 45 which slide over the subject's scalp, leaving a gap 46 below the two other plates 40, 41 for hair to enter the channel 42 35 toward the mouth 14 of the clipper 10. In a second embodiment 37 of the spacer, the upper rim 47 defines a plane which is oriented obliquely in relation to the longitudinal axis of the channel 42 formed by the walls of the spacer 37. This type of spacer 40 would be used to taper hair around the ears and neck line. An extension 48 can be inserted between the spacer 37 and the mouth 14 of the clipper to increase the cut ting distance or to change to tapering angle depending upon the orientation of the extension 48 in relation to 45 the spacer 37. When inserted as shown in FIG. 7, the incline of the base 49 of the extension would compen sate for the incline defined by the upper rim 50 of the extension37. If the extension 37 was turned 180 degrees 50 the clipping angle would be increased. While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, modifications could be made to it, and other embodiments could be devised without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is: 1. A precision hair clipper for cutting the hair of a subject to a uniform length at a selectable spacing from the subject's scalp which comprises: a housing defining a flow chamber having an inlet and an outlet connectable to a vacuum source; 4. a pair of balanced plates, each having a plurality of openings; the plates. The two plates 15, 16 are made identical to each other. However, they are stacked back-to-back so 55 constant aperture area therethrough, throughout a complete oscillating cycle of the plates; and wherein said means for oscillating comprises: means for maintaining the plate in a linear direction throughout said oscillating cycle; and said openings in each one of said plates comprise a plurality of parallel and symmetrical slots oriented obliquely in relation to said linear direction of the plates. 2. The hair clipper claimed in claim 1, wherein the slots of one plate obliquely criss-cross the slots of the other plate. 3. The hair clipper claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for oscillating comprises: a rotating shaft orthogonal to the planes of the plates; a pair of oppositely phased eccentric cams mounted on said shafts; each one of said cams acting on one of said plates; and means for rotating said shaft. 4. The hair clipper claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for rotating comprise a motor. 5. The hair clipper claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said plates has a cut-out forming a strap about one of said cams. 6. The hair clipper claimed in claim 2, wherein the edges of said slots are serrated. 7. The hair clipper claimed in claim 6, wherein said plates are made of steel and have a uniform thickness about said opening of at least 1 millimeter. 8. The hair clipper claimed in claim 2 which further comprises means attachable to said inlet for maintaining a uniform spacing between said inlet and the subject's scalp. 9. The hair clipper claimed in claim 8, wherein said means for maintaining comprises a channel having a upper rim engaging said inlet and two lower projec tions, each extending from the lower edge of of the channel. 10. The hair clipper claimed in claim 8, wherein said means for maintaining comprises a four-walled channel having at one end a rim engaging said inlet and a pair of projections at the other end extending from the edges of two opposite walls of the channel. 11. The hair clipper claimed in claim 10, wherein the edges of said rim define a plan which is slanted in rela tion to the longitudinal axis of the channel. 12. The hair clipper claimed in claim 10, wherein said channel comprises atsk least one detachable extension. k is k