US2478393A - Hair drying apparatus - Google Patents

Description

1949. D. w. HAARMAN' 2,478,393

HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i INVENTOR. 15 DONALD N 12 uQ-awgqm Aug. 9, 1949. D. w. HAARMAN HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DONLD MPLLAQMAN Patented Aug. 9, 1949 HAIR DRYING APPARATUS v "Donald W.*Haarman, Detroit Lakes,-""Minn'., as-

'signor {toDri-Air Corporation, St. .Paul,

"niipiicatmntuly zs, 1946, serial No. 686,176

This invention relates ,to apparatus for drying hair, and moreparticularlyjtq apparatus for heating and dehydrating a'ir which is to be directed upon hairtobedried. i a s Beauty shop operators are generally of the ,opinion that present .methods tforv drying hair constitute at best along and, unpleasant operation. In theaunit typeof dryeriin common use today, there normally visilocated Within the hood and closely adjacent thegheadiofthe {person whose haid is being dried, an electric heater, a motor and fan which tense agitation ;of as much heat attempt to dry the hair by in- ;thereot and by :the application was the beauty shop patron is willingto undergoh Thessameyairin present dryers is :necirculatzgd continuously "within the hood and normally; becomes nearly as saturated with m oistureeas thehair aitsel-f. delays the hair drying process by an unnecessary amount: 1 1 H; .7 l

Hair drying "apparatus heretofore {proposed have normally employed; heating-elements; usu ally electric, *whichallegedly'idry :the air simultaneouslyv-with -;the-;heating thereof. 2 Certain types of moisture adsorbing rmaiteriallhave been used in some types of hair dryers previously em- 'ployed, but :it ;is believed athat :theicombination of heating elements and emoisture adsorbing materials of said :typesvpreviously employed have been inefiective tosecureoptimum results and have subjected ithe rperson undergoing such treatments to unduadiscomfort, and to procedures which were undulyl'engthy.

According to the present -invention, an apparatus fordryingthe hair is provided'wliich will eliminate 'the-abovenoted "difficulties or reduce them to insignificanee, a r

Various further and morespecific objects ieaand'advantages of -th e;invention are ,clearly apparent from the detailed description given below taken in connection iwith'the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and illustrate, by--way-of example, preferred-arrangements; of apparatusgformarrying .out the invention; The inventionyconsists iii-such novel combinations of @f-eatures'as may be shown and describedfiin connection with zthe equipment herein disclosed.

In the drawings: I Fig. 1 is a*rear leyationpartlyin section illustrating a'hairdrying apparatus embodying the PYZ fi l 11 19 11, i1; 7, .7 a s i.

Fig. 2 is aside Elevation of the upper portion fi Claims. (or. 34-80) of the device .*shown in "Fig. 1 taken along line '2-2 'ofi'Fig 1;; u Fig. 3 is a section taken :along .line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. '4 is Fig.2; i o. r i

Fig. '5 is a diagram of the electric circuits employed in the-apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 'lrand I a Fig. 7 is-a schematic view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

The present 'invention isadapted ior circulating arounda persons hair dehydrated air-which has been thoroughly cleaned 'andconditioned for the purpose of safe and rapid hair drying with complete comfort to'the person during'the drying operation. The novel apparatus does not employ extremely high temperatures to accomplish this result but achieves arapid hair drying with complete comfort by-a :novel method of heating the ,air within intermediate temperature ranges, and by thoroughly*dehumidifying:the air;

Referring'to'the drawingsin'furth'er detail, the novel hair drying apparatus is constituted bya hood memberZZ and a blower orfan t which may be driven by. an electric motor I 4. The blower 4 is preferablydisposed .within t e throat of a venturi l6. Asuitablesupportingibracket 15 may be a section taken along line 4-13 of provided for thewmotortl l; saidbracket, forexample, being attached I 6. a

to the Venturi member chambers l c and id :may beseparated :by a vertical partitiomfi (Fig. 1) thereby constituting said chambers in. semi-.cylindrical-shape.

Air which isetucked into the apparatus bythe fans is forced :to' pass'throughatfilter 13 (Fig. 1) at the inlet of the :venturi Tl 6 and thereafter the air is distributed .toadesiccant chambers -|c and Id and is forced therethrough to the atmosphere or to the hood inlamaner to appear-hereinafter.

.In theformshown in Fig. 1,:novel means are provided for impartingiahair drying heat to the air. which. is .directed to thelhood through the V intermediary .of. a moisture,adsorbing agent which releases theheat of adsorption.inmoisture-laden air and which simultaneously dries the air. The

air is directed through one desiccant chamber to the hood and through one or more other chambers to the atmosphere whereby the other desiccant units are rejuvenated or reactivated in a manner to appear more fully hereinafter. The novel heating and drying action is accomplished by interposing a sufficient quantity of moisture adsorbing agent such as silica gel in the air stream which is directed to the hood.

Silica gel is a prepared form of silicon dioxide having an extremely porous structure. It is made by mixing predetermined concentrations of an acid, such as sulphuric acid, and a soluble silicate like sodium silicate (water glass), and allowing the mixture, known as the hydrosol, to set to a jelly-like mass called hydrogel. The product takes its name from its condition as a colloid at this stage of its manufacture. After setting, the hydrogel is broken into small lumps and thoroughly washed to remove excess acid and the salts resulting from the reaction. The washed hydrogel is then dried, crushed and screened to the desired particle size'and given a final activation.

Silica gel is a most inert, rugged material, its hardness being about Number in Mohs mineralogical scale, or slightly softer than ordinary window glass. Due to these characteristics it is an extremely durable product and neither erodes nor dusts while in service or while being regenerated. The action of silica gel in adsorbing vapors is purely physical, and there is no change in the size or shape of the particles as it becomes saturated. Likewise, no corrosive or injurious compounds are given off as is usually the case when chemical absorption takes place. Even when saturated, the particles of silica gel feel and appear perfectly dry.

An idea of the area of the pore surface of silica gel may be obtained from the way it acts in the adsorption of vapors. It is known that every solid is capable of adsorbing gas or vapor on its surface to some degree, and that the weight adsorbed depends upon the nature and extent of the surface. Normal commercial silica gel will adsorb approximately 50% of its weight of water from saturated air, and from this it has been estimated that one cubic inch of silica gel contains pores having a surface of about 50,000 square feet. Silica gel with this enormous internal surface and infinite number of small diameter capillaries attracts vapors, condenses them, and holds them as liquids in the pores or capillaries, thus being an excellent example of the physical phenomena known as surface and capillary adsorption.

The weight of any compound adsorbed on silica gel depends upon its partial pressure in the original gas mixture, the temperature of the silica gel and of the gas mixture, the surface tension of the condensed liquid, its ability to wet the pore surfaces, the volume and shape of the pores. In practice, at temperatures normally experienced, silica gel has been found to adsorb large quantities of liquids having boiling points over 50 F. and to release them readily when the gel is heated to about 300 F. Included in this classification is water.

When water vapor is adsorbed on silica gel or a similar adsorbent, heat is liberated equivalent to the latent heat of evaporation of the adsorbed liquid plus an additional amount of heat, known as the heat of wetting. The sum of the latent heat plus the heat of wetting is known as the heat of adsorption. During the phenomenon of adsorption it might be said that the latent heat of a vapor is transformed into sensible heat which is dissipated into the adsorbent, the metal of the adsorbent container, and the stripped air or gas mixture, resulting in a rise in temperature. In practice, the temperature rise in the dehydrated air caused by the adsorption heat is approximately 10 F. for each grain of moisture removed per cubic foot of air at atmospheric pressure.

The commercial product has the appearance of clear crushed quartz. For the purposes of this apparatus 3 to 16 mesh silica gel may be employed.

After use, silica gel containing water may be regenerated by subjecting it to an elevated temperature, which operation is known as activation or regeneration. The processes of adsorption and activation are completely reversible, so it is possible to use silica gel for an unlimited number of times without loss in efficiency or capacity. Activation may be accomplished by placing the silica gel in an oven for several hours or by blowing hot air through it until no more moisture is given off. A temperature of between 300 F. and 350 F. is recommended for economical operation; however, in some instances temperatures as low as 250 F. may be used.

Said silica gel is employed in the present apparatus in sufiicient quantity to heat the air to a hair drying temperature. Each desiccant unit preferably comprises a hollow cylindrical outer screen container 3 having one end preferably open to the air stream and the other end closed. An analogous but smaller inner screen container 3a comprises the inner retaining surface and the silica gel is packed between 3 and 3a. The desiccant units are designated la and lb on the left and right, respectively. The phenomenon of adsorption is so controlled in this apparatus as to provide novel results.

In continuing with the description of the drier it will be seen from the illustrations that the device is so arranged mechanically that the important physiological requirements of efficient drying are obtained with a high degree of simplicity.

An important feature of the apparatus is that during the drying cycle the dehydrating comound not only (1) removes moisture, but (2) adds warmth to the air which provides an exceptionally efficient and comforting hair drying eifect. To create the necessary flow of air for operation of all the functions of the device only one blower unit is required to operate the system.

It will be noted in Fig. 1 that a plurality of these adsorbing cylinders are employed so that the cycle of operational use of the apparatus will be continuous, that is, while one cylinder is providing dry warm air for the purpose intended another cylinder will be undergoing reactivation for succeeding use.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, said two chambers lo and Id employed are substantially identical. Air which is directed upward by the blower fan 4 freely enters spaces la. and 11) within cylinders la and lb respectively and is forced through the adsorbent material 2 and into the spaces 8a. and 8!) respectively.

Heating elements 911 and 9b are preferably concentrically located within the cylinders and in the spaces 1a and 1b and are held in position by a supporting means [0. Elements 9a and 9b are connected to a suitable source of electric energy (not shown) as indicated in Fig. 5. Each port for :the a Ping a -valve-orifice 19a ada- '=with eitheraorifice Ea or 50, 1;

orifice mot-111 :register.

amounted upon-La shaft rotary valve '23 mounted upon and for irotation withranshaft 25 3 .adaptedtfor opening and closing 'atmosphericorifices 5b and Valve :23 :has 0rifices 23a iand'xlfib *form'ed the'r so positioned that inone ioperating s'positio the iatmospheric 'orifice id is open and =5b-3is closed, and in the other operating 'position orifice 5d -5isclos'ed 'and 5b i zopen.

"by means rofmeshmgzgear teeth in turn tthrroughgear aaraaata as heating element :is automatically ioperate'deonly {or the purpose" of reactiv agent :2.

ation oftheidr-ying The cabinet 5 ;may he lined with fa'rh'eat :inswlating material ;l- I :suchvas asbestos {so as :to irestrict heat ilosses from the system. The-ientire apparatus is attachedxrto a basezscction'i-Z'Which providessupportand portability.

:enters the system a all traces of dust,,lint- -Air to be processed :firstand otheraforeign :matter-rare :removed.

'An. innercasing l l zis-shown-in :Fig; l -as- :a-tsuppparatus within the cabinet ;.:5; :it :ceing contemplated that thisxouter easing timay be readily removable.

In chamber icrsuita-bleahoodz'and atmospheric orifice are designated: by 5a and-5b respectively, and in sch-amber d. by :50 and respectively-(Fig. 3).

Suitable conduit mean engaged-' conduits-fl I and 21a are provided :for placing said: hood torifices in: communication "with 'the hood.

The conduits 2- ,-:2la 'maytbe angularlyzshifted,

. preferably in a vertical :-plane, :in :a conventional ihOOd. elbow or socketip'ortion :23. .A 'beatmgssleeve 37 may beprovided'for guiding angularzmoirement zof members 2 l 21a -in-.'a' vertica1 plane.

Suitable synchronously operated valves are provided (for-opening aIId cI-Osing fsaid orifices 5a anci1 5ccomprisingaa rotary valve [2 1(Fig. aiiha h pted-for registering hus openingtithehood orificel in register therewithbutaclosing ftheihood Valve '19 :iS irotatably or-ipivot 2A. -A second The valves 19 and 23 are'opel'a on their periphcries. 'Bothaare"controlled' by a handle l fi which is rigidly attachedito shaft 25.

s; "suchias telescopically valve 1.9,

f 6 FA md at dthyfi fiimwings 'ithefflow i'ofiairfiis controlled by a Lformmf irotary -"slieeveivalve' action A fi Control lever :'l;8:held: in either so: two operating positions byaspringaactuated mcking de- 'Wfce 6: Imaddition 1o coutrollingalharflowgofithe conditioned air the controlileverjl a alsogthnpiigh its rotation of shaft 2.5 controlsthe switches 27a and 27b (Eig..:5)"-.which-opielfateitheibiower motor )4 and selected activating heating element 9a or 917. Thermostatic heater cohti'mrlements28a and 281) may be located near :resptmtitrefalritivation exhaust ports in the gtop of the cabinet 5 which are uncoveredbywalve 23 so as automatically to turn ofi the heating element whenthe m t t e -ee- Lfflifbflfljgliliflflilitlfiffllf 'exaninle, between 225 250" "Rfinfiicatingthat'the"dehydrating atei ialj z ii'as teen congpletely reactivated andlsreadyio j i j' h airi tp' ho i h E ovedfiofits alternatepo i'iti'mrol'ls use "of .n imarxpq p sea Switch rfi axheia fl lm ai lifera i'i l s i "'i ia ia f ,"v rat aiviilli ein (Figx i) The association of' valves 19 ahdiztfisasu'ch that I at any given time "when the at'mospheric' ork i -i fice ofone rchamber-"isiclosed the atmosphericrori 'fice of the otherchamher is open, and only one "of'the 'orifices tatmos'phericand hood) isopen 'Consequentl at a time in any 'onechamber.

the hood orifice" isclosed "in that cylinder "having an open atmospheric orifice} and v'ice "versa.

' One cycle 'of opera'tion of th'e' equipment ""will be described and will be illustrated hyth'e' iiidicated positionof manually operated control lever it located ion 'the top of the :cabinet '5. Due-to l the action 0f the fan 4 the *airenter the'cabinet and is cleaned oftforeign matter byrn'eansof filter IS. The air which is'forced through cylinder la is dried-and warmed by the adsorbent :2 as it enters space-8a.

The dehumidifiedairbasses through valve 19 *andorifice'ia thence through 'hoodelbow :zt'and telescopic conduit 2152 la: to the *hood =22. During-this' cycle ofoperatiomthe adsorhent matei ial 2 of cylinder 'i'bi-is bein'g reactivated by the heating action .of element fib. 'Z'Ihe con parativel y' hot moist air-rising into space 8?) "is exhausted into the atmosphere through valve z ll (orifice 236) which: is directly controlledby lever tti and which .tion,

1(5) p aten mrsttre remeval,tain pereui a iil 5%;:

The absorption of 5.2 grains of water vapor per cuift} results in a rise of about i 5.2=52 F. in the temperature of the dehydrated air.

-ris'eper grain of water absorbed per cut. ft.).

The dried air will rise to 122 F.

'The weight of water to be absorbed from 100 C. F. M. in A2 hr. is:

14.9 lbs.

be about 4 inches.

The apparatus as designed will carry no me I chanical vibration or noise to the hood and thus will eliminate annoyance to the person undergoing treatment.

Features of the hood 22 are of themselves worthy of special note. It is not contemplated to use a circulating fan or heater within the hood itself or in close proximity to a persons head and scalp as is customary in the majority of driers now in use. Instead air entering hood 22 from conduit 2! under considerable pressure flow is deflected into a circulatory motion within the hood by the butterfly valve 3! which is arranged either to operate automatically or under manual control knob 32. Its purpose is to distribute the air as desired within the hood. Guide vanes 33 further control the pattern of the air circulation. A fresh supply of warm dry airis constantly being fed to the hood which after considerable circu'lation and after having removed its share of moisture from the hair is exhausted outward at the convex exit 34 at the rear of the hood. The front edge of the hood has a concave lip 35 which further directs efiective circulation of the air. The vanes within the hood may be changed from time to time to the varying style of ,coifiures to effect any desired circulation of the air.

A head support 36 of a wire net or any suitable loose knit construction is mounted on the lower vanes within the rear of the hood and serves to add a comfort feature for the patron.

Complete versatility of movement of the hood 22 is provided. Rotation in the vertical plane may be guided by bearing sleeve 37 as above mentioned and may be locked in position by a clamp knob 38. The telescopic adjustments of conduit 2i may be maintained by the clamping knob and means 39.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 7 wherein the atmospheric outlets or orifices 5b and 5d are respectively connected to coils 49 and 4| in chambers Id and la respectively.

It may be desirable to supplement the heat imparted to the dried air in the manner set forth above by employing the heat used to reactivate the desiccant. Means for accomplishing this are shown schematically in Fig. 7 wherein the atmospheric outlets or orifices 5b and 5d are respectively connected to coils 40 and M which are located within chambers id and He respectively,

' preferably intermediate the respective desiccant and hood orifice.

While the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a drying hood, air blower means, a pair of desiccant chambers, a pair of desiccant units, each unit being mounted in respective of said chambers, a pair of heating elements, each element being associated with respective of said units, each of said chambers having hood and atmospheric outlets, valve means for closing a hood outlet in one selectable chamber and opening the hood outlet in the other chamber, valve means for simultaneously opening the atmospheric outlet in the selected chamber and closin the atmospheric outlet in the other chamber, means for actuating respective of said heating elements in response to opening of respective of said atmospheric outlets, a pair of atmospheric outlet heating conduits mounted in respective of said chambers, the conduit of a first chamber being connected to the atmospheric outlet of the other chamber, and the conduit of said other chamber being connected to the atmospheric outlet of the first chamber.

2. In a hair drier apparatus, the combination with a drying hood, of air blower means, a pair of desiccant chambers each containing silica gel in sufficient quantity to dry and heat moist air at room temperature passing therethrough to a hair drying temperature between about to F., said chambers each having a hood outlet and an atmospheric outlet and being fixedly positioned between said hood and said blower, a valve unit for said hood outlets comprising an angularly shiftable element including a cover member adapted for angular movement into covering relationship to one of said atmospheric outlets at a time, a valve structure for said atmospheric outlets includin an angularly shiitable element for opening one of said atmospheric outlets at a time, mechanism for operatively connecting said angularly shiftable elements whereby the atmospheric outlet of each chamber is opened during the period that the hood outlet thereof is closed and the hood outlet is opened during the period the atmospheric outlet is closed, a pair of heating elements associated with corresponding of said desiccant chambers for reactivating moisture laden silica gel, and means for energizing respective or said heating elements in response to the opening of the atmospheric outlet in respective of said chambers.

3. In a hair drier apparatus, the combination with a drying hood, of air blower means, a pair of desiccant chambers each containing silica gel in sufiicient quantity to dry and heat moist air passing therethrough to a hair drying temperature between about 100 to 140 F., said chambers each havin a hood outlet and an atmospheric outlet and being fixedly positioned between said hood and said blower, a valve unit for said hood outlets comprising a plate element angularly shiitable about an axis perpendicular thereto and having a perforation therein adapted for movement into register with one of said hood outlets at a time, a valve structure for said atmospheric outlets comprising a second plate member mounted for angular movement also. about an axis perpendicular thereto and in cooperation with the first mentioned plate element, the plate element for the atmospheric outlets having a plurality of openings therein so arranged that when one atmospheric outlet is in register with one of said perforations the other atmospheric outlet is closed, mechanism for operatively connecting said angularly shiftable plate elements whereby angular movement of one produces a predetermined angular movement in the other and whereby movement of said hood outlet plate element to open a hood outlet in one chamber is accompanied by a movement of said atmospheric outlet plate element to close the atmospheric outlet in the same chamber, a pair of heating elements associated individually with respective of said chambers, and means for energizing respective of said heating elements in response to the opening of the atmospheric outlet in respective of said chambers.

4. In a hair drying apparatus, the combination with a drying hood, of air blower means, a pair of desiccant chambers each containing silica gel in suilicient quantity to dry and heat moist air passing therethrough to a hair drying temperature between about 100 to 140 F., said chambers each having a hood outlet and an atmospheric outlet and being fixedly positioned between said blower means and said hood, conduit means for interconnecting said hood outlets with said hood, a pair of heating elements operatively associated with the silica gel in respective of said chambers, a valve unit for said hood outlets comprising an angularly shiftable element including a cover member adapted for angular movement into covering relationship to one of said hood outlets at a time, a valve unit for said atmospheric outlets, including an angularly shiftable element for opening one of said atmospheric outlets at a time, mechanism for operatively connecting said angularly shiftable elements whereby the hood outlet in a selected chamber is opened simultaneously with the opening of the atmospheric outlet in the other chamber, means for energizing respective of said heating elements in response to the opening of the atmospheric outlet in respective of said chambers, and means for communicating heat from the energized of said heating elements to the hood connected chamber.

5. In a hair drier apparatus, the combination with a drying hood, of air blower means, a pair of desiccant chambers each containing silica gel in sufilcient quantity to dry and heat moist air passing therethrough to a hair drying temperature between about 100 to 140 F., said chambers each having a hood outlet and an atmospheric outlet and being fixedly positioned between said hood and said blower, a valve outlets comprising a plate element angularly shiftable about an axis perpendicular thereto and having a perforation therein adapted for movement into register with one of said hood outlets at a time, a valve structure for said atmospheric outunit for said hood lets comprising a second plate member mounted for angular movement also about an axis perpendicular thereto and in cooperation with the first mentioned plate element, the plate element the atmospheric outlets having a plurality of openings therein so arranged that when one atmospheric outlet is in register with one of said perforations the other atmospheric outlet is closed, mechanism for operatively connecting said angularly shiftable plate elements whereby angular movement of one produces a predetermined arrgular movement in the other and whereby movement of said hood outlet plate element to open a hood outlet in one chamber is accompanied by a movement of said atmospheric outlet plate cicment to close the atmospheric outlet in the same chamber, a pair of heating elements associated individually with respective of said chambers, means for energizin respective of said heating elements in response to the opening of the atmospheric outlet in respective of said chambers, and means for communicating heat from the en ergized of said heating elements to the hood connected chamber.

6. In a hair drying apparatus having passage means for directing air toward the head of a user, air blower means, a pair of desiccant chambers, a pair of desiccant units, each unit being mounted in respective of said chambers, a pair of heating elements, each element being associated with respective of said units, each of said chambers having hood and atmospheric outlets, valve means for closing a hood outlet in one selectable chamber and opening the hood outlet in the other chamber, valve means for simultaneously opening the atmospheric outlet in the selected chamber and closing the atmospheric outlet in the other chamber, means for actuating respective of said heating elements in response to opening of respective of said atmospheric outlets, a pair of atmospheric outlet heating conduits mounted in respective of said chambers, each of said conduits being in direct communication with the atmosphere at one extremity thereof, the conduit of a first chamber being connected to the atmospheric outlet of the other chamber, and the conduit of said other chamber being connected to the atmospheric outlet of the first chamber.

DONALD W. HAARMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name a Date 870,546 Cooke Nov. 12, 1907 1,295,259 Beebee Feb. 25, 1919 2,066,847 McShea Jan. 5, 1937 2,083,732 Moore et al June 15, 1937 2,190,168 Armistead Feb. 13, 1940 2,257,394 Nierbach Sept. 30, 1941 2,278,854 Hunsicker Apr. 7 1942

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