Animal husbandry – Grooming – Comb
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-28
2001-03-13
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3643)
Animal husbandry
Grooming
Comb
C119S633000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199513
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to a curry comb and an improved method for manufacturing a curry comb and more particularly to a curry comb having blades adapted to comb and cut long hair without injuring an animal being combed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the field of animal care, animals with long haired coats, including without limitation horses, llamas, camels and dogs, require combing and thinning to clear tangles, debris and insects that collect in the hair, thus preventing the hair from matting. Regular currying provides a healthier environment for the animals, as well as a more pleasant appearance.
Prior curry combs have generally oriented the teeth of the comb at an angle generally perpendicular to the length of an elongated handle. As a result of this orientation, the points of the comb teeth will poke and potentially scratch the skin of the animal being combed. Prior efforts to overcome the damage to an animal's skin have included the curvature of the teeth as shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,491,725 issued to Maniscalco on Jan. 27, 1970. However, the construction of the '725 device is such that only one type of comb is available to the groomer and with repeated use the blades and handle will loosen, thus reducing the efficiency and safety of the curry comb.
Prior curry combs have also used generally smooth handles that will tend to slip in the hand of the groomer, especially when the comb encounters a tough snarl of hair or if the groomer's hand is wet. Such slippage is unsatisfactory because of its inefficiency as well as the potential for injury to the animal or the groomer. Also, groomers often use gloves while grooming. A smooth handle is difficult to manipulate in heavily matted hair, especially when gloves are used and when water is involved, as after an animal is bathed. It has also been found that curry combs assembled with threaded bolts, for example are prone to loosening over time, particularly as they are frequently tugged through matted and tangled hair.
In many cases, it is desirable to use a curry comb that does not have blades sharp enough to easily cut the hair. Instead the desire is to have the blades work their way through the tangled hair, removing any debris or insects and leaving the hair in a generally parallel orientation. However, there are times when it is desirable to thin the hair or to cut out hair that has become so hopelessly tangled that a comb cannot reorient the hair. For this situation, it is desirable to have blades that are sharp enough to cut the hair with force that will not be a discomfort to the animal. Heretofor two separate curry combs have been required two in order to provide both the combing function and the cutting function.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a curry comb that is adaptable to both comb and cut the long hair of animals. It is also an object to provide a curry comb that resists slippage in the hand of a groomer, even when the groomer's hand is wet or gloved. It is a further object to provide a method of manufacturing a curry comb with aligned blades that w ill not loosen with use. These and other advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art when the following description is considered along with the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a curry comb is assembled from an elongated handle, a plurality of curved blades and a resin. The handle, preferably formed in a single piece, includes a first end and a second end and defines a longitudinal axis. A plurality of coaxial ridges and grooves are defined in the handle adjacent to the first end. A plurality of slots defined in the second end of the handle are generally parallel to one another and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle. A curved blade, having a secured end, a working end, an outer curved edge and an inner curved edge, extends into each of the slots and is secured in position with a hardened resin. The curved blades may be oriented in opposing directions and the inner curved edges of opposing blades may be sharpened to different degrees of sharpness.
A curry comb in accordance with the present invention may be assembled by forming an elongated handle having a first end, a second end and defining a longitudinal axis. A plurality of coaxial ridges and grooves are defined in the handle adjacent to the first end of the handle. A plurality of slots are defined in the second end of the handle. The slots are generally parallel to one another and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle. Each of the slots is adapted to receive a curved blade having a secured end and a working end. A malleable resin is packed into the slots and a blade is inserted into the resin in each slot and secured in a fixed position. while the resin hardens to permanently secure the blades in the slots.
REFERENCES:
patent: 174709 (1876-03-01), Sweet
patent: D. 266112 (1982-09-01), Culp
patent: D. 363364 (1995-10-01), Newman
patent: D. 422760 (2000-04-01), Ticehurst
patent: 670894 (1901-03-01), Emery
patent: 1671334 (1928-05-01), White
patent: 2962997 (1960-11-01), Oliver
patent: 3491725 (1970-01-01), Maniscalco
patent: 4461140 (1984-07-01), Carmi et al.
patent: 6082307 (2000-07-01), Landreneau
Jordan Charles T.
Pitts & Brittian P.C.
Shaw Elizabeth
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