To all whom it may concern :

Be it known that I, J. Hecker Betts, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented an Improved Mustache-Protector; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a convenient device for protecting and holding the mustache while eating or drinking, so that the same shall be held away from the lips and shall not be smeared with the food that is being eaten, and to construct the said device in such a manner that while it will effectually answer this purpose it will not cause inconvenience to the wearer, and will scarcely be visible at a short distance.

To this end the invention consists in a mustache-protector in the form of a tube, open at one side and provided with teeth or prongs on that side thereof which is next to the face, for the purpose of gathering together the hairs of the mustache and guiding them into the interior of the tube and away from the lips, and constructed so that when applied it will grasp the mustache and remain suspended in position without any other fastening, all of which is hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents my improved protector applied to the mustache. Fig. 2 is a front view of the protector; Fig. 3, a transverse section; and Fig. 4 represents my protector expanded, showing the interior thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the several figures.

a represents the main body of the protector, which may be made from rubber or other suitable material, and may be colored to correspond to the color of the mustache. It is tubular in form and provided with a longitudinal slit along one side thereof. The front edge, c, of the slit or opening is solid or unbroken, but the opposite side is cut away at intervals to form teeth or prongs d, which serve to collect the hairs and guide them into the interior of the tube. The ends of the prongs d and the front edge, c, are in contact with each other when the device is in its normal condition, and in placing the protector in position they are spread apart and the prongs passed upward in contact with the skin, so that they gather the hairs into the openings e and guide them into the interior of the tube, and the protector is either made from resilient material or else provided with spring-hinges f, as shown in Fig. 4, so that when released the edge c and the ends of the prongs d will come together, and, thus grasping the hair between them, will remain suspended in position thereby. By this means no other fastening is necessary, as the protector remains suspended by the hair until the edges are again separated.

I am aware that a tubular mustache-guard has heretofore been used, as shown by Patent No. 220,538, dated October 14, 1879; but in that the edges of the two hinged shells are uniform and unbroken, and grasp the hairs as between a pair of pinchers. Such construction I do not claim, but hereby expressly disclaim. In my protector the teeth d gather the hairs together and act as a comb, distributing the hairs evenly and guiding them into the interior in a natural position, and thereby avoiding discomfort to the wearer.

What I claim as my invention is—

The mustache-protector herein described, the same being made in the form of a tube slit along one side thereof, the front edge, c, being solid or unbroken and the opposite edge being cut away at intervals, so as to form teeth d, for collecting the hairs and guiding them into the tube, and the whole being constructed, as described, to grasp the hairs and remain suspended thereby, as set forth.

J. Hecker Betts.

Witnesses:

John S. Thornton,

A. B. Lindsly.