To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Charles C. Burgio, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mustache-Curlers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved mechanical appliance for curling the ends of mustaches to improve their appearance, and has for its object to provide a small, compact and convenient device of novel construction for the indicated purpose, which may in pairs be readily applied to the terminal hairs of a mustache, and that will quickly curl said ends so as to give them a scroll-like appearance, without the application of heat or other means to effect the desired result.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and indicated in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 represents the improved device in duplicate, showing two stages of the operation in applying the improved curler to curl the ends of a mustache. Fig.2 is a detached perspective view of the improvement, with parts in open adjustment. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the device as applied to curl a mustache end portion, having parts adjusted to retain the appliance clamped on the curled hair; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the device, showing it in clamped adjustment on the curled end of a mustache.

The fashionable manner of arranging a mustache requires that the lateral terminals of the mustache be curled, so as to prevent their objectionable protrusion. Ordinarily the hair dresser uses a heated curling iron to effect the operation of curling the ends of a mustache. This consumes time and is disagreeable to the person operated upon, who incurs the risk of being burned. It has also been found that successive applications of a hot curling iron tend to destroy the vitality of the hair thus treated, so that it loses its luster and becomes brittle, breaking off at the ends and deteriorating the appearance of the mustache.

The improved mustache curler hereinafter described, is adapted for instant application to the dry mustache, and when applied requires but a few minutes contact with the hair to produce a handsome curl at the end of the mustache.

In the drawings, 10 indicates one of the limbs of the hair curler proper, and consists of a small metal rod which is longitudinally grooved for the major portion of its length of a proper depth, this portion of the limb being rounded externally, so that the limb at any point where it is grooved, will be concavo-convex in cross section of its body. The ungrooved portion 10^a of the limb 10 is preferably made cylindrical, and has sufficient length to adapt it to serve as a handle piece for the complete device. The walls of the grooved portion of the limb 10 near the end of said groove that is adjacent to the handle piece 10^a, are flattened sufficiently to render them parallel a short distance, this provision being made to adapt the limb 10 to have a jointed connection with the cylindrical limb 11, which is suitably shaped at one end to fit loosely between the parallel walls of the groove, the walls and limb near said end of the limb 11 being perforated in alignment for the reception of a pivot 12. The limb 11 is so proportioned in length and diameter, that it will have a loose engagement with the grooved surface of the limb 10, when said limbs are folded together, a sufficient space being afforded between said engaged limbs for the introduction and clamping between them of the terminal hairs of a mustache, at a point near the pivot joint 12, when the limbs are pressed together and form a substantially cylindrical two-part body.

The third and completing member of the improved curling device, consists of a keeper 13, which is also formed of metal and is shaped as shown, comprising a thin and slightly elastic strip bent to form a bow at one end and produce two substantially parallel members. The limbs of the keeper 13 are of equal length, and near their terminals are oppositely perforated to fit on the pivot 12, that is inserted through said limbs and also through the intervening limbs 10 and 11, when the keeper is caused to loosely embrace the limb 10. The keeper 13 is so proportioned in length, that when pivoted to the other members of the curling device by the fixture of the pintle 12, it will be permitted to swing over the free ends of the limbs 10 and 11, and have proper clearance therefrom, the inner edges of the keeper being rounded as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

To apply the improvement, which for economy in time is provided in duplicate, the operator places the terminal hairs at one side of a mustache in the gap afforded by spreading apart the limbs 10, 11, the ends of the hair being located near the pivot joint of the said limbs. The grooved and cylindrical limbs 10 and 11 are now pressed together so as to retain the hair, and the instrument is revolved, thereby wrapping the end portion 14 of the mustache around the folded limbs 10 and 11, the operation being completed by swinging the keeper 13 over the wrapped hair, which will be clasped by the slightly elastic members of the keeper and retained in a wrapped condition until the keeper is removed. The operation is repeated for the other end of the mustache.

The peculiar form of the looped keeper piece 13, adapts it to clasp the wrapped hair on two opposite sides, so as to bind the hair tightly, but without injury; and as the keeper loop does not require any fastening other than its frictional engagement with the hair as stated, it is very convenient to apply and remove.

The improved mustache curling device is very convenient for use either by barbers or persons that shave themselves, as the device may be readily applied, and need remain but a short time to produce the desired effect, and may then be readily removed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent—

In a mustache curler, the combination with a limb longitudinally grooved in a portion of its body and having a handle-piece projected from the grooved portion of said body, of a cylindrical limb adapted to loosely engage the grooved portion of the other limb, and pivoted thereto at the junction of the handle-piece with the grooved portion thereof, and a bent keeper piece having two equal integral limbs, the inner edges of which are rounded, said limbs being pivoted at ends on the same pintle that joins the grooved and cylindrical limbs and extending throughout the length thereof, so as to closely embrace all the hair wrapped on the folded grooved and cylindrical limbs when the keeper is pressed over the hair and projects beyond the ends of the folded limbs, substantially as described.

Charles C. Burgio.

Witnesses:

Wm. P. Patton,

Jno. M. Ritter.