Means for ornamenting fingernails and toenails

Aug. 10, 1971 τ. lee et al 3,598,685

MEANS FOR ORNAMENTING FINGERNAILS AND TOENAILS Filed Jan. 19, 1968

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United States Patent Office

3,598,685

Patented Aug. 10, 1971

2

3,598,685

MEANS FOR ORNAMENTING FINGERNAILS AND TOENAILS

Thomas Lee and Teresa Lee, both of P.O. Box 206, Canal St. Station, New York, N.Y. 10013 Filed Jan. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 699,128 Int. Cl. A45d 29/00; B32b 7/06; B44c 1/16

U.S. CI. 161—6 4 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

Fingernails and toenails can be ornamented in precise position with tiny floral or other designs to match dress color, make-up or nail lacquer. A heavy vinyl covered board with differently colored rectangles is provided with ¹³a plurality of side by side bands each of which has a central portion with a decalcomania transfer pattern, flank portions coated with adhesive and blank terminal portions, which can be omitted in modifications, for handling and manipulating purposes. An applicator is a part of the invention and has crisscross teeth arranged in staggered rows and longitudinally arcuate with a depending tongue projecting at one end for supporting and rubbing action. The strips may optionally be made up as a roll with transverse perforations for severing individual ^zstrips, the decalcomania of each of which is protected as by a piece of vinyl plastic or glossy paper.

The invention relates to the ornamentation of female fingernails and toenails and to means for accomplishing the same.

The general purpose of the invention is to add cosmetical beauty to the female hand and foot so that women _3gand girls may enjoy more pleasure and gracefulness in life.

A more specific purpose of the invention is to provide an instrument which will make it possible to set and fix a tiny ornamental pattern precisely at a desired spot and at an upright or other favorable position on the nail. It is of great importance to achieve precise setting and fixing; otherwise it may produce no sense of beauty.

Another purpose is to provide an instrument which will help the application handily and easily with satis- 45 factory result in an instant, which will facilitate matching color of dress, make-up, or nail lacquer, and which will prevent the tools from possible damage both before and after purchase by ultimate users. Briefly, the above is attained by means of a transparent band which carries a 50 desired design on a decalcomania and a baseboard that has been proved the simplest yet the best mode of carrying out the invention. In view of this factor and the fact that only common and inexpensive materials, and simple manufacturing procedure are required, the invention has 55 a high commercial value.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of effects produced in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a detailed elevational view of a transparent band, showing the shape and structure of its reverse side;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a base-board with six individual colored rectangles, the surface of which is covered with an extremely fine membrane of colorless vinyl plastic, the membrane being not illustratable in consequence of its invisibility, the colors being indicated by different linings;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 3 with twelve transparent bands mounted properly on the baseboard and showing that the ornamental designs are apparent through the transparent bands and the colored rectangles, through the transparent bands and membrane;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing the band taken off the base-board;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing how the band is applied for setting;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a band in wrapping position around a finger;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a rub-presser, show10 ing the shape and structure of the rub-presser;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the rub-presser, showing the arrangement of its teeth; and

FIG. 10 is a modification of the invention with the strips in roll form.

Referring specifically to FIG. 1 of the drawing, 1 indicates a colored pattern set and fixed in position on a natural or colorless nail lacquer or polish coated nail, and 2 indicates a pattern in white color set and fixed on a colored nail lacquer or polish coated nail. A variety of patterns in single or plural color will be designed for this purpose.

The transparent band shown in FIG. 2 is cut out of a fine very thin sheet of colorless cellophane or other suitable transparent material. Its one side, which is regarded as reverse as shown in FIG. 2, comprises five portions: a central portion 3 carrying a decalcomania which refers to the ornamental design or pattern either prepared for transfer or already transferred by dry decalcomania in the following description; each of the two flank portions 4 on either side of portion 3 holding a fine coating of crystalline adhesive and the two terminal portions 5 having only vacant spaces either or both of which may be omitted in modified forms of the invention. Its other side, which is regarded as obverse, has merely a plain blank surface. When the band is taken off the base-board to proceed to setting, the reverse side is always facing down so as to allow the decalcomania to contact directly with a nail, and the band is used as a handle to guide the decalcomania, which is one of the funtcions of the band. Since in the course of setting the two objects the decalcomania on the reverse of and the target nail beneath, the transparent band is perfectly visible from the obverse side, said decalcomania can be easily handled free from obstruction and misplacement, and therefore can be readily guided in an upright or any favorable position and set on the desirable spot of said nail. To illustrate more in detail the functions and application of the band, a thumb and an index finger of the user’s right hand take a band off a base-board as shown in FIG. 5; guide said band on the nail of a middle finger of the left hand as shown in FIG. 6; as the decalcomania is favorably set on said nail, the thumb of the left hand presses gently and then said thumb and index finger of the right hand pull said band downwardly a bit lightly to cause parts of the two flank portions to adhere both sides of said middle finger to settle said band thereon, the motions being shown by arrows in FIG. 6; and said thumb and index finger of the right band press downward60 ly side by side along the remaining parts of said flank portions to cause the same to stick together wrapping around said middle finger as shown in FIG. 7. It is quite clear that this can be done to other fingers or toes, or by the left hand to the fingers of the right hand, in the same manner as above described, and that it may be done by other manners as well or more conveniently through another person’s service.

As the band binds and sticks around the finger as shown in FIG. 7, it becomes so secure that the force of rubbing or pressing to cause the decalcomania to transfer will not shake the band to spoil the delicate decalcomania.

3,598, 3

When necessary or if desired to make the band binding more tight and steadfast, the part 9 of FIG. 7 or parts of the flank portions may be squeezed upwardly between two fingers. A rub-presser may be used to quicken the transfer, the detail description of which is given here- 5 inafter. After the decalcomania has been set and fixed on the nail and the band removed, the band is untied by holding one of the terminal portions and pulling aside with the fingers. This done, there is applied on both the nail and the decalcomania a coat of the commonly known 10 base polish or colorless nail polish of usual or known composition to provide thereon a protective coating to make the pattern more durable as well as brighter. Two or more coatings may be applied, if a thicker layer is desired. A small cotton ball moistened with nail polish 15 remover or acetone is used to wipe out the coating and the decalcomania easily from the nail.

The base-board B which is made of heavy cardboard or other suitable material serves as a base to support the transparent bands or strips S, to protect them from pos- 20 sible deformation, convolution, smear during shipment, storage or accidental mishandling, and to maintain the pliant and partly adhesive bands in plane, clean, perfect functioning condition. In addition, the delicate decalcomania pattern will be retained safe and sound between the 25 strong board and the tough sheet of the band. The bands are arranged to mount strip by strip in a row, and as the reverse of every band is facing down the two flank portions sticking firmly on the surface of the base-board will make each band fix thereon in level and straight position 30 as shown in FIG. 4. Six individual rectangles 7 are printed on the white surface of the base-board at even intervals and in six different colors such as violet, black, blue, green, pink, and silver, and the size and position of each of the rectangles are similar to that of the central portions 3 as shown in FIG. 3, the six colors being indicated in different linings. When the transparent bands are mounted properly, six center portions are overlapped on colored rectangles and six other center portions, on white background as illustrated in FIG. 4. In this manner, the colored rectangles will present the white or light shades, while the white background will present the black or dark shades, of the tiny ornamental pattern 6 to the sight distinctly, and will suggest to the mind a good choice to match the color of dress, make-up or nail lacquer or both.

Because the surface of the base-board is covered with fine vinyl plastic or other suitable gloss substance, or sprayed with such solution, the bands become removably secured thereon and the bands can be pulled off therefrom by holding and lifting one of the terminal portions 5, one of them being drawn in exaggerated open manner 8 of FIG. 4 to indicate that every terminal portion can be easily and readily seized by hand as shown in FIG. 5.

Twelve bands of same design in same color or colors may be placed on one single base-board, and ten baseboards may be packed in one package for sale so that the ultimate user can take the above-described advantages to select one or more patterns at will from time to time, or may decorate all ten fingers with the same pattern at a time.

The rub-presser which is made of nylon or other suitable material comprises a plurality of teeth 11 and a tongue 12 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, and may be held at body part 10 by two or three fingers to burnish forward and backward with gentle force along the obverse of the center portion of the band on a fingernail, forward referring to the rub-presser being pushed toward the side with a tongue, backward referring to it being pulled toward the other side. The strong round-pointed teeth arranged in crisscross or staggered fashion and in ample spaces between them as shown in FIG. 9 will transfer the burnishing movement into concentrated rubbing and pressing force to strip off the decalcomania quickly and to set it on the nail perfectly. For a smaller design, two strokes will be sufficient; for a larger design, three or four strokes.

685

In order to obtain harmonical movement on the convex curve of nails but to avert being hindered by the finger, said teeth are arranged in three narrow rows and in a slight concave arc longitudinally as shown in FIG. 8. The tongue 12 of FIGS. 8 and 9 projecting at one end is designed to prevent the teeth from running off the nail during backward burnishing that occurs occasionally. In fact, with the device of the tongue which serves as safetyrein the rub-presser can be more reliably used at a horizontal or vertical position or at any angular degree, and the tongue and the teeth form a right angle where the finger may relay on the tongue as a support and the nail may rub against the teeth instead of being burnished.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 10, a roll R of strips S is provided each of which is severable at the transverse perforations 13 and each decalcomania design 6 is covered and protected by a piece of vinyl plastic or glossy paper (not shown) until the strip is used.