The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-12-24
MAKING PINS, HOOKS AND eYes.
Tho Interesting Journey of n Bit OF Wire
Through wonderful Machine.


Through wonderful Machine.
The manufacture OF pins has be-
come such an industry in the
United States that the mills
of this country practically sup
ply the world with this needed
article and yet the demand is by no
means n small one. In 1900 the 49,
100000 people in the United states
used 66,000.00O gross of common pins,
which is equal to 9,5O0,o0O,00o pins, or
an average of about 1876 pins for every
man. woman and child in the country.
This is the highest average reached
anywhere in the use of pins. Ten
years ago we used only about 72 pins
each.
The total number Of pins manufac-
tured in the United States during 1900,
the census year, was 6S,Ss9, ,260 gross.
There are i3 factories in all, with 1858
employees. The business has grown
rapidly during the last 20 years, for,
although there were 40 factories In
$780, they produced only half as much,
employed only about half the capital
and only 1877 hands. There has been
considerable increase in the number
of women and children employed In
pin factories of late years, which Is an
indication that the machinery is being
improved and simplifed and that its
operation does not require so high an
order of mechanical skill.
Hooks and eyes are a product of
pin making and are produced at most
of the factories from material that
will not do for pins. The output of
hooks and eyes in 1900 was 1,131,S2i
gross.
Pins and hooks and eyes are turned
out by automatic machines in such
quantities today that the cost of man
ufacture is practically limited to the
value of the brass wire from which
they are made. A single machine does
the whole business. Coils of wire
hung upon reels are passed into the
machines, which cut them into proper
lengths, and they drop off into a recep.
tacle and arrange themselves in the
line of slot formed by two bars. Wher
they reach the lower end of the bars
they are seized and pressed between
two dies, which form the heads, and
pass along into the grip of another
steel instrument, which points then
by pressure. They are then dropped
into a solution of sour beer, whirint
as they go, to be cleaned, and then into
a hot solution of tin, which is also
kept revolving. They here receive
their bright coat of metal and are
pushed along, killing time, until they
have had an opportunity to harden
when they are dropped into revolv.
ing barrel of bran and sawdust. which
! cools and polishes them at the same
| time. Because of the oscillation of the
bran they work gradually down tC
the bottom of the barrel which Is 6
metallic plate cut into Sits just bis
enough for the body of the pins, bu
not big enough for the head to past
| through.
Thus they arc Strengthened out into
rows again, and, like well-drllled sol
diers, pass along toward the edge o
| the bottom, and slide down an inclined
| plane, still hanging by their heads
until they reach strips of paper. t,
which they ale introduced by curious
| jerk of the machine. The first they
know they are all placed in rows
wrapped up and on their way to tn,
big department stores. where they ar,
sold at from five to 10 cents a gross
A machine is expected to throw on
several thousand gross an hour.
Needles are made by similar ma
chine. In 1900 there were made 1897,
533 gross of machine needles, 212 ,GS!
gross for shoemaking 324,476 gross TO
ordinary household sewing machines
307,426 gross for knitting machines
and the rest for other kinds of sew
ing and knitting machinery, general,
for factory use. We imported si1S,00
worth of ordinary needles, most o
them from England.
Hairpins and safety pins and othe
kinds of pins are manufactured in ,
similar manner. We made 1.1S9.
gross of hairpins in 1890. Both need
les and hairpins are manufactured t.
greater extent in Europe than plair
pins. Safety pins, however, are de
cidedly American. and of these WI
make on an average 100000 gross
1 ~.ta