Hat Fastener.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th June, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Hat Fastener.
I, HENRY SILAS GRACE, of No. 213, First Street, in the City and County of San
Francisco, State of California, one of the United States of America, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement;―
My invention relates to devices for fastening womens' hats securely in place
upon their heads; and its object is to provide a simple, cheap, effective and if
desired, ornamental attachment to the hat, to be used instead of the hat-pins
commonly employed. These pins hold the hat in place by being thrust through
the hat and into the hair. Being independent of the hat, they are frequently
mislaid; and, as in use they must enter, be thrust through the same hole in the
hat, or make another, the hat is always disfigured with either a large or a
number of small perforations. All these annoyances are done away with by
the fastening herein described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which
consists in general of a simple form of anchor having an elastic and, if desired,
an adjustable connection with the hat, and so arranged that when engaged with
the hair it draws the hat positively and firmly upon the head and makes its
accidental removal practically impossible.
The accompanying drawing shows different forms of fastening, all embodying
my invention:-
Fig. 1 is a view showing the hat in position upon a head, the hat-crown
being partly broken away.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of fasteners.
my
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same;
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one of my fasteners made from bent wire;
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.
My fastener can be made of any suitable material such as metal, hard rubber,
ivory, and its imitations, tortoise shell, etc. If of metal, it can be formed from
sheet metal, or bent from wire. The fastener is composed of an anchor A, con-
nected to the hat B by an elastic connection. The anchor in Fig. 2 consists of
a body a having prongs b, preferably two in number and which are usually
curved to conform somewhat to the contour of the head. Between the prongs
is a loop e to which is attached the elastic connection C, one end of which is
This connection is preferably
secured at any convenient point within the hat.
a piece of ordinary elastic fabric, although a metal spring might be used instead.
Its free end can be connected to the anchor A, either permanently or adjustably.
The form of adjustable connection I prefer to use is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in
which a buckle-loop c and tongue & secure the elastic at any point and to give
any desired tension. In use I prefer to employ two fasteners upon the hat, one
0 on each side as shown in Fig. 1. When the hat is placed on the head, the
anchors are drawn down sufficiently to put the elastic under tension, and the
prongs are inserted into the hair at the most convenient points. The tendency

page_text: of the clastics is to draw the anchors up into the hair, and so to draw the hat
down upon the head. It will be noticed that the loop e stands at, an angle to
the prongs and is practically vertical when the hat is in place. This enables it
to be slipped under the hat-brim (Fig. 1) in which position it relieves the hair
of part of the strain of the elastic without impairing the security of the fasten-
ing. As the body of the anchor will be visible under these circumstances, its
lower part is preferably ornamented in some suitable way (Fig. 2). This orna-
mental part also provides a handle for pulling the anchor downwardly.
In Figs. 4 and 5, the anchor is shown as made of wire bent into prongs and
loops operating like those shown in the other figures, and provided with a ribbon
how to make a neat finish and provide a handle.
These figures also illustrate the permanent fastening of the elastic to the
anchor, although it is evident that an adjustable connection can be used by
providing the wire fastener with a buckle tongue as well as a permanent con-
nection with a plate fastener.
It is not necessary that the anchor should be pulled down below the hat, since
if the elastic is attached high enough within the hat to afford the necessary
tension, the anchor need only be pulled a short distance and so remain con-
cealed. The points for attachment and the manner of using can be regulated
to a great extent by the taste of the wearer, and will also depend to some
extent upon the style and shape of hat.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
A hat fastener having two prongs adapted to enter the hair of the wearer,
and conform to the shape of the head, and provided at the lower end with a cross
piece, which connects the two prongs, and with a loop, centrally arranged upon
the cross piece, and projecting in a general direction between said prongs, and
an elastic connection which holds it to the hat, whereby a single, central con-
nection is arranged to draw equally upon the fastener, and hold it and the hat
in place, substantially as described.
Dated this 9fth day of June 1800
HENRY SILAS GRACE,
By George Barker,
Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicant,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.