IMPROVEMENTS IN HAIR PINS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street, in
the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN HAIR PINS."-A communication from abroad by Joseph Charles
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 6th February 1865.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HAIR PINS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in forming one or each of the legs of hair pins with
a spiral twist, whereby the pin more effectually retains its position in the hair
of the wearer, the spiral where each leg of the pin is twisted being, so to
speak, around a common central line, as seen at Figure 1. Where one leg only
of the pin is twisted, the long straight leg should be enclosed within and project
beyond the spiral leg, as seen at Figure 2. The short straight leg of the im-
proved hair pin is not required to project within the spiral leg, see Figure 3.
The spiral twist can be imparted to the pin by hand labour or by any suitable
machinery. The short legged spiral pin enters the hair but with slight pressure,
revolving while it enters, the short leg serving as a head or hook to prevent
its entering too far. The long straight leg acts a pivot around which the

page_text: spiral leg that encloses it seems to revolve when the pin is pressed gently into
the hair. When each leg of the pin is spiral it enters the hair more quickly
and freely under pressure, acting like a double-threaded screw. In either case
the single or double spiraled hair pin acts like a screw, firmly securing the
hair of the wearer, and by virtue of its spiral character it cannot be so readily
removed as the ordinary pin from the hair, unless by giving a movement to the
spiral pin the reverse to that given to it upon its entering the hair.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, 'give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Richard
Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HAIR PINS," (communicated to me from abroad
by Joseph Charles Howells, of New York, United States of America,) upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the

page_text: following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in forming one or both of the legs of hair pins with
a spiral twist, whereby the pin more effectually retains its position in the hair
of the wearer, the spiral where each leg of the pin is twisted being, so to
speak, around a common central line, as seen at Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings. Where one leg only of the pin is twisted the long straight leg
should be enclosed within and project beyond the spiral leg as seen at Figure 2.
The short straight leg of the improved hair pin is not required to project
within the spiral leg, see Figure 3. The spiral twist can be imparted to the pin
by hand labor or by any suitable machinery. The short legged spiral pin enters
the hair with but slight pressure, revolving while it enters, the short leg serving
as a head or hook to prevent its entering too far. The long straight leg acts
as a pivot around which the spiral leg that encloses it seems to revolve when
the pin is pressed gently into the hair. When each leg of the pin is spiral it
enters the hair more quickly and freely under pressure, acting like a double-
threaded screw. In either case the single or double spiraled hair pin acts
like a screw, firmly securing the hair of the wearer, and by virtue of its spiral
character it cannot be so readily removed as the ordinary pin from the hair,
unless by giving a movement to the spiral pin the reverse to that given to it
upon its entering the hair.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, forming one
or both of the legs of hair pins with a spiral twist, substantially as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.