Improvements in Appliances for Fastening Hats and Bonnets-to-the- Hair.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 1st Dec., 1894-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Fastening Hats and Bonnets-to-the-
Hair.
I, EMMA HARVEY, of Lime Grove, Knottingley in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
--
This invention has for its object to dispense with the ordinary ladies' hat pin
used for fastening hats and bonnets to the hair, and to substitute therefor
fastenings of a character which will not injure the hats or bonnets, and which may
be readily inserted within the hair without liability of injuring a wearer's head.
A fastening appliance constructed according to this invention, which is adapted
for fastening the front portion of a hat, consists of a comb to which elastic.,
connectors, such as light spiral springs, are connected at each end, the outer ends..
of the connectors being adapted for connection with the interior of the wall of the
hat. The appliance is attached to the hat previously to the same being placed on
the head, and as the hat is being placed upon the head the comb is pushed in
under the front hair, or the front of the hat may be lifted for such purpose.
When the comb is for use by a lady who parts her hair in the middle; it may be.
formed in two divisions, that is to say with a wide space up the middle so that the
teeth enter the hair on each side some distance from the parting.
An appliance similar to that described in the last preceding paragraph, is
constructed according to this invention for use with bonnets.
An appliance, for use more especially for fastening the back of a hat, but which may
be used also for fastening the back of a bonnet and which, when the hair is dressed to
leave masses towards the middle or front of the head, may be used for fastening
the middle or front of a hat or bonnet, consists of a hair pin which is connected
by an elastic connector, such for instance as elastic cord, with a pin or hook. The
pin or hook is hooked into the inner edge of the rim of a hat, or into any
convenient part of a bonnet, previously to the same being placed upon the head;
and the hair pin is pushed into the hair. Two of these appliances are used,
preferably, for each hat or bonnet, nately, one on each side of the back or one on each
side of other portion thereof. In th ase of a hat, it is convenient to use two of
these appliances for fastening the back, while an appliance of the character
hereinabove first described is used to fasten the front; and such a combination of.
fastenings may be used for a bonnet.
Dad 00h 1.
J
L... 1914
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Fastening Hats and Bonnets to the
Hair.
I, EMMA HARVEY, of Lime Grove, Knottingley in the County of York, 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:
This invention has for its object to dispense with the ordinary ladies' hat pin
used for fastening hats and bonnets to the hair, and to substitute therefor

page_text: fastenings of an improved character which will not injure the hats or bonnets, and
which may be readily inserted within the hair without liability of injuring a
wearer's head.
A fastening appliance, constructed according to this invention, adapted more
especially for fastening the front portion of a hat or bonnet, consists of a comb,
such for instance as the tortoise shell comb ordinarily worn in the hair, to which
elastic connectors in the form of springs are connected at each end, the outer ends
of the connectors being adapted for connection with the wall of the hat or with
the inside of the bonnet. This appliance is attached to the hat or bonnet
previously to the same being placed on the head, and as the hat or bonnet is being
placed upon the head the comb is thereby pushed in under the front hair, or the
front of the hat or bonnet may be slightly raised for such purpose. When the
comb is for use by a lady who parts her hair in the middle, it may be formed in
two divisions, that is to say, with a wide space up the middle so that the teeth
enter the hair on each side some distance from the parting.
An appliance, adapted especially for use in fastening the back of a hat or
bonnet, but which when the hair is dressed to leave masses towards the middle or
front of the head may be used in fastening the middle or front of a hat or bonnet,
consists of a hair pin which is connected by a flexible and preferably elastic
connector, such for instance as elastic cord, with a pin or hook or other convenient.
fastener. The pin or hook or other fastener is fastened into the side of the
crown of a hat, or into any convenient part of a bonnet, previously to the same
being placed upon the head, and the hair pin is of course pushed into the hair.
Two of these appliances are used, preferably, for each hat or bonnet, namely one
on each side of the back or one on each side of other portion thereof.
It will be found convenient to use an appliance of the character first above
described, that is to say, a comb fastened inside the hat or bonnet by means of
elastic connectors in the form of springs, to fasten the front of the hat or bonnet
to the hair; and to use two of the hair pins, connected with the hat or bonnet by
means of elastic connectors as described, to fasten the back of the hat or bonnet.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the drawings herewith; and in doing so will
refer first to the drawings on Sheet 1, of which Figure 1 is a view shewing the
interior of a hat with appliances of the character above described attached thereto
ready for use. Figure 2 is a detached view of the comb or front fastener shewn
the reverse way up to that in which it is shewn in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a
detached view of one of the connectors in the form of springs by means of which
the comb is fastened in place within the hat. Figure 4 is a section through the
front of the hat shewing, in side elevation, the attachment of one of the front
fastening connectors therewith. Figure 5 is a detached view of one of the hair
pins used in fastening the back of the hat, with its flexible connector and a hook
by means of which the flexible connector is fastened to the hat; and Figure 6 is
a side view of such hook shewn detached.
The drawings on Sheet 2 herewith illustrate an appliance, constructed according
to this invention, for the purpose more especially of fastening the front of a child's
hat, and will be presently explained.
Referring to the drawings on Sheet 1 herewith:-The comb or front fastener A
has a connector B in the form of a spring attachment fixed to each end of the
back of the comb by means of a rivet a. Each spring connector B is formed
conveniently of a piece of finely tempered steel wire, which is bent at or about its
middle to form a loop 6 (see Figure 3) through which the rivet passes, and the
portions of the wire which are divided by the loop branch outwards from one
another and are formed at their free ends into springs c of serpentine form. The
wire is, of course, sharpened to a point at each end before it is bent into shape.
The comb is fixed within the hat by passing the points dd of each connector
through or into the wall C of the hat, from the inside thereof, and the springs are
bent so that when the points dd have been pushed through or into the material of

page_text: the wall of the hat the portions e of each serpentine bear against the inside of
the wall, as clearly shewn in the case of one of the portions e by Figure 4, the
connection being thus sufficiently rigid for the purpose of the fastener A. The
sharpened ends of the spring attachments are bent somewhat inwards, as shewn by
Figure 4, for the purpose of affording a better hold than if straight, and also so
that when the attachments are fixed the points will incline inwards and by
avoiding the exposure of sharp points avoid also any liability of injury being
caused to a person who may handle the hat.
As will be readily seen, the comb A is fastened within the hat in such manner
that it is in position to pass, as the hat is put on, in a backward direction under
the hair on the top of the head; or, as stated above, the front of the hat may be.
raised to allow the comb to be inserted within the hair. The connectors B will
allow the hat to spring up slightly under a gust of wind and thus avoid sudden'
strain on the comb, such as would result if the connection between the comb and
hat were rigid and be liable to tear out the hair and displace the comb. Apart,
however, from the effect produced by a gust of wind, the spring connection
between the comb and hat causes the attachınent of the hat to the hair to be much
more comfortable to the wearer than if the connection were of a rigid character.
Two hair pins D are used for fastening the back or hinder portion of the hat
to the hair. Each of these pins is connected by means of a piece of elastic cord f
with a hook E. The hook is conveniently formed as a double hook of novel
construction, as shewn, and is made of finely tempered steel wire, which is bent to
form a loop g for the attachment of the elastic cord f therewith. The wire
passes first in opposite directions away from the loop g, and is then bent up at
right angles to form the backs of the hooked portions, and is then bent back to form
the prongs of the hooks. The wire is of course, in this case also, sharpened to a
point at each end before it is bent to shape. The hair pins are attached to the
hat by simply hooking the hooks E into the wall C thereof from the inside, as.
indicated by Figure 1. The pointed ends of the prongs are bent somewhat
inwards, as shewn clearly by Figure 6, for the purpose above described for which
the sharpened ends of the spring connectors B are bent inwards.
The invention has been described, with reference to the illustrations on Sheet I
herewith, as applied to a hat, simply by way of example; its application to a bonnet
will now be obvious without further illustration.
Referring now to the drawings on Sheet 2 herewith, which illustrate (for the
purpose, more especially, of fastening the front of a child's hat) a modification of the
appliance consisting of the comb A and elastic connectors B already described ;.
Figure 7 is a view corresponding to the upper portion of Figure 1, but shews the
modified form of appliance instead of the appliance shewn by Figure 1; Figure 8 is a
side edge view of the appliance shewn by Figure 7; Figure 9 is a back end view of
such appliance, that is to say, a view of the end which is adjacent to the end
of the hat when the appliance is fixed in place; and Figure 10 is an isometric
view of the appliance. Figures 9 and 10 each shew the appliance the same way
up as it appears to a person looking down into the hat, and Figure 8 shews the
appliance as the reverse way up. The comb A' corresponds to the comb A before
described, but it is fastened inside the hat in a manner differing somewhat in detail,
that is to say, it is fastened by means of a finely tempered steel wire i which is
connected to the inner side of the comb A' by means of loops of elastic cord
which pass over the wire and through holes in the comb. The wire i is curved as
shewn to follow, or approximately so, the curve of what is the underside of the
comb when the hat is in place upon the head. The ends of the wire are bent
backwards to pass beyond the back of the comb, as shewn, and are then first bent
downwards (in relation to the comb when in position shewn by Figure 10) and
then upwards to form hooks B'. The appliance is fixed inside the hat by passing
the ends d' d' of the hooks (which are, of course, pointed for the purpose) through
or into the material of the wall of the hat. The wire i is thus firmly attached to
the hat by means of the hooks B', and as the portion of it to which the comb A¹

page_text: is attached is curved to, or approximately to, the curve of the comb the comb is
held thereto with sufficient rigidity to ensure its remaining normally in a horizontal,
or approximately horizontal, position; but the comb being connected with the wire
by means of the elastic connectors k, the advantages above described of an elastic
connection between the hat and fastener are secured. When the front of a hat is
fastened by means of the appliances described in this paragraph, the back may be
fastened by an elastic cord passing under the hair, or by means of the hair pin
appliances above described, or in any convenient manner.
By the employment of this invention, the parts which directly engage with the
hair to secure the hat or bonnet in place may be attached to the hat or bonnet
without sewing; and the method of attaching them by means of hooking or
pinning as described permits of their being readily attached and disconnected
without removal of the trimming. The pointed ends of the parts which engage
directly with a hat or bonnet may be passed between the outside of the wall of the
hat, or corresponding portion of a bonnet, and the trimming thereagainst.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An appliance for use in fastening a hat or bonnet to the hair, which consists
of a comb provided with means for effecting an elastic or spring connection
between it and the inside of a hat or bonnet in such manner that the comb will
be in position to pass, as the hat or bonnet is put on, under the hair on the top of
the head, or in such position that by slightly raising the front of the hat or bonnet
the comb may be readily inserted properly within the hair on the top of the head, the
spring attachment allowing the hat or bonnet to rise slightly from the comb
under a gust of wind and thus avoid sudden strain on the comb, and consequent
discomfort to the wearer, substantially as described.
2. An appliance for use in fastening a hat or bonnet to the hair, which. consists
of a comb provided with an elastic or spring connector at each end or corner by
the aid of which it may be elastically fastened inside a hat or bonnet in position to
allow of its passing, as the hat or bonnet is put on, under the hair on the top of
the head, or in such position that by slightly raising the front of the hat or bonnet
the comb may be readily inserted properly within the hair on the top of the head,
substantially as described.
3: An appliance consisting of a comb provided with elastic or spring connectors,
substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith, for use in fastening
a hat or bonnet to the hair.
4. An appliance for use in fastening a hat or bonnet to. the hair, which consists
of a hair pin provided with a flexible and preferably- elastic connector fastened to
its inner or closed end by means of which it may be fastened inside a hat or bonnet,
substantially as described.
5. An appliance for use in fastening a hat or bonnet to the hair, which consists
of a hair pin, such as D, having an elastic cord or similar flexible connector, such
as f, fastened at one end to the inner end of the hair pin and at the other end to a
fastening, such as E, by which the appliance may be fastened inside a hat or
bonnet, substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
6. A compound appliance comprising a comb, such as A or A', and its means of
attachment, and a pair of hair pins, such as D, with their means of attachment,
substantially as and for the purpose described and shewn by the drawings
herewith.
Dated this 25th day of October 1894.
STEPHEN
WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.