Improvements in Appliances for Securing Bonnets, Hats, and the like in Position.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Securing Bonnets, Hats, and the
like in Position.
A communication from abroad by LEO ROSENFELD, of Baltimore City, Maryland,
United States of America, Clerk.
I, ROBERT ALEXANDER SLOAN, of the firm of Sloan & Lloyd Barnes, Castle Chambers,
Castle Street, Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent, 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 is designed as a substitute for the ordinary hat pin and is intended
to be applied to ladies' hats or bonnets or to any kind of head covering requiring
to be held upon the head to prevent accidental displacement. It is readily operated
by the wearer to engage or disengage the hair and has the advantage of always
being in place, and as it is attached to the hat or bonnet on the inside thereof it
does not require to be passed through the material of the head covering, this being
a very serious objection to the ordinary pin.
I have illustrated two forms of my invention, one form being shown as adapted
to be used vertically, and the other form as intended for horizontal use, but it will
be understood that I do not limit myself as to the position in which the pins are
shown as used.
In the drawings,
Figures 1 to 5 inclusive show one form of my invention, and
Figures 6, 7, and 8 show the second form.
Referring first to Figures 1 to 5 which I will first describe, the hat shown at A,
is representative of any hat or other head covering, requiring to be held on against
displacement. The securing pin is shown at a, and consists of a curved pin of
one or two prongs adapted to engage the hair and thus keep the hat in place,
the pin being supported and moving in a socket B, secured to the inner part of
the hat. In order to prevent the pin from turning in its support I make the pin
of a single prong of flattened wire, or of sheet metal, or of two prongs like an
ordinary hair-pin.
In the principal form the pin is made with two prongs in the general form of
an ordinary hair-pin, but longer and curved, the prongs a, a, being curved to
conform to the head. The socket B, of the pin is made of a single piece of sheet
The end
metal bent as shown and provided with holes b, to receive the pin.
flanges c, of the socket B, are provided with holes through which the support can
be sewed to the hat. When the pin a, is arranged on the inside of the hat in
vertical position it is necessary to have a yielding stop for the purpose of holding
the pin in position after it is pushed upward into the hair, and this is desirable.
also when the pin is used in a horizontal position. In order to give such yielding
support the prongs are formed near the lower end with slight outward bends d, d.
The pin being made of elastic wire the bends will spring in order to pass through the
holes in the support B, and when the bends are within the support and lodged between.
the ends thereof, the pin is held in that position with sufficient firmness to sustain it,
but the elasticity of the prongs allows the pin to be drawn down without difficulty.
In order to prevent the pin from being pushed up too far small beads e, may be
placed on the prongs at a suitable point as shown, or instead of these beads a small
cross bar may be soldered on at the same point. This forms a stop to arrest the
pin in its upward movement Similar stops are shown at f, near the free ends of
the prongs, being formed of small beads or projections on each prong so as not to
interfere with the insertion of the prongs in the mass of hair. Instead of these

page_text: beads I may make short bends in the wire of the prongs to serve the same
purpose. The support for the pin may be of any suitable piece of sheet metal
which may be stamped up into shape and ornamented in any desired manner.
Instead of the plate in the form shown I may use a tubular form of socket or
support as shown in Figures 3 and 4 using the same ineans to hold the pin in its
support. The tubular support is provided with flanges 9, g, for attachment to the
hat. In order to hold the pin up it may be provided with a cross bar as shown
at c¹, the cross bar being a little higher than the prongs of the pin.
The upper
part of the tubular support is slit and the portions between the slits is bent down
to form a spring so that when the thickened bar of the pin is pushed through
it will pass under the spring and when the bar is above the spring it is held
thereby with sufficient force to prevent it from falling down. Beads are placed
further up on the pin to prevent the pin from being drawn entirely out of its
supporting tube but allowing it to be drawn far enough to release the hat.
+
Figure 5 shows a form of pin made of flat material such as flattened wire or a
narrow strip of sheet metal. It may be used with a tube having a spring as above
described being provided with projections to catch under the spring.
Referring to Figures 6, 7, and 8 the pin a, is shown as arranged to operate
horizontally and to be withdrawn into a sheath. The sheath is shown at f¹, and
is provided with a flange for attachment to the hat or bonnet through perforations 6'.
The length of the sheath and the curve may be varied to suit the hat or bonnet
to which it is applied. Within the sheath is located the pin a, with a knob or
handle extending from the pin through a suitable slot or opening in the sheath
and projecting downward into such position that it may be touched by the finger
to move the pin in or out. I have found it convenient to make the sheath in the
form shown, in which the flange is made of very thin sheet metal or any other
suitable material and is formed with a hollow beading which constitutes the sheath,
but leaves an open slot h, except at the ends where it is closed. Any suitable
sort of projection may be attached to the pin at its inner end, but I have found
it convenient to make the pin of wire and to bend the inner end upward so that a
it extends through the slot and then bend it down over the inner face of the
beading, as in Figure 8 the lower end being provided with a knob ornamented in
any suitable way if desired. Manifestly the slot may be made in the under edge
of the beading but not so, cheaply. In order to give steadiness and support to the
pin I prefer to form the sheath with a stop f, as shown in Figure 7, a little 3
distance from the end, as it gives a longer bearing upon the beading and supports
the pin more firmly and steadily when it is extended.
While I have shown the pin arranged in a horizontal position it will be obvious
that it may be arranged in other positions according to the style of the hat or
bonnet, or the fashion of wearing the hair.
It will be manifest that the sheath may be, attached above the lower edge of
the bonnet concealed from view and that very slight projection is necessary on the
rear end, of the pin so that it may be touched by the finger and moved to project
the pin forward or upward into the hair.
4
The curve of the pin corresponding to the curve of the sheath, it is guided and 4
held and so extended in proper position. One of these may be used on each side
of the hat or bonnet.
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
olaim is-
1. In combination the plate to be attached to, the hat, and the pin held directly,
thereby to move without pivotal action, said pin having its prongs of spring
material curved inwardly to conform to the shape of the head whereby, when
moved through the, directing plate it will spring inwards in curved form and
engage automatically with the, bair, substantially as described.
5
2. In combination the plate having a slit portion forming a spring, a pin arranged to,

page_text: move through said plate and having a portion arranged to be pressed upon by the
spring of the plate, substantially as described.
3. In a hat fastener the combination of the curved plate having its edge turned
over to form a sheath with an open slot, and the curved pin arranged to slide in
said sheath provided with an extension on the rear end of said pin projecting
hrough said slot, substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of September 1890.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.