IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDES OR FASTENERS FOR THE HAIR
Year: 1884

page_text: J, ANNA SEDGWICK, of 21 Fitzclarence Street, Liverpool, in the county of
Lancaster, Widow, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SLIDES OR FASTENERS FOR THE HAIR " to be as follows:-
:-
The slides at present used for fastening the hair are constructed with a piece of
tortoise shell or pearl attached to a backing of metal forming one side, and a pin
forming the other. They consist in fact of a species of safety pin with a facing or
ornamental material attached thereto to hide the metal work. Now the faults of
this arrangement are ;—
1st That the pin after being used some time and having been bent and
straightened to secure a greater or less quantity of hair, breaks.
2nd That the ornamental face is apt to become detached and fall off,
3rd That it is not easily fastened, and the small hook is apt to catch and become
entangled in the hair.
Now my invention consists 1st in doing away with tho pin altogether. I form a
back of any strong stiff material, but preferably as hereafter described. I fix a
hook at one side of the back and an elastic loop or band with ring at the other
end, which loop or band engages with the hook aforesaid, the band is preferably
threaded through a tube of elastic material or long bead, or other suitable tubing,
so as not to get lost in the hair, and be easily found by the hand when in place.
The back as before rests upon the hair, and the elastic with its tube passes beneath
it engaging with the hook. By this arrangement the difficulty of fastening and
unfastening is in a manner avoided, the elastic adapts itself to any quantity of hair
holding it tight without injuring the slide, whereas with the present safety pin
arrangement, a strain is almost necessarily brought upon the pin tending to pull it
out of shape, and the frequent bending causes it to break, and thus to render the
slide useless By my invention I consider I secure a fastener which will be more
serviceable, more easily fastened, adapts itself without injury to the quantity of
hair of the wearer, dispenses with the necessity of tying and forms an ornament for
the hair in addition to its usefulness as a fastening.
The second part of my invention consists in a new mode of making the back, it
consists in forming it of wire, or other tough and moderately elastic material, in tho
form of a succession of double pot hooks joined-in fact of a wire or other material
LP 11

page_text: bent in a deep zig-zag manner with rounded ends and parallel or nearly parallel
stems joining those ends. This zig-zag can be of ornamental inlaid metal, metal
covered with ornamental matter, metal wound with silk ribbon or in very cheap
affairs plain or japanned metal. The zig-zag shape enables even comparatively
inelastic material to bend to the contour of the hair without breaking, so that
ebonite celluloid and other materials can be used that would break, if the back were
made in the ordinary manner. Where no covering is used the zig-zag may be
finished off at the ends in the form of a serpent's head and tail and thus add to the
ornamental effect.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION,
I ANNA SEDGWICK, of 21 Fitzelarence Street, Liverpool, in the county of
Lancaster, Widow, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SLIDES OR FASTENERS FOR THE HAIR" and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascortained in and by the
following statement :-
Ladies or children's hair, when worn loose or in a plait extending down the back,
requires a fastening to keep it in position and prevent it being blown or tossed
about in disorder. For this purpose, fasteners known as "slides" have been used,
or the hair has been tied with a ribbon of silk or other fabric. This latter plan,
while more ornamental is objectionable, as it is more troublesome, and the ribbon
with repeated use becomes creased and soiled, requiring frequent renewal.
Slides at present in uso for fastening the hair consist of a metal plate, generally
with a back or covering of tortoise-shell, pearl, or other ornamental material, to
which a pin is hinged or pivoted by one end, and secured in a clasp at the other, in
a manner somewhat similar to the pin of a brooch. A slide of this construction has
several defects, and is not very durable. The pin is caused to bend round a thick
bunch of hair and with continued use having been bent and straightened to secure
a greater or less quantity of hair, breaks. Tho strain on slide tends to bend the
metal plate, causing the ornamental back to become detached and fall off. The pin
is not easily fastened in position by the wearer, and its clasp is apt to catch, and
become entangled in the hair.
It is to obviate these defects, and to provide a slide or fastener for the hair that
may be used alone, or with a knot or bow of ribbon covering it, that this, my
invention is designed.
The back of the fastener may be made of a tough and moderately elastic material,
preferably of zig zag or some analogous shape, with a hook or catch at each end to
which is attached an elastic loop or band, one end of the loop being held secure,
and the other free to be placed upon, or removed from the hook at will by the
wearer,
Referring to the annexed drawings in which is shown a fastener or slide of the
shape I have found most suitable and convenient,
Figure 1 is a front elevation,
Figure 2, a plan,
Figure 3, side elevation showing the hook at one end and
Figure 4, side elevation showing the catch at other end.
In these A is the back or body of the slide preferably made of horn which may
be stained or otherwise ornamented as fashion or taste may dictate, but without
injuring its elasticity, or permanently weakening it. B is a catch or eye attached
to one end of the body A for securing or holding the elastic loop or band C. D is
a hook at the other end of A, with which the elastic loop or band B engages for the
purposes of securing the hair in the desired position or condition. The loop can be
placed over the hook, or released from it by the wearer at will. If desired, the
elastic loop or band may be threaded through a tube of elastic material or long bead

page_text: or other suitable tubing so as not to get lost in the hair, and be easily found by the
hand when in place. The back rests upon the hair, and the elastic with or without
its tube passes beneath it engaging with the hook. By this arrangement the
difficulty of fastening or unfastening is in a manner avoided; the elastic adapts
itself to any quantity of hair, holding it tight without injuring the slide. I do not 5
consider the tube for covering the elastic loop or band essential, and in fact, in
many instances, it may be discarded altogether, so I have not shown it in the
drawings.
The body A of the slide where it is intended to use it without the addition of
the covering of ribbon may be made of any convenient or suitable shape, though I 1
prefer that shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. When intended to carry or be
covered by a knot or bow of 'ribbon, the back or body A is made somewhat of a
zig zag shape or as if formed of double pot hooks. The shape shown in the drawing
has been designed as most suitable for the purpose though it may be somewhat
varied. The ribbon is passed between the projecting parts a and b into the spaces c, 1
and wound round the projections b, two loops being allowed to fall in the form of a
bow from the outside spaces c. Or the ribbon may be wound-round in any other
way to form a knot or bow. The slide with the ribbon attached, may be attached
to or removed from the hair without disturbing the folds of the ribbon.
By my invention-I-consider-I-secure a fastener, which will be more serviceable, 2
more easily fastened, adapts-itself-without-injury to the quantity of hair of the
wearer, dispenses with the necessity of tying, and forms an ornament-for-the hair
in addition to its usefulness as a fastening.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to a slide with a body or
-back-made_of_horn, as metal, tortoiseshell, or even a composition such as celluloid 2
or ebonite may be used, but I consider-horn-to-be the best and most serviceable.
Having now particularly described--and ascertained the nature of the said
invention,-and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare-that-what.
I claim is
1st A slide or fastening for the hair consisting of a body or back of horn or other 3
suitable material, and an elastic loop or band (without or without a tube through
which it passes) connected thereto and held in position by a catch or eye B and a
hook D, substantially as described and shown.
2nd A slide or fastening for the hair, substantially as described and shown;
having a back or body constructed of zig zag shape, or with elongations or 3
projections thereon, round which ribbon may be wound to form a bow or knot.
Dated this twentieth day of May 1885.